TranslateProfessional Activity Days
Professional Activity Days 2023-2024
Date: November 10, 2023
Length: Full Day
Topic: Literacy and Mathematics
Entity Hosting: School Board
Presenter(s)/Facilitator(s): School administrators
Description: School teams will assess progress in Literacy and Numeracy Goals from the School Improvement Plan, focussing attention on the implementation of high-yield teaching strategies. Educators will assess the impact to date of incorporating high-yield strategies in their instruction and will deepen their understanding of the connection between clear and specific learning goals, success criteria and feedback. School-level data from provincial assessments will be considered along with the results of initial and on-going classroom assessments. Survey results will also be reviewed as part of the initial data collection for each school’s Math Achievement Action Plan. School administrators will facilitate this learning. Our Mental Health Lead and Social Workers will also provide training at a central location for Grade 7 and 8 teachers for Ministry-mandated Mental Health Literacy modules, which will be delivered to Grade 7 and 8 students later this year in support of student well-being.
Date: September 29, 2023
Length: Full Day
Topic: Student Achievement Plan and Data Analysis
Entity Hosting: School Board
Presenter(s)/Facilitator(s): School administrators
Description: School teams will focus on their school’s Student Achievement Plan. School administrators will work with school-based staff to develop achievable goals that will increase students’ success in areas of math and literacy, as well as engagement, well-being and belonging. School staff will meet in-person to conduct data analysis of each school’s student achievement data (for example, EQAO, initial fall assessments) to set goals for their Student Achievement Plan and plan for high impact practice. Schools will also complete their Math Action Plan focussing on the Key Performance Indicators and high-yield strategies in mathematics.
Date: September 5, 2023
Duration: AM
Topic(s): Student Well-Being/Mental Health/Student Achievement Plan
Host: Rainbow District School Board
Presenter(s)/Facilitator(s): Board staff – elementary consultants and secondary coordinators, Mental Health Team, school administrators
Description: School staff will review Student Safety Plans, Violence Prevention programs and learn how to best support the mental health and well-being of students through the use of The First 10 Days resource from School Mental Health Ontario (SMHO). In addition, staff will be trained in the use of the Individual Education Plan (IEP) Engine – RISE – which includes strategies to support students with learning differences. Student data will be analyzed to form the basis of the Student Achievement Plan, set goals for improvement and design clear actions school staff and administrators can take to achieve those goals.
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Date: September 5, 2023
Duration: PM
Topic(s): Occupational Health and Safety Training
Host: Rainbow District School Board
Presenter(s)/Facilitator(s): School Board staff – school administrators
Description: In this presentation prepared by our Health and Safety Officer, school staff will review prevalent medical conditions and renew their yearly mandatory Occupational Health and Safety training which includes Ministry regulations, policies and procedures designed to keep staff and students safe and healthy at school. This training is facilitated by school administrators.
Date: September 1, 2023
Duration: AM
Topic(s): New Language Curriculum (1 to 8), Grade 9 Destreamed English / Destreamed Grade 9 Math, Student Success (Learning Goals and Success Criteria)
Host: Rainbow District School Board
Presenter(s)/Facilitator(s): Board staff – elementary consultants and secondary coordinators, school administrators
Description: Elementary school staff will receive an overview of the New Language Curriculum using the resources shared by the Ministry, including the Key Changes document. Through guided activities, staff will be able to familiarize themselves with the changes to the curriculum, particularly a more explicit focus on phonemic and phonological awareness which our Board implemented last year following the release of the Right to Read Inquiry Report. Secondary staff will engage in professional learning regarding the new destreamed Grade 9 English Curriculum and deepen their understanding of Grade 9 Destreamed Math. They will also engage in Student Success work, including the design of success criteria and establishing learning goals. This professional activity day will be facilitated and hosted by school board staff.
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Date: September 1, 2023
Duration: PM
Topic(s): Effective Literacy and Numeracy Instruction / Development of Classroom profiles through the lens of Student Well-Being/Mental Health, Culturally Responsive and Relevant Pedagogy and Student Achievement Data
Host: Rainbow District School Board
Presenter(s)/Facilitator(s): Board staff – elementary consultants and secondary coordinators, school administrators
Description: Elementary school staff will be provided with a clear framework for effective literacy and numeracy instruction. Grounded in the strategies outlined in the Right to Read Inquiry Report in addition to the Ministry document for High Yield Strategies in Mathematics instruction, this framework includes the Board’s new Scope and Sequence for Mathematics and the comprehensive literacy block that addresses the building blocks to reading instruction as well as comprehension strategies. Secondary staff will engage in diagnostic planning and data analysis. Using the principles of Culturally Relevant and Responsive Pedagogy, school teams will create classroom profiles that outline the instructional needs of their students based on achievement and student well-being data. All schools will analyze data for the School Action Plan for Math. These sessions will be facilitated by Board staff and school administrators.