Canyon Heights Elementary

School Planning Team

Canyon Heights Core Leadership Team represents the voice of all of Canyon Heights educational stakeholders and makes recommendations to guide our actions. It is a voluntary team which also provides leadership in the school planning process. The staff team worked on the School Plan initially and then student and parent representatives joined later in the process. Each member provided valuable voices to the school planning and the NVSD Strategic Planning process.

The team currently includes:

At Canyon Heights, staff are continually learning and growing their skills in order to improve the overall educational opportunities for our students. We have committed to the following actions and learning:

Whole school commitment to Social Emotional Learning Goal
Commitment to learning – Collaboration Time, Staff Meetings, Professional Development to focus staff learning on increasing our knowledge and understanding of the CASEL framework of Social Emotional Learning
Building a common understanding and language among the adults in our learning community
Commitment to the alignment of our Canyon Heights Code of Conduct to our focus on Social Emotional Learning through Canyon Heights Cares framework
Incorporation of the Indigenous Worldview
Ongoing and improved communication and resource sharing with parent community

Learning together on Professional Development Days, Collaboration Days, and at Staff Meetings are essential ways for staff to monitor progress in relation to our school goals, make any adjustments that may be needed, and ensure that we are continuing to grow as a Vibrant Learning Community.

Canyon Heights Revised Code of Conduct

In the 2018, year the School Code of Conduct was revised to support our SEL goals and highlight our focus on Social Emotional learning, Kindness and Collaborative Problem Solving. In 2023/23 school year we reimagined our code of conduct to Canyon Heights Cares.

Strategic Action Plan

The Core Team have determined that we will focus on each of the 5 components of the CASEL framework through the intentional teaching of the Second Step program: Self Awareness, Self-Management, Social Awareness, Relationship Skills and Responsible Decision Making.

Year 1 and 2 (2020/2021)

This will be a multi-year process beginning with:

1. Self Awareness is defined as the ability to accurately recognize one’s own emotions, thoughts, and values and how they influence behaviour. The ability to accurately assess one’s strengths and limitations, with a well-grounded sense of confidence, optimism, and a “growth mindset.”

Learning Targets

1.To accurately identify and name our emotions.
2. To recognize that our emotions are temporary and they will and can change.
3. To recognize our strengths and our stretches.
4. To show confidence that we can handle our daily tasks and challenges.

Universal Strategies

1. Regular announcements using Second Step language of skills for learning, empathy, emotion management, and problem solving
standing item on primary and intermediate team agenda.
2. Community communications of Second Step learning stories and school clubs.

Targeted Strategies

1. Commitment of two SEL focused teaching times each week built into all classroom schedules.
2. Classroom teachers to plan with support from Core SEL team to support progress it the classroom.
3. Staff provided with thorough resource list (picture books, websites, possible lessons) to incorporate into instruction.

Intensive Strategies

1. SEL language to be used when preparing Positive Behaviour Support Plans Individual or small group direct teaching by School counsellor/Learning Services Teachers (LST)/Education Assistants

Indicators of Progress

Office referrals – significant decrease by 60%
School Based Resource Team referrals-Teacher to Diversity checklist
Anecdotal evidence – dialogue
Increase in student ability to identify needs/feelings
Increase in student self-advocacy
Increase in positive problem solving strategies
Increase in School Clubs
Increase in Collective Efficacy
Increase Connectedness to a Trusted Adult
Future focus will continue to use the following components of the CASEL Framework as supported by the Second Step School Wide Program.

2. Self Management is defined as the ability to successfully regulate one’s emotions, thoughts, and behaviours in different situations – effectively managing stress, controlling impulses, and motivating oneself. The ability to set and work toward personal and academic goals

Year 3 and 4 (2022 & 2023) Canyon Heights Cares Framework

3. Social Awareness is defined as the ability to take the perspective of and empathize with others, including those from diverse backgrounds and cultures. The ability to understand social and ethical norms for behaviour and to recognize family, school, and community resources and supports.

4. Relationship Skills are defined as the ability to establish and maintain healthy and rewarding relationships with diverse individuals and groups. The ability to communicate clearly, listen well, cooperate with others, resist inappropriate social pressure, negotiate conflict constructively, and seek and offer help when needed.

5. Responsible Decision-making Skills are as the ability to make constructive choices about personal behaviour and social interactions based on ethical standards, safety concerns, and social norms. The realistic evaluation of consequences of various actions, and a consideration of the well-being of oneself and others.

https://casel.o