Vision to Goal Setting
What is our Vision for Learning?
Vision For Learning
At Ridgeway, we strive to provide a safe, welcoming, and inclusive environment for all so we can develop as unique individuals and learners rooted in community, connection, and story. We do this by creating engaging learning environments that honour diversity, collaboration, communication, and justice.
Our Guiding Values
Ridgeway R.O.C.K.S is a set of values that guide our behaviour and actions to ensure that all members of our school community feel valued, connected, and safe.
R -Respect for everyone at all times
O -Ownership of our my actions, my learning, and my community
C -Cooperation with others
K -Kindness shown towards myself and others
S -Safety by and for everyone
Our Goal
To foster an environment that values deep student-centered learning and social-emotional well-being for all community members.
Ridgeway’s Deep Learning Definition
At Ridgeway, we use critical thinking skills to reflect and ask questions in order to make authentic connections and engage in our learning. Deep learning requires self-exploration, perspective taking, and sharing.Â
Ridgeway’s School Plan Journey
In 2018-2019, we began our first steps:
- Staff watched the movie Resilience, which explored childhood trauma and its effect on a child’s ability to regulate and demonstrate readiness for learning.
- Ridgeway Code of Conduct was revised to embed values of problem solving
In 2020-2021, we reflected on our progress so far and began adapting our goals to reflect that progress and our next steps:
- The 2020/21 School Planning Team consisted of diverse representation from Ridgeway staff including representation from Primary, Intermediate, and Non-enrolling teachers as well as members of CUPE and administrators
- The team sought feedback from the larger staff to reflect on our goal and determine our next steps
- Over several months, the team worked to revamp our school goal with specific objectives to reflect the progress we have made and the direction we want to go
- We began the work of developing a shared understanding of deep learning and are moving towards the implementation of a school-wide SEL program
In 2021-2022, our team:
- Worked with school team, staff, and larger community to renew our vision statement
- Implemented Second Step school wide as a research-based school-wide SEL program to enhance well-bent and mental health literacy
- Implement the Seven Grandfather Teachings to support shared language and SEL for all
- Gathered staff input about deep learning
In 2022-2023, our team:
- Developed shared definition of Deep Learning
- Engaged in professional learning about Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
- Created school-wide opportunities for engagement through assemblies, multi-aged activities
- Created a welcome package for new to Ridgeway families
- Implemented Ridgeway ROCKS reflection sheets to support positive student behaviour
Planning & Implementation
What is our Action Plan?
Our Goal
To foster an environment that values deep student-centered learning and social-emotional well-being for all community members.
Our objectives help us to break down our goal into achievable pieces. Below each objective are our strategies to achieve that objective.
Objective #1 -Increase staff understanding of deep student-centered learning.
- Engage in professional learning about Universal Design for Learning and connections to deep learning (Winter 2023)
- Engage in professional learning about implementing the new reporting order (Winter 2023-Spring 2024)
- Explore shared assessment strategies for numeracy- SNAP Math Assessment (Winter 2023)
- Engage in professonal learning led by staff members related to Artificial Intellegience (AI) and its applications to the classroom 9Winter 2023)
- Engage in professional learning related to neurodoverse learners and English language learners in relation to the new reporting order (Spring 2024)
- Develop team to explore numeracy instruction, assessment, and deep learning (Spring 2024)
Objective #2 – Whole school feels a sense of belonging at Ridgeway.
- Continue offering student clubs (Ongoing)
- Rainbow Ravens
- ReconciliAction Ravens
- Raven Changemakers
- Chess Club
- Intermediate IntramuralsÂ
- Grade 7 RCA leadership in the library
- Grade 7 Announcers
- Grade 5 Peer Mediators
- Intermediate Choir
- Work with PAC to host a new family tea to build connections in the community (Fall 2023)
- School-wide assemblies with explicit teaching of Ridgeway ROCKS code of conduct (Ongoing)
- Hosted parent information evenings about combined grades and the new reporting order (Fall and Winter 2023)
- Increase student voice in School Planning Team from two students to four (Soring 2024)
- Explore methods to guage student sense of belonging (Spring 2024)
Objective #3- School wide use of common SEL strategies
- Continue to implement Second Step program school-wide (Ongoing)
- Build on work with Second Step program and create support staff lanyards with strategies for each emotional zone to support positive student behaviour at break times (Winter 2023)
- School-wide use of The Grandfather Teachings (Ongoing)
- Explore executive functioning strategies and resources using the book, Smart but Scattered (Spring 2024)
- Create staff conduct report for Ridgeway ROCKS to enhance use of shared language (Spring 2024)
Monitor Evaluate & Adapt
What are our Indicators of Progress?
As a team, we consider how we will monitor and evaluate our progress towards our specific objectives and larger school goal using the reflective questions:
- How will we know we are making progress towards our objectives?
- What are our indicators of success for this obective?
Objective # 1: Increase staff comfort and understanding of deep student-centered learning.
- We will know we are making progress with this objective with the full implementation of new reporting order i(Winter 2023)
- We will know we are making progress with this objective by guaging staff feedback on digital form related to feelings of success with new reporting order (Winter 2023 and Spring 2024)
- We will know we are making progress with this objective when an increasing number of complex learners have Individual Education Plan (IEP) updates embedded in their written learning updates (Spring 2024)
Objective #2: Whole school feels a sense of belonging at Ridgeway.
We will know we are making progress towards this objective from anectodal evidence of students, staff, and community members continuing to greet each other and speak positively about each other
- Anecdotal evidence from PAC that families feel informed about school events and shared SEL language
Objective #3: School wide use of common SEL strategies.
All classrooms implementing Second Step program (Ongoing)
Staff demonstrate understanding of Second Step problem-solving model (Winter 2023)
Shared language is visible throughout the school (MPR, Library, Office, Student Break Rooms, Music Room, Gym bulletin board) (Ongoing)
Ridgeway ROCKS
The Grandfather Teachings
- Zones of Regulation
An increasing number of students are able to independetly identify components of our shared programs (Ongoing, ROCKS Reflections)
Communicating Progress
How do we Communicate our Progress?
Our school planning process at Ridgeway supports an ongoing dialogue with input from all stakeholders in our community. We value the opportunity for feedback and share our progress in a variety of ways including monthly reports at PAC meetings. We also share our progress with our Ridgeway’s Week Ahead sent to all families. This weekly communication includes important dates, reminders, and an emphasis on information about school wide events and teachings.
We communicate our progress in a number of ways including:
- School website
- Ridgeway Week Ahead (Important dates and reminders sent weekly to families)
- Regular communication with PAC
- Staff sharing at PAC meetings
- Term newsletters
- Classroom communications
- School-based and FOS-wide parent evenings and special guest speakers
- Opportunities for input with students, staff, families
- Year end reflections published each spring noting our progress and areas for further growth related to our school plan, click here for these documents on our school website
Vision For Learning
At Ridgeway, we strive to provide a safe, welcoming, and inclusive environment for all so we can develop as unique individuals and learners rooted in community, connection, and story. We do this by creating engaging learning environments that honour diversity, collaboration, communication, and justice.
Our Guiding Values
Ridgeway R.O.C.K.S is a set of values that guide our behaviour and actions to ensure that all members of our school community feel valued, connected, and safe.
R -Respect for everyone at all times
O -Ownership of our my actions, my learning, and my community
C -Cooperation with others
K -Kindness shown towards myself and others
S -Safety by and for everyone
Our Goal
To foster an environment that values deep student-centered learning and social-emotional well-being for all community members.
Ridgeway’s Deep Learning Definition
At Ridgeway, we use critical thinking skills to reflect and ask questions in order to make authentic connections and engage in our learning. Deep learning requires self-exploration, perspective taking, and sharing.Â
Ridgeway’s School Plan Journey
In 2018-2019, we began our first steps:
- Staff watched the movie Resilience, which explored childhood trauma and its effect on a child’s ability to regulate and demonstrate readiness for learning.
- Ridgeway Code of Conduct was revised to embed values of problem solving
In 2020-2021, we reflected on our progress so far and began adapting our goals to reflect that progress and our next steps:
- The 2020/21 School Planning Team consisted of diverse representation from Ridgeway staff including representation from Primary, Intermediate, and Non-enrolling teachers as well as members of CUPE and administrators
- The team sought feedback from the larger staff to reflect on our goal and determine our next steps
- Over several months, the team worked to revamp our school goal with specific objectives to reflect the progress we have made and the direction we want to go
- We began the work of developing a shared understanding of deep learning and are moving towards the implementation of a school-wide SEL program
In 2021-2022, our team:
- Worked with school team, staff, and larger community to renew our vision statement
- Implemented Second Step school wide as a research-based school-wide SEL program to enhance well-bent and mental health literacy
- Implement the Seven Grandfather Teachings to support shared language and SEL for all
- Gathered staff input about deep learning
In 2022-2023, our team:
- Developed shared definition of Deep Learning
- Engaged in professional learning about Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
- Created school-wide opportunities for engagement through assemblies, multi-aged activities
- Created a welcome package for new to Ridgeway families
- Implemented Ridgeway ROCKS reflection sheets to support positive student behaviour
Our Goal
To foster an environment that values deep student-centered learning and social-emotional well-being for all community members.
Our objectives help us to break down our goal into achievable pieces. Below each objective are our strategies to achieve that objective.
Objective #1 -Increase staff understanding of deep student-centered learning.
- Engage in professional learning about Universal Design for Learning and connections to deep learning (Winter 2023)
- Engage in professional learning about implementing the new reporting order (Winter 2023-Spring 2024)
- Explore shared assessment strategies for numeracy- SNAP Math Assessment (Winter 2023)
- Engage in professonal learning led by staff members related to Artificial Intellegience (AI) and its applications to the classroom 9Winter 2023)
- Engage in professional learning related to neurodoverse learners and English language learners in relation to the new reporting order (Spring 2024)
- Develop team to explore numeracy instruction, assessment, and deep learning (Spring 2024)
Objective #2 – Whole school feels a sense of belonging at Ridgeway.
- Continue offering student clubs (Ongoing)
- Rainbow Ravens
- ReconciliAction Ravens
- Raven Changemakers
- Chess Club
- Intermediate IntramuralsÂ
- Grade 7 RCA leadership in the library
- Grade 7 Announcers
- Grade 5 Peer Mediators
- Intermediate Choir
- Work with PAC to host a new family tea to build connections in the community (Fall 2023)
- School-wide assemblies with explicit teaching of Ridgeway ROCKS code of conduct (Ongoing)
- Hosted parent information evenings about combined grades and the new reporting order (Fall and Winter 2023)
- Increase student voice in School Planning Team from two students to four (Soring 2024)
- Explore methods to guage student sense of belonging (Spring 2024)
Objective #3- School wide use of common SEL strategies
- Continue to implement Second Step program school-wide (Ongoing)
- Build on work with Second Step program and create support staff lanyards with strategies for each emotional zone to support positive student behaviour at break times (Winter 2023)
- School-wide use of The Grandfather Teachings (Ongoing)
- Explore executive functioning strategies and resources using the book, Smart but Scattered (Spring 2024)
- Create staff conduct report for Ridgeway ROCKS to enhance use of shared language (Spring 2024)
As a team, we consider how we will monitor and evaluate our progress towards our specific objectives and larger school goal using the reflective questions:
- How will we know we are making progress towards our objectives?
- What are our indicators of success for this obective?
Objective # 1: Increase staff comfort and understanding of deep student-centered learning.
- We will know we are making progress with this objective with the full implementation of new reporting order i(Winter 2023)
- We will know we are making progress with this objective by guaging staff feedback on digital form related to feelings of success with new reporting order (Winter 2023 and Spring 2024)
- We will know we are making progress with this objective when an increasing number of complex learners have Individual Education Plan (IEP) updates embedded in their written learning updates (Spring 2024)
Objective #2: Whole school feels a sense of belonging at Ridgeway.
We will know we are making progress towards this objective from anectodal evidence of students, staff, and community members continuing to greet each other and speak positively about each other
- Anecdotal evidence from PAC that families feel informed about school events and shared SEL language
Objective #3: School wide use of common SEL strategies.
All classrooms implementing Second Step program (Ongoing)
Staff demonstrate understanding of Second Step problem-solving model (Winter 2023)
Shared language is visible throughout the school (MPR, Library, Office, Student Break Rooms, Music Room, Gym bulletin board) (Ongoing)
Ridgeway ROCKS
The Grandfather Teachings
- Zones of Regulation
An increasing number of students are able to independetly identify components of our shared programs (Ongoing, ROCKS Reflections)
Our school planning process at Ridgeway supports an ongoing dialogue with input from all stakeholders in our community. We value the opportunity for feedback and share our progress in a variety of ways including monthly reports at PAC meetings. We also share our progress with our Ridgeway’s Week Ahead sent to all families. This weekly communication includes important dates, reminders, and an emphasis on information about school wide events and teachings.
We communicate our progress in a number of ways including:
- School website
- Ridgeway Week Ahead (Important dates and reminders sent weekly to families)
- Regular communication with PAC
- Staff sharing at PAC meetings
- Term newsletters
- Classroom communications
- School-based and FOS-wide parent evenings and special guest speakers
- Opportunities for input with students, staff, families
- Year end reflections published each spring noting our progress and areas for further growth related to our school plan, click here for these documents on our school website