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School Profile
Kalamalka Secondary is located on the unceded territory of the Okanagan/Syilx nation. It is named after a former chief who lived at the head of Kalamalka Lake which was called k’ek’maplqs or “little head of the lake”. The school serves approximately 580 students with a teaching staff of 40 and a support staff of 11. Our feeder schools include Kidston, Lavington, and Coldstream elementary schools.
Our parent community is very supportive of the school. Many parents attended Kalamalka as students. Parents expect their students to be successful in school and prepared for post Kalamalka life experiences.
Kalamalka students achieve well on Provincial assessments and are continuously striving…’toward honour and excellence.’
School Mission Statement: Our mission is to foster achievement, self-esteem, and social responsibility, in a safe, supportive, and progressive environment.
School Motto: Toward Honor and Excellence
School wide Goal/Inquiry:
1. Ensure that Indigenous Learning is at the forefront
School wide Goal/Inquiry: How can the Kalamalka Secondary learning community create an environment that is safe and welcoming for our indigenous learners?
2. Technology improvement and updating
School wide Goal/Inquiry: How would student engagement change if technology were employed in content, process and product?
3. Increase student connection to their learning
School wide Goal/Inquiry: Research says that student’s feel more ownership of their learning if they take the time to reflect and set personalized goals for improvement. How can Kalamalka best facilitate this?
Connection between staff, students, parents, and community (clubs, athletics, leadership opportunities, courses offerings, school spirit….)
Inclusive culture that embraces and celebrates diversity (cultural acitivities, Kal cafe, international students connected, First Peoples learning)
Personalized learning opportunities in a broad base of programs that include and are not limited to trades, workplace learning, academics, fine arts, and athletics.
Receptive to student needs and personal learning styles
Advanced Placement Courses for students Preparing for the expectations of University
A culture of openness, trust and support for all people in the extended learning community.
Promotion of the excellent programs that currently exist in Kalamalka School (Leadership opportunities, athletics, clubs, AP courses..)
Ensure that Indigenous Learning is at the forefront
School wide Goal/Inquiry: How can the Kalamalka Secondary learning community create an environment that is safe and welcoming for our indigenous learners?
Technology improvement and updating
School wide Goal/Inquiry: How would student engagement change if technology were employed in content, process and product?
Increase student connection to their learning
School wide Goal/Inquiry: Research says that student’s feel more ownership of their learning if they take the time to reflect and set personalized goals for improvement. How can Kalamalka best facilitate this?
School Profile
Kalamalka Secondary is located on the unceded territory of the Okanagan/Syilx nation. It is named after a former chief who lived at the head of Kalamalka Lake which was called k’ek’maplqs or “little head of the lake”. The school serves approximately 580 students with a teaching staff of 40 and a support staff of 11. Our feeder schools include Kidston, Lavington, and Coldstream elementary schools.
Our parent community is very supportive of the school. Many parents attended Kalamalka as students. Parents expect their students to be successful in school and prepared for post Kalamalka life experiences.
Kalamalka students achieve well on Provincial assessments and are continuously striving…’toward honour and excellence.’
School Mission Statement: Our mission is to foster achievement, self-esteem, and social responsibility, in a safe, supportive, and progressive environment.
School Motto: Toward Honor and Excellence
School wide Goal/Inquiry:
1. Ensure that Indigenous Learning is at the forefront
School wide Goal/Inquiry: How can the Kalamalka Secondary learning community create an environment that is safe and welcoming for our indigenous learners?
2. Technology improvement and updating
School wide Goal/Inquiry: How would student engagement change if technology were employed in content, process and product?
3. Increase student connection to their learning
School wide Goal/Inquiry: Research says that student’s feel more ownership of their learning if they take the time to reflect and set personalized goals for improvement. How can Kalamalka best facilitate this?
Connection between staff, students, parents, and community (clubs, athletics, leadership opportunities, courses offerings, school spirit….)
Inclusive culture that embraces and celebrates diversity (cultural acitivities, Kal cafe, international students connected, First Peoples learning)
Personalized learning opportunities in a broad base of programs that include and are not limited to trades, workplace learning, academics, fine arts, and athletics.
Receptive to student needs and personal learning styles
Advanced Placement Courses for students Preparing for the expectations of University
A culture of openness, trust and support for all people in the extended learning community.
Promotion of the excellent programs that currently exist in Kalamalka School (Leadership opportunities, athletics, clubs, AP courses..)
Ensure that Indigenous Learning is at the forefront
School wide Goal/Inquiry: How can the Kalamalka Secondary learning community create an environment that is safe and welcoming for our indigenous learners?
Technology improvement and updating
School wide Goal/Inquiry: How would student engagement change if technology were employed in content, process and product?
Increase student connection to their learning
School wide Goal/Inquiry: Research says that student’s feel more ownership of their learning if they take the time to reflect and set personalized goals for improvement. How can Kalamalka best facilitate this?
Checking
Data summary (click to view)
Year 4 2019 - 2020 continued work in Technology
Year 2: Increase Student Connection to Learning
Checking
Data summary (click to view)
The data above is a summary of school data is requested. (use link to view)
Grad Numeracy Literacy Assessment by Session
The data above is historical session data of each writing of the Numeracy and Literacy assessment.
Year 4 2019 - 2020 continued work in Technology
Year 4 – 2019/20: Four years ago, Kalamalka Secondary had 17 classrooms with chalkboards. Now all of our classrooms are up to current technology standards. All students have electronic portfolios in Myblueprint and use these for ongoing Core Competency reflections. Our Grade 8 STEM program now has two classes and we continue to offer robotics as an elective. Digital citizenship is taught and continuously discussed in all grade levels.
At the end of the 2019/20 school year, our staff was able to move seamlessly into the online platform required by Covid. In 2020/21 we continue to use Google classroom as a platform of choice with our students and staff regularly posting and submitting assignments. Focus in 2020/21 and 2021/22 will be on the next two inquiries.
Year 2: Increase Student Connection to Learning
Inquiry Question: Research says that student’s feel more ownership of their learning if they take the time to reflect and set personalized goals for improvement. How can Kalamalka best facilitate this?
Our data shown in the previous link demonstrates that we have started the shift toward “many times and all times” in helping students understand how they can improve their learning and teaching students to take control of their learning.
Scanning
School Connections
Academic Achievement
Teacher Led Development
Scanning
School Connections
Leadership classes run school spirit days, fund raisers, clebrations and major assemblies. We have a Safe Schools committee that works to ensure students feel connected to the school and feel pride in their achievements and abilities. Grade 8 transitions activities start with future Kal students and are continuous throughout the year. Kalamalka athletics works hard to ensure every sport is running for our students and our Grade 10 girls’ basketball team and Senior Boys soccer team making provincials is an example of our improved focus on athletic excellence. In 2019/2020 our Senior Girls’ volleyball team placed 7th at provincials. The Kal Band is growing and continues to perform in competitive venues. Kal Clubs are offered through student interest and development. We have “The Edge, ” student newspaper club, coding club, Environmental Club, Fly tieing club, Cooking club, Lunch Art club, and the list grows with the students diverse interests.
Please see the 2020 data from the Ministry learning survey on…
At School, how many adults do you feel care about you?
See table in data summary below
Academic Achievement
Number of students with more than one course incomplete.
| Grade | 2020/21 | 2019/20 | 2018/19 | 2017/18 | |
| 8 | NA | NA | 4 | 1 | |
| 9 | NA | NA | 4 | 2 | |
| 10 | 2 | 4 | 3 | ||
| 11 | 1 | 7 | 2 | ||
| 12 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
Promotional Rate
| Grade | 2019/20 | 2018/19 |
| 8 | 100% | 97% |
| 9 | 100% | 97% |
| 10 | 100% | 96% |
| 11 | 100% | 97% |
| 12 | 100% | 99% |
Kalamalka Secondary scores very well in Ministry Literacy and Numeracy Assessments. We have demonstrated better than district and provincial results. Promotional rate data for 2019/2020 are a reflection of the pandemic, but are what we strive for in each year. This does not completely correspond to ministry data included in the link below. Our data is based on our promotions of students to the next grade.
Teacher Led Development
We have teacher leaders taking on the following areas to improve learning at Kalamalka Secondary. 2020/21 Focusing includes…
Technology: Supporting staff with the google platform and continuing the Core Competency reflections in Myblueprint. Every student has an electronic portfolio
Curricular Integration: Supporting the technology and enhancing the Core Competency reflections. Working with a group of teachers in different disciplines on a garden project.
School Culture and Citizenship: Attempting to maintain as much normal in a time of change due to Covid.
Assessment: Developing a school handbook on the standards of assessment and means to assist new staff in understanding where we are with assessment. Supporting strength based comments and reflective learning.
Numeracy: Providing workshops to help students prepare for the numeracy assessment. Continued sample questions and competitions school wide to highlight the importance of the assessment.
Literacy: In a quarter system, we are ensuring that students read regularly. Short readings are supplied for staff in every quarter to share with students. Keeping them reading and reflecting even when they don’t have English class.
Focusing
New School Wide Inquiry
New School Wide Inquiry
Focusing
New School Wide Inquiry
We have started two new inquiries after experiencing success in our Technology inquiry. Please see the data on Checking and Scanning section that has led to the following Foci.
Ensure that Indigenous Learning is at the forefront (started 2020/21)
School wide Goal/Inquiry: How can the Kalamalka Secondary learning community create an environment that is safe and welcoming for our indigenous learners?
New School Wide Inquiry
Increase student connection to their learning (started 2019/20)
School wide Goal/Inquiry: Research says that student’s feel more ownership of their learning if they take the time to reflect and set personalized goals for improvement. How can Kalamalka best facilitate this?
Developing a Hunch
Ensure that Indigenous Learning is at the forefront
Increase student connection to learning
Developing a Hunch
Ensure that Indigenous Learning is at the forefront
Rationale: Currently the BC curriculum is completely linked to indigenous learning and the First Peoples Principles of Learning. Kalamalka Secondary is named after a former Okanagan chief who lived at the head of the Kalamalka Lake. Upon entering Kalamalka, you wouldn’t find reference to this. Our first steps in making Kalamalka Secondary a more welcoming place for our indigenous learners will include recognition of the historic context of Kalamalka in our hallways and classrooms. It is important that all students see themselves and their culture in their learning environment. We need to see this reflected in our classrooms and our curriculum.
We have indigenous lead teachers in the district that can be better utilized in our school. We will create a calendar of events to recognize and celebrate the first peoples culture. We had started a pre-pandemic plan to have each of our grade 10 students visit the Kamloops Residential School to develop an understanding of ‘Truth’ and the need for ‘Reconciliation.’
Increase student connection to learning
Rationale: Consistently, students have indicated that they are not taught to take control of their learning or know how to improve. This area of growth is supported by the change in reporting process. The first year working on this inquiry is around strength based comments both in report cards and in curricular competency feedback. A focus on developing Core Competency reflections in all classes will also help us show improvement in this area.
Learning
Continuous development of Indigenous Content
Increase student connection to learning
Learning
Continuous development of Indigenous Content
As noted in our data, we do not show ongoing participation in Aboriginal programs or activities nor do we participate in First Peoples celebrations or activities. We need to learn about what events and ongoing activities we can recognize and celebrate.We will work with the Ab Ed department to create a learning calendar.
Increase student connection to learning
A deeper learning and intentional instruction around the core and curricular competencies will be continued. This is the second year of this focus and we have decided to work on a pre, mid, and post core competency assessment. We are also looking to link this to our First Peoples Principles of learning.
We need to become more proficient in the use of the electronic portfolios and consistent in updating these.
Taking Action
Indigenous Learning at the forefront
Increase student connection to learning
Taking Action
Indigenous Learning at the forefront
Front Entrance Mural Design conceptualized with students and Okanagan/ Sylix Artist David Wilson.
Increase student connection to learning
-Continue with strength based comments
-Use of electronic portfolios in student led conferences
-Shared plans for improvement between students and teacher
-Curricular and Core competency reflections that are intentional and purposeful
-End goal..Students leave Kalamalka Secondary with a plan for the future
