The document discusses a project aimed at improving student attendance, specifically among aboriginal learners who exhibit chronic lateness and absences. It outlines the inquiry team's focus on creating engaging morning activities and meaningful connections with students to address attendance issues. The results indicated an overall improvement in attendance and a greater awareness among students of supportive adults in the school, although there were still challenges related to increasing tardiness.

1. Question / focus area:
How will transitioning to the schoolday with highly engaging activities or meaningful adult
connections improve student attendance?
Scanning: Two to three sentences to summarize your scanning process. What did you notice
about the experiences of your learners that was most important to your team?
Many of our Aboriginal learners are chronically late or absent (1 or more days/week) and
during the elementary years they miss significant instructional time and meaningful,
supportive connection with the school community. Irregular attendance contributes to
developing gaps in learning, inadequate foundational skills, narrow band of friendships or
peer relationships and limited opportunities for positive connections at school. These factors
may often contribute to an increasing cycle of chronic absence.
Focus: What key area of learning was your focus? In one to two sentences, explain what your
driving question or focus was and why you selected this area.
The key area we will focus is on student attendance including chronic lateness and absences
throughout the school year. We have defined chronic absence as being late or absent from
school 1 or more days/week. Initially, we will focus on “target students” – those enrolled in
the inquiry team classes.
Data Group: Our target group consisted of 27 students from K to Grade. 7. There were 24
Aboriginal students and 3 non-Aboriginal students. They were identified by the chroniclates
and absences from the 2012/2013 school year and the current year as observed (more than
20 lates/absences).
Hunch: Two to three sentences to describe your hunches about the ways in which practices at
the school may be contributing to a need for change. Briefly describe your hunches about what
you as a team might do to make things better for your learners.
Barriers to regular attendance are complex, so we identified ways the school could impact or
improve attendance, including how we connect with Aboriginal families; how we transition
Aboriginal students to the school day; how we provide for student strengths, levels of
engagement and interest during the school day; how we create a sense of belonging for our
2013-2014 AESN Case Study
School: BEAR CREEK ELEMENTARY District: SURREY
Please indicate your major area of focus:
TRANSITIONS: ___ STUDENT LEVEL INQUIRY: ___ AEA: _X__
Inquiry Team Members: Tam Manery (Gr. 7); Natalia Russo (Gr. 5); Monica Noakes
(Gr. 5); Joanne Fischer (Gr. 4); June Iwagami (Gr. 3); Linda Deamer (Gr. 3); Jennifer
Ray (Gr. 3/4), Jessica Beggs (LST); Cindy Kuk (LST); Len Pierre (AEA); Tia Henriksen
(VP), Carrie Burton (P)
Contact Information: Bear Creek Elementary @ 604-594-7501

2. Aboriginal students and how we maintain meaningful relationships and connections to our
Aboriginal students and their families.
New professional learning: Two to three sentences to summarize the new areas of professional
learning you explored and what you found most effective in supporting the learning of your
team.
Inquiry project group will incorporate a bookclub reading for “Spirals of Inquiry” and the
Aboriginal Enhancement Agreement so we have a greater and more in-depth understanding
or each. Members of the inquiry project will participate in the AESN network meetings
scheduled throughout the year.
Taking action: Two to three sentences about the actions or strategies you and your team
decided on and how your actions worked out.
June, 2013 – We created and conducted surveys for students, staff and parents in May, 2013.
These surveys helped to gather information from all stakeholders about contributing factors
(home, school and community) that affect student attendance. This provided baseline data.
Daily: A breakfast program, physical fitness, literacy activities and some open classrooms will
continue to be offered to students before school, between 7:30 – 8:30 am.
Weekly Class Activities: Each participating classroom have some “activity” materials with a
few specialty bins that rotate with exciting activities like Kinex, puzzles, lego, Stacking Cups,
etc. Funds have been allocated for each participating teacher to purchase materials that are
appropriate for their student’s interest and age.
Each participating classroom teacher began the school day in a non-traditional way for
students. Suggestions from the inquiry group included:
1) Physical activity such as dance, yoga, self-regulation with music, etc.
2) “Flashback to Kindergarten” or “Coffee Date” with games/building/art/play in class
3) Adult / student connection otherthan the teachers. “Adopt a student”.
4) LST teachers having open rooms before the bell for morning check-ins.
5) The Learning Principles from The Nature of Learning (OECD 2010).
The team felt it was important for each teacher to decide which activity suited the students
best. Our focus would not be school-wide, but rather focus on the team members and
targeted students within the team’s classrooms. Two LST teachers and the Aboriginal EA
connected with the highest risk students who were not enrolled in classrooms of participating
teachers and worked with them throughout the year.
Checking: Two to three sentences to describe the difference you made. Was it enough? Were
you satisfied? What did you use as baseline - and change - evidence? If your focus was in an
area where performance standards are available, please show what changes were evident. In
other areas, be clear on what you used as evidence of growth.
We conducted post-survey for our parents/guardians, students and staff in May, 2014. We
compared this with the baseline data on student attendance for 2012–2013. The overall
attendance improved. The overall number of lates increased, but the inquiry group did
indicate that students were arriving toschool not so late as in previous years.

3. The following information was gathered on the key question: Can you name 2 caring adults in
the building who believe you will be successful? Students identified 20 different staff
members who they felt would be a success in life. This included 13 classroom teachers and 7
support staff. 7 students indicated theirfriends first and then adults. 3 students could not
identify two adults who believed they would be a success in life.
Reflections/Advice: Four sentences about what you learned from this inquiry, where you plan
to go next, and what advice you would offer other schools with a similar interest.
We learned that there are multiple factors contributing to chronic absence or lates, and that
some of the factors are complex and within one school year, the school has minimal impact.
Some of these include: weather, parental history, degree of illness and personality traits. The
school environment does have a significant impact on how school attendance is supported
and recognized, as well as the student’s well-being, connectedness and their sense of
belonging. Older students can be more easily supported and influenced by the school staff
than younger children, as a level of independence can positively impact regular attendance.
As a way to engage parents and connect them to the school in a positive way, encourage
them to participate in the activities with their children.
Please submit to Donna Weaving dweaving@dccnet.com by July 31 2014.
Please note: For 2014-2015 we are requesting that all inquiry teams reference one or both of:
1. The First Peoples’ Principles of Learning
2. The Learning Principles from The Nature of Learning (OECD 2010).
NOII is dedicated to:
EVERY learner crossing the stage with dignity, purpose and options.
ALL learners leaving our settings more curious than when they arrive.
ALL learners gaining an understanding of, and respect for, Aboriginal knowledge and culture.
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Baseline Inquiry Results
Spirals Target Group Attendance -April2013-2014
Attendance Lates