Our Focus 2025/2026
| School Learning Focus for the 25/26 school year | How can focusing on inferring and deeper comprehension skills with social-emotional learning improve students’ critical thinking, communication, and sense of belonging? |
| Evidence-Informed Rationale (WHY) | During the 2024/2025 school year, the school engaged in a focused literacy inquiry emphasizing oral language and vocabulary development using strategies grounded in the First Peoples Principles of Learning. Analysis of multiple data sources, including Ministry Foundational Skills Assessment (FSA) literacy data, district DART reading assessment data, learning updates/reporting, and student voice, revealed a consistent pattern. While many students demonstrate strong reading fluency, decoding, and retelling skills, there is a noticeable gap in higher order comprehension skills, particularly inferring, making deeper connections, and critical thinking (Level 3 cognition). Students often require prompting to extend their thinking beyond surface level responses. This gap was evident across both primary and intermediate grades, suggesting a school wide need to intentionally build time, strategies, and text choice to support deeper thinking before, during, and after reading. |
| Priority Learners | • Students across grades who demonstrate strong fluency but limited depth of comprehension • Learners who rely on surface level connections and require support to infer and extend thinking |
| Baseline Data | • FSA literacy data showing limited range in Level 3 cognition (inferring and critical thinking) • Schoolwide DART data revealing a gap between reading fluency and comprehension depth (see evidence post for data details) • Classroom assessment and reporting data indicating surface level responses to text • Student voice identifying challenges with explaining thinking, making connections, and extending ideas |
| Action Statement (HOW) | Educators will intentionally design literacy learning that prioritizes time for thinking, wondering, questioning, and inferring. Across grades, teachers will embed open, flexible opportunities for discussion and reflection before, during, and after reading. Instruction will include explicit modelling of how to extend responses, use evidence, and explain thinking (“because…”). Increased text choice and text variety, including nonfiction texts, will be provided to support engagement and background knowledge. The First Peoples Principles of Learning will guide practice by recognizing that deep learning takes time and is relational. Professional learning will continue through grade group collaboration, shared analysis of student data, and collective study of strategies and practices (WipeBooks, RFRA findings, sessions with literacy consultant and other Pro D) |
| Intended Impact (SO WHAT) | Students will move beyond surface level comprehension and demonstrate deeper thinking through inferring, questioning, and making meaningful connections to texts. They will articulate their thinking with greater detail and confidence, engage in sustained conversations about learning, and develop curiosity and persistence as readers. These shifts will support stronger communication skills, increased engagement, and a deeper sense of belonging and agency as learners. |
| Evidence of Impact (HOW WE WILL KNOW) | • Improved DART/RFRA assessment results indicating growth in comprehension, inferring, and depth of responses • Student work samples and reflections demonstrating deeper connections and reasoning • Grade group data discussions identifying positive trends and reduced gaps over time |
| Alignment | This focus aligns with District Strategic Priorities by strengthening literacy development beyond foundational skills, supporting deep comprehension and critical thinking, embedding Indigenous perspectives through the First Peoples Principles of Learning, advancing student wellbeing and belonging, and fostering responsive, collaborative professional learning communities. |
Updated:
Friday, April 10, 2026