Our Learning

Action Blogs 2021-2022

Balance & Wellness Challenge

Stacking rocks

In working towards building community while promoting wellness and balance, and in honouring Mental Health Awareness Month this May, we will initiate Mental Health Awareness Week with classroom activities based on the following themes: 

  • Mindfulness Monday 
  • Talking Tuesday
  • Walking Wednesday
  • Thinking Thursday
  • Fun Friday

More information to come – check back in May!

Tech Challenge 

Technology

As part of Mental Health Awareness month in May, we also want to invite students and teachers to get involved in a Mental Health Tech Challenge to reduce overall screen time over the course of the month.

The goal of this challenge is to reduce people’s screen time and to create awareness around screen time and its effects on mental health. Students will learn how too much screen time can affect one’s mental health, as well as strategies to reduce unnecessary screen time. 

More information to come – check back in May!

Student Focus Group

Following a student survey we conducted in December, 2021 a Student Focus Group was formed to work on initiatives to improve our school community. 

After an initial meeting, students have chosen to focus on:  

  • finding ways to ensure students feel cared about at school
  • teaching students how to treat themselves well physically and mentally
  • encouraging students to ask for help when they need it
  • ensuring students know where to go for help if they need it. 

 

Action Blogs 2020-2021

“Strikers Soar” Butterfly Project

ButterfliesButterflies

Our Butterfly Project was designed and created by our McRoberts Student Community Committee, a group of students committed to building a sense of community and connectedness at McRoberts, particularly in light of the pandemic.  The goal was to have every student and staff member contribute a butterfly that expresses their inspirations, and to weave contributions into a collaborative art piece for our community to enjoy.  Students wrote messages on their butterflies in answer to the question “What inspires you?” Our installation can now be found in our school library!

McRoberts 5-Day Challenge

McRoberts 5-Day ChallengeMcRoberts 5-Day Challenge

Our focus for this initiative was around the question, “How can we improve the feeling of community and connectedness at McRoberts?”  Our goal was to create opportunities and activities in order to help students feel more connected to their school community and create a feeling of belonging. In May 2021 classes were encouraged to complete classroom activities over a five-day period and document their progress in our McRoberts 5-Day Challenge! 

Core Competencies in the Classroom

Core Competencies

To support our teachers in developing the Core Competencies, a small group of McRoberts students designed and made Core Competencies magnets for every classroom.  This labour of love was done through their woodwork class as a special project and has provided teachers with an additional visual to refer to while incorporated the Core Competencies in their classrooms. 

Evidence Blog: 

Scanning

What we learned last year through surveys and focus groups was that there was a loss of a sense of community and connectedness within the context of school during the pandemic. Our belief is that students who feel connected to the school staff, peers, and school community overall, will be more successful personally, socially, and academically.  

This year we completed our initial scanning with a student survey, and found that key areas to work on are connecting with others, and the need to find balance and wellness in our lives. From this survey, a staff committee was formed, and a student focus group was created to create and enact a variety of initiatives to address the needs of our community.

 

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