Students won’t be the only thing growing at Winchelsea Elementary School this year.
The technology at the school is getting a boost in the form of webpages and digital portfolios.
Grade 5 teacher Petra Knight has been busy attending technology courses at the University of British Columbia this summer and that has resulted in the creation of a webpage for her class this year, and she will assist other teachers to do the same. Knight will also soon develop digital portfolios for the students, so friends and family can celebrate student’s achievements, she said.
“We’re improving the technology piece and connecting parents with the classroom,” she said, adding that grandparents and other family will also be able to look online and see what the children are up to at school.
Last year was the first time a teacher created a webpage for a class at the school but that teacher has transferred schools.
Buddy Reading is another fairly new initiative where older students at the school will team up with younger students and read together. Knight said they are really going to kick that program into gear this school year.
Another school-wide reading initiative will involve adults working with small groups of children to read the same book together and develop skills and reading strategies.
All three initiatives are part of Winchelsea’s School Growth Plan, which all schools in the district possess.
Today is the first day of school for most children in the district. Grades 10-12 start tomorrow, September 4. Drivers are urged to remember school-zone speed limits are in effect.
