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Cherryville Elementary School is a small rural school approximately 55 km from Vernon and 27 km from Lumby. The relative geographic isolation contributes to a perception among the community, parents and staff that the school is distinct and unique within the School District. A strong connection has developed between the school and the community and is appreciated by both. This connection manifests itself in the attendance and participation of both the school and community in each other’s events. Parent and community involvement occurs daily and special events are a strong characteristic of this school.
Most of the students are bused to school. Monday to Thursday the school is on an extended day schedule. This allows for early dismissal every Friday. The local economy has suffered due to difficulties in the forest industry in recent years. This has significantly impacted the families and the enrolment of our school. The school was reconfigured eight years ago to include kindergarten to grade 6. Grade 7 students now attend Charles Bloom Secondary School in Lumby. The student population for 2017-2018 is at 80 students. Our staff currently includes 5 FTE teachers, 1 part time SBRT, two CEA’s at 27.5 hours, 1 secretary (25 hours a week), 1 custodian, 1 noon hour / bus supervisor, and 1 0.4 FTE prinicpal.
At Cherryville Elementary we have been following the work of Simon Sinek, and through this have been working to create a “WHY” statement, as well as a “HOW” statement. Our “WHY” is:
Our team works with our students in all aspects of personal growth and share with them in the joy and satisfaction of “getting it”. We work to shine a light on each students unique and special qualities. We share in the fun and excitement of leaning and growing – our passion for life is passed on to our students and it becomes their passion. Our relationship with our learning community is vital as we join in making our community the best it can be
Our “HOW” statement is:
We use a positive lens, high standards, curiosity, and a strong relationship/understanding with/of our students to help them achieve their very best.
We will continue to work on both of the above statements. We are using these statements to look at our current definition of success, to see if any changes are needed. Currently, success is:
Student success in our building is achieved when our students are safe, happy, healthy, engaged in meaningful learning activities and continuously improving in numeracy and literacy.
The relatively small student and staff population that we have in our school truly lends itself to a collaborative culture. Our outstanding team of teachers and support staff have developed the habit of approaching the nature of learning in our building such that all adults collectively own the responsibility for all students’ success. As adults, we teach together, laugh together, eat together (that is important too!), and embrace our school as a community for which we are all responsible for, and our students also contribute to the success of all learners through a variety of multi-grade cross curricular activities during which all students are given the opportunity to share as knowledge keepers and teachers.
Having a clear vision of what success looks like for our community and a mindset that anything is possible has contributed to the success in our school. A continued strong relationship with our greater community where all perspectives and feedback about student success is taken into account will allow us to continue to build success.
Our school and community are working together to help build the success of our students by improving all students literacy rates. In addition to in class support, we also have community members volunteer for 1:1 reading, and each newsletter highlights ways for families to support their child’s development at home.
Cherryville Elementary School is a small rural school approximately 55 km from Vernon and 27 km from Lumby. The relative geographic isolation contributes to a perception among the community, parents and staff that the school is distinct and unique within the School District. A strong connection has developed between the school and the community and is appreciated by both. This connection manifests itself in the attendance and participation of both the school and community in each other’s events. Parent and community involvement occurs daily and special events are a strong characteristic of this school.
Most of the students are bused to school. Monday to Thursday the school is on an extended day schedule. This allows for early dismissal every Friday. The local economy has suffered due to difficulties in the forest industry in recent years. This has significantly impacted the families and the enrolment of our school. The school was reconfigured eight years ago to include kindergarten to grade 6. Grade 7 students now attend Charles Bloom Secondary School in Lumby. The student population for 2017-2018 is at 80 students. Our staff currently includes 5 FTE teachers, 1 part time SBRT, two CEA’s at 27.5 hours, 1 secretary (25 hours a week), 1 custodian, 1 noon hour / bus supervisor, and 1 0.4 FTE prinicpal.
At Cherryville Elementary we have been following the work of Simon Sinek, and through this have been working to create a “WHY” statement, as well as a “HOW” statement. Our “WHY” is:
Our team works with our students in all aspects of personal growth and share with them in the joy and satisfaction of “getting it”. We work to shine a light on each students unique and special qualities. We share in the fun and excitement of leaning and growing – our passion for life is passed on to our students and it becomes their passion. Our relationship with our learning community is vital as we join in making our community the best it can be
Our “HOW” statement is:
We use a positive lens, high standards, curiosity, and a strong relationship/understanding with/of our students to help them achieve their very best.
We will continue to work on both of the above statements. We are using these statements to look at our current definition of success, to see if any changes are needed. Currently, success is:
Student success in our building is achieved when our students are safe, happy, healthy, engaged in meaningful learning activities and continuously improving in numeracy and literacy.
The relatively small student and staff population that we have in our school truly lends itself to a collaborative culture. Our outstanding team of teachers and support staff have developed the habit of approaching the nature of learning in our building such that all adults collectively own the responsibility for all students’ success. As adults, we teach together, laugh together, eat together (that is important too!), and embrace our school as a community for which we are all responsible for, and our students also contribute to the success of all learners through a variety of multi-grade cross curricular activities during which all students are given the opportunity to share as knowledge keepers and teachers.
Having a clear vision of what success looks like for our community and a mindset that anything is possible has contributed to the success in our school. A continued strong relationship with our greater community where all perspectives and feedback about student success is taken into account will allow us to continue to build success.
Our school and community are working together to help build the success of our students by improving all students literacy rates. In addition to in class support, we also have community members volunteer for 1:1 reading, and each newsletter highlights ways for families to support their child’s development at home.
Checking
Improved Scores/Data
Safe, Happy and Healthy
Checking
Improved Scores/Data
We are currently working with several groups of students that are at risk, as well as looking to see how far we take all of our students in their learning journey. We will update school improvement stories in this section in the coming months.
Safe, Happy and Healthy
We maintain an open, inquisitive environment in which students are safe,
happy, healthy and continuously improving in their academic growth…
BUT, we still make time to have a little fun!
Scanning
School Based Data
Scanning
School Based Data
Report card marks
PM Benchmark data
Whole Class Reading Assessment data
School Wide Write data
Teacher/ parent perspective, input and expertise
After looking through all of these sources of data, our staff believes that we need to continue to work towards strong literacy skills for all students. This forms the basis of our school goal for the current school year.
Focusing
Literacy
Parents and reading acquisition
Focusing
Literacy
What would it take to have 100% of all students, who are reasonably able, reading at or above grade level by the time they leave Cherryville Elementary, and how do we increase parent support with Reading?
Parents and reading acquisition
We are hosting a series of parent evenings at our school this year to strengthen the connection between the school and home when working with our emerging readers.
Developing a Hunch
Variety of Strategies
Common Language and Approaches
Developing a Hunch
Variety of Strategies
In addition to the Leveled Literacy Intervention program, our staff are each trying to improve student reading skills in their class, and have all taken on a challenge to try new and innovative ways of teaching literacy skills. We are looking forward to each of our teachers sharing their results with their students as the year goes on.
Common Language and Approaches
When common language was used to describe processes and content,
students tended to transition from class to class and grade to grade with greater comfort and fluency.
Learning
Project Based Learning
Creative and Critical Thinking
Learning
Project Based Learning
Our team spent much time learning about and implementing project based learning across all grades. Student engagement increased, and students engaged in deeper levels of learning.
Creative and Critical Thinking
To address the Critical and Creative Thinking Core Competencies that are embedded across the new curriculum, our staff created “Why Block.” Why Block was an eight session, passion and place based learning opportunity for our students to learn about topics of their choosing. The groups were multi-grade and coed. Topics offered included sewing, spring bike maintenance, cooking, shadow puppets, wood working, volleyball camp, cartooning, t-shirt print making, drumming, and maker madness. Why Block has run for two years now, and has continued to be a successful way to get students excited about exploring the Creative and Critical Thinking Competencies.
Taking Action
Improving Literacy Achievement
Word Work Programs
Taking Action
Improving Literacy Achievement
All 37 students in grades 1-3 who are not yet meeting grade level expectations in Reading are being provided Leveled Literacy Intervention.
This intervention consists of 30 minute, small group intervention sessions, five days per week that focus on the specific needs of each individual reader.
Word Work Programs
In addition to our daily literacy instruction, we are offering a Leveled Literacy Intervention model for our students that are not currently reading at grade level. These groups of students receive an additional 30 minutes of intense literacy instruction 4 days per week.
Every intermediate student in our school was trained as sight word recognition mentors, letter recognition and sound mentors, and guided reading mentors.
For half an hour each day, for the first five months of the year, our intermediate students pair up with out primary students to engage in developmentally appropriate literacy activities.
These activities are monitored by our administration and our support staff while our most vulnerable readers pair up and meet with our teachers.
