Students at Rosemont address the Alberta Programs of Study in all disciplines. Our students learn in straight-grade and combined-grade classrooms. Our staff includes a resource teacher and a music / robotics specialist. Students in grades 4-6 learn French and all students participate in daily physical education. Residencies supported by the RFS enhance students’ learning opportunities. We have a selection of technological resources for student use: SMART Boards and desktop computers in every classroom, laptops, and tablets.
We focus on developing skills and strategies in all areas to provide a strong foundation for inquiry. Students learn where and how to get information, then how to evaluate and make sense of that information. At the heart of all learning is questioning. It is through questioning that children’s curiosity and wonder are honoured and developed. Worthwhile learning tasks and problems are often addressed as part of an "essential question" rather than an isolated concept or skill that bears little or no connection to the larger world. We ask active learners to consider the questions: “What do I know? How do I know it? How do I show it? What do I need next?”
Student agency and intellectual engagement guide our work. We teach our students about how they are connected to their world and how they have the ability to make a difference in their world. Most importantly, our work is framed within a growth mindset where mistakes are learning opportunities, effort and accomplishment go hand-in-hand, and student achievement thrives.
Educating our young people is a job too big for any one of us. We encourage and welcome your partnership, support, and cooperation in making your child’s time at Rosemont School a most successful and enjoyable learning experience. We strive to engage our students in learning that is rich with inquiry, life connections, multi-disciplinary experiences, struggle, perseverance, and success. We believe that parents play an important role helping us reach this objective.
Combined-grade Classrooms at Rosemont School
What is combined grade education?
Combined grade education is a practice that has been an option for schools since the introduction of graded education in Canada. Here at Rosemont, our classrooms are the combination of grades 2 & 3 and grades 4 & 5. Combined grades classes are not a split of grades; they are a combination of grades.
Why do we have combined grades classes at Rosemont School?
Organizing our students is determined by a variety of factors including our physical space, our student population in each grade, and, most importantly, the learning needs of our community. In many cases, we have too many children for one class and not enough children for two classes. Deciding to multi-age grades 2/3 and grades 4/5 has given students the opportunity to work with a variety of classmates and has given teachers the opportunity to work in teams, intentionally designing learning opportunities that are student centred and personalized. Multi-aging at Rosemont serves our learning community well.
How does this approach benefit my child?
Research has highlighted the benefits for both students and teachers in combined grade classrooms. They include more comprehensive, child-responsive curriculum practices that consider the understandings, capabilities and dispositions that children need to be successful learners and successful adults. Research also reports that students in combined grade classrooms show increased self-esteem, more cooperative behaviour, better attitudes toward school in general, increased pro-social behavior, and enriched personal responsibility.
Research found that when using standardized tests, students in these classrooms did as well or better than those in single-grade classes in math, language, science, and social studies. It also found that students performed better in the areas of independence, responsibility and study habits, and had more positive attitudes toward school.
How will the curriculum be addressed?
A common question families have often focuses on how curriculum is addressed in combined grade settings. An important aspect of Alberta’s Programs of Study (and many other jurisdictions) is the spiral framework of learning. Within this framework, programs of studies at different grade levels have similar outcomes. As an example, in the mathematics program of study, the outcome of addition in present throughout the grades, with specific expectations that differ (grade one is adding to 20, grade two is adding to 100, grade three is adding to 1000,… grade six is adding 0.001 to 1 000 000 including order of operations). While the specific learner expectation increases at each grade level, the outcome of addition is the same. Another example is in science. Our science program of study comprises engineering, life, physical, and earth sciences. In a grades 2/3 class, the work of engineering science would be taken up in building structures that can float and are waterproof with extensions of comparing the effectiveness of the building materials. All our programs of studies have common themes and outcomes that lend themselves well to the multi-aged classroom.
Homework
Parents are encouraged to discuss their child’s daily learning tasks and review together any activities, projects, books, or assignments that are brought home. Parental interest in school work is important and can be a motivational factor in a child’s success. Homework, done well, helps children develop responsibility and self-direction in studies. Most school work is designed to be completed in school time; from time to time, unfinished work will be sent home for completion. Please discuss the duration and frequency of homework with your child’s teacher.
It is expected that all students read with an adult or independently, and review basic math skills daily. Research is clear that reading to and with your child builds foundational literacy skills. Use the pictures to predict the story; ask what might happen next; have your child recall the story using the frame: first, next, then, finally. Pre-reading and post-reading conversations are as important as the reading itself. Using mathematics in everyday life to organize toys, prepare food, or in the context of current events helps children understand math in their world. Board games are a great way to enjoy math and reading in while learning important social skills.
Services for Students with Complex Learning Needs and English Language Learners
Students who present with complex learning needs or who are English language learners are supported in our school by our student support team, which includes: administrators, our resource teacher, our classroom teachers, and our Area 3 student services support specialists, along with designated education assistants. This team is responsible for supporting teachers in differentiating classroom instruction, as well as accessing additional resources and services for students, as deemed necessary through regular reviews at our school learning team meetings.
Calgary Board of Education (CBE) Results Statements
The Board of Trustees has set clear direction for student success. We are all committed to achieving these Results. Learn more about our Results Policies on the CBE website.
