Canadian School Libraries is pleased to announce
Surrey Schools, School District 36, Surrey, British Columbia
as recipient of the Leading Learning Implementation Award 2022
The Leading Learning Implementation Award has been established to recognize, honour, and applaud school districts, provinces, and territories who have developed and/or enhanced their school library learning commons on a systemic basis, founded on the tenets, principles and continuous growth and renewal focus of the five standards of Leading Learning: Standards of Practice for School Library Learning Commons in Canada.
Canadian School Libraries is pleased to announce Surrey Schools, School District 36, Surrey, BC, as recipient of the Leading Learning Implementation Award 2022.
All 125 elementary and secondary schools in Surrey Schools SD36 are staffed by teacher-librarians in library learning commons, implementing the district’s vision of programs that are aligned with Leading Learning standards.
The outstanding work in the district is driven by the vision of libraries as creative and collaborative hubs of learning that promote transliteracy, innovation, and inquiry.
Surrey Schools teacher-librarians strive to create safe places for all members of the school community to embrace and explore their passions, interests and learning needs. They receive strong support from district administrators and principals, who clearly understand the impact of the library learning commons program on student learning.
CSL is delighted to share highlights of the outstanding, collaborative school library learning commons work in this district. The Surrey Schools webpages linked below show the significant impact that their library learning commons have on student learning.
See It In Action in Surrey Schools
- Locally Developed Indigenous People Collection and Classification System
- Surrey Schools One: A Surrey Teacher-Librarian Collaboration
See it in Action in Surrey Schools
- “A Place Where Everyone is Someone”: School Goals foundational to LLC Goals
- Building Connection and a Sense of Belonging to Achieve School Goals
See it in Action in Surrey Schools
- ADST/Science/Literacy Cross Curricular Learning through TL Collaboration
- Social Justice through TL Collaboration
- Locally developed Collaboration Infographic
- Locally Developed Inquiry for Equity Planning & Process Guide
See it in Action in Surrey Schools
- Student Voice in Collection Development
- School Wide Read – Collaboration to Ignite Readers
- Elementary and Secondary Diversity Audit
- Surrey Schools Book of the Year Programs for all ages
See it in Action in Surrey Schools
- Makerspace in the Secondary LLC
- Spaces invite Participatory Learning
- Whole School Participatory Learning through the LLC
- District Wide Pride Poster Contest
These highlights demonstrate the excitement, rigour, and forward development of library learning commons standards in Surrey Schools SD #36. Additionally, teacher-librarians in Surrey Schools SD #36 are lifelong learners themselves; engaged locally, provincially, and nationally in the field of school librarianship. All of this would not be possible without strong support from district administrators and principals – if Surrey Schools SD#36 Library Learning Commons want to move forward in standards of practice they are supported to do so as their impact on student learning is evident.
Our LLCs are a focal point of our schools. Students from all areas of our community use the library throughout their school day and beyond. It is a hub of activity where students are encouraged to ask questions and work collaboratively. In addition, our Teacher Librarians work with students to identify their areas of passion and then support them on their learning journey. Our Teacher Librarians are also strong supporters of staff development. Teachers from all departments work with the TL to develop projects and guide inquiry. These partnerships help all our teachers improve their practice and grow as professionals. Our Library Learning Commons are a source of pride for the Surrey School District.
James Johnston, Principal, Clayton Heights Secondary, Surrey Schools SD #36
Given that all elementary and secondary schools have library learning commons that are inherently collaborative and student-centred, Surrey’s teacher-librarians have been critical in leading, adapting and leveraging their spaces to better support reading motivation. In flexible and inviting spaces, they are fostering reading interest by engaging students in hands- on learning opportunities, offering choices, encouraging student voice, and providing process-oriented feedback. In this regard, Surrey’s teacher-librarians are supporting the district’s focus area of Literacy. They are “making makers and readers” who cooperate with their peers, problem solve, and think creatively and critically.
Kathy Puharich, Director of Instruction, Surrey Schools SD #36
Surrey teacher-librarians embody the notion of collaborative engagement. Not only do they meet regularly in person and on TEAMs to share their professional expertise with each other, they have taken on pivotal roles in their individual schools, empowering their teachers and students to work together in the enterprise of learning. Surrey TLs are keenly interested in cultivating collections that reflect the community and provide voice for a range of communities such as Indigenous students and LGBTQ+ learners.
Gordon Powell, Retired District Principal (Surrey SD#36), Public Library Trustee (City of Surrey)
Surrey School District has been a leader in implementing changes to transform our libraries to Library Learning Commons (LLC) for the past decade. Over the years, Surrey Schools has exhibited leadership by hosting numerous groups of administrators and teacher-librarians coming from out of district, province, and country. Our schools have opened their doors, sharing our experiences and advice, allowing visitors to spend time touring our LLCs and meeting with our administrators and teacher-librarians. In addition to financial support in the LLC transformation, Surrey Schools has also provided countless hours of release time for teacher-librarians to collaborate on everything from inquiry to technology (i.e., Maker space equipment).
Sheila Hammond Principal, Surrey, SD #36
This district has been a huge supporter of forward thinking and 21st Century Learning. Surrey Schools understands the need for a Library Learning Commons to provide for their school communities and has spent time and money to help it come to fruition.
CSL’s Leading Learning Implementation Award will be presented as part of the TMC7 Symposium Kick-Off Dinner, Friday October 21, in New Westminster, BC.