性视界

Galiano School Growth Plan 2025/2026

GOAL: To strengthen reading skills and enjoyment, allowing for an increase in deeper learning.

WHO and WHAT (context and connections):

Galiano Community School (GCS) is in the 性视界 and is on the unceded traditional territory of the Penelakut First Nation along with other Hul’q’umi’num and SEN?O?EN speaking peoples. The school is nestled among a forest which supports place-based and outdoor education programming. The school grounds include a sports field, two newer playgrounds, a garden, an outdoor basketball court, and a tennis court. The main building comprises 3 large classrooms, a flexible learning space, library, gymnasium, kitchen, daycare, and strong start programs as well as the main office. GCS truly is a ‘community’ school. The community library is situated directly on school grounds and provides a quality learning partnership including bi-weekly literacy programming for students. We have strong affiliations with the Galiano Activity Centre Society (GACS), the Galiano Club Food Program as well as the Galiano Conservancy. GACS supports organizing and running after school programs for students. The Food program helps support soup in the school on Monday’s and delivers our Feeding Futures lunch program to several students each day. They also hold food related events at the school including Applefest and Nettlefest. The Food Program also supports a school garden co-ordinator to maintain the school garden space and provide collaborative learning opportunities for students. Galiano Community School has a population of 53 students with three divisions serving multi-age groupings.

In the 2024/2025 school year GCS worked on adapting learning environments and designing lessons to increase inclusion for all students. There was noticeable growth in student engagement in the classroom. This was particularly noted through observations of students who had previously been less engaged in learning activities and opting to stay out of the class.

In reviewing the previous year’s goal there was a consensus that we could have increased impact if the goal was more specific. We then analysed our reading data and discussed options of how to better support reading instruction as a school. This resulted in focusing on adapting our reading strategies. Reading has an impact on all areas of core academics. Fostering students with a love of reading exposes them to more vocabulary and allows

them to engage in all aspects of text. It also supports numeracy in their understanding of written word problems which supports building capacity in real world contexts facilitating deeper learning.

As the province moves towards universal screeners (DIEBELS for 性视界) there is more information available to support where students struggle in their reading and how we as staff provide support. Even initial data for GCS shows areas that need improvement and as a school we can have a greater impact by taking a team approach to tackle this. The same way the team approach last year saw success in inclusion and engagement for students who would not always participate. Increasing student success and engagement in reading will facilitate deeper learning opportunities in all areas. It will allow students to investigate topics of interest and be able to understand and find information more independently.

In consideration of our district strategic our goal aligns closely with:

· BE

o Strengthening community connections through existing community partners. Specifically, the Galiano Library as well as local authors.

o Using reading skills to learn and engage more in social justice.

· UNDERSTAND

o Through building reading skills, we will empower student agency, engagement, and voice.

o Reading is fundamental to students being prepared for the world beyond education.

o Increased engagement in reading will create more access points for deeper learning experiences.

As a school we are looking to create an environment that fosters capable readers who enjoy it. This skill opens the doors to a variety of deeper learning experiences for the students of GCS.

WHY (culture, structures, and capacity building):

Students who feel confident and capable are more likely to take risks in their learning. They are more engaged, as they are not just focused on the basics. These aspects allow for deeper learning for all students. It is easier to participate in deeper learning experiences when you are not concerned about your ability to understand or a fear of not being able to read. This goes into the planning of the deeper learning opportunities to allow access for all

learners, and it goes into the base skills worked on as a school to allow and increase avenues for that access. In looking at our school we will focus on increasing reading skills which will allow more access for students to participate in deeper learning opportunities. This will require looking at our goal through the lens of the whole school and building systems that engage and support that. This will require:

· Professional Development focused on early reading skills for all staff.

· Teamwork to tackle reading as a whole school. Collaboration among staff to achieve success.

· Consistent practice for all students and staff. The language we use around reading, the supports put in place, and the opportunities available to students.

· Engaging opportunities for students to find joy in reading (i.e. author visits, engaging books, school wide events, etc.).

· School Community access and understanding around reading and our school goal.

HOW (community building):

· Engage staff by using time effectively for collaboration and creating opportunities where possible. Having a system in place that is easy to follow and consistent. Could be a program like UFLI or Reading Rev. It will need to be tailored based on age and stage of our readers. Looking for opportunities to connect with other staff in our district working on similar pieces to provide inspiration and connection.

· Engage students by showcasing success and providing high interest learning opportunities. Potentials include: a read-a-thon, reading wall, buddy reading, etc.

· GCS is looking to work together by looking at the goal with a whole school lens instead of classroom by classroom. How can we use what we have as a school to support all learners? GCS is looking to setup whole school reading times to support smaller targeted group instruction to effectively use the staff we have available.

· Engage community by providing a parent workshop/discussion around what are reading skills. Making our goal visible in pieces sent home with students.

· Increase community connections specifically working this year with the Galiano Community Library using decodable readers and making these more accessible in the community outside of school hours. Potentially collaboration with some community/parent learning regarding early reading and how to foster it. As well as actively seeking local authors to come into the school and share their knowledge and passion with the students.

Assessment:

o In looking at reading there are regular checks-ins for basic skills that can happen through assessment (i.e. DIBELS). For older students looking at fluency and comprehension.

o There is the embodiment of a goal that is visible when students start to engage on their own and are excited to read without being told.

o Ideally seeing an increase in curiosity and engagement on display during deeper learning experiences.

If these markers are not in place, then looking at how to adjust structures to support. Changing tactics as a school team to focus on what is going well and what we need to shift through collaboration.

Story (communication):

A compelling story has something emotional, exhilarating, or mysterious to it. There are two possible compelling stories that could come out of this school goal. The first is that of success in watching achievement and engagement of students increase and this would be the easier story to tell. As we start at the beginning now this outcome is not certain. The other possible compelling story is the one of the journey. There is a body of unpublished literature that surrounds experiments that never worked. Some have led to innovative discoveries and others sit in the recesses of minds never to be helpful to others. This is unfortunate because even a failure leaves incredible learning for those who come next. What went wrong, why, and how do we adjust? It is a compelling story that has more growth attached because it is easy to tell a story of success, but it is in our failures and resilience that we have the most the learn. We also have a wealth of information to pass onto others and use ourselves to avoid the things that went wrong and adjust for success. There are pieces of these stories shared throughout the year with GCS and its community, and there is a place for reflection on the whole story at the end of the year.