School Name: Charlie Lake Elementary
School District: SD#60 Peace River North
Inquiry Team Members:Nancy Maxfield – nmaxfield@prn.bc.ca
Lori Coulter – lcoulter@prn.bc.ca
Inquiry Team Contact Email: nmaxfield@prn.bc.ca
Type of Inquiry: NOII (focus on core competencies, OECD learning principles, etc.)
Grade Levels: Primary (K-3), Intermediate (4-7)
Curricular Area(s): Other: Social Responsibility – Core Competency – problem solving
Focus Addressed: Social and emotional learning
In one sentence, what was your focus for the year? Creating a safe and inclusive playground.
Scanning: We interviewed students about their experiences on our playground in relation to incidents on the playground, but also about how they were connecting and solving problems on the playground. We noticed that our students overall did not have good problem-solving skills when any type of conflict arose.
Focus: We selected this area because of the need that was presented in regards to a safe and inclusive playground. Students were challenged by limited space, lack of activities, and difficulty solving problems peacefully.
Hunch: If we increase structure through purposeful play providing leadership opportunities, encouraging all students and staff to use common language through WITS and address space concerns will this decrease the number of incidents on our playground? Will working with the WITS and LEADS improve the critical thinking and problem-solving skills of all our learners.
New Professional Learning: Explore and research the ideal number of students that can co-exist together.
Explore the WITS & LEADS program
Explore student leadership programs – PALS
Taking Action:
*Talking to the staff – brainstorming – WITS
*Looked at office referrals
*Looked at lunch hour schedule and explored options
Strategized the ways to reduce the numbers on the playground
Taking Action: Actions:
*Split the lunch hour – Primary/Intermediate (6/11 divisions)
*Started a student leadership group
*Decided on focusing on the WITS/LEADS program for the 2018-2019 school year.
*School-wide focus on what does inclusion mean on the playground – assemblies
*Provided more sports equipment for the playground.
Checking: *Reduced number of office referrals following the lunch hour (1 incident at lunch hour since the change)
*Primary students enjoying the equipment
*Leadership games (parachute)
*Lunch hour monitors connecting more with students – easier to supervise
*Lots of discussions – some students using the “WITS” language student self-assessment (Tier 2 students)
*Discussion – inclusive on the playground.
Reflections/Advice: Next year………….
*School Planning Team met in May to plan for September start-up – WITS lessons and resources to be shared with teachers and discussed at assemblies.
*WITS information in weekly parent newsletters.
*Look at data on other times on the playground (morning, recess, after school)
*Positive School Culture Survey – school connectedness – complete in October 2018 – including the question “Can you name two people who believe you will be a success?
* Continue with lunchtime equipment bags.