Mission
Our mission at Poltimore Elementary School is to maximize individual achievement as a united community.
Vision
Poltimore is a small school with a big heart, staffed by caring and skilled professionals who are committed to helping students reach their potential. Through collaboration, on-going professional learning and reflection, teachers educate and inspire students to be their best selves.
Values
At Poltimore Elementary School, the values guiding our work with students are:
- Community:
Staff, students, parents and visitors are treated fairly and enjoy the kindness and respect of others, contributing to a warm and family-like atmosphere.
- Perseverance:
Students are encouraged and expected to work to their potential, overcome challenges and achieve great things. In turn, staff work diligently to provide exemplary learning experiences for students.
- Teamwork:
Staff and students co-operate to create a positive and exciting learning environment. Opportunities for all to work together, share ideas and learn collaboratively make us better.
School and its community
Poltimore Elementary is a small rural school, located 50 km northwest of Gatineau, providing English language education to the Val-des-Monts community.
The school is a part of the NANS (New Approaches, New Solutions) network. Inclusion in this network is based on socio-economic factors that indicate students may be disadvantaged in comparison to peers in other schools. The NANS network provides professional development and resources for teachers, as well as funding for additional staffing and programming to optimize student achievement.
Students
In the 2018-2019 school year, Poltimore is home to thirty-four students, all of whom speak English as their first language. Many students come from families with strong ties to Poltimore’s agricultural history. Students have a knowledge of farming, animals and nature that enriches our learning environment.
Classroom
In the 2018- 2019 school year, Poltimore is organized into three classrooms: K-1-2, 3-4, and 5-6. Class organization varies year to year based on student population. Given our small size, multi-grade and multi-cycle classrooms are the norm.
A benefit of our small class sizes and multi-level groups is the ability to organize classrooms with flexible seating and groupings. Visitors to our school are impressed with the warm atmosphere of classrooms, where traditional desks have been replaced by couches, coffee tables and comfortable chairs. Students are able to move freely and work in spaces that best suit their individual moods and needs.
School
Poltimore Elementary School is currently undergoing a major renovation! A gymnasium is under construction and will be ready for the 2019-2020 school year. This addition will provide new opportunities for physical education and special events. The gym will be connected to the rest of the building via a newly constructed hallway and office area.
The existing school building houses three classrooms, two office spaces, a resource room, staff and student washrooms, a multi-purpose lunch room and a kitchen.
Staff
A skilled and dedicated staff is Poltimore Elementary School’s greatest strength. Four full-time permanent teachers are on staff (three homeroom teachers and one French-Second-Language teacher). In the 2018-2019 school year, two additional teachers are on staff through grant funding. These teachers work collaboratively in the K-1-2 classroom. In addition to teaching staff, Poltimore Elementary School employs a part-time secretary, part-time custodian, part-time lunchtime supervisor and part-time principal.
Though small in size, Poltimore’s teaching staff is well-represented and involved in WQSB’s professional development opportunities, including participation in: Resource Teacher’s Network, ICT Network, Phys-Ed Network, NANS LCEEQ Math initiative, SoundPrints/Approche Signature Training and the English Language Arts Resource Development Team.
Family and community
Poltimore Elementary benefits from positive partnerships with parents and the community. Many parents are Poltimore graduates themselves and have strong connections to the school and its place in the town’s fabric. Communication between staff and families is open and frequent.
Volunteers are valued and welcome in our school, contributing greatly to the success of students and special events. An active Home and School Association, and productive Governing Board work collaboratively with staff to ensure the school environment is positive and student-focused.
Analysis of situation
Given our small student population, exam results can vary greatly year-to-year based on size sample and particular cohorts. Poltimore’s staff works together to understand students’ individual learning profiles and differentiate instruction to ensure that students work to their potential.
| Cycle 3.2 Exam Data | 15-16 | 16-17 | 17-18 | 18-19 Targets |
| ELA | 100% | 100% | 74% | 85% |
| Math | 50% | 33% | 69% | 70% |
| FSL | 75% | 67% | 77% | 80% |
| Cycle 2.2 Exam Data | 15-16 | 16-17 | 17-18 | 18-19 Targets |
| ELA | 88% | na | na | 85% |
| Math | 75% | 100% | 86% | 80% |
| FSL | Na | na | 57% | 60% |
Staff have identified two areas of priority emerging from evaluation data:
Priority 1: Understanding student profiles
Our goal is to have a rich understanding of each student’s strengths and areas for growth. This is a two-year plan.
Year 1:
- Complete Learning Profile Template for all students, using C-CAT, BAS and exam data to inform task.
- Individual target setting for each student (ELA, Math, French) based on profile and data info
- Analyze Profiles and identify two key areas for professional development
- Gather resources and ideas for each key area, pilot ideas in classrooms to develop a bank of best-practice tools
Year 2:
- Revisit profile templates and targets for all students, noting/analyzing progress and areas of weakness
- Identify/build on strategies that have been most effective, look for strategies that address areas of weakness
Measurement: Students’ progress will be tracked in the core subject in relation to targets set.
Priority 2: Talk for learning
Our priority is to develop a common protocol amongst teachers for teaching and using talk in the classroom, with the following subject-specific orientations:
| Subject | Focus | Teachers Involved | Timeline |
| ELA | Jennifer Seravallo Reading and Writing Strategies | B. Tassone, R. Shea, A. Snelgrove, M. Hogan, A. Whiting | 2019-2021 |
| FSL | C. Picklyk | 2019-2021 | |
| MATH | Common vocabulary across cycles | B. Tassone, R. Shea, A. Snelgrove, M. Hogan, A. Whiting | 2019-2021 |
Goal measurement: Talk competency/Orale will be tracked year to year (term 1-term 3 comparisons and year–year cohort comparison)