School Plan

March 14, 2025

School Plan

Pender Islands Elementary & Secondary

2024 – 2025 School Plan

PIESS%20Growth%20Plan-1.png A Quick Snapshot

Our School

SCHOOL IDENTITY/CONTEXT

Pender Islands Elementary Secondary School (PIESS) serves approximately 120 learners from North and South Pender Island and Middle and Junior Secondary learners from Galliano, Mayne, and Saturna Island. The school hosts two unique programs: an elementary program geared for students in grades K-7 and a Junior Secondary program for students in Grades 8 and 9.

The facility includes a multi-age library, woodworking/technology shop space, science lab, foods classroom and media lab room. Outdoor spaces, including a school garden, covered outdoor classroom, and disc golf course, provide learning opportunities for all students, K-9. The Fine Arts program at PIESS has enjoyed the support of local artists as PIESS works collaboratively with organizations such as and to support the music and other Arts initiatives like pottery and lantern making. Additionally, PIESS students enjoy world-class coaching through and the program, providing a unique opportunity for students to understand issues related to accessibility.

PIESS is a great place to learn! Students are encouraged to develop a love of learning and their full potential as confident, compassionate, and responsible citizens. We work collaboratively with students, staff, parents, and the community to provide a safe, caring, and respectful learning environment where strengths are honoured, and learning is engaging.

OUR STORY

At PIESS, we believe that ALL students are curious learners capable of success as they develop their thinking, personal, and social skills through the and . We value the core academic achievement of all our students while recognizing and nurturing the interconnectedness of individual well-being, healthy, active lifestyles, and music instruction for all. PIESS is committed to providing a caring and kind learning environment where all students are supported to BE and BECOME what they hope to be.

School planning and classroom instruction rely on the collective evidence of learning achievement through fall and spring assessments in reading, writing and math, as well as report card data and the Ministry . Areas of strength and growth are determined not only for individual students but also in the creation of class learning profiles that guide instruction. Reflecting on this assessment data, we can provide targeted, specific and timely intervention to help learners build confidence in skills in the core areas of the curriculum.

For several years, staff have engaged students in deeper learning by focusing on applying basic literacy and numeracy skills through (ADST) activities, including woodworking, carving, coding, electronics and 3-D printing. This focus on student engagement through ADST was based on the understanding that learning is holistic, reflexive, reflective, experiential and relational (). Hands-on learning continues to be a focus as educators connect curriculum with real-world challenges.

In 2023/2024, staff committed to supporting students in connecting with the land and with each other. Students, K-9, learned about native plants and worked collaboratively to redesign the school garden with sustainability in mind. Knowing that learning recognizes the role of Indigenous knowledge, students and staff also connected with local Elder Earl Claxton Junior for a beautiful day of learning at our Salmon Cook in June. Next year, we look forward to continued learning and deeper connections as we know, learning takes patience and time.

For the 2024/2025 school year, we have identified a need to continue our focus on developing student agency by nurturing our students to develop the skills needed to care for themselves, each other and this place. At PIESS, we are committed to “caring deeply, acting wisely, and finding joy in every day” (Jill Jensen, 2024)

GOAL STATEMENT

INQUIRY QUESTION: How can we create an equitable school culture that promotes a sense of belonging, well-being, and academic success where all students flourish in our classrooms?

Through strategic and explicit instruction, practice, and reflection, our goal in 2024/2025 is to increase student agency through the Curricular and . In doing so, we will support students to BE and BECOME what they hope to be, confident in themselves and connected to each other and the land.

GOAL: All students can identify and apply age-appropriate strategies to support decision-making, problem-solving, and personal wellness as they develop greater student agency.

AREAS OF STRENGTH / GROWTH

Intellectual Development

Reading | Evidence from ongoing reading assessments, triangulated with classroom data and(FSA) results, indicate that reading is an area of relative strength for our school. Our spring report card data indicates 86% of all students are Proficient or Extending. Overall, 99% of students are On Track. This data is corroborated by our FSA data indicating that Pender students have demonstrated strong literacy capabilities with 82% (Grade 4’s) and 100% (Grade 7’s) On Track or Exceeding grade level expectations. In the 2024/2025 year, we will continue to support ALL learners and provide targeted instruction for students who are Emerging or Developing.

Writing | Writing is an area of relative strength for our school. Our spring report card data in Writing indicates that 84% of all students are Proficient or Extending. Overall, 99% are on track. As noted in previous years, model texts, individual conferencing, and goal setting have been essential in moving students forward. Teachers and supporting adults will continue with this practice, in addition to providing targeted instruction for students who are Developing or Emerging.

Numeracy | Numeracy is an area of continued growth for our school. Our spring report card data in Numeracy indicates that 77% of our students are Proficient or Extending. Overall, 99% are on track. FSA data from Fall 2023 corroborates this, with 82% of Grade 4s and 92% of Grade 7s on track or Exceeding grade-level expectations. In 2024/2025, we will continue to focus on differentiating instruction, encouraging collaborative problem-solving, and providing opportunities for real-world application through (ADST) and project-based activities.

Career Development | Creating a supportive and inclusive community where all students can experience a sense of belonging is foundational at PIESS. As we look at our , we note some unexpected data that invites curious questions. Our survey results indicate a lower-than-expected percentage of Grade 4 and 7 students who feel welcome and can identify more than two caring adults. What is striking in our data is the increase in the number of students who indicated, “I don’t know.” This is a shift for us at PIESS and elicits further exploration.

Additionally, when exploring data connected to mental health literacy, 54% of Grade 4 students indicate they are learning about how to care for their mental health most to all of the time. 70% of our Grade 7 students indicate that they are sometimes learning about how to care for their mental health. Ensuring that mental health literacy is a regular component of students’ daily educational experience is essential. Creating a caring and kind learning environment where students feel a strong sense of belonging and promoting students’ personal wellness will be a priority for us in the coming year.

Overall, as we reflect on quantitative and qualitative data, we are committed to further engaging student voices in creating a culture of learning that encourages students to care for themselves, others, and the land. With a focus on developing student agency, we will continue to support students in decision-making, problem-solving, and self-regulation.

Focusing Direction

PROCESS FOR REVIEWING / REVISING / DETERMINING

PIESS staff engage in reflective pedagogy where we routinely explore: What’s working? What’s not? and What’s next? Keeping our current goals at the center of all discussions, we focus on using qualitative and quantitative data to review current progress and determine the next steps. In the Spring of 2024, we consulted with staff and explored collated data from the Equity Tool, Integrated Performance Assessment for Student Success (IPass) and the Grade 4 and 7 . Staff recognized a need to continue developing student agency and engaging student voice through daily check-ins, as well as periodic feedback through whole-school student surveys.

In 2024/2025, we will be engaging student voice through regular surveys to determine student perceptions of competencies connected with decision-making, problem-solving, self-regulation and belonging. We will begin with an initial Student Voice Survey to develop a baseline for whole-school and classroom trends. This will enable us to plan for strategic support, be that individual, whole class or whole school. These plans will involve the collaboration of classroom teachers, Educational Assistants (EAs), School Based Teams (SBT), and administration. Plans and progress will be discussed at each monthly staff meeting, and insights and actions will be shared at Parent Advisory Council (PAC) meetings.

All PIESS staff work to help students develop the skills to self-regulate, problem-solve, and make decisions. As such, we will use the data gathered to determine a compassionate systems approach for supporting individuals and groups of students. Creating a sense of belonging and fostering student agency requires a whole-team approach.

PURPOSE / DATA RATIONALE

The collected data, referred to under Areas of Strength/Growth, provides our rationale for concentrating staff efforts on empowering student agency through thinking and personal and social skills. We believe that if we support students in identifying and applying age-appropriate strategies for decision-making, problem-solving, and personal wellness, then we will strengthen student agency and foster a greater sense of belonging at PIESS.

ASSOCIATED ACTIONS

To achieve our goal of developing student agency and supporting students to identify and apply age-appropriate strategies in decision making, problem solving and personal wellness, we will engage in a process of change, asking curious questions and listening deeply as we respond to the street data collected.

We will:

engage in the process of Aspiration Awareness with staff and students to develop a shared understanding of key concepts such as belonging;
explicitly teach strategies supporting students' Social Emotional Learning (SEL), decision-making making and problem-solving;
implement the as a constructive and restorative process for unpacking problems;
and developing perspective-taking;
engage in ongoing reflective pedagogy through monthly staff meetings;
enlist student voice through regular school-wide Social Emotional Learning (SEL) surveys;
promote the reciprocity of feedback by inviting students to share: What’s working for them? What’s not? What’s needed?; and
engage in professional development related to student agency and empowering students as changemakers.

Jo Ann Archibald (2008) describes reciprocity as listening with our three ears, two on the side of our head and the third is with our heart. ~C. Roberts

Collaborative Cultures

ENGAGING STAKEHOLDERS / STUDENT VOICE

Clear communication throughout the year is key to our success.

Parents/Families: We will continue to share information, stories and successes related to our School Plan through our monthly newsletter. We will also encourage parent/child dialogue focused on the Big Three: What are you learning? How is it going? Where to next? This reflective questioning will not only help students reflect on their learning but also help inform parents of their child’s areas of strength and growth. Beyond regular updates from teachers, we will host families from Mayne, Saturna, Pender, and Galiano through our welcome-back BBQ in September to highlight goals of connectedness. Finally, we will seek feedback through both school and Ministry surveys.

Community: We are grateful to have the support of local community members, including (), and , who play a crucial role in enriching the learning experience at PIESS. We will continue to connect with community partners about our school goals to help tailor student activities and support. This year, we will continue expanding on our partnerships to invite local artists and experts to share their knowledge and intentionally connect activities to student agency.

Student Voice: The voice and power of young people can change our systems. We believe that engaging students in the reciprocity of feedback focused on student agency will empower them to be problem solvers, offer suggestions, and make classrooms and our school a great place to learn. We will engage student voice through:

Class journal writing
Regular Social Emotional Learning (SEL) surveys
reflections
Small interest group discussions with teachers/admin
Student leadership groups
Student Representatives contributing to the school newsletter
and (MDI) Survey

“If schools continue to use the western colonial idea of education, where the educators are all knowing and students passively take it in, we will continue to produce people who sit back and wait for things to be given to them, rather than people who are problem solvers, thinkers, knowledge keepers and their own beings.” ~C. Roberts, 2024

STAFF/SHARED WORK

In the classroom, staff will support students in developing Student Agency by:

creating a culture of care and belonging through inclusive class practices;
explicitly teaching strategies supporting students’ Social Emotional Learning (SEL), decision making and problem-solving skills;
promoting student wellness through student reflection and journal writing; and
promoting the reciprocity of feedback by inviting students to share: What’s working for them? What’s not? What’s needed?

School-wide, staff will work together to support students in developing Student Agency by:

creating a culture of care and belonging through inclusive activities and events;
establishing a shared understanding of related concepts (e.g. belonging) by engaging students in the process of Aspiration Awareness;
engaging in ongoing reflective pedagogy through monthly staff meetings;
enlisting student voice through regular school-wide Social Emotional Learning (SEL) surveys;
implementing the as a constructive and restorative process for unpacking problems and developing perspective-taking;
engaging in professional development related to student agency and empowering students as changemakers.

Deeper Learning

WHAT WILL STAFF NEED TO KNOW TO LEAD/PERFORM THIS WORK?

To lead/perform this work in Student Agency and Social Emotional Learning (SEL), staff will need to:

create a culture within the classroom and beyond that supports students in feeling a sense of belonging and connectedness;
understand and apply the strategy, Aspiration Awareness, in developing a shared understanding of student agency and belonging;
identify practical lessons and everyday routines to increase student knowledge, skills and strategies for agency and self-advocacy;
expand capacity to teach racial equity and inclusion to students of all ages;
develop innovative ways to engage learners in routine reflections and goal setting as they connect to learning in general and their thinking, personal, and social competencies;
increase growth mindset practices to support students in developing a stronger belief in their capacity to succeed and increase personal self-efficacy;
engage in the reciprocity of feedback to improve practice and create a generative social field in the classroom and beyond;
provide opportunities to increase student agency through inclusive groups such as (SOGI), Student Leadership and .

WHAT SKILLS WILL WE FOSTER WITH STUDENTS FOR THEM TO EXPERIENCE SUCCESS?

To be successful in developing student agency, we will need to foster the following skills and abilities:

identify personal strength and abilities;
identify emotions and apply strategies to manage and regulate emotions;
develop an age-appropriate understanding of the science of well-being;
determine appropriate goals, steps to be taken, and monitor progress;
develop decision making and problem-solving skills;
develop perspective-taking through the ;
reflect on personal growth through journal writing;
persevere in difficult situations;
develop students’ skills in advocating respectfully for themselves and personal interests or societal challenges, and
develop confidence in advocating for needs in the face of peer pressure.

APPROACH TO PROFESSIONAL LEARNING

PIESS staff will work together to build a culture of growth focused on developing student agency and empowering student voice through a Compassionate Systems approach. Staff have curious questions and want to learn more about students’ perception of school, school culture and student’s assessment of their own capacity in self-regulation, decision making and problem solving. They are keen to engage in periodic check ins with the whole student body to see if they can learn more about students’ experience at the varying grade levels. Staff have committed to using this feedback to help inform their practice and improve direct instruction for students. Feedback will also inform schoolwide initiatives in creating a safe, inclusive and caring community where all students belong. Our focus on student agency aligns well with the . Throughout the year, teachers will be able to connect their teachings to each of the principles. Staff will build teacher capacity and explore innovative teaching practices by utilizing resources stored on the 香港六合彩 Learning Tools Sharepointe, as well as sharing resources of their own discovery on our PIESS Teams site. Through staff meetings and informal conversations, staff will come together to discuss: What’s working? What’s not? and What’s next?

Accountability

HOW WILL WE KNOW WE ARE SUCCESSFUL?

GOAL: All students can identify and apply age-appropriate strategies in supporting decision making, problem solving and personal wellness as they develop greater student agency.

We will use the following data to help assess our progress:

Feedback through Student Voice Survey;
Core Competency self-reflections;
Anecdotal observation of students self-regulating and interacting in respectful and responsible ways;
Increased involvement in school-wide initiatives such as SOGI or Student Leadership;
Improved results on the Middle Years Development Instrument (MDI) and Student Learning Survey;
Feedback through student journal writing;
Check-in with administration and staff at the end of the day.

STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT DATA

To be collected throughout the 2024/2025 school year.

STUDENT EXPERIENCE EVIDENCE

Students will be actively engaged in the school growth plan process as their voices and opinions will help inform our practice and guide our direction. We will:

share our school goal with all students and engage them in the initial discussion of Aspiration Awareness;
elicit student voice through our Student Voice Survey focusing on student agency;
encourage students to be change-makers by exploring the data, offering feedback and generating possible solutions;
conduct empathy interviews with individual students and/or small groups to learn more about their school experience and what they need to BE and BECOME the person they hope to be.

Our Story

STORIES THAT SHAPE US

How can we use music to change the world?

How can we help our students UNDERSTAND that learning ultimately supports the well-being of the self, the family, the community, the land, the spirits, and the ancestors?

REFLECTING ON THE CIRCLE EDUCATION

This year, students in Grades 5-9 participated in monthly meetings with Kate Nash from the Circle Group. Kate’s visits were a highlight for many students who appreciated the opportunity to connect with their classmates in new ways and talk about the things that really matter! The following are just a few responses that illustrate perfectly the power of a generative social field and a practice that honours student voice while engaging learners to think deeply:

I think Kate and The Circle really helped the class understand each other better, which has led to more connection and understanding within the class dynamic. Aside from the class, as an individual it is a bright spot in the month that makes life easier. The games are fun, but they also help get a subject across and help people understand what the subject means. The games we played that were about testing boundaries or how comfortable we were with each other were really fun. I find the fact that the whole class agrees on how close we are and how comfortable we are with each other quite amazing, and the circle and Kate only helped with that understanding. I think the rest of the school next year, and the year after, for as long as possible should get this opportunity and I think it's a good next step for the education industry, if that would ever happen. Things like the circle help teach kids how to properly interact, understand other people and relationships.

In the time I have had with Kate the things I have most found valuable is the deeper connection with some of my classmates that I wouldn't have if we didn’t have circle, and the safe space where I found I could truly be myself.

As a student, I strongly believe that Kate has had a positive impact on our school. I think the idea of “The Circle” is very beneficial for lots of kids. Many students don’t have a place to talk about their life and emotions and I would say that Kate fills that void for a lot of people. I really enjoy the random games we play and the check in and check out questions. All in all, I would say that Kate is a super positive and wonderful person and I believe that her services should be supported and spread across all schools.

What I valued most every time were the check in and check out questions. I felt like they were always related to what we talked about that day, and you could say what you felt like saying without being judged.