Feb 24, 20233 min read

Message from the Principals 2/24/2023

Good morning, Hope community!

Today we will discuss the following:

1: Important reminders

2: March 24th PTC

3: Curriculum Focus: Learning goals - Understanding

4: Learning Highlight

5: House Points

6: Photos of the week!

1: Important reminders

Hope Family Day - March 17th (13:00-15:00)
Parent Teacher Conference - March 24th (IN-PERSON!)
- Students are required to attend (see more information below)
Parent workshop will be held on March 24th (After the PTC) from 4:00-5:00
Spring Break: March 27-31 (NO SCHOOL)

2: March 24th PTC - 3 way conference

As the school year progresses, many parents and guardians look forward to the parent-teacher conferences that allow them to check in on their child's academic progress. This year, our school is excited to announce that our next parent-teacher conference will be a 3-way conference, where students will also have the opportunity to present their learning.

Traditionally, parent-teacher conferences involve a one-on-one meeting between the teacher and the parent/guardian. The teacher discusses the student's progress, strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement. The parent/guardian can ask questions and provide feedback to the teacher.

In a 3-way conference, the student becomes an active participant in the conversation. They will have the opportunity to share their learning goals, progress, and achievements with their teacher and parent/guardian. This approach allows students to take ownership of their learning, reflect on their progress, and set future goals. Students also gain more experience communicating their ideas effectively.

As parents and guardians, it is essential to attend these conferences and participate fully in the conversation. You will have the opportunity to hear directly from your child about their learning experiences, successes, and challenges. This conversation can help you understand how you can support your child's learning at home and encouraging their growth mindset. There is also the opportunity to talk with teacher. We look forward to seeing you there and working together to support your child's academic journey.

3: Curriculum Focus: Learning goals - Understanding

Over the last few Blog posts, we have been exploring the three types of Learning Goals for the IPC and the IMYC - Knowledge, Skills and Understanding. This week’s focus is on the final of these three: the understanding goals.

At Hope, we define understanding as:

“Making meaning and communicating ideas”

Understanding goals are often the hardest to see during day-to-day learning, as it takes longer to see the depth of understanding throughout a theme or unit. While knowledge can be quickly evaluated and skills can be clearly observed, understanding relies on the student's communication of ideas and making connections.

Understanding is personal to each student. Students can demonstrate the depth of their understanding through reflecting on their learning, making active connections across subjects, linking to unit's theme/Big Idea, and explaining how it connects to the world around them. The more independent a student is in gathering and explaining these ideas, the more they are demonstrating their understanding.

One of the ways that students can demonstrate their understanding is through the Exit Points. Throughout a unit, students are given time and space to reflect and connect their learning together and it is through these reflections that students can begin to generate ideas for their Exit Points. Reflection plays an important role in allowing students to develop their understanding, while Exit Points allow them to demonstrate it.

Teachers at Hope support the development of understanding through prompting students to make deeper connections, as well as giving guidance and structure to enable successful Exit Points.

4: Learning Highlight

During their health and well-being lessons, middle school and high school students collaborated in groups to create engaging, interactive, and educational activities about bullying, body language, growth vs. fixed mindset, stress, and developing connections & friendship.

They demonstrated their leadership skills by going to the elementary classes and teaching them about friendship and relationships through the activities they created. Some of the activities included impromptu acting scenarios, presentations, Kahoot quizzes, and creating a class handshake.