As we continue with our growth mindset goal, as a staff, we took the time to step back and reflect on:

1. Where have we been?  What successes can we build upon?

• Recent family team activity – Giraffes can’t Dance which allowed for the whole school to work toward using common language when discussing growth mindset
• Becoming comfortable with using, and understanding the term ‘growth mindset’
• Reinforcing the word ‘yet’ as in “I don’t get it yet!”
• Student-candidate taught a lesson on growth mindset using symbolic representation through loose parts
• Picture book read-alouds with growth mindset messages
• Having students begin to learn the importance of self-reflection and demonstrating how an open mindset can help to further our successes
• Building structure into curriculum lessons
  
  • Reflections – “What can I do better now?”
• Library activities
  
  • Online safety (social media 4-7)
  • “I can” statements – Positivity
• Class Meeting/ Talking Circle
  • • Building relationships
    • Safe space
    • Appreciation
    • Random acts of kindness

2. Where do we want to go? And how will we get there?

3. What are some priorities for us at this point as we move forward?

• Practical ideas to implement in the classroom (i.e. Role playing / brainstorming ideas / collaboration – teacher led with guidance)
• Open communication and sharing of ideas: student work, planning and keeping growth mindset a running priority in our classrooms
• Visual reminders in the classroom
• Continue to explore in classrooms AND family teams
• School-wide language
• Parent education – growth mindset language
• When success is experienced, there is growth!
• Inclusivity
  
  • Continue to build on SPIRIT (Safe Positive Involved Respectful Inclusive Team players)
  • How to assess if we’re being effective? i.e. Satisfaction Survey
  • Commit to once per month family team activities
  • Commit to sharing assemblies

Several important ideas came out of our own reflections as a staff at our Pro-d in January. One thing we chose to implement immediately was developing a newsletter for parents on what growth mindset is, so that parents can support what we are doing at school and hopefully begin to use similar language we are using at school. It’s important for our students to see that we work together with their parents as a team.

In continuing with our understanding of growth mindset, we decided to see how anxiety and growth mindset connected. We have some students that experience anxiety and we as a staff are often looking for ways to support them. For our February Pro-d, we invited Clinical Counsellor, Dr. Gabriela Ionita, from the LEAP Clinic in Vancouver to join us. One of her slides was quite powerful because it notes the importance that we as educators bring and how we can support all learners. As a staff, we could see the important connect of anxiety and providing students with growth mindset language:

Here is the anxiety response loop that many people experience. Notice that by having a growth mindset, we learn to tell our thoughts positive things in an effort to reduce negative physiological and negative behavior responses.

We are excited to continue this journey together as a staff. With the almost completion of the ADST Room (room name still to be determined), we cannot wait to to see how we can further support building common language among our student population as we venture in to hands-on learning opportunities such as building with KEVA blocks and Make-Do, sculpting with clay, creating with loose parts, developing paper sculptures, and exploring Osmo and greenscreening. Without the PAC’s support, we would not be able to create such a wonderful space to extend learning opportunities.

We also have 3 teachers who have taken the idea of growth mindset further by inviting all classrooms to be a part of a community building experience that helps students see the positive outlook that the athletes from the 2018 Winter Olympics shared with the world. Students were certainly able to see the growth mindset that some athletes in particular demonstrated. For example, the story of Canadian snowboarder, Mark McMorris, taught students the importance of perseverance and determination after having to come back from a serious accident in 2016. Together, the school came created their own version of a Winter Olympic Opening Ceremony. It was nothing less than amazing!

Term 3 at Westwind

After knowing and understanding comes doing.

Third term was a time of celebration of our learning throughout the school year.

Photo #1.  Our Kindergarten students celebrate a successful first year of learning at Westwind. It was important for the children to know and understand how to navigate the new world of school life. The year for half the kindergarten students was very challenging, because of the difficulty of finding a permanent teacher. The children had very caring and competent teachers and finally had the continuity of a wonderful job share partnership from January until June.

Photo #2.  We were fortunate to host a group of students from China. Our Westwind Waves showed their SPIRIT (Safe, Positive, Inclusive, Respectful, Involved, and a Team player) by welcoming our guests into their classrooms and in trips around the community.

This group photo was taken at the Arts Connection where our guests took photos in front of the Wings project which was made by 15 of our grade seven students in partnership with students from Admiral Seymour students in Vancouver.

Photo #3.  We believe that the more chances you give students to show empathy and community mindedness, they will be intrinsically to demonstrate these traits in their homes, future schools, and community.

Pink shirt day was one such opportunity to show support for any child who is bullied. Thanks to our parent group, all staff and students were able to purchase a pink shirt or wear their own pink shirts. The day was a celebration of kindness and ways to treat each other well.

Photo #4 & #5.  The Westwind Community came together to raise over $3,000 for the Heart and Stroke Foundation. The kick off assembly gave leadership opportunities for our older students.  The event itself was led by a parent volunteer.

Photo #6.  A crowning achievement was the transformation of a spare classroom into our Learning Lab.

This room contains Osmos, Keva Blocks, Maker Space, and a green screen. All students had the opportunity to use the various open-ended learning manipulatives. Feedback from staff and students has been very positive as a way to show your learning.

Photo #7.  We said good bye to our canine friend, Echo. Echo was a service dog and he supported a students with Autism. Echo helped some students who were afraid of dogs overcome this fear and brought joy to the staffroom at recess and lunch.

Photo #8.  On our last day of school with students, we celebrated our student volunteers and track meet ribbon winners. As you can see from the photo, we had a large number of students who were lunch monitors in the primary classrooms, office monitors, food day helpers, crossing guards, assembly leaders, and morning announcers.

The year in review was one of growth mindset and an ”I can’t do it yet” attitude.

Our students have shown a positive attitude towards their learning and we hope to continue to build on this positive attitude and to work to change the culture of the school to one of open communication and trust between home and school.