February 2010
Principal’s Message
Dear Parents,
The month of February has arrived, and with it longer hours of daylight as well as the anticipation of warmer temperatures and hopes for the return of spring. We are now approximately halfway through the school year, and our students in all programs are making excellent progress toward their learning goals.
At Pollard Meadows, we are focused on engaging students in learning through the teaching of 21st century literacies across the curriculum. Literacy in the 21st century can be defined as the ability to engage critically with a range of texts to make meaning, share information and interact with others in many different ways and contexts. Our students need to be able to read, understand, analyze and evaluate a range of print, oral, visual and multimedia texts. They will also need to master new and changing technologies to manage information. We want our students to be competent in creative thinking, problem solving, critical thinking and accessing and communicating information in all subject areas. As teachers, we strive to be knowledgeable about best practices in order to achieve these goals.
One of the ways in which we as teachers enhance our practice is through collaboration. During the month of January, teachers from Pollard Meadows participated in networking opportunities with grade-level colleagues in our cohort schools in the Mill Woods area, observing in classrooms and engaging in rich professional dialogue with colleagues in other schools. We are also continuing our work with Edmonton Public Schools language arts consultant Irene Heffel to build units of study based on the “Understanding by Design” approach – identifying essential outcomes, making decisions about how we will know students have achieved those outcomes, and planning assessments and lessons accordingly.
Our Character Education program remains a strong emphasis. During our January assembly, our theme of Excellence was reviewed. In order to achieve excellence, our students are encouraged to set a challenging goal for themselves, to make a plan to achieve that goal and to persevere even when the going gets tough. We are reminded of the example set by our Olympic athletes, who continually strive to achieve their very best.
Thank you again for your tremendous support as we look forward to the second half of the school year. Please do not hesitate to contact the school office if you have any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Renée McLaws, Principal
