Bloomfield Elementary School’s mission statement is- An academic family purposefully engaged in learning to become future leaders and productive citizens who are the heart of the community. Through our mission statement our three priorities emerged, which navigate our thoughts and future endeavours as we plan for the future of school.
A Synthesis of our Conversation:
What is the purpose of school? We began our conversations by discussing the Six Global Competencies for Deeper Learning found in the book, Dive into Deeper Learning Tools for Engagement. Students, teacher leaders, and community members synthesized the information presented and were able to attribute to how character, citizenship, collaboration, communication, creativity, and critical thinking are deeply rooted in our everyday experiences at BES. One particular student even noted-”Our school priorities and mission statement align nicely to what we want people to know about us.” During our first local Backpack Day on September 16, our staff visited local businesses and gathered input from our community stakeholders about their priorities, and relationship to our school’s purpose.
What does it mean to be in a community? Students and parents agreed that school is at the heart of the community. We have incorporated Family Team Meetings, Gratitude Circles, and Restorative Circles into this year’s schedule in order to build community among students at our school. Students acknowledged that Family Team Meetings are a way for them to share emotions, solutions, and ideas with peers and to get feedback in a non-judgemental environment that are essential when building a community.
What types of experiences in school bring a lot of value to my life? Voice and choice has been a huge part of our academic day at BES this year. Students have had buy-in and parents have completed surveys giving their opinion and feedback on their, or their child’s learning. Students have learned content in different forms; hands-on, traditional classroom methods, field trips, and project based learning assignments.
What does the future demand of me and of school? Parents, students, and teachers are excited for the Npossible work that we are doing at BES. We began the discussion with identifying skills that students need now and in the future, and what our community and the workplace will demand of them in the future. Team members identified the following skills: being an effective communicator, being a critical thinker, being a global citizen, and being a responsible collaborator.
Next Steps
We will continue to bring students, community members, and team members to the table to develop and strengthen the outcomes centered around “what is the purpose of school”. We have built a foundation that will allow us to scaffold learning in a unique way for all students. The continued partnerships with our community, the collaboration with students and parents, and the focus on our three priorities will drive our future conversations.
