Vancouver School Board SCHOOL PLAN 2015-2016

Vancouver School Board SCHOOL PLAN 2015-2016 It is our collective responsibility as a school district to ensure the highest quality learning experiences for all students, with a focus on student engagement, learning and development in a safe, inclusive environment. Captain James Cook Elementary School MISSION STATEMENT The staff and students of Captain James Cook are committed to providing educational opportunities for intellectual, social, physical, and creative growth for all children, in a setting that reflects mutual respect and social responsibility. GOAL: (State goal area i.e. Literacy) To improve literacy skills for all students with a focus on improving non-fiction writing to communicate ideas and information. GOAL: Aboriginal Cultural Enhancement To increase knowledge, acceptance, empathy, awareness and appreciation of Aboriginal histories, traditions, cultures and contributions among all students. page 1

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SCHOOL COMMUNITY CONTEXT What are the demographics of our learning community? Who are our learners? What is our vision of success for learning for each student? Captain James Cook Elementary is situated in south Vancouver near the intersection of Kerr and East 54th. The community comprises a mixture of older and new single-family dwellings, moderate to high priced rental units, and cooperative and low-income housing projects. Cook Elementary presently enrolls 359 students of diverse cultural backgrounds. Of those 359 students, 36% are English Language Learners, 10% are students with Special Needs and 3% are Aboriginal students. The school, which has been identified as meeting District vulnerability criteria, receives Community School Team (CST) service, which provides 0.5 F.T.E. Youth & Family Worker and after-school programming support. Through the CST, Cook has been able to offer additional school programs such as a Breakfast Club, Cold Lunch Program, One to One Readers, Homework Club, Lunch time playground student leaders, MoreSports, Big Brothers Teen Mentoring Program, and Games and Arts & Crafts and Cooking programs. We are also fortunate to have a Strong Start Centre for families with children, ages 0-5, that operates daily out of Cook School and, in conjunction with Strong Start, have piloted the Wonder of Learning Program (WOL) this past school year. This program is designed for children with no previous preschool experience, and provides children with opportunities for play-based learning through a variety of activities. In addition, Cook will be offering the Summer Early Learning Program to our new Kindergarten students and their families, with the goal of better preparing in-coming children and their parents for the rigors of the formal school setting. In addition, Captain Cook received some funding from a private donor, which enabled us to start a Breakfast Club whereby we are able to reach, on average, 40 students each day school is in session. The program helps feed those students who are unable to access a nutritious breakfast in the morning and is motivation for them to arrive at school on time each day. Students have an opportunity to spend this time eating and reading books, either on their own or to other students. Often parents accompany their children to school and eat breakfast alongside them. Parents are encouraged to read with their children while they eat. We are also part of a Vancouver Board of Education Lunch to Go Pilot program that provides nutritious bag lunches for those students whose families struggle with food security issues and are unable to provide lunch for their children. Presently the program is servicing 43 students on a daily basis. page 3

The Vancouver Board of Education approved a five-year funding of The Inner City Schools Program which provides Cook with a (0.5 FTE) project teacher and a full time student support worker. Classroom meetings for social problem solving and exploration of students ideas and opinions are a feature of many classroom programs. The Early Intervention Model has been employed at Captain Cook Elementary School for the past three years. Early identification of students struggling with reading and writing skills begins in kindergarten. Groups of struggling kindergarten students work together with resource teachers to improve reading readiness skills, and some are identified as candidates for the Reading Recovery Program in the fall of the year. Besides a comprehensive curriculum, there are numerous opportunities for student leadership and involvement. Ways in which students contribute to the school community include Student Council/Spirit Team, Class Buddy programs, Safety Patrol, Library Monitors, Tech Crew, Assembly Hosts, Lunchroom and Playground Leaders, clubs such as Global Citizens, and Glee Club. These activities, along with a strong Strings program and active Extra-mural Sports program (cross country running, volleyball, basketball), foster a strong student voice and sense of community. Parents in this community have a wide range of educational backgrounds and income levels. The parent community s valuing of the school manifests itself in a high level of support for and trust of school programs, activities and policies. The school has a committed Parent Advisory Council, which, through its support, enriches the school experience for students. The staff and students of Captain James Cook are committed to providing educational opportunities for intellectual, social, physical, and creative growth for all children, in a setting that reflects mutual respect and social responsibility. The Captain Cook Code of Conduct is encapsulated in the acronym CARES and the words on our school emblem: Resolution Endeavour and Discovery C stands for caring about self, others, the school community and our communal properties. A stands for acceptance of others, including tolerating differences and practicing inclusive behaviors such as friendliness. R stands for respect for other cultures and individuals by being courteous and seeking understanding of others ideas and feelings. page 4

E stands for excellence in trying to do our best towards attaining excellent results in academic work, artistic pursuits and athletics. S stands for self-control, which means we take responsibility for our actions and learn about ways to avoid aggression. Resolution means being firm in our purpose, having a collective focus on learning and continual advancement and improvement. It also means learning fair-mindedness, civility, empathy, and courage to be autonomous thinkers. Endeavour means using our best efforts to gather information, master subject matter, to think clearly and accurately and to use historical, literary and socially responsible thinking to make judgments. Discovery means using the spirit of scientific exploration (as personified by Captain James Cook) to be precise, to use mathematical logic to make inferences and construct interpretations, including recognition of different points of view, and when necessary, shifting concepts or opinions. REFLECTIONS ON 2014-2015 SCHOOL PLAN What was our goal? What steps did we take to address the identified student(s) needs? What was the evidence of success for each student? How did we communicate and celebrate student success? What was our goal? Goal 1: To improve literacy skills for all students with a focus on improving non-fiction writing to communicate ideas and information. What steps did we take to address the identified student(s) needs? Continued collection of reading data through reading assessment in both the spring and fall of the year as with previous years. Since reading affects writing and writing is the act of transmitting knowledge in print, we must have information to share before we can write it thus reading plays a major role in writing. Reading helps children learn text structures and language that they can then transfer to their own writing. Presently 18% of our K-7 males and 13% of our K-7 female students are Not Yet Meeting Expectations for writing. (Jan. 2015 Data). School Wide Write (to identify needs): Students will participate in a 3-step write each term to gather assessment information about writing. We will utilize page 5

Pro-D Days and both primary and intermediate collaborative time to provide an opportunity for teachers to share student data, to look for common trends, and identify a common focus for writing during each term. Development of writing rubrics for each grade level to reflect expected criteria in each of the three school terms. Common assessment tools and grade group collaboration around the use of the B.C. Performance Standards. Develop common language around writing instruction from grade to grade; to that end, the Writing Traits program is being used from Grade 1 7. Continue to utilize the program to reinforce the 6 + 1 Writing Traits with School purchased Write Traits Kits for all Grade Levels. Professional Development Day devoted to student writing evaluations and, discussions among Grade groups looking specifically at goals that were identified from Winter Writing Assessment. From Grade group discussions, specific grade-wide writing targets were established incorporating the Write Traits (ex. editing, use of transition words, sequencing and details). Assessing earlier in the year (September) to identify needs. As a school staff has set aside two weeks early on September to assess all students in both writing and reading, using the results to guide practice and establish writing goals for the year. Use of technology to support students with written output difficulties Integration of technology for enhancing literacy learning for students. Resource Team and Intermediate Team have explored the Three Tiers of Instruction and Intervention model to more efficiently reach the diversity of learners. Early intervention support model for K-1 students. Reading Recovery for identified at risk students in Grade 1. What was the evidence of success for each student? Qualitatively, teachers noticed that students were producing better writing samples and more advanced writing. There seems to be an increased enthusiasm about writing, particularly in the area of non-fiction writing. Our writers seem more engage, even our lower achieving students. There is a demonstrated increase in confidence when writing for our students. We also noticed that our students are choosing more challenging books and volunteering to read their writing out loud more often. Teachers also reported that there seems to be an increased amount of discussion around writing topics and when brainstorming about writing. We compared our Spring 2014 Reading and Writing data to our Fall 2015 data collected utilizing the Three Step Write and DRA Reading Assessments. page 6

Term 1 and Term 2 Language Arts writing data was disaggregated from report cards, we noticed that 41% of our male students were not yet meeting grade level expectations in this area. In Term 2 that number fell to 38%. Following that, 24% of our female students were not yet meeting grade level expectations in writing in Term 1 and we noticed that this number increased slightly to 26% in Term 2. (See Table 1) Our data collection through School Wide Writes was disaggregated for males and females in both our fall and spring Assessments. We did notice that in the fall of 2014, 18% of our male students from Kindergarten to grade 7 were not yet meeting or minimally meeting grade level expectations in writing. At the same time 12% of our female students from Kindergarten to grade 7 were not yet meeting or minimally meeting grade level expectations for writing. (See Table 2) 2014/15 Language Arts Writing Assessment from Report Card Not Yet Meeting Writing Term I Fall Meeting Expectations Not Yet Meeting Writing Term II Winter Meeting Expectations Grade Males Females Males Females Males Females Males Females 7 12 2 15 18 4 0 23 19 6 9 6 16 20 7 6 18 19 5 8 4 19 11 10 3 18 12 4 5 8 12 17 3 6 14 19 3 16 4 7 16 17 7 6 14 2 17 3 19 13 17 6 19 12 1 4 8 7 18 3 6 14 21 K 4 5 11 13 11 11 6 7 Total 75 40 106 126 72 45 118 123 % 41.44 % 24.10% 58.56% 75.90% 37.89% 26.79% 62.11% 73.21% (Table 1) In the spring of 2015 when data was again collected we noticed 23% of our male students from Kindergarten to grade 7 were not yet meeting or minimally meeting grade page 7

level expectations in writing. At the same time 12% of our female students from Kindergarten to grade 7 were not yet meeting or minimally meeting grade level expectations for writing. Our Male students dipped slightly in their writing performance while our female students remained at previous levels. (See table 3) Cook is an early intervention school and as such, is part of the Reading Recovery program. We have identified 18 students at the Kindergarten level as students who were at risk in literacy and another 10 students as at risk early learners at the grade 1 level and initiated service. To date 3 of the 10 grade 1 students have now reached the targeted reading level of 16. This represents 30% of those grade 1 students identified as at risk learners are now reading at grade level. Those that did not reach their reading target did, however, make significant progress in the development of their reading and have been carried over into the present year. 3 Step Write Comparisons Fall 2014 Spring 2015 Grade Not Yet Meeting Writing 2014 Fall Meeting Expectations Not Yet Meeting Writing 2015 Spring Meeting Expectations Males Females Males Females Males Females Males Females 7 11 1 17 17 5 0 21 18 6 5 5 20 20 4 2 21 24 5 3 4 23 12 8 3 19 14 4 4 5 15 19 2 2 16 22 3 5 2 19 16 8 2 14 18 2 4 1 30 18 9 2 19 17 1 5 4 12 22 3 3 19 19 K 1 1 10 14 4 6 12 10 Total 33 23 146 138 43 20 141 142 % 18.44% 12.50% 81.56% 85.71% 23.37% 12.42% 76.63% 87.65% (Table 2) page 8

Reading Comparison Spring 2014 Winter 2015 Reading Comprehension Assessment Spring 2014 Reading Comprehension Assessment Spring 2015 Not Yet Meeting Meeting Expectations Not Yet Meeting Meeting Expectations Grade Males Female s Males Females Males Females Males Females 7 6 4 21 15 2 4 18 18 6 9 6 16 20 8 6 10 10 5 5 6 22 9 6 5 21 12 4 5 11 14 12 2 4 16 18 3 2 1 11 8 5 2 18 17 2 9 1 25 18 9 3 19 14 1 7 10 11 16 3 4 11 16 K 2 5 7 10 1 1 15 16 Total 45 44 127 108 36 29 128 121 % 26.16.% 28.94% 73.83% 71.05% 21.95% 19.33% 78.04% 80.66% (Table 3) We have continued to collect reading data through reading assessment in both the spring and fall of the year. Research has shown there are many connections between the two. Research has found that when children read extensively they become better writers. The reciprocal relationship between reading and writing opportunities and proficiencies has been well established, particularly the links between comprehension and composing (Allington, R. (2001) What Really Matters for Struggling Readers Reading a variety of genres helps children learn text structures and language that they can then transfer to their own writing K-12 - Reader.com. Since reading affects writing and writing is the act of transmitting knowledge in print, we must have page 9

information to share before we can write it, thus reading plays a major role in writing - reading provides young people with prior knowledge that they can use in their writing K-12 Reader.com. Reading helps children learn text structures and language they can then transfer to their own writing. We found that the number of male students meeting grade level expectations or better in reading was 73% in the spring of 2014 and increased to 78% in the spring of the following school year. In the spring of 2014, 71% of our female students were meeting grade level expectations or better in reading and this had increased to 80% in the spring of the 2014/15 school year (See table 3) Through the course of the past year we continue to monitor and build upon the Reading strategies established through sound pedagogy and our focus on instruction across the grades. We will continue to collect data around reading comprehension in the upcoming school year, as we believe there is a direct connection between reading and writing. The corresponding data seems to bear out the research in that we have seen gains in our students writing and reading scores in the past year. Finally, data collected from the B.C. Ministry of Education 2014/15 Satisfaction Survey indicates that of all the Grade 4 students surveyed 32% report that they are getting better at writing sentences or stories most of the time and 31 % of our grade 7 students reported that they are getting better at writing all of the time. How did we communicate and celebrate student success? Teachers shared their students learning improvements with the students and their parents. Students work will be displayed throughout the school. Regularly scheduled assemblies to recognize student continued, particular acknowledgment will focus on improvements in writing as well as school-wide activities that celebrate learning. Writing Gallery. School Newspaper/newsletters for students (has been successful for some grades). Sharing writing aloud. Oral conferencing with students. Posting student work on new school website/in school Newsletters Writing/Poetry Club. Publishing work School Wide Writing Projects (Taking Care of Your Pet Dragon) Writers Fair/Literacy Day. Celebration of Writing Day. Author s corner display all grades, all students get a turn on the board not just best work. page 10

Sharing writing in Buddy Class. Making Picture Books with ipads. Report Cards. Parent Teacher/Goal Setting Conferences. 2015-2016 SCHOOL PLAN Based on our assessments and evidence, we are adjusting and refocusing our School Plan to continue to address the needs of the identified learners by: GOAL: To improve literacy skills for all students with a focus on improving nonfiction writing to communicate ideas and information. Objectives: Improve written form Improve writing fluency, organization and idea development Monitor and improve attitudes towards writing What steps are we planning to address the needs of the identified learners, including our Aboriginal learners? i.e. What strategies and structures do we believe will lead to student success? Integration of technology for enhancing literacy learning for students. Use common assessment tools and BC Performance Standards. School wide focus that builds on the key writing skills at each grade level Teachers will work in learning teams, across grades, to analyze studentwriting samples using performance standards as formative assessment. Based on the data, decisions will be made to focus our teaching strategies on areas of identified need. Providing lots of rich opportunities to write for sustained lengths of time. School Wide Writing Themes. Strive to provide rich literacy environments. High expectations for students. Focus on increasing vocabulary. Communication about expectations/criteria for writing across grade levels. All staff (resource, classroom, support) use similar strategies when teaching writing. Develop and use common language when discussing writing. Create opportunities for collaborative time, an opportunity for teachers to work together in grade groups and across grade levels to share and page 11

refine instructional strategies and practices that are related to assessment for learning. Use of resources such as 6+1 Writing Traits, Reading Power, Writing 44 and Early Intervention strategies. Staff Professional development to support a range of practices that are based on active engagement and to support diversity in the classroom, (Understanding by design). Increase current staffing support of students with Individual Education Plans. Early intervention support model for K-1 students. Reading Recovery for identified at risk students in Grade 1. Provide in-school mentorships and tutoring. Monthly assemblies provide opportunity for sharing, performance, and celebration of literacy. Provide opportunities for student voice and leadership opportunities in both the classroom and the school and community. Teacher grade level teams will continue to meet to discuss Assessment for Learning that includes: Learning Intentions: articulating to student s clear information about what they will be learning in writing. Criteria: explicit criteria will be provided along with examples of good writing so students will be clear on what is expected. Questioning: questioning techniques will be used to check for understanding and ongoing monitoring of student progress. Descriptive Feedback: feedback will be given to students to support growth in writing. Self and Peer Assessment: students will be given the opportunity to examine their own, as well as peers work, to gain a greater understanding of their learning Ownership: students have ownership over their own learning and will be given opportunities to share their writing with others A commitment of teacher librarian support, to provide reading, writing support and integration with other curriculum areas, particularly the nonfiction areas of Science and Social Studies. Keep the library open every day to encourage the circulation of reading materials and to promote an active home reading program. Provide opportunities for parents to learn about supporting literacy at home. Continue with investigation into Three Tiers of Instruction Intervention and apply the model to writing instruction in the Intermediate grades. Continue to utilize common language around writing instruction from grade to grade. Writing Traits program is being used from Grade 1 7. page 12

What will be our assessments and evidence of student success? School Wide Write. Performance standards/collaborative marking. 6 + 1 Writing Traits. Report cards/elar Reports/ELL Matrices. Anecdotal evidence from teachers. One to One Reading Society involvement at Cook. Increasing the number of volunteers presently 12 readers working with our students. Passing along student achievement in writing to next teacher (1 sheet with DRA, beginning in primary), portfolio with writing sample for each student which follows them year to year (or do new assessment early in the year so portfolio isn t heavy) to quickly assess needed goals and for students to reflect. Student self-evaluations. Student portfolio. Student conferences. Based on our assessments and evidence, how do we plan to monitor, reflect on and adjust, where necessary, our impact on the learning of each student(s)? Ongoing formative classroom-based assessments allow teachers to determine next steps for each student in their class (assessment for learning). This information helps teachers monitor the strategies and adapt or refine them as required. Summative assessments each term help us monitor individual student performance and make adjustments as necessary to provide additional support, and report to parents (assessment of learning). Early in the fall, teachers will gather baseline assessment for reading and writing to help make decisions for support and planning for instruction. Our first term student progress reports will be analyzed and adjustments will be made, if necessary. Teachers will keep the home school communication open. Teachers will continue to bring students who are still struggling to the school-based team. The school-based team will continue to work with district consultants to help support students learning. Teachers will continue to work with the school-based team to help support their students learning. page 13

How will we communicate and celebrate student success? Teachers share their students learning improvements with the students and their parents. Students work will be displayed throughout the school. Regularly scheduled assemblies to recognize student learning will continue with particular acknowledgment that will focus on improvements in writing and school-wide activities that celebrate learning. Writing Gallery. Class Newspapers written for/by students. Posting students work on new school website/in school Newsletters. Writing/Poetry Club. Writers Fair/Literacy Day. Celebration of Writing Day. Family Literacy Week. UBC Reading Week. Author s corner display all grades, all students get a turn on the board not just the best ones. How will we engage all members of the school community to ensure sustainability of student success? Ongoing conversations at PAC meetings, parent-teacher conferences, informal meetings, literacy information in newsletters and our parent information/education sessions, when possible, will be aligned to this goal. Our PAC and SPC will discuss options for promoting literacy. Our Community School Team will be informed and will be asked to focus on this goal. Teachers will team up with the Strong Start to share literacy opportunities and events. Enhance family and community involvement through continued growth of partnerships with outside agencies who share responsibility for the families at Cook in order to provide the most effective supports. Killarney Community Schools Team, SWISS workers, Champlain Library and Community Centre, Cook s Strong Start Centre, and South Vancouver Neighbourhood House, Coastal Health, and Ministry of Family Services are a few of our partners with which we continue to develop and build relationships. Staff has made commitments to work with each other, parents or guardians, our Community School Team, the Strong Start Centre, and the surrounding community to enhance learning for all students. Community events, parent education and celebrations are implemented throughout the school year. Staff leadership opportunities are provided through many different venues, supported by District resource staff. Some examples being: page 14

Early Intervention/Reading Recovery Project. Literacy Initiatives. One to One Reading Society Professional Development Committee. Inner City Schools Program. Student Leadership. Parent Advisory Committee. Inviting people who write into the school to educate/excite students i.e. Police officers, author, teacher, actor, variety of professionals Involvement between grades (i.e. Buddies) School-wide Contests (Poetry, Mystery) with rewards Continue and expand the school s Parent Series- Coffee at Cook GOAL: Aboriginal Cultural Enhancement To increase knowledge, awareness, appreciation of and respect for Aboriginal histories, traditions, cultures, and contributions among all students. Objectives: The Aboriginal cultural enhancement goal was introduced in 2013-2014. Reflections on Current Practice, 2014-2015 What steps did we take that built knowledge, awareness, appreciation of, and respect for Aboriginal histories, traditions and cultures among all students? What data are we using to guide and adjust our practices? What steps did we take that built knowledge, awareness, appreciation of, and respect for Aboriginal histories, traditions and cultures among all students? Use of the Spirals of Inquiry indicators for Aboriginal Understandings Learning Progression to increase awareness about: Beliefs and Attitudes towards Aboriginal Peoples. i) Recognize that knowledge may need to be enhanced ii) Enhance awareness that issues exist around Aboriginal Peoples Knowledge of Aboriginal Peoples and History on local, regional and national levels. i) Demonstrate awareness of local Aboriginal peoples and territories ii) Demonstrate awareness Aboriginal languages and cultures iii) Demonstrate awareness of Indigenous Knowledge iv) Demonstrate awareness of Canadian History as it pertains to page 15

Aboriginal People Participation in the Aboriginal Education Enhancement Initiative Enhance the social emotional learning of students. Sequential programs for social and emotional learning, which are congruent with the developmental stages of children and supported by the research, are provided to all our students. Anti-racism professional development. Artistic initiatives (welcome art, drumming, classroom cultural experiences) Enhance family and community involvement through continued growth of partnerships with outside agencies who share responsibility for the families at Cook, in order to provide the most effective supports: Killarney Community Schools Team, SWISS workers, Champlain Library and Community Centre, Cook s Strong Start Centre, South Vancouver Neighborhood House, Coastal Health and Ministry of Family Services are a few of our partners which we continue to develop and build these relationships. Joint planning/instruction with AEEW/Classroom Teachers to provide inclass experiences to enhance Aboriginal cultural awareness, history, and traditions Family Literacy Day with a focus on Aboriginal culture and how it s exclusive oral tradition has been passed on through family over time. Storyteller Henry Charles brought in to share the culture of the Musqueam band of Vancouver s Lower Mainland. The presentation was held in conjunction with our Family Literacy Day, focused on the Musqueam culture and how it followed an exclusively oral tradition that has been passed on through family over time. Workshops with Alex Wells Aboriginal Hoop Dancer. UBC Reading Week Aboriginal Focus. Use of the Aims Tool to track student interventions. Showcase school-wide events in newsletters and on the school web page. Posting pictures and writing on Cook Website and in newsletters Student- led monthly assemblies provide opportunity for sharing, performance, and celebration of cultures. Opening all assemblies with Aboriginal Acknowledgment/Greeting Teachers shared their students learning with the school community through displays within the school, performances, and assemblies. Monitor student attendance at school Open invitation to families to attend assemblies and performances with the student body What data are we using to guide and adjust our practices? Utilizing the Aboriginal Understandings Learning Progression resource, taken from page 16

Spirals of Inquiry for equity and quality, to reflect on the goal. In the past school year, we have established that staff and students are at the Boarding the Canoe stage in our beliefs and attitudes towards Aboriginal people and in our knowledge of Aboriginal People and history. We continue to educate ourselves and our students on the traditions and cultures of Aboriginal people. To that end, we integrated histories, traditions and contributions at every opportunity. Through the use of the AIMS Tool, we are able to continue making progress toward our goal. Teachers found that our students were asking more questions after our cultural experiences and seemed more interested and willing to participate in discussions around Aboriginal History and Culture. Teachers felt that the Cultural experiences that the school brought in (Hoop Dancing/Drumming Workshops and Story Telling) contributed to this success. One of the most significant strategies we implemented was the Aboriginal Acknowledgment performed at each school gathering. Teachers noticed this in itself stimulated a great deal of discussion among students. In data collected from the 2014-2015 B.C. Ministry of Education Satisfaction Survey, 51% of grade 4 students reported that they are being taught about Aboriginal people many times or all the time at school. In addition 50% of grade 7 students also reported that they are being taught about Aboriginal people many times or all the time at school. For 2015-2016, schools will continue to plan, identify current practices, and access district supports. Schools will also continue to collect and analyze preliminary data. What steps are we planning to address the needs of the identified learners, including our Aboriginal learners? i.e. What strategies and structures do we believe will lead to student success? Participation in the Aboriginal Education Enhancement Initiative. Continued Professional Development in the area of Aboriginal curriculum with one full day dedicated to enhancing knowledge around cultural and historical resources available. We have booked Trudi Harris and Chaz Desjarlais (Aboriginal Education Consultants) and Loretta Williams to work with all staff early in the 2015/16 school year Inquiry/Book club study of the book: The Inconvenient Indian: A Curious Account of Native People in North America several staff have expressed an interest purpose is to increase our awareness about our own perceptions, stereotypes and biases page 17

Increasing the quantity and quality of Aboriginal focused learning resources available in the school. Staff interest in building a scope and sequence around Aboriginal cultural and historical curriculum, working on common language and a more rounded approach to delivering the curriculum. Aboriginal-themed week, much like Literacy Week where staff/invited Elders or artists/artisans from the local Aboriginal Community facilitate stations around a specific focus, the culmination is a school-wide celebration. Incorporation of the new B.C. Curriculum in this area, focusing on the Core Competencies for learners (Critical Thinking, Collaboration and Leadership, Communication and Digital Literacy, Personal and Social Responsibility, Creativity and Innovation, and Global and Cultural Understanding). Enhance the social emotional learning of students. Sequential programs for social and emotional learning, which are congruent with developmental stages of children and supported by the research, are provided to all our students. Anti-racism professional development. Artistic initiatives (welcome art, drumming, classroom cultural experiences) Enhance family and community involvement through continued growth of partnerships with outside agencies who share responsibility for the families at Cook in order to provide the most effective supports. Killarney Community Schools Team, SWISS workers, Champlain Library and Community Centre, Cook s Strong Start Centre and South Vancouver Neighborhood House, Coastal Health and Ministry of Family Services are a few of our partners with which we continue to develop and build relationships. Experiential learning opportunities that build connections and relationships with Aboriginal culture. Use of the Aims Tool to track student interventions. Assemblies organized and run by students. Showcase school-wide events in newsletter and on the school web page Opening all assemblies with Aboriginal Greeting. What will be our assessments and evidence of student success? Teachers will use ongoing classroom observations, informal assessments and questionnaires, in addition to: B.C. Ministry of Education Satisfaction Survey. Staff created short survey for students to gather information about where our student s knowledge is in relation to the goal. Students will be surveyed page 18

early in the first term and then again in the spring of the school year Display of student work in hallways. Celebration around Aboriginal Day. Tracking Aboriginal student participation in all school activities Tracking the number of Aboriginal students participating in community school programs/activities/breakfast Club/Cold Lunch Program. Displays of student work on bulletin boards and hallway displays. Student self-assessment and self-reflection. Oral Assessments. Aims Tool- meetings 3 times per year to review the student and update portal. School Based Team Meetings. Student Report Cards. Based on our assessments and evidence, how do we plan to monitor, reflect on and adjust, where necessary, our impact on the learning of each student(s)? Collaboration with Aboriginal Enhancement Worker Early in the fall, teachers will gather baseline assessment in the form of a survey to gauge attitudes and connectedness of Aboriginal students to school. Continued use of AIMS tool- school based team to support students learning and connectedness with adults in the school. Tracking student attendance in various programs (KCST Programming after school, Breakfast Club, Cold Lunch Program) How will we communicate and celebrate student success? Teachers share their students learning with the school community through displays within the school, performances, and assemblies. Student- led monthly assemblies provide opportunity for sharing, performance, and celebration of cultures. Parent Teacher/Goal Setting Conferences. Open House Celebrations. Invitations to parents for all performances. How will we engage all members of the school community to ensure sustainability of student success? page 19

Achievement celebrations (Grade 7 Honouring Ceremonies, recognition ceremonies) Artistic initiatives (welcome art, drumming, classroom cultural experiences) School-wide performances. Multicultural events and themes in collaboration with the Aboriginal Enhancement Worker, classroom teachers, and Project Teacher (June Aboriginal Day). Building family connections and community outreach (PAC support, Welcome to Kindergarten, Ready-Set-Learn, parent and student focus groups). Family Literacy Day/Week in January. Aboriginal-themed week, much like Literacy Week where staff/invited Elders or artists/artisans from the local Aboriginal Community facilitate stations around a specific focus page 20

Captain James Cook Elementary Submitted by School Planning Council (name) (Signature) Principal Teacher Parent Parent Parent Student Date Recommended Approval by Superintendent (Superintendent) (Signature) Date Board Approval (Board Chair) (Signature) Date page 21