SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT ANNUAL REPORT

Chedabucto Education Centre/Guysborough Academy

Principals: Miles MacDonald / Elizabeth Teasdale

Vice Principal: Mr. Archie Chisholm

Guidance: Mr. Paul Long

ADDRESS: Chedabucto Education Centre ADDRESS: Guysborough Academy

P.O. Box 150, 27 Green St. P.O. Box 19,27 Green St.

Guysborough Co., NS Guysborough Co., NS

B0H 1N0 B0H 1N0

PHONE: (902)533-2288/533-2289 PHONE: (902)533-4006/533-3935

Fax: (902)533-2071 Fax: (902)533-3554

http://www.guysboroughacademy.ednet.ns.ca/eaglesnest

_____________________________________________________________________________

Demographics of School & Community:

Chedabucto Place, the building that houses Chedabucto Education Centre and Guysborough Academy, is located in the Village of Guysborough. Students who attend these schools come from as far away as seventy (70) kilometers. The school enrollment at Chedabucto Education Centre and Guysborough Academy has a total of 506 students. Almost all students travel to Chedabucto Place by bus. African Canadian students make up 11% of the student population of CEC and 14% of GA.

Brief History:

On May 17, 2002, the official opening for the schools housed within Chedabucto Place,(Guysborough Academy and Chedabucto Education Centre) and the Afrikan Canadian Heritage and Friendship Centre was held. This new facility, located on 27 Green St. is the result of school and community members working together to enhance educational opportunities and invest in the community's future. The school features excellent learning spaces, current technology, and community enhancements that will enable us to make the most of our learning experiences, enhance the quality of life and enrich our future.

Prior to this, several years of work by a dedicated group of educators, community members, and representatives of the Municipality of Guysborough and various other organizations worked on a School Steering Team to have input into the planning of the building. In order to make way for construction in October of 2000, the grade P-8 students moved into temporary facilities at the GOALS building and at the original high school. The elementary school was completely renovated and the portion that would serve as the high school was built.

Guysborough Academy was originally known as Guysborough Municipal High School. The school was officially opened on May 17, 1961 and originally students from "feeder"schools attended Guysborough Academy for grades 7 - 12. The population peaked at approximately 600 students and in the past number of years the student population has been decreasing. Chedabucto Education Centre was originally called Chedabucto Elementary School and opened in September, 1975 as part of a school consolidation carried out by the Guysborough Municipal School Board.

In 1994, under the Guysborough County District School Board, Chedabucto Elementary School and Guysborough Municipal High School became the "Guysborough Family of Schools". The two schools were then under one administration, rather than the two administrations that had existed before. Grades Primary to Seven attended Chedabucto Elementary School and Grades Eight to Twelve attended Guysborough Municipal High School.

In 1998, the Strait Regional School Board reorganized the school structure throughout the region and the "Family of Schools" concept was dissolved. Chedabucto Elementary School became "Chedabucto Education Centre". Students from grades primary to eight attend Chedabucto Education Center. Guysborough Municipal High School became "Guysborough Academy" and students from grades nine to twelve attend Guysborough Academy.

Description of the Present School Organization

As mentioned above, Chedabucto Place is a complex housing two schools serving grades P-12 students. There are two full time principals, one full time vice-principal, a part-time guidance counselor, thirty teaching staff, seven student program assistants, two librarians, and six part/full time custodians. We also have a program leader who supports programming and runs the ACHFC. A school band program is offered to the students on a regular basis by a band instructor.

Support services are provided by a school psychologist, an itinerant speech/language pathologist, and an itinerant teacher from the Atlantic Provinces Special Education Association. These services are provided by the Strait Regional School Board on a rotational basis and are shared by other schools in the Region. Counseling services are also provided on a part time basis through Family Services of Eastern Nova Scotia and Mental Health from St. Martha's Hospital. We are also fortunate to have the services/partnership of the staff of the Guysborough Youth Health & Services Centre and those agencies affiliated with the Centre. Guysborough Academy provides a full range of extracurricular activities as well with a large percentage of students participating in athletics, yearbook, student council, etc.

The courses and programs that are offered at Guysborough Academy and Chedabucto Education Centre are courses that are outlined in the Public School Program from the Nova Scotia Department of Education. The variety of courses offered strive to meet the needs of all of our students, including arts, technology, co-op, advanced math and science, African Canadian Studies, African Heritage Literature, etc.

School enrollment by Grade for

2001/2002 School Year

MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPALS

Chedabucto Education Centre and Guysborough Academy are good schools but, we are always looking for ways to improve. Each year we assess our strengths and implement several initiatives to lead to school improvement, and to promote and increase student learning and achievement. As school improvement is a continuous process, we recognize that much has been accomplished, and much remains to be done.

The purpose of this report is to enhance communication and foster co-operation among home, school, and community. The report is designed to provide parents and other interested citizens with current information about school improvement goals, activities, and progress.

Elizabeth Teasdale, Principal GA

Miles MacDonald, Principal CEC

STUDENTS' COUNCIL REPORT

The Guysborough Academy Student Council executive this year included, Krista Chisholm (President), Byron Grady (Vice President), Will Rodgers (Secretary), and Jenna MacIsaac (Treasurer). They worked with class representatives and the very dedicated and energetic, Mr. Rob Allen (staff advisor) to provide a year filled with fun, growth, and leadership.

Members of this year's student council attended not only a Provincial conference but also a National conference which dealt with leadership and it showed ways to approach peers positively and also how to get everyone involved in the activities. Numerous events were held at these conferences which gave the student council new ideas to bring back to our school. The student council was very excited to be doing something different for the students than just what has been done in previous years.

This group took on tremendous responsibility from the beginning of their mandate. They made difficult decisions, such as not using busses for the dances and playing their own music in order to maintain a balanced budget and pay off outstanding debts from previous years. Even though the price of admission has decreased for the students, the dances were a huge success, having great overall attendance. The students also held a chocolate bar campaign, a fun filled day of winter carnival, various competitions, fund raisers for Christmas Daddies, lunch time activities (games, student bands), funded the breakfast program during exams, held a variety show, our annual walk-a-thon (which was a huge success as well), and had various spirit activities. They are to be commended for their work, especially for their assistance in ensuring a smooth transition when we moved into the new school. As students faced a maze of new hallways, classes, etc. they put together a fun, school wide "scavenger hunt" to provide an orientation to the school.

The Guysborough Academy Student Council has many organizations which fall under its umbrella. The Yearbook, art club, drama society, band, choir, Radio Access, Students Against Drunk Drivers, Peer Tutors, and Anti-Bully Group are some of the groups who work to improve the spirit and climate of our school.

This year, Lise DeVilliers and the Year book club took on an ambitious project to double the length and coverage (p-12) of the book while decreasing it's price. They managed this by making good use of our new technology and producing the entire book on site.

The Art Club, under the direction of Lise Devilliers, beautified our new school and grounds by displaying artwork and painting on the pavement outside the elementary school in order to improve the play options for the students. Thanks also for the many volunteer hours spent painting our Youth Health Centre to make it an inviting space.

As always, the band, choir and drama society put on performances to make us proud. They enhanced many an assembly and made the opening of our new school extra special. The drama society explored relevant social issues in its three performances of "Love is a Hot Fudge Sundae" on May 29. Thanks to Mrs. Ryan, Mr. Wright, and Mr. Muise for their commitment to our fine arts program.

Mr. Allen's Radio Access group competed again this year in Radio 101.5, the Hawk's competition of high school radio shows. It was their goal to establish first place for the third year in a row. The result is a $1000 prize that is put toward student council funds. We are still waiting for the results!

We have come to realize that when concerns arise at Guysborough Academy, we can turn to our students for solutions. When many students were experiencing difficulty in their courses this year, a peer tutoring group was formed. When Bullying became a big concern in the media, an Anti-Bully group was formed to respond to the need. In order to raise awareness, a chapter of Students Against Drunk Driving was formed. We are grateful for the leadership of these individuals. They have made a difference in more ways than they are aware. We can't thank them enough.

This year's council took a different approach for the 2002/2003 student council election. We took advantage of our technology enriched classrooms and used it to televise the candidates speeches over the LCD projectors. For next year's election we leave a suggestion for the new council to do an online vote to make the voting process run more smoothly.

This year's student council executive wishes to extend good luck to next year's team; Meghan MacMaster (Pres.), Melanie Webber (V. Pres), Chris Avery (Tres) and Justin Avery (sec.). Also, they would like to thank Mr. Rob Allen (staff advisor) and Mr. Archie Chisholm (Vice Principal) who worked tirelessly to support the initiatives of the students. Also, a huge congratulations goes to the class of 2002! We are proud to have been part of such a talented group and we look forward to celebrating our successes at reunions in the future!

Krista Chisholm, President

SCIENCE FAIR WINNERS

Strait Regional Science Fair:

Ruth Jochum and Mara Jochum (Gr. 12)

Dean Bridgeo Science Faculty Bursary (St. Mary's)

Dalhousie University Scholarship

Atomic Energy of Canada Prize:

Gold Medal Sr. Environmental Earth Science

1st Place Overall

Matthais Bieber (Gr. 7)

NSPC Power Smart Award Junior

3rd Place Overall

Gold Medal Jr. Environmental Earth Science

Nicholas Deagle and Francis Cashin (Gr.12)

Chemical Institute of Canada Prize:

Nova Scotia Institute of Science Medallion

Gold Medal: Sr. Life Science

5th Place Overall

Lesley Conway and Melinda Barss (Gr.12)

Student Choice Award Senior Division

Silver Medal: Sr. Environmental Earth Science

Jessica Dort and Rebecca Millar (Gr. 12)

Honorable Mention Sr. Life Science:

Victoria Hines (Gr. 9)

NSPC Power Smart Award, Intermediate

Jillian Deagle (Gr.10)

Honorable Mention Int. Biotechnology:

Chris Fisher (Gr. 8)

Bronze Medal Jr. Physical Science:

Breanne Kelly and Christine Currie (Gr. 9)

Honorable Mention Jr. Environmental Earth Science.



Canada Wide Science Fair:

Congratulations are extended to Ruth and Mara Jochum and to Matthais Bieber for their fine showing at the Canada Wide Science Fair held in Saskatoon. Ruth and Mara' s project captured a Bronze Medal in the Senior Environmental Science Division. The third project from the Strait Region by Stefanie Mac Donald and Tiffany Beks from Dalbrae Academy also took home a medal. This is the best showing ever for the Strait Region at a Canada Wide Science Fair.

ATHLETIC ACHIEVEMENTS

On May 30, the school's annual award's banquet recognized the athletic achievements for the school year. Included in the year's line up of teams were teams of boys' and girls' soccer, volleyball, basketball, softball, badminton, and hockey. All teams reported great seasons of learning, fun and dedication. Of note, the Boys basketball team went to the Provincials and lost in a "squeaker" in the final game. In badminton, we sent a pair of under 16's and under 19's to provincials. Both of our softball teams made it to provincials as well.

The athletes of the year were named as: Senior

Senior Male: Francis Cashin

Senior Female: Nicole MacMaster

Junior Male: Alton Hayne

Junior Female: Brianne Kelly

Many thanks to Paul Long who, for the last four years, has served as the NSSAF Regional Director and the District Co-ordinator from Mulgrave to Amherst. His dedication and endless hours have much to do with the success of the athletic program in our school.

AFRIKAN CANADIAN HERITAGE & FRIENDSHIP CENTRE

The first year for the Afrikan Canadian Heritage & Friendship Centre was a busy one, to say the least. The Advisory Committee that functions to support and guide the work of the centre, and ensure that the philosophy is in keeping with the values and beliefs of the Strait Regional School Board, grew and learned a lot this year. The Advisory Committee was made up of Kendall Ashe (chair), Greg Desmond (co-vice-chair), Shanna Borden (co-vice-chair), Keith Torrey (secretary), Sheena Skinner, Stephanie Borden, Tonya Pelley, Sheldon Pelley, Cindy Gerrior (responsible for painting the mural in the centre), and Stacy Ash (responsible for developing the centre's web site: www.achfc.com ). We are grateful to the adult members of the committee; Donna Hochman, Rose Skinner, Anita Desmond, and Carol Pelley.

The following is a review of the year as reported by Wendy Campbell, program leader for the centre:

Goal: Improve Public Relations between School & Community

It has been a year with many challenges however, I am proud to say that we met each challenge with great enthusiasm. One of our first goals was to develop solid partnerships with community and staff. This was done by meeting individually with staff members as well as attending community meetings with my supervisor, Ms. Teasdale, to answer any question as well as brainstorm ideas that could enhance the initiatives of the Centre. Partnerships were developed with the community by contacting individuals, informing them of the Centre and its initiatives and seeking memorabilia & teaching resources. This was met with a positive response from the community at large and resources came pouring in from all over Guysborough/Antigonish county.

We have secured the Black Loyalist Exhibit from June 24- September 9^th, 2002. Also, community groups' use of the Centre is increasing, thus developing good relations. The African Canadian Heritage & Friendship Centre has formed partnerships with : Guysborough Historical Society, Community Services, Antigonish/ Guysborough Black Development Association, Guysborough Recreation, Black Educators Association, Black Business Initiatives, Lincolnville Development Association, Community CAP-SITES, Guysborough Youth Health & Services Centre, and the Guysborough Options for Adaptive Living Society (GOALS) .

Goal: Establishment of Advisory Committee:

Notices for volunteers to sit on an Advisory committee for the Centre were advertised in our local newspaper, on cable tv, in bulletins, in notices taken home by students and by personal contact. Terms of Reference, criteria for membership and a volunteer Agreement were developed for the membership of the committee. On the committee sits eight students and four community members. Committee members have worked tirelessly to give the Centre structure and to ensure sustainability. The committee invited Philip Hochman (Director of Recreation for the Municipality of Guysborough) to come and do several workshops, including: How to run an effective meeting, Leadership Roles, and Building a Mission Statement.

Initiatives that have been accomplished:

November:

• Opened the centre, decorated it with memorabilia donated by community members, and created an open and inviting atmosphere
• Three students attended the "Youth Against Racism" conference at Dalhousie.

December:

• Kawanza celebration at St F.X.: Six students from the Academy had the opportunity to participate in this cultural celebration and to meet students and professors from the University who were of African decent as well as different cultural backgrounds.
• Joanne Reddick, Regional Educator, delivered presentations to a variety of classes on "The History and Meaning of Kawanza".
• Committee members, staff and students from both schools got into the Christmas spirit by bringing in a tree for the Centre and decorating it.
• Jocelyn Dorrington (African Canadian Services Division) and Crystal States (Black Educators Association) delivered a presentation to Teachers and staff on " Resources that were available through the African Canadian Services Division.

January:

• Much of the month was spent preparing for the Official Opening that was scheduled for February.
• We had a reading circle in the Centre with the grade one's. Librarian, Cathy MacKeen, shared a wonderful story of students from the continent of Africa.

February:

• With the cancellation of both the school and Centre's openings due to storms, the Committee decided to hold an Open House which was well received from both school and community. We had many community members visit and a wonderful response from the Guysborough Municipal Council.
• The highlight of African Heritage month was an event where the Centre partnered with the Black Educators Association and the Antigonish / Guysborough Black Development Association to invite Dr. Henry Bishop (Director of the Black Cultural Centre) to deliver a presentation to both schools and the community on " The Rhythm of Drum". Dr. Bishop was accompanied by Constable Calvin Byard, a native of the local African community of Sunnyville, who also delivered a brief talk, the theme of which was "Pursue Your Dreams." This event was very well attended and had an excellent response.
• I delivered a presentation to grades primary and one on "A World Without Our People." We celebrated our new found knowledge with pizza and pop.

March:

• The committee organized an assembly and a full day of activities for March 21, "The International Day for the Elimination of Racism".
• During the month of March the committee established a fitness program (basketball) for youth that takes place on Monday nights from 6-7pm, supervised by the adult members of the advisory committee.
• Through the initiative of this fitness program the Centre has been able to establish two, $100.00 bursaries for two students who supported the Centre and who will be furthering their education.
• Presenters: William Paris and Sheri Paris from the African community of New Glasgow gave a presentation in the Centre to the community on, " The North Eastern Afrocentric Park" ( located on the Vale Road in New Glasgow).

April:

• The committee has taken on a major project that will be on-going, " The George W. Reddick Project". George Reddick was once a member of the Lincolnville community up until his death in the early 80's. He was a WWI. Veteran and also a member of the famous No. 2 Construction Battalion.

1. The committee discovered that Mr. Reddick does not have a Gravestone and has taken on the project to get him one through Veteran Affairs.

2. It was also discovered that he was a fiddle maker and one of his fiddles is still in existence. We have been working on getting this fiddle to display it in the Centre.

3. While working on this project two Teacher's approached the committee with a comprehensive interview (thesis) they had done with Mr. Reddick back in the early 70's. Since that time we have submitted this paper to the Black Cultural Centre for their public archives.

• We had Paul Ash, Principal of South Woodside Elementary, give a presentation to the grade 5 class. His presentation topic was " The accomplishments of Black Nova Scotians".
• I participated in African Literature 12 and African Canadian Studies 11 classes offering perspectives and historical information.

May:

• Joanne Reddick delivered a presentation to grades 7and 8 on the topic, "Fighting Racism."
• I gave a presentation to the African Literature 12 class on" Gospel vs. Spirituals" .
• Much work went into writing proposals and allocating financial funding for our summer program. To date, one of the proposals has been successfully received.
• Invited Sheila Pelley, Employment Councillor for the Antigonish / Guysborough Black Development Association to do a presentation for the Grade 11 French class.
• A major accomplishment has been the development of our web-site: http://www.achfc.com, that was developed through the partnership of the Grassroots "African Nova Scotian Block Project" that was spear headed by teacher Rob Allen and included five other teachers.

We have worked hard to establish a solid foundation and to ensure that the Afrikan Canadian Heritage & Friendship Centre is well received throughout the greater Guysborough area. Next year we will continue to develop our mission statement, identify goals, and continue with much needed work in programming and community building. Sincere thanks to all staff, community members and students who have supported this "light of hope" in our school and community. Many thanks must be given to Principal, Elizabeth Teasdale for her endless support in the advancement of the Centre. I would like to take this time to thank all parties who were involved with the vision of the Centre. Working here has been an experience that I will treasure for a life time.

- Wendy M. Campbell

ACHFC program leader

GUYSBOROUGH YOUTH HEALTH & SERVICES CENTRE - Public Health Services

The Guysborough Youth Health and Services Centre continues to be a vehicle for positive change in our school. The staff members, Leona Purcell and Sheila Hendsbee, together with the community committee, have worked to ensure the needs and concerns of youth are met. The centre has become an entry point for many youth who do not access or know where to turn for assistance for youth health related issues. Access and visibility for existing community based services has continued to expand.

Community Committee members include 8 youth: Phillip Dort (Chair), Jessica MacDonald(Vice-Chair), Melanie Webber, Keith Torrey, Kyle Phalen, Alton Hayne, Stacey Ash, and Sylvia Morrison; adult members are Wendy Panagopoulos (Guys. County Community Health Board rep.), Craig Jamieson, Gina d'Entremont, and Kathy MacKeen. This committee functions to support and guide the work of the centre, the philosophy is in keeping with the values and beliefs of the Guysborough County Community Health Board.

The Guysborough Youth Addiction Awareness Committee also functions out of the Centre and members include: Johnathan Hart (Chair), Andrew Long, Melanie Webber, Shannon Simpson, Keith Torrey, Sonya Cashin, Danny Corbin, Samantha Vaux, Melanie Grover, Dagney Ash, Tiffany Izzard; adult members include Wendy Panagopolous and Michael Doyle (Addiction Services), Leona Purcell and Elizabeth Teasdale.

Major Highlights of the Year:

Group work - Girl Power, an active learning program to promote healthy body image, positive self-esteem, healthy eating and an active lifestyle for female adolescents.

Some comments from the group evaluation:

...we could share personal things and it wouldn't leave the room, we could get advice for things

...before I came here I didn't feel good about my body and I had a low self-esteem but then when I came here I learned to respect my body. I'm a lot happier now, thank you a lot.

Boysterous Boys - A grade 7 boys group, self entitled, an interactive learning group to explore anger, emotions, relationships, gender stereotypes, and what it is like being a young male. Some comments from the group evaluation:

...you learn about life.

...I found that it helped me through some times at home.

...you could talk about your feelings, you could talk about anything.

Tobacco Free Teens -a program designed to assist young people in quitting tobacco use before it becomes a long term addiction. The program was co-facilitated by Wendy Panagopoulos, Addiction Services.

Research:

The Health Centre implementation outlined a need to have a baseline assessment of youth health needs to build and evaluate youth services. A broader youth health services approach and a rural/urban perspective. The first phase of data analysis of the Guysborough County Youth Needs Assessment (March 2001) was shared with the youth, teachers, parents and community partners who had participated. During May a total of thirty-two presentations were given in Guysborough, Sherbrooke, Canso, SAERC, Mulgrave and Inverness (the pilot site). Action planning to address the issues and data results will begin in the fall of 2002, with release of the final report.

A second research proposal is being organized to begin in June 2002, a research approach to determine people's perception of youth involvement in community organizations. Ethical approval has been received and interviewing of the community committee members will begin this summer.

Workshops & Conferences attended by YHC staff and Youth:

Provincial Youth Health Centre Evaluation Workshop Sept. 20^th and 21^st in New Waterford attended by 2 youth from YHC committee, coordinator and 1 adult committee member. The Nova Scotia Department of Health is undertaking a three year evaluation to review the activities and impacts of youth health centres. Phase I, this Regional Workshop was held with representatives from YHC staff, youth & board members, Department of Health and Public Health.

Addiction Services Provincial Volunteer Workshop 2002, Nov. 16^th & 17^th in Truro, attended by three youth from Addiction Awareness Committee.

Provincial Tobacco Control Conference in October attended by chair of Addiction Awareness Committee, and now is the youth representative on the Multi-Stakeholder Tobacco Reduction Strategy Advisory Committee for District Health Authorities 7 & 8.

On November 21^st seventeen youth completed the ACT (Action in Your Community Against Tobacco) training, including the Youth Health Centre Committee, Addiction Awareness Committee, and the Student Council Executive. Using the ACT tool kit, and supported by trained coaches, community members will work together to reduce the impact of tobacco use in their communities.

7 youth, coordinator and adult committee member attended a Youth Net Halifax Workshop in January entitled The Vent: A Youth Driven Approach to Support Groups. Youth for youth mental health: reaching out, supporting, and empowering Nova Scotian youth to make their own healthy choices.

An Options to Anger two day workshop in Halifax was attended by 2 YHC committee members and Elizabeth Teasdale, and they are now trained facilitators to deliver the program. The objective of this Anger Management program is empowerment, and is designed to sequentially teach skills and related concepts that enable students to choose productive alternatives to anger.

Workshops & Presentations given by

 Youth Health Centre Staff and youth:

April 2002 - Presentation by YHC committee to the Guysborough County Community Health Board

May 2002 - Presentation by YHC committee at the Annual General Meeting of the Network for Children & Youth Eastern Nova Scotia, in Baddeck. The Network is a formalized partnership of 40 + agencies in eastern Nova Scotia who have a mandate to either deliver services, educate, or fund services for children, youth, and their families. The Network provided the original funding and leadership role in establishing the Youth Health Centre.

Choices & Challenges: A panel discussion about Youth Drinking, Drugging & Driving. Co-sponsored by Guysborough Academy, Addiction Services and the Youth Addiction Awareness committee. On April 29^th, 135 grade 11 & 12 students and teachers listened to people whose lives had been touched by the misuse of alcohol and drugs, either through there work or in a very personal way.

The Youth Health Centre, Committees & youth volunteering to participate have been involved in co-sponsoring the Breakfast Program Baskets of Food for Thought during exam week; the December 6^th ecumenical service at Guysborough Academy to honor the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence against Women, & the displays, banners and bookmark contest during Addiction Awareness week.

Graduating members of committees:

Keith Torrey, founding member of the Youth Health Centre and Youth Addiction Awareness Committees has worked diligently to promote community awareness of the centre, provide input in the operation, the use of the space and the volunteer role. Keith truly exemplifies the humanitarian role, devoted to and working very hard for the health and happiness of youth. His leadership, mentoring and enthusiasm will be greatly missed as he "takes on the world" next year at Dalhousie. Halifax you are so fortunate!

Sonya Cashin and Shannon Simpson, members of the Youth Addiction Awareness Committee, thank you for your leadership and volunteer role and good luck in your future endeavors.

The growth of the youth on the committees and the youth who volunteer and have participated in the centre groups and activities is overwhelming. The youth have taken on leadership roles on their own self-directed initiative. The centre honors this self directed learning around their issues, and supports the development of leadership qualities.

- Leona Purcell, RN, Coordinator GYHSC

P.A.C.Y. Program / Fitness Centre

The Physically Active Children and Youth (PACY) program and the school's use of the fitness centre bring hope that the fitness levels of our youth will improve. Sponsored by the Municipality of Guysborough, and coordinated by Phil Hochman, Recreation Director, these additions to our school phys ed. and extra-curricular programs are a shining example of the benefits of partnership. The outstanding rates of participation, the opportunities for student employment and leadership were but a few of the benefits. We look forward to a generation who will make more healthy lifestyle choices than ever before.

SCHOOL ADVISORY COUNCIL

Achieving excellence in teaching and learning can best be done through team work in which partners have meaningful involvement in decision making. School Advisory Councils bring partners together to make decisions and solve problems in the best interest of student learning.

The 2001/2002 school year marked the fifth year for the Guysborough Schools Advisory Council. The Council consisted of: Danny Rodgers (chair), Jessica MacDonald (student rep for GA & vice chair), Sheena Skinner (student rep for GA & secretary) and Palmer Jamieson (student rep for CEC). Parent reps from GA were Anita Hall and Jeannine Munroe. From CEC, the parent reps were Garth Wilson and Faye Shea. Community reps were Marcia Connolly, Colleen Pelley, Hilda Dort, Linda Desmond, and Wendy Campbell. Our rep from support staff was Cathy MacKeen and our teacher reps were Chris West, Jim Muise, and Mary Williams. Elizabeth Teasdale and Miles MacDonald sat on the committee as school administrators.

This year we took on many projects to ensure that the council is involved in the initiatives to maximize the potential of the schools. We had members sit on the Greening Schools Project, the indoor air quality pilot project, the hiring team for the 2002/03 principal, the opening of the school committee, the breakfast program committee, the school steering team, Afrikan Canadian Heritage & Friendship Centre Advisory Committee, the Guysborough Community Response to Violence Interagency Committee, committees of the Youth Health & Services Centre, etc.

The focus of the advisory council is to promote school improvement and collaboration among the school, the home, and the community. This will enable all partners to work together to ensure a high quality of education for all our children.

GOALS FOR 2001/2002 SCHOOL YEAR

• To improve student learning: design programming and support to meet the needs of all students.
• To improve school climate: establish a student-centered atmosphere that values and respects the individual and the learning environment.
• To improve school/community relations: create and maintain positive and open lines of communication and support between the school and community.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS 2001-2002

To improve student learning: design programming and support to meet the needs of all students.

• Piloted new course offerings to address the needs of students who are artistic, advanced, ready for the work force, and/or students with learning difficulties.
• Established a resource program that relies on in-class resource support, a team approach to program planning, and a "youth services facilitator" approach to co-ordinating the initiatives of the student program assistants and program planning.
• Continued to support and arrange for professional development for teachers to keep them up-to-date with current methods in teaching, including strategies for teaching, addressing outcomes and using a variety of assessment tools including the use of the new report card.
• Realization of our technology plan in the new school to incorporate a variety of teaching strategies, to assist in meeting diverse learning styles.
• Participated in a Grassroots Block Project to use a team to plan cross-curricular thematic units. The result has been that curriculum has been developed to address all learning styles and include all ability levels. It also assists in funding other technology based initiatives.
• Participated in the Greening Schools initiative to bring relevant and alternative methods of enhancing the curriculum on a school-wide basis.
• Enforced the school's attendance policy to improve the attendance in classes.
• Continued implementation of the Active Young Readers Program, including professional development of staff and acquisition of resources.
• Creation of a literacy room as a space that is warm, inviting, functional, and that promotes literacy.
• Continued use of the Lions' Quest Program in grades primary to eight.
• Established an effective and efficient way for Chedabucto Education Centre students to access the Guysborough Youth Health & Services Centre.
• Ensured that the students and staff of Chedabucto Education Centre access the Afrikan Canadian Heritage & Friendship Centre.

To improve school climate: establish a student-centered atmosphere that values and respects the individual and the learning environment

• Promoted student leadership by sending students to conferences.
• Promoted a student-centered and student-valued Student Council, African Canadian Heritage & Friendship Centre Advisory Committee, Youth Health Centre Advisory Committee, Addiction

Awareness Committee. Therefore, students had input into the organization of different aspects of the school.

• Student input into administrative decisions via the student council re the School's Code of Conduct, including dress code, attendance policy, extra-curricular policy and smoking policy.
• Valued student voice and ideas about their school by encouraging their feedback; in regular classroom visits by administration and student council meetings attended by administration, the students completed feedback forms that identified positives about the school, express concerns / ask questions, and offer suggestions.
• Communicated the message that students have good ideas and the power to effect change in their environment. By encouraging students to work with student council and administration to realize their ideas in a positive and realistic fashion, student involvement increased. Examples include, the reinstatement of the school's hockey team, African Heritage month activities, preventative health displays, sponsoring/organizing charity fund-raisers, establishment of an anti-bully group, etc.
• Encouraged cross-curricular approach to enhance the climate of the school and to ensure relevant curriculum experiences. Examples include: art-related classes applied their skills to displays within the school. Tech-related courses create the school's web-page, Language Arts courses contribute to the school's newsletters.
• Teachers in-serviced on "Co-operative Discipline" to improve relationships, identify strategies to address discipline related issues.
• Increased presence of staff and administration in hallways, entrances of school, and school yard. Increased presence of administration in classrooms.
• Completion of playground and improvement of access to outdoor play area for all students.
• The addition of art work to halls and play areas of the school
• supported a breakfast program that was offered during exam week.

To improve school/community relations: create and maintain positive and open lines of communication and support between the school and community

• Ensured the publication and distribution of regular, monthly school newsletters.
• Continually updated the school's web-page as a vehicle for covering student activities and eventually curriculum. http://www.guysborough

academy.ednet.ns.ca/eaglesnest

• Ensured financial planning and viable fund-raising within the school to lessen the reliance on the generosity of the community. Examples include making fiscal decisions to ensure the year book does not run a debt; encourage teacher participation in Grassroots Block projects that earn money for technical resources; running dances without reliance on busses.
• Made decisions that support parental concerns and that focus on sound nutritional options for students in the cafeteria. (The elimination of the sale of pop, chocolate bars, and deep-fried potato chips.)
• In the fall, arranged for a series of positive, public-relation style articles in the local paper to inform the community of the changes, initiatives, potential, and hope for the new school. The series was designed to run from Sept up until the move into the new school and featured articles on the Youth Health Centre, library, African Heritage and Friendship Centre, and the unique approaches that are going to be possible due to the community enhancements in the school.
• Several meetings have occurred and are planned with various members of the community, businesses, parents, and the school to identify strategies to partner and enhance curriculum, increase student opportunities and provide exposure to our partners. This initiative includes GCBDA, SABLE, Encana, and local businesses. This demonstrates to students the possibilities that exist and will exist in Guysborough County, so that they may make appropriate decisions in planning for their future.
• Supported and nurtured an interagency approach to meeting the needs of our students. This included partnerships with the Guysborough Community Response to Family Violence Committee, Guysborough Youth Health and Services Centre, the RCMP, Family Services of Eastern Nova Scotia, Kids First, Mental Health and Addiction Services.
• Became involved in the evaluation of the new P-8 report card, utilizing both staff and parental feedback.

Year End Review (with the following recommendations):

• To continue to work on improving communication both inside the school and between the school and home;
• To improve the public image of the school environment within the surrounding community;
• Guidance services will be available at the P-8 level;
• To improve the resource program'
• Focus on IEP's (Individual Educational Plans) to meet the needs of diverse learners
• Continue to build peer tutoring and other community service programs.
• Increase the number of parent volunteers in school.

CONTINUING TO IMPROVE

We, the staff, at Chedabucto Education Centre and Guysborough Academy are committed to monitoring and evaluating our students' progress and our performance as a school. We recognize that we are doing well in some areas, and that we need to focus our efforts in other areas. For more information or to make suggestions, please contact us at your convenience.

Thank you to all the people who took the time to contribute to our school programs and activities this past year. We appreciate the support of our parents and our school partners in helping us to provide the best education possible for our students.