Bringing life to learning. SCHOOL What’s Up? `` November 17-21 Bullying Awareness Week `` December 1 World Aids Day `` December 3 Committee-of-the-Whole Meeting Superintendent’s Monthly Report to the Board. Inclement Weather Procedures For more information about where to check for updates on storm days, please visit www.ccrsb.ca/closures. `` December 5 National Day of Remembrance & Action on Violence Against Women `` December 10 Regular Public School Board Meeting www.ccrsb.ca November 12, 2014 CCRSB Remembers… During the past week, schools and offices across our Chignecto-Central Regional School Board system took time to remember the tremendous sacrifices made by the men and women who have served our country and continue to serve on our behalf. Generations of Canadians have sacrificed so that all of us can live in a country that is peaceful and free. For this we are grateful and proud. Minister's Panel on Education Releases Report On Thursday, October 30, the Minister's Panel on Education released its report titled, Disrupting the Status Quo: Nova Scotians Demand a Better Future for Every Student. The report represents the first comprehensive review of Nova Scotia's school system in 25 years. Education Minister, Karen Casey, accepted the report and has committed to sharing an Action Plan in response to the report in January 2015. A total of 30 recommendations were made under the following seven themes: 1. Strengthen the curriculum to transform teaching and learning. 2. Make high quality teaching the norm in every classroom. 3. Prepare today's students for tomorrow's opportunities. 4. Ensure that inclusion is working for everyone. 5. Create a positive climate for learning. 6. Collaborate for improved health and well-being. 7. Build a modern-day structure for teaching and learning. SCHOOL Over the next several weeks, our elected school board members and staff will have the opportunity to provide feedback to the recommendations as Minister Casey prepares her Action Plan. 1 CSI Continuous School Improvement Elmsdale District Elementary the writer’s voice and becomes habit forming. Through this habitual practice it becomes easier and eventually allows the writer to use new skills and understandings to fine tune this craft”, said Alley. Continuous School Improvement (CSI) emphasizes the engagement of school administration, teachers and school staff in an ongoing cycle of reflection and action within a professional learning community culture. A school’s CSI plan is built to incorporate the goals of CCRSB’s Strategic Plan: Increase student learning; and Provide positive, safe, sociallyjust learning environments. Elmsdale District is using several different strategies to meet their second goal focusing on school climate. One such strategy is the use of “Zones of Regulation” which identifies four zones categorized according to the different ways a student feels (states of alertness): blue, yellow, red and green. The green zone is the most desired place for students. Green zone behaviour indicates that the student is happy, focused and ready to learn. The blue zone is used to describe a student that feels sad, depressed, tired or bored. The yellow zone is a warning that a student might enter the red zone. A student may be experiencing stress, frustration, anxiety, excitement, or silliness in the yellow zone. The red zone is used to describe a student that may be elated or experiencing anger, rage, or explosive behaviour. Students are taught strategies to help them self-regulate and return to the green zone. The CSI journey for Elmsdale District Elementary School began last spring when members of the school’s assessment team – Melanie Breen-Maloney and Dania Hayward – came together with Kelly Brown, education services consultant for the Nova Family, and principal, Mary-Anne Alley, to analyze both the provincial and school-based data available. With this information in hand, they created preliminary CSI goals and an overall CSI plan for Elmsdale District. The plan and goals were shared with staff for input and approval, and then re-assessed with input from the data collected from a school-based assessment and a school-wide survey. CSI team members Beth Gouthro, Jessica Schuringa, Tamara Minard and Principal Alley then further refined the goals for the next three years: Elmsdale District's climate goal is further supported by their two “peace poles”. The four-sided peace poles have the message “May Peace Prevail on Earth” written in English, French, Arabic, and Mi’kmaq representing the languages spoken in students’ homes. “It is a nice, multicultural aspect of the peace pole that brings us all together in unity,” said Beth Gouthro, Grade 5 English teacher. •By 2017, the number of students meeting grade level expectations in writing will increase by 5%, as measured by classroom and provincial assessments. •By 2017, Elmsdale District will see an increase of 5% in the number of students reporting a positive, safe respectful learning environment as measured by the student/staff survey. CSI leaders are expecting to see progress in student writing via the assessments which will happen in May. It is also expected that improvements will be noted in student use of the problem solving tools that have been taught in the classroom. The application of these strategies to students’ daily social interactions will ultimately have an impact on their social-emotional well-being. To meet their literacy achievement goal, Elmsdale District has created specific targets and staff use writing resources provided by CCRSB to help students achieve their goals. Tying all of the work of students and staff together are teams. Teachers of the same grade collaborate to create common goals and expectations to ensure that similar teaching philosophies are being implemented. This, in turn ensures that students are receiving the same support class to class. Principal Alley, believes their CSI goals will have positive results. “We have certainly developed an action plan with focused strategies that we feel will meet the needs of the students over the next three years. We are expecting to see improvements in both writing and a positive, safe, respectful learning/living environment”. In the second term all of Elmsdale District will participate in “daily writes” an exercise that gives students 10-15 minutes each day to write on a suggested topic, “The daily practice of writing, whether it is for 10-15 minutes or longer, strengthens 2 SCHOOL NEWS! Early French Immersion Coming to the Celtic Family of Schools Cobequid Family Students from Harmony Heights Elementary School collected 716 pounds of food for the Farm Credit Canada Drive Away Hunger food drive which was held in October. All food items collected were delivered to the local food bank. Well done! In September 2015, CCRSB will begin offering Early French Immersion (Grade Primary entry) at A.G. Baillie Memorial School. In preparation for the first year of this optional French program, CCRSB is offering an introductory information session for parents/guardians in the Celtic Family of Schools. Date: Wednesday, November 19, 2014 (Storm date – November 20) Location: A.G. Baillie Memorial School, 477 Victoria Ave Ext., New Glasgow Start time: 7:00 pm The EFI program in the Celtic Family of Schools is being added as result of the extensive review and consultation that was conducted last fall with parents, guardians, staff and community members. On Wednesday, October 22nd Truro Elementary School (TES) held a pow wow to celebrate Mi’kmaq History Month. The Samqwan Boyz Drum Group from Millbrook led the assembly, which included TES student dancers in full regalia. Chief Gloade from Millbrook offered an opening blessing. The assembly was well attended by parents and guardians and was a wonderful way to celebrate Mi’kmaq Heritage Month. For more information about the Early French Immersion Program or the information session, phone 902-897-8965. Students from Great Village Elementary School recently practiced safety routines with members of the Great Village & District Fire Brigade. Following a fire drill, the firefighters met with students in an assembly where students had the opportunity to see what the firefighters looked like wearing their safety gear, and to hear what the firefighters sounded like with their breathing apparatus. All students were provided with a package of information from the fire brigade and asked to plan and practice an exit route at home for their family. 3 On September 24, students at River John Consolidated School once again took part in the Terry Fox Run, an annual nation-wide event to raise funds and awareness for Cancer research. Grades 4 through 9 travelled the Jitney Trail, while the younger elementary students did 13 laps around the school for each of the provinces and territories. Now in its 10th year, the Terry Fox Run/Walk at RJCS raised a total of $651.00 for the Terry Fox Foundation, which was a fine addition to the thousands raised over the past decade! The students and staff wish to thank everyone who gave so generously in their pledges for this very worthwhile cause. Celtic Family The staff at West Pictou Consolidated School encourage students to mentor others. Recently, the Grade 8 students put their mentoring skills to the test when they taught the Grade 6 students about microscopes! North Nova Education Centre recently hosted the fourth annual Chignecto-Central Regional School Board Elders Conference on Social Justice. Andrea Paul, chief of the Pictou Landing First Nation and CCRSB Board Member, was the keynote speaker. With Chief Paul as their guide, the student delegates explored the story of A’sek, (Boat Harbour), and the Pictou Landing First Nation’s struggle to reclaim the beauty of its local environment. Nova Scotia Environment Minister, Randy Delorey, joined the conference via Skype and spoke about the government’s cooperative relationship with the people of Pictou Landing and the plans to clean-up Boat Harbour. The Elders Conference brings together student and staff delegations from all CCRSB high schools in a seminar format to address issues of social justice and to plan for ways to further the goals of social justice in their own school communities. Did yo u know ? CCR SB’s opera ting budg 2014-2015 et for the school ye a r is $201.3 Salaries a million. nd benef its accou of the bu nt for 85% dget. 4 Employment Equity: Reflecting diversity in our schools & offices CCRSB is home to 20,068 students this school year. Our students are drawn from many different backgrounds – economic, social, spiritual and cultural. Employment equity strives to ensure that our students see their diversity reflected in the adults who guide them through their many years at school. “That review showed us that we have a long way to go before we truly reflect diversity in our workplaces for our AfricanNova Scotian and First Nations students. While 5.5% of our students self identify as African-Nova Scotian or First Nations, only 2.7% of the staff serving our students and our board self identify as African-Nova Scotian or First Nations. We are less than halfway to our goal of our staff representing the diversity of our student population.” At the beginning of each school year, new and previously enrolled students are asked to self-identify their cultural background; particularly African-Nova Scotian (ANS) and First Nations (FN) students. This number of self-identified ANS and FN students helps to determine CCRSB’s overall employment equity goals. As of September 30, 2014, 431 students (2.1%) self-identified as African-Nova Scotian and 685 (3.4%) selfidentified as First Nations. How do we attract more employment equity candidates? This is a question we continue to ask and try to address from many perspectives, including within our on-going partnerships. These partnerships include the CCRSB Employment Equity Committee, the CCRSB Mi’kmaw Support Group, the Cobequid Family ANS Support Group and the Celtic Family ANS Support Group. “Staff members from differing cultural backgrounds bring all students a rich and varied educational perspective, one rooted in their heritage and culture,” said Scott Milner, Director of Education Services. “The important lessons that our students can learn from a diversity of backgrounds, cultures and opinions – through their fellow students and our staff – cannot be underestimated.” Employment equity goes much farther than a policy, though. True equity in our schools, offices and at our worksites means that all members of the CCRSB community recognize, respect and embrace the differences that make us all who we are. That’s what we are striving for as a community. Employment equity recognizes the value and importance of having a staff that mirrors the diversity represented in our student population. Reasonable and fair employment equity practices have been embedded into our Employment Equity Policy (Policy #HR-04). This policy provides a foundation for CCRSB’s efforts to meet the needs of our students and our goal of fostering socially-just learning and working environments. The Human Resources Department has developed procedures and supports so that CCRSB’s Employment Equity Policy is effectively implemented. Human Resources staff members work with our principals and other hiring supervisors throughout the staffing processes to ensure equitable hiring practices are used. “The Human Resources Services Department recently completed a review of CCRSB’s employment equity hiring practices as they related to First Nation applicants and applicants of African descent,” said Allison McGrath, Director, Human Resources Services. 5 On October 8th, 70 Maple Ridge Elementary students and staff participated in the annual Walk to School. They started the walk at 7:20 am and the first participants walked four kilometres! It was an enjoyable walk for students and staff that promoted physical activity. Nova Family Grade 4 students in Mrs. Sharkey’s class at Uniacke District School are having a lot of fun learning what it takes to become a champion! The class has been selected from classrooms across Canada and the United States to participate in a program called Classroom Champions, which pairs classrooms with Olympic athletes. Classroom Champions paired the class with Canadian swimmer Ryan Cochrane, a two-time Olympian, Olympic Silver and Bronze Medalist and six-time World Champion medalist. Ryan sends the class videos and shout-outs each month. Using these videos and lessons the class replies with video responses, pictures, and pieces of student work. Chignecto Family The Cumberland North Academy Junior Striders, under the direction of Mrs. Pugsley, are sponsoring a shoe drive for the people of Haiti. They have partnered with the Amherst Striders Running Club and have donated a lot of shoes! They also wrote about it as a Daily Write. Junction Road Elementary and West End Elementary schools recently held their annual Thanksgiving celebration at the community centre. Students and staff enjoyed a beautiful turkey dinner with all the trimmings! Students presented thank you’s to the many parents and community volunteers who worked to make the dinner possible. The West Highlands Gymnasium Enhancement Committee is thrilled to report that they have reached and slightly surpassed their initial goal of $181,836! This means that the enhanced gymnasium space is paid for. Their committee and our generous community made this happen in less than 12 months. We are extremely proud and thankful of the tireless efforts and generosity of so many. The Committee now turns its sights on raising the $30,000 needed to provide bleachers within the enhanced space. The committee is also thankful to the local Lions Club for their generous contribution of a new score clock and wireless remote for our fantastic new facility. Each morning students and staff at Winding River Consolidated (WRC) are read a prompt, and then given 10 – 12 minutes to "write away". Some examples of previous prompts are: "I am a good friend when…;" "I remember…;" and "The leaves in fall...". Students’ share their “write away” work with their classmates and some previous "write aways" are shared over the PA for the whole school to enjoy. The school also has an "Author's Chair" segment on their weekly WRC News Broadcast where students and staff share various forms of writing. Did you k now? CCR SB emp loys 250 bus drivers and has a f le et of 240 bus es. Our buses travel over 4,000,0 00 kilometres e ach year, tran sp or ting 17,000 stude nts (85% of the to tal student popu lation). 6 How do you define Social Justice? Chances are if you put eight people in a room together and ask them, “What does Social Justice mean to you?” you will get eight different answers. As a society, we seek to find common understanding and meaning. So, when we are presented with a term or an idea that’s not easily defined it can be viewed as an unwelcome challenge. Normally that would be a problem. “Stand Up. Speak Out., our anti-bullying program; the restorative approach in schools; Employment Equity; selfidentification – all of these are a piece of Social Justice. They teach students and staff that differences are a good thing and that true equality comes from acceptance, not tolerance,” said Paul-Martin. Social Justice is an ongoing area of focus, as it should be, at all CCRSB schools and offices. The 2013-2016 Strategic Plan names Social Justice as a key pillar for our school board. That’s not the case for CCRSB’s Social Justice Lead Team. Comprised of eight members, this diverse group of educators is leading CCRSB’s Social Justice movement. They are not daunted by a lack of common meaning. In fact, it’s that lack of common definition – they say – that is the true measure of Social Justice. The ultimate goal is to make the concept of Social Justice in CCRSB as prominent as the programs that support it. To achieve that goal education must be provided, and awareness raised, among all members of the CCRSB community. Race, Cross-Cultural Understanding and Human Rights (RCH) advisors at each of CCRSB’s 73 schools go a long way to making Social Justice a living, breathing concept for our students. Now it’s time for the next steps. "Social Justice is often difficult to define because it is broad, with many dimensions. It can mean different things to different people because we each bring our own knowledge, experiences and backgrounds to the various components of Social Justice,” said Jocelyn Dorrington, coordinator, African-Nova-Scotian cultural services and Social Justice Lead Team co-chair. “In order to fully engage in social justice work one must accept that inequities exist, that ascribed privilege exists and that power is a critical component,” said Dorrington. “To achieve the goal of "equality" for everyone, we must apply the process of equity while ensuring respect and dignity for all. We must engage in Social Justice to create a safe, socially-just and inclusive society. This must become the norm." CCRSB’s approach to Social Justice begins with our Race Relations, Cross-Cultural Understanding and Human Rights Social Justice Framework. The Social Justice Framework identifies the multiple diversities that make all members of the CCRSB community unique, but also the same: race, gender, class, sexual orientation and abilities. Imagine the concept of Social Justice like a back pack. We all wear one, but the contents of that back pack change from person to person. The Social Justice Lead Team will be launching a video ahead of the start of the professional learning sessions in 2015. An education and awareness campaign is also being planned. "Social Justice is understanding, embracing and respecting the individual differences in all people," said Patsy Paul-Martin, Coordinator, First Nations Cultural Services and Social Justice Lead Team co-chair. “Our individual differences fill our back packs. When people are actively engaging in a Social Justice approach they learn to consider what is in another person’s back pack, that helps to prevent them from passing judgment or making assumptions about others.” Special thanks to all the RCH advisors in our schools and the members of the Lead Team for guiding all of CCRSB through this important and individual process. In the New Year, the Social Justice Lead Team will begin providing Social Justice professional learning for CCRSB staff based on the multiple diversities highlighted in the Social Justice Framework. Each module is made-up of a video – developed and filmed by the Lead Team – and hands-on activities for participants. Social Justice Lead Team Members: (Front L-R) Doreen Richard, Patsy Paul-Martin, Jocelyn Dorrington. (Back L-R) Delroy (Les) Mullins, Trevor Boyd. (Missing from photo) Katey Gloade, Leanne Arsenault and Bruce Fisher While the professional learning will provide staff members direct training about Social Justice, both Patsy and Jocelyn point out that many staff members – and students – have already been involved with projects and programs that fall under the umbrella of Social Justice. They just may not realize it. 7 school year. They can do that because the assessments measure not what students will learn in the year to come, but what students learned primarily the year before. Assessing assessments in Mathematics and Literacy “The Grade 4 Mathematics assessment, for example, measures students’ understanding of the outcomes addressed up to Grade 3. With those results in hand, the Grade 4 teacher can better target his/her instruction to reinforce previous learning, where required, while introducing new Grade 4 learning targets in Mathematics,” said Callaghan. Each year students across Nova Scotia participate in common provincial assessments. These provinciallydeveloped exams in Mathematics and Literacy are designed to provide teachers, students and their parents or guardians with a snapshot of a student’s understanding of the outcomes for each subject. Provincial assessments are completed for students in grades 3, 4, 6, 8 and 10. Grade 12 students in CCRSB also participate in boardwide Mathematics and English examinations. Schools also use the results from assessments to inform their Continuous School Improvement goals, which then support the school board’s Strategic Plan. Assessments in middle and senior high school fall near the end of the school year. Again, the intent is that the results may be used to help plan for the coming school year. The Grade 8 Reading, Writing and Mathematics assessment, for example, is written each spring and the results are ready for Grade 9 teachers in the early fall. So, why do we need assessments? Assessments – no matter the grade level – are a valuable resource for all members of the CCRSB community. Parents or guardians with questions about their child’s assessment results should speak with their child’s teacher or their school principal. “Assessments are a very necessary tool in every teacher’s and school’s educational tool box,” said Aaron Callaghan, CCRSB Acting Coordinator of Assessment. “Based on the results from the assessments, teachers are able to tailor their classroom instruction to better meet the needs of the particular students in their class.” Individual assessment results for students are available for parents and guardians via the Student-Parent Portal on Power School. In addition, the Nova Scotia Department of Education and Early Childhood Development publishes the results of the provincial assessments, by school board, on their website: http://plans.ednet.ns.ca/results each fall. That’s why many assessments are written in the early fall. By writing the grades 3, 4 and 6 Mathematics and Literacy assessments at that time, teachers and schools are provided the opportunity to take what was learned and use it to support student learning during the current 75 % Grade 3 Reading 70 % 90 % Grade 3 Writing: Ideas 88 % 81 % Grade 3 Writing: Language Use 79 % 78 % Grade 3 Writing: Organization 76 % 68 % Grade 3 Writing: Conventions 66 % CCRSB 77 % Grade 6 Reading 75 % NS 79 % Grade 6 Writing: Organization 79 % 88 % Grade 6 Writing: Ideas 88 % 65 % Grade 6 Writing: Conventions 65 % 76 % Grade 8 Reading 74 % 86 % Grade 8 Writing: Ideas 86 % 0 20 40 8 60 80 100
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