Feedback Helps Us Grow
During the past two days, our students have been actively engaged in the process of Parent-Teacher-Student conferences. These conversations hold great value as they represent an opportunity for our students to learn more about their performance at school, receive constructive feedback and celebrate their areas of strength. This process helps students continue to build their skills with a clear understanding and purpose.
On Thursday, the Grade 10 MYP students had their Personal Project Showcase. After months of work, the students exhibited a final product and spoke about their personal connection to the project, as well as the purpose and process involved in the creation of their product. This event provided an opportunity for parents, faculty, teacher-mentors and students to view the projects and provide meaningful feedback to the Grade 10 students.
Last year, SJK engaged in an in-depth process of school-wide review and reflection. As an accredited CAIS (Canadian Accredited Independent School) and an authorized IB (International Baccalaureate) World School, SJK is required to participate in this comprehensive evaluation process every 5 to 7 years. The purpose of the accrediting bodies (CAIS and IB) is quality assurance based on the School’s performance, measured by the IB Standards and Practices and the CAIS National Standards and Indicators of Effective Practice. The enormous benefit for us at SJK comes from our learning during the reflective internal review process, and the objective third-party feedback we receive. We are able to pause and celebrate the commendations of success we receive, and we turn the recommendations into our future actions. We grow and improve as a result of the conversations during the on-site school visit and the feedback reports received from CAIS and IB.
It is with pride that we publish today a summary of the feedback we received. SJK was a trailblazer in this process, being the first school in Canada to synchronize the CAIS and IB continuum evaluation processes and on-site school visits. To date, this was the most successful evaluation experience SJK has been through and the results are outstanding! The commendations described on the two feedback reports were numerous and genuinely reflected the many positive initiatives, policies and procedures that are at our core, the foundation on which we harness excellence at SJK. The unprecedented low number of recommendations (only 12 out of the 130 indicators of effective practice) had all been identified internally, and plans were already in place to make the recommended adjustments.
Please click here to access a summary of what we learned during the evaluation process and the actions we are taking as we continue to grow and improve.
Mrs. Karen Baird
Director of Teaching and Learning
St. John's Kilmarnock School
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