The Balanced School DayThe Balanced School Day

Prairie Rose School DivisionPrairie Rose School DivisionOctober 25October 25thth, 2007, 2007

Canad InnCanad Inn

Presenter:Presenter:

Ross M. Metcalfe, Assistant SuperintendentRoss M. Metcalfe, Assistant Superintendent

We Asked The Question:We Asked The Question:

““Is the Is the

15 min recess, 15 min recess,

50 min lunch, 50 min lunch,

15 min recess, 15 min recess,

the most effective way to structure our the most effective way to structure our school day?”school day?”

Why Did We Ask The Question?Why Did We Ask The Question?

School PlanningSchool Planning Research on the Brain and LearningResearch on the Brain and Learning Nutritional Needs of LearnersNutritional Needs of Learners Co-curricular ActivitiesCo-curricular Activities

What can we do to enhance our What can we do to enhance our teaching/learning interactions?teaching/learning interactions?

OUR GOALOUR GOAL

IMPROVEMENT IMPROVEMENT

IN ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT IN ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT

BY INCREASING TIME-ON BY INCREASING TIME-ON TASK TASK

IN THE CLASSROOM SETTINGIN THE CLASSROOM SETTING

The ProcessThe Process August 2004August 2004

– Trustees attended a Balanced Day PresentationTrustees attended a Balanced Day Presentation

February 2005February 2005– Principals attended a Provincial Seminar in WinnipegPrincipals attended a Provincial Seminar in Winnipeg

September 2005September 2005– Education Committee of the ISD met and approved Education Committee of the ISD met and approved

the pilot of the Balanced School Day in two schoolsthe pilot of the Balanced School Day in two schools

January 2006January 2006– School Division Delegation visited two schools in School Division Delegation visited two schools in

KenoraKenora

The ProcessThe Process

February 2006February 2006– Board announced that all five interested schools could Board announced that all five interested schools could

participate in the pilotparticipate in the pilot

April 2006April 2006– Ministerial approvalMinisterial approval– Planning sessions with staff and administratorsPlanning sessions with staff and administrators

May 2006May 2006– Community PresentationsCommunity Presentations

September 2006September 2006– ImplementationImplementation

ProcessProcess

September 29, 2006September 29, 2006 Nutrition SurveyNutrition Survey Teacher SupervisionTeacher Supervision Initial Parental FeedbackInitial Parental Feedback Substitute TeachersSubstitute Teachers Teachers at two or more Teachers at two or more

schoolsschools Clinicians and Student Clinicians and Student

Services Services Healthy Living BudgetHealthy Living Budget September Staff SurveysSeptember Staff Surveys

November 14, 2006November 14, 2006 Nutrition PolicyNutrition Policy Nutrition GrantsNutrition Grants SurveysSurveys Issues and ConcernsIssues and Concerns

The Balanced School Day Committee met five times throughout the year. The following items were discussed:

ProcessProcess

January 22, 2007January 22, 2007 Nutrition SurveysNutrition Surveys Surveys-Final Edit of Parent, Surveys-Final Edit of Parent,

Student, Support Staff, and Student, Support Staff, and TeacherTeacher

Council of School Leaders Council of School Leaders PresentationPresentation

Update to Board/Application for Update to Board/Application for MAST AwardMAST Award

Presentations/School visits Presentations/School visits outside the divisionoutside the division

Open Discussion-timetables, Open Discussion-timetables, substitutes, middle years substitutes, middle years activitiesactivities

Presentations to other schools Presentations to other schools in Interlake Divisionin Interlake Division

March 12, 2007March 12, 2007 Review of Nutrition SurveyReview of Nutrition Survey Review of Stakeholder SurveysReview of Stakeholder Surveys Presentation to the BoardPresentation to the Board MAST conference preparationMAST conference preparation

March 15, 2007March 15, 2007 Display and attendance at Display and attendance at

MAST ConventionMAST Convention Received Premier Award for Received Premier Award for

School Board InnovationSchool Board Innovation

How Will We Know If It Works?How Will We Know If It Works?

Implement the Balanced School Day for the Implement the Balanced School Day for the 2006-2007 school year. 2006-2007 school year.

Evaluation of Pilot:Evaluation of Pilot: Comments/surveys by staff, students, and Comments/surveys by staff, students, and

parents.parents. Observations of classroom activities by Observations of classroom activities by

teachers, administrators.teachers, administrators.

A Pilot ProjectA Pilot Project

Approved by the Minister for a one-year pilotApproved by the Minister for a one-year pilot

Pilot in five schools for 2006-2007Pilot in five schools for 2006-2007

Assessment of Pilot Project in Spring 2007Assessment of Pilot Project in Spring 2007

Education committee reviews pilotEducation committee reviews pilot

Research On The Brain Research On The Brain And LearningAnd Learning

More instruction time, fewer interruptions allow More instruction time, fewer interruptions allow teaching and learning to occur at an optimum levelteaching and learning to occur at an optimum level

Allows for longer lessons to continue without Allows for longer lessons to continue without interruption (literacy blocks, science classes, art interruption (literacy blocks, science classes, art classes, etc.).classes, etc.).

Can structure time to program reading, writing, and Can structure time to program reading, writing, and oral activities in an integrated way and yet maintain oral activities in an integrated way and yet maintain flexibility.flexibility.

Traditional ScheduleTraditional Schedule

Interruptions in the teaching/learning blocks Interruptions in the teaching/learning blocks of dayof day

Loss of teaching time due to transition time Loss of teaching time due to transition time

Snowsuits (6-7 mos. of the year)Snowsuits (6-7 mos. of the year)

Balanced Day ScheduleBalanced Day Schedule

Three 100-minute instructional blocksThree 100-minute instructional blocks

Two nutrition blocks of 20-25 minutesTwo nutrition blocks of 20-25 minutes

Two activity blocks of 20-30 minutesTwo activity blocks of 20-30 minutes

DAY 1 DAY 2 DAY 3 DAY 4 DAY 5 DAY 6

8:55-9:209:20-9:45

9:45 -10:1010:10-10:35

A.M Nutrition Break10:35-10:55 Nutrition time

10:55-11:15 Morning Outdoor Activity Time and

Daily Physical Education Initiative for grades 7 and 8

11:15-11:4011:40-12:05

12:05-12:3012:30-12:55

P.M. Nutrition Break12:55-1:20 Nutrition time

1:20-1:50 Outdoor activity and intramural time

1:50-2:152:15-2:40

2:40-3:053:05-3:30

Town students depart at 3:35Bus students depart at 3:45Buses leave Stony Mountain between 3:50 and 3:55 p.m.

Data CollectionData Collection

In February 2007, all schools surveyed In February 2007, all schools surveyed students, teachers, support staff, and students, teachers, support staff, and parents to determine the effectiveness of parents to determine the effectiveness of the Balanced School Day in the areas of:the Balanced School Day in the areas of:

NutritionNutrition Effective Use of TimeEffective Use of Time Impact On LearningImpact On Learning Continuation of ScheduleContinuation of Schedule

Teacher ResponseTeacher Response

Teachers were asked:Teachers were asked:

Is the Balanced School Day an effective Is the Balanced School Day an effective organization of learning time?organization of learning time?

Their response was…Their response was…

StronglyAgree

Agree DisagreeStronglyDisagree

Balmoral 8 100% 00 0%0%

Brant-Argyle

4 80% 1 20%

Rosser 4 100% 00 0%0%

StonyMountain

10 67% 5 33%

Warren 7 64% 4 36%

Learning BlocksLearning Blocks

Teachers felt optimum learning occurred in Teachers felt optimum learning occurred in the first block. the first block.

However, the student response was…However, the student response was…

Student Perspective: Which Block Is Best For Learning?

First Block21%

Second Block56%

Third Block23%

Students Who Eat Well And Are Students Who Eat Well And Are Healthy:Healthy:

Perform better academicallyPerform better academically Are absent and tardy less oftenAre absent and tardy less often Function better behaviourally and Function better behaviourally and

emotionallyemotionally Have less anxiety, depression, and Have less anxiety, depression, and

hyperactivity hyperactivity Are more ready to learnAre more ready to learn

Most Of The Brain Is Derived Most Of The Brain Is Derived Directly From Food.Directly From Food.

Good Nutrition = Good LearningGood Nutrition = Good Learning Children concentrate better and their ability to Children concentrate better and their ability to

learn is improved when they eat food from the four learn is improved when they eat food from the four food groups from Canada’s Food Guide to Healthy food groups from Canada’s Food Guide to Healthy Eating.Eating.

For children who miss breakfast the foods eaten For children who miss breakfast the foods eaten during the first break provide the key nutrients for during the first break provide the key nutrients for an active day.an active day.

When children eat a nutritious meal on their When children eat a nutritious meal on their second break they are not as hungry when they second break they are not as hungry when they arrive home after school.arrive home after school.

Parental Survey Parental Survey I believe my child benefits from having more time to eat I believe my child benefits from having more time to eat

during their nutrition breaks.during their nutrition breaks.

““All and all, a very positive experience”All and all, a very positive experience”

“… “… he is a slow eater and he doesn’t feel rushed”he is a slow eater and he doesn’t feel rushed”

““Sometimes there is so much for the little ones to Sometimes there is so much for the little ones to take in at lunch time and lunches would not be take in at lunch time and lunches would not be eaten. I find lunches are coming home empty”eaten. I find lunches are coming home empty”

A Benefit to More Time For Eating

Strongly Agree43%

Agree48%

Disagree8%

Strongly Disagree1%

The BenefitsThe Benefits

Students may go home for the second nutrition Students may go home for the second nutrition break.break.

Promotion of nutritious meals spread out over Promotion of nutritious meals spread out over two breaks.two breaks.

Milk is available twice a day.Milk is available twice a day.

Students have twice as much time to eat; lunch Students have twice as much time to eat; lunch kits will return home empty.kits will return home empty.

Reduction of litter on the playground/two Reduction of litter on the playground/two opportunities to eat inside while supervised.opportunities to eat inside while supervised.

Co-curricular ActivitiesCo-curricular Activities

One gym – restricted use for all studentsOne gym – restricted use for all students

One time slot in a dayOne time slot in a day

Conflict in schedulingConflict in scheduling

Daily Physical Education Initiative Daily Physical Education Initiative For Middle YearsFor Middle Years

20-25 minutes of organized physical 20-25 minutes of organized physical activity for middle years students activity for middle years students (grades 6-8) during first activity break(grades 6-8) during first activity break

What about Kindergarten?What about Kindergarten?

Full day, alternate day Kindergarten went on Full day, alternate day Kindergarten went on the Balanced School Day.the Balanced School Day.

Half day, every day Kindergarten stayed the Half day, every day Kindergarten stayed the same as before.same as before.

What about high school?What about high school?

Leadership opportunitiesLeadership opportunities

Good fit for the new Grade 11 and 12 Phys. Good fit for the new Grade 11 and 12 Phys. Ed./Health coursesEd./Health courses

All the same benefits as K - Grade 8All the same benefits as K - Grade 8

Should We Continue With The Should We Continue With The Balanced School Day?Balanced School Day?

The Future of BSD

Continue89%

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0%

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100%

Percentage of

Respondents

Parents Teachers

Stakeholders' Breakdow n

Continue With BSD

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Interlake School DivisionInterlake School Division

192-2192-2ndnd Ave. N. Ave. N.

Stonewall, MBStonewall, MB

R0C 2Z0R0C 2Z0

www.isd21.mb.cawww.isd21.mb.ca

Darlene A. Dufily, Superintendent/CEODarlene A. Dufily, Superintendent/CEO

Ross Metcalfe, Assistant SuperintendentRoss Metcalfe, Assistant Superintendent