Blog Posts

Weekly article:

This weeks’ article looks at educators’ abilities to help students foster an intrinsic desire to learn—rather than focussing on extrinsic rewards to accomplish a task. The following four strategies of intrinsic learning have been highlighted by the researchers:

At Kandal, we are committed to strengthening our family partnerships in our school community. It’s no secret the more parents are involved in their children’s lives, both at home and school, the more they will be in the ‘know’ about how best to support their children. To this end, our kindergarten and grade 1 teachers and our English Language Learners (ELL) teachers initiated the “Parents as Partners” program.

Earlier this school year I made the commitment to report back on what I had learned as a consequence of my “shadow a student” experience.  Listening to students has been a key part of my practice over the last few years, and shadowing a student is the most recent iteration of this learning journey.

This weeks’ article looks at ways in which schools can be culturally responsive in how they celebrate Ramadan. As Canadians, we are fortunate to live in such a culturally diverse country, rich with worldly perspectives. Godson is no exception to this and the diversity throughout our demographics helps our children be more accepting and understanding of the beliefs, customs, and traditions of various cultures. Enjoy the read!

Keeping the district’s focus on equity in mind, the Dr. Thomas A. Swift Elementary school community has taken on a small project of our own. Together with a couple of other elementary schools, we are using picture books to dive into topics of diversity and equity.

Earlier this school year, leaders in our organization had the opportunity to learn from renowned psychiatrist, Dr. Shimi Kang on the subject of mental health and wellbeing.

In our school district's four-year strategic plan, we have targeted improved early learning as a means of impacting student success. At Mathxwí Elementary, all primary classrooms have committed their year to explore practical ways to improve early literacy learning.

“Now let us begin. Now let us re-dedicate ourselves to the long and bitter, but beautiful, struggle for a new world.” -- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Noticing a shift in literacy instruction across the district? Wonder what is going on in the classroom down the hall?  

This weeks’ article focusses on creating a sense of belonging at school. Students learn best when they feel a sense of connection, safety, and belonging to their school. As such the article provides several examples of the importance of developing lessons and classroom structures that deepen school connections for students. Congruently, the article illustrates practical applications suitable for all educators and grade levels.

Sense of Belonging