Key strengths
- Engaging activities and programs:
- Students appreciated unique and fun opportunities such as field trips (e.g., Canada Cup), talent shows, scavenger hunts, and the reading link challenge.
- Strong curricular and extracurricular programs:
- Students name key program strengths as science classes, arts programs (music, theater, and drama), and exploratory, hands-on learning activities.
- Diverse club offerings:
- Students value the variety of courses and clubs, such as library monitoring and outdoor activities, which allow them to explore different interests.
Key challenges
- Equity and accessibility:
- Students with disabilities face barriers such as a lack of physical infrastructure (e.g., ramps, elevators) and insufficient accommodations for invisible disabilities (e.g., ADHD).
- Socioeconomic inequities also impact students’ access to resources, such as technology and books.
- Some students also note a lack of breaks during long class periods is a barrier.
- Students with disabilities face barriers such as a lack of physical infrastructure (e.g., ramps, elevators) and insufficient accommodations for invisible disabilities (e.g., ADHD).
- Overcrowding:
- Students report classroom sizes exceeding capacity. Though portables may be used to address capacity issues, they can lack essential facilities like sinks, washrooms, and air conditioning.
- Insufficient technology:
- Chromebooks provided are sometimes broken, slow, or insufficient in number, leaving students struggling to engage efficiently.
- Safety concerns:
- Vandalism, bullying, and vape-related disruptions were repeatedly mentioned, with students noting that vape detectors often malfunction or are ignored due to understaffing.
- Limited variety and accessibility in clubs:
- Many students feel there are not enough clubs, and existing ones are inaccessible due to costs or selective admissions. Repetition of field trips year after year also detracts from excitement and engagement.
Key priorities
- Accessibility and inclusion:
- Develop anti-stigma initiatives around disability, ensure equitable access to resources, implement inclusive practices, and create programming that represents diverse cultural backgrounds.
- Students want teachers to have greater awareness of the needs of students with learning disabilities and neurodivergent students, including students with ADHD and autism.
- Implement policies for students with disabilities to enable them to receive adequate accommodations and support.
- Enhance inclusive environments and ensure appropriate support (e.g. educational aides) so students with disabilities are not isolated from peers in classrooms or programs.
- Develop anti-stigma initiatives around disability, ensure equitable access to resources, implement inclusive practices, and create programming that represents diverse cultural backgrounds.
- Address overcrowding:
- Students want to see new schools and better-equipped portables, with basic facilities like washrooms and air conditioning.
- Expand creative and skill-based learning:
- Introduce more programs in arts, life skills (e.g., cooking, first aid, time management), and creative problem-solving to prepare students for future pathways.
- Improve safety:
- Strengthen anti-bullying measures, address vaping concerns, and ensure facilities, including bathrooms, are safe spaces.
- Broaden extracurricular offerings:
- Make clubs and extracurriculars more varied and accessible regardless of income, add create more opportunities for creative and STEM-based pursuits.