Our Learning Commons
Is the hub for our school learning community. It is for available to all students and is for research, reading and quiet study. Some of the features include:
- fiction selection
- non-fiction selection
- reference selection
- magazine selection
- iMac computer stations
- printer
- MakerSpace
- quiet study area
- collaborative area
- comfortable reading area
- Bring-Your-Own-Device approved zone
POWER Reading
To empower readers by Providing Opportunities With Everyday Reading
P.O.W.E.R. is an acronym for
Providing
Opportunities
With
Everyday
Reading
At Sansom we believe that reading forms the foundation for success in school and in life. As a school we value the practice of reading as a daily habit. We provide time and direct instruction for all students in the building through homeroom POWER reading period. Every day, after the lunch break, students and staff settle in for a school-wide sustained reading period.
Part of our POWERful approach is to encourage open dialogue about what we are reading. Teachers meet with students individually to have reading conferences about the books they are reading, teachers post the titles of the books they’re reading, and we have launched the “One Book, Two Books, Three Books and More!” book club for students. Talking about stories helps us to make make meaning of the world we live in and build relationships with others. These discussions have become an integral part of our school community.
As a staff we participate in a professional book study to improve our practice (see Professional Development) and we also have a staff book club to create opportunities for teachers to engage in personal reading discussions throughout the year.
Throughout the year we focus on integrating specific reading strategies into our scheduled POWER time. These strategies are reinforced in all classes and provide staff and students with a common language of understanding. This shows students that reading skills matter in everything we do.
POWER time has made a positive impact on the school community at Clarence Sansom. We are excited to offer students more opportunities to engage with reading in positive ways.
