Our School Story
Focus Statement:
Grauer continues to be a welcoming community that promotes an inclusive and happy learning environment. Members of our school strive to create a caring and engaging learning environment for our students. We strive to ensure that Grauer is a safe, compassionate and caring place for all members of our school community through consistent acts of kindness.
Our school story focus has a history of reimagining learning spaces to promote student engagement, and more recently our school story is focused on continuing to improve student learning with regards to our makerspace. In the last couple of years, during our professional sessions and staff meetings, we reflected on how students K-7 have shown consistent interest in hands-on activities that allow for learning, creativity, exploration, and design.
We noticed that students enjoyed working with a variety of materials after we created a permanent makerspace room with the Learning Environments Innovation grant in 2021. We observed a high level of student engagement and collaboration during maker activities in the space. There has been heightened interest among students and staff for ADST activities and collaboration opportunities, and we would like to explore how we can further develop the space and schedule to increase student engagement and collaboration to grow and celebrate student learning.
How does who we are as a community through acts of kindness; and our makerspace (through works of art, storytelling and ADST) impact student learning?
Action Statement:
As we have been exposing students to an increased variety of materials and tools, they are growing their interest in visiting the space more frequently and exploring new materials. The students are working with increasing skill complexity with the materials (For example: the oldest students have made with guidance wooden vertical gardens from scratch). However some materials are less utilized than others (For example, textile materials) and there could be more use of the space, so we would like to:
Survey students and teachers to see what might be limiting their use of the space, materials, and tools.
Consult with other teacher-librarians and the district specialists to determine what is appropriate -review and consolidate the feedback to determine what materials to acquire and what collaboration activities teachers and students would like to have access to.
Collect information through surveying students and staff to guide changes. Take inventory of story making materials we currently have. Take before pictures.
Develop lessons on how to meaningfully introduce the loose parts and respectfully promote Indigenous content and understandings.
Develop lessons around the materials, and have classes test out the materials.
Evaluate and assess the response to the changes (student and staff verbal and written surveys). The school team will reflect using the spirals of inquiry framework
Evidence Statement:
During the last couple of years, since we have opened the makerspace, we have seen more ADST, art, and loose part story making activities happening in the school. Students K-7 have been seen collaborating with their same grade peers and also students of other grades and classes to make and to experiment with their ideas. We hope to grow student ADST/maker opportunities to support peer/student collaboration and collaboration among staff and also better utilize the expertise of district ADST/tech consultants to further the student and staff ADST learning within our school.
The space has made a visible difference in the: i) variety of creations students have made K-7 (Kindergartens using hammers to make string and nail art to grade 6/7 students making and racing Sphero compatible cardboard and solo cup battlebots) and ii) the frequency that teachers are using the materials and space. Students are showing pride in their creations and growing in their design thinking skills and in their skills of using the different materials and tools. Students are also collaboratively working with each other including supporting peers with their designs. The makerspace has led to the developing of leadership skills in students who might not traditionally be leaders in their class but have a high interest and skill set in creative maker activities. Students are still asking for more opportunities to work with a variety of materials within their class and at lunch time.
“If children feel safe, they can take risks, ask questions, make mistakes, learn to trust, share their feelings, and grow.” ~ Alfie Kohn
This school year we are continuing to stress socially responsible actions for all members of our school community. We are striving to all act as Grauer Phoenix Stars. A “star” at Grauer is someone who acts considerately, compassionately and safely toward others and toward the environment. We are using the acronym “STAR” to guide our thinking and our actions. We practice kindness every day throughout the year. We have many great things going on at Grauer which is only possible due to the kind and caring ways the members of our school treat each other on a daily basis.