Huffman School to be saluted

F.H. Huffman School will be saluted tonight for its “Schools on the Move: Lighthouse Program” under the Rainy River District School Board’s monthly Recognition of Excellence.
The Huffman program is one of the initiatives “supported by the Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat, and was launched to celebrate and connect schools that are making a significant and sustained progress in student achievement.”
Last spring, Huffman was invited to participate in the program, which centres around “schools learning from other schools.”
It is expected the schools within the network will connect and communicate with each other—sharing successful practices and continuing the journey of learning.
Staff members at Huffman believe every teacher is responsible for every child, that literacy and numeracy are fundamental, and that every child can learn when teachers are precise in their teaching.
“We improve teaching and learning by taking advantage of board initiatives, studying together, and co-teaching,” a document included in the board’s agenda stated.
“The use of common terminology and consistent practices across the school make it easier for the team to be responsible for all students and for students to feel comfortable in every classroom,” it added.
Within the program, the teachers have time together to talk in a culture that fosters on open discussion. They particularly value moderated marking as an effective professional learning opportunity.
Looking ahead with the “Schools on the Move” program, Huffman has a number of initiatives, including strengthening the co-teaching model and sustaining the professional learning community.
Also at tonight’s regular meeting, which gets underway at 7 p.m. at Robert Moore School, the board will:
•hear a presentation on the Self-Identification Oral Language Project;
•receive a report from the Special Education Advisory Committee; and
•vote on the approval of the 2008-09 school year calendar.