HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2009-04-15, Page 7News
The Huron Expositor • April 1512009 Plate .
Seaforth Public School awarded for determination
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Seaforth Public School was hon-
oured last week with the Determina-
tion in Academic Achievement award
from the Fraser Institute; recogniz-
ing the highest academic achieve-
ment in Ontario schools "regardless
of the hurdles they may face."
Looking at data4from • 2,786 ele-
mentary schools across the province,
the Fraser Institute wanted to rec-
ognize- schools with excellent aca-
demic achievement; even when the
students attending the schools come
from families whose average income
is in the bottom 25 per cent for On-
tario.
While Seaforth Public received the
top award in the category with the
highest EQAO scores at the fifth
anneal, Garfield Weston Awards
for Excellence in Education din-
ner in Toronto, other local schools
mentioned in the same category as
"schools of distinction," included St.
James School in Seaforth, Grey Cen-
tralPublic School in E tL 1 anti East
Wawanosh Public School in Bel -
grave.
"When we're looking at test scores,
we found that a lot of the discourse
was about how the rich schools are
always doing well," says Lisa -Diane
Fortier,. associate director of Out-
reach Programs for the Fraser Insti-
tute:
"This award was developed in
response to the idea that the top
schools are always the rich schools.
You also always see schools that
aren't rich, that face more challenges
and obstacles than other schools but
the teachers and administration still
empower children to achieve," she
says.
Fortier says that while the issue
of income "can be a touchy subject"
when comparing schools, the ap-
plause from teachers was "deafen-
ing" when the award was announced
honouring schools that achieve high
academic standards . despite any ob-
stacles.
In a journey that began as a low -
performing school where only one-
third of students were performing to
EQAO standards for Grades 3 and
6, Seaforth Public School has made
great strides, says principal Cheryl
Peach.
She says the provincial govern-
ment's "Turnaround" funding which
provided additional training for SPS
teachers, helped create professional
learning communities, taught teach-
ers and students 26 different learn-
ing strategies and led to more suc-
cessful outcomes.
"Looking at our data, we deter-
mined the best strategy to use. When
you walk through our building, you
can see we're using that data to drive
the learning and it's very clear what
learning looks like," she says.
Peach says using tools like per-
formance walls - where examples of
each level of achievement from level
one to four is displayed students
can learn how to evaluate their own
work and work towards higher levels
of achievement.
"We're taking the secrets of learn-
ing out of learning," she says.
Peach says that since the teachers
are all working. together as profes-
sional learning communities, they're
constantly sharing ideas that work
in the classroom.
"You're not by yourself. anymore as
a teacher. We're all collaborating,"
she says.
And, while Peach says she's not
comfortable with the fact that the
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Fraser Institute is using EQAO is making gains while "competing
scores to compare schools across On- against ourselves."
tario, she's happy to know that SPS See SCHOOL, Page 8
G
11 Vt,
..••.1** 22•• • D• . P:%
Representing
Seaforth Public
School at the
Garfield Weston
awards in Toronto
were from left,
principal Cheryl
Peach and teach-
ers Carolyn Grif-
fin, Georgina
Reynolds, vice .
principal Leasa
Barclay, Sarah
Gerber and Jan
Hoover.
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