Royal Heights Elementary 23-24

Our focus is to create a social-emotional connection for children, to one another and staff. Our goal is to have students feel safe, experience belonging, and feel valued in our shared community. Fostering feelings of safety and belonging creates an environment where students are comfortable taking risks in their learning, and making mistakes. Where they can trust others, make themselves vulnerable, be open to new ideas, and know that it is a sign of strength to admit what you do not know and ask for help. Once students have a foundation of safety, belonging, and connection, they can strive to become self-regulated learners.

Self-Regulated Learners are students who are able to monitor, direct, adapt and regulate their actions and emotions, to achieve learning goals. Self-Regulated Learners possess a growth mindset and are aware of their learning strengths and needs. When needed they seek support for their learning and with time, develop repertoires of general learning strategies that can be applied to diverse learning situations, and seek appropriate supports for their learning when required.  Self-regulated learners have a deep interest in learning and seek learning challenges (see: Zimmerman & Schunk 2003; Perry 2006). To support students in their journey to become self-regulated learners, we are also supporting staff to guide in this process. 

Teachers are developing an understanding of social-emotional learning through a trauma lens using low arousal techniques. To this end, teachers who promote self-regulated learners within their classroom first develop a safe learning environment where every child can be successful. Teachers then design complex, open-ended learning activities that are accessible for all students, and celebrate the accomplishments of each individual based on evidence of their own personal growth. Embedded within learning activities are opportunities for students to: engage in choice; monitor their progress; receive peer and teacher feedback; experience appropriate levels of challenge; share their learning with others; and develop new strategies for learning. Our collaborative teaching team is constantly finding ways to share their learning and to learn from one another in the Royal Heights community.

Developing reading skills and strategies is our main area of focus for academic school-wide learning at present.  Reading is a foundational skill that influences student success in every curriculum area, and we understand the importance of preparing our students to be able to access information independently. We believe we have to learn to read before we read to learn. Teachers participated in a day of discovering the science of reading, and the majority of staff also participated in a year long book club for Reading Shifts. This provided a foundation for ongoing learning and discussion on the topic of reading throughout the year, and teachers are applying this knowledge to their lessons. School-wide assessments in September allowed staff to identify students needing additional support from Classroom Teachers, Learner Support Teachers, and Early Literacy Teachers. Year end assessments will inform us of the progress students have made and where we need the learning to go next.

Outdoor Learning  includes discovery, experimentation, learning about and connecting to the natural world. Research shows us Outdoor Learning helps students develop their abilities to reflect and learn about themselves, each other and their environment, and builds relevant and meaningful connections to the First People's Principals of Learning. The outdoor learning experience is also connected to emotion and physical movement, which promotes self-regulation and retention of ideas and information. 

During our summer Professional Development sessions in 2022, teachers deepened their understanding of social-emotional learning and teaching through a trauma lens. Throughout the year further ProD was scheduled to examine teachers’ implementation of their plans and how plans need to be adjusted/revised. In 2023 staff focused on using low arousal techniques for dealing with big emotions and behaviours. These opportunities will also serve as a platform for teachers to share practices in their classrooms that promote SEL through outdoor learning and literacy based activities.

Along with examining teachers’ implementation of SEL practices, we gathered data about students’ perceptions of their school connections and feelings of value and belonging. To this end, we will ask students to complete the SEL student survey at the beginning and end of the school year. Together, this data will provide information about links between teachers’ and students’ uptake of SEL practices. We also participated in a series of Lunch and Learns around SEL practice as a staff throughout the year. This resulted in rich discussions about purpose, intention, and creating a shared vision school-wide, in addition to sharing strategies and fostering meaningful collaboration.

Teachers within our school are continually engaging in on-going District-Based Professional Development to ensure students have access to diverse learning opportunities and the resources they need to engage successfully within them.   These Pro-D experiences have allowed teachers to develop and explore their own inquiry questions about how they can promote students’ development of social emotional learning through outdoor learning  and literacy activities.

Our LST team assessed the reading level of each student in September of 2022 and again in June of 2023.  Results demonstrated:

• The information from the universal screener done at the beginning of the year for the whole school allowed us to target our tier 1 instruction to the needs of the class.  It also allowed us to identify students who needed more intensive support, that previously did not receive support.
• The biggest change in the students is the confidence gained.  The students have concrete strategies to decode words and see themselves as readers.
• Students who struggled to read CVC words fluently are now reading passages with long vowels.  
• For the students that have made more limited progress, we have invested in a new intervention (Wilson), with the intention of better meeting their needs.
• In terms of staff knowledge, the book study and the conversations we’ve been having have been rich.  Deep questions have been asked and pondered about the best way to support our diverse literacy needs.  The primary team collaborated on a proficiency document to align our reporting. 
• By doing the universal screener, ELPATS and showing staff some new assessments like the Core Phonics screener, LST and classroom teachers have aligned their practices.

Teachers continued to develop their understanding of the science of reading at all levels in the summer of 2023, in order to support students in their reading journey. We will continue to learn to read, even in the intermediate grades, rather than just reading to learn.

We enjoy hosting Teacher Candidates and Inclusive Education Support Worker students in our school. These visitors create an opportunity for teachers and IESWs to keep abreast of current, effective teaching practices and theory. In turn, teachers and IESWs are able to give back to the research community by rooting current theory within the “language of practice”.  We look forward to further expanding these connections and will continue to open our doors to provide an embedded learning experience for Teacher Candidates and IESWs working towards certificate completion.