Physical Education|Music|Computer| Basic French |
Student Services for at Risk Students

BASIC FRENCH PROGRAM

This year, the grades 4,5 and 6 students in the English Program have been taking part in a very exciting new Basic French Program entitles "AIM - Gesture Approach to Language Learning". The results so far from this new program are very impressive, with extremely high student participation and language acquisition. The program is either taught by their home room teacher or one of our French Immersion staff. Two teachers were trained last year and the remainder are presently being trained.

COMPUTER PROGRAM

Twice a cycle, each grade 1 to 6 student has a scheduled class in the computer lab, one class is with the technology mentor and the classroom teacher and one class is with the classroom teacher only. The computer lab at École Robert H. Smith School contains 30 Pentium 4 workstations networked to a server, a laser printer, an inkjet printer, and a scanner. The lab is connected to the internet through the Winnipeg School Division's firewall.

The workstations in the lab are loaded with a variety of educational software geared to children in grades K to 6. There are applications for different areas of the curriculum such as Language Arts, Math, Social Studies and Science. We also have applications that can be used for multimedia presentations and for making projects ready to go on our website. In addition, many of the classrooms have Pentium computers loaded with pretty much the same software as the lab. This allows for students to continue their work in the classroom. The Kindergarten/Nursery classes have computers with software specific for their age level as well.

Robert H. also has: 3 digital cameras and a camcorder, 5 classrooms equipped with SMART Boards and 8 workstations in the library.

ENRICHMENT PROGRAM

One objective of the Winnipeg School Division is to provide programming for capable students - those students who exhibit above average general abilities, demonstrate a high level of task commitment, and demonstrate a high level of creativity. These students are to be identified over a period of time by a variety of means - informal and formal measurement, past achievement, day-to-day assessment of performance and teacher nomination.

The program at Robert H. Smith School will have pull-out activities involving either single or cross grade groups of identified students who will work outside the classroom under the supervision of a staff member. 

Language Arts

The grades 3 and 4 programs emphasize writing. The children participate in a writers workshop for narrative writing and in research activities for expository writing.

The grades 5 and 6 programs emphasize oral presentations, with impromptu and formal speeches, interpretive readings and debating. All groups participate in a book club and/or author study.

Mathematics

The grade 5 will emphasize problem solving, logical thinking, algebra, probability and geometry. They will be preparing for the Fibonacci math competition. Programming will continue all year until the end of May.

The grade 6 program emphasizes problem solving, logical thinking, algebra, probability and geometry. The grade 6 students work through questions in preparation for the Pythagoras Test. Programming will continue all year until the end of May.

MUSIC PROGRAM

The music program at École Robert H. Smith School focuses on the development of music language and performance skills, creative expression, an awareness of music in context and valuing musical experiences.

Grades 1-3 students become familiar with basic musical vocabulary as they learn to read, write and play rhythmic patterns.

In grades 4-6, musical literacy is extended to include the reading of notes and melodic notation with the introduction of the soprano recorder.

Music appreciation, including the study of orchestral instruments and the works of composers, corresponds with presentations by performing arts groups brought into the school. In addition, grade 5 students attend an annual school performance by the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra.

The school has three choirs, one each at the grades 4, 5, and 6 levels. Choirs perform at various concerts and assemblies throughout the year as well as in the Winnipeg Music Festival.

A highlight of the year for our grades 5 and 6 students in the annual Spring Musical.

An awareness of Aboriginal Culture is developed at all grade levels through the exploration of its music.

PHYSICAL EDUCATION PROGRAM

All of the students from Grades 1-6 take part in the physical education program with a physical education teacher. The philosophy of the physical education program is to expose the students to as many different sports and activities as possible. The activity is changed approximately every second week to keep the children interested and excited about coming to the gym.

Although the students are exposed to a variety of skills, skill acquisition is not the primary objective. The primary objectives are effort, participation, co-operation and sportsmanship (fair play). Skill acquisition is still encouraged and welcomed, but not at the expense of the students' enjoyment.

Some of the activities that will be included this year are the traditional sports such as soccer, baseball, volleyball and basketball. Other less traditional activities will be juggling, cup-stacking, dance, cross-country skiing, snow-shoeing and squash.

There are 40 weeks in the school year, which means we will be trying about 20 different activities. One of the larger and more important components of the physical education program is Fitness. This is not done as a 2 week unit, but rather as an ongoing activity throughout the year. Once a month the students do a fit run, as well as a fitness test once  a year. The grades 4, 5 and 6 students are exposed to the various components of fitness, and are encouraged to make physical fitness a part of their lives.

Our school participates in every inter-school athletic event the Winnipeg School Division offers. Again, our emphasis is on effort and participation, not skill, and therefore any student that wants to play on a school team is allowed to do so. Our only stipulation is that the students make every effort to attend practices, and must display good sportsmanship, co-operation, respect and fair play at all times. The inter-school activities we will be participating in during the 2007-2008 school year will be soccer, volleyball, speed skating, 1 fall cross-country running event, 3 indoor track meets in February and March, 1 division sponsored “fit Run’, and 2 school organized 2 kilometre fit runs and the Manitoba Marathon. We also have a year long intramural program for the grades 4, 5 and 6 students at lunch time. In addition, the grade 6 students take part in an outdoor-education program that exposes them to archery, orienteering, horseback riding, a ropes confidence course, snowshoeing, crafts and some survival skills.  This year we are considering running a school track meet which would allow us to enter the Hershey Games Provincial  Qualifying Track Meet.

SCIENCE/INQUIRY FAIR

École Robert H. Smith School holds its Science/Inquiry Fair in March. Parents are invited to come and view the projects between 7:00 and 8:00 in the evening.

Students will be judged on the morning in order to give all students the experience in speaking about and answering questions on their projects. Judges of the Science Fair projects will be responsible for choosing seven projects which will represent École Robert H. Smith School in the Winnipeg School Division's Science Fair.

These projects will be announced in the classrooms the following day.

There are certain regulations regarding projects which should be considered in preparing for the Science Fair.

They are:

The subject categories to choose from are:

Although only projects from students in grades 4, 5 and 6 will be considered to advance to the Winnipeg School Division, students from all grades of our school may enter a project for exhibition only.

 
STUDENT SERVICES FOR AT RISK STUDENTS

1. Resource Program

When students are experiencing difficulty in the classroom, our resource team works with  the classroom teachers to  individualize a plan to allow students to overcome academic, social or behavioural difficulties. Together, the Resource teacher and the classroom teacher will discuss some of the methods and strategies from which the student would benefit. Intervention may be in the form of one-to-one, small group, direct instruction or indirect support within the classroom. Parents are always an important source of information to help with an appropriate intervention.

2. Child Guidance Clinic

The C.G.C. is an educational support service agency which provides specialized help for school children in collaboration with school personnel teams. Our multidisciplinary team consists of:

Director-Jane Friesen
Psychologist- Sherman Lang
Social Worker- Ms. Reesa Nerman
Reading - Ms. Eileen Froehlich
Speech and Hearing- Ms. Shawn Saifer

The C.G.C works directly with our team in consultation with students and staff. At all times, parents are involved in the process.

3. STARS

The STARS program is an intensive six week half-day program that teaches students ways to control their behaviour. The program is located in an alternate school and is meant to service south district schools. Students attend their home school in the afternoon.

If a child is having behavioural difficulties in our school, the parents and school will already be working closely. The STARS Program is one of the options to be considered, if appropriate.

4. Special Education

Our school offers an Integrated Special Education program which provides assistance to students with a variety of special needs. These students receive one-on-one support or small group instruction from the Special Education Resource Teacher (S.E.R.T.) and/or direct support from teacher assistants within the regular classroom. Regular meetings are scheduled to discuss needs, develop individualized programs and monitor student progress.