A local school has earned provincial recognition for its improved student
test scores.
Sacred Heart school in Mildmay has been named a "School on the Move" by the
Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat of the Ministry of Education.
Targeted instruction has allowed Sacred Heart students to move from hit and
miss ranking on provincial achievement tests to consistently strong results.
One key to that achievement was getting teachers and specialists working
together to target kids' learning needs, said principal Marion Massaloup.
"It makes a huge difference," she said about teachers sharing information
and coordinating teaching techniques.
It's crucial to tailor the program to what kids need, Massaloup said.
"You need to look at what the student needs and find the programming and
instructional strategy that meets the need of the student or the students
within the class," she said.
At the same time, there's constant monitoring to track student progress,
measure that gives teachers confidence and direction with their instruction.
The frequent assessment also makes sure it isn't the end of a term or after
an important test before teachers discover where students need concentrated
help, Massaloup said.
Trustees took their June meeting to Sacred Heart School to see for
themselves how the new focus on literacy and numeracy works.
An important aspect of the school, said Superintendent Catherine Montreuil,
is that it makes an effort to build strong partnerships among school, parish
and home.
Sacred Heart School staff now have a "moral responsibility" to help other
teachers, Montreuil said.
"There's an expectation because they've been able to maintain their
achievement the last three years that they continue to maintain it," she
said.
"We're pairing them up with other schools in our board and the Ministry will
be pairing them up with other schools in the province."
Improved achievement by Mildmay students will have a long lasting impact,
Montreuil said.
"We've increased the likelihood of success at secondary school, in work,
family life and community life. That's our mission."