It is with excitement and enthusiasm that I am writing this! It is wonderful to be back in school, teaching face to face. As a teacher and a parent, distance learning is still a very clear memory, and I am thankful for the opportunity to teach my students in person as well as have my own children taught in person by someone else!
As a community, many of us are curious about how we actually did during the school closure. We are in the process of assessing all of our students in grades 3 – 8 through MAP (Measure of Academic Progress) testing for the fourth year in a row. Most of the results are in and the results are proof that ‘at home learning’ was a success! The results this year are all in the same range or above what they have been over the past three years. God has blessed our school community in that we are not seeing the educational lagging that some were concerned may have happened during the school closure.
As staff and leadership at OCS, we are constantly looking for ways to improve our curriculum and give our students an education that allows them to reach their full potential. This year, we have reinstated spelling and grammar lessons in order to improve the quality of our students’ writing. We continue to use the Scholastic reading program as a way to ensure that every student is reading at their instructional reading level, regardless of their grade level. We have also invested in new science, history and geography curriculum for the grade 7 and 8 classes.
There is a sense of excitement in the air at OCS. The students are happy to be here, and great learning is happening. Even though things are different, we are blessed and thankful to be back at school. It is awesome to know that God is in control and to share this on a regular basis with our students.
Please continue to uphold OCS in your prayers!
Sincerely,
Jenny Bakker
Vice-Principal
Orangeville Christian School
