As our School Story journey continues this school year, our actions taken during Winter term are:

January:
In January, our focus turned to building emotional literacy vocabulary for our student body.  The ‘Mood Meter’ helps us to engage in new words, while providing their definitions. Our goal is for students to make daily connection to their own emotional well-being to more fully understand themselves as learners and as participants in school community (collaboration, friendships, etc.).  By recognizing how they are feeling, it is the hope that students will also recognize and show understanding and empathy for how others are feeling.  This also connects nicely with our SEL school focus on 'Woodward CARES': Care for Self, Care for Others, Care for Place.  The hope is for our learners to build self-awareness in order to successfully regulate themselves.  Ultimately, the goal is for students to build confidence in their learning endeavours ('I can try', 'Don't give up', I'm not there...yet').  

During morning announcements each day, a new word is introduced.  This word, with definition on the back, is added to our Mood Meter board in the main hallway with definition on the back (see main image).  Students are encouraged to challenge themselves by reviewing their knowledge of our growing Mood Meter vocabulary regularly.  Please see images of sample cards attached below!  

To our readers: upon clicking on the link here, you are invited to the emotional literacy challenge by clicking on any word and reviewing the accompanying definition!

February:
In February, we worked together as a staff to develop questions for a Growth Mindset student survey.  The result was a survey of five questions for students in grades K - 2, and a survey of 13 questions for students in grades 3 - 7.  Both surveys begin with the same question that was posed during our Spring scan last school year: Can you name two adults in the building who you know and feel care about you and believe in you?  As seen in the third and fourth image attached below, the results continue to be positive.  We feel confident and share in the belief that students who feel supported and cared for at school will have greater success and develop a strong belief in themselves and in their future.  Both the K - 2, and Gr. 3 - 7 survey questions are also available below.

March:
Staff supported students in completing the survey.  We look forward to reporting out discoveries shared by our student voice in our upcoming Evidence post - stay tuned!