2013 2016 SCHOOL YEAR PLAN

and
2012-2013 ANNUAL EDUCATION RESULTS



Greystone Centennial Middle School
1



Table of Contents


PAGE
School Profile 2
School Council 3
Division Vision, Mission and Belief Statements 4
Academic Achievements 5
Parkland School Divisions Ultimate Goal 6
Engage our Students 7
Engage our Staff 10
Engage our Community 13
Enhance Stewardship of our Resources 15
Professional Development Plan 2013-2014 17
Budget Summary and Highlights 19
Action Plan ~ What Are We Doing In School Today? Appendix





2


School Profile
Greystone Centennial Middle School
Principal: Carolyn Cameron
Assistant Principal: Jesse McLean
Address: 130 Greystone Drive, Spruce Grove AB T7X 4P5
Phone: 780-962-0357 Fax: 780-0923
E-mail: Greystone @psd70.ab.ca
Website: www.psd70.ab.ca/schools/greystone

Our School Team
635 Students ~ Grades 5 9
33 Teachers ~ 16 Support Staff

Unique Features of our School
Highly collaborative teaching teams who remain with the same group of students for 2
years to establish strong supportive relationships that promote individualized,
personalized learning for students. Teachers really get to know the unique learning
needs of their students.
Students are expected to think deeply about their learning and make connections to the
real world outside of school.
Students are meaningfully involved in their own assessment and assist in developing
clear criteria for achieving excellence.
Flexible teaching spaces enable staff to group students in ways that are most
responsive to learning needs.
Focus on preparing students for the 21st century by developing skills in critical thinking,
problem-solving, collaboration and perseverance.
Students are encouraged to bring and use their personal technology devices at school
to support and enhance learning in the digital age teachers continuously work with
students to develop skills in digital citizenship.

What Our Parents Say
I feel the school has a great network of teachers that are concerned with the students
that they are teaching. They are good mentors and give the children a lot of hands on
projects. I feel that hands on methods of teaching help the children grasp the subject
better. It is a great creative outlet. My kids feel supported at this school. I also feel that
we as parents are informed and kept in touch with the day to day workins of our children.
We know what is going on.

I like that the school loops. I like how good the communication is between teachers and
parents how accommodating they are. My children like going to school. I love how
devoted the teachers are towards all the students!

The longer I have been in Greystone, the more Ive grown to understand how a lot of
the learning techniques have benefited my child and other students in the school. It has
been a large learning curve all around and I applaud the administration and staff for
persevering and being present in all things they do in and around the school.
3


This school should be a model for the rest of the schools in Alberta.

How We Define Success
Students see the value of their learning extending beyond the time and space of their
years at Greystone
Students show growth in their physical, intellectual and social/emotional capacities
Through a competencies-based instructional focus, students acquire the attitudes,
skills, knowledge and values needed to thrive in a rapidly changing world
Students are engaged thinkers, demonstrate ethical citizenship and develop their
entrepreneurial spirit

School Council
As required under Provincial legislation, Greystone Centennial Middle School is
represented by a School Council consisting primarily of parents and school staff.
Chair: Catherine Morrow
Key Initiatives of the School Council during 2012-2013:
Expanding the understanding of technology and learning for the parent
community at Greystone
Co-creating the survey tool that was developed to access feedback from our
parent community
Developing a deeper understanding of student learning through multiple and
varied student presentations














4

Division Vision, Mission and Belief Statements
VISION
Parkland School Division is a place where exploration, creativity and imagination make learning
exciting and where all learners aspire to reach their dreams.
MISSION
Our purpose is to prepare, engage and inspire our students to be their best in a quickly
changing global community.

VALUES & BELIEFS
We are a caring and compassionate organization guided by whats in the best interest of
our students.

We believe learning is the foundation of all we do.

We value trust and mutual respect among all of our education stakeholders.

We embrace open and honest communication.

We value and respect inclusion and diversity within our schools.

We are committed to providing safe and caring places for all students to learn.

We believe integrity and fairness are key pillars for student growth.

We value collaboration and engagement with students, parents and our communities. Our
successes are not possible without these contributions.

We value excellence, innovation and risk-taking.

We value citizenship and recognize our central role in guiding students to understand their
responsibilities and their place in the world.

We believe that confident, adaptable and resilient students are successful students.

We value leadership in all placeseveryone in our Division has the potential to be a leader.







5

Academic Achievements

Percentage of Students reaching Acceptable Standard improved from 38.4% to
79.8% in Math 9 PAT results. Students achieving Standard of Excellence also
improved from 4.7% to 11.1%.
Students reaching Acceptable Standard improved from 52.3% to 77.8% in
Science 9 PAT results. Students achieving Standard of Excellence also
improved from 9.3% to 16.2%. We are above the provincial average in the
Acceptable Standard for Science 9.
K&E Students performed very well on PATs in Language Arts, Social and
Science with 100% meeting the Acceptable Standard on all three exams.
Opportunities for Improvement
Opportunities for
Improvement
Strategies to Achieve
Improvement
Factors to Consider
Grade 6 and 9 Literacy is an
area of concern for us
Implementing a Balanced
Literacy approach across all
grade levels with levelled
reading material being
provided at each grade level
along with direct instruction of
reading strategies based on
individualized
assessments/benchmarking to
determine student need
Implementing a Core Support
focus on Literacy with 12
blocks of teaching time
devoted to supporting the
initiative
Home Reading Programs are
being implemented in Learning
Communities 5 & 6
Learning Coach/Inclusive
Education Lead are providing
direct instruction to our
teachers on reading strategies
to implement with students
Additional Support Staff
(EAs/Library Tech) are
supporting this work with small
group pull out programming

Varied socio-economic
backgrounds may create
challenges in the level of
involvement from home
When reading is done with
no connection to ongoing
learning in the classroom
there is a risk of student
apathy or low levels of
engagement
Not all teachers have
strong backgrounds in
Literacy yet we are
expecting Literacy to be
developed across all
coursework at all levels



6

Parkland School Divisions Ultimate Goal
Student Success and Well-Being
Students will be encouraged to explore, create, imagine, and engage in lifelong learning as they
develop their skills/competencies to prepare to enter the world of post-secondary studies or
work. The Division believes that student success is closely linked to student well-being and the
development of social-emotional assets that build resiliency and is therefore committed to the
development of the whole child at all levels of their education. The key elements that will guide
the work of the Division include:
1. Engage our Students
2. Engage our Staff
3. Engage our Community
4. Stewardship of our Resources



Engage our
Students

Every student will
be successful

Engage our
Staff

All staff are learners
with a focus on
student success

Engage our
Community

Everyone can make a
meaningful
contribution to
public education

Stewardship of our
Resources

The Division effectively
manages its resources
to support student
learning
Meaningful
assessment and
reporting
Inclusion
Open and honest
communication
System Review
Student mental and
physical well-being
Innovative
instructional practices
Meaningful engagement
with all stakeholders to
support student learning
Distributed decision-
making model
Student choice and
personalized learning
Cultivate leadership
Collaborative partnerships
with business and
community
Fiscal responsibility










7


To Achieve Student Success and Well-Being for All Students, Parkland School Division will:

ENGAGE OUR STUDENTS
Key Elements Outcomes Strategies

Meaningful
assessment and
reporting

Students demonstrate proficiency in
literacy and numeracy
Students achieve student learning
outcomes
Students develop competencies for
success as engaged thinkers and
ethical citizens with an entrepreneurial
spirit
FNMI students are engaged in
learning


Provide collaborative planning time to
enable teaching teams to develop balanced
assessment plans that include: goal setting;
self-reflections; peer assessments and
feedback; performance based assessments,
tests, quizzes; focus on feedback/feed
forward for growth and co-creating criteria



Outcomes:
Students demonstrate proficiency in literacy and numeracy.
Students achieve student learning outcomes.
FNMI students are engaged in learning.

Performance Measure
Results (in percentages) Target Targets
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2013 2014 2015 2016
Overall percentage of students in
Grades 3, 6 and 9 who achieved the
acceptable standard on Provincial
Achievement Tests (overall cohort
results).
74.2 79.3 73.9 74.3 76.0 78.0 78.0 80.0 82.0
Overall percentage of students in
Grades 3, 6 and 9 who achieved the
standard of excellence on Provincial
Achievement Tests (overall cohort
results).
9.6 9.9 10.7 12.5 11.9 16.5 12.5 14.5 16.5




Performance Measure
Results (in percentages) Target Targets
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2013 2014 2015 2016
Overall percentage of self-identified
FNMI students in Grades 3, 6 and 9
who achieved the acceptable standard
on Provincial Achievement Tests
(overall cohort results).
68.2 86.7 61.5 56.6 75.0 58.0 77.0 79.0 81.0
Overall percentage of self-identified
FNMI students in Grades 3, 6 and 9
who achieved the standard of
excellence on Provincial Achievement
Tests (overall cohort results).
0.0 6.7 3.8 3.8 0.0 4.0 2.0 3.0 4.0





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Comments on Results:
Our results show continuous improvement in our test results for students achieving the Acceptable Standard. This is a
result of our continued emphasis on developing our assessment practices that emphasize giving students ongoing feedback
on their learning so that they can improve. Our focus on assessment for and as learning is assisting students to become
more reflective of themselves as learners so that they can improve their skills. In addition, our schools focus on providing
meaningful connections and authentic learning opportunities is assisting students to be more successful. We have also
developed a strong network of support for our learners as teachers work together with each other and our Educational
Assistants to ensure all students are being successful through flexible groupings, in class support and pull out sessions for
guided, small group instruction.



Outcome: Students demonstrate citizenship and entrepreneurship.

Performance Measure
Results (in percentages) Target Targets
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2013 2014 2015 2016
Percentage of teachers, parents
and students who are satisfied that
students model the characteristics
of active citizenship.
69.7 72.4 79.0 81.0 77.4 83.0 83.0 84.0 85.0
Percentage of teachers and
parents who agree that students
are taught attitudes and behaviors
that will make them successful at
work when they finish school.
74.9 83.7 68.5 64.5 83.3 70.0 85.0 86.0 87.0

Comments on Results:
This past year we focused on helping parents and students understand that the skills we are teaching students (critical
thinking, collaboration, problem-solving, innovation, and perseverance) are the skills that our young people will need for
success in the world beyond school. These ongoing conversations have been a part of our conferences with parents, of the
day to day inquiry & project work we undertake with students. They were featured twice last year as Greystone hosted very
successful Innovation Weeks that culminated in sharing with our parent community the entrepreneurial spirit of our youth.
The spike in results from 64.5% to 83.3% satisfaction indicates that we were highly successful in communicating the
purpose behind the learning undertaken at Greystone. Our results in this area are above the provincial average.

Our teacher results for students modeling characteristics of active citizenship are extremely high indicating that, from the
perspective of the adults in our school, our students are doing extremely well. Very few parents completed this survey and
according to the grade 7 students surveyed they felt our students, overall are not strong in this area. We will continue to
explore this issue with our students. We provided an additional survey to our parent community in an effort to get more
information about this area. On the school-based survey, we had a much better completion rate and this area was reported
as an area of strength.















9


To Achieve Student Success and Well-Being for All Students, Parkland School Division will:

ENGAGE OUR STUDENTS
Key Elements Outcomes Strategies
Student mental and
physical well-being

The jurisdiction schools provide
effective learning and teaching within
caring, respectful, safe and healthy
environments
The education system demonstrates
leadership and collaboration

Our school culture is focused on the
development and growth of the social-
emotional and mental well-being of our
adolescents which has been achieved
through continuation of our strong
community partnerships:
Wellness Committee
Health Champion
Morning Mentoring
Big Brothers/Sisters
After the Bell Program
Younglife Organizations

Outcome: Students and communities have access to safe and healthy learning environments.

Performance Measure
Results (in percentages) Target Targets
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2013 2014 2015 2016
Percentage of teacher, parent and
student agreement that: students
are safe at school, are learning
the importance of caring for
others, are learning respect for
others and are treated fairly in
school.
80.4 85.4 85.8 85.6 83.3 86.0 85.0 86.0 87.0
The school community
communicates that healthier
students are better learners
(new)
n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
The school integrates wellness
beyond health and physical
education classes (new)
n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a

Comments on Results:
Student use of social media is creating some challenges for us to ensure that students are treating each other well at school.
We continue to coach students in one on one conversations, school presentations and classroom discussions about the
importance of using social media in a socially appropriate and responsible way. According to our Tell Them From Me
Surveys, we have a high percentage of students who are struggling with anxiety issues. This helps us understand that their
perception of school and other students may be creating feelings that others are not treating them well. Digging deeper into
the results indicates that our community feels students are being treated fairly by the adults at school. The concerns stem
from how the other students are treating each other. Our student demographic includes a lot of families who are
experiencing stress in the home due to a number of factors. Often, the students will act out their stress from home at school
by targeting other students. We continue to provide ongoing counselling support from our office team (Principal, Assistant
Principal, Learning Coach, Inclusive Education Lead), teaching staff as well as wrap-around supports from other agencies to
ensure our students are learning how to deal with their emotional challenges.


10


To Achieve Student Success and Well-Being for All Students, Parkland School Division will:
ENGAGE OUR STAFF
Key Elements Outcomes Strategies

A deep understanding in
theory and in practice of
what inclusive education is

The jurisdiction develops and
articulates a shared vision of inclusive
education
Staff can clearly articulate what
inclusion means
Staff can support students in inclusive
learning environments
All students are supported in their
learning

Learning Coach/Inclusive Education
Leads at Greystone are working at
elbow with our teaching teams
Adapted programs are being offered
within the classroom (ie. K&E,
Functional Life Skills, Pro-Social
Skills)
Building capacity with support staff
via training on Dragon Naturally
Speak, EA Boot Camp

Outcome:
Students are supported in their learning within inclusive educational settings.

Performance Measure
Results (in percentages) Target Targets
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2013 2014 2015 2016
Percentage of teachers and parents
who are satisfied with parental
involvement in decisions about their
childs education
78.7 77.9 78.5 77.8 78.6 79.0 80.0 81.0 82.0
Percentage of teachers and parents
and student satisfaction with the
accessibility, effectiveness and
efficiency of programs and services
for children in their community.
59.3 67.1 65.1 64.5 61.9 66.0 68.0 70.0 72.0

Comments on Results:

The data contained in the Satisfaction Survey was based on 16 responses from parents. The data collected from our parent
community at our second round of student led conferences offered a far larger sample size (168 responses) and portrayed
this in a different light. Overall satisfaction with the school was 87% Very Satisfied or Satisfied, and 90% of responses listed
the quality of teaching at our school as Very Satisfied or Satisfied. In the next round of surveys, we will be sure to ask
questions that directly reflect these outcomes.













11


To Achieve Student Success and Well-Being for All Students, Parkland School Division will:
ENGAGE OUR STAFF
Key Elements Outcomes Strategies

Innovative instructional
practices focused on
Excellence

Students have access to programming
and supports to enable their learning
The jurisdiction will demonstrate
openness to new and innovative
ideas, leadership and collaboration
All students, including ethnically or
culturally diverse learners, are
engaged in their learning
Teacher preparation and professional
growth focus on the competencies
needed to help students learn.
Effective learning and teaching is
achieved through collaborative
leadership.


Using the attached Action Plan from the
appendix during collaborative planning
times as a tool for determining if the
learning tasks that are being designed by
teachers are meeting the criteria for
student engagement and higher level
thinking
Aligning Teacher Professional Growth
Plan goals with the criteria from the
schools Action Plan
Developing a practice of accepting
ongoing feedback from colleagues, our
Learning Coach, our Inclusive Education
Lead Teacher and our Administrative
Team using the Action Plan as the tool
for reflection and lens for evaluating the
work.
Making our work public to improve
authenticity, collaboration and ongoing
home/school communication with our
community: Greystone Channel, Twitter,
Facebook, Learning Community/
Professional Reflection Blogs, Skyping

Outcomes:
Teacher preparation and professional growth focus on the competencies needed to help students learn.
Effective learning and teaching is achieved through collaborative leadership.
The percentage of teachers agreeing that supports and services provided by the Division has helped them to:
! Develop knowledge and skills in competency-based assessment and reporting
! Enhance their use of digital tools to support student learning

Performance Measure
Results (in percentages) Target Targets
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2013 2014 2015 2016
Percentage of teachers, parents
and students satisfied with the
overall quality of basic education.
78.7 86.0 86.1 83.7 82.6 88 85 86 87
The percentage of teachers
reporting that in the past 3-5
years, the professional
development and in-servicing
received from the school
jurisdiction has focused on the
priorities of the jurisdiction,
effectively addressed their
professional development needs,
and significantly contributed to
their ongoing professional
development
80.7 80.7 89.3 91.0 91.4 N/A 92 93 94



12

Comments on Results:

These results, in reference to parent input, are not reflective of the entire parent community as they are based on an
extremely small sample size. We will include this area in our school based survey so we can obtain more comprehensive
feedback. We are pleased to see a continued high level of staff engagement and their confidence that professional learning
is being done with division priorities in mind and with a focus on improving student learning.


To Achieve Student Success and Well-Being for All Students, Parkland School Division will:
ENGAGE OUR STAFF
Key Elements Outcomes Strategies

Cultivate Leadership

The jurisdiction will demonstrate
openness to new and innovative
ideas, leadership and collaboration

Building capacity for leadership among
all staff by providing opportunities for
involvement on the Design Team, Tech
Team, Wellness Team, Learning
Leader, Google Apps for Ed, Health
Champion, Learning Coaches, School
Support Coordinator, Exploring
Leadership, Book Study, Student
Advisory, WE Day, Presentations at
International, Provincial and Local
Conferences and assigning a new
Acting Principal when our
Administration Team is out of the
school
Exploring partnerships with Galileo
Educational Network, University of
Calgary and Alberta Education to
become an innovative research center
Submitting a proposal to participate in
the Alberta Education Curriculum
Redesign Prototype School Initiative

Outcome: The jurisdiction will demonstrate openness to new and innovative ideas, leadership and
collaboration.
The education system demonstrates collaboration and engagement.


Comments on how the school cultivates leadership:

1. Continue to build leadership capacity through shared leadership opportunities that capitalize on individual
strengths of staff. These include a new Inclusive Education Lead, our Learning Coach expanding her role in to
administrative support, new Acting Assistant Principal, new Acting Principal when the Administration Team is away
from building, new members of our Technology Team, Design Team, new coaches for sports teams, and a new
Health Champion.
2. Provide as many opportunities as possible to develop capacity through shared conference experiences and then
sharing with entire staff.
3. Explore new models of job embedded professional learning where teachers spend more time in each others
classrooms and learning for specific purposes such as assessment, questioning through inquiry and critical
thinking.
4. Encourage our staff to share more often and openly with others. This includes methods such as Google Hangouts,
sharing professional reflections, and a focus on our Teacher Professional Growth Plans.
5. Provide an Educator Innovation Day to develop projects which will improve education that are teacher directed and
passion based.
13



To Achieve Student Success and Well-Being for All Students, Parkland School Division will:
ENGAGE OUR COMMUNITY

Key Elements Outcomes Strategies
Open Honest
Communication
The Division communicates to all
stakeholders in an open and
transparent manner using a
variety of media

Making the work public via technology
Promoting ongoing and effective
home/school communication between
classroom teachers and home
Offering multiple avenues for
communication school wide





Meaningful engagement
with all stakeholders to
support student learning
The jurisdiction will demonstrate
openness to new and innovative
ideas, leadership and collaboration
The jurisdiction develops meaningful
partnerships with government,
business and community agencies to
support student learning
Outcomes:
Families are encouraged and supported in helping their children be successful in their learning
The jurisdiction develops meaningful partnerships with government, business and community agencies to
support student learning

Performance Measure
Results (in percentages) Target Targets
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2013 2014 2015 2016
The percentage of teachers satisfied
with the involvement of parents or
guardians in their childs education
78.7 77.9 78.5 77.8 78.6 80 80 81 82

Performance Measure 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17
Number of partnerships developed to
support student health (new)
N/A# N/A N/A N/A N/A

Comments on Results:
Home-School Communication is an ongoing focus at Greystone as we explore multiple pathways to ensure parents are
aware and involved with their childs education. Blogs, Facebook pages, Remind 101, Twitter and Tumblr accounts are
being utilized along with our school website to reach parents in ways they prefer. Student Led conferences are staggered
with official reporting periods to maintain a high level of involvement throughout the school year. Special celebrations of
learning like Innovation Week provide us an opportunity to have parents see the learning first hand.






14


To Achieve Student Success and Well-Being for All Students, Parkland School Division will:
ENGAGE OUR COMMUNITY

Key Elements Outcomes Strategies
Collaborative partnerships
with government, business
and community




The jurisdiction will demonstrate
openness to new and innovative
ideas, leadership and collaboration
Increased access to wraparound
supports and services for students
with complex needs


Establishing effective partnerships with
the School Divisions regional partners
through the Regional Collaborative
Service Delivery Model to provide
supports and services to students with
complex needs
Promoting, highlighting and celebrating
community partnerships to support
student learning and wellness
Outcomes:
The jurisdiction will demonstrate openness to new and innovative ideas, leadership and collaboration
Increased access to wraparound supports and services for students with complex needs

Performance Measure 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17

Parent and teacher agreement that the
Regional Collaborative Service Delivery
Model partnerships have provided timely
and effective supports and services to
students with complex needs (new)
N/A

Performance Measure 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17

Parent, teacher and student satisfaction
that the partnerships developed by the
school have supported student wellness
(new)
N/A

Comments on Results:
Our school culture is focused on the development and growth of the social, emotional and mental well-being of our
adolescents which is achieved through continuation of our strong community partnerships, Wellness Committee, Health
Champion, Morning Mentoring, Big Brothers/Sisters &Young Life Organizations. Intervention Council occurs frequently
to ensure students with needs are having those needs met. We will access the Student Services Collaborative
Planning Team to develop strategies for students who have complex needs.





15


To Achieve Student Success and Well-Being for All Students, Parkland School Division will:
ENHANCE STEWARDSHIP OF OUR RESOURCES
Key Elements Outcomes Strategies

System Review
Comprehensive ten year facilities plan
developed
Open and transparent communication
The Division develops and
communicates a plan to address
significant increased enrolments in
the urban areas and decreasing
enrolments in the rural West Parkland
area of the Division
A plan for the new school is
developed and communicated to
stakeholders (new)

Providing focused Professional
Development aligned with student
centered instructional practice that looks
at evidence of student growth as the
driving force behind transformative
learning

Outcomes:
Open and transparent communication
The Division develops and communicates a plan to address significant increased enrolments in the urban
areas and decreasing enrolments in the rural West Parkland area of the Division
Performance Measure
Results (in percentages) Target Targets
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2013 2014 2015 2016
Percentage of teachers, parents and
students indicating that their school and
schools in their jurisdiction have
improved or stayed the same the last
three years.
72.5 77.1 78.7 78.5 84.2 80 85 86 87
Comments on Results:
Clearly there is a growing trust in the work we are doing without students. Strategies for continued improvement include:
Making the work public via technology
Promoting ongoing and effective home/school communication between classroom teachers and home
Developing multiple avenues for communication have been developed and are offered school wide

















16



To Achieve Student Success and Well-Being for All Students, Parkland School Division will:
ENHANCE STEWARDSHIP OF OUR RESOURCES

Key Elements Outcomes Strategies

Distributed Decision-Making
Model
Effective and efficient use of
resources through informed,
evidence based decisions
Responsive, transparent and
sustainable decisions at all levels of
the organization

Participating in technology working
committees to ensure purchase of
appropriate school devices
Purposeful discussions at school level
pertaining to the purchase of print
material and cloud computing

Performance Measure 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17

Lead Team satisfaction that they receive the
leadership support and guidance needed as
leaders within a distributed decision-making
educational system. (new)
N/A
Comments on Results:
We appreciate, at a school level, the support provided by division leadership to remove barriers from the work we are doing
with our students. We value the autonomy we are given to develop all aspects of our school towards a focus on improving
student learning.



Fiscal Responsibility
A balanced and sustainable budget
that addresses priorities
Effective and efficient use of
resources through the application of
tools and systems
Operational, financial and
compliance objectives are met

Continuing to be flexible and creative as
our population increases and building
constraints are managed. We choose to
view these challenges as opportunities
to explore team teaching, flexible
groupings, open scheduling and job
embedded professional learning.

Comments on Results:
Our school population has grown by over 100 students in the calendar year and we have maintained our school direction
while tackling the challenges that this increase in student population provides.







17


Professional Development Plan 2013-14
Key Elements Outcomes Strategies

Teachers are Designers of
Learning
All teachers are involved in
collaborative ongoing professional
learning aligned with the school and
school divisions vision, mission,
values and beliefs
All teachers are continuing to grow
towards mastery of the 5 Effective
Teaching Practices outlined in the
Canadian Education Associations
framework and rubric (Friesen,
2009) *see graphic below

Implementing the attached Action Plan
(see appendix) in the following ways
Aligning Teacher Professional
Growth Plans to the document
Using the document as a tool
when collaboratively designing
learning tasks
Using the document as a tool
when providing feedback
during and after classroom
observations and coaching
sessions
Adding/adjusting the example
items included to reflect current
best practices
Continued mentoring and
partnership with the Galileo
Education Network provided to
Learning Communities for
extended planning/feedback
sessions as requested

Implementing ED Camp style
afternoon sessions on Professional
Learning Days and after school
sessions once a month giving staff
voice and choice in the
professional learning

Outcomes:
All teachers should be getting better at designing worthwhile work for students; developing assessment practices
to deepen student understanding of important concepts and/or competencies (and to scaffold learning);
Strengthening learning relations; and developing a scholarship of teaching.
As a leadership team we need to ask what would constitute "evidence" of growth in these areas? What might be
the indicators that teachers are getting better at these practices?

Measures (Evidence of Growth):

One indicator might be the number of "worthwhile" tasks students are engaged in has increased over time. So for instance
when the leadership team did classroom visits at the beginning of the year and gathered copies of or noted the learning
tasks students were engaged in, they found that only 3 of the tasks that students were asked to undertake sponsored deep
understanding of important concepts or were authentic to the discipline(s) being studied.
However, after teachers spent time examining the quality of their task designs and getting feedback about them from
colleagues, the leadership team gathered 22 examples of worthwhile tasks that students were engaged in.


Something else to consider would be to have teachers work in teams to generate some ideas about what would constitute
"evidence" of growth in a particular area such as design, worthwhile tasks, effective assessment practices, relationships
and getting better in the company of peers (fostering a scholarship of teaching). Perhaps they'll have some additional
ideas about what would constitute evidence and how they could help to gather some of that evidence. Again what would
constitute evidence of effective assessment practices? When you walk into a classroom can students tell you what they
are learning, why they are learning it and what constitutes high quality work/performance? Do they know and can they
articulate what they need to do to improve?
18















Greystone Centennial Middle - Budget Report 2013-14 Final Budget
Greystone Centennial Middle
Revenue And AIIocations To Budget Center
2012-2013 FinaIized Budget 2013-14 FinaI Budget
Site AIIocation
$583,712 $854,920 Grade 5 Allocation
$5,779.33 $5,587.71 Grade 5 Allocation Rate
students 101 students 153 Grade 5 Enrolment
$629,947 $653,762 Grade 6 Allocation
$5,779.33 $5,587.71 Grade 6 Allocation Rate
students 109 students 117 Grade 6 Enrolment
$592,028 $632,297 Grade 7 Allocation
$5,431.45 $5,225.60 Grade 7 Allocation Rate
students 109 students 121 Grade 7 Enrolment
$592,028 $616,621 Grade 8 Allocation
$5,431.45 $5,225.60 Grade 8 Allocation Rate
students 109 students 118 Grade 8 Enrolment
$564,871 $647,974 Grade 9 Allocation
$5,431.45 $5,225.60 Grade 9 Allocation Rate
students 104 students 124 Grade 9 Enrolment
$201,996 $253,481 Level 6 Code 42 Allocation
$20,199.60 $19,498.50 Level 6 Code 42 Allocation Rate
students 10 students 13 Level 6 Code 42 Enrolment
$20,200 $38,997 Level 6 Code 43 Allocation
$20,199.60 $19,498.50 Level 6 Code 43 Allcoation Rate
students 1 students 2 Level 6 Code 43 Enrolment
$242,395 $214,484 Level 6 Code 44 Allocation
$20,199.60 $19,498.50 Level 6 Code 44 Allocation Rate
students 12 students 11 Level 6 Code 44 Enrolment
$20,200 $19,499 Level 6 Code 45 Allocation
$20,199.60 $19,498.50 Level 6 Code 45 Allocation Rate
students 1 students 1 Level 6 Code 45 Enrolment
$1,178 $1,170 English Second Lanuage Allocation
$1,178.31 $1,169.91 English Second Lanuage Aloocation Rate
students 1 students 1 ESL Enrolment
$45,987 $54,153 FNM Allocation
$5,611 $5,571 Allocation Weighting Factor
students 43 students 51 FNM Enrollments (331-334)
$0.1906 $0.1906 FNM factor
$29,244 $0 AS Allocation
($5,700) ($32,587) Transfers to from Other Sites
$78,626 $361,394 Surplus / Deficit Carryforward
$49,703 nclusive Education Allocation
% 12.18 Certificated Benefit Rate
FTE 0.50 nclusive Education FTE
% 0.00 Salary ncrease Certificated
$88,612.13 Teacher Average Salary
Budget Report Sunday, November 03, 2013 8:19 AM
* - See the notes section for details about Line tem notes on this page
84
Greystone Centennial Middle - Budget Report 2013-14 Final Budget
2012-2013 FinaIized Budget 2013-14 FinaI Budget
Site AIIocation
$49,874 Learning Coach Allocation
% 11.65 % Certificated Benefit Rate
FTE 0.50 FTE Learning Coach FTE
% 1.00 % Salary ncrease Certificated
$88,456.19 Teacher Average Salary
($87,352) ($261,320) Salary Conversion
$3,559,233 $4,104,547 TotaI Site AIIocation
99% 99% % of Revenue And AIIocations To Budget Center
2012-2013 FinaIized Budget 2013-14 FinaI Budget
IndividuaIs
$45,000 $45,000 School Based Course Material Fees
$45,000 $45,000 TotaI IndividuaIs
1% 1% % of Revenue And AIIocations To Budget Center
TotaI Revenue And AIIocations To Budget Center $4,149,547 $3,604,233
Expenditures
2012-2013 FinaIized Budget 2013-14 FinaI Budget
Certificated
$2,741,746 $3,095,674 TotaI Certificated
76% 75% % of Expenditures
2012-2013 FinaIized Budget 2013-14 FinaI Budget
Uncertificated
$369,698 $471,058 TotaI Uncertificated
10% 11% % of Expenditures
2012-2013 FinaIized Budget 2013-14 FinaI Budget
PersonneI
$85,292 $63,336 Teacher Substitute
% 1.00 % 0.00 Salary ncrease Certificated
Days 400 Days 300 Teacher Substitute Day Factor
$211.12 $211.12 Teacher Substitute Rate
$2,976 $2,976 Secretary Overtime
% 1.00 % 1.00 Salary ncrease CAMMSE
Hrs 70 Hrs 70 Secretary Overtime Hours Factor
$42.09 $42.09 Secretary Overtime Rate
$1,414 $1,414 Secretary Substitute
% 1.00 % 1.00 Salary ncrease CAMMSE
Hrs 70 Hrs 70 Secretary Substitute Hours Factor
$20.00 $20.00 Secretary Substitute Rate
$1,010 $1,010 EA\Library Tech\ Substitute
$20.00 $20.00 EA/Lib Tech/ Substitute Rate
Hrs 50 Hrs 50 EA\Library Tech\ Substitute Hours Factor
% 1.00 % 1.00 Salary ncrease CAMMSE
$90,692 $68,736 TotaI PersonneI
3% 2% % of Expenditures
2012-2013 FinaIized Budget 2013-14 FinaI Budget
Contracted/GeneraI Services and SuppIies
$48,730 $38,730 Miscellaneous Services
$18,065 $18,065 Support Services
Budget Report Sunday, November 03, 2013 8:19 AM
* - See the notes section for details about Line tem notes on this page
85
Greystone Centennial Middle - Budget Report 2013-14 Final Budget
2012-2013 FinaIized Budget 2013-14 FinaI Budget
Contracted/GeneraI Services and SuppIies
$3,000 $10,000 Other Prof/ Tech Services
$1,000 $1,000 Postage
$0 $10,000 Printing
$500 $500 Advertising
$9,000 $9,000 Telephone & Fax
$1,333 $1,333 Subsistence
$28,000 $75,000 Staff Development
$3,000 $5,000 Maint & Repair Equipment
$3,000 $3,000 Equipment Rental
$500 $500 Membership Fees
$1,000 $1,000 Registration Fees
$38,000 $30,000 Supplies
$6,000 $6,000 Textbooks
$12,000 $20,000 Media Materials
$8,000 $8,000 Software
$10,000 $25,000 Furniture & Equip Under 5000
$87,265 $75,000 Technology ntergration
$16,000 $16,000 Acquistion of Prop & Equip Capital
$7,844 $7,849 Labour Transfer to other sites
$11,500 $11,500 Supplies & Services Transfers to other sites
$88,360 $141,602 Transfer to Reserves (Contingencies)
$402,097 $514,079 TotaI Contracted/GeneraI Services and SuppIies
11% 12% % of Expenditures
TotaI Expenditures $4,149,547 $3,604,233
Summary
2012-2013 FinaIized Budget 2013-14 FinaI Budget
$3,604,233 $4,149,547 Total Revenues and Allocations To Budget
$3,604,233 $4,149,547 Total Expenditures
$0 $0 Variance
Notes
Budget Report Sunday, November 03, 2013 8:19 AM
* - See the notes section for details about Line tem notes on this page
86
1

THI S WE BELI EVE ABOUT ENGAGI NG LEARNERS
AT GREYSTONE CENTENNI AL MI DDLE SCHOOL


WHAT ARE WE DOING
AT SCHOOL TODAY?












A Co-Created Action Plan to Support Teachers in Developing Classroom Practice
to Meet the Needs of Todays Learners ~ March, 2013
2

RISK
TAKING


Learners are
persevering to
grow outside their
boundaries.

Adapting

Exploring

Questioning



Examples:
trying new technology in your class
making learning public - posting on
blogs, youtube
creating an environment where
students are helping students
building an understanding that it is
OK to make mistakes, it is how you
do your best learning

3

CREATING

Learners are
thinking, acting
and engaging with
ideas to discover
possibilities.

Personal
Investment

Discovery
Through
Exposure &
Experiences

Choice

Examples:
gaining independence and
interdependence
establishing flexible groupings
challenging high flyers
setting clear guidelines and criteria
providing multiple feedback loops
and support
encouraging a wide variety of end
products to demonstrate deep
understanding
Innovation Week
contributing something new and
meaningful to the larger community

4

COLLABORATING


Learners are open
minded to
different
perspectives in
order to build an
interdependent
learning
community.

Providing
Constructive
Feedback
& Reflection

Creating a
Safe
Environment



Appreciating
Others
Perspectives

Examples:
Team Time for teachers
cross graded groups (Buddy Time)
teacher holding student accountable
for learning (regular check-ins for
understanding)
teacher facilitates learning when
necessary; acts as a mediator for
groups of students; more of a coach
not a one man show; guidance rather
than lecture format.
students are acquiring competencies
expected in high performance work
organizations (teamwork, problem-
solving, communications, decision-
making, project management)
holding themselves and each other
accountable
demonstrating active listening skills
contributing different strengths and
developing skills by learning from
those who have strengths that are
different from their own.
5

QUESTIONING


Learners natural
curiosity is leading
them to explore
deeper learning.

Creating
Curiosity

Developing an
Emotional
Investment

Digging
Deeper

Examples:
starting inquiry projects with criteria
of what make good powerful
questions
socratic circles, four corner
discussions, other discussion
strategies to build curiosity
stimulating the students interest
through video clips, pictures,
songs, group problems to get them
thinking or hooks on the topic
connecting to students interests
students are encouraged to ask
questions of:
*evidence (how do we know what we
know?)
*viewpoint (who is speaking?)
*pattern and connections (what causes
what?)
*supposition (how might things have
been different?)
*why it matters (who cares?)
6

ENSURING
AUTHENTIC
LEARNING



Learners are
emotionally and
intellectually
invested in work
that is personally
relevant and
deeply connected
to the world in
which they live.


Passionate

Personalized
Connections

Beyond the
Classroom

Examples:
Social Media connections (Twitter,
FaceBook, YouTube etc.)
LC6 traffic light initiative: town
council meetings, community
involvement
LC6 iPad project: student choice
Innovation Week
Option Classes
LC9 Civic Mirror
Science labs/experiments
Lit Fair
the study expands on a question,
problem, issue or exploration that is
significant to the discipline
students think, act and engage with
ideas and core concepts in the
same ways as historians, chemists,
biologists, botanists, writers,
journalists, photographers,
architects, etc. to make meaningful
connections and build deep
understanding
the study requires students to
conduct research, share
information, make decisions, solve
problems, create meaning and
communicate with various
audiences inside and outside the
classroom
7

PROVIDING
EVIDENCE



Learners are an
active part of the
assessment and
feedback process
to move their
learning forward.

Co-Creating

Connecting

Reflecting

Examples:
Artifacts/Conversations/
Observations are main sources
of evidence of learning
Report cards, IPPs, RPAs
benchmark assessments
personal reflections - portfolios,
blogging, facebook pages
ongoing assessment is woven into
the design of the learning tasks
providing timely, descriptive
feedback utilizing a range of
methods, including peer and
self - evaluation
assessment guides student
learning and teachers instructional
planning
opportunities given for students to
reflect on their learning using clear
criteria that they have helped to set
co-creating rubrics, checklists,
reflection questions
listening to our students
tracking growth
providing exemplars
sharing student
feedback/reflections
Personalizing, Modifying, Adapting,
Differentiating
being proactive
relationships!
strengthening home/school
communication