Friday, February 3, 2017

Principal's Message 2/3/17

Dear Canyon View Families,

As outlined in our 2016-2017 Strategic Plan, the teaching staff at Canyon View has been working diligently this year on our Deep Learning Goal which focuses on developing within our students the knowledge and skills that transfer to college, careers, and civic life. To help us reach our long-term goals with transfer, our teachers have been engaged in a series of professional development opportunities to build their knowledge and understanding of how to design and implement Project Based Learning within their classroom.

Current research supports Project Based Learning (PBL) as an effective way to learn and develop deep learning competencies required for success in college, career, and civic life. It is an instructional approach built upon authentic learning activities that engage student interest and motivation, and aligns with the type of problem solving, deep understanding, transfer, and application of knowledge associated with deep learning. Project-Based Learning allows students to reflect upon their own ideas and opinions, exercise voice and choice, and make decisions that affect project outcomes and the learning process in general. PBL creates connections across what students are learning in different disciplines, and between what they learn in school and situations they may encounter in the real world. With PBL, the project itself is the learning; the focus is on the process – the teaching is done through the project. A well-designed project provokes students to encounter (and struggle with) the central concepts and elements of a discipline. The essential Project Design Elements of PBL include:

  • Key Knowledge, Understanding, and Success Skills - The project is focused on student learning goals, including standards-based content and skills such as critical thinking/problem solving, collaboration, and self-management. 

  • Challenging Problem or Question - The project is framed by a meaningful problem to solve or a question to answer, at the appropriate level of challenge.

  • Sustained Inquiry - Students engage in a rigorous, extended process of asking questions, finding resources, and applying information.

  • Authenticity - The project features real-world context, tasks and tools, quality standards, or impact – or speaks to students’ personal concerns, interests, and issues in their lives.

  • Student Voice & Choice - Students make some decisions about the project, including how they work and what they create.

  • Reflection - Students and teachers reflect on learning, the effectiveness of their inquiry and project activities, the quality of student work, obstacles and how to overcome them.

  • Critique & Revision - Students give, receive, and use feedback to improve their process and products.

  • Public Product - Students make their project work public by explaining, displaying and/or presenting it to people beyond the classroom.

As we continue through the second semester, several of our grade level teams will be implementing their PBL experiences within their classrooms.  Throughout each project, our PBL teams will be routinely collecting and analyzing a variety of data points to assess the overall impact that these PBL experiences have on our students in the areas of motivation, engagement, communication, collaboration, creativity and innovation, and critical thinking and problem solving.  As a staff, we know that we’ve only begun to scratch the surface regarding the benefits that PBL can have on our students, and we are excited to be traveling down this teaching and learning pathway!


School Registration for Next Year
As a reminder, registration for next school year is now open to neighborhood students. You may access the Online Registration link on the front page of the District and CV websites under the Register For School button: http://cves.cfsd16.org/. If you need assistance, please contact our office staff at 209-7701. Thank you to those families who have already registered their child(ren). Student registrations determine our teacher to student ratio each year.  We appreciate your efforts!

Science Fair
On Thursday, February 16 our fifth grade students will be hosting their grade level science fair in the MPR from 5:30-6:30PM.  The top 15 finalists from the fifth grade science fair will then move on to our school-wide science fair which begins on Tuesday, February 28.  Classes will be viewing the various projects Tuesday-Thursday of that week, and we will be hosting the Science Fair Recognition Ceremony on Thursday, March 2 at 6:00 p.m. in the MPR.  We are definitely looking forward to seeing our young scientists’ projects!

Next, below are just a few images that capture the variety of learning experiences our students have been engaged in over the past two weeks.  The entire staff at Canyon View Elementary is deeply committed to the whole-child approach to educating our students, and we are routinely researching and exploring new ways to refine and improve our practice.

   

Our 5th grade students engaged in their first Z-Factor Sleep Study lesson where they’ll be collecting and analyzing their sleep data and using this information to make healthy choices for the future.



Mr. Allie’s 3rd grade students have begun to prepare for their upcoming musical performance

  

Mrs. Hays’ 3rd grade students have been engaged in the creative process of rainforest mask-making with our artist-in-residence, Kate Hodges


Our K-1 multiage and first grade classrooms perform their winter musical Swamped!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Rob Henikman

Principal