In SSRCE, we envision Well-Being through the gift of multiple perspectives (Etuaptumumk/Two-Eyed Seeing). 

In creating well-being goals, engagement of the school community is key. Engagement of multiple perspectives allows school teams to identify the most effective opportunities for positive impact and enhance buy-in from students, staff, and the community. 

Student and community voice is key. To learn more, click here.

Well-Being goals in our Student Success Plans (SSP) are an opportunity to affect change in both student well-being and in the well-being of the school community. This positively impacts school culture and the school environment. 

Enhanced student well-being will positively impact student achievement.

Well-being is an interconnective flow of balance amongst the four aspects of humanness: heart, mind, body, and spirit. 

Well-being is nurtured and nourished through wholistic experiences which grow understandings of:  Who am I?  Where do I come from? What is my purpose?

There are many different ways to understand well-being. SSRCE encourages and celebrates multiple perspectives. 

Your well-being work is informed by the students and staff that are affected most. 

When engaging students and staff, ensure that you include folks with diverse perspectives and understandings of well-being and consider accessibility needs.

 Through engaging traditionally marginalized voices at your school, you will  clarify how issues of student equity and well-being are manifesting in your school; you will enrich ideas; and you will increase the impact of your actions.

It  is also best to engage those who will be most involved in making the well-being work goal happen. For example, if your well-being work relates to Physical Activity, engage your Phys Ed Teachers, an ASK Project Lead, BAP facilitators, etc. If it relates to Eating at School, engage your food service workers, if it relates to Relationships at School engage the Student Support Workers, school counsellors, school psychologists, Schools Plus, SEL Consultant, etc.

The more folks that are a part of the process, the more perspectives, ideas, and hands will shape your goal! That being said, involve too many people and the process can become onerous and slow.

 Groups of 12 can be a great size to facilitate for facilitating quality, focused discussion. We encourage you to engage groups of just students, just staff, and integrated groups of both. This will ensure both students and staff have the opportunity to share their ideas, uninhibited by the presence of the other, and also come together and share ideas and perspectives. 

For a wholistic understanding of your students +  your school culture and environment, we encourage you to engage multiple perspectives and data sources. 

1. Engage staff: 

   • Follow the Notice/Wonder protocol or the  CASEL Data Reflection Protocol  to review Student Success Survey results with staff - Consider a World Cafe!

   • As a staff, identify a theme & a well-being goal.

   • Ensure your school's well-being goal aligns with SSRCE's RSSP Well-Being Goal

"Build school communities where students, staff and families experience a full sense of belonging, have healthy relationships, and engage positively with school."

2. Engage students to determine the necessary actions for implementing the goal:

Interviews – Speak directly with your students and staff to get their perspective

Focus groups – Facilitate conversations within and between stakeholders. Ask big questions and create space for reflection and ideation.

Fish bowl – This offers a chance for larger groups to listen to a smaller group’s experience. 

Micro-surveys- Create and facilitate a survey and allow your students to answer different questions. 

Vote with your body –Create a scale from 0 to 10 in a physical space (i.e. the wall to the left is 0 or disagree and the wall to the right is 10 or agree)Pose a question and ask participants to stand in the place on the scale that best represents their answer.

Conditions for Empowering Student Engagement

To meaningfully engage students in decision-making, leadership, reflection, and action requires certain conditions. When engaging students, ensure that there are:

• Opportunities to make a meaningful contribution.

• A committed, supportive adult.

• A plan to share back results or impacts and reflect.

• A culture of support and safety within the group of students and staff involved.

• Necessary resources, training, and support in place to support participation.

Staff Engagement

While it can be tricky to find time to engage meaningfully with staff, we have some options:

• Staff Meetings

• School-Based PD Days

• Collaborative Learning Time

• After school sessions

Collaborative Meetings with Regional Staff (SSP Lead, Well-Being Support Team)  

• Let's connect to set a date and time that works for you!

• Please connect at: 

ssrcewell-being@gnspes.ca

Well-Being Regional Support Team 

contact members of the team directly