Building Collective Efficacy: What process did your school take in developing your School Growth Plan?
Our motto at Silver Star Elementary is “Tomorrow’s Stars are Here Today”. Our mission “is to inspire and develop a community of lifelong learners who can communicate, think creatively, problem-solve, collaborate, and understand their personal and social responsibilities.” The staff at Silver Star are highly skilled and believe that every child in our school will succeed socially, emotionally, and academically - achieving their full potential in all aspects of life. Success is measured in many ways. Silver Star Staff work together to foster a caring community that provides opportunities in all areas to promote growth. The staff give great consideration to create environments where students feel welcome, safe and connected to their school. Silver Star students have a clear understanding of what it means to be a part of the “Wolf Pack” and to follow and value our ‘School Belief Matrix’. Silver Star Staff feels that is is of utmost importance to provide individualized learning opportunities to improve student outcomes to meet or exceed literacy and numeracy expectations for each grade level as well as allow students to encounter opportunities to develop their core competencies in formal and informal settings. We are proud of Silver Star Elementary and how our students work hard to become lifelong learners and socially responsible individuals in our ever-changing world. We all work together to make Silver Star the Best it Can Be! "For the strength of the wolf is the pack, and the strength of the pack is the wolf" – Rudyard Kipling
Evidence-Informed: What data is driving your goal(s)?
The Silver Star leadership team and staff use standardized assessments and questionnaires (such as the EDI, MDI, Student Satisfaction Survey, PM Benchmarks, ELP, and FSA's), along with observation and school tracking of behaviours and student participation levels, to determine where our greatest strengths are as well as where we can improve.
Student Success
keyboard_arrow_downStudent Success To provide many pathways for all students to pursue and achieve desired outcomes.
Strategic Plan Goal(s):
District Strategic Plan
Actions: What will we do to support all learners?
Here at Silver Star we weave indigenous ways of knowing with strong evidence-informed practices and innovative approaches. We work to create powerful learning environment for ALL learners. Our Indigenous Support Workers, Teachers, and School-based Resource Teachers support our Indigenous students in many ways. As a team we are working hard to improve our understanding of Indigenous Ways of Learning and do our best to learn from and with local indigenous community members. We work together to create informed, culturally safe, respectful, and engaging learning opportunities for all our indigenous students, and we appreciate their contributions to our school community. Our Indigenous Support Workers are involved with all our indigenous students to support their learning and their social emotional well-being. We use school-level, district-level, and provincial-level data to identify our most vulnerable literacy learners and target their needs through individualized and small group programming. Focusing on our most vulnerable readers through small group instruction is helping to improve each student’s reading level with the goal of reaching grade level. Our Discretionary Literacy Teacher works throughout the school year with small groups of primary grade students to improve their literacy gaps as identified through ongoing assessment. The Principal, Vice-Principal, Discretionary Reading teacher, School-based Resource Teachers, and classroom teachers are all working regularly with small groups of students, targeting specific literacy strategies to help each student show growth in their reading, writing, and communication skills. Our focus on improving students’ literacy skills, using ongoing data collection tools, Assessment for Learning practices, as well as teacher observations, guide conversations with students about where and how teachers can guide and focus instruction. All staff at Silver Star are focusing on developing in students a sense of self-worth and personal initiative. Our staff continues to be committed to understanding and continuing to learn about the social/emotional factors that impact our students, as well as increasing our knowledge about the “Work it Out” program. The Work It Out program was designed by our staff, and helps create a common language for students to help regulate when they are having an issue. We look forward to sharing our learning through our school website, twitter account, and newsletter. Additionally, as a team, we utilize the Play is the Way, to develop an understanding of the importance of physical health and well-being, along with many other outdoor activities to develop a sense of healthy living and social responsibility. There are also many ways that teachers guide their students to develop an appreciation of the fine arts and an understanding of cultural heritage to build their understanding of their own personal identity. The Wolf back are learning to be more accepting and show respect for the ideas and beliefs of others.
Reflections & Results:
Students are encouraged to reflect on their growth and development. With the teacher and parents, they set goals, monitor them, and celebrate their success. This has been a highlight in recognizing where our strengths are and how different students and families can see and appreciate growth and progress. The end of the year data which includes report cards, screeners, and performance standards, clearly indicate that there are still students who are “Emerging” in reading in both primary and intermediate grades. This year we have a District Reading Intervention teacher who is working with grade one students daily to improve their reading. We have a Discretionary Reading teacher who is working with small groups of primary grade students who are “Not Yet Meeting” in reading to bring them up to grade level. Staff and students work together to build a positive climate to support the social and emotional development and well-being of everyone at Silver Star. Our intentional focus on our school behaviour matrix and the Work it Out Program on a weekly and daily basis is helping our students learn self-regulation and problem-solving skills. Staff recognize that a school wide focus on behaviour and positive problem solving has an important impact on the culture of the school. Our student’s ability to apply skills in daily situations in and out of the classroom. Staff continue to build a positive climate and support social and emotional development and well-being of our students. Our school-based counsellor is supporting teachers through consultation and collaboration regarding class-wide needs, as well as seeing individual students as needed for more direct support.
Next Steps:
Leadership Excellence
keyboard_arrow_downTo empower all staff to contribute to organizational excellence in the service of student success.
Strategic Plan Goal(s):
District Strategic Plan
Actions: What will we do to support all learners?
Checking is done regularly through collaborative meetings with school leaders and district specialists. Silver Star staff become more knowledgeable about how learners progress and develop expertise in coaching learners to move forward. This calls for celebrations. Students become more skilled in taking ownership for their learning, and teachers develop a richer picture of what is going on for our learners. Our Staff is committed to “life-long learning”. We have identified a variety of areas that we can grow in, and as a result, be better able to help our students. At Silver Star, we are constantly adapting and building upon learning strategies that will best fit the needs of students. As a school community we believe in a specific set of core beliefs and values. We follow these beliefs and values by focusing on our school behaviour matrix daily. Assemblies each week are focused on how to solve problems and support each other. Also, this is a teaching time to learn and review the widely held behaviour matrix expectations.
Reflections & Results:
Next Steps:
Community Connections
keyboard_arrow_downTo build strong relationships amongst all community members in the service of student success.
Strategic Plan Goal(s):
District Strategic Plan
Actions: What will we do to support all learners?
Silver Star Elementary is in close proximity to Kalamalka Lake, Okanagan Lake, Kalamalka park, The Rail Trail, Vernon Recreation Centre, Sovereign Lake, and Silver Star Mountain. Our students have the opportunity to experience these lakes and mountains by participating in swimming, hiking, biking, x-country, and downhill skiing, snowshoeing and skating. In addition to the school’s reputation for academic success, we have sports teams for every sport offered in the district, and a strong intramural program. Silver Star students appreciate and respect the environment and are involved in our school community garden. The Silver Star Wolf Pack prides itself on a strong sense of community. We strive to prepare our students for a world that is changing at an exponential rate. As a team we work towards the goals of Learning, Engagement, and Self-Regulation, which allows each student to grow and feel success. Students know they belong, feel safe, supported, and are valued members of our school community. Teachers and school leaders invite guests into our classes to give students authentic learning experiences. We engage in conversations with the school community and all stakeholders to find ways to move forward in all areas of school life. Which include academic, social and emotional aspects of each student’s life. Our teaching staff sets time aside weekly to collaborate about how to improve best practice to ensure our students are meeting their potential as a learner. We use our school website, and newsletters as a place to share ideas about meeting diverse learning needs, self-regulation strategies we use at school, and our growing community of learners. We know that our students will have the greatest success when they believe they are an important part of our Wolf Pack. We are developing new strategies to ensure our students know that there is an entire community that believes in them and what they are capable of accomplishing!
Reflections & Results:
We know that our whole team works hard to develop a strong sense of community. Our Wolf Pack is the result of our whole team’s efforts. As we have grown as a Wolf Pack, we have begun to recognize the differences within our community, and want to encourage those differences, while maintaining a clear sense of belonging. We partner with the RCMP, MCFD, NOYFSS, and CYMHA, as well as many other organizations in the community, to help support our students and families as needed. Our school P.A.C. is an integral part of our school community. Silver Star Elementary P.A.C. provides an outstanding lunch program and supports the students in all areas of school life.
Next Steps: