SCHOOL STORY

Strathcona Elementary is located on the traditional and unceded traditional lands of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm|Musqueam, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh|Squamish, and səlilwətaɬ|Tsleil-Waututh Nations where our staff and students learn, work, and play.

Strathcona is a large, enhanced services, dual track (English and French Immersion) school located on the Downtown Eastside and near the heart of Chinatown. It is Vancouver’s oldest elementary school and has a diverse population that greatly adds to the vibrancy of the school community. There are 32 self-identified language or cultural groups that make up the population of students. The school enrolls approximately 493 students from kindergarten to grade 7 with 70% of our students being enrolled in the English program and 30% in the French Immersion program.

Structurally, architecture accounts for a good deal of Strathcona’s charm and some of Vancouver’s oldest and most unique buildings. Currently the school occupies 3 buildings; the junior, senior and some parts of the E building. Within these, there is a cafeteria and auditorium. The school and community centre share a gym space, while other parts of the E building are used by preschool/daycare and out-of-school care.

The school consists of over 30% students with Indigenous heritage. The school’s population reflects the urban Indigenous population of Vancouver which draws from a diversity of cultures from across Turtle Island. One central aim is to continue to provide meaningful connections to Indigenous culture and practices by listening and amplifying Indigenous voices within the school as well as the broader community at large. We do this by organizing and hosting relevant cultural assemblies and events throughout the year, as well as incorporating Indigenous teachings in our classrooms.

In addition to participating in cultural activities at our school, many of the students are connected and involved with programs and activities at The Vancouver Aboriginal Friendship Centre, Urban Native Youth Association (UNYA), Red Fox Healthy Living Society, Vancouver Urban Ministries, Big Brothers and Big Sisters, Kidsafe, Britannia Secondary school, as well as various Indigenous Childcare centres in the area. The VSB Community Schools Team (CST) is also actively supporting students with out of school programs.

To support the complex needs and challenges many of the family’s face, due to systemic racism, intergenerational trauma, and poverty, the school is supported through enhanced services. These services include: a lunch program, social/emotional support for students and families, as well as onsite medical consultations through the RICHER program (Responsive Intersectoral Child and Community Health Education and Research), the Strathcona Community Dental Clinic, and a partnership with CYMH (Child and Youth Mental Health) and VCC (Vancouver Community College) Dental Hygiene Program.

The school is connected to the Strathcona Community Centre, which provides onside before and after school care programs as well as a breakfast program in the morning, a food program weekly to support neighbourhood families, and a Dental Clinic. Our ongoing relationship with Strathcona Community Centre allows us to build strong recreational and educational programs for our students and their families. Additionally, our Seamless Day before and after school care program for kindergarten students provides a stable, supportive, consistent, routine for new students and families that eliminates transitions to unfamiliar adults and environments.

Music and school athletics are prominent fixtures of the school with high levels of student participation. At Strathcona, we value parent/caregiver involvement and the creation of a safe school environment where all students and families feel a sense of belonging and connection. There is a tremendous sense of community in our neighbourhood and we strongly value this community involvement in the creation of a safe and caring school environment.