Serpentine Heights Elementary

Each day, among the variety of learning experiences presented to our learners, our team of educators focus on Communication and Collaboration in all curricular areas. Our aim is to build strong foundations in these domains that are fundamental for students to acquire, develop and transform ideas and information; make connections with others to share their ideas; express their individuality; and further their learning.

Our students’ learning goals, across all areas of the curriculum, include:

• Communicating their understandings and learning with clarity and a sense of purpose (using oral, written, visual, and digital forms of communication)
• Collaborating effectively with peers (confidently interact and build relationships with others to further shared goals)

All teachers, across all grades, provide students with learning opportunities aimed at increasing the Communication and Collaboration competencies of our learners. 

To highlight and determine overall successes and gaps, we monitored the progress of grade-group cohorts from K-7 across different subject areas.

Reading

A cornerstone of literacy instruction in our classrooms are literature discussion groups. In these groups, students have a chance to talk with their classmates about what they are reading in a manner where all voices are heard and respected. During these discussions students ask and answer questions, make connections and predictions, and respond emotionally to literature. This form of communication helps our learners makes sense of what they have read. Literacy discussions allow students to practice listening to all voices, to include others in a conversation, show respect for a range of ideas, and move to new understandings.

Writing and Communicating

Our learners wrote and engaged in communication practices that are specific to different areas of learning. In Art, they wrote artist statements for works they created; in Science, students shared their learning through our school-wide Science and Innovation Fair; in Language Arts, they wrote stories, poems and developed persuasive presentations; in Music, they performed and orally reflected on their performances; and for ADST, they used media and technology to demonstrate their coding skills and developed a small-business venture through the Young Entrepreneurs Program.

Hands-On Learning

While reading, writing, speaking and making sense of their learning students engaged in creative and critical thinking activities. This involved imagining possibilities, suggesting alternatives, solving problems, asking questions, putting ideas into action, talking about their thinking, and drawing conclusions. Routines such as Story Workshop, Science Labs, and STEM Challenges provided students the opportunity to communicate their learning and collaborate with peers.

Mathematics

Communication is a core mathematical process students learn in school. In a math-talk-learning-community students are active participants in the development of concepts. Students build on one another's explanations. They learn from the act of responding to questions. Through mathematical conversations teachers can understand what a student does or does not understand. Teachers intentionally pose questions to students that allow all students to participate and gain from discussion in the classroom learning community.

Morning Meetings

Our learners are developing their communication and collaborations skills through Morning Meetings. Each morning, many classes start the day with a Morning Meeting by warmly greeting each other, sharing what's on their mind, and participating in an opening activity. Through this progression, students start each day in a positive manner while learning thinking, listening and speaking skills. Engagement, active participation and inclusion are fostered through activities. A sense of community is developed and maintained through meaningful interactions. Students regularly reflect on their own development – and the group's – through recognizing growth and setting personal and class-wide goals.

Social and Emotional Learning

Social and Emotional Learning is the process through which young people acquire and effectively apply the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to understand and manage emotions; demonstrate empathy for others; establish and maintain positive relationships; and make effective decisions. Through daily-embedded practices such as Collaborative Problem Solving and structured programs including the Zones of Regulation, our learners are developing important intra and interpersonal skills in this domain. These skills include communicating their emotional 'zone', showing empathy for others, and actively participating in problem solving protocols.

Evidence of student progression in learning demonstrates our communication and collaboration focus is positively impacting learners. When surveyed and asked to communicate their students’ progress using the provincial assessment scale, teachers indicated that all students demonstrated growth in relation to our two goals:

• Communicating their understandings and learning with clarity and a sense of purpose (using oral, written, visual, and digital forms of communication)
• Collaborating effectively with peers (confidently interact and build relationships with others to further shared goals)

Growth was demonstrated in our September to April results. With our communication goal, we saw a decrease in the percentage of students who are Emerging (-10%) and Developing (-4%). We saw an increase in the percentage of students who are Proficient (+11%) and Extending (+3%). 

Likewise for our collaboration goal, we saw a decrease in the percentage of students who are Emerging (-10%) and Developing (-4%). We saw an increase in the percentage of students who are Proficient (+9%) and Extending (+5%).

Descriptive evidence of learning that is specific to each of our school goals is highlighted below.

Literature Discussion Groups – Grade 4/5 and Grade 6 Cohorts

A cornerstone of literacy instruction in our classrooms are literature discussion groups. In these groups, students have a chance to talk with their classmates about what they are reading in a manner where all voices are heard and respected. During the discussions students ask and answer questions, make connections and predictions, and respond emotionally to literature. This form of communication helps our learners makes sense of what they have read. In our classes, evidence of student learning is gathered and placed in each student's portfolio. As documentation for these portfolios, teachers record observations during group work, conference with individual students, and students reflect and self-assess their own progress.

In our cohort of three grade 4/5 classes, all students experienced some level of success. 59% percent of the students are now proficient in their ability to clearly communicate their understanding of literature with clarity and purpose.

In our cohort of three grade 6 classes, 64% percent of the students are now proficient in their ability to clearly communicate their understanding of literature with clarity and purpose.

Communicating Scientific Understanding with Clarity – Grades 2 through 3/4 Cohort

Our learners write and communicate in a variety of ways in all subject areas. To clarify and solidify understanding of science concepts, our four classes in grades 2 to 3/4 communicated their understanding of science ideas in oral, written, and visual forms. In our classes, evidence of student learning is gathered and placed in each student's portfolio. As documentation for these portfolios, teachers record observations during group work, conference with individual students, and students reflect and self-assess their own progress. Focus is placed on using scientific vocabulary to share their thinking, highlight understanding of key concepts, and present their findings.

Based on the evidence gathered in students’ portfolios, 70% of the students in our four classes demonstrated the ability to communicate their understanding and learning with clarity.

Communicating Mathematical Understanding with Clarity – Grade 7 Cohort

Our learners write and communicate in a variety of ways in all subject areas. To clarify and solidify their understanding of math concepts, our two classes grade 7 students communicated mathematical understanding using words, manipulatives, pictures and through number-talks. In our classes, evidence of student learning is gathered and placed in each student's portfolio. As documentation for these portfolios, teachers record observations during group work, conference with individual students, and students reflect and self-assess their own progress. Focus is placed on using mathematical vocabulary to share their thinking; connecting math concepts with other areas of learning; and using mathematical arguments to support personal choices.

Based on the evidence gathered in students’ portfolios, 69% of the students in our two classes demonstrated the ability to communicate their understanding and learning with clarity.

Generating New Ideas and Communicating with Clarity – Kindergarten and Grade 1/2 Cohort

Evidence of our students’ learning demonstrates they can generate ideas and concepts that are novel and innovative. Through structures such as Story Workshops – where teachers use materials including clay, paint, props, or blocks – students develop stories that act as prompts for personal writing. Teachers carefully combine this free-play that generates ideas with teacher-led instruction addressing: writing conventions, sight-words, letter-sound recognition, and printing skills. In our classes, evidence of student learning is gathered and placed in each student's portfolio. As documentation for these portfolios, teachers record observations during group work, conference with individual students, and students reflect and self-assess their own progress.

In our cohort of three kindergarten classes, all students experienced some level of success. 54% percent of the students are now proficient in their ability to clearly communicate their ideas in writing.

In our cohort of four grade 1/2 classes, 62% percent of the students are now proficient in their ability to clearly communicate their ideas in writing.

Collaborating Effectively with Peers – Grade 6 and 7 Cohorts

Evidence of our students' learning demonstrates they are collaborating and learning from each other. Through daily Morning Meetings, students in four of our classes are learning to share, and listen respectfully and with intention. They are learning to choose their words carefully and speak clearly. Students are also learning to create a welcoming environment and to encourage each other to contribute to the group.

Based on their teachers’ reflections, 82% of our learners demonstrate they can effectively contribute during group activities, cooperate with others, listen respectfully, and express their ideas.

Moving Forward

Based on evidence of students’ progress in relation to our two learning goals, our next steps will include:

Communicating their understandings and learning with clarity and a sense of purpose (using oral, written, visual, and digital forms of communication)

• Further exploring how we can strategically support our learners who are not meeting grade-level expectations.

Collaborating effectively with peers (confidently interact and build relationships with others to further shared goals)

• Expand opportunities to work collaboratively in groups and engage activities that are specifically aimed at developing students’ collaboration skills.

As a school community, we are committed to creating equitable, supportive, and caring learning environments where all children and youth can thrive and reach their full potential. To this end, we will continue to monitor and adjust our student learning plan. By determining our progress; identifying what is working and what needs to be improved; evaluating the impact of our plan; and using this feedback to adjust ongoing teaching and learning – we will support learners from all communities in developing literacy proficiencies that cultivate cognitive skills and “thinking habits” that prepare them for future success.