About Us

The Community-Schools Partnership (C-SP) is an initiative of the Surrey School District in collaboration with municipal, funding and community partners to work alongside schools in addressing vulnerabilities creating opportunities for all children to flourish.  C-SP directly supports more than 25 identified schools and is emerging in its ability to support and be an asset to additional schools across the district. The identified schools include 22 elementary and three secondary schools, spanning the four zones of the school district: east, west, north and south (including White Rock). C-SP staff work alongside schools to identify specific needs of the children and families, enhance existing school and community responses, and collaborate to develop strategic and sustainable programming bringing community resources to the families and the school. Some of the specific programs and services that may be found include:

• Afterschool extended learning and enrichment opportunities;
• Recreation and cultural programs;
• Parent engagement activities;
• Youth transition programs;
• English language learner support;
• School break programming;
• School/community staff support; and
• Early learning

History

The Community-Schools Partnership, commonly referred to as Community Schools or C-SP, began in 2007 as a partnership between the City of Surrey, United Way of the Lower Mainland and the Surrey School District. What started as a hub model with one Community-Schools Coordinator to three schools in three targeted neighbourhoods (Guildford, Whalley and Newton) has quickly evolved and grown into a department with a city-wide mandate aligned with the district's four zones: North, East, South, West.

C-SP currently works alongside over 25 targeted schools and has an emerging ability to support schools across the district. Our partners have grown to include the City of White Rock as well as countless community service agencies.

The Community-Schools Partnership was presented with a 2010 Celebration of Community Award from the United Way.

Mission & Vision

The overarching goal of the Community-Schools Partnership (C-SP) is to maximize the collaboration between the school district and the community to provide targeted resources and services, before, during and after school to support children and families. In partnership with the City of Surrey, City of White Rock andUnited Way of the Lower Mainland, the Surrey School District is committed to bringing together community resources, expertise and experience of parents, community leaders, community agencies, municipal departments, school district departments and elementary and secondary school administrators to create a continuum of service for children and their families. C-SP targets its resources on three areas of focus including; addressing barriers to learning, extended learning and enrichment and connections to resources and support.

Goals

Through collaboration, we strive to ensure that:

• Children are ready, able and motivated to learn;
• Children actively participate and are engaged in extended learning and enrichment opportunities;
• Parents and caregivers experience support and actively engage in a continuum of services addressing their specific needs;
• Parents and caregivers have increased capacity to be meaningfully involved in and consistently contribute to the learning and development of their children;
  
• School personnel (teachers, PAC, administration, support staff) are engaged and collaborate with community resources to support the learning and development of children; and
  
• School and community partnerships operate with a coherent vision and shared ownership of the goals and purposes of C-SP in order to maximize and align resources in the community.

Approach

We believe that how we attempt to achieve our goals greatly affects the long-term sustainabillity of our outcomes. In our approach, the focus is on:

• Neighbourhood access to service delivery and information;
• Working in relationship;
• Building community capacity; and
• Child-centred focus

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is a community school?
The development of a community school begins with a commitment from school staff and administration to adopt a philosophy of addressing the needs of the whole child. Personnel at community schools believe that student learning is affected by personal and society factors and focus on reducing barriers to student learning, supporting stronger families and healthier communities. It is a strategy, or a way schools operate. Its integrated focus is on academics, child and youth development, family support, social services and community development.

2. Why do we need community schools?
Inherent in the nature of community schools is the assumption that we can overcome many more challenges when we work together. Research and experience tell us that children need a wide range of opportunities and supports to succeed. Community schools unite the most important influences in the children's lives - schools, families and communities - to create a web of support that nurtures their development toward productive adulthood. Community schools respond to these societal factors, family circumstances, poverty and health problems.

3. How can the Community-Schools Partnership Department support our school?
C-SP has an emerging ability to support schools outside of its targeted 25. C-SP can work alongside school staff and administration to assist in identifying environmental variables that are acting as barriers to success, enhance existing community and district responses and establish connections to community resources to address unmet needs.

Contact Us

Merlin Chatwin – Manager
Shannon Rennie – Coordinator South Zone
Mike Lally – Coordinator West Zone
Stephen Boyd – Coordinator East Zone
Karen Sekhon – Youth Diversity Liaison
Azadeh Bell-Irving – CSP Assistant
Brittany Gagne – CSP Assistant
Jane Weiss – CSP Assistant
Jenn Martin – CSP Assistant
Jen Natic – CSP Assistant

Last Updated: July 27, 2011