Collaboration and Communication

The elementary staff have been having some rich conversations during our Thursday morning collaboration time and the Professional Development day on October 21. Grade level teams have been working on curriculum units with the intent of making them more integral, making the learning more meaningful, creating real life connections, thus improving opportunities for students to "explore, experience and evaluate all of life under God" (ACS Mission Statement). There is a great deal of excitement around the discussions and developments that are taking place. Some of our discussions have involved mixing up the grade level teachers as well, so teachers from grades Kindergarten to grade five talk about their practices and, specifically, about Professional Learning Communities. Our Special Education department and our Learning Assistant department also have regular discussions about the best ways to support the learning of the students they work with. Collaboration and communication focussed on student learning is a major factor in improving student learning.
Stating that and believing it is one thing. Realizing it is another. I do hear many positive comments about the learning that is taking place in our school. These comments, along with a very positive response from our recent government evaluation (see last month's posting) affirms for me that we are a leader in providing quality Christian education. I think more people need to know that so that the blessings we have received can be a blessing to even more families. I also recognize that we need to be continually improving and we value parental input as we do that. Put simply, if parents in our school think we are doing things well, I hope they are telling others. If they think we should be doing things better, I hope they are telling us. Again it all comes down to communication.
If you would like to know more about how collaboration is improving student learning at ACES, I would love to chat with you or even show you around so you can see it for yourself.

Evaluations

At the time of this writing, ACS is in the midst of a major government evaluation. An incredible amount of time and energy goes into preparing for these, with the process beginning nearly a year ago. Fortunately, these evaluations occur only once every six years. The primary purpose is to determine whether we should remain eligible for Category 1 funding, so meeting the criteria of the evaluation is extremely important.

At worst, this process seems like a bureaucratic exercise that simply must be endured. When we see it in that light, it is easy to become resentful of the apparent waste of time and energy. There is another way, a better way, to look at this process. I am somewhat ashamed to admit that I was too caught up in the anxiety of preparing for the evaluation, and it took the members of the evaluation team to open my eyes to this better way. They have been extremely impressed by what they have seen.  We meet the criteria of the evaluation, but so much more. One evaluator talked of the positive spirit that was prevalent throughout the school, something many other visitors to Abbotsford Christian School have commented on over the years. Another commented on the confident and polite attitude of the Secondary students. Those comments affirm what I/we already know – God is in this place!

Is the evaluation worth it? Yes! We must be held to the highest standard of education as measured by the society we are part of. But we need to do so much more. So we are challenged, but also have much reason to celebrate and give thanks! Having visitors to the school for whatever reason – government evaluations, prospective parents, outside professionals, even couriers is always exciting for us. It gives us a chance to share what God is doing this place as we seek to provide quality education the opens up God’s world to our students. Our desire is that all will be enriched in spending time here.