Cloverdale Traditional 24-25
OUR CONTEXT
Welcome to Cloverdale Traditional School!
We acknowledge that Cloverdale Traditional School resides on the unceded traditional territory of the Katzie, Kwantlen, Semiahmoo and other Coast Salish Peoples Lands. We are honored to be able to work, play and learn on these lands.
We are one of several choice program schools in the Surrey School District. Our school code of conduct, “A community of caring, respectful and responsible learners” reflects how we all learn, work and play together. We are home to approximately 300 students, a dedicated and hardworking staff, and a caring and engaged community of families who feel strongly about having their children attend a traditional school. We currently house a District-based Intensive Literacy class, who enroll in our school for one year. We have a very supportive parent group, led by an active PAC executive who brings the school community together through ongoing events and activities and who do an amazing job fundraising for events and technology.
We see ourselves as a “modern” traditional school in that we follow the current BC curriculum and Surrey School District’s vision for learning, “Learning by Design.” https://surreylearningbydesign.ca/. Students have a uniform dress code and come to CTS from across the Surrey School District. Our school welcomes all learners and supports every child's sense of belonging, well-being and citizenship. We strive for academic achievement, and the development of a “growth mindset” to promote effort and persistence in learning. We have a monthly social emotional theme that all classes work towards through shared reading, discussions, presentations and morning announcement quotes. Staff and students are focused on creating a kind, caring and inclusive school community.
OUR LEARNERS
Our school goal for this year continued to focus on Literacy. Literacy is critical for success in all areas of learning and the foundation for academic success. Over the last two years, our focus has been on early learners in kindergarten and grade one using decodable books to help with phonics and decoding skills. Next, we focused on students in grade three and four and reading comprehension. This year we turned our focus to our students in grade six and seven keeping the theme of literacy from the previous two years. At CTS we are continuously working on classroom literacy to support all curriculum areas. Through an emphasis on the importance of reading, students at CTS are learning about stories and other texts that can help us learn about ourselves, our families and the world around us. Through reading we can nurture empathy and kindness and develop contributing members of society who are thoughtful and engaged with their work. Through featuring different authors in our book displays and having author visits and other library events, we are working towards deepening the students’ understanding and appreciation of literature. Intermediate students were able to have free book exchange in the library this year which allowed our students more opportunity to take out books from the library. We noticed a significant increase in the books being circulated and more excitement about reading among our older students. In grade 6 and 7 students can interpret and respond to a variety of children’s literature, encountering characters, experiences and ideas that enrich their lives and foster a lifelong love of reading.
OUR FOCUS
Our cohort for this year’s learning plan is our grade 6 class of learners.
The learning goals for this cohort include:
- Students will synthesize ideas from a variety of sources to build understanding
- Students will construct meaningful personal connections between self, text, and world
The students in the cohort have had access to the library for open book exchange this year and were required to participate in daily silent reading. The cohort focused on choosing books that would be highly interesting and keep their attention for the silent reading period. The students were encouraged to find books that were interesting to them and to use the silent reading time to “sink into” a great book that would bring them joy and nurture an interest in a particular topic, author or type of book. The classroom teacher took careful records after the silent reading periods to note the number of pages completed, how well the student was able to focus, if the student was able to recommend the book to classmates and connections that the students were able to make during reading time. The teacher kept records over term two and is continuing to gather information in term three.
We are hoping to see a better and more engaged use of silent reading time with older students. We are hoping that students will use this time to read books that have been chosen carefully to align with their interests and that they can have personal connections with. The students' overall reading levels will improve over the school year. Ultimately, we are hoping to promote lifelong readers and learners.
OUR NEXT STEPS
Part A
Through the Quick Group Reading Placement Test scores from the start (September) of the year to the same reading test at the end (May) of the year, we can see that the students reading scores have improved. These reading tests were given by our LST team.
Example of Reading Scores from Cohort
Month | Reading at or above Instructional Level | Reading below Instructional Level |
September (start of year) | 36% | 64% |
May (end of year) | 75% | 25% |
Anecdotal Notes Made By Classroom Teacher– Independent Reading Observation During Terms 1 and 2
During independent reading time, students were generally focused and engaged for the majority of the 30-minute period, averaging approximately 25 minutes of sustained reading. Most students demonstrated commitment to their selected books, often finishing them before moving on to a new title. However, a small group of students regularly abandoned books before completing them, indicating possible challenges with their book choice or keeping interest over the course of the novel.
Class discussions, where students shared books they enjoyed, played a significant role in encouraging reading motivation. Peer recommendations often led to increased interest in specific titles, especially when students were enthusiastic in their sharing. Graphic novels appeared to be the most popular format for students. However, as the class highlighted and discussed a wider range of books, including non-graphic novels, student interest in these other formats also grew.
Overall, peer interactions and shared reading experiences—whether through class discussions or informal book "advertisements"—proved to be the strongest motivators for student engagement in reading.
Data From Student Survey Done at the End of April
How do you feel about reading?
- 37% say they love it
- 15% say that it’s ok
- 62% say they don’t like it
- What types of books do you enjoy reading the most?
- 62% said fiction
- 29% said nonfiction
- 41% said comics or graphic novels
- 16% said other
- How often do you read for fun outside of school?
- 12% said every day
- 25% said a few times a week
- 25% said once a week
- 37% said rarely
- What do you dislike about reading?
- 18% said it’s boring
- 23% said they can’t find books they like
- 45% said they prefer doing other activities
- What would make reading more enjoyable for you?
- 45% said more interesting books
- 19% said more time to read
- 16% rewards or incentives
The overall engagement and enjoyment of students has increased based on the survey results that were given to students from the cohort.
Students have been able to synthesize ideas from a variety of sources to build understanding. Students have been able to construct meaningful personal connections between self, text, and world through their reading this year.
Part B
We will be continuing to allow for open book exchange to promote student excitement and interest in reading and to monitor silent reading time for student growth, engagement and interest. Literacy will continue to be a focus at CTS so that we can foster a lifelong love of reading and learning for all students.
Surrey Schools
Formed in 1906, the Surrey School District currently has the largest student enrolment in British Columbia and is one of the few growing districts in the province. It is governed by a publicly elected board of seven trustees.
The district serves the cities of Surrey and White Rock and the rural area of Barnston Island.
