PDAF Successful Project Profiles - Elementary/Junior
Click on the project title in the table to view the profile.
2015-2016
Newcomers Club
15-16/63/EJ
School: New Glasgow Academy
Grades: P-8
School Board: CCRSB
Project Coordinator: Katie Hale
New Glasgow Academy’s “Newcomers Club” will provide Newcomer students a chance to socialize with peers and to improve language skills in a safe and welcoming environment. The “Newcomers Club” will provide new students to Canada with a sense of belonging, which is crucial in eliminating both culture shock and isolation often felt by Newcomers. The club will provide an invaluable opportunity for both Immigrant and Canadian students to explore and learn about each other’s cultures. The Newcomer club is a lunchtime club where students will play games, sports, make crafts, share their countries cuisine and become familiar with our local community. It will be a place where friendships are formed.
Click here to return to Elementary Junior table.
Click here to return to top of page.
Taking it Outside
15-16/64/EJ
School: Donkin Gowrie Complex
Grades: 6-8
School Board: CBVRSB
Project Coordinator: Dave Fraser
My plan is to set up an extracurricular outdoor education program at my school, for students grade 6-8 who attend Donkin Middle School. The program will run for most of the school year and offer a variety of structured outdoor experiences for students. Weekly after-school sessions will take place within the school grounds. The focus will be hands-on learning sessions, where new outdoor related skills will be taught. Once a month, students will participate in a Saturday outing where they will put their newly acquired skills to practical use.
With funds made available through this grant, a “snowtrekker tent” and related equipment will be purchased. This style of tent is large enough to accommodate 20 students, and offers year-round shelter from the elements. The tent is equipped with a stove and offers a warm, safe haven for students regardless of the elements. The tent will be setup prior to each outing and will help make each trip safer and more enjoyable for students. These tents are very durable and should last many years.
Click here to return to Elementary Junior table.
Click here to return to top of page.
Here, There and Everywhere
15-16/71/EJ
School: CCRSB, multiple schools, West Pictou
Grades: EJ: 4-9
School Board: CCRSB
Project Coordinator: Louise Haycocks
Team Members: Sally Steeves, Don Hill
This project looks at using a Telepresence Robot to increase access to professional development opportunities and class visitations. It allows teachers more flexibility in the schools and cause less disruption to teachers and students class time. It can also be used to go into environments that cannot easily accommodate students or where transportation costs could prohibit students visits or limit the time on location. In addition to engaging student with new ideas and technology, the Telepresence Robot will enable schools to visit different places and allow interactions controlled directly by students and teachers.
Click here to return to Elementary Junior table.
Click here to return to top of page.
Minds in Motion
15-16/79/EJ
School: Whycocomagh Education Centre
Grades: 5-8
School Board: SRSB
Project Coordinator: Lynette Rankin
There is strong evidence supporting the connection between movement and learning. Moderate exercise enhances cognitive processing, increases the number of brain cells and can reduce childhood obesity. The goals of this project are to make activity and movement an expected part of the learning environment and to enhance student concentration and comfort. Alternate seating options will be offered to the students, including desk-cycles, stand-up desks, café tables, balance boards and exercise balls. The use of these alternatives to traditional seating will provide opportunities for movement in the classroom. Students will be taught to examine their own seating and learning preferences to maximize learning.
Click here to return to Elementary Junior table.
Click here to return to top of page.
2014-2015
Growth Mindset School
14-15/14/EJ
School: Bridgeport School
Grade: P-9
School Board: Cape Breton-Victoria Regional School Board
Project Coordinator: Francine Burke
Team Members: Angela Hull, Firman McCormick
Brainology© and the Mindset Works Schoolkit© will be employed to promote a growth mindset within Bridgeport School. With a growth mindset, students think of intelligence as malleable—something that grows through studying and learning. Such a mindset has been found to increases sense of self-efficacy, motivation to learn and academic performance. Each teacher in the school will have access to online modules, interactive tools and resources to be used within the classroom. In addition, each junior high student will have opportunity to engage with a research-based program designed to instill a growth mindset. Pre-treatment and post-treatment data will be compared.
Click here to return to Elementary Junior table.
Click here to return to top of page.
In Search of our Racial Identity: Art and Social Justice
14-15/21/EJ
School: Madeline Symonds Middle School
Grade: 6-9
School Board: Halifax Regional School Board
Project Coordinator: Mary Beth Osburn
Team Members: Cathy Munroe, Mary Hill, Stephen Hare
This project is a socially interactive and community building installation that uses textiles and fabrics to generate self-expressed identity and personal statements. The materials to be purchased for this project are: Cheticamp Frame, hoops, hooks and a fabric cutter.
Students from Grade 6-9 will be hooking primitive rug designs (large and small scale), which will communicate various social messages and personal statements of identity in order to record our own personal history, shape school culture, build community and motivate individuals to foment change. This will be an "open art piece" meaning the equipment is always out and available for students to work on evolving pieces of art. It also means that parents and community figures who are visiting the school, can also participate in this art making. This space will be the hub of the school; an area of awareness, citizenship, activism and identity and the primitive rug hook installation will be part of this space.
Primitive rug hooking is a meta-cognitive activity whereby students are "crafting their opinions" and communicating personal statements which allows them to express ideas, perceptions and self-expressed identity concepts creatively. The materials used for these projects will all be repurposed materials so as to encourage student's ability to find value in what others discard (i.e. used clothing, used fabrics)
Focusing on and nurturing creative ways to approach social justice issues help our students to make appropriate decisions and to reflect on ideas from differing viewpoints. Language is a tool and so is rug hooking! Together we are all the threads of a much larger tapestry.....
Click here to return to Elementary Junior table.
Click here to return to top of page.
2013-2014
A Song in Every Heart… and Hand
13-14/17/EJ
School: Whycocomagh Education Centre
Grade: P-8
School Board: Strait Regional School Board
Project Coordinator: Eryn Sinclair
Team Members: Alasdair Lanyon, Shelly Campbell, Kimberly Kaulback, Ann Whalley
Whycocomagh Education Centre’s project entitled ‘A Song in Every Heart…and Hand’ involves the opportunity for 180 young people to ignite the spark of instrumental music learning. It addresses a need within the school for quality instruments that are well-suited to each grade level. The instruments will allow students to learn skills, develop musicality and gain cultural understanding through music creation and study. The instruments that will be explored span important cultural groups within Nova Scotia and allow for inspiring understanding. The project opens the doors to allow connections between musicians in the community and students who may gain a new mentor or role model. It also opens the door wide to a future of music-making for students.
Click here to return to Elementary Junior table.
Click here to return to top of page.
Enhancement of Student Achievement, Focus and Engagement through Active Seating
13-14/34/EJ
School: Bluenose Academy
Grade: P-9
School Board: South Shore Regional School Board
Project Coordinator: Jennifer Langford
Team Members: Denise Dodge Baker, Marily Sarty, Darren Haley
Seating and positioning for many students has always been challenging in traditional classroom chairs. Students are seen slumping over their desks, slouching in seats, inattentive and disengaged. Posture is compromised and health deteriorates. The Hokki stool introduces active seating to classrooms. Safe and reliable, endorsed by Occupational Therapists and Physical Therapists, their use has the potential to replace static seating that the human body was not designed to do. According to Hokki designers, research shows that active seating (given the opportunity to move) helps us concentrate better and longer as it promotes blood flow which increases oxygen and supplies more nutrients to the brain. This project will introduce Hokki stools to a grade 5 classroom in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia. We will monitor student uptake of the new type of seating, and possible increases in concentration, engagement and productivity. We will monitor student response, teacher observations and generate a report at the conclusion of the project and share via website, twitter, email, listservs and newsletters.
Click here to return to Elementary Junior table.
Click here to return to top of page.
2012-2013
Connecting Near and Far (Electronic Cultural Exchange)
12-13/17/EJ
School: North Queens Community School
Grade: 3,4,7
School Board: South Shore Regional School Board
Project Coordinator: Julie Ramey
Team Members: Kim van Dyk, Judy Frail, Christine Ford
This electronic cultural exchange aims to support our grades 7, 8 and 9 Inquiry Based Learning classes while supplementing the ELA Curriculum. This exchange will enable grade 7 students to mentor grade 3/4 students in the use of iPad technology while advancing their own technological competencies. The exchange will take place between the students at our school and the Hugs for Kids School in Cangrejo, Dominican Republic. Connecting virtually with students in another country will provide our students with an opportunity to expand their world view while building tolerance and cultural understanding. This project will further afford our students the opportunity to use and develop critical thinking skills as they reflect upon their own community and culture. Finally, this exchange will engage our students in learning for the 21st century with emphasis upon developing technology and communication skills.
Click here to return to table
Mobile Art Gallery Display Towers
12-13/76/EJ
School: Madeline Symonds Middle School
Grade: 6-9
School Board: Halifax Regional School Board
Project Coordinator: Mary Beth Osburn
Project Team Members: Dina Bartt, Karen Mahoney, Cathy Munroe, Leanne Carter, Jane Keeping, Ellen Phillips, Mona MacNeil, Stephen Hare, Mike Comeau
The Mobile Art Gallery Display is a collapsible art gallery that allows for teachers to display student art anywhere in the school (or outside in the local community) in a professional gallery like setting. At the end of the day this Gallery simply folds and collapse together and then wheeled into any convenient location. With this system, teachers have the potential to display a tremendous amount of student material without compromising the 20% paper restriction mandated by the Fire Department.
The mobile art gallery is a physical example and reminder of the connection between seeing and remembering. Visual communication is everywhere and "Western civilization has become more dependent than ever on visual culture, visual artefacts, and visual communication as a mode of discourse and a means of developing a social and cultural identity.”[1]
Visual influences saturate our daily life; people not only communicate visually more than ever, they also communicate better when they communicate visually. The mobile art gallery is a perfect opportunity to facilitate this dialogue further as it combines both visual and non-visual content. The mobile gallery is not a static device - it is an active agent of dialogue and brings engagement to a higher level. Students are proud of their work and want to talk about their art and about their understandings. The mobile art gallery is not just a means to an end it is a forum for discussion.
Click here to return to table
Develop First Nations’ Literacy Success and Cultural Proficiency in WEC Staff and Students
12-13/18/EJ
School: Whycocomagh Education Centre
Grade: P-8
School Board: Strait Regional School Board
Project Coordinator: Ann Whalley
Team Members: Betsey Jardine, Mary Humphrey
This project proposes to provide cultural experiences for Mi’kmaq and non-Mi’kmaq learners at the Whycocomagh Education Centre, including the development of a play based on the story, “How the Cougar Came to be known as the Ghost Cat,” by Mike Isaac. As we build cultural proficiency among out staff and students we will be building literacy and numeracy skills. As we recognize and embrace our differences, we will give opportunity for culturally relevant learning and increased success in school. We hope to reduce the achievement gap by improving phonological awareness and numeracy skills, better meeting the needs of more students.
Click here to return to table
African Culture Through the Arts
12-13/23/EJ
School: Mulgrave Memorial Education Centre
Grade: P-8
School Board: Strait Regional School Board
Project Coordinator: Julie McVicar
Team Members: Kathy Rohodes Langille, Tiffany Hayne, Sonya Sauve
When our students get to experience other cultures, they gain an understanding of the cultures unique characteristics. Learning about other cultures helps us value the diversity in all people and discover the unity there as well. We plan to actively engage our students by using traditional African dance, music, art and story to encourage students to learn more about the positive contributions African cultures have made in society. With this project we hope to value the diversity of our students as learners by allowing for a range of learning preferences, teaching styles, instructional strategies and learning resources.
Click here to return to table
Designing, Developing, Publishing Accessible, Enhanced Books
12-13/46/EJ
School: Chester Area Middle School
Grade: 6-9
School Board: South Shore Regional School Board
Project Coordinator: Michelle Longley/Tanya Veinotte Frowd
Team Members: Teri Cochrane, Barb Welsford, Janet Dornan
400 students in the South Shore Regional School Board are diagnosed with Learning Disabilities. The majority of these students have great difficulties interacting with and/or accessing fixed print. The typical classroom continues to focus on paper-based materials and fixed print, and written output is primarily with pen and paper. Students with vision impairments, students on the autism spectrum, and those with physical disabilities also face print barriers. In Nova Scotia we practice inclusive education. Students of all abilities learn together in the same classrooms; however, the textbooks, handouts, novels, storybooks that are primarily used are not accessible to all learners and students are expected to communicate their learning through handwritten responses. To truly embrace inclusion, we need to be innovative.
This project will introduce new innovative technology that will provide inclusive learning opportunities for all learners. Middle School students at Chester Area Middle School (CAMS) will have the opportunity to design, develop and publish fully accessible and enhanced books including read aloud text, images, video, interactive presentations embedded in the books, quizzes, fully accessible features that allow easy access by students who are blind, have LD, autism etc. Students will even design and develop trailers to promote and/or introduce the books. Students will engage in the process of planning class libraries, choosing from personal interest themes, class related themes and/or course related themes (i.e. science projects, novel summaries etc.). Students will learn how to utilize a variety of eBook development Apps and also iBook Author on the Apple laptop to develop and ultimately publish their ebooks to their iBook Library. The libraries or even individual books will be published as an eBook or ePub document to share on various devices. These books can be accessed from anywhere, anytime 24/7. Accessibility features built in to the iPads coupled with the capability of the devices to offer interactivity and engagement ensure the books will be able to be easily accessed by any student. In addition, the project ties nicely into the Inquiry Based Learning environment that is being implemented at CAMS this school year.
Click here to return to table
2011-2012
Fast ForWord: Using Flex Learning Environments
11-12/17/EJ
School: Redcliff Middle School
Grade: 5-7
School Board: Chignecto Central Regional School Board
Project Coordinator: Glenda MacKinnon
Team Members: Lauchie MacKinnon, Tammy Chitty
Our project intends to explore the use of meta-cognitive strategies to support the literacy needs of students, who have been unsuccessful with other remediation strategies. We intend to incorporate the online nature of the software to increase the opportunity for students to get intense practice over a short period of time, thus decreasing the amount of class time lost to direct instruction in alternative settings. Our plan requires the training of parents and teachers to deliver a part of the program Fast ForWord at home and in the classroom, assisting Program Support for the students. We plan to explore this delivery method to determine if it is supports the Response to Intervention (RTI) model and if Fast ForWord is an appropriate level III support for RTI (a proposal of the CCRSB Student Services Department.)
Click here to return to table
2010-2011
Spinning
School: Central Colchester Junior High
Grades: 6-9
School Board: Chignecto-Central Regional School Board
Project Coordinator: Lisa Aucoin
The four spin bikes that I have purchase will be placed in the school's fitness room which is located off the gymnasium. Prior to applying for this grant, I was given funding from the Health Promoting Schools grant to purchase stability balls, yoga mats, body bars and stretch cords. With all of this equipment that I have received, I will be leading noon hour and some afternoon sessions with girls to promote health, active living through cardiovascular fitness and strength training using the bikes as well as the other equipment we have received.
Click here to return to table
2009-2010
Guitars for Kids
09-10/13/EJ
School: Oyster Pond Academy
Grade: 3-9
School Board: Halifax Regional School Board
Project Coordinator: Derek Cochrane
Team Members: Robin Webber, Dave Roberts, Rick Smith
The “Guitars for Kids” project at Oyster Pond Academy will engage students in a music club and enhance the grade six music curriculum. Grant funding will allow the school to purchase a class set of guitars and accessories for use by students, including those who may not have the financial means to access an instrument of their own. The project is spearheaded by four teachers each with extensive guitar and music industry experience.
Playing a musical instrument helps young people build confidence and focus, while having additional positive impact on other areas of their learning. This project is a perfect example of putting students on the right track for life-long learning and enjoyment of music and the role it plays in our everyday lives.
Click here to return to table
Happy 10th Anniversary Bedford South School
09-10/30/EJ
School: Bedford South School
Grade: P-9
School Board: Halifax Regional School Board
Project Coordinator: Claudette Légere
Team Members: Ken Murray, Brian Pardy, Mike MacDonald, Nicole Bernier
This project will bring together grade primary students and grade nine students to create an art installation ‘repoussé’ to celebrate the 10th year anniversary of Bedford South School. Each student will use a piece of copper to create an embossed, original organic design. The pieces will then be assembled to create the installation. The finished piece will be placed on the entrance wall of Bedford South School.
This project is a representation of the celebration of learning at Bedford South School; it represents growth and learning. Many grade nine students at Bedford South School have been at this school for ten years of learning; this will be their way to celebrate not only the school’s ‘birthday’, but also to celebrate their own learning. Involving the primary students will show that the learning at this school will continue for many years to come.
Click here to return to table
School Drama Program
09-10/28/EJ
School: Redcliff Middle School
Grade: 5-7
School Board: Chignecto Central District School Board
Project Coordinator: Jeanie Sears
Team Members: Allan Kennedy, Karen O’Toole, Anne Rutledge, Lynn Isenor, Karen MacQuarrie
Over one hundred students are already engaged in our production of Aladdin. The PDAF monies will give a tremendous boost to our Drama program by allowing us by buy much needed light, sound and production equipment. It will be a gift that renews itself annually with each successive Drama production, and it will decrease our up-front production costs by reducing the need for rental equipment.
This will mean better costuming, better lighting and an overall better production quality. Students need to feel engaged in the process, and allowing them access to a more professionally finished musical will allow them to better showcase and grow their talents. It will help them to grow. If even one child learns that dreams can come true with hard work, then every bit of the effort and capital expended is worthwhile. I can tell you by the enthusiastic, smiling faces I see four days weekly that many more than one child is dreaming big dreams and learning the fun and value of dedicated teamwork.
Click here to return to table
Supporting Students with Physical and/or Developmental Delays through the use of State of the Art iPad Assistive Technology
09-10/50/EJ
School: Various schools in the SSRSB
Grade: P-9
School Board: South Shore Regional School Board
Project Coordinator: Barbara Cochrane
Team Members: Scott Rawding, Cindy Kowalyk, Andrea Conrad
The iPad is an innovative and exciting new technology recently available on the market that has the promise of providing tremendous supports to children with various disabilities. This handheld device provides Voice Over technology for students with reading and/or vision impairments; touchscreen access for students who have difficulties accessing and utilizing a mouse; APPS like Shapewriter that offers handwriting recognition opportunities; enhanced access to communication APPS like Proloquo2Go and iCommunicate. For those students who can’t access the iPod Touch or iPhone, the iPad will be the solution to provide access to the curriculum. The iPad is easy to use, easy to access, easy to apply in any setting for many different users. The iPad provides an exciting alternate access to learning for students with disabilities. This project will test these new devices as an assistive technology supporting students with various disabilities including those with physical disabilities (who have difficulties access the iPod Touch); vision impairments; dysgraphia; developmental delays and autism.
The iPad Project for students with disabilities will purchase 5 iPads and associated, task specific APPS that will be focused on student’s physical, sensory and cognitive needs and test the efficacy of this type of technology in the classroom, learning centre and/or resource room.
Click here to return to table
2008-2009
Greenhouse Veggies
08-09/17/EJ
School: New Ross Consolidated
School Board: South Shore Regional School Board
Project Coordinator: Jill Alcoe-Holland
Team Members: Melissa Willman
The pathway to better health and nutrition can be found in the earth. Greenhouse Veggies is a joint hands on project between elementary students and junior high students with each group being responsible for a different aspect of the project.
A gardening club, Ross Farm Museum and a local farmer have all shown support of this project with their help, advice or donation of compost from the museum.
The elementary students have been busy planting seeds in our heated greenhouse and caring for the plants as they begin to sprout and mature. We have been successful with growing lettuce for "Sub Day", beans and tomatoes are being used on vegetable trays and the cafeteria has been freezing string beans to use at our Christmas turkey dinner.
The junior high students will be studying hydroponics and building their own hydroponics kits to grow vegetables. They will teach the elementary students about hydroponics and growth charts will help us determine the best method of growing a variety of vegetables.
The project will start in September and run to December and then we will start again in March and run until June. Students will be keeping records of their activities and recording plant growth of a variety of seeds. This project will directly include 96 students and indirectly, our whole school of 147 will benefit with healthy, fresh grown vegetables.
Melissa Willman and Jill Alcoe-Holland are the teachers involved who are implementing this project into their curriculum. Students will have a rewarding experience in the greenhouse garden and hopefully they will also be learning a lifetime leisure activity that leads to exercise, fresh air and good healthy eating.
Click here to return to table
Outdoor Education Program for At-risk Students
08-09/34/EJ
School: Tamarac Education Centre
School Board: Strait Regional School Board
Project Coordinator: Peter Leuschner
Team Members: Phyllis Wyler
"Outdoor Education for At-Risk Students is an alternative program for at-risk students in the outdoors. At risk students can find the traditional classroom setting challenging but often thrive with activities that are more hands-on and involve movement. Providing these students with an alternative learning environment would offer experiences that would enable them to establish themselves as leaders within a positive framework and would foster natural situations for them to demonstrate theses skills to their peers. I truly believe that experiences in the outdoors can be therapeutic and life changing and many youth do not have the opportunity in their personal lives to have these experiences. Many lessons learned in the outdoors will remain with students throughout their lives and continue on for generations to come.
Click here to return to table
Click here to return to main Successful Project Profiles page