Denman Island Community School Transition Year Terms of Reference

Denman school parents and students, supported by many community members, are excited to be moving into a year of transition and evolution at our school. The goal: Our goal is to have a vibrant, creative and exciting school that students want to attend and parents want to be part of, a school that reflects and contributes to this amazing place we live in. Staff at our school will be deeply engaged in their work, excited about trying new things, willing to collaborate extensively with parents and community members, engaged in life-long learning, and connected to the community in meaningful ways. The philosophy: We recognize that our children need to learn critical thinking, leadership, cooperation, problem solving, social responsibility, adaptability, how to access, evaluate and analyze information, and other life skills, as well as relevant and necessary subject material. Curriculum needs to be connected to students interests, experiences, talents and the real world. The physical and cultural environment of the Island provide inspiration and context for the educational process. We are taking inspiration and ideas from various educational models being practiced and talked about around the world, such as place-based education, student-centred learning, inquiry-based learning, and 21st Century learning, for instance as articulated by John Abbot, but what we do and will do is uniquely ours. We are excited about learning from other schools working with similar approaches, for instance other Gulf Island schools. We are moving towards a school model that supports each childs individuality and is able to meet the diverse needs of our school population, so that students dont need to look elsewhere for appropriate and stimulating education. Thus we are interested in approaches such as the use of pods or family style structures, where kids work in groups according to interests, learning styles and readiness. As well, we might use individualized learning plans for all students, alternative methods of assessment, project-based and inquiry-based learning, multi-disciplinary approaches to curriculum, and more. An ongoing priority is getting the kids outdoors and getting the outdoors into their education. The role of community We are pursuing ways to increase our already high level of parent and community involvement. This may take the form of a mentorship program, arts and science afternoons, contributions by high school students, volunteer-led field trips, and more. As we move forward with deepening volunteer participation we will set up the necessary coordination, protocols and support structure for this to run smoothly. Also, we will explore possibilities for involving homeschoolers. We will communicate and, when appropriate, collaborate with our neighbours on Hornby Island, and possibly further afield.

The process During our transition year we will involve parents of school-aged children and younger children, community members, teachers and other school staff, School District Staff and Representatives, members of DICES and the children in an ongoing collaborative consultation process to further understand our possibilities and their implications, to refine our focus, and to prioritize. We expect that, starting in September, under the guidance of our administrator and teachers, the school culture will begin to reflect these new directions. We have the blessings and support of our School District Superintendent Sherry Elwood and Director of Elementary Education Allan Douglas, and the promise of mentorship from School District 64 Superintendent Jeff Hopkins. The PAC Vision Committee will coordinate the consultation and visioning process, reporting to and supported by PAC. Other committees and ad-hoc groups will also form when there is a need and interest, such as the Kids Committee. Our Natural Sciences Curriculum Committee will continue to be active and to enrich our school. The Vision Committee will be made up primarily of parents of kids attending the school and will endeavour to listen to and reflect input from all stakeholders, and avoid pushing any one persons or groups agenda. We will keep communication flowing through our blog, the School Newsletter, the Island media, PAC meetings, committee meetings, public meetings and all and any means available. We understand that everyone involved in this process has to educate themselves, participate, listen to each other, and remain open-minded, and we recognize that busy parents do not always have as much time as they would like for this important work. We honour all participants contributions and their boundaries and commit to working together with energetic patience and respectful communication. Further levels of change During the transition year we will also hear from School District representatives about their ideas for keeping our school healthy, thriving and sustainable, and we will have time to discuss these ideas among ourselves and give feedback to the School District. As a small, rural, Island school with mixed-age classrooms and a very close relationship with the larger community, we need our unique situation recognized by the structures that govern education. We will work with the School District to create a Letter of Understanding that will create hiring and personnel management practices that will support our school. This is a living document that can be adapted to and changed as needed. adopted by the PAC Vision Committee May 30, 2011