Superintendent's Monthly Message

January 2008

As we near the half-way point in our school year - and the end of First Semester for high schools, it is an appropriate time to reflect upon all of the many exciting activities our schools are undertaking in the name of ‘School Development’. With 17 of our 21 schools being ‘officially’ enrolled in the provincial program as Year 1, Year2, or Year 3 schools (and the remaining 4 schools also involved in a number of similar professional development/school improvement initiatives), the following summary serves to demonstrate the enormity of this work and the commitment of our staff as they collectively seek to improve our schools and programs for student success. I especially want to note the critical role of Laura Cudmore, our staff person with responsibility for the School Development initiative, as she provides leadership and support to each of our schools and especially the Team Leaders who have taken responsibility for  

What makes a school successful?  This is a question that has been at the heart of effective schools research conducted over the past 40 years.  This research has been summarized by educational researcher, Lawrence Lezotte (2005), who cited seven important factors for school success.  These factors included instructional leadership, a school community that has a clear and focused mission, a safe and orderly environment, a climate of high expectations for student success, frequent monitoring of student progress, positive home-school relations and an opportunity for students to spend quality time on a variety of learning experiences.  

With these factors in mind, schools in the Western School Board have joined the Department of Education’s provincial school development initiative.  Four schools entered the school development cycle in the spring of 2005; they included Summerside Intermediate School, Hernewood Intermediate School, Kensington Intermediate Senior High School and Elm Street Elementary School.  Seven additional schools began the process in 2006; they included Ellerslie Elementary School, St. Louis Elementary School, Athena Consolidated School, Somerset Elementary School, Kinkora Regional High School, Three Oaks Senior High School and

Westisle Composite High School.  Six elementary schools joined the initiative in 2007; they included Alberton Elementary School, Bloomfield Elementary School, Greenfield Elementary School, O’Leary Elementary School, Queen Elizabeth Elementary School and Tignish Elementary School.  Four remaining schools, Amherst Cove Consolidated School, M.E. Callaghan Intermediate School, Miscouche Consolidated School and Parkside Elementary School are preparing to officially begin the process this spring. 

In the first year of the school development process school development committees gather various kinds of information about their school; this may include student, staff or parent surveys; demographic information such as attendance rates or class sizes; and process or outcome data such as student reading levels, number of students completing assignments on time or report card marks.  After various information sources are considered the staff determine areas of strength and areas for improvement.  Successes are acknowledged and celebrated.  Areas of improvement are considered as areas for goal development.  Schools then develop action plans to meet their goals and monitor and evaluate their goals in a timely fashion; the process is a continuous three year cycle.   

Goal selection is school-specific; however, there are noted trends in priorities for schools.  Many of our elementary schools have heightened their focus on student literacy skills and specifically student writing skills.  Teachers have been keen to participate in various sessions designed to assist them in fostering student writing.  Teachers at Athena Consolidated School participated in a session offered by Kari MacKinnon Mullins a teacher at Amherst Cove Consolidated School using strategies from the 6+1 Writing Traits; a prime example of ways in which teachers are working together to ensure a quality writing program for their students.   

The link between reading and writing continues to be of prime importance.  Many schools have various events throughout the school year designed to foster the joy of reading.  O’Leary Elementary School is hosting a "Camp Wanna-Read" on Friday, January 25 in connection with Family Literacy Day.  Students are invited to bring pillows and/or small blankets to school so they can enjoy a camp-style story time.  Parents or guardians are welcome to volunteer as camp leaders.  Elm Street Elementary School has hosted a number of Literacy Days; the school’s almost 500 students were divided into twenty-four teams with members from grades one to six students including both French Immersion and English children.  These teams of students circulated through a variety of high interest literacy stations. 

School climate is an important factor in school success.  Many schools have designed specific plans to enhance school-wide approaches to discipline.  Kinkora Regional High School set a goal designed to improve the clarity and consistency of policies and expectations within their school community.  To achieve this goal they have established a variety of strategies such as a "Caught Using Your Planner" program designed to encourage student use of the school planner.  Kensington Intermediate/Senior High School has also set a similar goal along with a variety of strategies.  One of their successful actions involved the establishment of a variety of positive response/recognition protocols such as the "Catch Them Being Good" program, the Wall of Praise, Student of the Month program and the Honor Roll.   

Enhanced parent support and involvement is an important component of school development.  Many schools have focused on strategies to improve parent and school communication.  Parents may access school websites, read school newsletters and in many cases contact school personnel via e-mail.  In addition to enhanced communication via technology, schools continue to promote parent attendance at parent-teacher interviews, meet-the-teacher nights and Home and School meetings.  St.Louis Elementary School has embarked on an ambitious project in which teachers and students are working together to create portfolios which will document students’ work and progress.  These portfolios will be shared with parents at regular intervals.   

Dale C. Sabean
Superintendent of Education