Aug. 30, 2017
Welcome to the 2017-18 school year. Every new school year provides us with an exciting opportunity to help our students set and achieve new learning goals.
We have identified a number of strategies for this coming school year in our draft Three-Year Education Plan which is scheduled to be approved by Trustees this fall. Our main focus is on personalizing learning so that each student is learning to his or her full potential.
Key strategies of our plan include:
Supporting our students
Personalizing learning requires us to evolve, extend and integrate practices consistent with the elements of our vision for high quality teaching and learning. In our 2017-20 plan, we have a particular focus on literacy, mathematics, Indigenous education and high school success.
Developing our staff
We are an organization of people who are focused on student success. To achieve this, we will continue to focus on promoting a workplace culture built on the values of voice, accountability, clarity of role and responsibility in which all employees find meaning and fulfillment. An example of this work is the implementation of a new teacher induction program which ensures new teachers receive the support and guidance they need to help our students succeed.
Stewarding our resources
We work hard every year to ensure that the funding we receive reaches as far as possible to the greatest benefit of our students and schools. This year, we will continue to ensure our processes and practices are increasingly effective, efficient and streamlined with an eye to system-wide sustainability. For example, we will continue to optimize, commission, modernize and maintain schools to foster enriching learning environments that benefit our students.
Engaging with our community
We are committed to engaging our stakeholders – students, staff, parents and community members – on decisions that affect them. Last year, feedback and input gathered from stakeholders helped inform a number of decisions we made, including those related to our math strategy and the sustainable use of space for students and learning in Areas 1,2 and 5. This year, we will continue this work as we engage our community on issues such as the sustainable use of learning spaces for students in Areas 6 and 7.
The 2017-18 school year stretches ahead of us, filled with potential and possibility. This is a great time of year to talk to your child about their learning goals for the school year. Think about how you can support your child, and talk to your child’s teachers about how you can work together to reach those goals. Together, we can help our students make their goals and dreams a reality in the 2017-18 school year.
Welcome back!
