From the Preschool/Elementary School Principal

 

The Value of In-service Days

This Friday, the staff at ISA was involved in the first of three in-service days during the 2022-2023 school year. These days are incredibly valuable opportunities for us to come together as a team to improve our practice and to develop ever more effective ways to engage and challenge the children at ISA. It seems like I’ve made a habit of including lists in recent Thistle Talks, but I keep myself reminded of the importance of the lifelong learning that in-service days make possible with the ideas in this poster that sits on the wall of my office:

"If, as a teacher…

• I do not visit or observe other adults as they teach;
• I do not share the work of my students with colleagues for feedback, suggestions and critiques;
• I do not visit other schools or attend particular workshops or seminars or read professional literature on aspects of my teaching;
• I do not welcome visitors with experience and expertise to observe and provide feedback to me on my classroom practice…

Then, I have absolutely no way to become better as a teacher."

(Carl Glickman, professor of education and author)

The overall list is longer than this, but I’ve kept the four key points related to the types of things we do during in-service days at ISA. In addition to having the chance to talk to each other about curriculum, assessment and data collection, we also had teachers visit other settings, a visiting expert on working with neurodiverse students, an analysis of our own walkthroughs and observations and more. Our staff, like our students, strive to be lifelong learners.

Thanksgiving

A form of Thanksgiving exists in many countries around the world. It almost always includes time off to celebrate an important achievement, such as a successful harvest. Canada, for example, has their big celebration every October. In the Preschool and Elementary School, we welcome the opportunity to feature cultural celebrations from around the world. Thanksgiving is a good example of how we can bring an appreciation for international traditions into the classrooms.  Discussing Thanksgiving afforded a great context to conversations about gratitude and for student writing about ‘things I am grateful for’.

On Thursday, students in Preschool and the Grade 3-5 corridor captured the joy of the Thanksgiving tradition with a family-style meal including turkey, roast potatoes and vegetables. The students also contributed to the preparation of the meal, getting involved in washing, peeling and chopping the day before. Teachers and students sat together to enjoy conversations and the wonderful food prepared by the amazing kitchen staff. Some parents also shared in the celebrations in the classrooms. In the Kindergarten, the children were able to have their lunch together in the classroom with their teachers and some parents, too.

 

Preschool & Elementary School Ceilidh

A week from today (Friday, December 2, 2022) marks the long-awaited return of the PS/ES Ceilidh. All students have been busy preparing for this wonderful community event. Remember to have the students come prepared with a “touch of tartan”. Parents and teachers will be encouraged (or, should that say “expected”?) to join in the fun. Please arrive at the large gym hall for 1:10pm. 

 

I hope all of our ISA families enjoy the long weekend. It’s our final break before the exciting rush of activities that characterise our school in December.