The official magazine for the College of Alberta School Superintendents the Spring 2021 Volume 17, Issue 1 Canada Post Publications Agreement Number: 40609661 SUCCESS AND OPPORTUNITY THROUGH CHALLENGE Looking Back, Moving Forward:0 MEMBER SERVICES • Retiree Benefits Plan that includes the option of emergency travel, which is unique and does not include pre-existing conditions or stability clauses •Three stand-alone Dental Care options ADVOCACY � • ARTA ensures a unified voice is heard on issues affecting current and future retired individuals •Joining an ARTA branch provides social connectedness with former colleagues Becoming an ARTA member gives you access to a comprehensive Retiree Benefits Plan and programs and services that will help you start your new life of freedom and unlimited weekends. wELLNESS •ARTA promotes a healthy and enhanced quality of life for retired people • Wellness challenges • Photo and writing contests -ORGANIZATIONAL EXCELLENCE W • news&views magazine and ARTAfacts e-newsletter •ARTA nurtures leadership, encourages communication, recognizes achievement, and embraces sustainability Visit arta.net for more information or call 1-855-212-2400 and speak to someone in our member services team to learn more. Hands-free Hydration With ezH20 ® Bottle Filling Stations Reducing contaminants to ensure cleaner drinking water for students. Elkay.com/education DOBBIN SALES LIMITEDMessages: Message from the Minister of Education Message from the CASS President Message from the CASS Executive Director FOCUS ON… LOOKING BACK, MOVING FORWARD: SUCCESS AND OPPORTUNITY THROUGH CHALLENGE Features: Unexpected Benefits in Unprecedented Times Challenging Times and Emerging Opportunities Taking your Mind off of Everything With Musical Learning Connecting the Dots: Planning for Effective Professional Learning Navigating the Pandemic Together Leveraging Challenge to Foster Instructional Leadership Equity and Well-Being: Continuing Learning During a Pandemic Manifesting a New Meaning of Student Engagement Our Staff Matter: Authentic Staff Health & Wellness Practices Healthy People, Healthy Workplace: It Takes a Village to Support Your Mental Health 5 6 7 8 10 12 13 15 16 17 18 20 21 The CASS Connection The official magazine for the College of Alberta School Superintendents Spring 2021 Published for: The College of Alberta School Superintendents #1200, 9925 – 109 Street Edmonton AB T5K 2J8 Phone: (780) 451-7126 Fax: (780) 482-5659 admin@cass.ab.ca www.cass.ab.ca Published by: Matrix Group Publishing Inc. Return Undeliverable Addresses to: 309 Youville Street Winnipeg, MB R2H 2S9 Toll free Phone: (866) 999-1299 Toll free Fax: (866) 244-2544 www.matrixgroupinc.net Publications Agreement Number 40609661 President & CEO Jack Andress Operations Manager Shoshana Weinberg sweinberg@matrixgroupinc.net Publishers Jessica Potter, Julie Welsh Editor-in-Chief Shannon Savory ssavory@matrixgroupinc.net Senior Editor Alexandra Kozub akozub@matrixgroupinc.net Editor Jenna Collignon Finance/Administration Lloyd Weinberg, Nathan Redekop accounting@matrixgroupinc.net Director of Circulation & Distribution Lloyd Weinberg distribution@matrixgroupinc.net Sales Manager – Winnipeg Neil Gottfred Sales Manager – Hamilton Jeff Cash Sales Team Leader Tanina Di Piazza Matrix Group Publishing Inc. Account Executives Andrew Lee, Bonnie Petrovsky (in memoriam), Brian MacIntyre, Cheryl Klassen, Colleen Bell, Frank Kenyeres, Jim Hamilton, Jon Beroud, Marlyn Beek, Rob Gibson, Sandra Kirby, Tenisha Myke Advertising Design James Robinson Layout & Design Cody Chomiak ©2021 Matrix Group Publishing Inc. All rights reserved. Contents may not be reproduced by any means, in whole or in part, without the prior written permission of the publisher. The opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of Matrix Group Publishing Inc. Printed in Canada. Disclaimer: The College of Alberta School Superintendents does not necessarily endorse the products of services presented in paid advertisements. contents ATTORNEYS Brownlee LLP ...........................................................14 McLennan Ross LLP .................................................11 BENEFIT PLANS Alberta Retired Teachers’ Association ..................... IFC Alberta School Employee Benefit Plan ................. OBC COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES Northern Lakes College ...........................................19 University of Alberta ................................................11 CORPORATE TRAINING / ADR WORKSHOPS Stitt Feld Handy Group ..............................................9 EDUCATION PUBLISHING Solution Tree ..........................................................IBC EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES Accent Alberta ............................................................5 EYE SEE EYE LEARN PROGRAM Alberta Association of Optometrists .........................................................22 FILTERED DRINKING WATER Dobbin Sales .............................................................3 GYMNASTICS Ortona Gymnastics ..................................................22 HOTEL Fantasyland Hotel .....................................................9 MUSEUM Alberta Aviation Museum ........................................22 ROOFING ASSOCIATION Alberta Roofing Contractors Association ..............................................................7 INDEX TO ADVERTISERS 4 Spring 2021 • The CASS Connectionfrom approximately 30 faculty of education deans and professors from Alberta’s post-secondary institutions. This year, I look forward to discussing the draft K-6 curriculum with you, other education partners and all Albertans. Albertans will have the opportunity to provide feedback through new.LearnAlberta.ca. As we prepare for the classroom validation process, which is targeted to begin in September, we will be working closely with many of you. Partici- pating schools will help us understand the learning and teaching resources needed to support school authorities and teachers in implementing the new curriculum. We anticipate all elementary students will be learning from a new K-6 curriculum during the 2022-23 school year. Although COVID-19 prevention and response still have precedence, I want to assure you the government remains committed to building excellence into the education system. Moving forward, we will continue engaging with you to evolve standards and practices that shape Kindergarten to Grade 12 education in Alberta. Together, we will ensure our students receive a world- class education that prepares them for successful and fulfilling lives. Adriana LaGrange Minister of Education Adriana LaGrange | Alberta Minister of Education Message from the Minister of Education A s I look back over the past year, I am in awe and I feel immense grati- tude. The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted our work and personal lives more than we could have imagined. From the time the first health measures were established to keep Albertans safe, we understood we were all in this together. While the pandemic has created uncertainties, I believe it has also strength- ened our partnership with superintendents and school authorities. With your leadership and advice, we have collaborated on plans and taken action to keep our school communities safe while students continue learning. You have stepped up and led by example. Through unwavering dedication and resolve, superintendents have instilled confidence and calm within your schools and communities. You have modelled the way in problem-solving and flexibility. “Pivot” has become a key word in your lexicon. I have seen you adapt quickly to unique local situations and circumstances. For all of this, I am truly grateful. Your guidance has enabled our students, parents, and staff to quickly adjust to extensive health measures and new ways of learning. I am proud of our work together to ensure students have continued their learning at home or in classrooms throughout this unprecedented time. Our ongoing collaboration will be essential to address new challenges that will arise. I assure you, the safety of our students and staff will always be our main priority. We will listen to your input and rely on advice from Alberta’s Chief Medical Officer of Health to balance the benefits of in-person learning against the risk of COVID-19 transmission. As always, we will be ready to adjust at any point based on new information and evidence. Dealing with the pandemic and constant change has put a strain on students’ and families’ mental health and emotional well-being. To make it easier for Albertans to access mental health supports and referrals from any- where, Alberta’s government provided more than $53 million to expand the Kids Help Phone, the Mental Health Helpline, and the Addiction Helpline. We were also able to partner with Jack.org to create a resource hub for youth mental health. This funding is in addition to a $556 million Specialized Learning Support Grant for schools under the new funding model, which includes a core component for mental health programming. Even with the pandemic taking priority, we have made progress on several commitments to strengthen the education system. For example, partnerships with Enriched Academy and Junior Achievement’s Alberta chapters are providing more students in Grade 3 to 12 with access to online and experiential programs that help improve financial literacy and prepare them for work and life. A partnership with Shad Canada empowers Grade 10 and 11 students to take part in a science, technology, engineering, arts, math (STEAM) and entrepreneurship summer program. As you know, we have continued taking steps to renew curriculum. In December, with your support, 102 teachers participated in a Kindergarten to Grade 6 (K-6) Curriculum Working Group. They reviewed the draft K-6 curriculum based on their discipline, subject knowledge and classroom perspective. The same month, we received advice and recommendations The College of Alberta School Superintendents 5Bevan Daverne | College of Alberta School Superintendents Message from the President W e are coming up to almost a full year now having lived under the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic. These past months have presented a number of chal- lenges in our classrooms, schools, and school divisions across the province. To be sure, many of these challenges were expected, but we have all experienced a number of unanticipated situations as well. Everyone in education has been stretched thin over this past year; how- ever, while we would not wish this to go on much longer or to repeat it, this past year has not been without its benefits. Sir Winston Churchill has been cred- ited for once saying, “Never let a good cri- sis go to waste.” It is this kind of thinking that allows us to look for the silver lining in the midst of an unprecedented year in education. While we all have no trouble identifying areas we might view nega- tively, recognizing some of the benefits of this past year has advantages for us as leaders as we work to augment the vision we have for teaching and learning in our organizations. I’ve found many of the conversations that I’ve had with teachers, school lead- ers, and other system leaders to be quite encouraging. Invariably, there is always some sharing about current challenges and future uncertainty, but as you discuss the solutions people have found and the previ- ously untested strategies they tried in order to cope—that is when the real gems emerge. In almost every conversation, you hear about a temporary work around or other relatively unused approach that has borne unantici- pated fruit. As we discuss a return to a more normal operation, those new-found skills and strategies are touted as a potential improvement and benefit for our students and our organizations. As leaders, making the best of the here and now is critical. While we are doing that, the ability to recognize and help others to see the unexpected benefits is no less important. Identifying those silver linings—those new potential best prac- tices—finding those as they emerge is the job for visionary leaders in the challenging times of our current reality. Bevan Daverne College of Alberta School Superintendents President Bevan Daverne Superintendent of Schools Golden Hills School Division Past President Kurt Sacher Superintendent of Schools Chinook’s Edge School Division 1 st Vice-President Dr. Wilco Tymensen Superintendent Horizon School Division 2 nd Vice-President Dr. Rhonda Nixon Assistant Superintendent Greater St. Albert Catholic Schools Zone 1 Director Sandy McDonald Superintendent Grande Prairie Public School District Zone 2/3 Director Neil O’Shea Superintendent Aspen View Public Schools Zone 4 Director Dr. Rita Marler Superintendent of Schools Battle River School Division Zone 5 Director Dr. Scott Morrison Superintendent of Schools Christ the Redeemer Catholic Schools Zone 6 Director Scott Brandt Superintendent Grasslands Public Schools Director – Metro School Authority Chris Usih Chief Superintendent Calgary Board of Education Director – First Nations School Authority (Treaty 7) Cam Shade Superintendent of Schools Kainai Board of Education Director – First Nations School Authority (Treaty 8) Dr. Daphne Mai’Stoina Superintendent Kee Tas Kee Now Tribal Council Education Director – Francophone School Authority Dr. Robert Lessard Superintendent Conseil scolaire Centre-Nord Executive Director David Keohane Executive Director College of Alberta School Superintendents CASS Board of Directors As leaders, making the best of the here and now is critical. While we are doing that, the ability to recognize and help others to see the unexpected benefits is no less important. 6 Spring 2021 • The CASS ConnectionB y the date of this publication, we will have run the course of an entire cal- endar year responding to a pandemic that has significantly impacted the operations of our school jurisdictions. Reliance on remote learning and a reduced scope of program implementation and interventions to support individual student needs have contributed to less than desirable outcomes for our learning system. Attending to COVID-19 manage- ment protocols within schools, authorities created a myriad of additional responsibilities for staff, detracted from personalized learning, and contributed to the reduction of social interaction opportunities that constitute the heartbeat of our schools. For reasons related to these previous statements, we are all too aware of the toll that the pandemic has taken on the well-being of students, their families, and staff. As the enclosed articles that showcase the dedication and innovation of school authori- ties through a pandemic indicate, leading through change and challenge is a great teach- er. When lessons learned are brought to life for others, we discover approaches that can predict lasting impact. As the storytellers within this edition of The CASS Connection show, focusing intently on stakeholder well-being, knowing how to be nimble in responding to needs through virtual exchanges and leveraging problem solv- ing skills, finding new ways to implement programs, and achieve equity in addressing diverse learning needs are approaches that have become most important to system lead- ers. In this edition, we are also reminded of how music education, virtual learning, student engagement, and synergies between communi- ties can be enhanced despite the imposition of a pandemic. As these areas of focus and creative approaches become our “new normal,” they will predictably contribute to a more support- ive, efficient, and responsive way of leading and learning than ever experienced before. The COVID-19 pandemic has accentuat- ed the most important needs of our people for our system leaders. Recent studies by Gallup (2021) confirm that followers have four pri- mary needs of their leaders: trust, compassion, stability, and hope. Additionally, Gallup has just indicated that when leaders make their employees feel enthusiastic about the future, they are 69 times more likely to be engaged in their work compared with employees who disagree with this statement reflecting their own workplace experiences. Although these qualitative predictors of success are not always explicitly stated in the features of this publication, they are certainly implied within the undercurrent of every initiative or focus of the school divi- sions. The journey through COVID-19 has been incredibly challenging, but as we see the end to the pandemic’s imposition upon us coming into full view, the evidence indi- cates that we have every reason to celebrate our successes and be hopeful. Thank you to all system leaders for your ongoing demon- stration of talent, innovation, and excellence throughout this evolving and most promis- ing story of practice. David Keohane College of Alberta School Superintendents David Keohane | College of Alberta School Superintendents Message from the Executive Director As the enclosed articles that showcase the dedication and innovation of school authorities through a pandemic indicate, leading through change and challenge is a great teacher. When lessons learned are brought to life for others, we discover approaches that can predict lasting impact. The College of Alberta School Superintendents 7W hile many of us hoped for a post- COVID-19 return to at least a near-normal environment in September, we prepared for all contingencies and new planning gave rise to shifts in pro- gram delivery. Unfortunately, September’s new regiment of changing restrictions and shifts between at-school and at-home have had an undeniable impact. Cohorting in a face-to-face environment has forced serious alterations to modes of delivery in programs where previously student movement was key, literacy and numeracy in particular. Homogenous cross-grade grouping and seamless shifts between groupings were eliminated. Our student-choice projects had to be rebranded, reducing student choice. Frequent hand washing and sanitizing erod- ed the teaching time and diminished the ability to facilitate groups in shared spaces. The more we attempted to address safety concerns, the more we diminished those effective practices that were central to pro- gramming for all of our students, but espe- cially for those students that needed greater flexibility. Our literacy and numeracy programs were designed to provide targeted supports to homogenous groups of below-grade-level students. Multi-age groups were structured based on standardized assessments and teacher observations. Membership in these groups was fluid, so that as students grew to meet grade expectations, they were able to transition from one environment to another. Three tiers of supports facilitated response to different levels of students needs. In an attempt to counteract all that the literacy program would be losing, we assigned literacy instruction to specialist teachers. This resulted in an improved selection of high-yield strategies in the classroom, greater collabora- tion, and the sharing of methods and resources that require a higher level of expertise. We also narrowed the role for each member of the lit- eracy team, increasing their skillsets and under- standing of their assigned students. The numeracy program, although it paral- lels the literacy program, offered greater chal- lenges. Firstly, the relative lack of specialist teachers and teacher efficacy with mathematics processes and instruction amplified the chal- lenges in providing multiple levels of instruc- tion within diverse groups. With greater group diversity came the need for a wider variety of approaches. The need for an effective assess- ment tool that provides meaningful data was painfully evident, and it forced the deficits in the program to become starkly apparent. As result, we are engaging in a complete review of the numeracy program. The numeracy team is being strengthened to better support the teachers and the students. We are developing By Teresa Di Ninno, CAPE Public Charter School Bringing passion into the classroom in the time of COVID-19. Photos courtesy of Teresa Di Ninno. Taquinos from Venezuela. Good food is good for the soul! Unexpected Benefits in Unprecedented Times 8 Spring 2021 • The CASS Connectioninherent in addressing the numeracy program deficiencies will make it more effective. Our community connections will widen. Technol- ogy has become a part of our tool kits. While content with our former normal, we are re- minded of the proverb: “Smooth seas do not make skillful sailors.” n Teresa Di Ninno, CEGEP, B.A., B.Ed., M.A., is an alumnus of McGill University and the Uni- versity of Toronto. Teresa began her teaching career in Alberta in 1980. She is also the founder, past principal, and current superintendent of CAPE Public Charter School in Medicine Hat, Alberta . or developing videos and presentations in a flipped-model classroom have advanced teacher capacity to offer learning regardless of time and space. Student learning has benefit- ted from the unrestricted access to instruction and resources, and parents are better equipped to support their children. The adage of work- ing smarter and not harder has been put into practice through online learning. These difficult times have challenged our school community, demanded creative prob- lem solving, and tested our resiliency. Lessons learned from the literacy program shifts will be applied to increase its potency. The work a written math assessment tool which we hope to pilot and have ready for the 2021-22 school year. We are also embarking on a series of col- laborative efforts with post-secondary exper- tise to increase staff capacity and confidence in the teaching of numeracy. Partnerships with the community, an in- tegral part of our program, are conducive to student engagement. They create a sense of belonging and of community, foster the devel- opment of personal skills, allow for learners- mentors and/or role model interactions, and produce opportunities to participate in expe- riences that support successful engagement. Our cross-grade integration projects were de- signed to create such learning environments and provide students and parents with a voice in their educational pursuits. We found adap- tations. Although multi-grade groups became homeroom groups, the students and parents still had a voice. Our voting system allowed us to remove projects that were of little or no interest to students and to focus on those that were of interest. Teachers looked to offer proj- ects within their expertise and passions, such as debating. Guest speakers, such as a con- struction foreman, Zoomed in. Undeniably, the unexpected shift to on- line learning has been the catalyst for a steep learning curve. The building of staff capac- ity in the use of a variety of online tools and the move to a much more cohesive and uni- form system of platforms, apps, and tools are positive outcomes. Zoom for online meetings, Google Classroom for assignment tracking and collection, recording instructional lessons The College of Alberta School Superintendents 9Next >