Sabrina Jafralie: Caring for students; caring for the community

Year: 2018 – Province: Quebec

Certificate of Achievement Recipient

Sabrina Jafralie

Westmount High School
4350 St. Catherine Street West
Westmount, QC H3Z 1R1

School telephone: 514-933-2701
School website: http://westmount.koumbit.org/
Instagram: @knightsofwhs

Subjects and grades taught: Ethics, Religious Culture and History, grades 7-11

A pillar in Montréal's Black community, Sabrina Jafralie is likewise devoted to her students. Her care is visible in her practices inside and outside the classroom, which is why so many students have flourished under her watch.

Teaching approach

Sabrina believes that student success and skill are a result of holistic learning. She takes factors such as background, self-image, nutrition and academic achievement into account when building her inclusive classroom. And then, she initiates and sustains a personal connection with each student.

In the Classroom

  • Provides numerous ways for students to show their learning: students imagining what the world will be like in 50 years may present their ideas in at least five different ways (a short film, a creative story, a podcast, an artistic piece or a cartoon strip); senior students share stories of their challenges and victories in high school on a class Instagram account
  • Assigns a major project in each grade level for students both to develop and sharpen their critical-thinking skills and to become increasingly more innovative: traditional class projects give way to multimedia presentations on social issues and original songs exploring religion
  • Serves and supports students, and helps them find their voice: at lunch and after school, Sabrina's classroom is often overflowing with students looking for a safe space; she works closely with the guidance department to ensure students get the help and resources they need to succeed

Outstanding achievements

  • Digitized her entire curriculum, so she can share her passion for her subject with other educators; they, in turn, can easily access all her lessons in her extensive database
  • Developed Souls for Souls to collect gently worn shoes (more than 2,000 pairs) to send to those in need around the world; this is one of seven successful campaigns she has run at the school
  • Offers valued perspectives, based on her years of experience with community organizations; in 2014, she was part of a committee that created a video response (featuring students and staff) to the province's proposal to introduce a charter of values
  • Received the 2014 Community Leadership Award from the Montreal Community Cares Foundation; she was nominated by Westmount High School students

Rave reviews

"Sabrina Jafralie has been a beacon in her classroom and has created an environment where students are taught to self-reflect, embrace diversity, listen to each other and think critically. She inspires, encourages and provides students with the opportunity to develop the best version of themselves."

Colleague