A Paper for the Your Chance to Ask session Denied A Future Conference Budapest, November 28-30, 2001

Transcription

1 <Title> Clay ton Park Ju nior Hig h A Scho ol for Diverse Learners </Title> <META name="description" conten t=" Your Chance to Ask, Denied A Fu ture "> <META name="key words" content="immigration Bac kgroun d of Nova Sco tia Staff Development practice, OTH, ENL, T02"> <!--PICOSEARCH_SKIPALLSTART--> Clayton Park Junior High A School for Diverse Learners A Paper for the Your Chance to Ask session Denied A Future Conference Budapest, November 28-30, 2001 Max Moulton Clayton Park Junior High Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada Immigration Background of Nova Scotia: 17th century The first European settlement was founded at Port Royal in Acadia in Throughout the century, French settlers established homes in Nova Scotia.. 18th century Growing numbers of immigrants from England, Scotland and Ireland settled here seeking a better life. After the American Revolution in 1776, United Empire Loyalists fled to Canada to maintain their loyalty to Britain. These were our first refugees. Our first free Black refugees came to Nova Scotia during this period as well. 19th century British immigration continued. Later in the century Nova Scotia welcomed immigrants from central and Eastern Europe to develop the land. During the war of 1812 another immigration of Black settlers took place. 20th century Immigration boomed during the period leading up to World War, reaching a peak in Immigration has fluctuated over the years, depending on pressures abroad and Canada's needs. After a lull during the Depression and Second World War, many Europeans displaced by war and persecution settled in Canada s and 60 s A number of Greek and Italian immigrants settled in Halifax.

2 1978 Canada began resettling thousands of Vietnamese boat people. 1980s Canada accepted growing numbers of people fleeing oppression and civil war in countries such as El Salvador and Chile. 1990s Immigration from Asia has increased in recent years In the spring of 1999, Canadians welcomed more than 5000 refugees from Kosovo, under an emergency evacuation program. Many of these settled in Halifax. Halifax until the1990 s was a city of European background with the second largest Black population in Canada. The relationship between these two cultures has been at times rocky. Our School: Clayton Park Junior High is located in the northwestern section of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The school draws mainly from the communities of Rockingham and Clayton Park. The school has grades 7-9, with students whose age s range from years. Our present school population is 350. Over the last four to five years our area has experienced the largest growth in our Metropolitan area. This growth has brought with it a dramatic change in the demographics of the area. The area has become very culturally and socially/economically diverse. This area is one of the few areas near the Halifax peninsula that has land for new growth. Many new homes and apartments have sprung up. This has provided opportunities for people from around the world to move into Halifax. Many New Canadian immigrant entrepreneurs have moved here with their wealth and talents. There are also many apartment buildings that are used by the government to provide needed accommodations for refugees who have come to this country to seek a new beginning. Clayton Park Junior High reflects these demographic changes that have taken place. Over the last six years, our school culture has become a very multicultural one.

3 The second largest language group in the school is Arabic. We teach students from all the major Arabic countries in the Middle East; Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Syria, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. We also have students from most of the troubled spots of the world; Iraq and Kuwait; Israel and Palestine, Syria and Egypt. The school also teaches students from both sides of the Bosnian Crises Serbs and Albanians. Students from Africa are also represented: Somalia, Nigeria, Ghana, Egypt, South Africa Zimbabwe, Somalia, Uganda, Eritrea and Kenya. Eastern and Western Europe is also well represented: France, Germany, Italy, Spain, England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, Denmark, Russia, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Greece, Malta, Romania, Yugoslavia, Bosnia, Romania and Albania. The East is also represented by India, Hong Kong, China, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Philippines, South Korea, Vietnam, Japan and Australia From The Southern Hemisphere, we have students from Brazil, Venezuela, Cuba, Argentina, Costa Rica, Barbados, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Bolivia, and Bermuda. And of course The United States and Mexico. We have the four major religions of the world represented. We have over 30 languages spoken in the school. As you can see from the statistical analysis of the school s diverse population, Clayton Park Junior High plays a unique role in the educational role of the Halifax Regional School Board. The norm at Clayton Park is diversity. The staff and school community have become the cultural center for the neighborhood. We try to help both students and parents in their difficult adjustments to a new country and a new culture. This has been new to Halifax and we are learning as we go. Diversity enriches the life of the school but it also tests the imagination and will of education systems to respond to the expressed needs of different language, ethic and religious groups, men and women, affluent and poor. We must assure the equity for all students. We must present a vision of a community in which everyone is included and respected. (Secondary Schools in Canada: The national Report of the Exemplary Schools Project, Canadian Education Association, 1995) In doing so, it has been imperative that Clayton Park Junior High develop a concept of a community school unique to our demographic area. Caring about the progress of students means understanding the problems they are trying to overcome outside as well as inside the classroom. It requires the school to become a vital support for all the members in the school family. We are not only taking care of our students; we are supporting the entire family unit in whatever ways we can legal help, medical help, employment help. By helping the entire family to best utilize the services available in our broader community, we are creating a framework for learning. Through student awareness of their role in the broader community, we are facilitating the

4 growth of responsible citizenship, positive personal development, and communication skills. All of this has required a variety of programs that respond to the challenge. We need to redefine our concept of schooling. However, creating a respectful climate that adapts, in various ways, to the increasing diversity of student needs, takes sustained energy, clear direction, and innovative special programs. It requires change on the part of all aspects of the school community, as well as, support from the various levels of administrative support. The educational landscape is littered with the remains of failed school reforms, many of which failed because of the social conditions surrounding the schools. Only those reforms that recognize these conditions and actively engage them are likely to make a lasting difference in the lives of the children, educators, and the community served by the school. (The New Meaning of Educational Change, 2 nd ed, Michael Fullan, OISE Press, 1991.) The task of recognizing and engaging the cultural conditions of our school community can only be done by working with the members of that community. The school must become a warm, friendly, welcoming educational center for all members of its family. This partnering has required staff, time, and resources. At the school level, we needed to make parental involvement a fundamental part of the definition and mission of an effective school. Practices: Over the last few years, the school has strived to involve parents more in the school: Appropriate cultural support groups have been set up to a) help translate school information into the various languages, b) provide a means of communication for parental visits to the school, c) help establish a positive sense of community within the school climate Staff and the YMCA School Support Worker* have meet with many of the new families to a) help explain the cultural differences they may experience, b) set up professional services (doctor,lawyer) and other essential services that the family may need, c) where possible helping to arrange for someone to aid in communications in other than school matters. Set up host families. Each new family is connected with an established family in order to provide help in the new environment. This involves planning weekend, evening and summer projects involving both families. (*YMCA School Support Worker this is a federally funded program for our community. Several schools are provided with an individual who is a support person to the new families. The support workers do not

5 follow the usual pattern of school life. Their hours are flexible and they are free to visit homes when necessary. They are usually people who have been recent immigrants and thus can appreciate the needs of the families they support) The school has also taken a pro-active stance with respect to racial problems. Supported by the Halifax Regional School Board s Racial, Cross-Cultural and Harassment Policy, the school has accepted the responsibility to create a caring community in which students are provided the opportunity not only to work and learn but also to fell accepted, respected and safe. If this is not done, students who face racial slurs and verbal and physical harassment, they will form social groups for comfort and protection. In some cases, these groups move from reactive to pro-active solutions. When students care about one another, they are more apt to care about their learning. Clayton Park has: 1. Provided opportunities for the sharing of knowledge of the various cultural groups found in the school Cultural fairs Classroom discussions (respectful dialogue) Special recognition during holiday and religious events Celebrate the differences 2. When disagreements do occur, have the offender meet with those they have harmed or hurt. We have found this method to be very successful in the cases of name calling and racial slurs. This can change conflict into creative and constructive learning. 3. Have meetings with the family of the offender to provide understanding of the rules and regulations of the school. 4. In extreme cases, remove the offender from the school. Our curriculum philosophy is based on the concept of multiple intelligences of Dr. Howard Gardner. Each student must be given the opportunity to lean and express themselves in a variety of ways. Therefore art, physical education, family studies, technological education are taken by all students, as well as the usual core subjects. Music is taken by over 100 of our students. In all courses: the cultural diversity is recognized and celebrated. The students learn to analyze and critique ideas from multiple perspectives. The teacher must create an environment where students feel safe to take risks. Provide opportunities for students to learn about each other.

6 <!--PICOSEARCH_SKIPALLEND--> Images (pictures, paintings) of the various cultures are found through out the school. All students must see themselves if they are to feel at home. We must foster the self-esteem of all our students. We have a full time English as a Second language (ESL) teacher who helps with the students who cannot speak any English. Our Library has tried to have a collection of materials that reflect the diverse population of the school. Staff Development: Over the last six years, cultural sensitivity as been a priority in our professional development plan. We have used school board as well as outside agencies in this respect. When possible, staff has been chosen on the basis of their comfort with and knowledge of the various cultures. I have two Greek teachers and one Arabic speaking teacher on staff. My YMCA School Support Worker is Spanish speaking. In conclusion, the school has developed and continues to develop a welcoming educational center for all the students and their families.