Port Kells Elementary

For the past couple years our school team have been focusing on developing school-wide universal supports for Social Emotional Learning (SEL). With the impact of COVID and the pandemic, our team this past year refocused our goal even further to support our students with their Social Emotional needs, along with a greater sense of community, who we are as people and a whole school (our identities),  but also looking at the supports needed to further help with the increase in anxiety we have seen in our students brought on by the pandemic.   

We examined this under different lenses:

• Will the direct universal/school-wide teaching of SEL improve students social and emotional learning?
• How can we build greater self-awareness, build independence and confidence in our learners?
• Will direct teaching of Second Step and/or Kids in the Know support our students (K-7) with their problem-solving skills, further promote healthy and positive relationships, and develop greater self-esteem and self confidence in accepting each other for who they are as individuals, as well as others around them?
• Will a greater focus on SEL improve students literacy-skills (reading & Writing)?

Our school has been fortunate to be part of the district wide SEL Project with Ms. St. Jean being our Lead teacher on this project. While our main Cohort class was Ms. St. Jean’s, we have also included work, projects and student quotes from other classes as Ms. St. Jean was able to work in the classes, along with the class teacher on our themes: exploring Community, Our Identity – who we are as individuals, as a school community and as a community member all through a literacy and self-exploration model. A big part of our these lessons and activities was using Loose Parts.

Our Learning Cohort:

This fall our learning community has been focused on building community. We are exploring mentor texts to helps us develop a deeper understand of ourselves, our community and the world. We are learning to read listen and view through a ‘book, head and heart’ lens. We are developing the skills required to be responsive and responsible readers. As you continue to strengthen your reading strategy toolkit, you will continue to use personal connections and background knowledge to make deeper connections to text and to wonder and show curiosity about what you are reading. Our goal is to deepen our understanding of ourselves, our community and our world through reading to become critical thinkers…

…We have challenged our willingness to persevere, take risks, make mistakes, work together, and take ownership of our behaviour and learning.

Our Emotional Literacy Charter

Our Emotional Literacy Charter has been co-constructed by our learning community. This is our voice, these are our ideas. We are so proud of the community we are building.

How do we want to feel as a community of Learners?

We Further explored:

What can we do to support these feelings?

How can we handle conflict or uncomfortable Feelings?

See the link for our responses:

Emotional Literacy Charter:

https://sway.office.com/oizpamLz3gzJFvrr?ref=Link&loc=mysways

What is community?

https://sway.office.com/0FBtQO5PVLJhHt7z?ref=Link&loc=mysways

Loose Parts Self Portraits – Exploring our Identities

We have found that focusing on our SEL skills and with direct teaching we have seen improvements in all areas.

• We are seeing a positive impact academically
• We are seeing students take more risks in their learning; they are not giving up
• Students are eager to share their learning and adventures with all staff and one another (Classrooms, Office, Principal, other Teachers, EA’s, family).
  • “I can read harder books now because I’m not afraid to try”
  • “I love listening to picture books and talking about what we read”
  • “I like that my teacher calls me a reader and writer!”
  • “I want to learn to read and write for Ms. St. Jean because she believes in me!”
  • “She gave me a computer to help me and I can write more now”
  • “My teacher told us we learn differently and its ok”. “It’s still sometimes hard for me, but I keep trying because I am a reader!”
  • “My Teacher loves my comic books that I write and lets me share them”
• Students are wanting to share their work (reading, writing, visual arts, etc.) with others in our building
• Students are demonstrating more empathy and compassion for others around them
  • Students are advocating for selves and others when needed
  • Supporting one another in times of needs
  • Older students are helping younger students
  • Our students are demonstrating a more open mind to others perspectives
• Students are treating each other with respect
• Students are working together more collaboratively in all areas
• Students are more open to work outside of their peer groups and learn to work with others
• Students are able to identify good working groups over not so good (ones that are more social in nature, but pull them away from the task at hand)
  • “I thought I could work with my best friend; but all we did was talk and be silly and we didn’t finish our project”
  • “I learned something new from my new group that I wouldn’t have if we hadn’t been partnered together”
  • “At first I didn’t like changing my group each day; but now I like to see who I get to work with. And if I don’t like the group, I know it’s only for a day!”
  • “I like that I can move to work in the quiet corner; or with the teacher if I need to.

Moving Forward:

Based on our observations, conversations and results, we will stay the course, SEL is still the main area of need in our school, and it does take time to build and develop the skills necessary in our students. Our students requiring additional SEL support will be supported by ‘wrap-around’ support from Classroom Teacher, Counsellor, CCW, Learning Support Team -LST/IST, and Principal.

In the areas of Literacy, we strongly believe in supporting our vulnerable and early learners so they can be successful throughout their schooling. To do this we will continue to re-focus our In-class teaching and Intensive Learning Support for all of our learners.

Students will continue:

• To receive direct SEL teaching/Instruction
• To Learn and understand who they are as individuals and as well as school members as a whole.
• To learn about self-esteem and positive/Healthy relationships and how it impacts self and others.
• To reflect on their learning through Core Competencies and Self-reflections.

As a school Team we will:

• Model SEL strategies
• Model positive and healthy relationships
  • We will also be working with Safe Schools, our counsellor and admin to further support this area for our older students.
  • We will be bringing in District Presentations
  • Direct Teachings and Instruction.
• We will directly teach SEL skills and strategies
• We will continue to teach Second Step and Kids in the Know school wide
  • We are seeing a positive impact on our learners
• Will continue to meet regularly to discuss our students progress and assess students and place our most vulnerable or struggling learners based on ability groups for intensive support (these groupings will be fluid in nature)
• We will continue to review the data from ELPATS, FSA’s and our Reading Assessments to adjust our teaching, but to also determine small group interventions
• We will continue to use Fountas and Pinnell as our reading assessment and intensive small group support
• We will use The Wilson Reading Program for identified learners requiring a more intensive support in the area of Reading.
• We will survey our students in the fall on our SEL focus goals, and then do a follow up survey at the end of the school to document and explore our results.
• We will continue to use the following guidelines/criteria to provide feedback for our students in both the Core and Curricular Competencies and to show students how each are connected. We will continue to emphasize the importance and value of student self-assessment and self-reflections for one’s own growth.

We will continue to focus on First Peoples Principles of Learning: