Assignment+2

Community Analysis and Report   **//LIBE 463//** //Assignment 2 – Sheryl Turner//

//**Community Analysis and Report**//

//“Community analysis is a systematic process of collecting, organizing and analyzing data about the library and its environment” (Greer, 2008).//

//**School Data**//

//My focus elementary school is located in the Cloverdale area, which is a community in the large city of Surrey. It has an estimated population of 59,480 as of June 2010 (based on the Surrey Building Permit and the BC Assessment information). It is sandwiched between the communities of North Surrey, South Surrey, Newton and the City of Langley, and is one of the target growth areas for the development of new housing.// //[]//

//The school opened its doors 5 years ago in a newly developed neighbourhood. In it’s opening year the enrollment was 325 students. Five years later, it has grown to the population of 667 students. Needless to say, the school has suffered growing pains in every area.//

//The area around the school consists of a mixture of newly built 3 story homes and townhouses. When the school first opened, the students came from established single dwelling homes. As construction of the area exploded, many new homes and townhouses were added. In order to supplement their income (as the average cost of a new house in the area is 650,000 to 750,000), many families are building suites in their basement.//

//The staff consists of personal from first year teachers to those that have been in the profession for 30 plus years. Due to the constant and steady growth of the school, staff turnover has been high. Many teachers are placed for only one year, as they haven’t received their continuing contract with the district. The reality of teaching in a portable is also a factor of the constant change. This shuffling of teachers makes it a challenge for our experienced TL. As the staff changes, so do the needs and resources of the library. After collaborating with a new teacher, a supply of new books, media resources, and databases may be purchased and researched for the library. The following year a new group of teachers may be placed, and different resources need to be purchased.//

//Currently there are 27 divisions and counting (all day Kindergarten next fall will add 2 or 3 classes). The first year of operation the entire student population was serviced inside the school building. This year however, there are 9 classes in portables and an addition being built to the main building. This has put a strain on both the parents and the students. Families moving into the area were promised a new school with features not offered in other schools. The placement of the entire intermediate student population in portables was not received well. Parents were now faced with having their child/children segregated from the school, and the limited facility use of computers, library and gymnasium.//



//The school is filled with a diverse population with many different needs. The total number of ESL students being serviced by 2 full time LST teachers is 116. This does not take into consideration the additional 121 students listed at the intermediate level. The majority of the identified ESL students fall below the Grade 4 level. There are 135 students with special learning needs (Learning Support), as well as 6 students with exceptionalities (autistic, globally delayed, etc.).//

//**Community Data**//

//The Cloverdale area is a mix of the old and the new. As it was one of the first major communities in Surrey, it boasts many historical sites. Yet, the last few years the city has focused on the redevelopment and creating incentives for new businesses. Downtown Cloverdale is the home to the Surrey Museum, Agriplex (Rodeo), rinks, public library, and many other small businesses. The city hall, RCMP and Surrey Correctional Facility are located a short distance from the town centre.//

//Cloverdale is one of the communities in Surrey that is growing exponentially with young families. It has the highest amount of children under the age of six (23.7%), as well as the highest amount of children ranging between the ages 6-14. These statistics confirm the recent and proposed growth for the school, and the need for 2 other elementary schools within walking distance.//

//Out of the top ten languages spoken in Cloverdale, English had the highest ranking of 91.9%. The second consisted of 1,255 households speaking Punjabi, 350 households speaking Korean, and Mandarin (265) and Vietnamese (230) speaking households being the fourth highest. This percentage definitely reflects the large number of ESL students in the school.//

//The education status of the Cloverdale community is in the top percentage of Surrey and is only slightly below that of South Surrey. Those that posses a college or university certificate or diploma consist of 24.2%, and 12.4% have a Bachelor’s degree or higher. The average income of the families that reside in the Cloverdale area was only slightly less than that of South Surrey again, with both communities ranking the highest.//

//Source of most recent information and data: __Community Demographic Profiles: The City of Surrey, British Columbia__// //[]//

//**__Identify potential partners and/or community resources that may be important for your school library__**//

//“The library media specialist must develop collaborative relationships with the local community. It’s the job of the teacher librarian to be proactive in seeking opportunities for collaboration” (The School Library Media Specialist, 2010).//

//For this portion of the assignment I focused on the community contacts that would become part of my portfolio. These contacts are in close proximity to the school, and can be utilized to cover different areas of the curriculum from K-7.//

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//My search for community partners began with the Surrey School District. I stumbled upon the// Overview Of The Collaborative Community Literacy Planning Process. //The plan was created to enhance and support learners in the district from K-12. It is a collaborative work between the district and the various community agencies to promote literacy.//

//District/Community Literacy Plan// //“The District/Community Literacy Plan provides a way for school districts to work with community partners to improve literacy… In essence, the District/Community Literacy Plan is a statement of commitment by our school district to work with community partners” (Overview Of The Collaborative Community Literacy Planning Process, 2010, p. 1).//

//The premise of the literacy plan is that all citizens of Surrey are given the opportunity to acquire the essential skills needed to live a successful life. They provide services and programs that are flexible, accessible, affordable, and ethnic aware.//

//The incorporated programs that affect the school community is// Welcome to Kindergarten, Ready, Set, Learn, //and the// School Library Family Literacy Programs.



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//**Surrey Public Library (Cloverdale)**//

//“Some of your most valuable allies may be the public library’s children and young adult specialists” (Bishop, 2007, p. 22).//

//Unbelievable would be the word to describe the services offered by the Surrey Public Library. Reading through the myriad programs and services offered, I was struck with the realization of what a “treasure house” of resources this institution contained. Not only is the community invited to share story time, reading groups, computer courses, and ESL resources, it allows patrons access to the internet data bases unavailable with home computers.//

//Currently the school and Cloverdale library contact consists of a visit from the librarian in the spring to promote the Summer Reading Program. I contacted the library and discussed the prospect of having the students of the school become more involved. I inquired if they were open to having staff “visit” the school and share more of their programs or a story (if funding allowed). I also inquired if they would be interested in having the TL from the school inform them when the students of the school are working on a project, allowing them to gather resources for the students. The librarian I spoke to was open to the idea of working together.//

//The Cloverdale Public Library most definitely would be a wonderful community resource for our school. As funding is always a primary concern in the school library (due to growth), it would allow the students the opportunity to obtain a wider range of resources to help them with their research needs, and give them access to a larger collection of their favourite author or genre of books.//

//**Surrey Museum**//



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//The Surrey Museum offers programs for the young and the old. It features permanent exhibitions from the first settlers in Surrey, the Aboriginal Peoples, and is filled with objects, photographs, and films from the past. This community resource supports students learning through programs that address different learning styles. The programs are curriculum based where students can hear, touch, see, and experience the past.//

//Some of the programs include:// //Pioneer School Picnic – Kindergarten// //Surrey Long Ago – Gr. 1-3// //People of the Land – Gr. 4-5// //Ancient Civilizations – Gr. 6-7// //Buried Treasure – Gr. 6-7// //Guided Discovery Tour – Gr. 1-7//

//Due to the close proximity and availability of this resource, the teachers and students frequent the museum as often as possible. To support the students in this area of the curriculum, it would be beneficial if the library would invest in similar resources (e.g., historical).//

//**Cloverdale YMCA**//

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//This YMCA facility is within walking distance of the school. It provides before and after school child care for 40 students, as well as programs for these students on school professional days.//

//As the childcare workers often provide the students with extra playtime in the school playground before and after school, I thought opening the library to these students would be another opportunity to promote literacy. If I were able to do so, I would contact the YMCA and propose this idea. This would give the students who are unable to frequent the public library extra time with books.//

//**Surrey City Hall**//



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City Hall is almost within walking distance of the school, and can be enlisted as a resource to cover the required curriculum strand of local government. City Hall provides the students with tours of the facility, and introduces them to the various aspects of running a city the size of Surrey. Unfortunately many of the city council meetings are held in the evenings. However, the city does provide live broadcasts (when available) of council meetings, and access to past meetings. By connecting the computer to the projector, the TL can provide students an opportunity to observe and research the protocol and workings of the local government.


 * __Provide specific information about the grade level and curriculum area__**
 * __that you are focusing on for this assignment.__**

Grade 3 sciences will be my focus for this assignment. There are three strands in this curriculum; Plant Growth and Changes, Materials and Structures, and Stars and Planets.

Currently there are four Grade 3 teachers with an enrollment of 91 students. Each teacher is close to the maximum class size allotment by the Surrey School District. The average years of teaching experience in this group is 9 years. Three out of the 4 teachers have children of their own under the ages of 12. Among the 4, the teacher without children is working towards her Post Baccalaureate.

The current method of resource retrieval consists of requests placed by the classroom teachers to the TL. A quick discussion after/before school or a note is left in the TL’s box. The TL pulls the resources (hard copy/audio/visual) and places them in a designated area for the teachers to peruse. The resources that are not signed out by the teachers are returned to the shelves for the students to sign out during their assigned library period.

Due to the large enrollment of the school we are fortunate to have a full time TL. The library is open during the school hours of 8:20 to 2:40 Monday to Friday, and uses fixed and flexible scheduling. The TL has fixed classes throughout different parts of the day, along with open periods for research and book checkout for the intermediates. The primary grades are assigned a specific time each week (40 min.) in which the TL introduces new resources. The students are then able to explore and choose 2 books that they would like to read for a span of 1 week.

The computer lab houses a class set of computers, and is situated next to the library separated by large panes of glass. The computer lab is on a fixed schedule where each class (entire school of 667) is assigned a time slot, with two 30 min. periods available for library (TL) use. The library is also equipped with 4 computers where students can search for books in the library, as well as online resources.

The Canadian Association For School Libraries //states “all successful learning communities provide their members with access to the resources they need to be fully functioning members” (p.4). It became evident during the process of searching for partners and community resources, of the plethora of untapped potential right here in my own “backyard”. Due to the constant budget cuts and restraints, it is even more imperative to seek out and use our community resources. We as educators need to advocate for the students and provide them with the best learning opportunities possible so that they can become life long learners.//

//References//

//Bishop, K. (2007).// The Collection Programs In Schools. //Concepts, Practices,// //And Information Sources (4th ed.). Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited//

//Canadian Association For School Libraries. (2003).// Achieving Information Literacy. //Standards for School Library Programs in Canada.// //Ontario: Canadian Association For School Libraries//

//Greer, D., & Hale, M.L. (2008). New Pathways To Planning.// The Community Analysis Process. //Retrieved from []//

//School District No. 36 (Surrey). (2010).// Overview Of The Collaborative Community Literacy Planning Process. //Retrieved from// //[]//

//The School Library Media Specialist. (2010).// Library Media Program: Community Analysis.// Retrieved from []