School Plan for Continuous Growth 2020-2023 (year 3)

School Mission: Louis St. Laurent is a community of learners committed to nurturing and celebrating each other’s giftedness in the spirit of the Gospel..
School Vision: We believe that we are unique and worthy persons and that God calls each of us to work together in love, hope and courage in our school community. Our primary goal through a holistic approach, is that all students learn and develop to their fullest potential through multiple pathways. We embrace our internationalism which promotes global awareness and understanding. All that we do is centered on the best interests of our students and provide many opportunities for them to develop through fine arts, leadership, social justice work, athletics, clubs or academies. We believe that by striving for understanding we provide for an environment that stimulates growth and accepts differences. We maintain forgiveness as a basic belief of our Catholic faith that is lived in our school, community and home. We believe that showing respect for ourselves, each other and our environment provides for harmony and personal growth
School Charism: “One School…One Team” Charisms are gifts of the Holy Spirit that contribute to the evangelizing impulse and is the Catholic approach to branding in its fullest, most faith-based sense. It refers to the school's identity being cultivated into something much bigger than our culture. It is something that is unique to the local school body. The use of our colloquial motto, One School…One Team, represents our daily commitment to the creation of positive, authentic and life-affirming relationships among students and staff, between Junior and Senior high divisions, and infused throughout our varied learning contexts. In this way, we truly celebrate and build upon our giftedness as a unique community of learners who, despite diversity in age, heritage, interest or ability, we are all one, moving toward one common goal, guided by the Holy Spirit.

Priority:  Growing in Faith
Our students and staff will learn and live the Word of God through worship, witness, and service.
Key Strategies:
F.3 Provide an excellent Catholic education that empowers students to discern current events from a Catholic worldview and to witness our faith to all.
F.4 Provide formation opportunities for students and staff that further their participation in our faith and enable them to discern the presence of God in their lives.
Actions we will take
Our prayer life: - To give each student the opportunity to be a witness to our faith by writing and delivering the morning prayers that are heartfelt and beautiful. - To invite staff to join weekly Monday morning prayer in the school chapel. - To listen and encounter God together as a school community through daily events and each morning as we pray and share our Land Acknowledgement. - To involve our parish priests and Division chaplains in the life at Louis St. Laurent through visits, events, during Liturgy of the Word and Eucharistic Liturgies. Our life of witness to the Gospel: - To guide our students to partake in opportunities offered at the school to grow in their faith and be a living example of Christ. - To implement events in the school that encourage school spirit and integrate our faith in these moments. - To display our school’s charism(s) so that they are felt and known by our students and staff. - To develop a deeper appreciation of one’s God-given gifts by sharing and modeling how one person’s contribution to help others brings inner joy to our lives. - To give each grade a faith formation experience of a retreat or event to build important relationships and see God's face in each other. Our life of service: - To teach and model what it means to be a good citizen in our school and in our communities. - To do God's work as a community through student CSI group, EDIAR students, student leadership, Green Team by doing works of charity and actions for social justice. As a community we stand for solidarity, justice and stewardship of God’s creation.
Performance Measures:
Our performance in this area will be evaluated using the following Local Measure:
  • ECSD Assurance Survey of Theme - Catholic Identity.
Priority:  Student Success
Through a holistic approach, students will develop to their fullest potential through multiple pathways.
Key Strategies:
S.1 Identify and apply best practices for curriculum implementation to ensure student success.
S.2 Implement teaching and assessment practices to deepen students’ understanding and to increase ability to target teaching and improve learning.
S.3 Continue to create opportunities for students to engage in hands on learning experiences that transition to career pathways.
Actions we will take
S.1.1: Outcomes-Based Instruction: - To begin with the end in mind using the Program of Study for clarity in what students must know, understand, and be able to do. - To continue sharing learning goals and work towards developing success criteria to increase the understanding of what it looks like to achieve the learning goal. - To develop student metacognitive awareness through formative assessment practices that lead a student to plan, monitor and assess their own learning. Helping students bridge the knowing-doing gap. - To design and facilitate rich learning activities to ensure students acquire the knowledge, understanding, and skills in an engaging and meaningful way. - To enable our students to be inquiry learners and take ownership of their own learning. S.2.1: Outcomes-Based Feedback, Assessment and Reporting: - To examine the evidence of student learning in reference to the learning outcome, to determine the student’s level of achievement / mastery. - To provide clarity in student outcomes-based feedback giving students the opportunity for growth. - To use multimodal evidence of learning through products, conversations, observations and products. - To continue to build the question bank resources of Smartermarks to accurately report progress and the level of achievement for individual outcomes and use the item statistics of difficulty and discrimination for question analysis. S.3.1: To develop the wide range of foundational and transferable skills that prepare students for the dynamic jobs of the 21st century in the S.T.E.M. Spark Academy. Students will focus on problem-solving, designing, innovating through the lens of science, technology, engineering and math. S.3.2: To offer a wide variety of complementary courses in Fine Arts, Career and Technology Studies, Career and Technology Foundations, and Sport Academies.
Performance Measures:
Our performance in this area will be measured using:
  • Alberta Education Assurance Measure of Student Learning (Provincial Achievement Tests and Diploma Exam Results)
  • Alberta Education Assurance Measure of High School Completion
  • Alberta Education Assurance Measure of Citizenship
  • Alberta Education Assurance Measure of Student Learning Engagement
  • Alberta Education Assurance Measure of Welcoming, Caring, Respectful and Safe Learning Environment
  • Alberta Education Assurance Measure of Access to Support and Services
Local Measures:
  • ECSD Assurance Survey of Theme - Access to Help, Support and Resources
  • ECSD Assurance Survey of Theme - Student Engagement
  • ECSD Assurance Survey of Theme - Safe and Caring Learning Environment
  • ECSD Assurance Survey of Theme - Foundational Knowledge about First Nations, Métis and Inuit
  • School surveys
Priority:  An Excellent Place to Work and Learn
We will provide an optimal learning and working environment that fosters a culture of faith, trust, unity, inclusivity, confidence, respect, value and appreciation for one another.
Key Strategies:
E.3 Provide and engage in professional learning to enhance the level of subject matter, conceptual, and procedural knowledge expertise and competency.
E.6 Continue to create an excellent Catholic educational working environment through the provision of faith formation, health, and wellness opportunities and supports for all staff.
E.7 Begin to implement the ECSD Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Anti-Racism Strategic Plan.
Actions we will take
E.3.1: To build capacity of the instructional leaders or department heads in all subject areas in grades 7-12, to lead in best practices in the work of their communities of practice. E.3.2: To build capacity of the Instructional leaders and department heads through participation in the working committees of the Division and Alberta Education. E.6.1: To develop committees to plan for staff opportunities for faith formation and promoting health and wellness. E.7.1: To develop a student and staff team to lead the ECSD Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism Strategic Plan
Performance Measures:
Our performance in this area will be measured using:
  • Alberta Education Assurance Measure of Education Quality
Local Measures:
  • ECSD Assurance Survey of Theme - Teaching and Assessment Practices
  • ECSD Assurance Survey of Theme - Staff Engagement and Respect in the Workplace
  • ECSD Assurance Survey of Theme - Overall Satisfaction with Edmonton Catholic Schools
  • School surveys for feedback on the school's equity, diversity, inclusion and anti-racism plan
Priority:  Building Our Future Together
We will engage in good stewardship of all resources through principled governance and engagement.
Key Strategies:
B.1 Continue to develop collaborative plans with the Council of Elders and Indigenous communities to enhance supports and services for Indigenous students.
B.2 Continue to walk together recognizing the calls to action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
B.4 Continue to nurture collaborations, relationships and partnerships to provide programs and services for students from Pre-K-12.
Actions we will take
B.2.1 To continue to support students through our Braided Journeys program led by our Indigenous Grad Coach along with connections with Elders, various Indigenous leaders, and communities. - To provide open invitations to Indigenous and non-Indigenous students and staff to engage in weekly smudges. - To offer Cree language development, after school tutorials, university STEM tutorials, post-secondary planning and support for career and job planning for our Indigenous students. B.2.2: To connect the school Braided Journey leader and the Truth and Reconciliation Lead teacher lead to support how to incorporate historical teachings, indigenous literature, and art in our classrooms. - To embrace the calls to action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in curriculum, special days, and in conversations within our community. B.4.1: To serve the diverse needs within our community through Students Services staffed with a Learning Coach, counsellors, Family School Liaison Worker, School Resource Officer, and Mental Health Therapist. - To continue the Collaborative Response Model of all the services to respond to student needs through action plans involving school and community services. - To provide accommodations in classrooms for students in need. - To provide a supervised and supported space open to students for exam accommodations - To provide students a safe space open to them throughout the day when in need.
Performance Measures:
Our performance in this area will also be measured using:
  • Alberta Education Assurance Measure of Parental Involvement and,
  • Alberta Education Assurance Measure of Budget-Actual Comparison
Local Measures:
  • ECSD Assurance Survey of Theme - Parent/Guardian Involvement
  • ECSD Assurance Survey of Theme - Implementing Frameworks and Procedures
November Review:
Goal 1 – Growing in Faith Our students and staff will learn and live the Word of God through worship, witness and service -LSL has celebrated one Eucharistic Celebrations with students 7-12, and 2 Liturgical celebrations so far this year. We have welcomed our Division chaplain and parish priest to engage with our community during celebrations and Religion classes. -The Christian Service Initiative Team has organized cereal drives to support breakfasts at some schools, collecting for food hamper drives, Mitts, Tuques and coats for the homeless, -Student prayers are delivered throughout the week in the morning which have been most meaningful in various languages. Goal 2 – Student Success Through a holistic approach, students will develop to their fullest potential through multiple pathways. - Each department in JH and SH has a teacher representative working with Division Working Groups or Provincial working or marking groups. -Each Community of Practice is working towards Universal design in outcomes-based lesson design, learning activities, feedback for growth, and assessments and reporting. -SH Teacher Advisor sessions and the Grad Coach are supporting students with exposure to careers, scholarships, and post-secondary opportunities. -Braided journeys offers career counselling for post-secondary, opportunities for work experience and apprenticeship programs. Goal 3 – Excellent Place to Work and Learn We will provide an optimal learning and working environment that fosters a culture of faith, trust, unity, inclusivity, confidence, respect, value and appreciation for one another. - Student support services consisting of two counsellors, Family School Liaison Worker, Braided Journeys Coach, Grad Coach, Learning Coach, Mental Health Therapist and administration meet using the Collaborative Response Model to review student needs and plans of actions for support. This does include one-on-one services and classroom presentations. Goal 4 – Building Our Future Together We will engage in good stewardship of all resources through principled governance and engagement. -The BSA, Life Group, SH Students’ Union, and JH Leadership Groups are actively organizing events to promote equity, diversity, inclusion, and anti-racism. -Braided Journeys continues to educate the school population and includes all students in cultural activities with our Indigenous community.
February Review:
Goal 1 – Growing in Faith Our students and staff will learn and live the Word of God through worship, witness and service -LSL has celebrated two Eucharistic Celebrations with students 7-12, and 3 Liturgical celebrations so far this year. We have welcomed our Division chaplain and parish priest to engage with our community during celebrations and Religion classes. -Religion classes have participated in many service opportunities Food Bank, Ronald McDonald House, Baking at Mustard Seed Church, Volunteering at Bissell Centre, and Visit to Humane Society, -The Christian Service Initiative Team has organized cereal drives to support breakfasts at some schools, collecting for food hamper drives, Mitts, Tuques and coats for the homeless, Food and monetary donations for 31 Christmas hampers for families in our community. -The BSA, Life Group, SH Students’ Union, and JH Leadership Groups are actively organizing events to promote equity, diversity, inclusion and anti-racism. -Student prayers are delivered throughout the week in the morning which have been most meaningful . Goal 2 – Student Success Through a holistic approach, students will develop to their fullest potential through multiple pathways. - Each Community of Practice is reviewing results of standardized assessments (diploma or division) to understand strengths and weaknesses to set new goals with intentional collaborative work to strengthen areas of weakness. - Each department in JH and SH has a teacher representative working with Division Working Groups or Provincial working or marking groups. -Each Community of Practice is working towards Universal design in outcomes-based lesson design, learning activities, feedback for growth, and assessments and reporting. -SH Teacher Advisor sessions and the Grad Coach are supporting students with exposure to careers, scholarships, and post-secondary opportunities. -Braided journeys offers career counselling for post-secondary, opportunities for work experience and apprenticeship programs. Goal 3 – Excellent Place to Work and Learn We will provide an optimal learning and working environment that fosters a culture of faith, trust, unity, inclusivity, confidence, respect, value and appreciation for one another. - Student support services consisting of two counsellors, Family School Liaison Worker, Braided Journeys Coach, Grad Coach, Learning Coach, Mental Health Therapist and administration meet using the Collaborative Response Model to review student needs and plans of actions for support. This does include one-on-one services and classroom presentations. Goal 4 – Building Our Future Together We will engage in good stewardship of all resources through principled governance and engagement. - students and staff are starting the planning for the School's LSL Multi-cultural week. -The BSA, Life Group, SH Students’ Union, and JH Leadership Groups are actively organizing events to promote equity, diversity, inclusion, and anti-racism. Feb 23 is the BHN from BSA presentation for students 7-12. -Braided Journeys continues to educate the school population and includes all students in cultural activities with our Indigenous community.