GOAL ONE: ENHANCE THE LEARNING EXPERIENCE

Within our plan, students will find choice and latitude in our curriculum, timetabling and programming to engage in their interests and passions, take age-appropriate risks and try new things. As we work toward this vision, it is important to reflect on the full range of outcomes that we want for our graduates. Once this is in place we can work backward as we explore ways to enhance the learning experience and make HSC learners stronger academic students who will have the emotional intelligence and learning skills to excel beyond HSC. The Empowering Learners committee has been focusing on creating a Portrait of a Graduate and has sought feedback from many stakeholders. A draft has now been created and we hope to launch the Portrait of a Graduate in the coming months.

We aim to make wellbeing a critical part of all we do and be at the forefront of all decisions—striking a balance of academic rigour and wellbeing. In response to this goal and to meet the needs of our students coming out of the pandemic, Mrs. Gina Ranger offered PD on emotional-focused coaching as part of our year-long focus on “Celebrating Learners”, which was launched in Links to Learning in August. Mrs. Ranger has subsequently visited each school for follow-up training on emotion coaching and how to use this technique to empathize with students and help them to overcome a difficult emotional situations.

In order to enhance the learning experience for students and to continue to offer a world-class level of education, we support and empower our faculty to grow as a community of professional educators committed to career-long personal and professional growth. In support of this effort, the Faculty Goals process was revamped for the 2022–2023 school year. The newly launched Reflective Professional Growth Plan includes a few options for faculty that support them in their professional development. These options include peer observation, reflective journaling, joining an Action Research Team, or taking part in peer coaching. We will continue to collect feedback from faculty on this process and make more improvements for subsequent years. In addition, we have begun to collect feedback on the evaluation process and will begin working on a Profile of a Faculty Member to support our goals in this area.

As we work toward the goals outlined in this plan, we know the importance of establishing a robust network of local, regional and global partners to provide long-lasting and sustainable learning opportunities for our students and teachers. We are fortunate to have been able to work with the RBG not only through E-Week activities, but also as expert resources in many of our project-based learning (PBL) activities. In addition, we have partnered with local post-secondary schools such as McMaster University to support their demystifying medicine program, and Mohawk College to learn from them about sustainable gardening. Finally, we have expanded our work with Empowerment Squared. What began as a service-focused fundraising partnership has expanded also to include English Conversation Circles and other learning and leadership opportunities for students.