THE BROCKTON PHILOSOPHY
Brockton inspires the growth of outstanding humans.
This mission statement of Brockton School speaks to a focus on a broad and deep scope of learning that will support a child’s journey not only as a student of academia but as a student of life… as a human. The mission statement of Brockton also speaks to the concept that ALL in the community are a part of the journey.
Teaching and learning today is drastically different than that of 20, 10, and even 2 years ago. Today, educational institutions must prepare students for a future that is yet unknown and for which we expect certain skills/attributes/characteristics will be a priority. Today, educational institutions must support faculty and staff, as well as parents, to the best of their ability with this important and collective work.
At Brockton, we work with our dedicated team to inspire students to “want” to learn. We aim to help students unearth their own unique genius and to construct their own personal toolkits that will allow them to chart their desired journey. Teaching and learning at Brockton is so much more than delivering, remembering, and understanding; it is about connection, application, analysis, evaluation, and creation. At Brockton, learning matters and learning for life matters.
Brockton School is authorized by the BC Ministry of Education and the International Baccalaureate (IB) as a World Continuum School (offering the Primary, Middle, Diploma, and Career-Related Programmes). The IB approach is core to Brockton and supports an inquiry-based approach that promotes deep and meaningful engagement of curriculum while also prioritizing key skills and attitudes. Among others, Brockton students are taught to aspire to the attributes of the:
• IB Learner Profile: open-minded, inquirers, principled, reflective, balanced, knowledgeable, caring, risk-taker, thinker, communicator
• Brockton Portrait of the Graduate which describes Brockton’s outstanding Humans who will exhibit: purpose, conscientiousness, humility, self-discipline, connection, inquisitiveness, resilience, and preparedness.
EARLY YEARS
PRIMARY YEARS
MIDDLE YEARS
GRADUATING YEARS
Subjects outside of the general curriculum are taught by specialist teachers at Brockton. Specialists in Art, Music, Physical Education, Culinary studies, and outdoor education bring an experience and knowledge to the classroom that draws the best out of their students, allowing them to gain a deeper understanding of the subject matter. Not only do our specialist teachers love to teach their respective subject areas, but our students love to learn from those who are passionate and excited about their subjects.
PHYSICAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION
Part of Brockton’s holistic approach to education focuses on physical health and wellbeing. Students are offered opportunities that range from bi-weekly PE classes to a myriad of sports teams and co-curricular activities. Brockton is an active member of ISA (Independent Schools Association) and through this we compete against other Independent Schools such as: St. Georges, West Point Grey, Mulgrave and Collingwood. Athletic teams and clubs include: Soccer, Cross Country, Volleyball, Basketball, Track and Field, Ultimate Frisbee, and Mountain Biking. Brockton has a demonstrated commitment to athletics, not just so that our students can develop their physical fitness but through sport, Brockton students learn confidence, perseverance, teamwork and discipline.
FINE ARTS
JUNIOR SCHOOL MUSIC
Music education naturally fosters social and emotional skills and is crucial in the development of a child. In our Junior School music program, children are given the opportunity and the tools to explore and create music. Through music experiences, students begin to inquire about music, its aesthetics, and its purpose in society. Abstract musical concepts with a focus on the elements of music, compositional and improvisational skills, storytelling through music, and the exploration of various instruments are introduce in fun and engaging ways that spark imaginations. By following these guiding principles, music becomes fun, natural, and easy with infinite possibilities for a child of any age.
WORLD MUSIC PROGRAM
When students get to Grade 6, they are offered the opportunity to take part in the World Music Program. This is an Internationally-recognized program that uses marimbas to teach students music theory and practice. Marimbas are used because it doesn’t matter if you have no prior musical experience or if you are performing at a high level with another instrument – the marimbas are great ‘equalizers’ allowing students to be included right away. Our students have performed all over the world including; China, Greece, England, Scotland, Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, New York City, and Vancouver Island – as well as every concert hall in Vancouver.
JUNIOR SCHOOL VISUAL ARTS
In PYP Visual Arts, projects are woven naturally into the units of inquiry, supported by the expertise of the Visual Arts Learning Specialist. The Art Room is a positive, safe environment where students are challenged to examine and reflect on themselves as artists and encouraged to take risks to create meaningful, personal pieces. Curiosity and creativity are in the forefront as we explore a variety of conventional and unconventional art mediums, tools, and techniques. We learn about the world around us by looking at art through a historical, cultural, and social lens. Emphasis is placed on inquiry, innovation, respect, creative problem-solving, collaboration – and of course having fun!
SENIOR SCHOOL VISUAL ARTS
Our Senior School Art program is about the boundlessness of art. Art has the capacity to unwrap sophisticated aspects of our humanness, It has the potential to push boundaries, to unveil the invisible, to imagine the not yet, to foster criticality of the status quo, to voice the silenced, and to represent the unrepresented and the underrepresented. Art is imminent with potentiality, with the possibility of growth, the look to the blue horizon. At the senior School level, we explored these ideas through drawing, painting, collage, textile, printmaking, pottery, sculptures and environmental art. We turn to everyday social practices and events with scrutiny as a place where opportunities to explore ideas related to social justice, identity, racism, sexism, exploitation, politics, environment and ecology.
CULINARY
Our Culinary Arts program is an internationally-minded and culturally diverse program that teaches students how to work with a variety of ingredients, tools, approaches and techniques to create dishes that expand their palate as well as their thinking. The program’s focus goes beyond refining skills and techniques of cooking; students also explore the economic, ethical, environmental and social considerations around food. It is a fun and hands-on program that weaves the joy of cooking and eating with the joy of sharing personal stories and cultures.
OUTDOOR EDUCATION
We believe that education must go beyond the classroom. We are committed to teaching students to have a relationship with nature to promote sustainability, as well as physical and mental well-being. Classes will often be taken outside to the green space behind our school or in Lynn Valley Canyon, complemented by field trips throughout the North Shore and further across BC.
We offer a variety of activities including: hiking, snowshoeing, kayaking, mountain biking, rock climbing, camping, shelter building, fire building, education about local flora and fauna, First Nations education, and various outdoor sports. All outdoor activities are geared toward student age and stage, and are adapted to fit various skill levels.
APPLIED DESIGN, SKILLS, AND TECHNOLOGY (ADST)
When the new BC curriculum was unveiled there was a shift towards the Applied Design, Skills, and Technology (ADST) curriculum integrating into the Units of Inquiry. As we embrace a design thinking culture at Brockton, students will be exploring real-world issues and problems, and using the design thinking process alongside their curriculum to work out solutions to real-world problems.
SERVICE, ACTION, AND LEADERSHIP
Students are encouraged to have voice, choice, and ownership in the classroom, the school, and their community. Service, action, and leadership plays a significant role at Brockton. Students showcase service, action, and leadership in many ways including: in response to their curricular learning (eg. banning straws in the hot lunch program, writing letters to our mayor and prime minister in response to local and global issues, reaching out to community members to thank them for their contributions to the community); in House Team events (Terry Fox Run, Halloween, Spring Into Reading, Earth Week, Walk for Water) by collecting donations for people in need (Harvest Project, Canucks for Kids, Women’s Shelter); in student-led personal passion projects to support environmental change, world hunger and clean water, and foundations such as SPCA, World WildLife Fund; and in the Junior Student Leadership Team (grades 4-6) where students collect weekly to take part in social/ environmental responsibility actions such as pack-it-in pack-it-out lunch programs, adopt a street, and park clean-ups.
EXTRACURRICULAR PROGRAMMING
Brockton’s extended day program is intended to provide a rich learning experience that complements the academic programming and provides opportunities for extended overall student growth and leadership at Brockton across all grades. It is a comprehensive program of extracurricular opportunities; all students and staff are engaged in activities at lunch, after school, and sometimes before school.
Brockton offers 32 athletics teams and over 28 clubs.
STUDENT SERVICES
ACADEMIC SUPPORT
Brockton School is a safe, caring community where we strive to ensure that all of our students reach their true potential. Brockton’s teachers are committed to ensuring that the learning needs of students are met. Brockton’s Student Services Team is dedicated to meeting the needs of a wide variety of learners. The team collaborates with classroom teachers who employ various strategies and tools, including technology, differentiation, and other adaptations and accommodations to address student needs: our mission is to set students up for independence.
SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING
Brockton School is well known for its mental health programming and supports. The Student Services Team assists students, their families, and our faculty with social-emotional and mental health topics and are dedicated to helping students’ personal growth and development. This includes lessons on social-emotional learning, mental health literacy, and overall pastoral care JK-12. In addition to daily school programming, students have access to personal counselling services in-person, via email or telephone. Our counsellors typically handle topics and issues that can be resolved in 5-7 sessions. After that, outside support may be recommended.
POST-SECONDARY PLANNING
Graduating from high school, making decisions about higher education, and choosing a career path can be a daunting task for anyone. Post-Secondary planning helps our students deal with these exciting yet challenging decisions. Post-Secondary information is delivered through sessions with our Post-Secondary Advisor, during Advisor classes, through guest speakers, and during field trips.
