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Parkland Elementary School 5016 Bjornson Rd, Quesnel, B.C. V2J 6X7

Telephone: (250) 992-5922

Fax: (250) 992-5542

Principal: Ms. Corry Climenhage

Plan for Student Success

2020/21

At Parkland Elementary we value education.

We respect ourselves, others, & the environment.

WE BELIEVE:

in working together

that education is important

in respecting people, their needs, and their feelings

in personal safety, respecting property and the environment

Who We Are Parkland Elementary is a rural school of approximately 60 students and 17 staff. We are located just outside of

Ten Mile Lake Provincial Park, and are adjacent to the Parkland Recreation Commission Hall. Our school is

unique because of our small, close-knit community and the outdoor opportunities just beyond our doors.

Our students come from unique backgrounds and offer diverse interests and experiences to our community.

Many of our students are second or third generation Parkland students.

Our Values

We value nature, outdoor learning, and kinesthetic

(physical) experiences.

We value rigorous academics, as well as artistic

expression.

We value a strong sense of belonging for all students, as

well as equity and accessibility in our school so that all

students have an equal chance for success depending on

their needs.

We value indigenous ways of knowing and strive to

include these into our daily experiences.

Parkland students enjoy many outdoor activities such as cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, tobogganing and

downhill skiing in the winter, and track and field, gardening, outdoor P.E, and hiking in the non-winter months.

Our students thrive while engaged in a large

number of place-based and nature-based

activities in the school yard and across the

street in the forest no matter what the season.

We believe that part of a healthy, balanced

lifestyle is learning to work collaboratively and

co-operatively through conflict. We are more

successful with our relationships and

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learning when we regulate our minds and bodies. Using restorative practices such as The Peace Process,

restitution, talking circles, and the Circle of Courage we are able to collaboratively solve problems and improve

our resilience in challenging circumstances. Our Student Code of Conduct is in the process of being

transformed into a holistic document that will reflect the

behaviors, attitudes, expectations, and consequences

aligned with this ethical way of being.

When there is a new baby in our community we run the

Roots of Empathy program that helps students develop

their sense of compassion and care towards others. We

actively practice the Successful Learner Traits and

Growth Mindset as a whole school to further explore and

express the Core Competencies.

We also believe in building student independence,

capacity, and social responsibility by having students

actively take on leadership roles in clubs, sports, and

school jobs. Some activities and school jobs that we

offer are floor hockey, volleyball, yoga, hiking,

basketball, track & field, dance, cross-country, chess, debate, reading club, homework club, library helpers,

assembly crew, equipment crew, flags, snow removal, daily announcements, reading buddies, plant care, and

more!

Student Learning & Reporting Parkland Staff are pleased to be a part of SD28’s Student Inclusive

Conferences (SICs) Reporting Pilot again this year. SICs offer students the

opportunity to be actively involved in assessment for learning and personal

goal-setting for their own success. Together with their parents/caregivers

and their teacher, students are able to reflect on their strengths and areas for

growth and create attainable academic or social-emotional goals. Students

are able to gather and use information from their digital and paper portfolios

to determine a learning goal(s) and are supported in exploring strategies to

meet this goal. Over the last four years, students and parents have indicated

overwhelmingly that SICs offer significantly more information on student

learning and well-being than traditional grades. Another survey will go out

to parents and students in the spring of 2021 to gather feedback on this

process.

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In addition to Student Inclusive Conferences, Parkland students

are encouraged to take ownership of and personal accountability

for their learning by connecting the work that they are doing to

their everyday lives. We do this through the inclusion of personal

inquiry projects and high quality work. We have noticed that

students are more engaged with their learning when it relates to

their lives and when they know that they will be presenting their

learning at SICs.

Our Goals

Student Achievement in Literacy

Parkland teachers are aware of our student’s literacy levels and are

striving to use culturally relevant, inclusive, and diverse teaching

strategies to continue to improve them. With particular attention on

students who are reading below grade level, our goal is to improve

Tier 1 literacy programs to support students in classrooms, as well

as offer Tier 2 and 3 interventions through our Early Literacy and Learning Assistance teachers. This

goal applies to all students in our school, with particular attention to students of indigenous heritage who are

working below grade level. Currently 65% of our students of indigenous heritage are receiving individual

literacy support through the ELT, LA and/or IES.

We will measure our success with this literacy goal by using assessment

for learning, both formative and summative (e.g. PM, F&P, anecdotal

records, DRA) consistently throughout the year.

We are also improving the inventory of our library and early literacy

resources to support our literacy goals.

Student Achievement in Numeracy

We will increase student’s mathematical thinking and

communication and develop, demonstrate, and apply mathematical

understanding through play, inquiry, and problem solving in all

grades (e.g. number sense, real life application, problem solving, and

operations.) We will do this by using a

variety of programs and technologies such

as the use of manipulatives, JUMP Math,

math games, board games, IXLMath, and

other resources. We believe the enjoyment of math is important; as such we

infuse playfulness and fun into our math programs.

We are exploring quality math assessment tools (e.g. PRIME, SNAP,

JUMPMath) in order for students to demonstrate and communicate their

mathematical growth and understandings.

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Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Goals

Through the many SEL programs at Parkland (SLT, Growth Mindset, EASE, Zones

of Regulation, Second Step) we will continue to enhance relationships,

connections, and sense of belonging for all students, especially vulnerable

learners. We continue to explore Second Step this year in order to build

relationships, improve our peaceful problem-solving abilities, and uphold healthy

boundaries in our friendships. We hope to purchase this program K-7 in

collaboration with another school(s) or with the support of the board office.

Students will continue to use and apply the Successful Learner Traits to understand

the Core Competencies which will build their capacity as students. A SEL goal for

intermediate student’s is creating and maintaining an emotionally safe

environment by modeling and practicing sportsmanship, exercising trust and

positivity, and understanding negotiable/ non-negotiable language and actions

between all community members; adults and students alike.

We will know we have reached our goal when we experience improved relationships and sense of place and

belonging in the school community. This will be reflected in the MDI (Middle Years Development Index) and

Student Learning Survey. Below is the 2019/20 MDI data that indicates a higher vulnerability in students

feeling connected to adults and peers in the school compared to other Grade 7 students in our district. The

district average for Peer Relationship is 80% and Parkland is lower at 71%. Specifically, we are above the

district average with Grade 7 students feeling that they have a low sense of peer belonging and friendship

intimacy.

Our SEL goal for Primary students is to improve student’s

confidence and trust in themselves; in particular around

student’s utilizing taught strategies for independent solving

and taking risks to clearly and expressively communicate

and present their learning. We will know we have met our

goal through formative anecdotal assessments, self-assessments

using the SLTs, and SIC reflections. We set this goal after seeing

outstanding need in this area in addition to noticing the data in

the EDI (Early Development Instrument) indicated that students

are coming to school with vulnerabilities in social competency

and emotional maturity.

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Integrating Indigenous Worldviews & Perspectives

We will continue to incorporate First People Principles of Learning in the lived experience at our school

for all students along with the extensive existing programs in place. Our continued goals this year is to

increase the amount of suitable indigenous curriculum resources accessible to teachers and students. We

will also engage in a school-wide Indigenous Art Inquiry, and build relationships with Elders in our

community. We will celebrate and publicize our efforts in assemblies & concerts, newsletters, SICs, and the

local newspapers when appropriate. Our school wide Family Groups are based on the Medicine Wheel. We

celebrate the change of each season with indigenous practices to connect ourselves with the land.

Our specific goal this year is to include more Dakehl language in

our daily experiences (announcements, calendar, labels) and to

include more indigenous music, poetry, story, dancing,

handwork, ceremony, and visual art in our learning activities in

general. Teachers recognize that this work is best done in

classrooms either in collaboration with our Indigenous Education

Support Worker, our Dakelh Language teacher, or our Indigenous

Culture Teacher, or simply together with our students using a variety

of quality Indigenous education resources. We understand that

deliberately including indigenous cultural elements into the learning

activities will move forward the Calls to Action from the Truth &

Reconciliations Commission. Some other ideas we have this year

are: to plan an Indigenous Sports & Culture Festival in June, to build

more authentic relationships with First Nations/Metis Elders, and

include indigenous plants and farming practices in our garden.

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Parkland Guiding Principles

Staff, students, and parents have begun work on creating a statement

of values that will serve as guiding principles for all of our endeavors

at Parkland School. While still in the early stages of development,

these guiding principles will include community values, 21st Century

teaching/learning approaches, and Indigenous ways of knowing. It

may take the shape of a vision/purpose statement or an acronym of

some kind.

Feedback

In order to determine the success of this plan for student success we are always looking for feedback from our

parents, students, and staff. Feedback will be sought out in a number of ways including surveys, conversations,

PAC meetings, during Student Inclusive Conferences, and at our year end Student Learning Exhibition.

We look forward to hearing from you!

The Faculty and Staff of Parkland Elementary School