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Annual School Development Report

O'Donel High School

2012-2013

155 Ruth Ave Mount Pearl

Newfoundland and Labrador

The mission of O’Donel High School is to empower students to reach their potential as life-long learners and meaningful participants in a global society. We shall achieve this by fostering academic excellence, spiritual development, confidence and responsibility in a nurturing environment. WE will be respectful of individual differences and involve the whole learning community in the achievement of curriculum outcomes and using varied instructional strategies and appropriate accommodations.


A Message From

DARRIN PIKE CEO/DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION

This school development report for the 2012-13 school year outlines your school’s successes and highlights in matters such as student achievement and professional development. The planning and execution of a school development plan is an important process that must be undertaken by the entire school community. A thorough plan lays the foundation for a productive and successful school year and will be beneficial to every member of the school community, most importantly the students of your school. As we move ahead with the development of a new strategic plan for the Newfoundland and Labrador English School District I thank our administrators, teaching staff, school councils and school communities for their efforts in developing and implementing the previous plans to ensure student success and achievement. Such collaboration is important to grow together as a school community for the betterment of our education system. I look forward with great enthusiasm to the progress we are going to make as we build upon these school development plans and continue to provide a quality education for every student in our province. Sincerely, Darrin Pike CEO/Director of Education


Message from Principal and School Council December 2013 To The Patriot Community: The 2012-13 school year has been busy and productive. The school has come to the end of a School Development cycle. The three goals outlined in our plan have been implemented and much is in the monitoring phase. We have transitioned to a new school development team and spent much of the school year focused on academic achievement working with the frames provided by the Eastern School District. Our professional development has focused on instructional and learning strategies. We have had staff training on LBGTQ and the new Special Services delivery model. We have also engaged in professional development around Teen Mental Health. We have joined with our feeder schools and many local community organizations to raise awareness and training of students, parents and staff. We developed and implemented 4 events during the school year to support this focus. Our follow up will be through a Resiliency Team comprised of teachers, students, guidance and community experts and the website teenmentalhealth.org We have been tracking student performance overtime, we have met with students and families, and we have planned and implemented interventions with students. Teachers would like to continue to address this in the years to come. Teachers now wish focus more clearly on student motivation in order to address the quality and completion of assignments. We continue to use the funds from our Patriot Sweep to improve the resources for our students. Last year we added a new wireless system to our school. Computer labs have been up-dated, smartboards purchased and installed, and other presentation hardware/software explored, purchased and made available to students and staff. Resources have also been placed directly into costly hands-on programs like Family Studies, Skilled Trades and Nutrition. We have spent a great deal of time and money on improving our Healthy Living program and facilities and we have made significant improvements with a new floor, additional equipment and the set-up of the two primary spaces. I wish to thank all the passionate and hard working staff at O’Donel High School. They make any plan work through their dedication and expertise. Our School Council has been supportive every step of the way. The community of parents and business community are always there to offer their skills, resources and time to the school. It is through the full participation of all the stakeholders that O’Donel students continue to stand tall. I look forward to many years at this fine school. Yours, Michelle Clemens, B..A., B.Ed., M.Ed


Message from School Council

O’Donel High School __________________________________________________________

P.O. Box 578, Mount Pearl, NL A1N 2W4 Tel: (709) 364-5305 · Fax: (709) 364-5317 www.odonel.k12.nf.ca Keith Smith - Chair & Community Representative Michelle Clemens - Principal John Riche – Parent Representative Joseph Santos– Teacher RepresentativeVal Hodder – Parent Representative Patricia Rose – Teacher RepresentativeRhonda McMeekin – Community Representative Rayleen Rice – Parent RepresentativeMikaela Whalen –Student Representative I am proud to say 2012/13 has proven to be another successful year for O’Donel. The school has participated in food drives, Christmas giving, soup lunches, breakfast program, mental health awareness training, parenting groups local and provincial sports; have continued to achieve academic success in public exams with averages better than district and the province. Our student leadership in Outreach Teams, Mentor Programs and Welcome Teams continues to be a success story with student acknowledgement coming from community and government though the Mount Pearl Youth Awards, scholarships and Patriot of the Month. We have also seen students excel in Robotics Competitions and participate in school musicals. The talent of our students continues to amaze us. Again this year families have supported the school’s Patriot Sweep fundraiser resulting in huge profits for our school. As Chair of O’Donel School Council it has been my pleasure working with the staff, administrative team as well as my colleagues on school council. Keith Smith Chair – O’Donel School Council


Overview of School Our School Community O’Donel High School is the home of the Patriots. We opened in 1985 and have been proudly serving Mount Pearl and the surrounding communities. We have approximately 700 students and 50 teaching and support staff working with us each year. O’Donel High School provides an extensive senior high school curriculum including both English and late French Immersion programs. Our home of the Patriots has a rich tradition of community involvement and student excellence. Key Highlights/Special Projects LGBTQ our GSA meets weekly and has been involved in increasing awareness around

diversity one of our students attended the National GSA summit staff PD devoted to increasing sensitivity and empowerment around LGBTQ issues

21st Century Learning all departments engaged in ensuring teaching and learning activities revolve around

creativity, collaboration, communication and critical thinking teachers and students are becoming increasingly comfortable and creative with

using smartboards, team boards, and smartphones for instructional and assessment purposes as well as software such as googledocs

4Cs being utilized particularly well in student-constructed technology projects ranging from the arts (Theatre Arts, English, Drama to Sciences (our Robotics team has won the right to represent NL in international competition for the third consecutive year)

Our Careers Coming for Lunch series as well as our Patriot Mentoring program also embraces the tenents of the 4Cs

Wireless network in place (waiting on District to give students access) and 7 Aruba access points ready to go

20 iPads have been distributed to staff in all departments and a sharing space has been created for professional readings and recommendations on apps

in process of designing a 5 year plan for technology support and development which will include specific allocations for professional development. Researching grants to support a new learning center on the second floor which will have flexible furniture, working spaces and technology which will benefit diversified teaching and learning


Academic Interventions Review of student reports cards by departments and admin after every reporting

period followed by goal-setting with students and parents where necessary Interventions are based on individual needs and Department strategies. We make

use of TWEP, TFT, credit recovery, classroom mentors and on line resources. guidance-administration-special services meetings are held weekly to ensure

students at risk are identified and supports are put in place strong parent-admin-teacher collaboration around our most challenged students personal letters of recognition sent home to each student with a 90% plus average on-going recognition of students with second and first place honors with honour

pins, certificates and "the Honours Wall" School/Teacher PD Focus this year on Teen Mental Health and Addictions We have provided a year-long series of lectures, professional development and

workshops for students, teachers, families, and community and educational professionals working with youth. We have tapped into both local and national experts and drawn on in-person and online resources. We have done extensive education around Anxiety and School Avoidance/Refusal in particular

Parent & Community Offering for Street drug Awareness, support for addictions and Safer Celebrations presentation for our grade 12 parents.

Teachers in multiple disciplines have created additional learning opportunities around mental health

PD also addressed LGBTQ issues and there was on-going PD around Differentiated Instruction and Assessment and 21st century learning

Inclusionary Practices IRTs are co-teaching with classroom teachers in all basic courses 27 Patriot Mentors are working in basic as well as academic courses “Girl-Power” lunch group established for previously disenfranchised students Students on alternate and functional curriculums are attending classes with peers

whenever appropriate efforts are being made to establish partnerships with community agencies/programs

to keep our male level one at-risk male students engaged in school /education extensive opportunities around transition of incoming grade nines: detailed intake

meetings between feeder school and O’Donel; Orientation for grade nine students and parents; welcome session hosted by School Leadership teams; Student Support Services orientation session for parents and students


Anti-Bullying initiatives Students trained in the Red Cross "Beyond the Hurt Program" Student education on Sexting/Child Pornography on-going education of teachers and students around LGBTQ issues Internal postering and awareness on an ongoing bases. welcome/orientation day with our grade 9s organized by student leaders Community Action Team composed of administration and community

representatives from Mount Pearl working on addressing issues with the local tunnels.

Credit Recovery ongoing program by teachers and administration

Health Promotion new gym floor and equipment refurbishment from our Patriot Sweep monies to

upgrade the fitness room in particular. Included new lighting, flooring and equipment. Outdated equipment is also scheduled for replacement.

English Department The 2012-2013 was another busy year for the English Department. We began the year with our annual Canterbury Tales pilgrimage, a field trip for all grade 12 students. This excursion is undertaken after the Canterbury Tales unit has been taught. Students walk from O’Donel High School to the Basilica, re-enacting the pilgrimage of these pilgrims to the tomb of Thomas Beckett, telling their own tales along the way. Students walk as a group, have a picnic in Bowering Park along the way, and finish on the steps of the Basilica where the grade 12 group photo is taken. After lunch, students return to the school on buses. The annual Literature Fair, which showcases the literary, artistic, research and presentation talents of all grade 12 students, ran very smoothly again this year. We were fortunate to have, as judges, former teachers and supporters of O’Donel, along with several community members and local political personalities. They were all impressed with the level of professionalism exhibited by the students, and the day was a huge success This year was a very good year for us with regards to public speaking. Two students participated in the Lion’s Club Speak-off, where our students came second and third. Hannah Jardine also represented the school at the Rotary Speak Off, where she represented the school very well. Students in Drama 2206 and Theatre Arts 3220 also had


the opportunity to attend a musical at the Arts and Culture Center, and this was very well received. Some 40 Students and Drama/Music Teachers travelled to New York over the long weekend in May with EF Tours to participate in a Drama/Music Experience. While in New York, students took part in a Drama Workshop, a Meet the Artist Program, toured the Lincoln Center, home to the Metropolitan Opera House and the New York State Ballet theatre, saw two Broadway Performances, (Pippin and Matilda), many also opting to see another show on their free time (Rock of Ages/Spiderman/Annie) visited the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty, Trump Tower, Ground Zero, toured NBC Studios, toured Central Park, Rockerfeller Center, Times Square at night, Madame Toussaud's Wax Museum, and still had time to do some shopping in China town, Harold Square and Times Square! Students and teachers alike had a wonderful experience and recommend it highly to the drama students of 2013-2014, who are already registered for this trip. Excitement is building for this drama/music tour as this year’s group will meet regularly with the teacher chaperones during the year to get information and build group spirit. O’Donel also offers students a chance to take part in both an after school film club, and improve team and an after school book club, and both of these groups have a strong and committed group of student followers. The Theatre Arts 3220 group, under the direction of Mr. Leo Converse, wrote, directed, performed and filmed a feature film showcasing the talents of the Theatre Arts 3220 class. It was a huge success. Our academic results were excellent for this year as well. We were above the provincial average in English 3201, and had a 94% pass rate. This was a great accomplishment in a year when the format of the exam had changed to see that the students were able to rise to the challenge. All other English courses taught at O’Donel had very strong results as well, showing the strength of the English Department here at O’Donel. Social Studies Department Non-Shared Evaluations for O’Donel, June 2013:

Course Provincial Avg. June 2012

School Avg. June 2013

Provincial % Passed June 2012

School % Passed June 2013

Ethics and Phil. 76 78 94 95 Ethics and Soc. J.

76 77 95 94

Can. History 74 74 95 95 Can. Geo. 69 70 92 93 Hist. Du Can. 78 78 98 98 Can. Law 73 74 93 96 NL Studies 74 ? 93 ? World Geo. 62 61 92 89


Career Dev. 77 74 90 91 Carriere Et Vie. 86 85 98 98 Note: The question mark indicates that this was not reported in the provincial tables. There has been a growth in the program over the last 4 years with the addition and success Ethics & Philosophy and Ethics and Social Justice. The 2013-14 school year will also see the addition of the course World Religions. Enterprise 3205: Presentation by GMO MUN and Junior Achievement to Enterprise and Career

classes in the Resource Centre. O’Donel had a Remembrance Day Ceremony in our gym.

Can Law 2204: Canadian Law 2104/2204 class visit to the Provincial Courts and a member of the

RNC gave a presentation to our class Career Development 2201: Field Trips to a number of colleges and institutes Field Trip to the Johnson GEO Center for Oil and Gas Week. About 50 students

visited the various displays that were set up by Oil Companies and also participated in a presentation / discussion on careers in the oil industry.

Guest Speakers - presented to all students doing Career Development: - CONA - Academy Canada - Music NL - Service Canada - Job Search, Interview Skills, Resume and Cover Letter

Writing - Careers in Agriculture - HRLE - Labor Market Information

World History 3201: Participated in the Model UN at MUN

Histoire Mondiale 3231: Participated in the Model UN at MUN


Science Department

Summary and Comments on Science Results: June 2013

Public Exam (only) Marks

Public Exam Marks - O’Donel School vs Eastern School District and Province

Course

O'Donel Enrollment

O'Donel High

School

Eastern School District

Province

Biology 3201 145 64.7 63.4 62.6

Chemistry 3202 83 66.5 66.3 66.9

Earth Systems 3209 26 46.5 56.2 55.9

Physics 3204 62 79.1 72.8 72.9

The particularly interesting aspect of the story is found when we also look at O’Donel’s student enrollment in Science combined with student achievement. It is found that enrollment in Science courses at O’Donel, as a whole, is very significantly higher than the District and Provincial average enrollments. Our graduating class last year was approximately 200 students; for a school to have almost half of its Level III students enrolled in Chemistry 3202 and almost a third enrolled in Physics 3204 is rare: Any school would love to have such a per capita enrollment in these courses. Biology 3201 has a very diverse enrollment, with many Level II students doing this as their first Public Exam course and many Level IV students returning to do this course with post-secondary school aspirations. With such a large, diverse enrollment in Biology 3201, it is a success to be at the District or Provincial level; O'Donel is above both the District and Provincial levels.

Accordingly, if we consider academic success in science instruction as a

combination of enrollment and exam performance, O’Donel Science is a student friendly, inclusive department which also attains strong academic results.

Earth Systems 3209 continues to be a work in progress. Since the retirement of our

dedicated long-term teacher in this course in 2009, we have had a much higher than usual turnover in personnel teaching this course, and, much like Biology 3201, the student enrollment in this course is quite diverse. With our current dynamic, experienced and highly qualified Earth Systems teacher in place, we believe we can "grow" this course's success with the O'Donel student community over the next few years. This is already evident, since this current school year we have essentially


doubled the enrollment in this course from the 2012-13 data above. Overview of the 2013-14 Action Plan The O'Donel Science Department Action Plan for 2013-14, and beyond:

-Core Labs and More. Science is meant to be performed by students and teachers, not memorized. O’Donel’s Administration has supported this view by providing a significant budget to re-stock and sustain a high level of quality lab equipment. It is now standard that O'Donel Science students experience not only all core labs, yet their Science teachers go beyond the minimum number of labs and truly foster active, experiential learning in Science for our students. It is also very noteworthy that lab work at O'Donel is not limited to the academic stream students; our General Science students have been doing significant, meaningful lab and co-curricular work. Our Environmental Science students, in particular, have been very active with innovative excursions and field trips.

Furthermore, O'Donel Science has supported students with co-curricular events such

as sending students to "Discovery Days in Health Sciences" at MUN Faculty of Medicine and the prestigious "Women In Science and Engineering (WISE) Program" at MUN. This was above and beyond the numerous field trips throughout the year, such as an overnight Environmental Program for Science 1206 students at the Brother Brennan Centre.

We have, as Science Department policy for the last four years, used multiple choice and extended response items of all cognitive levels on ALL quizzes, tests and midyear exams precluding the final exam in ANY COURSE - not just for Public Exam courses. With Public Exams becoming increasingly structured to a Table of Specifications which tests core labs, STSE modules and course objectives on all three cognitive levels, O'Donel students are extremely well prepared for these exams from their previous in-house evaluations.

It is also noteworthy that Chemistry 2202 , Biology 2201 and Physics 2204 students in

the Eastern School District wrote the District-approved Provincial Final Exam, which essentially was a "Mini-Public Exam" for each 2000-level course. O’Donel’s students, having been prepared for such rigorous exams by their evaluations all year, showed no phobia for these comprehensive exams (above any normal amount of test anxiety) and performed well on each exam. These students are now even further experienced and prepared to go forward and succeed in the Public Exam follow-up courses this year.

It is of note that several of these points have been in place for several years at O'Donel now, and we strongly believe that we are seeing strong student results which are directly related to the above. As Department Head, I would like to make a quick comment on the excellent work ethic of the current Science Department at O'Donel. We make decisions more as a collective rather than as a top-down approach, and we have all taken ownership of the past and


current Science Department Action Plans. As a result, our Science Department is never stagnant, but is continually working together to improve. Our teachers have strong Science backgrounds, and a wealth of experience both inside and outside the classroom. We work year after year with the Department of Education with Curriculum Development and Public Exam Evaluation. We have also worked with the Newfoundland and Labrador English School District and its predecessors in Professional Development sessions on many occasions, and we have teachers who are very active at the District level with the 2000-level Provincial Exam process. Most importantly, O’Donel Science teachers simply care about the learning and well-being of our students, and look to do the best teaching job possible for them. Sincerely, Murray Park, Science Department Head Math Department

Math League – The O’Donel Math League team finished 2nd out of the 13 high school teams that competed in the 2012-2013 Math League.

Math Promotion Activity – we applied for and received funding to assist us with providing more information/insight to students regarding appropriate math course selections at the high school level and the prerequisite requirements of various post secondary institutions. As part of this promotion,

1) Posters outlining post-secondary prerequisites were displayed.

2) Level two Advanced Math students visited level one Math classes to discuss the choice between Academic and Advanced Math.

3) Dr. Chris Radford (Head of Mathematics @ MUN) visited our school to speak with Level Two and Three students about the mathematics program at MUN.

Current School Year:

New Math curriculum in Level 3 – Math 3202(Apprenticeship & Workplace Mathematics), Math 3201(Foundations of Math), Math 3200(Pre-Calculus 11), Math 3208(Calculus)

Math League – The O’Donel Math League is competing again this year.


Partnerships O’Donel has many successful partnerships with our community. Community Parish Committee We meet twice a year to discuss the connection between church, community and school. They support our school through visits to our assemblies, Cap and Gown and the Senior prom Liturgy. They are available for tragic events support and to come in anytime as a guest speaker to our classes. We look for volunteers to help them with their special projects. Patriot Sweep: Many business members of our community donate the use of space to our students to sit and sell tickets. They support our extensive prize package with both individual and group prizes. Hyundi is our partner with the car and they provide the tickets and the detailing of the car and VOCM assists with publicity. MAX Arts, Gyms & Wellness, Memories Forever, The Hair Factory, Mary Brown’s, Subway, Montana’s, Living Planet, Tim Horton’s, City of Mount Pearl, Chatter’s Salon, Mount Pearl and private donors all came through with prizes. Cap and Gown/ Scholarships: Our Business Community and our service community make significant contributions to our annual Cap and Gown Scholarship program. The Royal Bank, The City of Mount Pearl, Chartwells, Knights of Columbus, Mary Queen of the World Parish, Lion Club, and many other groups make “in memorial contributions”. First Responders with the Canadian Red Cross and Oceanex Inc: This is a second year of a partnership with the Red Cross and Oceanex Inc. They have provided equipment and training for our First Responders Program. Students will have the highest level of first aid training and teacher will have the Train the Trainer course. This comes with a significant investment of equipment and training on behalf of the Red Cross.


Mount Pearl East Principal’s group: Our students come from a common junior high school and still share ties with their elementary schools. We have worked to foster stronger connections between the schools over the last year. The principals meet twice a year to discuss common issues and to share ideas. We have supported our community schools by attending forums, parent teacher nights and having joint evening sessions with parents of children receiving support from Support Services teams. Marine Institute and Memorial University Underwater Robotics: This group supports our underwater Robotics team with expertise, guidance and financial aid for our students to have the best experience in program. Our students won at the provincial, country and international level last year, due very much to the support of our post secondary institutions. Eastern Health & Parent’s Group: Each term O’Donel hosts a parenting group for families in Mount Pearl. It is chaired by a social worker with Eastern Health. The feedback from parents is excellent and we continue to offer the program and support. The guidance councilors of the two high schools also hosted a parenting program last winter. Career Development Opportunities Many field trips and workshops are planned with the co-operation of our post-secondary and business community. Students’ visits include all the major post-secondary institutions, work place groups like the Oil and Gas Industry, and target groups like women in skilled trades. Our students have participated in Skills Canada and Workplace Safety events. They have been welcomed wherever they go and have had great learning opportunities. Community Action Team This partnership included members of government, members of the Crime Prevention, the RNC and the local schools. We were looking to address the issues in the tunnels around illegal activity and the presentation of the dangers associated with this.

SafeGrad This partnership includes planning and donation of resources for this very popular and worthwhile annual event. This event involves up to 100 parents and 10 businesses.


Summary Report on the School’s Most Current Data Public Exam data (4-year trend data (average final mark))

2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012

School District Province School District Province School District Province School Distri

70.2 72.6 72.7 74.7 73.9 72.7 71.6 72.7

79.9 74.6 74.7 74.8 73.5 73.7 72.1 75.3 75.6 79.5 76.0

204 61.9 61.1 61.7 62.3 61.4 62.0 65.3 62.6 62.8 61.8 60.6

205 83.9 79.0 77.9 85.6 80.1 79.3 81.6 80.1 79.1 79.8

phy 3202 67.4 63.7 64.6 68.0 67.3 68.0 70.2 68.4 68.8 69.7 68.2

3201 76.7 66.9 67.1 76.2 68.8 69.3 75.3 70.0 70.5 66.4 67.6

ale 3231 75.1 70.0 69.9 72.1 70.1 69.1 74.5 74.9 74.7 76.9 74.8

65.2 64.1 64.4 63.5 64.8 64.0 63.9 66.1 65.9 69.7 67.5

2 69.2 70.5 70.8 75.1 71.7 71.1 76.1 72.2 71.3 74.0 71.6

77.4 70.8 71.0 82.8 74.4 74.0 82.3 74.6 74.5 79.9 74.8

3209 51.5 62.0 61.4 51.2 61.8 61.7 53.5 63.2 62.6 53.8 60.3

68.1 66.7 66.5 66.4 66.3 66.2 65.8 65.2 65.0 71.3 69.6

O’Donel Students have a solid history of good performance in the public exams. We are at or above the provincial average in all courses except Earth Systems 3209. It has been the trend at this school to offer this course to students who have had significant struggles with science or have taken and failed Biology 3201 in their second year. It is our goal to keep as many students on the academic program as possible and the Earth System course acts as a second chance and/or an alternative academic science. Earth Systems has been taught by three different teachers in three different years and this may have had an impact on success. That being said we have been very fortunate to have a teacher with a geology background each year. Our science enrollment is very high. Many students take all three third level sciences. We usually have 70 students in Physics and up to 100 in 3000 level Chemistry. It is also noted that the Physics marks are significantly above district and provincial average. Our Physics teacher has been acknowledged for his success with an Eastern School District Teacher Award.


Two course not offered last year were French 3200 and Math 3205. Last year we embraced the new Core French program and students did the non-public level three Core class. Students who had been in advanced Math the last number of years took their Math 3205 in 2011-2012 as a semesterized course. Please note that achievement has always been above average. We had one dip in our results last year; it was in World History. Previous to that year we had been significantly above the provincial average for three years. It should be noted that the regular teacher of this course was on leave and a replacement was in the position. Advanced/Academic/General Enrolment Percentage of Students enrolled in Academic/Advanced/General Level III courses High School Enrolment = 732 in 2013

2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012

School District Province School District Province School District Province School Distr

hematics 20.2 19.3 61.3 23.4 21.0 20.3 24.4 21.6 21.2 15.3 20.

hematics 68.6 62.6 18.6 62.0 58.6 58.0 56.0 58.2 58.4 64.3 62.

matics 11.2 18.2 20.1 14.6 20.4 21.7 19.6 20.3 20.5 20.4 16.

lish 85.0 76.8 75.0 84.3 77.3 74.2 86.0 79.3 76.6 87.0 79.

h 15.0 23.2 25.0 15.7 22.7 25.8 14.0 20.7 23.4 13.0 21.


It is this goal of this school to program to meet the needs of all learners as they earn their

High School diploma or School Achievement Certificate. It should be noted that Math 3205 was not offered in 2012-2013. As we transitioned to the new Math program we chose not to semesterize the new Math program unit until all the courses had been taught by the teachers at least once. Because Math 3205 was not offered last year, enrollment is predictably down.

This data needs to be taken into consideration with the numbers on our graduation rate.

Our graduation rate is up as is the number of students in Basic Math. We have a number of students who have been retained in the academic program and struggle with Math or who have learning disabilities in math and are doing all academic courses with the exception of basic math. They can transition to post-secondary with a letter from guidance and their up-to-date assessment. With the transition to the new math 3201, 3202 program, struggling math students were offered an opportunity to write a Math 3206 supplementary exam, particularly if a level three course was essential for graduation purposes. This also allows for more choice in post-secondary if students have a three thousand level Math. All Math 3204 students who were failing in their June 2013 shared evaluation were called by administration and made aware of all options for Math and graduation. Many struggling Math students have taken two additional opportunities to pass the public exam since June. Please note that our enrollment in Basic English is 10% below the provincial average.

In the past O’Donel has offered Math and a half to our first year students who had

struggled with Math in grade 9. It had been indicated that the new Math program would not require this intervention. Our interim view of this is not holding true. Students are still experiencing ongoing deficits in Math and teachers are expressing concerns that there is very little time built in the new program for teacher supported practice, guidance and review. Homework checks show evidence that students are not completing review at home. Attempts to flip the classroom in math have not been successful due to inadequate time spent on homework. Teachers have found that few students used flipped classrooms for at home learning and still come to class expecting the material to be taught “from scratch”. Online classrooms like Khan Academy are used only for review purposes.


Graduation Rate and Status Percentage of Eligible Graduates that Graduate and Percentage of Graduates with

Honours, Academic, or General High School Enrolment = 732

2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/

School District Province School District Province School District Province School Distri

92.6 91.6 92.6 94.0 91.4 91.7 92.6 92.5 92.7 94.6 94.2

us

30.7 26.9 24.6 34.9 29.5 26.3 37.0 30.5 27.7 36.6 31.6

43.8 41.5 39.0 48.8 41.8 40.8 46.9 40.8 40.1 44.0 39.8

25.6 31.6 36.4 16.3 28.7 32.9 16.1 28.7 32.2 19.4 28.6

It is this goal of this school to program to meet the needs of all learners as they earn their High

School diploma or School Leaving. It is our goal to have as many students graduate with an academic diploma. If they require a

move to a basic program we will do so in a few courses as possible. A number of our basic students have academic level 1 and II math

but are making a number of attempts pass the Math public exam. If they still do not pass the public they are informed of post

graduation programs like CASS at Cona or ABE in the private colleges. If a student changes his or her program it is with the recommendation of the teacher and in

consultation with the administration and parent. We are very pleased to have increased our graduation rate. It is important to note that any

percentage rise in graduation rate is very challenging. It normally means a high level of intervention for a number of struggling students.

Students who did not graduate were


called in the summer by the principal. They were informed about their graduation options and asked for a plan. Credit recovery

was offered for students, which for some, could begin right away. Students also prepared for supplementary exam for both

Department of Education exams as school based exams. Information was distributed on the fourth year program. A pamphlet

of graduation options was produced for distribution. Each year we are a host site for the supplementary exams and offer to host any

night school that the District operates. Advanced Placement Results (Include all courses offered. Those listed are examples) Average Score (max = 5)

Course 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13

World Canada School World Canada School World Canada School World Canada

Literature

AB

heory

n History

ogy

The team at O’Donel High School has made a considered decision not to promote an Advanced

Placement program. We have offered AP Psychology and have struggled to keep a full class of students. Many sign up but few

continue with the course. Enrollment had dropped to under the required 16 persons. The same can be said for Music

Theory. We had 18 students ask for the course but we could not accommodate it in the time table for both Level II and level III students.

Each time the slot was obstructed by French Immersion, Advanced Math or Science. We did not feel it in the best interest of all to

offer it to only 9 students. We have an AP coordinator who arranges for exams in French, Computer Science or any course a student is

willing to challenge. We have chosen to focus on offering a flexible and solid program staying with a full set of

provincially accredited courses with a number of local courses for variety and interest. We focus instead on developing on

interpersonal, teamwork and leadership skills set


through a very in-depth mentorship and leadership program at the school. This includes: Mentorship, Tutoring for Tuition,

Community Outreach, Welcome Team, community service and GSA to name a few. Scholarships Number of Level III students = 2011 = 186, 2012 = 174, 2013 = 186 Provincial Government Scholarships

2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13

Junior Jubilee unknown

Electoral 2 3 5

Centenary 3 5

Moss

Total Scholarship/Bursary Offers

2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13

Number of Students Awarded a Scholarship or Bursary

unknown 65 56 55

Total (estimated) Dollar Figure Offered (all students)

$106,430 $175,600 $181,825

This is a new component of the School Development Report and we have not been actively tracking and/or asking students the dollar value of their scholarships. What you see above is a “best guess” and what has been informally reported. We traditionally only ask students to notify us of the award given. The scholarship program at O’Donel represents a number of annual memorial scholarships given in honor of former students and staff that have passed away. Community and business scholarships, government and post secondary entrance awards are donated by these groups but awarded according to established criteria and determined by an in house scholarship committee. Memorial University Entrance Scholarships and Leslie Harris, M. O Morgan Scholarships make up a significant number of awards given by our provincial university. The largest single awards are entrance scholarships offered by universities in the United States and mainland Canada. It is a goal of this team to begin an Alumni Group to focus on building a scholarship fund to enhance the program. We will couple this with an acknowledge program for outstanding community Patriots.


Internal Assessment Data An analysis of our indicators reports for the last three years indicate a steady performance in the core courses of Math and English. The school has excellent enrollment in Science with almost a third of our students taking Chemistry in their second year of school. Our grade 11 students often take a minimum of one public exam course during grade 11 with achievement meeting or exceeding provincial average. We have seen good growth in both our core French and French Immersion program. In 2010 there were 8 students in French Immersion and in 2012 there were over 40. Our Core French during this last school year included all three new courses. Our results were at or above provincial average. This meant that almost a third of our students were engaged in some form of second language instruction. This is one of the best enrollments in the province. We are retaining the vast majority of our French Immersion students in the program. One of our greatest challenges is work completion rates. A great many of our courses do not depend on tests and exams for evaluation purposes. They are assessed though assignments of various lengths and weights. Portfolio work and hands on projects are the norm. When students do not complete this work it has meant that teachers have no product and /or process to assess. Many strategies are used to address this incomplete work but it has lead all too often to teachers being “unable to evaluate” the course. This is our Internal review year and the entire staff will be taking an in-depth look at our data and developing a new 3-5 year plan.


Report on School Development Plan for Previous Year (2 – 3 pages) Goal 1. To Improve Student Achievement

Objective 1.1 To focus on students who are failing courses

Objective 1.2 Increase the work completion rate through effective communication and planning

Objective 1.3 Promote the use of 21st Century Learning Methods

Evaluation: Indicator were met with the exception of a written notification for students with missing work. Power School provides parents significant access to student records on academics. All students were mailed their passwords and significant re-issuing went on during the February course registration stage. We have done formal mail-out on the options for Math 3204/3206 as the courses were ending their lifespan. Formal letters were sent when significant assessment was missed and alternative assessment means were needed so students had sufficient evaluation for a shared evaluation. Credit recovery was re-examined in the present format. Visit was made to HHM to consult on their format and plans were made to adapt our approach for the next school year in order to improve the rate of success

Evaluation 1.2 More teachers are placing work on line for students and accessing the power of Power school. Teachers presenting in staff meeting on the finer points of power school. What was missing was additional PD time where they could be focused help on updating websites and working as department to stream line and share resources, so that students and parents had ongoing access. Pd was used last year for the new power school, special services model, LBGTQ and teen mental health.

Evaluation 1.3 Limited time for PD to wee the broadest range of the direction. There is a new technology plan ready to be published. Plan for a new “21 century classroom” is being designed for implementation in the summer of 2014. Technology updates are ongoing re: wireless and BYOD Still a frustration getting students to use their technology for educational purposes.


Goal 2. : To promote a safe, caring and connected school community where all members are encouraged to participate and strive for personal best Objective 2.1 Promote improved student motivation and responsibility for learning

Objective 2.2 Support students in non-academic areas

Evaluation 2.1 School attendance is a significant cause of underachievement and assignment incompletes. Irregular attendance means student are lost when they return and feel out of sync. We know that many students struggle with mental health issues and we have spent a great deal of time on teaching students, teachers and families about this issue. We have also put into place support groups at the school like the Resiliency Team and Girls Do Lunch. We also connect students to outside programming and create connections with Community access groups. We have placed a huge amount of resources on line and have spent considerable monies on wireless and assistive technology Power school allows students and parents to do significant tracking at home. We mailed out all passwords in January 2013 that had not been picked up by parents. All incoming students had their passwords mailed out as well.

Evaluation 2.2 All indicators of success were met and exceeded.


Operational Issues Report 2012-13

Year Issue Action Evaluation

2012 - 13

Needed a ramp for the student entrance at the front of the building Need an update electrical in the Design and Fabrication room 2012 for increased safety and capacity Roof Leaks Gym: banner hanging Air Quality in main block of building. Hot stale air seems to be circulating Parking lot design and mostly signage French Lab redesigned as it is outdated technology Electrical cut off button in Foods Lab

Added to the OH & S List Added to the summer facilities review list Added to the OH & S List Developed and submitted a cost shared plan for the project Added to the summer facilities review list Ongoing discussion with Larry Smallwood. Delays due to tendering issues Ordered Scissor lift Communication with Larry Smallwood Spoke with Larry Smallwood Fans are operating on the roof Part of a traffic study Removal of carousels, adaptation of electrical, installation of team board On summer maintenance upgrade list

Completed in the fall of 2013 Project completed in Summer of 2013 Completed in the winter of 2013 Completed Nov 21013 Needs a review of the duct work. A couple of years ago the duct work was altered to take the “locker room” off the internal circulation. Could that be the issue? Was something else cut off? Stalled Need to draw up a detailed plan and submit this year Move forward to electrical upgrade list for summer 2014


Actions for Change (2 – 3 pages) This is our Internal and External Review year and the school is in process of developing its three year plan. Goal 1.

Objective 1.1 Objective 1.2 Objective 1.3

Actions for Change 1.1 Actions for Change 1.2 Actions for Change 1.3


Goal 2.

Objective 2.1 Objective 2.2 Objective 2.3

Actions for Change 2.1 Actions for Change 2.2 Actions for Change 2.3

School Development Plan for Current Year (3 – 4 pages) This is our Internal and External Review year and the school is in process of developing its three year plan.

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