Page 18 - AMDSB DAR 2018-2019

Safe & Welcome Learning Environment
Elma Township Public School
Elma’s project aimed to help students build the knowledge, skills and relationships associated with mentally healthy students who are ‘Calm, Creative and Kind’. They endeavoured that all students would become more active and engaged in their learning and develop new relationships with students in different grades and within the community. Their activities promoted the cognitive, emotional, spiritual, social and physical well-being of students, which was critical. Energized students shared and exchanged knowledge and built their leadership skills through all activities. Their project promoted the well-being and engagement of all students within the school by strengthening sense of self, developing positive relationships and inspiring everyone to be active participants in their own learning. Their OurSchool survey indicated that students in Grades 5-8 have relationships and a good sense of belonging inline with the Canadian norm of 75%. Overall, positive behavior and intellectual engagement scores have improved. Two drivers of student outcomes also improved: positive teacher-student relationships and positive learning climate. Additionally, students indicated in their open responses that ‘designing and making’ things during special clubs and projects at Elma gave them new ways to express themselves and contribute to making Elma an even better school. The overall school climate is very good. Students, teachers and parents worked together on this project to build an even stronger sense of community.
FE Madill Secondary School (FEMSS)
The FEMSS Mindfulness Group set out to create a designated space within the school building in which
staff and students could participate in self-care activities. The hope was to encourage more people to give mindfulness a try. Staff made use of the Mindfulness Room both on a PA Day where “Be well. Do well.” was the goal, as well as two 6-8 week after school sessions with a yoga & wellness instructor. Staff and students made use of the space together during class time as well as during the lunch hour for “Mindful Mondays”. Their Mindfulness Room has attracted the attention of their Community Well-Being committee that met several times last school year to assess the community-wide approach to supporting mental health. The room has become an exemplar for what can be provided in a school building to support mental health. The space has also helped draw the support of a community volunteer (yoga instructor) who wishes to “pay it forward” by helping students learn about self-care.
Mitchell District High School (MDHS)
MDHS’s project introduced coding and robotics to students with the aim of increasing student engagement in computer technology, specifically robotics. The students built robots using Lego EV3 kits and then programmed them to complete challenges. Grade 8 students built robots to their chosen specifications and then described the procedure of building and programming them. Grade 7 students built robots according to specific criteria and a set model, then programmed the robots for challenges (e.g. Sumo wrestling, Runway challenge [walk and turn], and best dressed challenge). A culminating event included students competing with their robots. Through observations, interviews and discussions,
AVON MAITLAND DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD | 2018-2019 Director’s Annual Report | 18