Our School Story

John G. Diefenbaker Elementary School is a mid-sized school in the southwest corner of Richmond. We are proud of our diverse population and our connection to Steveston, which has significant meaning for many of our families. In addition to our K - 7 Neighbourhood Program, our school also hosts a District Late French Immersion Program for Gr. 6 and 7 students.

The students and staff at Diefenbaker, the "Home of the Bulldogs", are proud to be part of an environment that fosters creating "caring learners ready to meet the challenges of tomorrow"!

At Diefenbaker, we have begun to use our "Kindness Umbrella" to guide our values, actions and words. We are "Kind to Self, Kind to Others, and Kind to our Place."

Our Learning

In order to enhance the learning of our students, we will take purposeful action. Below are some examples we are considering:

Highlight the Communication and Personal Awareness Core Competencies
Use common language across grades (Kindness Umbrella)
Survey students to determine where they are in their learning
Increase use of “I Statements” for student self-assessment
Provide staff collaboration and discussion time to reflect and make plans
Implement school wide sharing events and activities

As we continue to focus on our Social Awareness and Responsibility, we want to observe that students are better able to:

understand and apply the language of kindness
understand themselves as people and learners who can take responsibility for their social and physical environments
demonstrate a sense of personal empowerment
share ideas and inspire others by working independently and collaboratively for the benefit of others
are aware of the impact of the decisions, actions and footprint

Our Goals for 2021-2022