Purpose and Definition of the Educational Project
The educational project is a strategic tool through which an educational institution can define its policy orientations, priority actions, and expected results and inform its community in this regard, with a view to ensuring educational success for all students regardless of age. The educational project reflects the characteristics and needs of the students who attend the educational institution, as well as the community’s expectations about education. The result of a consensus, this project is prepared and implemented through the collaborative efforts of the various school stakeholders: students, parents, teachers, and other school staff members as well as community and school service centre representatives.
The educational project therefore forms part of a process designed to promote coordinated action and synergy among the various levels of the education system (MEQ, school service centres and educational institutions), with due regard for their specific areas of autonomy and characteristics. The Education Act outlines the requirements for the education project, and follows these three steps: Planning, Implementation, Reporting.
School Context
What is Important to us at Wakefield Elementary School?
The staff at Wakefield School has high expectations of all students, both academically and behaviourally. Quality teaching and learning are very important to us. We work as a cooperative team where we model positive habits for our students in and out of the classroom. We believe in supporting one another to be the best professionals we can be. We share resources, strong teaching strategies and best practices and are actively involved in professional development opportunities. We foster a positive and caring school culture where we put students first. We are committed to extra- curricular activities and value our partnerships with parents and the community.
Mission: Inspiring Learners to Succeed
Vision: At Wakefield Elementary School, we strive to be a diverse and inclusive community of learners who inspire each other to find success. We are committed to working together to bring out the best in each other; valuing a strong academic foundation and developing our full potential through creativity, healthy choices, and personal growth.
Values
At Wakefield School, we value the 3 B’s: Be Yourself, Better Yourself, Believe in Yourself
Be Yourself:
- Be kind and caring
- Be a positive influence
- Be curious about the world around you
- Respect and appreciate nature
- Have fun and persevere
Better Yourself:
- Challenge yourself to learn
- Set your goal, follow your goal
- Be active and make healthy choices
- Connect and contribute locally and globally
Believe in Yourself:
- Nurture a community that feels like a family where everyone belongs
- Try something new everyday
- Foster friendships
- Find your own path
School and its external environment
The village of Wakefield has a hospital, two medical clinics and a pharmacy, dental clinic, bank, post office, community centre and library, a seniors’ residence, and many thriving businesses. The school community extends to the village and other neighbouring areas like Alcove, Rupert, Lascelles, Masham and Edelweiss. The area population is about 3000. Wakefield is also noted for the artists who live in the region and attracts people who tend to appreciate and value nature and outdoor living. As a result, Wakefield community’s current socio-economic standing relative to the rest of the School Board is 3, with 10 being the lowest.
In September 2014, the school moved to its new building located on Riverside Drive after being located on Caves Road for almost 80 years. The school has a long-standing history as an anchor in the community.
Wakefield School benefits from having an active and involved parent community. Our parents are very involved in their children’s education in general and events like Parent-Teacher interviews are very well attended. There is a Governing Board and parents’ group, WEHSA, Wakefield Elementary Home and School Association. Parents are involved in fundraising efforts and volunteering at the school. As well, the community is invested in the school, and we have partnerships with such community organizations as the Wakefield Youth Centre (WAY), Fairbairn House, the Municipality of La Peche, as well as with local artists and musicians.
Internal Environment
Student Population Profile
In 2023-24, there are 323 students at Wakefield School. The school has incorporated the 4-year-old Kindergarten program as part of the school organization. There are classes from K5 and Cycles 1-3 (Grades 1-6). There are 43 students who have an Individual Education Plan (IEP) which represents about 14% of the population. In comparison, the Western Quebec School Board has approximately 28% of its population with IEPs. About 10% of students come from homes where French is spoken as a first language. The student population continues to grow steadily every year by a small amount, and it is not significantly diverse.
School Staff
In 2023-24, there are 21 teachers on staff, with a balance of new and experienced teachers. Wakefield School tends to have a low staff turnover rate, which means more stability and consistency for students. The staff is particularly involved in professional development opportunities at the school and Board levels. The school has a full-time principal. There are two administrative assistants, one full- time and one part -time as well as a part- time daycare technician. Our support staff team has grown significantly in the past several years. We have five full-time aides and four part-time aides to support students in the classroom. There are seven daycare educators involved in the operation of the daycare and lunch hour supervision. There are two full-time caretakers on site.
School Orientations
Wakefield offers an extended French program of instruction, which is 60% of instruction in English and 40% in French across all grade levels. We feel that this approach works very well for our student population and its success is reflected in our student achievement results. There is an equal emphasis on the three core subjects of English, French and Math. Our focus is to develop reading and writing skills in both languages using a balanced literacy approach, as well as developing students’ math skills. Each year, we have about half of our Grade 6 cohort who choose to continue in the Enrichie program at Hadley (50-50% French), and several students are able to attend French high schools. A growing number of students also choose to attend St Michael’s High School. The school benefits from the Outdoor Education and Environmental Studies Program that teaches environmental protection and responsible outdoor physical education skills and ethics. This program fosters future citizens who care about the natural environment locally and globally. To reinforce the school’s positive and respectful culture, a school-wide philosophy of Tribes is promoted. A Tribes Learning Community emphasizes working collaboratively to problem solve and foster positive relationships using the four Tribes agreements: attentive listening, appreciation statements, mutual respect, and the right to pass. As well, the school adopts the Neufeld approach to supporting students, a philosophy that focuses on building positive attachments between staff and students so that every student may reach their potential.
Wakefield School: Directions and Orientations
In developing the Educational Project, the school must align its goals with the directions and orientations of the Ministry of Education and their school board’s Commitment to Success Plan. These can be found in Appendix 2.
Analysis of Situation
Achievement Data
The school has good and stable success rates in the three core subject areas of English, Math and French across all grade levels, and has enjoyed this success for several years (see Appendix 1). We use data from different sources to determine goals: BAS (reading levels in English); GB+ (French reading); June marks in English, Math, French; exam marks in Grade 6 ELA and Math; observations; benchmarks determined by teaching team.
SWOT analysis with staff: In thinking about student success:
Strengths- What do we do well?Relationships with students- Wolf Packs unifying Staff: Collaboration, knowledgeable, caring, good at what they are teaching, feeling of belonging, student-centered, flexible, open to new ideas and teaching practices, voicing concerns, discussing struggling students, safe, reflective, sharing, listening. Extracurricular opportunities/clubs/enrichment Differentiation of curriculum, supporting students with different needs Inclusive approach Teachers feel supported with challenging students, Student Support Centre allows all students to succeed Student voice matters Technology Parental involvement and support, warm and welcoming community- students see they are supported Rich in resources (books, math materials) Access to local opportunities like Fairbairn, ski hill, library, yoga, community- rich opportunities Daycare is a successful program, great team Support staff is strong, solid team Staff/Governing Board/Administration gets along, people feel listened to and respected Increased collaboration between WES and the WAY, creating stronger links in the community |
Weaknesses- What can we improve?Broken computers, smart boards; not enough Additional training for teachers- ADHD, literacy Training for support staff (Aides) Social-emotional stability and support- need for a counsellor Students not coming ready to learn- flagging students too late French resource Flexibility in teaching time, making sure it is good for the team Students with laptops for identified needs must be trained on the proper use of their devices and the apps required to use them, in order to reach their full learning potential Concerted effort to teach critical thinking skills to younger students and media literacy, social media literacy Grass or artificial outdoor playing surface to promote outdoor play and physical education activities Shaded outdoor area |
Opportunities – What resources can we use?LEARN Quebec, online resources, technology Consultants with the board Gatineau Park/Fairbairn/Vorlage – local areas and experts Grants for professional learning Proactive admin Physical supports for students (space, fidgets) Alternate recess and workspaces Student Support Centre Using PD days to discuss logistics, schedules, plan Strategic partnerships with community groups and government |
Threats- What limits us?Time, money, motivation, energy Attendance/late arrivals Respect of profession, expectations of parents Grant limitations- being creative to meet our needs with restrictions Mental health of students- less resilience Technology Training |
Student Leader Feedback
What is going well?We are doing a better job of including everyone, kids are getting along better There are less bad things happening this year Having adults wear the orange vests We are sharing the hill for sliding Like the new agenda PD days are fun We have more and better sports equipment Yes/No signs in the library are good for kids |
What could we do better?Could have different areas in the field- little kids are going into games, taking balls Little kids are wrestling, sometimes older kids are pushing younger ones and then they copy this- not always respectful Would like more PD days, more recess, after school clubs + sports Swings + more grass in the yard Having kids take better care of the equipment Could take better care of the library Could clean up the litter in the yard Gender neutral bathrooms, cleaner bathrooms |
Wakefield School: Objectives, Indicators, Targets and Strategies
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Orientation |
MEQ 1; WQSB 7.2, 7.5 |
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WES Objective #1 – In ELA, to improve students’ mechanics (spelling, grammar) in writing and to increase stamina and independence in literacy-related tasks
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Indicators |
Strategies |
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-Overall June results in ELA- all grades -Set targets in Fall of each year for the grade level -Grade 6 ELA exam results -BAS results by grade- compare Nov to May for struggling students |
-Professional development for staff: reading instruction “Science of Reading” -Literacy support- ELA consultant -Share strategies in Subject team meetings- for spelling, grammar, writing strategies for building stamina and independence -SoundPrints, phonics instruction for students in Resource -Develop skills in decoding, reading fluency, comprehension, inference, vocabulary -Engage with suitable reading materials -Digital literacy: typing skills, organization of files, Google Read/Write, subscriptions to digital texts |
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Targets |
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Evaluation: (date/comment on progress) |
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Orientation |
MEQ 1.5; WQSB 7.2 |
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WES Objective #2 -In Math, to build basic Math facts fluency
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Indicators |
Strategies |
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-Overall June results in Math- all grades -Set targets in Fall of each year for the grade level -Grade 6 Math exam results |
-Revisit professional texts: Math Fact Fluency: 60+ games and assessment tools to Support Learning + Retention by Jennifer Bay-Williams + Gina King -Introduce and practice number talks- professional texts: Number Talks for Kindergarten, 1st + 2nd Grade Teachers by Nancy Hughes + Number Talks: Helping Children Build Mental Math and Computation Strategies Grade K-5 by Sherry Parrish -Establish scheduled meetings for 2024 -Collaborative teamwork- sharing ideas + strategies, discussing professional texts -Focus on sharing strategies for basic math facts (e.g. ruler strategy doubling and halving) -Math facts practice as part of homework |
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Targets |
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Evaluation: (date/comment on progress) |
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Orientation |
MEQ 1; WQSB 7.2 |
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WES Objective #3 – In French, to improve reading (decoding, comprehension)
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Indicators |
Strategies |
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-Overall June results in French- all grades -Set targets in Fall of each year for the grade level -GB+ scores |
-Establish GB+ benchmarks by grade for Wakefield -Structured literacy program -Focus on sounds, increase vocabulary -Use curriculum map + progressions as foundation -Set goal per cycle- establish level expectations create continuum throughout cycle -Parent support through clear communication |
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Targets |
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Evaluation: (date/comment on progress) |
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Orientation |
MEQ 1; WQSB 7.5 |
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WES Objective #4 – Focus on programming for our CASP and modified students + Student Support Centre model for additional students requiring support
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Indicators |
Strategies |
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-Progress on students’ IEP goals + report cards -Reduction in some behaviours with identified students -Reduction in the level of support required for certain students |
-Professional development- differentiation strategies for CASP students, IEP writing -Training for support staff and teachers -Planning together throughout the year: PD days -Support from consultants -Student Support Centre and appropriate schedule for students, appropriate tools -Time to meet: teachers + support staff to discuss student profiles, supports |
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Evaluation: (date/comment on progress) |
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Orientation |
MEQ 4; WQSB 5.1 |
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WES Objective #5 – Continue to explore themes of diversity and inclusion
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Indicators |
Strategies |
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-Improved results on student surveys- engagement + anti-bullying (Power BI) -Increased familiarity with resources, materials -More comfort with teaching some of the more sensitive issues related to diversity and inclusion |
-Professional development ideas: islamophobia, gender issues, indigenous pedagogy -Classrooms: reaching out to parents, take stock of where we are, survey families to better understand our cultural richness -Subject/Cycle teams: expand resources to support diversity in the classroom -Teachers will share resources collected: websites, literature and texts, activities -Engage consultants to support us in finding new materials (e.g. lesson plans, websites, literature) -Time during PD days to share with whole staff- regular meetings -Continue with focus on building a positive school culture through monthly assemblies hosted by students, focused on values, with Wolf Packs + activities to promote inclusion |
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Benchmark |
Power BI (May 2023): Net Promoter Score: 10.84 Engagement: pre 57%, post intervention 60%; Dec 2023- 67% School Climate: Dec 2023- 69% Bullying: pre 24%, post intervention 32%; Dec 2023- 20% Belonging: pre 85%, post intervention 85%; Dec 2023- 89% |
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Evaluation: (date/comment on progress) |
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Read Wakefield’s full Educational Project > Educational Project- 2023-2027