Creating a Community That Cares

At École Clearbrook Elementary, we understand that students’ emotional well-being is the foundation of learning and success. When a student feels regulated, safe and has a sense of belonging at school, building literacy and numeracy skills takes flight. Teachers at Clearbrook intentionally target and teach social-emotional learning skills and strategies that positively impact our students’ social-emotional well-being.

Parent engagement, parents being welcomed into our school, and actively participating in our school community help develop a sense of belonging at school for both students and their families. Volunteer opportunities, family movie nights, dinners and fun fairs are some typical ways to welcome our families into the school.  At Ecole Clearbrook, we are trying to go deeper with parent engagement to ensure that families see themselves represented and as a valued part of our school community.

This September, we asked our students and their families, “Where were you born?”, “where does your family come from?” and “Where does your family call home?”. Displaying these results on a large world map in our main lobby has started quite the conversation in our classrooms. With Clearbrook families coming from all around the world (more than 30 countries and counting), it is more important than ever for our students and their families to know they are all valued members of our school community.

École Clearbrook’s library is undergoing a diversity audit this school year to ensure that our students see themselves in our current and future book selections. Celebrations are also a huge part of our school community. Learning about cultural traditions and how their classmates celebrate holidays and festivities is one way Clearbrook students learn about each other.  Coming together as a school community to learn about and celebrate Diwali, Christmas, Lunar New Year, Carnaval, Eid, Indigenous Peoples’ Day, and Vaisakhi helps grow our sense of belonging.  As we head into this school year, Ecole Clearbrook staff look forward to finding more ways to strengthen and deepen our students and their families' connection to each other and our school community.  We are all better together, and we are all Clearbrook Cubs.

ERICA HOPKINS, PRINCIPAL
École Clearbrook Elementary