- Weekly School-Based Team Meetings to monitor struggling students
- .1 Literacy – Numeracy Teacher to support teachers in class, with assessments, and in staff development
- Early Intervention literacy support for Grade 1,2 and 3 students in French Immersion and English
- All classes are screened for students needing special services, or extra attention/support, in SBT Meetings every September.
- Learning Assistance Program in both English and French Immersion
- We also have a school counsellor, and District staff (Psychologist, Speech and Language Therapist, Occupational Therapist, Physiotherapist) who are actively involved with students needing extra support.
- Specialized software including SuccessMaker, Academy of Reading, Destination Math, Co-Writer are also used in our Learning Support Room with various students. SET BC also provides a number of AlphaSmart Keyboards and a Tech Talker for some of our students with special needs. Soar to Success is also used as a reading program by our Learning Support Teacher.
- Grey IEPS are written and followed for students who cannot be officially designated but still require specialized and adapted programming.
- We also use the K-TEA-II and the Alberta Diagnostic Test for Reading for school-based initial learning assessments. PM Benchmarks and GB Plus (French Immersion) is used in our early grades to detect reading problems as soon as possible.The F.I.A.T. is also sometimes used to diagnose learning problems with our French Immersion students.
- Use assessment for learning strategies to engage students in their learning, to diversify instruction and set learning goals.
- Use of computer notebooks, school laptops and projectors by students when writing or to show what they know.
- Use the Boardmaker computer porgram to make visual schedules and write social stories.
- Use student created criteria and other assessment tools to develop individual student goals.
- Encourage students to self-monitor and self-correct.
- Have school wide events throughout the year with a high level of student planning with learning intentions clearly stated.
- Use student interests to provide the basis for choice in the delivery of learning outcomes
- Give a personal welcome for each student at the beginning of the day so they feel connected to the school.
- Use of Smart Learning strategies to create connections for each student.
- Engage artists to come in and work with students.
- organize information for ease of understanding and remembering by
Strategies to enhance the success of aboriginal learners
Our school works to support aboriginal students by promoting cultural awareness programs and units on First Nations culture in all classrooms. Teachers regularly access personnel and resources from ANED to support aboriginal awareness activities in classrooms. We also continued with a Parent Multi-cultural Education Committee this year that helps raise the awareness of aboriginal education in our school for all students. A plaque has just been mounted to show the traditional welcome to these Songhees and Esquimalt lands where our school is located. An afterschool Aboriginal Program is planned by our Parent Committee that will and feature resource people from our ANED. While our First Nations student numbers are small, these students are identified each September and discussed during initial School Based Team Screening Meetings. The Aboriginal Connectedness Project is supported by the Principal who meets with the Champion for each of our aboriginal students to review their individualized folder and support plan. Any extra resources or support that might be necessary would be requested through the School-Based Team, the District Aboriginal Education Department or the Friendship Centre. We also have used outside agencies or organizations such as Surrounded by Cedars, and have access to the support of the First Nations Counsellor at George Jay School when necessary. Specific strategies used to support the success of aboriginal learners are:
building relationships with individual students
gathering information from parents, other teachers and students
observing students in a variety of situations
helping them focus
using a variety of approaches and materials
give opportunities to transfer skills and ideas to other situations
making meaningful connections between skills and ideas and real-life situations
give opportunities to reflect on and assess their learning
use of graphic organizers
co-operative learninggathering information from parents, other teachers and students
observing students in a variety of situations
helping them focus
using a variety of approaches and materials
give opportunities to transfer skills and ideas to other situations
making meaningful connections between skills and ideas and real-life situations
give opportunities to reflect on and assess their learning
use of graphic organizers
Communication: How are you communicating your goals and progress to parents and the wider community?
Our goal is published on the front page of our school newsletter every two weeks. The newsletters are posted on our website, further promoting our school goal. Our growth plan is also shared and discussed at our Oak Bay Family of Schools meetings on a regular basis to share resources and ideas amongst schools in close proximity to each other. The school goal is also discussed at the PAC meetings and will continue to be addressed through SPC Meetings this year. The SPC and Staff meet in the Spring to discuss school data and whether targets have been met. The plan will also be referred to each month at staff meetings during a sharing time on creativity tools by staff. It will also be highlighted and discussed at school assemblies. Leadership students will be conducting surveys about our school goal and contributing to the communication of our goals. School bulletin boards and display cases will be filled with pictures and references to the school goal.
