Eric J Dunn Elementary

About

Eric J Dunn Elementary is located at 3500 Argyle St, Port Alberni, BC V9Y 3A8. The school describes itself as a friendly and safe place to learn, welcoming students, staff, parents/guardians, and invited guests as part of “OUR school.” It is grounded in the First Peoples Principles of Learning, with a commitment to Truth and Reconciliation and to increasing awareness, understanding, and integration of nuučaan̓uł history and language. The school emphasizes connection to community and land, social-emotional learning, and regular outdoor learning with the nearby forest as an extension of the classroom.

At a Glance

School type: Public School (Pacific Rim)

Education language: The school states a commitment to integrating nuučaan̓uł history and language in the school community as part of its Truth and Reconciliation work. The sources provided do not specify the core language(s) of instruction or describe an immersion/bilingual program or English Language Learning (ELL) supports.

Religious affiliation: None / Secular

Grades: K-7

Phone: 250 723-7522

Email: dolson@sd70.bc.ca

Principal: Darrin Olson

Education Languages

The school states a commitment to integrating nuučaan̓uł history and language in the school community as part of its Truth and Reconciliation work. The sources provided do not specify the core language(s) of instruction or describe an immersion/bilingual program or English Language Learning (ELL) supports.

Programs and Services

Student support / well-being The school highlights social-emotional learning as central to its approach, intentionally taught in classrooms and modeled by staff. It also describes a school support team that helps staff recognize and respond to student needs “quickly and compassionately,” working in partnership with families using a trauma-informed approach. Outdoor learning The school describes its proximity to the forest as an integral part of its identity and notes that students regularly participate in outdoor learning rooted in Indigenous knowledge systems and local cultural practices.

School Culture and Expectations

The school describes a culture rooted in connection to one another and the land, guided by the First Peoples Principles of Learning. Weekly community gatherings (Monday Morning Meetings) include a welcoming circle and drum circle to honour the district song “našuk ʔa ƛin” (“We are strong”). The school also references the teachings of “isaaks naas” (“Walking with respect”) and “našuk ʔa ƛin” as shared language supporting resilience, respect, self-awareness, belonging, and inner strength.

Transportation, Parking, and Getting Here

Pacific Rim School District is exploring a before/after-school transportation option for children who attend (or are waitlisted for) licensed school-age care programs operated by non-profit partners on school grounds. The proposed model would involve families dropping children at a school-age care site in the morning, bussing to their catchment school, then bussing back to the care site after school for end-of-day pickup. No school-specific drop-off, pickup, parking, or walking/biking guidance was included in the provided sources.

Enrollment

The school’s registration page links families to SD70 Registration Policies and Forms and a School Catchment Locator. For district kindergarten registration, families are asked to register at their neighbourhood catchment school and can obtain forms online or in person; completed forms can be emailed or dropped off with required documentation (such as proof of age and address). The district also accepts electronic registration packages by emailing completed forms and required documents directly to the school; registrations are prioritized once complete, based on date and time received.