November 4, 2013
Re: 21st Century Learning—Skills for Tomorrow
Dear Parents/Guardians
Step by step, schools from the elementary through high school levels are mak-
Learning, Loving, Praying
ing the transition to 21st century learning... To prepare for college, careers and
citizenship, it is not enough to master academics. Students must also need to
acquire a set of skills that will last for a lifetime. To be able to solve problems in
our complex, fast changing world, students must become nimble, creative thinkers who can work well with others… These competencies—known as 21st century skills—are summed up as the “4Cs”…
Collaboration: Students are able to work effectively with diverse groups
and exercise flexibility in making compromises to achieve common
goals.
Creativity: Students are able to generate and improve on original ideas
and also work creatively with others.
Communication: Students are able to communicate effectively across
multiple media and for various purposes.
Critical Thinking: Students are able to analyze, evaluate and understand
complex systems and apply strategies to solve problems.
Edutopia.org—A Parent’s Guide to 21st Century Learning
As many of you experience at home, the way children communicate and interact is
very different today than in years past. The rise of social media, the rapid change in
technology and the speed at which information can be accessed have all contributed
to our children becoming “digital natives” while the adults in their lives, often struggling to keep up, have become the “digital immigrants”.
At St. Valentine School, staff have been introducing various initiatives into their
classrooms to develop the 4Cs as a means to access the Ontario Curriculum. As a
staff, we recognize the need to update our teaching and assessment/evaluation
practices to meet the changing needs of our learners. Over the years, staff have
St. Valentine Catholic School
5610 Heatherleigh Avenue
Mississauga, Ontario
L5V 2V7
Phone (905) 890-0909
Fax (905) 890-6868
been engaged in various learning initiatives, professional development opportunities
and collaborative inquiries to change how school “looks” in our classrooms. The purpose of this letter is to provide some background and information about things you
may hear your child(ren) talking about. These pedagogies and initiatives include:
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 SMART Board technology: these are interactive whiteboards that enable teachers and students to enrich learning opportunities by manipulating concepts, accessing information on the internet, participate in
assessment opportunities through student response systems, opening learning to the whole class
 Guided reading/guided practice: In Guided Reading, the teacher provides support for small groups of
readers as they learn to use various reading strategies (context clues, letter and sound relationships,
word structure, etc.). Similarly, Guided Practice is an activity that provides students the opportunity to
grasp and develop concepts or skills and requires teachers to monitor student progress.
 Three part lesson design: this teaching strategy follows a problem solving approach in which
 Learning is activated,
 A rich, real life problem is investigated in a collaborative setting and
 Learning is consolidated through a teacher guided discussion of the solutions in which the students observe the range of possible solutions to the problem.
This model enables the application of academic expectations through the 4Cs to promote 21st century
skill acquisition.
 eLearning: this has been an opportunity provided to our intermediate students through two Ministry of
Education supported initiatives:
1. Homework Help: students in grade 7 and 8 are able to access help in working through math expectations through simulated lessons, online chat and tutorials with qualified math teachers; and
2. Blended Learning: students in grade 7 and 8 participate in a “flipped classroom” - academic
tasks are explored online to acquire information and then classroom time is spent further investigating the concepts, themes, “big ideas” presented in the online lessons.
 Inquiry based learning: Inquiry-based learning is an approach to teaching and learning that places stu-
dents’questions, ideas and observations at the centre of the learning experience. Educators play an active role throughout the process by establishing a culture where ideas are respectfully challenged, tested, redefined and viewed as improvable, moving children from a position of wondering to a position of
enacted understanding and further questioning (Scardamalia, 2002). Underlying this approach is the
idea that both educators and students share responsibility for learning. (LNS Capacity Building Series,
#32). Inquiry based learning forms the basis of “play based learning” in kindergarten.
This year, some of our classes have been exploring some exciting new opportunities for learning. Some of these
include:

The Global Read Aloud: teachers and students from around the world read the same novel and participate in opportunities to dialogue with each other through various teacher moderated social media technologies (Skype, Edmodo, Today’s Meet)

Responsive Classroom Design: using the classroom environment to meet students’ need for working
with a “trusting partner/critical friend”, space, quiet, accountable talk and movement. Students are provided opportunities to transition to their preferred mode (independent, partner, group) of working on a
task and a workspace (areas allocated for different modes) that “fits them” in order to be successful.
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
Outdoor learning: as part of FDK, our youngest students have begun exploring their outdoor environments.
On a regular basis, built into their weekly schedules, teachers and DECEs are guiding exploration of nature
that nurtures children’s innate curiosity and fosters their understanding of the interconnectedness of all living and non-living things, and instils in them an abiding sense of care and responsibility for the well-being of
their communities and planet Earth.

Wellness Week: during the week of February 10—14, 2014, students and parents will be invited to explore
various facets of wellness—mind, body, soul. During the day, students will be engaged in a variety of activities and workshops and in the evening on February 13, parents will be invited to explore a parallel evening.
More details will be sent home as plans are finalized so please keep this evening open.

Extra-curricular clubs and activities: in addition to athletics, students are being provided with options to participate in the life of the school through various clubs/activities—Reading Club, Youth Ambassadors, Chess,
Media Club, Skills Canada, PALS, EcoSchools. These experiences help to broaden the talents and interests of students.
To help document these various learning journeys, all classes and support staff have been equipped with digital cameras to document the experiences and discoveries of their inquiries. We hope that at various points through the school
year, you will have an opportunity to witness and dialogue with your children about these images to gain a greater understanding of your child’s progress and adventure in learning.
In addition to these initiatives, we want to increase our relationship with you, the parents. We have planned a variety of
events throughout the year that we hope will engage both the students and you.

The first of these opportunities will come on Thursday November 28 for our parents of children in grades 7
and 8. We have arranged for a representative from Humber College to come to the school to speak with
parents on the opportunities available to students in the technology fields. Details will be sent home regarding start/end times. This evening is in support of transition planning and course selection for high
school.

On Wednesday December 11 with our Family Christmas Craft Night. With the busy-ness of family lives, we
invite you to take a break and come to the school and spend some time in your child(ren)’s class(es) to create a craft keepsake. We will also be having gingerbread house building in the gym and refreshments. As
an added bonus, we have been able to book the jolly man in red and a photographer who will be available
to take family photos for the season.

During the winter months, we hope to host two family movie nights (dates to be determined). Parents and
their children will be invited to the gym to watch a movie on our “big screen”.

Back by popular demand, we will host another Games Night for students in grades 5-8.

Family Math Night will be offered during the winter months for parents to come to the school to learn about
math and the way students learn about math. Information about using manipulatives, working through the
seven math processes and the problem solving model will be presented and parents—supported by teachers—will work through various levels of curriculum expectations.

On Thursday May 7, 2014, our gala production of The Wizard of Oz will take the stage (auditions for students in grades 4-8 will begin this week).
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As you can see, there are many GREAT things happening for the students and
parents at St. Valentine School. We truly hope that you are able to join us on
this very exciting journey of learning. There is no expectation for expertise in
any of opportunities provided—we ask only that you come out, engage in the
conversation, ask questions and experience the learning journey with us.
Parent engagement matters. Study after study has shown us that student achievement improves
when parents play an active role in their children's education, and that good schools become even
better schools when parents are involved. It is recognized that parent engagement is a key factor in
the enhancement of student achievement and well-being.
Students are more likely to be motivated, to earn higher grades, to have better behaviour and social
skills, and to continue their education to a higher level when their parents are actively engaged in
supporting their success at school. (http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/parents/involvement/)
If you have any questions regarding any of the teaching strategies, projects or initiatives described above, please feel
free to contact us at the school. We look forward to continuing to partner with you to improve the well-being and
achievement of our children!
I look forward to seeing some of you this Thursday for Parent-Teacher interviews.
Sincerely
Brenda LeClair
Principal