Understanding and Responding to the Larger Societal Context
A leader understands and appropriately responds to the political, social, economic, legal and cultural contexts impacting schools and the school authority.
Leading in a New World
In a building with over 300 students and 50 staff members, there are a lot of moving pieces. Keeping all staff informed in a timely manner is essential. As the COVID-19 pandemic has unfolded, I had to be very purposeful and organized in my communication. My assistant principal and I participated in conference calls with our district office, we then connected by phone to discuss our key takeaways. This allowed us to solidify our thoughts, concerns, and anticipate staff questions and concerns. We then worked in a common document that would become our staff communication. In others areas of school management, we have had informal conversations and written emails together. In this situation, we have formalized our communication with staff to ensure we had as much comprehension and consistency as possible. With so much uncertainty and so many unknowns, we found this increased formality has lessened our staffs' worries.
In addition to letters and Swift Announcement to our parents and guardians we also used Facebook and Instagram to keep our families informed and connected. We began to use these tools earlier in the school year as a means of connecting in a fun and lighthearted manner about all the incredible events at our school. As the pandemic progress, these messages often took a more serious tone as we kept our community informed and up to date. We plan to continue to use these Social Media platforms in the coming years to continue to connect and build relationships with our community.
In addition to letters and Swift Announcement to our parents and guardians we also used Facebook and Instagram to keep our families informed and connected. We began to use these tools earlier in the school year as a means of connecting in a fun and lighthearted manner about all the incredible events at our school. As the pandemic progress, these messages often took a more serious tone as we kept our community informed and up to date. We plan to continue to use these Social Media platforms in the coming years to continue to connect and build relationships with our community.
|
|
Relationships
The foundation of all the programs I help with and direct is always relationships. Working with students and seeing them as individuals that contribute to the school culture as a whole is key. As adults, we have the opportunity to impact so much more than the academics in their lives.
|
|
For our mental health week, staff hosted groups of students and shared what they do in their personal lives for self care. I worked with students to explore their creative side. We created Mandala rocks.
Our grade 6 team had Zed Science come to the school and present as a kick off to their second Project Based Learning cycle. I had the opportunity to participate in a science demonstration by eating the frozen marshmallows.
Celebrating student success at all levels. This young man was so happy to have finished his eagle and came to my office to share. It was a perfect opportunity to take a picture and celebrate.
Transitions to Pre-K, Kindergarten, and Grade 7
Each spring, we invite pre-k parents and students into our building for an open house to interact with the classroom and staff. This gives us an opportunity to meet and develop relationships before the school year even begins. We can get a sense of which families are anxious and be sure to invite them back in August for an additional visit before the year officially starts.
Kindergarten families are invited to attend an overview of the upcoming year. Families are able to ask questions and tour the building and two kindergarten classes to become familiar with the environment. Students are then invited to attend a 1.5 hour mini-day of kindergarten early in June. This lets us begin to build relationships and helps with fist day jitters.
We prepare our grade 6 students for their transition to the junior high with a number of activities. The principal of Ecole Lacombe Junior High School comes and presents to our grade 6 classes in mid-May. He takes time to learn names and answer as many questions as possible. The students are always so excited to hear about the new opportunities they will have in junior high. After the student presentations, he hosts a virtual meeting for all parents. In early June we take the grade 6 classes to the junior high for a tour of their new space. Any students with additional needs are welcomed to visit and have a second tour with their parents on the remaining professional development days.
The planning and preparation for the transitions has helped build confidence for students and their families. This transition work in the spring also pays off for the teachers in the fall.
Kindergarten families are invited to attend an overview of the upcoming year. Families are able to ask questions and tour the building and two kindergarten classes to become familiar with the environment. Students are then invited to attend a 1.5 hour mini-day of kindergarten early in June. This lets us begin to build relationships and helps with fist day jitters.
We prepare our grade 6 students for their transition to the junior high with a number of activities. The principal of Ecole Lacombe Junior High School comes and presents to our grade 6 classes in mid-May. He takes time to learn names and answer as many questions as possible. The students are always so excited to hear about the new opportunities they will have in junior high. After the student presentations, he hosts a virtual meeting for all parents. In early June we take the grade 6 classes to the junior high for a tour of their new space. Any students with additional needs are welcomed to visit and have a second tour with their parents on the remaining professional development days.
The planning and preparation for the transitions has helped build confidence for students and their families. This transition work in the spring also pays off for the teachers in the fall.
Transitions to Grade 4 and 7 - Iron Ridge Intermediate Campus
To assist our students transition from grade 3 to grade 4 and from grade 6 to grade 7, we spent a lot of time working with Iron Ridge Elementary Campus (IREC) and Iron Ridge Junior Campus (IRJC) to prepare our students and the receiving teachers. Our grade 6s went to IRJC for their talent show in the spring and they traveled to their campus for a tour in June. We arranged for smaller groups to visit IRJC for additional tours with their parents and in small groups with the school Inclusion Coach.
To welcome our incoming grade 4 students, we visited IREC and presented to each classroom. We showed them pictures of our school and key staff and answered their questions. We worked with the grade 4 team to host an open house to allow students and their parents to visit the school.
To welcome our incoming grade 4 students, we visited IREC and presented to each classroom. We showed them pictures of our school and key staff and answered their questions. We worked with the grade 4 team to host an open house to allow students and their parents to visit the school.
Community Feedback
In the fall of 2018, we received our first full Annual Education Results Report (AERR). While the information in the report was valuable and helped guide some of our planning, we had more questions we wanted answered. I created a google form to survey our parents and posted it on our web page. I also had the survey and Chromebooks ready for parents during the fall parent conferences. The additional information helped to clarify some of the AERR data and allowed us to further refine our planning.
