Madrona was established in 1993 in the Arbutus Walk area of Vancouver's Kitsilano neighbourhood. In 2002, it moved to the Fairview neighbourhood. It moved a second time in 2008, back to Arbutus Walk. In September 2012, Madrona opened its Primary Annex at 2678 West Broadway, a location shared with . Madrona left 2678 West Broadway in June 2016. It divided its students between two campuses, Madrona West, located at 2040/2050 West Broadway, and Madrona Downtown, located at 530 Hornby Street.
Governance
The has the authority and responsibility to supervise the management of the affairs of the Society to ensure its continued well-being. The Board oversees the strategy, the budget and financial controls, and sets the overarching policies for the operation and control of the school.
Madrona West
The Madrona West campus is located in Kitsilano, at 2040/2050 West 10th Avenue. This campus houses Kindergarten to Grade 5.
Madrona Downtown
Madrona's newest location is downtown, at 530 Hornby Street. The Madrona Downtown campus houses Grades 6 to 10.
Approach to Learning
Madrona's uniquely low ratio of child per educator allows staff to really get to know the students and their families. Madrona puts a strong emphasis on feelings of safety and security so that students feel they are heard and understood. Students are grouped based on their readiness, interest, learning style, and social-emotional skills. This means children can work at varying grade levels in different subjects. Some may accelerate in some areas while needing extra help in others. Teaching methods and subject matter are diverse to suit the unique interests of the student body. Yoga, computer programming, photography, math, music, textiles, and media literacy might all be part of a child's education in a given week. Madrona uses technology to enhance children's learning experiences. Students are provided with tablets for research and writing, and teachers integrate Smart Boards in classroom instruction. As a result, children become technologically savvy learners, come to see digital devices as tools rather than toys, and learn how to use online spaces safely and effectively. Madrona seeks to foster a child-centered learning environment. Students are encouraged to follow their interests and grow into a sense of responsibility and active participation in their education. Madrona focuses on building student autonomy in learning.
Curriculum
Madrona is a It delivers the focusing on the new curriculum in particular. "Essential learning, literacy and numeracy foundations, and core competencies are the base of new curriculum. All three contribute to deeper learning." In addition to the regular curriculum, students study current events, art, music, and drama, and take part in an interdisciplinary technology program covering subjects such as digital art and photography, computer programming, textiles, outdoor education, robotics, and web application development. References
