Seaquam Secondary School – Growth Plan Update (2025–2026) Board Update
Seaquam Secondary Staff were in the initial stages in the school planning process with the previous administration team, but due to some changes in that team, there has been a shift in the school goals and planning. When the previous admin team and staff reviewed multiple data sources including the Middle Years Development Instrument, Student Learning Survey, and school‑based attendance records, they had identified a concerning pattern: students were demonstrating reduced resiliency and increased mental‑health‑related barriers to engagement.
Staff noted three consistent themes:
- Absenteeism across grades, with students missing school for a wide range of academic, social, and emotional reasons.
- Mental Health- students mental health was impacting their attendance or how they engage in school.
- A decline in resiliency, where students were more likely to disengage or “pull the plug” when learning became difficult.
Across all conversations, the underlying thread was clear: students were struggling with their mental health, learning and sense of belonging and the school’s structures needed to respond in ways that were culturally responsive, relational, and strengths‑based.
Reframing the Inquiry Through a JEAP Lens
As the leadership team transitioned, conversations with staff shifted from problem‑identification to equity‑focused inquiry, grounded in the Justice Equity Action Plan (JEAP). This reframing helped the school move from “What is wrong?” to “What systemic conditions must change so all learners can thrive?”
Three guiding questions now anchor the school’s growth plan:
Rebuilding Resiliency Through a Culturally Responsive Lens
- How do we intentionally build resiliency by honouring identity, validating lived experiences, and embedding belonging into daily practice?
Partnering with Students and Families to Address Barriers to Attendance
- How might we collaborate with families to understand diverse attendance barriers, and design restorative, culturally responsive, strength-based supports that help every learner feel connected and capable?
Designing Equitable Learning Pathways That Normalize Struggle
- In what ways can we create learning environments that normalize productive struggle, honour diverse starting points, and build academic confidence through growth mindset, restorative approaches, and culturally responsive pedagogy?
These questions have reshaped the school’s approach from looking at behaviour‑management to relationship‑centred, equity‑driven systems change.
Actions Taken to Date (2025–2026)
Strengthening School Culture, Safety, and Belonging
- Consistent messaging and response regarding racist, homophobic, and ableist language across classrooms and hallways.
- Grade 8 presentations on the history, harm, and impact of the N‑word, co‑developed by teachers in the building
- Circles of Inquiry (COI) focused on Grade 8 sense of belonging, with staff examining supports for peer connections, and classroom climate and expectations.
- School‑wide presentations on creating respectful learning environments, emphasizing dignity, safety, and shared responsibility.
- Working with DYAC students on providing student voice and opportunities to share experiences students are having in our building and providing some solutions to these issues.
Restorative and Culturally Responsive Discipline
- Staff engaged in ongoing learning and conversations about restorative discipline and what it looks like in a secondary context.
- Though we are still learning appropriate response method to harm, there has been an increased use of restorative conversations, repair processes, and relationship‑based interventions rather than punitive responses.
Staff Learning and Professional Development
Professional learning has centred on:
- Equity, Anti‑Racism, Anti‑Oppression, and Indigenous perspectives in our school context.
- Understanding how Core Competencies and how they support resiliency and equity.
- Examining how staff responses to attendance, behaviour, and language can either reinforce or disrupt systemic inequities.
Attendance: Shifting Mindsets and Systems
Staff meetings have focused on:
- Conversations about moving from compliance‑based to relationship‑based attendance practices.
- Understanding attendance as a well‑being indicator, not a behaviour to be punished.
- Designing early‑intervention supports that reflect cultural context, family realities, and student voice.
Emerging Impact
While this work is ongoing, early indicators show:
- Increased staff alignment around equity‑driven responses to learning, community, behaviour and language.
- Greater consistency in how staff address harmful language and uphold community expectations.
- More grade 8 connections through COI and targeted transition support to help students thrive.
- A shift in staff mindset from “fixing student behaviour” to understanding systemic barriers and co‑designing supports with students and families.
Next Steps (2026–2027)
- Deepen partnerships with families to co‑design attendance and engagement supports.
- Expand restorative practices school‑wide and begin including student leadership roles as well.
- Continue staff learning on culturally responsive pedagogy and identity‑affirming assessment.
- Strengthen data collection on belonging, attendance, and resiliency to monitor progress.
- Embed Core Competencies more explicitly into classroom practice to support self‑regulation, agency, and perseverance.
Kenneth Headley (He/Him)
Principal- Seaquam Secondary School
11584 Lyon Road, Delta, BC V4E 2K4
Delta School District #37
Phone: (604) 591-6166 | Email: kheadley@deltaschools.bc.ca| Website: se.deltaschools.b