School District No. 35 (Langley)
Action Plan for LearningJames Kennedy Elementary
“Success for All Through Learning and Caring” / 2015-2016
Michelle Guillou
Principal / Kim Anderson
Vice-Principal
School Context:
James Kennedy Elementary is a dual track English/French Immersion school in Walnut Grove, a family-oriented community in Langley, B.C. The school currently has 665 students in Kindergarten to Grade 7, with 14 French Immersion and 12 English divisions, which makes it the largest elementary school in the Langley School District. Overall, the student population is fairly stable and uniform: 6% are identified with special needs, 3% are Aboriginal, and 3% are ELL. The P.A.C. and parent community are involved and supportive.
Target:
• By May 2016, 50% of students at James Kennedy will have developed their skills to be fully meeting or exceeding expectations towards being respectful, collaborative, resilient, and collaborative problem solvers.
Rationale:
Through staff discussions it was agreed that behaviours and attitudes among students were preventing academic success to its fullest potential. It was noted that while students were capable of strong achievement, this was not reflected in academic results for all of our learners. An increased level of anxiety was beginning to appear in our students when success was not easily attained. Staff, students and PAC members all took part in an activity we titled ‘JAYME KENNEDY’ in which we identified the core competencies we believed to be most important for student success. Aligning our results with the District’s Core Values of Integrity, Excellence, Courage and Community we intend to develop in James Kennedy students the skills we believe are needed to be successful, contributing members of society.
Data:
1. Core Values Exercise: (source - Simon Breakspear)
As a community, we began to look at the skills that JKE students would need in order to help them be successful contributing members of society. In order to achieve this goal, students must first be seen as successful members of our school community.
After the Jayme Kennedy activity was complete, we were able to compile a list of competencies from parents, students and staff. The core competencies that resonated with all stakeholder groups were being: Respectful, Independent Problem Solvers, Collaborative, and Resilient. These competencies align with the School District mission and vision, which have at the core: Integrity, Excellence, Courage and Community. It is our goal to help students develop their skills to become contributing members of society who uphold these values.
The Wordle that came out of these discussions and activities.
2. Quantitative Data:
Staff will collaborate in designing a questionnaire/check list to measure levels of problem solving skills evident their students. Quantitative data will be collected in January and will be measured against the Social Responsibility Performance Standards.
3. Student Self Assessment:
Intermediate students will use the B.C. Performance Standards for Social Responsibility to self-assess their skills in relation to their like aged peers. It is hoped that during the self-assessment students will be able to attach evidence of their character growth in relation to the skills being taught.
Learning Standards:
RESPECTFUL: Integrity
Student will: make eye contact, respond appropriately, respect school environment, accept others’ views, and be respectful of others and property.
INDEPENDENT PROBLEM SOLVERS: Courage
Students will: seek out and accept challenges, use creative thinking, take initiatives, think critically, and be curious.
COLLABORATIVE: Community
Students will: work collaboratively, listen effectively, compromise, communicate ideas, and be adaptable, inclusive, and caring.
RESILIENT: Excellence
Students will: accept guidance in a positive way, handle change, learn from mistakes, “go with the flow”, self-regulate, and recover from adversity.
Big Ideas
1. Data Collection:
a. Round table sharing at staff meetings, and during collaboration times will provide anecdotal comments regarding progress
b. Student engagement in activities and lessons
c. Pre and Post assessments using the performance standards
2. Use of staff meeting time to develop teaching and learning opportunities around these skills.
3. Several staff members will participate in a book study with the book, Lost at School by Ross Greene, allowing us to better understand behavior and support our students.
4. We will introduce social responsibility skills, develop specific sub-skills, and integrate learning and practice into class activities.
5. Staff will develop and use common language around target skills for students through the use of a social responsibility acronym, for example, PAWS: Polite, Accountable, Willing and Safe.
6. Classroom programs such as: Mind-up, Zones of Self Regulation and Stuart Shanker’s work, Calm, Alert and Learning, will help us to develop skills in our students.
7. Implicit teaching about Mindset and Resiliency through assemblies, school wide behavior expectations, and parent communication will be ongoing throughout the year.
8. Increased options for students to showcase their passions and skills outside of the traditional classroom setting; for example: Skateboarding club, chess club, Enrichment afternoons, genius hour, student blog writing, leadership activities, and student led inquiry.
9. To support our data collection teachers will use the Social Responsibility Performance standards at the beginning of the year, and again at the end of the year. Senior students will also use performance Standards, as a means of self-assessment and growth.
10. Classroom and individual support from our Aboriginal Support Worker, YCW and
school counselor will continue.
Resources:
1. Dedicated staff meeting time
2. ASW to share the Seven Teachings
3. Possible additional copies of Lost at School by Ross Greene will be purchased
4. Quality children’s literature with social responsibility themes will be purchased to enhance our library collection.
5. District Pro. D and Learning Support Services staff
Parents as Partners:
1. Parents will learn along with their students through presentations at PAC meetings and through school wide community assemblies. Parents will continue to support classroom learning.
2. Parents will promote Parents as Partner workshops available through the district.
Evidence:
1. Quantitative (Social Responsibility rubric results)
2. Qualitative evidence (e.g. narratives, interviews, student sharing)
3. Student self-assessments and evidence of their growth
Reflections:
In past years, we have focused our school action plan on traditional curricular areas, particularly around Math and Reading. We have adopted a school philosophy that these are skills that should be enriched, taught and strengthened every day, and not just the focus of a school goal. To this end, we have set up a School Book Study and in-service plan around the book Catching Readers before They Fall as a means of strengthening teacher understanding and ability in reading instruction. Further we will work hand in hand with our side-by-side literacy support teacher to ensure that strong literacy instruction, that meets students where they are, continues. Data collection, which guides instruction, will continue to be collected and monitored each term.
As we move forward, we are constantly reminded of Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs, which tells us that without emotional and social stability, learning will not occur. If students do not feel safe and secure in their ability to fail and get back up again, the risks that they take will be minimal. We would like all of our students to be risk takers and lifelong learners. If this is to occur, we must provide them with the skills to make it possible.
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