Room 233 and Beyond
NWSS was my home away from home for over 20 years. Room 233 held a special place in my heart, and still does. It was where I had the privilege of working with a group of very dedicated and professional team of Special Education Assistants. There, we worked toward a common goal: always putting our students first. Every step and decision we made together was to calculate the maximum success for every one of our students.
It was where students came to our Foundation of Success program to complete their homework assignments with support from our staff. Not all the students were thrilled to attend the homework club but somehow they kept coming anyways. With their perseverance, over 5 years, they all graduated high school with a Dogwood certificate. They used to hang out in room 233 between classes , during lunch time or after homework club to socialize with each other. It was a safe place for them and the staff were always supportive of them. This is where my own children also used to go to finish their homework and to hang out after school while waiting for me to finish my work. As a matter of fact, my younger daughter still remains friends with one of my students.
Room 233 was a place where students with a wide range of learning challenges came to trust the teachers and support staff who were there to help them be successful in their high school years. It was also a place where they learned responsibility, collaboration, and goal setting - all this helped them to dream and to believe in themselves, and each other.
Many of my students were not about to graduate with a Dogwood certificate so, for them, we took a different approach to learning. We did a lot of hand on learning and we ran a very successful work experience program.
Room 233 was also a very busy place. We planned many fundraising activities to support our yearly camping trip at the end of each school year and fine dining outing for our graduates. Our first camping trip was 3 nights at Buntzen lake and our last camping trip was 3 nights at Zajac ranch. In between we went to Camp Howdy, Whistler, North Van outdoor education centre, and, we can’t forget, Toronto. At the end of each camping trip the comments from the camp staff were always the same: “We have never seen a group of school staff as hands-on as yours. All of you are so involved with the students.”
Through each fundraising activity, students learn to read, write letters and develop money skills. Out of Room 233 we provided coffee for few teachers in the nearby classrooms, served cooked lunches to staff and students in the Massey cafeteria, ran a candy snack cart in between classes, sold hanging baskets in the summer, Poinsettias in the winter and ran a recycling program. There was a purpose for everything the students did. They learned to set a goal for the end of the school year and together with staff, they planned and executed the plan while learning was going on all the time - without even realizing it. For some of the students the learning took place in the community. They learned how to get around their neighbourhood, traffic safety, banking skills, shopping for the weekly items they need to prepare for their lunches. They learned how to plan their lunch menu and prepare them independently. Their best teachers were the people working in the community. The community workers were eager to learn how to interact and communicate with our students.It was truly an inclusive and integrated learning environment.
Working in NWSS was exhilarating as well as challenging. I always tell people that I am a very lucky person because I loved what I was doing every day and I looked forward to interacting with students and staff.
During my time there I found that our program, Foundation For Success, always received enthusiastic support from administrators, teachers, maintaining staff, district administrators and the community of New Westminster at large. Local business was always very supportive of our work experience program and our fundraising activities through their generous donations.
At the end of the day, often, I was the only one left in the office to prepare for the next day. It was then, I would get to interact occasionally with other teaching staff. Teachers from nearby classrooms would drop in for a quick chat on their way to or from the office. Students and the support staff were like a second family to me. I do miss room 233.
Thinking back of my years at NWSS I am grateful for the parents supports and the team of dedicated and committed staff. I thank each one of them who have always given me unquestionable support. There have been times that I have let my enthusiasm get carried away but they together have always managed to keep me anchored and keep my feet on the ground. Together with the students they made everyday a special day.
- Pat Numata