Centennial High School

All three of us were back on deck this morning. We woke to a snowy landscape and the 'flurries' continued for most of the day. Colleen had told us to allow an hour for travel, but due to the weather / driving conditions....two hours later (having driven past several accidents) we arrived safely at Centennial High School. For those of you who know him, meeting principal Matt Christison was like meeting Kent Spangenberg; an enthusiastic leader who backs his staff and personal judgment. We spent the majority of the day with Matt but also met many other staff on our school tour. Over an extended lunch (prepared by the cooking class) we were fortunate to spend time with not only Matt, but also the 3 APs  and the Admin Secretary. They were so generous with their time and sharing of ideas.

INTRODUCTION
- There is a group called Student Voice, very important for them to function - not elected, students choose to be part of it. Some will come and go. Meetings at lunch.
- Student Leadership course is a subject at Year 10, 11 &12. Sell popcorn once a week. Go to conferences.
- Outdoor Pursuits course - mix of Science &Outdoor Ed. The school is 10 minutes from the forest. It's in the South, just out of the city. They have a lot more access to natural environment (Kannanaskis)
- 50 international students, fees are paid to the Board of Education. There are a lot of students from South China, Korea. Families are willing to host international students (home stays).
- 290 English Language Learners (ELL)
- Lots of students from Central America
- Small First Nations population - 30 students
- Strong gay alliance in the school
- Very large LDS population - Church of Jesus Christ Latter Day Saints or Mormon. If students have a spare they can use it for a Seminary if it works. They can't dictate when they will go, it has to be educationally sound.
- Staff can get frustrated with students' extra curricular activities that impact on how much time they
are in their classes. They need to understand It's about teaching students and there WILL be
restrictions and consequences for missing work, the question asked is how are the students AND staff going to deal with meeting educational requirements and their extra curricula activities.  Just because they may be out for 4 days doesn't mean their work from school goes away. There are lots of complexities around this issue. Principal asks the questions - What can be done differently? Why not?? Need to think outside the square.

TIMETABLE
- Tutorials 8.30-8.55
- School starts at 9am
- Teachers used to have 125 hours of instruction time per subject. Now there is no stipulation but an end number of instructional hours, which is 1000 hours a year.
- YOTES - occurs once a week on a Friday. This is similar to Home Group. YOTES stands for - Your
 Opportunities To Enhance Success (ties in nicely with shortened nickname Coyotes).
- YOTES - grade 10 is about learning skills around how to deal with transitioning to high school. May use this time for course registrations (subject selection). YOTES classes are decided by alphabet, 20-30 students. This same group stays together through to year 12. YOTES in year 11 - focuses on success in high school and year 12 focuses on successful transition to the life beyond high school.
- Importance of listening to student voice - they wanted a break on a Friday so they are now given 15 minutes before session 3. Also longer lunch break of 45min.
- Have built contact time in the timetable  for teachers at the end of the day. The rule is that staff can't work alone during this time - could work with a teacher to plan, work with students, discuss issues with other teachers about a student etc. This time has been built in because it needs to be valued and this is achieved by being formalised. Staff can't do the same thing in this time every day. Students know this time is available to see teachers.

SITE IMPROVEMENT PLAN
- Matt sees himself as a 'resister'. What do I HAVE to do and what can I NOT do?! Wants to be unique! Happy to be seen as 'contrary' - his staff loved him for this!
- Don't focus on the Diploma (ATAR, for us) rather focus on the big picture and what is happening in other classes eg Maths 10 - sounds like they focus more on the backward planning model - results are a reflection of the teaching practices in the early years as well as the final year, equal importance.

This was the day the Canadian Women's Ice Hockey Team defeated The US at The Winter Olympics in Sochi - Centennial students were transfixed on rooting for their team!

SETTING OBSERVATIONS
- There is an educational alliance between Finland and Alberta - 'FINAL'. Teachers and students exchange both ways.
- The school challenges students with ideas that may not always be great, so that students 'push back' (resist / oppose) which will eventually result in something better. Important for developing independent learners. Eg Yr 12s Graduation assembly - principal says, "This is what you need to understand that if you've got an idea on a grad prank if you can't tell me what it is then you can't do it? You have to be clever, not disruptive. The question is what do they want to be remembered for?      
- Visitors wear visitor tags on lanyards - user friendly.
- Less reliance on school busses, lots of students use public transport or drive.
- Learning Leaders schedule times to meet once a week.
- Non instructional days set by the board. This time is often flexible - used for own prep, marking etc.
- Support staff work together in YOTES time on T&D - they don't just stay in the office. They also work with students.
- Important for the principal that everyone is seen as equal 'teachers' - no hierarchy. Rather people just have different responsibilities.
- Parents have access to attendance and marks through Home Logic online database. This helps students stay more accountable.
- 1800 students.
- The principal doesn't track the extra curricular hours that teaches do, but involvement is heavily
encouraged, as is working with other staff on an activity. If there are staff members who don't do anything, then there will be discussions with the principal. Often this attitude changes when they are paired with someone on an activity.
- 90 staff only 3 are part time staff
- Assemblies in the gym. Can stream these to other rooms through TV system. Can hold up to 1000 students. These are held through YOTES time, to avoid interrupting instruction time.
- AP duties - one is responsible for timetabling with principal, no teaching lines, work with students who are designated to them alphabetically.
- The alphabetical groupings for YOTES and AP supervision are flexible depending on personalities / clashes.
- The four leaders use a radio system to stay in contact throughout the day, also used by yard duty staff, especially when out in the community. This system is linked to the Resource Officer (constable).
- Cell phones welcomed. Up to teacher whether they are used in class. If phones are used inappropriately the phone is confiscated for the rest of the day. After the 9th time harsher consequences!
- Rooms are built for 32 students but commonly classes are often around 35-37. There are some at 40.
- Assemblies are held for each Grade level (10, 11 & 12) of one hour duration to present different awards eg subject awards, artisans (trade courses eg people who work with their hands). Parents invited, held during the day - winners invited, everyone welcome but not a requirement).  Athletics awards are held held separately as a banquet, community coaches are invited. APs take in turns running each of the assemblies. Principal present for all.
- School banners highlight focus activities (see picture) Visible recognition of successful students
AND criteria. Other posters made by Student Leadership class to publicise all special events occurring throughout the year.

BUSINESS & ENTERPRISE
- A student run food cart is set up in the main building outside of the cafeteria - selling food produced by the cooking class - open all day, honour system?
-  A merchandise store is open at lunch selling sporting attire (windcheaters / socks) complete with logos. Four classes of 35 students(Yr 10x2, Yr11 & Yr 12), currently designing hats.
- The Food class caters for special lunches like our own.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT:
- Teachers write a professional growth plan at the beginning of the year, which is submitted to the principal. Staff have meetings throughout the year with the principal. Their goals need to be focused on their own personal needs, but should consider Alberta Education and site priorities
- $1500 over 3 years from Alberta Teachers Association union, $200 from the school each year, plus each faculty can provide funding for PD.

THE LEARNING STRATEGIES ROOM / THE CLASS / PLP4
-There is a Learning Strategies Room which caters for 15 students.
-The Class caters for 18 students who suffer from anxiety and depression - they are based there with a trained teacher but may go to regular classes with an aid.
- Pace Learning Plan - PLP4 students (15) - reading level between year 3 and 6. Some of these students will enter a Knowledge and Employability course. Congregated but not Segregated, come together for some things but can 'mainstream' for others. This will also be their YOTES class.
- there is always on teacher and one aid in the room.
- Teacher changes in the room. They are rostered on according to certain subject areas. It is seen as important for teachers to avoid isolation and to work with different people.
- No one-on-one aids - rather they will work with groups, unless absolutely necessary . Don't want students to become isolated if they are always with the same aid.
- If a student is studying Maths which is an area of weakness, they will take Learning Strategies in the learning centre as well. The idea is that they will take the strategies learned into their Maths class.
- Courses - Reading 15. Can take 3 Learning Strategies courses over the 3 years. Some students may take Learning Strategies all year and it is paired up with another subject.
- Coded students (students that have an Individual Learning Plan) can come in here to complete a test or exam.
- This room also has 2 small testing rooms attached.
- No drop in students. Mainstream students should be going to tutorials for extra help.
- PLP4 (Pace Learning Plan) - real special needs. Educationally cognitively challenged students and
they may have a physical challenge. Students could stay in this class all the way through. Some students may come out of PLP4  into a Knowledge and Employability course. 1 teacher, 2EAs - due to the special needs of who is in there. There's always one teacher and one EA. The teachers are encouraged to teach at least one other class, rather than being with the PLP4 class all the time.
- Education Assistants support in classrooms where there are the most coded students.

FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT
- PD days- teachers put in cross curricular groups - 8-9 people (one per subject). Provided with questions and problems - asked how they would address such questions. Conversations lead to common answers around the importance of formative assessment. They then shared formative assessment examples, leading to discussions around how much and how often. This then led to wanting to work with faculty areas to create consistency in their faculty.

TECHNOLOGY
-Pop up windows are used for the bulletin e.g as students get on a computer the pop up message will appear.
-Wireless struggles to keep up with students bringing in their own computer systems
-One full time technician who does the work of two! Also 2 work experience students help at times.
-Windows based machines, some Apple machines.

SCHOOL WEBSITE
- Publicises all staff contact email addresses
- Department information, resources

GUIDANCE COUNSELLORS
- One per AP
- Do a lot of work with students on course selection.
- Students who are not coded work with these counsellors. They help access outside school agencies
and advocacy groups.
- Responsible for the graduation lists, checking subject completion - similar to a SACE Coordinator.

Thanks Centennial High, we felt very  comfortable in your environment, an influx of teacher exchange applications could be on the way!