reteset ome te meres artnet

omy

Public conference to orient ~

parents on changes in schools

TERRACE -—— In an effort to
clarify the changes being brought

about by the Year 2000 curriculum
‘and clear up confusion among

parents of school-age children,
School District 88 is organizing a
major conference for local parents
this weekend.

‘The conference begins. Friday
evening Oct. 26 at Uplands Ele-
mentary School with an address on
the ‘Year.2000 by Dr. Barry Car-

bol, director of the Curriculum
Development Branch for the Min-

‘istry of Education. The session

begins at 7 p.m. and is expected to
last about 90 minutes, with time
allowed for questions and answers.

The Saturday conference, sche-
duled for 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at
Uplands, will consist of what the
district terms “mini sessions" on
concerns outlined by parents in
recent survey. Those concerns

include dual entry in the primary
program, support for special needs
children, co-operative learning,
assessment and evaluation of stu-
dents, the transition from primary
to intermediate programs, an ¢xam-
ination of the role of parents, and
classroom organization under the
new curriculum.

The Saturday sessions will be

_ headed by school staff from within

the district.

” Editor’s note: this is the first of a regular
series of articles contributed to the Terrace
Review by School District 88 on the sweeping
changes taking place in public education as a
result of the Royal Commission on Education.

This time of year is fall colours, Indian sum-
mer, warm sun, chilly nights, and the start of a
new school year. This year school begins with
another new element — newly developed pro-
grams that will help prepare our children for the
changing times as we head toward the next cen-
tury.

The Ministry of Education is starting to put
into effect the recommendations of the Royal

, Commission on Education: A Legacy for Learn-

ers, which was completed in 1988, The Commis-
sion, headed by Mr. Barry Sullivan, gathered
opinions about education and the B.C. school
system from people all over the province.
Educators, parents and other members of the

- public formed committees to create new direc-

tions for the school system, The result of these
deliberations was the document, Year 2000: A

- framework for learning.

A new School Act was drafted and tame into
effect in 1989. New programs for all students
are being developed, based on the philosophy of
the Year 2000 framework. This year begins the
first step in this new direction with the introduc-
tion of the Primary Program into the schools of
our district.

Changes will cause mixed reactions. For some
the process will proceed too slowly, for some it

will move too quickly. Opinions about the pro-

grams will vary. Some will feel that the previous

‘programs were fine, and wish to keep them.

Some of the changes, such as a new method of

. reporting a child’s progress without the use of

formal letter grades, will take time for
educators, students, and parents to work out.
But a public that has survived change of every
other method of measuring — imperial to
metric, fahrenheit to celsuis, degrees to pascals,
pounds to kilograms, gallons to litres — will
surely adapt to the fundamental changes of the
new program.

Many people, however, are pleased that
British Columbia is setting the standard for
other educational systems with a student-centred
curriculum designed to meet the changing needs

- of the children in our schools. The new pro-
‘ grams will help children realize some of the aims

of education: .
@ to learn that each person is unique, with a
special place in the world
@ to stimulate thinking and reasoning
@ to learn to evaluate
@ to be responsible for improving one’s own
skills
®@ to help one another
In the weeks ahead we hope to visit a number

ele Toward the Year 2000:
Enabling Learners

A regular education feature contributed by School District &8

journey towards the Year 2000. And new
phrases — cooperative learning, multi-age
grouping, theme planning, individual progress —

have crept into the language to add spice to the

old diet.

Thornhill Primary Schoo! was our first selec-
tion for a visit; it was one of the schools in
District 88 chosen last year to pilot the new pro-
grams.

Our first discovery was that not all classes are
programmed in the same way, nor all schools,

At Thornhill, (and, as we later found, in other
schools) the distribution of pupils in classes is as
different as the pupils to be taught. There are
multi-age classes, single age classes, older age
grouping and younger age grouping. It appeared
haphazard but, in fact, as we soon discovered, it
was instead the result of many hours of staff
consultation.

Our first impression as we entered the multi-
age class was the concentration of the children

‘.. in what they were doing. They seldom even

looked up. They were working by themselves or
in groups of two or three, at reading, writing,
drawing, listening activities and other centres
that explored Math, Socials and Science topics.

The day began with children and the teacher
reading stories and poems on a common theme
to provide the class with a shared experience.
Together they worked on projects that were
based on the information provided and the chil-
dren’s interest and experience. It was surprising
how well they researched the topics. Their
stories, drawings and displays refiected the high
quality of work done in groups or individually.
Children become mini-experts on various topics
of interest to them. The youngsters then en-
thusiastically share this information with other
members of the class. ‘Different ages in a class
seem to make it easier for the children to help .
each other,’’ said our guide.

This example of student-centred learning and
theme planning shows how teachers organize,
plan and implement curriculum to meet the.
needs of children in a multi-aged ungraded class.
Teachers plan group lessons around the goals of
the Primary program and children work on ac-
tivities that expand their knowledge and skills as
they move-through the developmental stages of
learning.

What makes an ungraded primary class dif-
ferent from a traditional primary class?

In classes at Thornhill Primary there is a real
blend between the end of the old and beginning
of the new. In these beginnings of the new pro-
gram we see the goodness of the traditional pro-
gram retained, but- enriched by student-centred
learning, multi-aged groupings, continuous pro-
gress, ungradedness, and theme planning, .

As we moved from room to’room, we found |
teachers pleased to talk, to discuss their re-

of classrooms in the district and bring readers an ' actions and strategies as they move towards im-

‘understanding of the transition to the Year 2000.

The Thornhill Primary pilot, year two

An unscheduled visit to a classroom is a
fascinating experience, particularly i in the
primary schools.

This year it is even more interesting as the
primary children are the first to begin the

*plementing the changes as proposed in the
Primary program.

"Last year when we started," said one of the
teachers of a multi-age class, ‘‘Il was really ap-
prehensive about the teacher's role in these
changes. By Christmas, | was quite settled. By.
June, ‘I was enthusiastic. Now, | wouldn’t want
jt any other way.”

. Terrace Review — Wednesday, October 24, 1990 Bli

Christopher Hartman and Natalle Salem prepare for a study ot
spiders in Judy Scruton’s multi-level class at Thomhill Primary
School. It’s the second year for this class, having been the only
multi-level pilot class in the district last year.

Conference response

Jan Iverson: Hope to learn a
great deal from these sessions.

~ by Nancy Orr

On Kenney Street the old
Kalum School, which is now the
headquarters for the managers
and supervisors of School
District 88, was overwhelmed
last week.

The district had issued an in-
vitation through every school
for parents and other interested
people to attend a conference
Oct. 25 and 26 concerning the
changes that are taking place in
the way education is to be
delivered in the coming years
leading up to the next century.

‘‘Parents First’’ was the name
of the conference. ‘‘The Child’s
First and most Important
Teachers are the Parents’’ said
the posters sent out to advertise
the sessions to be held
Uplands School.

Every child was given a ques-

tionnaire to take home to
parents, indicating whether the
parents would attend and which
subjects they would want to
discuss.

swamps district office

‘‘The responses are pouring in
from all the schools,’”’ said Jan
Iverson, who with intermediate
supervisor Paul Axelson is

- organizing the conference.

‘“‘Now we have to correlate the

‘answers to make sure we have

enough room in each of the
seminars for everyone. We are
just delighted that there is so
much interest in what we are do-
ing this year.”

- Dr. Barry Carbol, Director of
Curriculum’ Development from
the Ministry of Education, will
be in attendance to assist and to
explain the forthcoming changes
that are planned in Intermediate
and Graduate programs, as well

as the purposes and philosophy

of the program known as
‘“‘Toward the Year 2000” which
is beginning to permeate the
classrooms in varying degrees.

Reporting and assessment, co-
operative learning, multi-aged
classrooms, special needs chil-
dren, dual entry, the role of
play, and parents as partners
will be some of the topics chosen’
to be discussed in groups and
seminars throughout the day,
beginning at 9:30 a.m. and con-
tinuing until 3 p.m. on Satur-
day, Oct. 27 and on Friday from
7 until 8:30 p.m., Oct. 26.

“We hope to learn a great °
deal from these sessions,” said
Iverson, as she and Merry
Hallsor sorted through fistfuls
of envelopes containing the
responses. “‘It is very gratifying
that people are wanting to come
out to give their views and to
listen to what others have to say.
The Intermediate and Graduate

-. programs are still in the draft

stage, and this is the most ap-
propriate -time to discuss the
proposals.'’

Information about the ses-
sions may be had from local
schools or from the district of- :
fice, 635-4931.