Reflecting on 2021-2022 in New West schools

The learning commons at New West Secondary School (NWSS) was a hub of activity on Tuesday afternoon as the school board, student representatives, teachers and guests listened to a number of presentations to cap off the 2021-2022 school year. Speakers included students from S.E.A.S. NWSS, the group that, last month, staged a walkout calling out rape culture at the high school.

"You can be the school that creates this shift," said Sophie Hansen, the Grade 12 student who gave the presentation at Tuesday's meeting. Hansen took a moment to acknowledge that, even with her graduation, there are more of her peers who are ready, willing and able to continue the work.

Isabella Graham, who is in Grade 11, will be part of that leadership. Along with a continued call for restorative justice, Graham is asking for better education around safe sex. “This would not only include safe sex within heterosexual relationships,” explained Graham, “but also queer sex ed." Graham is also hoping to continue discussions between football players and victims who are willing to talk to one another; she says there are people on both sides who want to – as she puts it – ‘bridge the gap.’ "We don't want S.E.A.S. versus the football team," explains Graham, "we want to work together as peers."

Other upcoming work will include taking a second look at codes of conduct, whether it’s the football team, or for other school-related functions and groups. Both Hansen and Graham said they were pleased with the assistance they’d been receiving from the administration, including from associate superintendent Maryam Nasser.

Trustee Maya Russell began the board’s question and comment portion of this presentation by thanking the students for the work they’d done. Trustee Mary Lalji said the duo had unpacked “a lot,” noting she and her husband, Farhan Lalji, had started the football program in 2002.

Graham again stated they were committed to bridging the gap between victims willing to speak, and the school’s football players. “We want to hear their stories too,” said Graham, adding it appears that some players within the football program are shaming other players for taking a stand. “Rape culture also exists in the football team against each other,” she said, “boys are always taught that they are going to be boys." Graham said it was why they were pushing for another look at the team’s code of conduct, also adding S.E.A.S. was already in talks with next year’s student leader of the football team.

Indigenous connections in the school district

District vice-principal for Indigenous education Connie Swan and Indigenous graduation coach Matt Mitchell highlighted some of the key events and changes that helped students across the district gain more exposure to Indigenous culture.

“We’ve engaged four locations in the district,” said Swan, referring to Skwo:wech, the board office, the welcome centre, and NWSS. This was done with consultation from Qayqayt chief Rhonda Larabee. Swan said students were also proud of the creative projects they put together, like drums and button blankets.

While this was Mitchell’s first year working as an Indigenous graduation coach, he believes the position has made a difference. He shared the example of one student who was struggling with trying to balance school life and do well. A simple discussion with Mitchell allowed them to take different approaches, and he was proud to share that the student would be graduating with 80 credits this year – this was met with applause from the room.

“I wish the student was here to hear this applause,” he said.

Ongoing work at NWSS

Principal Murray McLeod talked about how the high school worked towards its goal of achievements within NWSS’s five Cs:

• Collaboration

• Communication

• Celebration

• Community

• Connectedness

McLeod said that the school immediately restructured some of their meetings at the beginning of the year to ensure more opportunity for collaboration by using smaller groups to share information. Anti-racism training and awareness is still a work-in-progress, with some of that work already happening through Bakau Consulting. Professional development days were also committed to understanding how to combat toxic masculinity, and gender-based harassment and inequality. McLeod said he was also pleased to see break-out rooms established in the school, in the event students or staff need to take a break.

Other highlights from the evening meeting

No ballot changes: names will not be listed in random order because, as secretary-treasurer Bettina Ketcham outlined in her report, there could be some confusion with random names in the school board portion of the voter card, and alphabetical listings on the portion for council. The board decided to leave this for the next election, with a couple of trustees saying it’d be better to reach out to city council and include them in the discussion.

Indigenous hiring: executive director of human resources, Robert Weston, said paperwork would be signed in the days to come after striking a deal with the New West Teachers Association that would give priority treatment to candidates who are Indigenous. This would be as simple as clicking a button to allow the applicant to make the identification.

The next meeting is a regular open Board of Education meeting, taking place on Tuesday, June 21 at 7 pm.