Intellectual Development
Our students will learn key academic skills - like reading, writing and math - to encompass the knowledge and processes associated with intellectual development. As learners and meaning-makers, students take subject-specific concepts and content and transform them into a new understanding.
Goals
- Improve student success in literacy.
- Improve student success in numeracy.
Perception and Reality: A Philosophy Media Experiment
This philosophy project invites students to question whether reality is fixed or shaped by perception. By altering the soundtrack of a film scene, students demonstrated how emotional tone can dramatically shift meaning—even when the visual information remains unchanged.
Drawing on the ideas of Plato, Descartes, and Baudrillard, the project highlights how feeling, context, and media framing influence what we accept as “real.” Through this hands‑on experiment, students explored how easily interpretation can transform facts, revealing the powerful role perception plays in shaping our understanding of the world.
98% Indigenous Graduation Rate
We are proud to announce that in 2025, our Indigenous students achieved an impressive 98% graduation rate. This success is a testament to the outstanding collaboration among our dedicated team of Indigenous Support Workers, Indigenous teachers, counselors, vice-principals, student case managers, and teachers. Our proactive approach, which includes bi-monthly meetings where stakeholders convene to comprehensively review student needs and celebrate successes, has been crucial. These regular gatherings allow us to address challenges promptly and tailor our support to meet the unique requirements of each student. The pride we take in our exceptional team is reflected in the positive outcomes for our Indigenous students. This achievement showcases the effectiveness of a collaborative and student-centered approach in fostering educational success and empowering our Indigenous youth for a brighter future.
Data-Driven Discovery in AP CHemistry
This image shows students in Yale’s AP Chemistry class working on an acid–base titration. By carefully repeating the procedure, they gathered data to figure out the strength of an unknown acid and compare the acidity of different beverages. The activity focuses on accurate measurement, thoughtful data analysis, and teamwork. It also gives students the chance to apply what they’ve learned about acids and bases in a real lab setting while building important college‑level science skills.
Alternative Learning Spaces
This is Yale Physical Health Education Strength and Conditioning class about to work out at the Abbotsford Recreation Center. This is part of their alternate enviornment exposure unit. Students are able to get out in the Yale community to showcase what they are learning and to enhance their fitness with different equipment and a different setting. Our Department stresses the importance of fitness, health and wellness being a lifelong journey for a good quality of life. Students often struggle with fitness, wellness and health training once they are out of Physical Health and Education class. They are often filled with anxiety, fear and lack the knowledge to continue their wellness journey without teacher guidance or the comfort they develop in Yale facility. Our hope is that students will get accustomed to the intricacies of a community workout facility to continue to grow their program. It is also our hope that they bring other students, friends and family who may be anxious about these kinds of facilities to work and enjoy the journey of good health and wellness. When the Yale community works and trains together, we grow together and positive energy flows through the community like an atmospheric river.
Diving Into Perspective & Significance
In BC First Peoples 12, students were exposed to the curricular competencies of Perspective and Significance. These art pieces are the result of our study of the culture and art of Northwest Coast First Peoples. Students studied Formline art styles and materials used by Northwest Coast Peoples and how these relate to land and culture. These artworks are inspired by the work of Haida artist Robert Davidson. Students merged this art style with important elements of their own lives. Here is the products of learning after studying this unit.
Promoting Student Engagement
Math students engage daily working on non-permanent vertical surfaces. This allows students to collaborate together and take risks by being able to easily erase their work. It has been shown that standing also helps activate the brain. This daily activity allows all students to be engaged working on mastery of concepts which makes the understanding of new concepts introduced easier.
Embracing Francophone Music
French students have been increasing their cultural awareness by expanding their knowledge of Francophone music. Through the annual “Manie Musicale” music competition as well as going to see both LeFLOFranco and Missy D perform live in 2025, students have been immersed in the language and culture in order to appreciate the language they are learning in a deeper and more authentic way.
Identity, Justice, and Connection in English First Peoples
Students in English First Peoples Literary Studies 11 Honours explored First Peoples’ themes and created original works that reflect their understanding and respect for these teachings. This garnered powerful creative responses from students, including a poem and a screenplay centered on healing, alongside a visual piece expressing the deep connection between people and the land. Through these projects, students engaged thoughtfully with Indigenous perspectives and demonstrated their learning in meaningful, expressive ways.
In English First Peoples New Media 11, one student used powerful visual symbolism to explore the harms of child marriage in India. Their artwork features a teddy bear, representing childhood, innocence, and the years stolen from young girls forced into adult roles far too soon. Through this image, the student communicates the emotional and societal impact of child marriage, highlighting the loss of safety, play, and freedom. This activity demonstrates how students can use visual storytelling to raise awareness and inspire compassionate understanding.
Elevating Student Voices Through Visual Art
At the end of each semester, Yale visual arts students present their work in a public art exhibition. The show celebrates student creativity and gives artists the opportunity to share and discuss their work with peers, staff, families, and visitors. Through this experience, students learn what it takes to mount a professional exhibition, and it motivates them to produce their best work throughout the semester. Staff and students from Fraser Middle School are also invited, giving younger students a glimpse into the creative opportunities available in Yale’s art program.