Our School Plan Progress 2021-2022

Improving Student Learning

The Abbotsford School District’s Strategic Plan reflects our public commitment to BC’s new curriculum by working together to continuously improve learning for each student.

School Goals

Under the Framework for Enhancing Student Learning, all Abbotsford School District schools are required to develop a long term plan to improve student achievement, one that maintains a balance on the intellectual, social and career development of students. Each year, each school develops an annual plan and sets individual goals to improve student achievement.

Auguston Traditional School Goals

 

2020/21 School Goals Update

In the fall of 2019, staff began our work with our school plan.  We engaged in incorporating technology (math and literacy focus) through teacher iPads.  Teachers collaborated and determined how to incorporate a variety of apps in their classroom.

We then engaged with Tawnie Hildebrandt, our expert District Mathematics helping teacher.  We launched into our school goal by learning how to engage students with “number talks” into our classroom.  Mrs. Hildebrandt also discussed how to use Learning targets around Mathematics, number talks, and general classroom practice.   

Throughout the Fall of 2019 and into 2020, many teachers engaged their students in numbers talks.  The school held a number talks contest as we encouraged families to try as well.  A PAC meeting in the fall saw Mr. Colbert lead parents through a number talk.  We really began to see some momentum form until the pandemic hit before spring break.

In the Spring of 2020, we met as a staff to discuss Social Emotional Learning as we found several students having many challenges around self-regulation.  We investigated “sensory walks”, re-designing our sensory room, and discussing strategies at staff meetings.  We contacted our Social Emotional Helping Teacher, Adriana Belsher, along with our District Occupational Therapist, Alex Thompson.  We began planning with them just prior to Spring Break of 2020.  The goal was to engage staff in “best practice” as they needed to be given the tools to successfully work with students who couldn’t regulate, along with providing training to ensure a sensory walk/circuit could be utilized correctly and effectively.

When meeting with staff, we wanted to emphasize that this wasn’t a change in course from our Mathematics goal, but something to support it.  We felt fortunate to have the opportunity to work with our SEL Helping Teacher and O/T and thought this was something we could not pass up. They presented “classroom breaks” at our September 2020 administration day.  We continue to work with them on this initiative.

In terms of Indigenous Education, we had some staffing changes and welcome Elder Tina Lakey to our staff.  She has provided us with a wealth of knowledge and passion when it comes to Indigenous Learning for all students.  Our Indigenous students entered the “Math Catcher” contest at SFU and are preparing to make Elk Hide drums in the new year.  Elder Tina has presented First Peoples Principles of Learning in some classrooms and will continue to do so this year.  We have also had “Tea with Elder Tina” in where staff volunteered to meet with staff about equity and systemic racism.  Elder Tina is also scheduled to meet with the PAC in January as well.

 

New for 2019-20:  Math Goal

Auguston Traditional Elementary is a  Kindergarten to Grade 5 school located in the fast growing Auguston community development. Our school is a vibrant and diverse school community that has  strong parental involvement along with a highly collaborative teaching and support staff.  Some changes to our school in 2020-21 is that due to an increase in population in the Auguston area, we will no longer be a school of choice.   All catchment students will be attending Clayburn Middle School and parents who are out of catchment will have to make an out of catchment request (we no longer have a Kindergarten Lottery system).  

In 2019-20 the staff in consultation with parents, decided that we would be changing our school plan.   The new school plan will provide a framework for staff to unpack the new Curriculum, assessment practices, and teaching methodolgy.   We also looked at current school data and current FSA Results.  We are looking forward to continuing on a new journey to improved student achievement in the area of Mathmatics. 

For further information regarding our school plan please click on the School Plan PDF below.

 

2020/2021 Update

We continued to meet with staff in regard to student achievement.  We were able to meet twice last year before the pandemic began.  During Spring Covid 19 school closures, staff connected with all students by phone and virtually on a consistent basis. 

Update:  2018-19 School Year

New Procedure to monitor student success, achievement, and social emotional learning goals.  

Since the 2018-19 School Year, staff will be meeting 3 times throughout the school year with Learning Support Services teacher and the Principal to receive updates on EVERY child at Auguston Traditional.  In these meetings, staff discuss their class and each individual student.  From these meetings, interventions are determined, plans of success are put into place, and supports are discussed.  Data collected (including Gr. 1-3 PM Benchmark data)  from staff along with every student's Language Arts and Math assessment are discussed.  We also discuss the student's social emotional learning goals and how we as a staff can help support their family.  The meetings also target interventions for students who are Aboriginal, require Learning Assistance, who are on Individual Education Plans, English Language Learner Support, and students who are in Ministry Care.  These meetings result in a spreadsheet (see examples below...words have been changed for privacy purposes) that can be shared with ALL STAFF and therefore provides valuable information for daily interventions by anyone who comes in contact with the student along with planning for class placements moving forward.  

Intellectual

Our students will learn key academic skills - like reading, writing and math - to encompass the knowledge and processes associated with intellectual development. As learners and meaning-makers, students take subject-specific concepts and content and transform them into a new understanding. 

Our celebrations of learning

2020-21 Update

We continued to complete all items below.  During Covid-19, it has been difficult to continue with some of our common practices.  Teachers have focussed on safety procedures such as hand washing, social distancing, and being Kind/Calm/Safe towards one another. Teachers are using See Saw and Google Classroom on a consistence basis.  These tools allow us to have learning in the classroom shared with the parents at home.  We continue to support Home reading through print materials, RAZ kids for students at risk, and through class based Daily 5 practices.  We have had some virtual assemblies to recognize student learning along with bulletin board being kept up around the school.  We also held a Gr .5 drive through assembly in June of 2020 to recognize all the Gr. 5's hard work! 

2018-2019

Teachers, support staff, principal and parents all help facilitate Literacy success from K-5. Activities include:  Noisy Reading, Daily 5, Oral Language development, Phonics instruction, Home Reading, Stop Drop and Read day, along with many other initiatives.  All students are welcome to attend our Math Mania night in February, Lego Contest in April, and also engage in other opportunities such as public speaking, Traditional Spelling "B", Chess Club, and Skipping Club.  Students have engaged in Number Talks and Snap assessments this year in regards to Math.  High Tech High Touch (Science experiments) along with a variety of guest speakers help engage the students in a variety of ways.  Monthly assemblies promote academic achievement, social well being, and student involvement. 

PDF Downloads: 

PDF icon Auguston Traditional Elementary Reading Data 2015-18

Human & Social

Our students will study personal and human social skills and as they relate to students' identity in the world - both as individuals and as members of their community. We are learning that personal and human social skills encompass the abilities students needs to thrive as individuals, to understand and care about themselves and others, and to find and achieve their purposes in the world. 

Our celebrations of learning

2020/21 Update

In spite of our circumstances, our school rose to the ocassion this year, giving back in a variety of ways and to a variety of causes.  With our No Uni for Toonie fund, we supported the Abbotsford Food Bank, Cyrus Centre, Cops for Cancer, and Pink Shirt Day.  Classes have engaged in a number of Random Acts of Kindness projects, even reaching out to random houses in our community "to do a good deed."  Our Gr. K-5 Transition classes this fall did a large food and clothing drive for Cyrus Centre which was a huge success!  We thank them for all their efforts!  Students to continue to engage each other in their classes in a number of ways.  We also have engaged in a number of Spirit Days and celebrated the holidays with the 5 Days of Christmas where students were given a gift, had 2 dress up days, heard a reading of the Night Before Christmas by the Principal, and  had a suprise visit from Santa!  

2018/2019

Our school is committed to giving back to the community through a variety of activities and events. We participate in fundraisers such as the Terry Fox Run, FCC Drive Away Hunger, and BC Children's Hospital. Parents also organize a Christmas Bazaar with proceeds from this event donated to the Abbotsford Food Bank. Our grade 5 student leaders are instrumental in organizing some of these fundraisers as well as spirit days. All students participate physical education and have opportunities to participate in extra-curricular activities.

Careers

Our students will succeed in a much different future from the one we envisioned 10 or 15 years ago. It is our responsibility to prepare all children for success in whatever life path they choose, connecting learning opportunities with future career possibilities. We know that real-life experiences - like community involvement, gaining business knowledge, and hands-on-learning - build better students and life-long citizens. 

Our celebrations of learning

2020-21 Update

In the past year, our students still participated in a Lego contest (submitted their work via email) and created a number of videos during the Covid 19 shutdown.  Many classes engaged in "Passion projects" on-line, showing teachers what chores they were doing aroudn the house, what projects they were building and helping with at home.  Students showed their work via video, email, and through social media. 

2019-2020

Our learning commons teacher provides a number of opportunities for students to engage in the ADST curriculum.  Students also engage in Careers through the Christmas Craft Fair (students sell self made items to others), various bake sales, creating of Simple Machines, and harvesting Salmon from January to June each year.   Classes also engage students with a variety of guest speakers throughout the year to promote a variety of Careers.  Students showcase their work throughout the year using See Saw and Google Classroom in most classes.