Spark Program Proposal

The Spark vision is an enriched, active-learning, student-centred, bilingual,

elementary school program. It addresses the niche of parents who want to be more
involved in their childs education and are willing to contribute to an enriched
curriculum. The initiative to create the program has come from the desire to create
a FACE of the West Island, as well as the wish to continue to pursue the school
success plans goals of achieving an accreditation as an arts school.

The program would meet the expectations of the MELS curriculum through an
alternative approach. It would run as a magnet program. Interested parents
would attend an information session and complete an application process. The
program would be available to families eligible for English education and willing
to provide transportation to the site. Additional costs would be met through parent
contributions, fundraising, and education grants.

The tenets of Spark are that each child will learn and grow at their own speed and
that motivation for learning must be intrinsic. Drawing from concepts of Waldorf
(mentor texts), Montessori (multiple ways to express learning), Reggio Emilia
(drawing on childrens interests) and Forest Schools (time in nature), Spark uses
the natural passions of the child to engage and capture their excitement and
motivation for learning. Important and unique features include large amounts of
time outside, family involvement (in and out of the classroom), student-led projects
and activities, community involvement, and hands-on learning.

The relationships between and among teachers and students are recognized as
being the most important factor in learning. Gentle discipline, collaborative
problem-solving, and mutual responsibility for learning are all emphasized. These
core philosophies will be lived by staff at all times; from the enthusiastic greeting
in the morning to afternoon dismissal.

Proposed Activities:

Daily time in nature, both structured and unstructured.

Daily Readers Workshop and Math Lab where students work at their pace
with a balance on skills acquisition and critical thinking. Exposure to rich
literature and complex problem-solving challenges are key.
 Active learning projects throughout the year: knitting, wood-working, nature
crafts, clay pottery, paper mache sculpture, photography, robotics, movie-
making, fort-building, gardening, computer programming, sewing.
Weekly class potluck lunch: groups rotate planning, preparing, serving and
cleaning up Friday lunch.
Monthly parent meeting to discuss upcoming themes, feedback, possible
contributions/collaborations with community groups.
Passion projects: students envision a project based on a personal passion and
educators act as mentors to help them realize their vision (for example,
making bracelets to sell and raise money for a charity, creating a class
magazine, making a documentary).
Multicultural Day: study a country every week/month language, customs,
food, music, culture, etc... are explored. Students take ownership by
planning based on their heritage.
Emphasis on student-created mentor texts like reading and math journal.
Skill practice with manipulatives as opposed to worksheets.
Partnerships with community organizations: seniors homes, the library, City
of Beaconsfield, etc...
Frequent field trips: EcoMuseum, Morgan Arboretum, Science Centre,
Biodome, Nature Walks around the school, etc...

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

9-9:15 Writing
9:15-10:00 Morning meeting, shared reading
10-10:10 Snack
10:10-11:00 Math Lab
11:00-11:15 Recess
11:15-12:15 Skills Practice (Eng & French word work, math facts, dictee,
vocabulary practice)
* release time for homeroom teachers* use resource teachers
(word work, math facts, dictee)
12:15-1:00 Lunch
1:00-2:00 French: music, drama, knitting, multicultural study, etc...
2:00-2:15 Nature exploration: gathering artifacts for writing, crafts, science
2:15-3:15
3:15-3:30

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

9:00-10:00 French: morning meeting, drama, art projects, knitting, multicultural
study, etc...
Nature exploration: gathering artifacts for writing, crafts, science
10-10:10 Snack
10:10-11:00 Continue French activities
11:00-11:15 Recess
11:15-12:15 Skills Practice (Eng & French) * release time for homeroom
teachers*
(word work, math facts, dictee)
12:15-1:00 Lunch
1:00-2:00 Readers Workshop
2:00-2:15 Afternoon Recess
2:15-3:15 Math Lab
3:15-3:30 Read Aloud

Schedule Rationale

In cycle one, the arts and physical education are easily integrated into the regular
program.
Standard Phys. Ed is replaced with outdoor activities/play and classroom
movement breaks that incorporate yoga, dance, tai chi, etc... The music program
exposes children to singing in French while helping build essential vocabulary.
The allure of the subjects in French helps children overcome the fear of
communicating in a second language and helps them develop their skills by
practicing in the context of real-life activities.
Having an hour for set skills practice daily allows the specialist time to be
concentrated on individual needs and work with small groups. Concepts of word
building/phonetics, number sense, and French language can all be addressed.

Envisioning a Future for SPark

Ideally, the program would expand cycle by cycle until there was sufficient
students to justify one to two classes per grade. It would be housed within a
conventional school as long as the facilities for outdoor exploration, cooking and
art were available.
The distribution of written English/French would shift; as students gain confidence
and ability orally, they are able to read and write more proficiently.
Students would continue to direct their learning as much as possible while needing
less leadership to conceive of and follow-through on meaningful, real-life projects.
Ideally, students would have the chance to play an instrument and follow other
passions in the arts with the help of specialists.