PSS Report
School External Review Process (May 7-10)
Mr. White was part of an external review team that worked with
School Awards Nights
It is that time of the year again where many of our schools host their annual 'Awards Nights'. These evenings recognize the hard work of students throughout the school year. Various 'Honors Awards' are presented and we congratulate all students who achieved a particular academic award and to all schools for their 'Nights of Recognition'.
Schools also recognize students for their contributions to co and extra-curricular activities. Again, we congratulate all students for their involvement and those who received special recognition for 'Athlete of the Year' or 'Student of the Year'. Well done everyone.
Community Partnership
A community partnership meeting on safety was held on May 24, 2006 at the
School Administration Association
The SAA retirement banquet was held on May 24, 2006 at the Brookshaven Recreation Centre at 7:00 PM. There were approximately 35 administrators honored at this banquet and we wish them all the best.
Literacy P-6 (Donna Robson, Consultant)
During the month of May, Primary Parent Fairs were held at three sites: Harbourside, St. Anne's and
The first edition of the P-6 parent newspaper, 'The Mirror: Reflections on Home & School', was published in May. This paper is intended to keep parents informed about their child's education program. It is very important that parents be involved in their children's education. This newspaper will keep parents informed and help to foster meaningful family-school partnerships to enhance the education of students in Cape Breton-Victoria Regional School Board.
The Early Literacy Initiative continues to inform future professional development experiences. In June, we will meet for one final time with the entire group. We hope to produce a video focusing on the strengths of schools taking on the initiative to create professional learning communities.
An early elementary team was sent to
The 'Making Meaning' event took place on May 31 at Centre 200. This event, open to the general public, gave elementary students an opportunity to showcase their achievements in literacy, visual arts, drama, dance and music. It provided an opportunity to understand not only product, but process as well. Dr. Eric Favaro, Arts Consultant, Department of Education, was the M.C. for the evening.
Curriculum mapping is being reviewed by a small committee made up of teachers as well as administrators and consultants in the hope of reviewing the data from different vantage points. Our goal is to create an instructional plan for the fall.
Mathematics P-6 (Sharon Boudreau, Consultant)
May Review
Mentoring: A group of teachers at St. Agnes and
Teachers: Mary MacPherson,
Department of Education: 'A Teaching Resource' for grades primary to two has been completed and distributed to teachers. This is an excellent resource as it includes sample yearly plans as well as lesson plans. In the appendices is a list of all the resources needed to achieve the outcomes in the curriculum document. Please note that this is supplement to, and not a replacement for, the curriculum document.
June Plans
Early Mathematics Literacy Assessment: There will be field testing of grade three students done across the province. On June 5, four classes at Harbourside and
Mentoring: Mentoring is completed for this school year.
Active Healthy Living (Mary Lou Andrea, Consultant)
Nova Scotia School Boards Associations held their annual AGM conference at the Inverary Inn in Baddeck. As part of the opening, Seton Elementary, under the direction of Paula Jane Francis, presented the Musical, ‘Get in the Game'. This upbeat musical for young performers shows that everyone can be a champion in some way, shape or form. It is a musical about the value of an active healthy lifestyle. The students did an outstanding job and were rewarded with a standing ovation.
The Active Healthy Living Committee held a meeting on May 10 to update the committee on the Health Promoting Schools funding. During this meeting, the committee passed a motion to create a no-cut physical activity policy at the elementary level. A working group was formed to establish this policy.
Arts Education (Cathy MacNeil, Consultant)
May has been, and June will be, very busy performance/display times for arts educators. Throughout the Board, school choirs, bands, and drama groups will be showcasing their work to appreciative audiences comprised of family and friends. Visual art teachers also utilize these opportunities to display student work.
The Glace Bay High Band, under the direction of Barb Stetter, gave a very impressive performance to a full house at the recently held ‘Tribute to Wendy Muise'. This is a highly skilled group, quite evident in their very technically precise musical presentation which was very well received by the audience.
One very interesting collaboration of drama, music, art and technology is the production of 'Graham's Nightmare', a
Another arts event will take place at
On June 6, the Glace Bay Elementary Band took their show on the road, visiting various elementary schools in the area. This is an important undertaking as it allows for students to display their skills for their peers while inviting students to participate in the program next term.
On June 7, the Northside Spring Band Concert was held at
On June 14, the spring recital of the students in the Northside and Southside String Program will take place under the direction of Winnie Chafe. The concert will take place at Jubilee Elementary, Sydney Mines.
These are but a few of the very many presentations that are occurring throughout the Cape Breton-Victoria Regional School Board.
Historica Fair:
The 7th Annual Cape Breton-Victoria Regional School Board Historica Fair was held on May 4 and May 5 at
Project presenters had the opportunity to attend one of five workshops of a historical nature on May 5. Topics presented were: Fossils, Early Records, Fortress Louisbourg, Cultural Diversity, and Sydney Steel Plant. During the afternoon of May 5, students were piped to the Canada Games Complex, CBU, for the Closing/ Award Ceremony. Mayor John Morgan,
Jody MacKenzie, grade nine student at Rankin Memorial (Project: A Century of Change - Christmas Island Parish) and Emily Rosta, grade six student at
Library Support Services (Carmelita Cousins, Consultant)
Library Committee:
The Collection Development Policy has been finalized within the boundaries of the Board Library Committee. It will be distributed in print format to committee members at the next meeting in June for revision and corrections. Then it will be submitted to the appropriate committee for recommendation. Also included will be a 'Challenged Resource Form' which will be standard for all school libraries in dealing with a challenged book/resource. The next and final meeting for this school year was June 7.
Parent Fairs:
The library program was spotlighted at the recent Parent Fairs at Jubilee, Harbourside and St. Anne's Schools. Library Technicians and Carmelita Cousins dressed in Disney Costumes and provided the parents with bookmarks, stickers and a book to help promote reading to the children. Parents were
also able to sign a list stating their wish to become parent volunteers in their child's school. A door prize of books, videos and other school related items was also given at each site.
Resource Centre Upgrading:
A tentative meeting is scheduled for early June with representatives at
School Highlights:
Statistics:
During May, 335 books were catalogued for the various schools and resource centre. New kits are in the process of being developed and will be ready for the fall. The 2006-2007 selection guide is currently being compiled and typed for distribution to all principals and library technicians in late August and early September. Over 163 notices were sent to Board staff requesting borrowed resources be sent back to TRC for the year-end inventory; this is a concern because many of the staff have on an average 3-4 items each, which would be a large number of items to be returned. It is hoped that all the items are returned before the end of June. With high circulation statistics for the centre, it is to be expected that returns will also be high on year-end. Overall, circulation over the past year has almost doubled; this is perceived as a positive reflection on the Centre and the sharing of resources.
Circulation Table:
ITEM | NUMBER CIRCULATED |
Reading Boxes | 23 |
10 | |
11 | |
Videos | 67 |
Book/Print | 59 |
Laminating Services | 14 |
Physical Ed. Resources | 35 |
Other | 10 |
For June:
Complete the upcoming year selection guide in preparation for the final budget figures in September; continue with the weeding and revamping of TRC; submit the 'Collection Development Policy' after final Library Committee meeting; visit schools as necessary; meet with CBU staff on some partnership ideas; prepare for upcoming school year; order curriculum guides for the fall; and any other business that arises.
Reading Recovery (Linda Neville, Lead Teacher)
On June 2, graduation exercises for the Teacher Leaders in Training were held at
Reading Recovery professional development continued on June 9 & 12 (Groups 1 & 2); they met to review and complete the year-end reports. The meetings took place at the Reading Recovery Training Centre from 1:00 - 3:00 p.m.
In addition to the highlights listed above, the Teachers Leaders are to:
- Work with children daily
- Provide continuing professional development and support for Trained Teachers through visits and inservices
- Monitor the progress of children
- Support the development of schools teams
- Disseminate information and participate in the Reading Recovery network to maintain their own professional development
- Work closely with district administrators to achieve effective program implementation, operation and evaluation
Reading Recovery (Paula Muise, Lead Teacher)
Reading Recovery Teachers in Training
On May 11 & 25, two Training Inservice Sessions for teachers in training were held.
In addition to visiting a number of schools, Paula Muise attended a Teacher Leader meeting in
Course Completion cards were ordered for the three teachers who have completed training and hours of teaching this year, as well as for the four teachers trained by Paula Muise last year who also completed the required teaching hours during this school year.
The Teacher Leader meeting for Cape Breton-Victoria Regional School Board, originally scheduled for May, is tentatively rescheduled for Friday, September 29, pending Department of Education approval.
New Guide Books have been purchased and will be distributed to Reading Recovery teachers during a 'Book Launch' at the Staff Development Centre,
In June, there will be two training Sessions for teachers: June 8 and June 23, when end of year data will be submitted to the Teacher Leader for analysis. All results are reported to the Canadian Institute of
Mr. David Crane continues to take part in regular meetings of the Professional Development Fund Committee. He attended the opening of the Nova Scotia School Board Association's Annual General Meeting, in Baddeck, at the Inverary Inn as well as participated in Principal Visitations and Evaluations and in the interview process of many secondary school Vice-Principals and Department Heads.
Literacy Support (Susan Kelley, Consultant)
During May, work continued with individual teachers regarding updating Literacy Support Plans. A Professional Development session was held with the staff of Dr. T. L. Sullivan around the Literacy Support Plans. Discussion included the assessment resource and reporting student progress. An additional two days were spent with the Co-Chairs of the Internal Review Team of Dr. T. L. Sullivan, working on their Internal Review Report as part of their School Accreditation Process.
Work continued on the Literacy Support Web Page and weekly literacy strategies were distributed to over 200 teachers and administrators at both the elementary and junior high levels.
Professional Development opportunities for Ms. Kelley, included participation in the Writers In Action 8 Lead Team workshop in Chester; attendance at the Professional Learning Communities workshop in Halifax; and participation on two External Review Teams as first a team member, and then as the chair of a team, as part of the Accreditation and School Improvement Process.
Preparation of a Newspaper for parents of elementary students was carried out with the help of an editing/writing team. Articles were contributed from elementary curriculum consultants. This paper is now being prepared for distribution.
New start-ups include
Ms. Madore attended a Provincial meeting on May 4th in
As a follow up, a group meeting was held with representative from Ideal Wholesale to review product availability for healthy menu choices.
The Annual General Meeting of the Nova Scotia School Boards Association was held in Baddeck on May 25 & 26. Ms. Madore presented at the conference. It went very well, and all Nova Scotia School Board Association delegates gave positive feedback.
The Writers in Action 8 Lead Team went to
English Second Language (ESL) (Jen Kokoska, ESL Teacher)
The English Second Language Program has been very busy this month. Students are steadfastly preparing for projects, tests and examinations. The increase of contact time has been beneficial during this preparatory period. Ms. Jen Kokoska, English Second Language Teacher, notices an increase of confidence in both spoken and written English with most students.
There has been one new arrival and one student returning home this month. A young girl from
A flexible schedule in June will accommodate those students preparing for and writing exams. Students who need help studying and encouragement during the exam period will be given first priority.
Dynamic Classroom Assessment for junior high teachers was completed on May 19th. This program will continue next year with some minor changes. Since this was the first year for this program in
Two teams from
The theme for the presentations by math leaders for the next school year will be mental math in the classroom. These presentations are given during school professional development events. There will be a series of three forty-five minute sessions to be delivered by the math leaders during the year. This falls under the Math Strategy (P-9).
Work is continuing on the Grade Seven Core Mathematics Resource (text) which should be ready for implementation next spring.
Tammy Sampson, Nova Scotia International Student Program Manager for the Board, and ##### #######, Program Services (7-12) Secretary, attended a two-day training session in
The host parent appreciation dinner held May 18th was a great success. Brian Dwyer, Principal,
The Spring Halifax shopping trip May 11th-13th, 2006 was a success. Twenty-nine of our students enjoyed a great weekend of shopping, eating, and socializing.
The Student Conference held on May 4th-6th, 2006 was also a huge hit with all students who participated. The guest speakers were inspiring and the students thoroughly enjoyed the weekend.
We continue interviewing families for September's student intake.
Many of our students are concluding their year with awards and honour banquets for achievement in sports and academics.
Many of our students are beginning preparations for proms and graduation. The excitement is in the air as most do not get these experiences in their home countries. Several students will have parents and family coming from their home countries to watch them graduate.
Our students are beginning to think about their departures. Several of them will be met by parents to do some touring of
Schools will soon be presenting students with their Nova Scotia International Student Program leaving certificates and pins. They will also receive various school memorabilia. Many of our schools are also planning end of year activities with students including the Miner's Museum and Louisbourg.
The Nova Scotia International Student Program end of year activity will take place June 10th, 2006. It will include a day trip to Baddeck, a bird watching tour from Englishtown, and conclude with a group picture and a cultural potluck for students and their host families.
Science & Technology Fair (True Burke, Chair, Science & Technology Fair Team)
Four students from the Cape Breton Victoria Regional School Board attended the Canada Wide Science Fair in
The committee will be starting up a web site for the fair this month. This will give other schools and the public information on the Regional and National Fair. A meeting is planned for late June.
Fundraising efforts will begin once again this summer in hopes of raising the necessary funds for a successful fair next year and for entering four finalists in the National Fair to be held in
Sports Animator (Jim MacEachern)
Jim MacEachern, Sports Animator, attended the bi-monthly Animators' workshop in
He continued his work on the Health Promoting Schools Committee, encouraging schools to make application for physical activity programs. He continues to assist in screening applications.
Mr. MacEachern assisted the Glace Bay / St. Anne's Girl Guide Troop and
He also assisted in organizing the first annual Sherwood Park Education Centre Boys' and Girls' Baseball/Softball Jamboree.
Mr. MacEachern worked on facilitating the upcoming Elementary Track & Field meet for June.
Vocational Education (Fred Martell, Consultant)
Fred Martell, Vocational Education Consultant, was in
Registrations are on going with letters of acceptance in the mail by the 16th of June.
There are two grade nine tours of Vocational Programs left and both are from Breton Education Centre.
Grade twelve Vocational students finished their community-based work experience last week. Many students are hired for part-time and full-time work, as a result of the work experience.
Students in the Co-op program finished their placements and had the opportunity to enjoy a luncheon last Thursday in Memorial's dining room. A congratulatory luncheon was held on Thursday, May 25, 2006 in honour of the student's of the Co-op Education Program. This lunch was to celebrate the overwhelming success of this year's program and the accomplishments of the students. All students in the program were given small awards (prizes) for their participation and volunteer time spent in their work places. Many of the prizes were donated by the local business as a 'Thank You' to our students. We feel the students of this year's program represented themselves, as well as our school in a very positive manner. The interest and enthusiasm of the students in their work placements was indeed a bonus for all.
Workshop Program: Under the direction of the Home Maintenance instructor, Charles Colson, the workshop students designed and made form-figures as a classroom project. These figures were entered as an exhibit at the
This will be Fred Martell's last report and he would like to take the time to thank Senior Administration and our School Board for all of their support over the years. With the influx of new money this year, Memorial's Vocational Programs will be revitalized and he expects their enrollment to increase for several years to come.
Model Legislature 2006
The 2006 Nova Scotia Model legislature was held in
Mathieu Maxwell from
Chris Nicholson, Principal of Rankin Memorial School, was the co-ordinator, facilitator, and chaperone for the trip. Kathleen Brown and Alan Brown, parents of
French Second Language (Laurie MacIntosh, Consultant)
Leah Hopkins (
Laurie MacIntosh, French Consultant, attended a three day training session on FSL Oral Proficiency Interivews on May 29-31 in
Laurie MacIntosh, French Consultant, will meet with the Integrated Core French (Gr. 7) provincial committee in Baddeck on June 7. The committee is writing the transition unit which will be distributed in the fall 2006.
Plans are underway for a musical performance by Yves Rossignol on June 16th at the Savoy Theatre for elementary Core French students.
PROGRAMS (INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORT)
The Provincial initiative for SIS (Student Information System) has hit a major snag that puts plans on hold. There was a recent announcement that provincial funding has not been received for this year. As things had been progressing well, this is a big disappointment.
As a member of the Working Committee, Rick Simm had been representing CBVRSB in biweekly meetings held by way of videoconference. On June 7th there will be a meeting to determine the next step.
Assistive Technology (Liz Mahoney)
The work orders for the Secondary Student Service Project have been entered into megamation. Sixty one computers have been placed in Learning Strategies rooms, Learning Centers, Resource and Integrated Resource rooms, Steps to Success rooms and Learning Disability rooms in
Assistive Technology equipment has been ordered for some students who will be entering our system in the fall. Software and hardware has also been ordered in light of recent assessment. These devices and software will be ready for the beginning of the new school year.
Kurzweil 3000 is presently being tested at the Staff Development Centre to ensure proper installation will occur when it is distributed to the schools.
IEIE Facilitator (Peter MacKinnon)
IEIE-9 plans for 2006-2007 have been completed and sent to
School Visits:
School visits have been completed at the junior and senior level. All grade nine classes were assessed for infrastructure and equipment needs for the IEIE rollout next year.
Meetings:
Mr. MacKinnon attended the provincial standardized report card meeting in
Mr. MacKinnon also attended a meeting at
PD Consultant (Bill Tennant)
During the month of May, several workshops were organized and implemented for teachers from P-12. FrontPage 2003, Digital QX5 microscope and multimedia productions were the hot topics during this month. Technology and the use of different grade level software, multimedia techniques and teaching strategies to achieve the curriculum outcomes was the main focus.
Plans for the upcoming Technology Summer Institute are in place with expectations of sending 13 teachers to engage in problem-based projects. Also, in the month of June, more workshops are planned for Writer's Companion and other programs that will enhance and achieve curriculum outcomes.
Cathy Viva, Coordinator
A presentation on the provincial transition guide was given in the afternoon of the elementary principals' meeting. The role of the district's transition teachers was also discussed. Principals have been using the transition document and welcomed the assistance of the transition teachers. The power points on transitioning that were distributed to Student Services teachers at the April 28th in-service day were reviewed and suggestions for the use of the power points at staff meetings were shared.
The co-teaching video was also shown at the Central Office staff meeting on May 26. It was very well received and discussion concerning how the video will be used in schools and the importance of the service delivery model to our students and teachers followed the viewing.
Four members of the Autistic Spectrum Disorder Team from our region traveled to
Student Services staff participated in the three parent fairs held May 16th, 17th and 18th at Jubilee Elementary, Harbourside Elementary and St. Anne's Elementary. Information sheets were distributed and the co-teaching video was shown during the evenings. Small pencils with pencil grips were given to parents. Chopsticks were used to demonstrate activities to develop fine motor control. Parents had many questions and there was lots of discussion about students' social, emotional and learning growth. The process was very positive for the staff members involved, and it is hoped that the parent fairs will continue in future years.
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PSS Report May 2006
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