Prince Rupert Middle School, (PRMS), is a grade 6,7,8 school and is the only middle school located in Prince Rupert, B.C.  Students from five elementary schools, as well as a few from one private school, feed into PRMS after grade 5 completion.  

PRMS offers a full French Immersion Program as well as French as a second language and Sm'algyax language instruction. Teachers and staff at PRMS offer a large variety of clubs, sports, and activities during lunch and afterschool. We are also a part of the After School Sports and Art Initiatives Program. Our teachers collaborate every Wednesday afternoon to plan various learning opportunities, projects, and celebrations for our students. 

First Peoples' Principles of Learning and Indigenous Culture are embedded in our learning. Equity and cultural awareness are a priority that our school aims to achieve each school year. Students take part in drumming, singing, learning about totem poles, crests and clans, cedar, weaving, and role model teachings of various cultural activities. Prince Rupert is home to the annual All Native Basketball Tournament and PRMS boys and girls’ basketball teams are always joined with enthusiastic student participation and goals of taking home the banner. PRMS also runs a successful volleyball program, a hockey academy that started in 2014-2015, and will be starting a basketball academy September 2024. Our team joins with the high school for track and field, but we have our own exciting track and field day with over 60% student participation. 

PRMS offers seven exploratory courses each year. In addition to ADST, Cooking and Information Technology, we offer Textiles, Music Appreciation, Drama, Ukulele, and STORM, which is a class dedicated to teaching kids about resiliency and social emotional learning. We have a wonderful band program run by a talented district band teacher that we also share with our elementary schools helping band student transition with ease. Added courses for our 2024-2025 school year, will be a second curriculum for our STORM 8 students building on Leadership skills, community awareness, community volunteering, and student voice. We will be replacing our Ukulele course with a beginning course in learning how to play Guitar, which we are eager to begin in the new school year.

 Outdoor education is an important part of PRMS. We are fortunate to be located next to a golf course, racquet center, close to Mount Hays, the fish hatchery, skateboard park, and McClymont Park. When possible, classes are outside, not only for fitness, but to explore the environment. We were fortunate to have an outdoor instructor co-facilitate with our teachers bringing students out in the environment to learn about safety, first aid, survival skills, and kayaking safety.

The Lester Centre for the Arts is also within walking distance. This is the largest Performing Arts Centre in the Northwest. PRMS attends the Lester Centre for school and district organized events. One electrifying performance this year was called “Dino-Lite” where students enjoyed an array of lights creating an epic dinosaur adventure. The PRMS band can practice and perform at the Lester Centre, and they do this a few times each year performing for parents, community, and their school. We are fortunate to have the Jim Ciccone Civic Centre and Earl Mah Aquatic Centre within walking distance from our school that classes can access for swimming, skating and make use of the large gym space.

We have a local museum called the Museum of Northern British Columbia and Port Interpretive Center located within walking distance of our school where classes can and have visited throughout the school year.

2-3 times a year our school puts on a clothing drive for PRMS students. Organized and created by an EA who works in the school, she gathers donations and sets up an area in the school for students to view and take-home clothing that they need.   

At PRMS we have many ways to celebrate our students. This year we had many classes participating in daily walks, outdoor activities, forest hikes, community walks, place-based and project-based learning. We had school events, such as Medieval Fair, Indigenous Day, Carnaval, sports (basketball, volleyball, track), Ancient Civilization, Ski trip to Shames, and grade group activities; Diana Lake, Butze Rapids, Amazing Race, Grade 8 dances, Wellness Day, Grade 6 Sixer Mixer. We have a concert band and a jazz band. The band travelled to Edmonton and performed at all the Elementary Schools, Acropolis Manor, Seafest, PRMS Celebration Assembly, and other school assemblies.

PRMS has a successful Hockey Academy that runs each year from September to Spring Break. Students in Hockey Academy are on ice three times a week and attend dryland sessions twice a week. Students also get in class sessions on Nutrition and Fitness.

PRMS offers many clubs throughout the year. We have Skittles, Minecraft, Pokemon, Debate team, Drama club, Doodle club, Architecture club, Golf, Volleyball, Ama Goot, Ama Till Goolsk Leadership Club, art/knitting club, and outdoor club.

We celebrated Indigenous Education with our school team and students and participated in a school-wide Indigenous Day. We have partaken in drumming, singing, feast teachings and feast gathering at CHSS, local plants, totem poles, museum trips, crest/clans mini blanket sewing, storytelling, fried bread making and eating, Nisga’a dancers with PRMS students involved in the group, and Metis dancers.

This year we celebrated students at our Celebration Assembly. Students were able to showcase their talents; 2 students did their introductions and welcomed everyone to the territory in Sm’algyax, a group of students drummed and danced the welcome song with the guidance of one of our teachers, the band played O’Canada and a song they practiced for Seafest. 4 out of 6 grade 6 classes sang a beautiful song to everyone. The sports teams celebrated their successful season of winning the zone banners. For volleyball a great video was created by a teacher/school sponsor displaying the hard work and fun they had during the season. A slideshow was created by Ms. Martin displaying activities, exploratories, and fun events that were experienced by staff and students throughout the year. Each grade showed highlights of their year in the slide show before a few students from each grade were recognized and awarded the coveted STORM award. To end the assembly, grade 8 student pictures were displayed, each student with their grade 8 picture beside their grade 6 picture demonstrating their 3-year growth at PRMS showing them that we acknowledge their growth and celebrate their transition to CHSS.

Students also received awards in their classroom for Outstanding Academic, Artistic, Athletic, Second Language, Applied Skills, Fair Play, and Citizenship. Students are also recognized for Honour Roll and Principals' list.

Sm'algyax language classes have increased in enrollment yearly where students work on their knowledge of Indigenous language, culture and history.

Our learners have a strong sense of Ts'msyen culture throughout our school. Working with cedar, drumming, singing, meeting with elders, regularly in school with Mr. Campbell, attending family-friendly events, and speaking Sm'algyax are only a few of the examples of how all students are able to connect to aspects of Ts'msyen culture. Each grade group teaches a specific curriculum on Ts’mysen culture yearly. For example, our grade 6 cohort does a totem pole unit where they visit some totem poles in the community and discuss the story about our house front displayed in our school foyer. Each teacher is aware of the story and each totem pole in the community, so as great as it is to have role models for Wap Sigatgyet to help with this, if someone is not available, the teachers can discuss the teachings with their students.  

Working in a collaborative fashion with all classes in the school is another strength of our students. Staff provide many opportunities for students to work within grade groups on various projects such as Medieval Faire, Ancient Civilization Day, Ski trip to Shames, Wellness Day or the Sixer Mixer. This cohesion between students and classes helps to build a school culture. PRMS offers many clubs to support students. Examples such as Outdoor Club, Skittles Club, Minecraft Club, Drama Club, and Volleyball Club all provide students with opportunities for growth outside of the classroom environment in a variety of disciplines. We also provide Ama Goot, Ama T'ill Goolsk Leadership Club. This provides opportunities for student voice and student-led activities led by students such as spirit days, Grade 8 dances, Drama, and Debate Club.

For some of our students the simple act of attending school on a regular basis is a need. For a host of reasons, attending school can be challenging for some students. Just arriving at school on a regular basis is a hurdle they’ve overcome and may be considered their main achievement for that day. Which leads into another need for some of our students being academic progress. Quite a few of our students still need to work on developing numeracy and literacy skills as these are the basic building blocks for success in life. Mental health supports are also high needs at PRMS, many of our students are anxious, affected by trauma and live in survival mode daily. Causing them to react to different stressors in extreme ways through fight, flight, freeze, or fawn. The affects of COVID and the isolation that happened during that time has caused a lack of social skills and struggles with empathy for our students. Face-to-face communication and contact are also affected due to technology use. Helping students to overcome and breakthrough these challenges is something we as a school continuously address daily.

Prince Rupert continues to experience many ups and downs within our local economy.  Some work sectors have seen great growth, while other sectors have continued to struggle. Due to this volatility, we have many families struggling for child-care, parents who work inconsistent hours at all times of the day or have trouble making ends meet.  For some families, affordable and decent housing have been a struggle along with the ability to buy food and clothing.

Many of our families have experienced the effects of residential schools. We strive to have the school viewed by all families, as a safe place where we continue to build trust by making it a welcoming environment. We have two full time counselling positions shared by three counsellors who also teach or do other positions at PRMS or in the district. Our counsellors mainly work with students for one-on-one counselling sessions, but will also work with classes, and small groups depending on the need. Our counselling services are used regularly by a large percentage of our students. Approximately 75% of our students access counselling services throughout the year, but that does not mean that each of those students are seen on a regular basis. They might access counselling for specific reasons, such as bullying, or peer conflict, which will take up to 5 sessions to manage. Depending on the student need, will depend on how regular the student will have visits with the counsellor. Anxiety, depression and trauma are high needs that usually consist of regular visits through out the school and continue into the following grade. Our counsellors will start with grade 6 cohort and follow that group to grade 8 until they transition to grade 9, helping students to create connection and trusting relationships with their school counsellor in the 3 years they are attending PRMS. Counsellors also help with outside agencies, connecting students to other services, and working with parents.   

The students at PRMS in grades 6, 7, and 8 are in one of the most developmental periods of adolescence. To be successful with our students, a focus on relationship building, and developing students’ sense of belonging is just as important as academics. Part of learning for this age group is how to independently resolve peer conflicts, how to be responsible with social media, puberty, and healthy relationships, and empathize. We are always in need of more resources to help with these important developmental areas.

As a district, SD52 has an above average percentage of students with a designation compared to the rest of the province. Many of our students need one to one support to access the curriculum.  We have 3 fulltime Learning Services positions shared by 4 teachers at PRMS to help support the needs of these learners and work with our staff to ensure all students can become successful learners. EA support is a huge and important part to supporting our learners as well.

We use a few different forms of evidence at Prince Rupert Middle School to get to know about our learners. Grade 6 and 8 students completed the MDI (Middle Years Survey) and grade 7 completed The Learning Survey. Results from both surveys are the links provided below. In addition to these surveys, we have regular meetings with our counselors, and outside agencies. Information is also gathered through teachers via report cards and anecdotal comments. We have also data from our school attendance records and bi-weekly meetings with our Equity Team. Our Indigenous Support workers also complete monthly reports on how students are doing and how they connect with families that is given to Principals and Indigenous Education Principal.  This data shows; students feel connected to our school, they have adults and/or friends that they can connect with, they view themselves as strong academic students, and the percentage of bullying is very low.  The data also shows that outside of school they lack physical activity, have poor nutrition and sleep habits.

In keeping with SD52's District Priorities, we want to focus on Equity, Truth and Reconciliation, and Mental Health Literacy. PRMS will become a more equitable environment when all students take ownership of their own learning which includes literacy and numeracy. Having Teachers, EAs, and Admin building student connections and relationships are integral to this success. Feeling safe, comfortable, heard, and recognized in a school is an important component we will continue to model, encourage, and incorporate in everyday teachings, activities, and routine.  We have noticed in our FSA data that our students are working at a developing rate in both literacy and Math, however this data is inconclusive because many of our students did not write the assessment due to being excused by their parent/guardian.  We will work collaboratively to create a yearly plan with our staff to implement equity, truth and reconciliation, and mental health literacy will determine the success in our students. Through supports such as the Student and Family Affordability Fund, PRMS will continue to offer all students supplies they need to succeed. PRMS will continue to have high and motivating expectations for all students and use culturally relevant resources when teaching curriculum. PRMS will also continue to provide timely supports and responses when needed and remain connected to our families.

PRMS will continue to strengthen our commitment to truth and reconciliation through the growth of our Sm'algyax language program making Sm'algyax evident throughout the school. We want to enrich all our students in Ts'msyen culture by continuing our programs that provide opportunities to learn more about indigenous art, drumming, connections with the land, and residential schools. Continued connection to families and welcoming them into the school regularly and for planned events will increase equity and truth and reconciliation.

PRMS will continue to improve its efforts for the mental health of its students by providing all students timely supports and responses in safe spaces where they can take a break from judgment or unsolicited opinions with the help of a school counsellor who will allow them to feel supported and respected. Grade 6 classes have a Wellness Day which promotes strategies for mental health. STORM classes in Grades 7 and 8 also provide students ways to develop coping skills such as self-awareness and stress management. STORM classes also promote self-esteem, active living, healthy eating, and creates an open environment where students can talk about their problems and questions. STORM classes also help students to learn how to advocate for the health and well-being of self and others and ways to connect PRMS to our community. For September 2024 we will be adding another facet to our STORM curriculum involving leadership, community involvement and the importance of volunteering

Our focus aligns with SD 52 Strategic Plan as their priorities are Equity, Truth and Reconciliation and Mental Health Literacy. 

- Our focus connects to the Indigenous Education Partnership Agreement: Increase Indigenous learners’ achievement in reading and writing, increase Indigenous learners' achievement in math, increase Indigenous successful transitions, etc.

- Our focus connects to the redesigned curriculum including the big ideas, core competencies, and curricular competencies.  

PRMS is needing more tools within the school to help promote Ts'msyen culture. These items should not have to be borrowed from around the district but should have a permanent home in the school so that they can be used more frequently by staff and students. PRMS also needs more culturally relevant activities available within the school on a more regular basis so that all students learn traditional Ts'msyen knowledge. Guest speakers, elders, and outdoor education involving experts in Ts’msyen culture will help implement and build our knowledge of the territory’s history. This will also allow indigenous PRMS students to feel more comfortable about expressing their own culture within the school.

PRMS also needs to promote better student attendance which will help to advance student literacy/numeracy levels and overall student mental health.

Our teachers work hard to connect and build relationships with their students. Continued relationship building for all adults in the school with PRMS students and their families will be continuously encouraged.  

PRMS will work with SD52's Indigenous Education Department to promote more Ts'msyen culture within our school. The school will continue to bring in knowledge keepers to work with students and help build and promote Ts'msyen cultural activities within PRMS.

The PRMS team will better track our student attendance records and develop a system to contact parents to promote better attendance.

More meet and greets for families to come into the school and observe the relevant teachings that are happening at PRMS. Developing relationships and building trust with everyone.

Acquire more tools which will be available permanently at PRMS and promote more indigenous-centered activities in the school to celebrate Ts'msyen culture.

To make school more appealing to students and promote attendance, we need to incorporate more engaging activities which will encourage students to want to attend class more often. 

More activities created to connect with families and welcome them into PRMS to help build their comfort and trust in the school such as family breakfasts, lunches, teas, etc.

Continued relationship building by all adults at PRMS with students and families.

Incorporate newly purchased school drums so that they can be used by all students on a more regular basis throughout the year.  Also, with the help of the Indigenous Education Department, develop more class activities which will use our newly harvested cedar so that we can further represent the students of PRMS.

Have our School Based Student Support Team continue to encourage students to attend school on a more regular basis and support families however they can so that their children attend school regularly.

PRMS will focus on the equity of students by ensuring that a larger portion of students start to attend class more regularly, so that will have more time to improve their literacy and numeracy skills. PRMS will maintain a School Based Student Support Team who will meet regularly to identify students who are missing a large amount of class and develop strategies to have them attend school more regularly.

PRMS will focus on the equity of students by ensuring all students have access to resources and supplies they need to succeed in school. PRMS will continue to provide students necessary classroom resources and supplies through donations in the community and funds from the Student and Family Affordability Fund.

PRMS will focus on the equity of students by ensuring we as a school are able to provide supports to all families in a timely fashion. The PRMS team will maintain and expand relationships with students and families and help in any way they can so that families feel supported when they need assistance.

PRMS will focus on Truth and Reconciliation by improving and expanding the Sm'algyax Language Program. PRMS will work with the SD52 Indigenous Education Department to ensure our Sm'algyax classes have all the tools they need to improve the program, including the use of new technology. PRMS will also further signage within the school in the Sm'algyax language.

PRMS will focus on Truth and Reconciliation by increasing Ts'msyen cultural activities through the school. PRMS will continue to find ways to connect to the land through outdoor education programs. The school will also find ways to increase harvesting activities, drumming within the school, and more regular visits from elders and knowledge holders in all classes.

PRMS will focus on Mental Health by providing timely supports, responses, and safe spaces to students and families when needed. The PRMS Counselling Team with the help of other team members will continue to promote equity and access for all students, provide advice and counselling on behaviour management, and aid in the development of skills and strategies to manage the thoughts, emotions and behaviours that impact on student mental health.

PRMS will focus on Mental Health by having students develop awareness and skills to improve their mental well-being. Through STORM and Health and Career classes, the staff of PRMS will continue to teach students skills they need to develop around topics such as self-esteem, active and healthy living, and providing open environments for students to ask questions and talk about problems they are facing.

Year 1: Develop our plan, determine our needs, investigate resources.

Year 2:  Action: Creating and implementing equity scans and increasing staff meetings with a focus on Indigenous Education, Trauma Informed Practice, and Mental Health.

Year 3:  Assessing our plan and making necessary modifications and determine our next steps.

1) Equity- continue relationship building by all staff with students and families, provide support for relationship building, continue learning about and incorporating trauma informed practice, continue with using First Peoples' Principles of teaching and worldviews, continue learning about Pride based activities, encourage learning in project based, outdoor education, place-based learning. Increase mindfulness and self regulation activities.

2) Literacy and Numeracy- Collaboration with other teachers, professional development (Carole Fullerton, Adrienne Gear, Nancy Young), provide enjoyment in reading and math activities.

3) Truth and Reconciliation: Continue the Partnership learning from our Indigenous Education Department, attend Professional Development workshops, attend book club, learning about the Calls to Actions and the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People Act Action Plan (DRIPA)

If we are making a difference in equity, we will see an increase in positive behavior (students helping each other, being respectful towards others, happy students, etc.) for all students. We will continue to check our attendance rates and hopefully see more students attending on a regular basis. We will do Assessments- Reading Assessment (6-minute solution, benchmarks, San Diego Quick Assessment, etc.). The Provincial Learning Survey will provide us with details on how the students are feeling about the enjoyment of reading and math. In addition, teachers can also provide anecdotal comments on student engagement.  If more students are feeling supported, we should have less office referrals. If students are feeling safe and a sense of belonging, we will see an increase on our FSA (Foundational Skills Assessments) and an increase of report card marks.

We would also like to see an increase of attendance at our family activities/events and create more events for family activities and participation in PRMS.

·         Improved attendance

·         Improved literacy and numeracy results

·         More family involvement – more activities to meet teachers and staff (family bbq, teatime, pancake breakfast, cake day, etc.)

·         Compare our results from Framework survey year to year

·         Less office referrals

·         Less parent concerns

-         Results from MDI

-        Results from FSA

How will we share our plan with staff?

We will share our plan with our teachers so that they can add to and modify the plan as the year progresses. We will look at this plan at our team leader meetings and they can share it with their grade groups. 

How will we share our goals with students?

We will create a PowerPoint and share it with students at our Grade Group Assemblies at the beginning of the school year and beginning of each term. We will also share it at the Ama Goot, Ama T'ill Goolsk Student Leadership Council Meeting.

How will we share our goals and progress with parents?

We will provide a link of this plan in our newsletters and on our website so that parents/guardians can view it. We will also share at our PAC meetings and any Parent/guardians gatherings. We will also have a copy available at school on our parent/guardian bulletin board.

Prince Rupert Middle School has 422 students in grade 6, 7 and 8 in age range from 10-14. (need numbers) students or 64% of which have Indigenous heritage. There are  93 grade 6,  86 grade 7, and  106 grade 8 Indigenous student learners.

Most of our Indigenous students have a deep and proud connection to their heritage. We also know that a large number of our overall student population are living in poverty but data from the 2021 BC Child poverty Report Card shows that Indigenous learners have even higher numbers living in poverty.

According to the 2021/22 Aboriginal Report, Indigenous learners make up a large percentage of our students with disabilities and diverse needs. The same report also makes note that many of our Indigenous students have struggling numeracy and literacy skills compared to our non-indigenous students.

Things we have done in the past year that will build on our goals:

- Develop a School Based Student Support Team to help improve student attendance levels.

- Provided classes with a variety of supplies and resources for all students (school supplies, snacks, clothing if needed, hygiene necessities if needed, etc.)

- Continue to review with staff and new staff STORM Values and expectations and maintain consistent teachings of these taught through STORM and Health/Career classes.

-Indigenous Events: Orange Shirt Day and Reconciliation Walk, National Indigenous Day, Drumming, Cedar harvesting, forest walks, Every Child Matters Mural, school-wide Indigenous Day Activities.

Professional Development: Trauma informed Communication, Lori Jamison (Let’s Get Writing), Sheldon Franken (Social Emotional Learning), Mental Health Pro D for Staff, Drumming (afternoon September 2023), learning on Ts’msyen land (May 2024)  

Indigenous Education workshops: Indigenous Curriculum Implementation Days (Mental Health and Well being, Celebrating our Journey with Denise Augustine and Kim Spencer, Lax Yuubn Ts’msyen with Lynda Gray), Sm'algyax Language Learning, Drumming, Seasonal Rounds Learning, Outdoor Education (Adaawx, Kxeen Cultural Trolley Ride, Plant walk, North Pacific Cannery Tours), Book Clubs

Outdoor Education activities with Connor from Spirit North

- Continue learning about Truth and Reconciliation

- Continue to support students with the resources and materials they need to succeed

-Continue learning in Trauma Informed Practice

- Continue partnership with the Indigenous Education Department

-Increase learning and opportunities in Pride Based activities

- Continue place based and outdoor education learning

- Increase project-based learning

- Continue collaboration

- Continue with mindfulness activities

-Increase self-regulation activities

- Increase drumming within the school

- Increase cedar activities in the school

- Continue using our School Based Students Support Team 

-Continue to use Ama Goot, Ama T'ill Goolsk Student Leadership

·         Increased attendance rates will show we are successful 

·         Improvements in literacy and numeracy scores will show we are being successful

·         Teacher anecdotal comments on student engagement and staying in class

·         More indigenous cultural activities throughout the year

We would like to start planning and increasing opportunities for our families to come into the school for activities not related to student’s academic progress. In doing so, we hope to increase family support and trust in the school.

We would like to have the opportunity at each staff meeting to do activities based on Trauma Informed Practice, Equity Scan, Indigenous Education and give staff time to share what is working and where they might need support.

We will share our School Growth Plan at regular PAC meetings and on our website to encourage parent voice.

Student voice can be gathered in several ways through discussions with student councils, school counsellors, EA's, teachers, administration and through the Framework survey (or create our own survey).