School Development Paradise Elementary School

As a result of this focus on school improvement, many initiatives have been developed at the school level since the school's team was first established. Some of these initiatives have been large-scale ones spanning several years, some are on-going ones each year at the school, and some have been short-term developed to meet a specific school need.

The following are some of the initiatives of the school improvement teams of Paradise Elementary since the mid 1980's. Many of them have involved the establishment of separate committees of dedicated teachers, support staff , and parents who have given of their time freely to plan how best to meet identified goals. Without such enthusiastic teamwork and effort the school could not build and grow. The results of some of the more recent initiatives can be viewed on this web page. These include the development of our:

• Technology Plan
• Library Skills Continuum
• Spelling Skills Continuum
• Student Code of Conduct
• Homework Policy
• Arts Plan
• Environmental Plan
• Playground Area
• Inservice/ Professional Development of Staff in:
• Computer Technology
• Writing Skills / Writing Rubric
• Writing Report Cards on Computers
• Learning Disabilities
• Behavioural Disorders
• Crisis Intervention Prevention
• Cooperative Learning Techniques
• Coping/Dealing With the Grief of Students
• Using Resource Based Teaching
• Child Abuse

Early in the 2000/2001 school year the Avalon East School Board requested that all schools hold a special staff meeting to help determine its priorities as a new board. All school populations were represented at that meeting - teachers, administrators, parent representatives, maintenance and clerical staff, and school council representatives. As part of that meeting, the School Improvement Team asked the groups present to focus in particular on this school to help determine what direction the team should now take. As a result, the following goal became evident:

The determination of this goal was not surprising when the new population of this school is considered. In the 1999/2000 school year our school population changed dramatically as a result of the reorganization of schools in this new district and the realignment of boundaries. Over half of the students attending Paradise Elementary now were new to this school during the 1999/2000 school year. In conjunction with the staff`, initiatives to meet this on-going goal are being planned.

Over the course of this school year there have been many initiatives that have helped to develop and increase school spirit and a more positive learning environment. Many of these have been on-going events over the past few years and have involved various committees and staff members to plan and implement them. Events and activities have included:

• Olympic Trivia - A trivia contest was held daily over the public address system during the 2000 Olympics.



• Students' birthdays are announced daily.



• Students' achievements are announced daily. These can be achievements of all kinds. (Academic, Sports, Contest Winners, Music, etc.)



• Elementary students make the morning announcements over the P.A. system.



• A display case holding student work (eg. Pottery) was built in addition to our trophy case located outside the school gym. This new display case is outside our school office.



• More and more student work is being posted on our school web site.



• Our bus monitor program encourages leadership and self-esteem in our bus monitors as well as providing safer buses for our students. Grade 5 and 6 students can apply to be bus monitors and are given training early in the school year. No bus leaves our parking lot without monitors in place to assist our drivers.



• A daily breakfast club was started at our school in the 2000-01 school year. It is open to all students who wish to use it, no matter the reason. There is no cost to the students for this.



• Most primary classes are paired with an elementary class for regular buddy reading time.



• Library Helpers, Breakfast Program Helpers, and Kindergarten Helpers all provide essential, important, and positive assistance to these areas of our school.



• Lunchtime and after-school intramural sports programs are offered to our elementary students.



• Lunchtime and after-school advanced recorder and guitar lessons are offered to elementary students.



• A skating program is offered during the winter months.



• A swimming program is also offered to different grades.



• A band program is offered to grade five and six students.



• Many on-going works in our garden and trail areas have continued.



• Students plant bulbs in the fall. Flowers are also planted by students in the spring.



• Our school concerts certainly bring large numbers of our students together for a positive experience and a common goal. Concerts are held at Christmas, and in the Spring and the kindergarten children perform in June. Additionally, the band, recorder groups, guitar groups, and individual children perform at various assemblies throughout the school year.



• The Art Smarts Program provided many of our students with the opportunity to work with an artist to create many fine pieces of work all within our environmental garden theme.



• Education Week is filled with many positive learning experiences at our school. There are daily problem-solving clues to help find Maggie the Cow, a mascot for the school milk program. Daily clues were also given for staff and students to guess the titles of many children's books. Guest speakers and performers are also often enjoyed. Students and staff all dress for daily themes such as school colours day, hat day, and pyjama day. The grade six children do lip sync performances for the grade four and five classes.



• In the spring of 2001 a school logo contest was opened to all students, parents,and/or any other interested stakeholder in our school. The reorganization of our school population as a result of zonal changes led to the feeling that the time was right to develop a new school logo.



• The Walk-a-Thon fund-raiser also provides a positive experience for our children.



• Our An Envirofest held in June 2001 with Newfoundland Power was a huge success.



• Recycling Blitzs are now regular events. These events teach students the importance of caring for the environment while also helping with school fundraising efforts.



• The annual Art Show showcases students' work in both the regular art program and in their Arts Smarts program.



• Library Week celebrations encourage reading and offer fun challenges to students.



• The Fall Fair is supported by many local businesses and offers an opportunity for the whole school community to come together for fun and to support the school financially.



• Technology use by students continues to expand as does our school web site. Many students have developed their own web pages highlighting their growing writing and publishing skills. School events are documented by students using the school digital camera and pictures are placed on the web for the enjoyement of the whole school community.



• Assemblies are a regular part of school life.



• Parent Invitationals are held several times per year after school in the gym.



• The Annual Oratorical Contest has become an important event in the school year. Students compete within their own school and then against other schools in the area.



• Participation in regionalCross Country Running events continues to be encouraged each Fall led by Mr. E. Coles our Physical Education Teacher.



• A Be Cool Program aimed at eliminating bullying behaviours was piloted in Grades 2 & 4 during the 2000-01 school year. Plans are to expand the program to other grades in the 2001-02 year.



• The Volunteer Program is growing in strength and numbers. An orientation session is held each Fall for new volunteers. In 2000-01, several of our volunteers participated in a number of computer training sessions offered by the Community Services Council of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Claudia Long (Past-Chairperson) clong@stemnet.nf.ca

School Development Team:(2002-03)

Lynn Smith	Rhona Oldford
Reg MacDonald	Gayna Rowe
Tracy Penny	Dan Bobbett (parent representative)
Claudia Long	Kathy Whelan