About Our School

How we got our name.

Theresa Clarke was a respected Kwantlen Elder and descendant of a prominent family from Qiqeyt Village. Theresa was born October 14, 1914, a daughter of Sophie Browne and Fred Clarke. She grew up on the land of Kwantlen, but due to displacementthey moved to a homestead up the hill in Surrey. Theresa worked in Glenrose Cannery in her youth doing several jobs includingcanning and working the line. She had fond memories of working in the cannery. She was a young girl who was partially blind andmemorized the land in counting steps. She lived, learned and loved in the territory of Kwantlen Nation.The Kwantlen First Nation has also requested that under the name Theresa Clarke Elementary will be the name“stəqʷaθen” which means “across from but facing you; a Village on Surrey Side near Qiyqet.”The Surrey Board of Education would like to thank the Kwantlen First Nation for gifting the name for this school to the SurreySchool District.

To get more information, please visit https://www.surreyschools.ca/_ci/p/185737