Longview School - Let Your Learning Soar

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After having to cancel the Winter Carnival many times over a number of weeks due to extremely cold weather, we had to rush to have the carnival last week when the weather warmed and the strong Chinook winds threatened to melt all the snow. The students, staff and parents had a wonderful time. Students participated in relay races with sleds, treasure hunts for coloured ice blocks buried in the snow as well as building and decorating giant snow castles.

We also had a great turn out to our Eagles Expo: A Celebration of Learning on Tuesday, March 15th. In each homeroom, students shared with their parents portfolios of work and participated in learning and assessment activities. The Leprechaun traps were on display, parents could experience mission impossible in the gym, tour through the library and look at all the new books and have their portraits drawn by the students in the Grade 5/6 class. The Grade 3/4 class had a cultural fair with displays, artifacts, music, art and food from all around the world. There were activities on smart boards in all the classes, literacy tasks and students tried to outsmart their parents in math activities.

During our School Council Meeting later that evening, there was a presentation made by Doug Stevens, FSD Director of Distributed Learning about Students Achieve. At this time, parents received their logins, instructions and assistance in accessing this program. Students Achieve is a web enabled software application designed to provide students and parents with a portal into the classroom and into student learning. The Learner Profile and Student Achieve report on Academic Achievement and the Characteristics of Responsible Learners. Academic Achievement indicates how your child is performing in relation to the course and grade level learner outcomes in the Alberta Program of Studies. The Characteristics of Responsible Learners contribute to the development of your child as a responsible learner and are an integral part of the learning process. The Learner Profile and Student Achieve use categorical grading in reporting student academic achievement. Categorical grading is the best practice of assessment used by educators in describing student's academic achievement. This enables students and parents to clearly see what it takes to be successful. When students can see the target clearly, they are much more likely to reach it. Additionally, the use of rubrics that describe performance also enables students to self-assess and be able to determine the next steps in their learning. We want everyone to be well informed and confident in their understanding of assessment, evaluation and reporting.

A BIG THANK YOU is extended to Legacy Oil and Gas Inc., Turner Valley Field Office and Dave Grenwich, Operation Superintendent, for giving Longview School a donation of $1000.00 in support of our Fine Arts Program which includes art, drama and music. Legacy is committed to assisting communities in areas of need and this very gracious donation was presented to the students, staff and Principal, Mrs. Roberts by Mr. Dan Janicki. This gift is very kind and the thoughtfulness greatly appreciated by all of us at LONGVIEW SCHOOL.