BC Report Comments: Positive Personal and Cultural Identity, Gr 4-9
Positive Personal and Cultural Identity is a student's sense of who they are as a learner: recognizing strengths and interests, sharing what matters to them about family and community, and taking pride in learning and accomplishments.
Below are 13 sample sentences for Grades 4-9: two strengths and one next step for each of the 4 comment levels (Extending / Proficient / Developing / Emerging), plus a tip for families. They are a small selection from the 173 positive personal and cultural identity sentences in the full pack. Copy one, then add a detail only you know about the student.
Jump to: Extending · Proficient · Developing · Emerging · Writing tips
Fills in the name and pronouns on this page. Nothing is sent anywhere.
Extending X
Strengths
- [Name] confidently steps into leadership roles, such as peer helper or buddy to a younger class, and models self-belief for others.
- When a piece of work turns out well, [Name] reflects on the choices behind it and carries that sense of pride into the next task.
Next step
- [He/She/They] could set a goal for the next stage of school that builds on a current strength and plan the first steps toward it.
Proficient P
Strengths
- [Name] speaks proudly and often about accomplishments both inside and outside school, such as a team, club or community event.
- When choosing pieces for [his/her/their] portfolio, [Name] usually selects work that shows growth and explains why each piece matters.
Next step
- A next step for [Name] is to refer to specific evidence in [his/her/their] self-assessments when naming strengths and areas for growth.
Developing D
Strengths
- When prompted, [Name] can describe an accomplishment outside school, such as a team or club, and is developing pride in sharing it.
- With a model, [Name] is learning to select portfolio pieces that show growth rather than only finished favourites.
Next step
- [Name] could use a simple checklist to find evidence of [his/her/their] strengths before completing a self-assessment.
Emerging E
Strengths
- One-on-one, [Name] is beginning to talk about an accomplishment outside school, such as a team, club or community event.
- In small steps, [Name] is learning to choose a piece of work [he/she/they] would like to keep or display.
Next step
- Practising one short presentation with a trusted adult before sharing it with a small group will help [Name] feel more confident.
Support at home
- Sharing a time when you learned something new and felt proud can help [Name] see that everyone keeps growing as a learner.
How to write positive personal and cultural identity comments for Grades 4-9
- Draw on portfolio choices: which piece the student picked as their best work and how they explained the choice. That is direct evidence of pride and of recognizing their own strengths.
- Confidence as a learner shows in what students attempt: volunteering for a leadership role, choosing a challenging option, or speaking up about an interest. Name one such choice from this period.
- Next steps can connect interests to learning, such as choosing an inquiry topic linked to a hobby or community, or naming one strength the student could bring to a harder subject.
Watch out: Do not judge or describe a student's culture, ethnicity, religion or family structure. Write only about what the student chooses to share, and at earlier levels focus on building confidence and naming strengths.
The proficiency scale is used for learning standards; here its four names only label levels of written feedback on a Core Competency facet. Extending-level wording describes depth, independence and new situations; Proficient, regular use in familiar ones; Developing, parts of the facet with support; Emerging, first steps with guidance. Add the evidence instead of restating a level, so the comment never reads as a grade.
What Positive Personal and Cultural Identity covers
In these comments, positive personal and cultural identity covers these behaviours:
- recognizes own strengths, interests and abilities
- shares about family, community and the things that matter to them
- takes pride in learning and accomplishments
- shows confidence in who they are as a learner
More British Columbia comments
- Communicating, Grades 4-9
- Collaborating, Grades 4-9
- Creative Thinking, Grades 4-9
- Critical and Reflective Thinking, Grades 4-9
- Personal Awareness and Responsibility, Grades 4-9
- Positive Personal and Cultural Identity, K-Grade 3
- Social Awareness and Responsibility, Grades 4-9
- Opening and closing sentences
- All British Columbia skills and grade bands
- For the same report: BC Report Card Comments by Subject, K-9
- Build a comment with the comment picker
How these sentences were made, and what has been checked: About these comments.