Vision to Goal Setting
What is our Vision for Learning?
Vision For Learning
At Ridgeway, we strive to provide a safe, caring, engaging, and inclusive learning environment for all learners. We do this with a focus on recognizing and valuing the diversity of the school community and that every member of that community has a place and a story. We recognize that, in order for a student to experience success, they must feel safe, both physically and emotional, as well as valued for being themselves. We also recognize that every student has a responsibility for contributing to our learning environment in ensuring that others feel safe and valued.
Our Guiding Values
Ridgeway R.O.C.K.S has been a guiding value statement at Ridgeway for a number of years. It is a set of values that we guide our behaviour and actions by 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 own actions
C –Cooperation with others
K –Kindness shown to and for everyone
S –Safety by and for everyone
The Growth of Ridgeway
Ridgeway and the community have experienced significant growth in the past 5 years. As a result, the student population has increased from approximately 450 students to a projected 600 students in the 2019/2020 school year. The increase in student population has also meant an increase in the total number of staff from approximately 40 to over 60. We have also had the construction of a second building on site which currently has 9 classes in it.
Staff noted that they saw a marked increase in the feelings of separation among students and an increase in the number of social issues among them. It has been determined that we need to focus more on social emotional learning and on rebuilding a sense of belonging and community. As part of enhancing social emotional learning, staff started on a journey to develop student mental health literacy.
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
School Goal
To improve all student’s sense of belonging and resiliency through purposely developing strategies focused on Social Emotional Learning.
Planning & Implementation
What is our Action Plan?
Staff will work together to improve their understanding of Mental Health Literacy, as well a studentsâ understanding.
This past year, Ridgeway staff watched the movie Resilience, which was about childhood trauma and the impact it has on childrenâs ability to manage their emotions and reactions when faced with challenging situations. We have committed to improving our understanding of how to support studentâs development of resiliency. During opportunities like staff collaboration, Pro-D days, lunch & learn, etc., we will focus on exploring mental health literacy.
Objective #2 – Social Emotional Learning
Staff will actively explore the adoption and use of a common and effective school-wide or Primary/Intermediate-wide programs deigned to support students in their emotional self regulation abilities.
Ridgeway staff have determined that we would like to implement a common approach to improving self-regulation. We know that specific programs/approaches are more suited to one age group than another, so have decided to focus on Primary and Intermediate grades separately.
Staff will purposefully provide opportunities for students to work together, in a supportive and inclusive environment, celebrating all that it means to be a Ridgeway Raven!
Ridgeway prides itself on providing opportunities for students to work collaboratively. Such activities and events include Orange Shirt Day, Pink Shirt Day, â¦â¦Â We will be purposeful in providing more such opportunities and celebrate these so that students can benefit from seeing how they are part of a larger community.
We will be exploring ways to improve home-school communication, particularly with regards to student learning.
In the 2019/2020 school year, we will be making adjustments to how we communicate student learning. Specifically, we will be making the parent-teacher conferences more interactive and informative, along with including the student voice.
Monitor Evaluate & Adapt
What are our Indicators of Progress?
As with communication, it is essential to include all voices in our community to effectively monitor, evaluate, and adapt our school plan. We will seek input from all members of our community in order to work towards our vision.
Objective #1: Improving Mental Health Literacy
- Staff discussion regarding both individual and school wide understanding and use of Mental Health Literacy
Objective #2: Enhancing Social Emotional Learning
- Tracking SBRT referrals
- Tracking counselling referrals
- Collecting anecdotal feedback from staff throughout different areas of the school: classroom, playground, Library, Music, etc.
- Conversations with students: Can they identify emotions? Do they know when they may need help from an adult? Can they self-advocate? Do they have strategies to solve problems?
Objective #3: Opportunities to contribute to a sense of belonging
- Surveys with students, parents, and staff
- Anecdotal feedback from staff and parents
- Photos
- Showcasing opportunities through special events: Band concerts, seasonal events, multicultural fair, etc.
Objective #4: Improving communication of student learning
- Surveys to collect feedback
- Discussion at PAC meetings
- Anecdotal feedback about new initiatives to help guide process
- Parent evening
Communicating Progress
How do we Communicate our Progress?
Our school planning process at Ridgeway is intended to support an ongoing dialogue with all members of our community in order to value and celebrate our progress as well as to collect feedback to continue our cycle of school planning. We will continue to both celebrate our progress and collect information from members of the community to determine whatâs working, whatâs not, and whatâs next. Examples of communication that is currently underway to communicate progress and collect data include:
- School website
- Slice Night, Multicultural Fair
- Regular communication with and through PAC
- Newsletters
- Staff sharing at PAC meetings
- Classroom communications
- Photo documentation
- School-based parent evenings and special guest speakers
- FOS wide parent evenings
- Surveys with students, staff, families