ABC Learning Academy (ABCLA) is a unique school in
that it is home to both a middle and a secondary school in one building,
containing grades 6 thru 12. It is the only school like this within its
district. The uniqueness of this
situation creates wonderful opportunities for shared learning and mentorship
across the grades, but also creates unique challenges such as creating a
library commons filled with resources that service both middle and secondary
school students and their individual needs.
The population at ABCLA is 720 students with the
following breakdown:
Grade
|
# of students
|
6
|
90
|
7
|
90
|
8
|
110
|
9
|
110
|
10
|
110
|
11
|
100
|
12
|
100
|
Total
|
720
|
ABCLA is part of a district of 42 schools and is
located in a rural area of the Fraser Valley.
The population of ABCLA is largely homogeneous as it is a school of
choice in the district, and the majority of students here have grown up
attending the ABCLA elementary school and now the middle and secondary
school.
The
school’s mission statement is as follows:
Teachers and parents working together to support students' academic and personal development by emphasizing a strong work ethic, teaching basic skills and respect for others in a structured environment.
Teachers and parents working together to support students' academic and personal development by emphasizing a strong work ethic, teaching basic skills and respect for others in a structured environment.
The ABCLA has 40 teachers on staff with the average
class size of 30 students. There are two
Special Education Teachers; one for middle school and one for secondary, with 6.0
FTE of Special Education Assistants.
The Library is staffed with a part time
Teacher-Librarian (86% FTE) and a part time Library Technician of 12 hours per
week. The library hours are 8:00am to 3:30 Monday to Friday with
the exclusion of lunch hours. We are open
three days a week during lunch.
Past professional development as an entire staff has focused on literacy goals as of late. Some teachers have jumped on board and embraced the ideas presented, while others have not. A major influence as to whether teachers have embraced new concepts and strategies has been whether or not they have been supported in their incorporation of such strategies. Teachers need dedicated time for professional development to embrace new ideas and to formulate them into their own pedagogy. They also need to feel that they are being supported by colleagues that can work alongside of them, access to technology help, and even access to experts if needed. From previous experiences we know that our staff can be resistant to change that is top-down and imposed on them. Instead they need to feel that their own ideas about new strategies have been discussed and heard, that they have been part of a consultative process and that they are incorporating something that they personally believe in.
Past professional development as an entire staff has focused on literacy goals as of late. Some teachers have jumped on board and embraced the ideas presented, while others have not. A major influence as to whether teachers have embraced new concepts and strategies has been whether or not they have been supported in their incorporation of such strategies. Teachers need dedicated time for professional development to embrace new ideas and to formulate them into their own pedagogy. They also need to feel that they are being supported by colleagues that can work alongside of them, access to technology help, and even access to experts if needed. From previous experiences we know that our staff can be resistant to change that is top-down and imposed on them. Instead they need to feel that their own ideas about new strategies have been discussed and heard, that they have been part of a consultative process and that they are incorporating something that they personally believe in.
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