The student learning survey which is developed at the provincial level  will be administered for students and results will be evaluated at the school level. There are several key questions within this survey that can help to inform our understanding of student engagement.

Teachers, support staff, and admin work together as a team to continuously observe and monitor student engagement and behaviours.  When there is cause for deeper understanding the team comes together, with the addition of district specialist support when applicable, to support student success.  Family input is integral to this process.

Please click on the dark portion of the screen to return to the previous screen.

Our school goals last year were centered on improving literacy levels for all of our students.  Up until spring break we definitely saw individual growth for students.  We recognize that moving to remote learning until the end of the year did not allow us to complete the cycle of learning for the year in the way we expected. This is something we are going to take into account as we move into the 2020-2021 school year.

Please click on the dark portion of the screen to return to the previous screen.

This year has been unique as we are operating within a global pandemic.  We are following the advice of the Provincial Health Officer and applying the direction found within the District Pandemic Plan.  This plan requires that some of our school processes and procedures are different than at other times.  We are mindful of the differences and are working to support individual students, staff, and families through these challenges.  Please let us know at the school of any concerns you may be having and we will do our best to support you.

Our School Goals – 2020-2021

In the 2020-2021 school year we are continuing to focus on literacy improvement but are also adding a goal around Indigenous learning.  We want all Mission Hill students and staff to increase their understanding of how the Syilx people connect to the land around them.  We are going to focus on learning about the Four Food chiefs and their connection to the land at every grade level.

Please click on the dark portion of the screen to return to the previous screen.

Literacy Growth

Grade 1

Grade 2

Grade 3

Please click on the dark portion of the screen to return to the previous screen.

Foundation Skills Assessment

Grade 4 – 2017-2020

Grade 7 – 2017-2020

Please click on the dark portion of the screen to return to the previous window.

Grade 4 – Results from Selected Questions about Student Engagement

Grade 4 Student Learning Survey

Grade 7 – Results from Selected Questions about Student Engagement

Grade 7 Student Learning Survey

Please click on the dark portion of the screen to return to the previous screen.

From our literacy data we can see the following:

Grade 1 – we were able to maintain progress between November and March but didn’t make significant improvements.

Grade 2 – we saw a large amount of growth this year between November and March which may have been due to an impact from the change in schooling during the spring of 2020.

Grade 3 – results show a steady improvement over time.  We can see that our current percentages were lower than the year before which also may  have been an impact from schooling in spring of 2020.

It is important to remember that the level that students need to read at in March in order to be independent readers is higher than the level they need to read at in November.  This shows us that students are still  learning but we aren’t having students move from dependent to independent levels during this time.

Another significant showing is that not as many students (%) who identify as having indigenous backgrounds are reading at an independent level as those who do not.

What do we learn from our Foundation Skills Assessment data?

It is important to note that between 2017 and 2018 the timing of the administration of FSA’s was altered.  In 2017 and previously this assessment was administered in the early spring and in 2018 this assessment was administered in the early fall.  From the graphed data we can see that while there was an increase in results between 2016/2017 and 2017/2018 there is a marked decrease in results in the  2018/2019 year.  It is difficult to say if the administration timing was the sole or major impact on student results but it was anticipated and predicted that we might see this difference during these years.

What we can see is that literacy levels are still something that we would like to focus on as a school because regardless of the reasoning students are clearly still struggling in this area.  Literacy competency is a high priority for student learning which is why it remains our top school goal for the coming year.

​How might we improve the reading achievement of all of our students who are reading significantly below grade level in our school?

Please click on the dark portion of the screen to return to the previous window.

While there are many questions posed on the student learning survey which is developed by the ministry of education at the provincial level there are a few questions that help to indicate whether our students feel safe and  welcome with a sense of belonging and fairness.  These are the ones which are highlighted in our linked results.  The vast majority of students both in grade 4 and grade 7 indicated that they felt safe and welcome at school with at least 3 people that cared about them in the building.

Please click on the dark portion of the screen to return to the previous window.

The student learning survey indicated that the majority of students in both Grade 4 and Grade 7 feel that they are learning how to solve problems in peaceful ways and how to care for their mental health which included a focus on relationship skills.  We can see on a daily basis the growth and development of students as they learn from their mistakes and problems to move forward armed with new knowledge and strategies.

We know this is an ongoing process and while we are glad that students acknowledge their learning in this area we are committed to continuing to learn and grow together.

Please click on the dark portion of the screen to return to the previous window.

If we focus on building foundational reading skills in our primary readers they will be better able to acquire the higher skills needed for reading and be more successful.

Small group learning within the classroom environment will be the most effective use of resources.

Expanding the knowledge of teachers within the area of foundational literacy instruction will benefit all students.

Please click on the dark portion of the screen to return to the previous window.

Differentiation in the Classroom

Each student is learning at their own rate and functioning at their own level.  If we meet students where they are at and help them move forward in the ways that work for them their time spent at school will be as effective as possible.

Offering Individualized Education Plans to those students with special educational needs will help them to set and meet goals that are most important to them.

Supporting our most vulnerable students including those with Indigenous backgrounds is of paramount importance at Mission Hill.  We want students and their families to feel welcome, supported, and cared for.  We acknowledge that we live, learn, and play on the unceded territory of the Syilx people within the Okanagan nation.  We strive to include the teachings and understandings of the Syilx people along with the First Peoples Principles of Learning into our curriculum and classrooms on a daily basis. As we do this we teach current and future generations their connection to the land, it’s history, and the First Nations people we share a stewardship with to care for it.

Please click on the dark portion of the screen to return to the previous window.

Reading Intervention Project groups: Our teachers are engaged in training and the implementation of strategies to target the development of Literacy skills for their most at-risk students. We have approximately 50% of our teaching staff currently involved in project work specifically around reading intervention strategies.

Please click on the dark portion of the screen to return to the previous screen.

Our staff is working on developing an understanding of options and strategies that can be utilized/implemented in order to provide personalized instruction and learning opportunities for each student.

Effective Practice Meetings: target teacher professional development

Weekly Collaboration Time: teachers work in Action Teams to collaborate, develop understanding, create/design strategies that can be implemented in order to support student learning. (on hold due to COVID)

Please click on the dark portion of the screen to return to the previous window.

In order to support the goal of learning about the Four Food Chiefs this year we have brought in a resource from the Okanagan Nation Alliance called Go Back to the Root and teachings from the Stories of Our Syilx Ways which was developed by Okanagan-Syilx Foundation.  Our staff and students have been increasing their understanding of how the knowledge of the Four Food Chiefs can be integrated into many different facets of our learning and our connection to the land we live on.

Please click on the dark portion of the screen to return to the previous window.

In order to support the development of Literacy skills, we have diversified our programming to ensure that every child who is not fully meeting grade level expectations in reading is receiving direct reading instruction above and beyond what is provided in the regular classroom setting.

Reading Intervention Teacher program: Our Reading Intervention Teacher is specifically trained to use the Fountas & Pinnell Leveled Literacy Intervention program. Our RIT works with small groups of 2-3 students or with individual students for 30 minutes each day in order to provide intensive support for literacy development. Parents are involved and committed to completing the daily at-home reading work with their children.

Literacy Intervention Support program: Our Literacy teacher is also trained to use the Fountas & Pinnell Leveled Literacy Intervention program. Our Literacy teacher works with small groups of students on a regular basis each week. The intervention emphasis for these students is time-on-text and daily practice as well as the development and reinforcement of a variety of literacy skills.

Reading Together: This program is delivered by trained volunteers. Students in this program work individually with a volunteer reading instructor. The intervention emphasis for these students is regular time-on-text and overall reinforcement of literacy skills. (on hold due to COVID)

Technology: Our school has invested in technology and apps to support the development and reinforcement of Literacy skills. These are used in classrooms daily to help with repetition of instruction and add practice time.

Buddy Reading: Our students work together in multi-age pairs to practice and reinforce literacy skills. (on hold due to COVID

Additional community involvement: We have community groups, such as our Vernon Vipers hockey team members, who come into the school to read with individual students. Our community volunteers provide students with additional time-on-text and the opportunity to practice reading strategies.

Please click on the dark portion of the screen to return to the previous window.

First People’s Principles of Learning also help to support social responsibility and self-regulation in the school as they address the connection to the school as a community, recognizing the consequences of one’s actions, and that learning takes patience and time. As students feel connected to themselves and their own identity and are able to link their own well-being to that of their family, class, and community we all become stronger together.

Please click on the thumbnail for an enlarged image.

Please click on the dark portion of the screen to return to the previous window.