ÌðÐÄÖ±²¥

For the 2019-2020 school year, École Van Belleghem will be working on connecting our collective work with the ÌðÐÄÖ±²¥'s Multi-Year Strategic Plan and continuing the progress that was made in the 2018-2019 school year. Our work centers around supporting our students and community within the quadrants of Belonging, Mastery, Independence, and Generosity from the Circle of Courage (see below). These four areas are the cornerstones of our daily work as a school team and the guiding principles of the ÌðÐÄÖ±²¥. The Circle of Courage will continue to be the inspiration and guiding framework for our team in the upcoming years and our goal is to have all students demonstrating skills from all four quadrants.

Within the framework of the Circle of Courage, we have established two "umbrella" goals, which touch on the various quadrants.

1.      Developing the identity of students as learners in the French Immersion program. (Mastery, Belonging and Independence)

This goal was established based on the following questions:

• "What is the place of the French language in my life?"
• "How am I connected to learning French as a student?"

These questions will help guide our planning and programming throughout the year. With this as a goal, the staff will collaborate in furthering the French language throughout the school. The focus will be on the following:

• Providing professional development for staff in Immersion in ÌðÐÄÖ±²¥ to develop common strategies in engaging students from all grade levels in the learning of the French language and the usage of the French language in various situations, both inside and outside of the classroom.
• Providing vocabulary building, through commonly developed material, for all students.
• Providing authentic opportunities, such as plays and presentations, where students can utilize their oral skills and develop confidence.
• Creating announcements and activities that reinforce vocabulary and that can be used in authentic ways in the classrooms.
• Providing cultural events, such as the Festival du Voyageur week, French authors for school visits, Francophone week (semaine de la Francophonie), posters and artwork celebrating French culture.
• Developing various opportunities for staff to collaborate on common themes for French language instruction (staff meetings, PD days, release time).
• Providing support to students through activities and group work with our French Language Monitor (monitrice de langue) from the French Language Bureau (Bureau de l'éducation française).
  
   

2.      Creating and maintaining a peaceful and inclusive school climate for all members of our community. (Belonging and Generosity)

This goal was established based on the following questions:

• "How can I use strategies to remain calm or to calm myself (self-regulate) in various situations?"
• "How can I support others who may need help self-regulating in various situations?"
• "How can students feel supported and included in school?"

These questions will help guide our planning and programming throughout the year. With this as a goal, the staff will collaborate in providing opportunities for students to develop skills in the area of self-regulation. In addition, the staff will provide opportunities for the school community to connect and be inclusive. The focus will be on the following:

• Providing professional development for staff to develop common strategies in helping students with self-regulation, both inside and outside of the classroom.
• Using the "grands amis, petits amis" mentorship time (partner classes) to build positive relationships between students in various grades.
• Providing various clubs and intramurals to increase students' sense of belonging.
• Collaborating with the Parent Advisory Committee to provide wellness and belonging opportunities for families (yoga, tai chi, barbecues, movie nights).
• Continuing to utilize structures and strategies that are in place in the school to help students with self-regulation.
• Zones of Regulation (common language, discussions, in-class instruction)
• Whole-class movement breaks
• Discussions during Morning Meetings
• Calming Room
• Quiet corners (in various classrooms)
• Spark bikes (in designated areas)
• Sensory tools (instruction, as well as opportunities to use tools)
• Big Brain, Little Brain (Self-regulation instruction)
• Small group work (with Student Services)
• Five-Point Scale for recognizing emotions
• Collaborating with Clinical Services to increase staff capacity in relation to managing students' various needs.