Northern Lights Academy Rigolet, Nunatsiavut, NL 2013 Home of the Eagles Mission Statement By providing all students with a quality learning environment, Northern Lights Academy, in collaboration with the community, will produce life-long, independent learners who will become successful members of society. Principals Message Northern Lights Academy continues to offer a variety of activities that foster a well-rounded learning environment for all. We want our students to acquire the skills and knowledge that will enable them to be life-long learners. This report celebrates our many accomplishments and successes, as well as identifies areas of concern that are addressed through this plan. This report provides data on the performance of our students on the June 2013 Provincial Assessments, as well as on the Labrador School Districts Common Assessments. We are extremely proud of and thankful for the support that we receive from the different community groups and individuals of Rigolet. By working together we are able to maximize the learning potential of all children of our school. Please take the time to learn more about our school, the performance of our students and our programs. We welcome your input as we build partnerships to support our commitment to building a school that delivers skills and knowledge for life-long learning. Tom Mugford Principal Message from Northern Lights Academy School Council On behalf of the Northern Lights Academy School Council, I am pleased to lend support of the NLA School Development Plan. In it you will find information about our school, as well as important documents which will have an impact on our student learning and development as individuals. As a school council, we work together, collectively, to make decisions that best serve the needs of our students. The prime consideration of our council is to support the continued achievement and accomplishment of our students. We hope to have a positive influence on the environment for the children at NLA by representing the interests of all students and working together for the purpose of enhancing the quality of teaching and learning and improving the levels of student achievement. The School Development Plan also looks at these issues as well. I believe schools need to be safe and welcoming environments for students and staff where learning skills are nurtured, and the unique and diverse contributions of each individual are valued and acknowledged. To accomplish this, there must be a strong focus on equality and valuing diversity. I applaud our staff for the daily contributions they make towards the successful future of our students. Everyone on our Council shares the same pursuit, the aim to ensure our graduates are well-adjusted and active citizens within their community. Together, through collaboration we can ensure this happens. Sincerely Elsie Wolfrey Chairperson Our Vision Our vision is to provide a happy, caring and stimulating environment where children will recognize and achieve their fullest potential, so that they can make their best contribution to society. Northern Lights Academy is a place where: • Everyone is involved in life-long learning • Most decisions are made collaboratively as a team • Where students take an active, positive role in their own education • The learning environment is open, friendly, safe, supportive, nurturing, positive and fair • There is a positive and supportive partnership among school, parents and community Our School/Community Our Community Rigolet, approximate population of 300, is a coastal Labrador Inuit community established in 1735 by French- Canadian trader Louis Fornel. Rigolet is the most southerly community in the region of Labrador now known as Nunatsiavut. Located on Hamilton Inlet, which is at the entrance to fresh water Lake Melville. Rigolet is situated on salt water and is visited regularly by Minke and Humpback whales. The rich Inuit heritage of the people offers the newcomer an opportunity for immersion into a traditional northern lifestyle involving a closeness to the land and its resources. Our School Northern Lights Academy is a Kindergarten to Grade 12 school with a student enrollment of 52 and a staff of 14; seven teachers, five native teachers, a secretary and a custodian. Multi-grading along with multi-aging is a way of life at Northern Lights Academy. Our current demographic is K-1, 2- 3, 4-5-6, 7-8-9, and Levels I, II and III. Our staffing and programming is supported by Regional and district Office staff including Director, Associate and Assistant Director, Senior Education Officers, Program Specialists and Administrative Staff. Collaboratively, it is the common goal to provide the best quality education to our students. Programs Provided Northern Lights Academy offers the prescribed curriculum from Kindergarten to Grade Nine. At the high school level we offer courses on site and through the Centre for Distance Learning and Innovation. (CDLI) These courses are strategically chosen to ensure our students meet the requirements for High School Graduation. Northern Lights Academy is proud to offer courses in Life Skills and Inuktitut. These courses incorporate the local culture and heritage into the prescribed curriculum. We also offer a quality Physical Education program and After School Home Work Club. Key Highlights/Special Projects Kids Eat Smart Breakfast and Recess Program Northern Lights Academy offers a healthy breakfast and recess to all students. This community-based program continues to build on the procedures and routines from previous years. Volunteers from the community are utilized to help ensure a successful delivery of the program but more importantly, helps foster community and parent relationships with our school. Terry Fox Run/Walk The Terry Fox Run/Walk continues to be a major project for our school community. Students receive pledges and accompanied by the RCMP and members of the community a walk/run is held to raise money and awareness for cancer research. This year our run/walk was partnered with the Community Recreation Department. The total funds raised by the school community were $ 983.90. Kids Eat Smart Walk to Breakfast On October 9, the local Department of Health and Social Development staff and members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Rigolet Inuit Community Government’s Special Constable arrived at the school early to prepare a warm, healthy breakfast. Students were encouraged to canvass the community for financial support prior to the day of our walk. Students and staff were supported by several members of the community as we began our day with a walk through town. When participants returned to the school they were treated to a very warm welcome and a delicious breakfast. The support from the community was phenomenal as we raised in excess of $660.00 in support of our breakfast program. This amount is matched by the Kids Eat Smart Foundation. Partnerships Northern Lights Academy is thankful for the relationship and support from: • The Nunatsiavut Government • The Department of Health and Social Development (Nunatsiavut Government) • The Rigolet Inuit Community Government • Newfoundland and Labrador Kids Eat Smart Foundation • The IODE • Labrador Grenfell Health • Northern Store (Rigolet) • St. Timothy’s Anglican Church • Royal Canadian Mounted Police • The Canadian Rangers • The Department of Fisheries • Aiviktok Trust Fund • Kirkina House • Vale (Newfoundland and Labrador)\ Summary Report on the School’s Most Current Data School Development Plans are revised yearly using the most current data available to the school. In this section, include an analysis of the school’s most current data, including both quantitative and qualitative data gathered at the provincial, district and school level. This data, along with the evaluation of last year’s objectives for each goal, help inform the development of the plan for the current year. If the reporting of any of this data compromises the anonymity of students, it should not be included. The data presented in this section should be summarized using bullet statements as well as tables (see templates). Appropriate comparisons should be made to district and provincial data and standards where relevant. Explanatory notes should be included where applicable to assist in the interpretation of data. Though all raw data pertinent to a school should be analyzed thoroughly at the school level, not all data needs to be reported in this section. This section should include: Provincial Assessment Data Reading Records for Grades 1 and 2 Grade 1: Percentage of Students (in June) at or above the Provincial benchmark Grade 1 Enrolment = 2 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 School District Province School District Province School District Province School District Province 0.0 54.6 62.6 71.4 64.2 64.6 50.0 59.1 60.2 100.0 56.7 58.7 What do these results tell us? These results show that our school and in particular, Grade 1 students are on par with, or above, the District and Provincial Mean; a benchmark that we are proud of. Grade 2: Percentage of Students (in June) at or above the Provincial benchmark Grade 2 Enrolment = 7 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 School District Province School District Province School District Province School District Province 78.3 72.6 100.0 73.0 73.8 71.4 77.0 66.9 62.5 73.5 64.5 What do these results tell us? These results show where our Grade 2 students are in relation to district and Province. These results show the uniqueness of individuals. Some years we are above and