SCHOOL STORY

Queen Alexandra School sits on the ancestral and unceded lands of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam, Sḵwxwú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation) & səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh Nation) and is located at the busy intersection of Broadway and Clark in East Vancouver. After grade 7, the majority of students feed into Vancouver Technical Secondary School. Our school receives supports from the Enhanced Services and Community Schools Teams. Our vision is to develop critical thinking, problem-solving, collaboration and communication skills in students through inquiry and STEAM. QA is known for its welcoming learning environment, flexible learning spaces, and the desire to authentically integrate Indigenous ways of knowing into the school. We foster students’ creativity, self-expression and respect for diversity, and we make every effort to nurture students to develop into successful global citizens. The students, families and staff of Queen Alexandra Elementary School work together in an emotionally nurturing environment so all students can succeed academically and socially.

Queen Alexandra has approximately 140 students from Kindergarten to grade 7 and a vibrant Strong Start program. The diverse student body includes over 18% of students with recognized diverse learning needs, 18% identified as English Language Learners (ELL), and more than 42% of students identifying as Indigenous. We have 35 members of school staff, including classroom teachers, resource and prep teachers, a Literacy Enhancement Teacher, a teacher-librarian, School and Student Support workers, an Indigenous Education Worker, a neighbourhood assistant, office administrator, custodial and cafeteria workers and a principal. There is a strong sense of family among staff; many staff members have deep connections with multiple generations of families.

Family involvement is highly valued at Queen Alexandra Elementary, and we are fortunate to have a very engaged and active Parent Advisory Council (PAC). The PAC is an integral link between the school and the community, providing families with a platform to actively contribute to the school's activities. This collaboration fosters a sense of partnership and ensures that parents' voices are heard and valued. We run coffee mornings for families every Friday in the lunchroom, which helps further strengthen school and community bonds. We also host an Indigenous Day in June where families are invited to partake in teaching and learning sessions.

Queen Alexandra makes significant efforts to provide diverse curricular and extra-curricular opportunities for students. Sports and sportsmanship play a significant role at the school - we encourage students to participate in team and individual sports, such as soccer, volleyball, basketball, badminton and Ultimate Frisbee. For many years we have been part of the AIRS (Artist-in-Residence) program. This year our inquiry is focused on Indigenous Principles of Learning, self-identity, and the creation of a personalized studio space.

Queen Alexandra has developed diverse community partnerships, which offer opportunities for our students during and after school in arts, literacy, STEAM and sports. We work with community partners to offer winter, spring and summer programs, alongside before and after school care programming. Our school is grateful to the community partners and proud of each students’ learning journey.

We celebrate the community and learning with events and activities which include school-wide themes with activities like Multicultural Day, Literacy Day and Orange Shirt Day, drumming and singing the Coast Salish Anthem at events and assemblies, daily “shout outs”, weekly newsletters, school website, PAC meetings, Friday Morning Family Coffee, and Winter and Spring Celebrations. Each month we focus on one of the Seven Sacred Teachings, with students being honoured when they demonstrate that month’s Teaching. We also highlight these in our QA Daily News and monthly assemblies. Students’ work is displayed in the hallways and samples of their work is included in Learning Folders to share with families during student conferences. Queen Alexandra aligns our practice with the overarching goals as set out by the Vancouver School Board Education Plan.

QA students see themselves and their communities in the curriculum. Numerous resources, from the library to the playground, display this inclusivity. For example, books celebrating the Potlatch and other Indigenous cultures and traditions are abundant in our library. The QA Daily News promotes community by having students actively create and participate in bulletins, while also acknowledging each other daily. Furthermore, our outside garden is being redeveloped this year to help students learn about a sense of place. With the help of a VSB sustainability grant, we are hoping to plant Indigenous flowers, grasses and plants to rejuvenate this space.

Queen Alexandra ensures a school environment which is safe, caring, welcoming, and inclusive places for students and families. Each year we evaluate and renew plans for the improvement for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous learners and increase our knowledge, awareness, appreciation of, and respect for Indigenous histories, traditions, cultures, and contributions.