Mount Albert Public School is committed to supporting the Board's literacy focus in continuing to promote Literacy throughout the curriculum in all divisions.
The following is an outline of Mount Albert school's Plan for Continuous Improvement including highlights of some of the strategies to support student achievement:
Mount Albert School Plan For Continuous Improvement
"We're on a quest to be our best"
Literacy is the overall priority of the YRDSB. Literacy involves the development of a continuum of skills, knowledge and attitudes that prepare learners for life in a changing world community. It begins with the fundamental acquisition of skills in reading, writing, and oral and visual communication. Literacy becomes the ability to understand, think, apply and communicate effectively in all subject and program areas in a variety of ways, and for a variety of purposes.
Curriculum Implementation and Student Learning – Literacy Development
Target: 3% improvement in Reading and Writing.
- Increase use of Reading exemplars, PM Benchmarks (K – 3), DRA Assessment Data (4-8) for Student Growth Plans and In-School Team Planning with a focus on "At-Risk" to inform planning in the curricular strand of Reading
- Disaggregate EQAO results and report card data (e-principal) to inform school-wide planning and facilitate short-term and longitudinal comparative analysis
- Increase use of Guided Reading and Literature Circles through K-8
- Continue to develop the Jr/Int Bookroom to facilitate effective literacy instruction
- Improve Learning Skills report card data by recognizing successes at end-of-term Character Matters! Jr/Int assemblies
- Continue to block literacy and numeracy instruction through revised timetable structure
- Integrate learning through cross-curricular and embedded literacy practices; our goal is on student learning, rather than subject-specific teaching
- Use technology as a learning tool across the curriculum (i.e. increased facility with use of the Smart Board)
Effective Schools – Professional Learning and Community Development
Target: Staff, Students, and Community Partners will continue to demonstrate an understanding of the ten Character Matters! traits. Staff will continue to engage in on-going professional learning.
- Increased awareness of Healthy Child Initiatives to engage students with Physical, Emotional, Social and Intellectual Support
- Expand opportunities for student leadership through School Climate Committee
- Literacy Collaborative Project (Int Division)
- Action Research Team to work collaboratively with school members to engage in best practices to improve student achievement in Writing. This includes the use exemplars, and the use of a school-developed Writing continuum in which specific writing contexts and styles of writing take place at specific grade levels.
- Participation in Innovation fund Project with Family of Schools to promote technology as a learning tool
- Continue to implement learning teams to support best practices and improve student achievement (i.e. Literacy, II, A&E, Transition, School Climate, Technology)
- Reduce behaviour incidents and office referrals – monitor through referral forms ("white sheets"), step-up procedures, implementation of Peer Mediation and Put the Brakes on Bullying initiatives
- School Climate team to work with staff and students to facilitate effective transition protocols throughout the school (i.e. reducing student lateness, quieter class transitions for students)
Parental and Community Involvement – Partnership Development
Target: Continue to ensure increasing parental involvement and/or awareness of school SPCI initiatives.
- Ensure timely communication with parents through agendas, class newsletters, school/classroom websites, and the implementation of e-newsletters
- Technology development through school/classroom websites and sharepoint, digital video editing programs and Smart Board
- Continue to conduct Family Literacy Day and Family Literacy Night sessions
A balanced program is our major focus in order to encourage the overall development of young people who are very involved in their own learning. We recognize that the ability to be life long learners has become of the utmost importance.