Pinecrest Elementary
Student Success Plan 2013-14
School Inquiry:
How can we have the greatest impact on student reading?
1) Rationale
 Evidence based
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Rationale:
Why did you choose this goal or
inquiry?
On what evidence is the decision
based?
The rationale is also the summary
of your results from last year and
can be based on some current
research
The focus of our inquiry is to discover how we can improve our
student’s reading. On the surface this may seem like a seemingly
straightforward question but as we persist, reflect and explore this
question together, we begin to ask ourselves many new questions
that are inextricably linked. Our objective is to continue to support
all of our students, especially those who are not yet meeting in the
area of literacy. For our emergent readers, developing oral
language is connected and an important focus. Will new learning
lead to improved practice and ultimately, improved student
learning? If so, will we make a big enough difference?
Our central inquiry deepens as we reflect on our work. Sharing our
knowledge and experiences lead to interconnected, successive
questions and together, we search for answers:
What is happening for our learners?
Why have we selected this inquiry?
Who is currently not meeting the reading goals?
Who is NYM in reading and what tools are we using to determine
this?
Who is doing really well in reading? Exceeding?
What will we do differently to improve student reading?
Where is there growth in reading? Why do we think this is so?
What will we continue to do that is working well?
How can we work more effectively together?
How will we further enhance and sustain improved student reading?
What will change in our school when overall student reading
improves?
Will improving student reading enhance our school culture?
School District 72 • Campbell River, B.C
Pinecrest Elementary
Student Success Plan 2013-14
We have learned much from last year’s inquiry. This year we are
looking at it from a different perspective. In a recent staff discussion
we decided to flip last year’s question on its’ head and narrow the
‘overall learning’ to ‘reading.’ Another way to phrase it would be:
If students become more successful at reading, will behaviors
improve?
Last year’s Reading Intervention targeted many students and we
know from our data that it made a difference. Intervening on behalf
of these vulnerable readers may even have impacted social
responsibility at our school.
2012-13 Inquiry:
Will improvement in the social responsibility areas of selfregulation and emotional control improve student’s overall
learning?
After scanning what’s going on for our students, our teachers and
many of our ed. assistants recently shared how this year student
behaviour has improved. How has this occurred in such a short
time? Perhaps it has something to do with all of our teachers and
several of our educational assistants participating in the Tribes inservice? Acting on our new learning is helping. Perhaps our
practice is transforming?
Here’s an idea or thread from our October 26th Pro-D staff
discussion :
We are beginning to notice that the introduction and
implementation of the Tribes program in all of our classrooms
is making a positive difference in student engagement, selfregulation and also overall learning (including reading).
Staff ‘learning journeys’ can be cyclical, as described in Spirals of
Inquiry and they can be also be constructed like complex tapestries,
where sharing promising practice and working in relationship
intertwine and loop to create a thriving school culture. We weave a
tapestry of learning by sharing our stories and talents. A picture
emerges and details of our journey and desired destination are
highlighted in this plan.
Evidence:
The evidence we are using at this time, that has been submitted by
teachers to support the Student Success Plan has come from:
Teacher’s individual grade level Learning Progressions for both
Reading and Social Responsibility.
Assessment tools:
School District 72 • Campbell River, B.C
Pinecrest Elementary
Student Success Plan 2013-14
PM Benchmarks , DART, teacher classroom observations
(Triangulation), QCA (*Quick Comprehension Assessments), Jerry
Johns, ADRP (Alberta Diagnostic Reading Program)
*Please refer to attached data sheets for specific details.
Each day our teachers observe and work with students that have
difficulty with reading. We know that many students who struggle
with reading often become frustrated and sometimes behave
inappropriately. Now that we have collected both the reading and
social responsibility data for this Fall and have the evidence that we
need to pursue our inquiry, we are eager to explore new methods
and new learning. We are sharing how we might shift our practice in
order to make a difference.
Note: Our Aboriginal students are still overrepresented in the Not
Yet Meeting category in reading. Our goal is to have these students
improve to at least meeting expecting in reading by year-end.
Enhanced Community Connections:
Ensuring that our most vulnerable students begin their school day
successfully continues to be an important task. This involves timetabling several of our staff to provide the necessary supports when
students arrive each day. It also involves providing nutrition and
‘connecting’ with individuals to help ‘frame’ their day for success.
We really appreciate our many community partners who generously
support our students and school each year. The breakfast program
at the United Church kitchen regularly serves 20 to 30 students
each morning. Several grocery stores have donated turkeys and gift
certificates for our school-wide Student Thanksgiving Luncheons.
Our students have been provided opportunities to give back in
many ways as well, fundraising for many worthy causes.
During recent staff discussions on student learning and schoolwide response protocols several teachers have expressed how they
are stepping outside their classrooms to support all students at our
school. Pinecrest is inclusive and caring.
2) Action Plan/Evidence Sources
(to achieve and measure the goal)
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The plan to a make progress on
the goal or inquiry and assess next
steps
All evidence sources being used to
validate student and adult learning
Aboriginal student evidence must
be disaggregated
Action Plan:
Using resources such as, Catching Readers Before They Fall (
Johnson and Keitie) and Allington’s , What Really Matters for
Struggling Readers, teachers and other support staff will explore
and use various grade appropriate reading strategies and
assessment tools:
School District 72 • Campbell River, B.C
Pinecrest Elementary
Student Success Plan 2013-14
Observations
We will also continue to:
Triangulate
Products
Adult Learning
Conversations
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expand our knowledge of effective reading instruction
target all of our struggling readers
provide intervention support
have regular morning reading sessions with parents and
other guests
document and organize assessment information
facilitate guided reading groups,
teach letter identification and the difference between
letters and words
use literature circles, sharing comprehension
plan school-wide reading events
use high frequency word assessments
make a difference
Note: This is not an inclusive list.
Timperly, Helen
*Again this year, Pinecrest also has 2 teams participating in the
CR4YR (Changing Results for Young Readers) initiative.
Staff will also continue to read, discuss and use strategies to
create lessons from the following social responsibility resources:
Tribes Learning Communities, Zones of Regulation, Calm,
Alert, and Learning, 10 Mindful Minutes and PBS systems.
We continue to have monthly Student-led Appreciation Assemblies,
teach WITS, use student leaders for peer tutoring/ positive rolemodeling and have organized special reading events such as our
recent Altrusa Club ‘Make a Difference’ Day, where community
volunteers came to read with several primary classes. Every
Pinecrest student also received a book. Battle of the Books
continues to be a popular choice for students to participate in,
thanks to our librarian, Jan Peachy and we are looking forward to
next week’s Hallowe’en Reader’s Theatre and related activities.
Pinecrest will continue to use the following means to assess and
support our students this year:
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Explore several new, ‘promising’ Reading Assessment
Tools and instructional methods/strategies by broadening
our vision of how the reading process works
Participate in CR4YR teams
School District 72 • Campbell River, B.C
Pinecrest Elementary
Student Success Plan 2013-14
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3 Way Student-Led Conferences
Class reviews
SBT referrals and meetings
IEP meetings
Behaviour plans/mtgs.
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Parent/teacher communication
Itinerant support teachers
Behaviour resource staff
Elementary Counselor
First Nation’s supports
Liaison officer
LART and EA support
Reporting /Communicating
Action research initiatives
3) Budget Sources:
x
Approximate costs to date:
School-based Success Plan Funds $ 500
District Success Plan Funds $ _____________
Supplementary Prep. $ _____________
School-based Pro-D $ 250_____________
Brown bag lunch program and
Breakfast program: (We have
decided to use Community
LINKS funds to assist the United
Church with the breakfast
program)
District Pro-D $ _____________
Interaction Grants $ _____________
Collaboration for Growth $ _____________
Mentorship Grants $ _____________
Inquiry Research-Network of Performance Based Schools $
_________
estimated
($3000.00) per year
PAC $ 1500________
Community Links $ 3000
Miscellaeous: (bus passes etc.)
Additional District Support Requests $ _____________
($250.00)
Other $ _____________
Total $ _____________
School District 72 • Campbell River, B.C
Pinecrest Elementary
Student Success Plan 2013-14
Evidence of Progress
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Assessment and evidence of
student and adult learning
Observations
Evidence as collected: October 30, 2013
Triangulate
Products
Conversations
Strategies for community
communication and involvement
Pinecrest is partnering with the United Church to provide a
Breakfast program for several of our students each day.
Signed appreciation posters/cards and newspaper articles
(Roses) throughout the year to various community partners
who have donated services and goods to our school.
PAC awareness of community ties and how this positively
impacts our school and students.
School District 72 • Campbell River, B.C
Pinecrest Elementary
Student Success Plan 2013-14
Other initiatives the school
wishes to highlight
Other initiatives our school is pursuing this year and /or
hope to maintain are:
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School-wide ‘Tribes’ introduction and implementation
Multicultural Events
Choir group performances
School-wide Hip Hop Dancing Sessions with ‘Buddy.’
Watershed Science lessons with Luisa Richardson
Forest Lessons with Robin Williams
Wednesday Behaviour Support Group
Roots of Empathy with Mrs. Vining
Extra-curricular activities: Running Club, Volleyball and
Basketball teams, Chess Club
Girls and boys clubs in the All Nation’s room with Mrs.
Barr
Weekly hot lunch program
Fruit and Veggie program
School-wide monthly Aboriginal celebrations
Leather Craft group with Mr. Ross
Animation Club
Cool Cooking with Mrs. K.
WITS anti-bullying focus
Spirit Days/student leadership (Recycling, Kindergarten)
Homework Club
Community LINKS programing
Roots of Empathy
Ready, Set, Learn/ Kindergarten Summer Program
Saturday Fun Activities, Home Alone, Babysitting
Battle of the Books
Monthly Student-led Appreciation Assemblies
Louise Walker, RN, Family Life Educator
School-wide special events such as the PAC sponsored
Halloween Family dance, School-wide Thanksgiving
meal
Special anti-bullying presentations/programs and
speakers
Elementary school counselor(s) who work with our most
vulnerable students
Morning announcements with the focus on social
responsibility and daily appreciations
‘Caught you being Good’ school-wide slideshows
Co-teaching ‘Zones’ with classes (Deborah Beres)
School District 72 • Campbell River, B.C
Pinecrest Elementary
Student Success Plan 2013-14
School Planning Council
This school’s student success plan has been written, reviewed and supported by:
Parent Member’s Name
Signature
Date
Parent Member’s Name
Signature
Date
Parent Member’s Name
Signature
Date
Teacher Member’s Name
Signature
Date
Principal’s Name
Signature
School District 72 • Campbell River, B.C
Date
Pinecrest Elementary
Student Success Plan 2013-14
District Connections
Strategic Plan Goals
Success For All Learners — All our students will experience increasing success at
each level of their education.
Enhanced Community Connections — … we recognize that close and respectful
connections with our partners are critical to our success. We will continue to
cultivate and nurture those relationships, listen and respond to concerns, and
communicate our achievements.
An Expanded and Purposeful Environmental Ethic— what happens in our
classrooms every day shapes future generations... We will ensure environmental
stewardship is an important theme in our schools...raise environmental awareness,
implement green projects and encourage environmentally sustainable behaviours.
Achievement Contract Goal:
Every child who enters Kindergarten will successfully graduate from our programs well
prepared to enter the next phase of life.
Aboriginal Enhancement Agreement Goals
Year-by-year improvement in literacy and numeracy achievement by all Aboriginal
students in the elementary, middle and secondary levels (K-12).
Year-by-year improvement in the transition rates of all Aboriginal students at every
grade level.
To increase the number of Aboriginal students who graduate with a Dogwood
Certificate. All Aboriginal students will be well prepared and knowledgeable about
how to achieve their career and life goals.
To increase all Aboriginal students’ sense of pride and ensure they have
opportunities to participate in and learn about their heritage and culture.
District Priorities
Implementation of our Learning Beliefs
Curriculum and Instruction
Assessment
Technology
School District 72 • Campbell River, B.C