Student Led Pamphlet

CSS Student-Led Conferences

November 12, 2009

An Overview of Student Led Conferences... Student-led conferences serve an important role in the assessment of student progress. They provide an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of our students through the first term of the year, as well as to permit feedback on student learning as well as set goals for the next term and beyond.

Digital Portfolios W e
 h a v e
 communicated
 to
 t h e
 s c h o o l
 community
 in
 the
 p a s t
 c o u p l e
 o f
 months
 that
 there
 w o n ’ t
 b e
 a n y
 m a r k s
 o n
 t h e
 report
 cards
 for
 performing
 and
 visual
 arts.
 Instead,
we
are
moving
 to
digital
portfolios
as
 t h e
 m e a n s
 o f
 re p o r t i n g
 o n
 s t u d e n t
 achievement
 in
 these
 curricular
 areas.
 We
 have
only
recently
begun
in
earnest
to
use
this
 means
 of
 sharing
 student
 work
 and
 we
 are
 looking
 forward
 to
 having
 students
 highlight
 their
 work
 on
 their
 portfolios
 and
 this
 becoming
 a
 regular
 part
 of
 student
 assessment
 in
the
performing
 and
visual
arts.
 We
will
provide
an
opportunity
for
parents
to
 see
 how
 we
 have
 begun
 using
 digital
 portfolios
 for
 students
 to
 share
 their
 achievements
 in
 performing
 and
 visual
 arts,
 and
 also
 as
 a
 means
 of
 supplementing
 the
 physical
education
marks
on
the
report
 cards.
 The
 shift
 toward
 digital
 portfolios
 is
 a
 substantial
 one
 and
 provides
 us
 with
 many
 opportunities
 to
 learn
 and
 explore
 this
more


authentic
 means
 of
 reporting
 on
 student
 achievement.

Performing & Visual Arts (PVA) and Physical Education Of
course,
physical
education
and
the
arts
are
 very
important
parts
of
our
 program,
but
the
 role
 they
 play
 in
 student‐led
 conferences
 is
 changing.
 In
 order
 to
 help
 parents
 see
 all
 parts
 of
 their
 child’s
 program,
 but
 still
 maintain
 a
 reasonable
 time
 commitment
 for
 the
 student‐led
 conferences,
 we
 will
 be
 hosting
 these
 subjects
 in
 the
 gym
 rather
 t h a n
 h a v i n g
 parents
 go
 to
 3
 or
 4
 d i f f e r e n t
 classrooms
 to
 see
 students’
 work
 in
 each
 of
 these
 subjects.
 Teachers
 will
 be
 available
 to
 help
 parents
 understand
 the
 shift
 in
 assessment
 toward
 digital
portfolios.
Students
should
bring
 their
 laptops
to
the
gym
so
that
they
can
show
their
 portfolios
and
 explain
 how
we
 have
 begun
 to
 use
 this
 powerful
 digital
 tool
 to
 document
 student
 learning
 and
 celebrate
 their
 achievements.

Scheduling an Interview We encourage parents to contact teachers to schedule an interview when it is required. Teachers are available during the student-led conferences if parents wish to touch base or ask a couple of quick questions. If there is something more substantive or of a confidential nature that needs to be discussed, parents should arrange an interview with the teacher. Forms will be available in each classroom for parents to request a follow-up interview and also provide some feedback on the student-led conferences.

Grade 4-8 Student Led Conferences Student‐led
 conferences
at
the
 grade
 4
 to
8
level
have
changed
 slightly
from
years
past.
 
A
pre‐conference
 component,
to
take
 place
 between
 November
 16
 and19,
 will
 afford
 parents
 and
 students
 the
 opportunity
 to
 review
 projects,
 tasks,
 and
 assignments
that
have
contributed
to
the
marks
and
comments
 recorded
on
the
student’s
report
card.

 The
 student‐led
 conferences
 at
 school
 will
 take
 place
 on
 Thursday
 November
 19th
 from
 4‐8
 pm
 and
 Friday
 November
 20th
 from
 8
 am
 –
 1
 pm.
 
 Students
 will
 guide
 parents
 through
 their
 projects
 and
 assignments,
 explaining
the
assessment
process
and
discussing
possible
goals
for
the
second
term. Following
the
student‐led
conference,
there
 will
be
 an
expectation
that
parents
and
students
will
 reOlect
 on
 the
learning
that
 has
taken
place
in
Term
1
and
 further
develop
manageable
 goals
for
 Term
2
 that
 will
enhance
 the
 learning
 experience.
 
These
 goals
will
be
 shared
with
subject
 area
 teachers
through
a
format
determined
by
the
teaching
team. Should
 a
 further
 parent‐teacher‐student
 interview
 be
 required,
 forms
 will
 be
 available
 in
 classrooms
during
the
student‐led
conferences
to
make
such
a
request.

Teachers
will
contact
you
 to
conOirm
a
date
and
time
to
meet.

Grade 9 Student Led Interviews Grade
 9
 students
 will
 be
 engaging
 in
 a
 signiOicantly
 different
 format
 to
 discuss
 and
 evaluate
 progress
 this
 year.
 
 Fifteen‐ minute
 interviews
will
be
 scheduled
 for
 each
 grade
 9
student
 and
 parent(s),
 taking
 place
 from
 1
 –
 8
 pm
 on
 Thursday
 November
 19th
 and
 8
 am
 to
 1
 pm
 on
 Friday
 November
 20th.

 Interviews
will
be
scheduled
directly
with
the
teachers
and
will
 serve
to
address
key
areas
of
success
and
any
challenges
being
 encountered
by
the
 student
at
this
time.

SpeciOic
goals
will
be
 set
at
this
time
to
guide
student
progress
in
the
second
term.

A Note About Younger Children: Younger siblings of students are welcome to attend student-led conferences, however no child care service is available and children must be in the control of a parent at all times.