2020-2021 Focus

As we all navigate our way through the Covid-19 pandemic, our student’s and staff’s health, safety and well-being have been foremost on our minds. 

Some students have been home working as Transitional Learners (TL) while most of our student population returned to the classroom since September.  We have had to implement many changes in how we teach, learn and socialize at school. 

For this year, we shifted to a new focus: “How can we find happiness in our learning at school?”  We felt this was responsive to our changing world and recognized the stress, anxiety and uncertainty we are living with.  Schools are and always will be a place of happiness for most children.  We know that students learn best when they feel safe, secure, calm and engaged.

Rather than use the four questions from The Spirals of Inquiry, we wanted to ask this question directly.  A staff committee was formed and all classes participated in responding to the question.  Here is the summary of our results: 1) Students feel happiest at school when they are working together with friends and peers on projects; 2) students enjoy hands-on learning; 3) Students enjoy physical education; 4) our students also love art; 5) and creative play is important for our students happiness.

This is information has been shared with staff and we will use this feedback to inform our teaching.