AAS Map - Where are we going?
Elementary
Dangerous things to do with kids
how to involve students in decision making
investigate how to embed inquiry in all we do
commit to ICT integration and provide support to do so
finalise assessment time frames and inclusions
finalise curriculum changes
identify common teaching approaches and common language
Create more common meeting times for grade level classroom teachers and specialists
Push in ESL support model
Include staffing and PD concrns in future planning
Whole School
Continue vertical and cross-curricular horizontal curiiculum development. How do things like service learning get truly incorprated?
Routine discussions between school divisions / we have more in common than we think!
Co-curricular sessions offered by parents and other outside of school specialists
Mother tongue program
In addition to our mission and objectives, it would be helpful to have a clearly established philosphy that drives curricular development, alignment and teaching methodologies. It feelsas though that is in development, but not all of those who are involved in the implementation of curriculum are clear on it. Are we inquiry-based? Should there be an element involving rigor? Do we want some degree of uniformity in regard to developing skills and literacies across levels?
Professional Development
Subtopic
Should also include stafff wellness and time for just plain WORK
Eventually, it may be helpful to frontload more PD days prior ot the start of the school year
In addition to developing specific focus, it would be valuable to have whole staff feedback on desired areas of focus
Focused cycles - maybe two per year, on a rotating basis, that will benefit the whole school, consisting of, perhaps...
Maybe shared readings suggested by faculty?
Assessment
Questioning strategies / UBD / inquiry
Writing across the curriculum
ESL in the mainstream/content areas
Tech integration (ongoing)
Upper School
Look at backwards mapping for whole year - what does the end look like?
year-end awards throughout grades
objectives established early
graduation traditions
As admissions grow, it is important to be sure that we have adequate support in place for the learning of all students.
Core teachers for each of the subject areas or grade levels in middle school
Develop cross-curricular, focused annual trips that are specific to each grade level - incorporate multiple content areas AND BG cultureal awarendess
Look at offering multiple IB trips for grades 11 & 12, happening simultaneously - maybe during ski week?
Use community building time to develop specific identities for MS and HS - include IB!
weekly assemblies
Whole-school reads for Upper School and/or MS/HS?
Cultural awareness
Human Rights awareness
Environmental awareness
Mindset
Annual projects?
Well established model of expectaions for behavior and learning followed and enforced by all staff members being clearly understood by students and parents
PD should allow for uniformity of some expectations for learning as well as development of systems
All of upper school should have a standardized supplies list
"This is how we do things here"
Academic honsty / honor code
Attendance/tardy policy
The schedule needs to reflect the needs of students, in regard to the amount and balance of instructional minutes and the year-long calendar (in regard to CEESA / exams / holidays, etc)
trimester model feels unweidy in the year-long schedule
we need to be sure that kids' time is being used well and for as many different types of learning opportunities as possible
are electives well-organized? should some projects (yearbook / musical ) be open to IB students being able to participate?
continuity is paramount
reflect need for tech integration into mainstream classes
Well established curriculum developed from current adoptions .
Continual focus on inquiry based learning
Using UBD have established assessments
Curriculum maps for each grade level and subject area.
