Annieville Elementary is a close-knit community school, situated in a quiet corner of North Delta. Our school history begins over 100 years ago, when our school first opened as a one-room building next to the Fraser River, serving 27 students from the fishing community of Annieville. Today our school is home to 230 students in grades K-7, who come from families from all around the world.

The Delta School District Vision 2030 shapes our efforts and  reflects our goals for learners. Guided by the District’s mission and values, we have chosen Literacy as our primary focus for this school year.

Our Focus:

Teachers are confident they are using effective strategies to teach foundational reading skills, through explicit teaching of phonemic awareness, phonics and decoding (UFli, Science of Reading). However, the gap occurs between what students have read and what they understand.

We have decided to focus on students’ knowledge and vocabulary to build stronger comprehension skills. Instead of teaching generic strategies in isolation (like predicting, visualizing, inferring, etc.), we want students to connect new reading to what they already know and intentionally grow that knowledge through rich, connected texts and class conversation.

This focus directly supports the development of the BC Core Competencies:

• As students expand their vocabulary and understanding of texts, they become better at acquiring, interpreting, and expressing ideas clearly — key skills in reading comprehension (Communication).

• Comprehension allows students to analyze, make connections, and think critically about what they read, supporting deeper learning and creativity (Thinking).

• Through reading and exploring diverse stories and perspectives, students develop empathy and social awareness, learning to understand themselves and others (Personal and Social).

Focus Question:  If we intentionally focus on building students background knowledge and vocabulary through explicit instruction, will we see improvement in their comprehension skills? 

School Initiatives So Far:

• Staff Wide Book Club: Know Better, Do Better: Comprehension — Fueling the Reading Brain with Knowledge, Vocabulary, and Rich Language (By Authors: David Liben & Meredith Liben)
• COI/Collaboration Time Focus: Literacy (Background Knowledge/Vocabulary)
• Professional Development Days Focused on Literacy (including working with District Coordinators and neighbouring schools)
• School Wide Reading Days (Stop, Drop, Read/ PJ Cozy Day)

Annieville Elementary is a close-knit community school, situated in a quiet corner of North Delta. Our school history begins over 100 years ago, when our school first opened as a one-room building next to the Fraser River, serving 27 students from the fishing community of Annieville. Today our school is home to 245 students in grades K-7, who come from families from all around the world.

The Delta School District Vision 2030 shapes our efforts and  reflects our goals for learners. Guided by the District’s mission and values, we have chosen Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) as our primary focus.

Our Focus:

Upon review of ministry and school surveys, available data, and staff reflections, staff recognized that students expressed a need for support in developing personal and social awareness skills.

• “Students who are personally aware and responsible take ownership of their choices and actions.
• They set goals, monitor progress and understand their emotions, using that understanding to regulate actions and reactions.
• They are aware that learning involves patience and time.
• They can persevere in difficult situations, and to understand how their actions affect themselves and others.”

(From the BC Curriculum Core Competency Personal Awareness and Responsibility)

Focus Question: Can fostering personal and social awareness skills, such as connection, self-regulation, and goal setting, contribute to improved academic success for students?

School Initiatives So Far:

• School-wide Connectedness Survey and activities
• Staff Resources/Programs-“Be Good People”, “Mind Up”, “Circles of Courage”
• School-wide instruction of Math using “MathMinds” program (Year 3)
• COI/Collaboration Time Focus: SEL
• Professional Development Days Focused on SEL (including working with District Coordinators and neighbouring schools)