SCHOOL STORY

Florence Nightingale Elementary School is located on Guelph Street on the corner of 12th Avenue, one block East of Kingsway. We have 260 students organized into twelve enrolling classes.

Nightingale is an amazing school community, We promote a safe, caring, and respectful climate within a neighborhood rich in multicultural diversity. Families report twenty-one different languages spoken at home and students come from sixteen different countries of origin. Seventy-nine percent of families report that English is their first language.

Nightingale is actively involved in the Collaborative Early Literacy Intervention, which targets support for early learners in Kindergarten and Grade One by providing one-to-one support through Reading Recovery, small group instruction and strong classroom practice. We are also involved in the Leveled Literacy Intervention

Relationships with Community Partners - We work closely with our many and various community partners such as: Artists who support our Artist-in-Residence Studio Program, City of Vancouver Active Transportation, and Mount Pleasant Neighbourhood House. Students have access to after school care programs based on the availability, such as Mount Pleasant Before & After School Care, KIVAN Boys and Girls Club, This World’s Ours, and Kid Safe, which runs during the winter, spring, and summer breaks. We host a Strong Start Centre and run a Welcome to Kindergarten event in the spring.

Last year we re-started after-school sports activities acknowledging that this is a particularly important part of the school day for children with respect to physical activity, belonging and sense of community and team spirit.

Nightingale also has an incredibly supportive and involved Parent Advisory Council (PAC). They organize school wide events such as Hawks Night, Coffee Mornings, and fundraise to contribute to programs like the school garden, the wonderful Artist in Residence Studio (AIRS) Program and the music program.

Our school garden is a place where everyone is welcome and encouraged to spend time. With the support of teachers and support staff, it is one of the favourite areas on the school grounds for many students.

WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE COMMUNITY OF LEARNERS?

Over the past number of years, the Nightingale community has worked towards helping students develop self-regulation skills and foster mental well-being. This is still an area that we will continue to work towards on a regular basis; however, we have moved one of the school goals to a new direction.

While many of the positives above make Nightingale a wonderful school, we know there is still work to be done to help children become the best that they can be in many areas. Based on daily observations and other data, in the spring of 2023, staff identified that one of the major areas of need in the school is to help students improve in their writing skills. Addressing the challenge of improving writing skills among students becomes crucial, especially when a significant portion, with 75% or primary students and 50% of intermediate students, find themselves at the emerging or developing stage of learning.

Our school is committed to addressing equity by maintaining a keen awareness of observances and recognizing the diverse demographics of our student body. Our teaching culture is trauma-informed, understanding the crucial distinction between equality and equity. Recognizing that each child may have unique abilities and challenges, our staff collaborates effectively to provide support for students with diverse needs and social-emotional requirements. We acknowledge the global inequities that impact learning and leverage all available supports and resources to ensure that every student receives the assistance they need. By reaching out to families and addressing basic needs such as food insecurity, we create a foundation for effective learning. Prioritizing social and emotional well-being, we equip students with tools to navigate the school environment safely, acknowledging that this foundation is essential before academic success can be fully achieved. Our commitment extends to the arts, where equal access to activities like the art studio and music prep, without the need for private lessons, fosters community building and creates a safe space for social and emotional and academic learning.

Our school is dedicated to fostering Indigenous reconciliation through a thoughtful and comprehensive approach. Recognizing the importance of a gradual transformation, we are slowly incorporating Indigenous perspectives into everyday learning, ensuring a sustainable and meaningful integration. Our commitment extends beyond mere classroom discussions, as we embed Indigenous content throughout our curriculum including music, art, and place-based learning experiences. A vital aspect of our initiative lies in the personal growth of all staff, who pledge to continue the necessary work to enhance their understanding and cultural competency. The entire staff embraces and open-minded attitude, eagerly participating in proposed activities championed by fellow educators seeking opportunities for both staff and students. Regular drumming at gatherings serves as a visceral connection to Indigenous traditions, contributing to a rich cultural tapestry. Students actively engage in the reconciliation process by researching and sharing information about specific observances and events, fostering a sense of autonomy and cultural awareness. The gatherings organized for these events are not just symbolic; they are powerful, creating a more meaningful and inclusive environment within our school community.

AS A SCHOOL COMMUNITY, WE ARE WORKING ON THE FOLLOWING TO:

Improve student achievement in literacy and numeracy, physical and mental well-being, and belonging

To enhance writing proficiency, a multifaceted approach is necessary. Implementing targeted writing workshops, tailored to each developmental stage, can provide students with focused guidance and practice. Integrating technology, such as interactive writing tools and educational apps, can make the learning process

more engaging and accessible. Additionally, fostering a culture of peer collaboration and constructive feedback within the classroom can create a supportive environment for students to share their work and refine their skills. By combining these strategies, teachers can enable students to progress from emerging and developing writers to proficient communicators.

Do I need a list of some of the stuff we are doing???

· Literacy games and centres

· Regular journal writing, story workshop, writer’s workshop, reader responses, morning messages, connecting writing to learning experiences and sharing writing with the class

· Mini lessons before writing activities

· Whole-class editing of student writing

· Using 4-square and other graphic organizers to support writing

· Use simple, stream-lined rubrics to help students understand what the criteria are for specific writing activities

· Teaching specific conventions of print to those students who have yet to understand, use them correctly

· Use some new resources for writing at the intermediate grades such as the work of Adrienne Gear, Ruth Culham and Jennifer Serravallo