Will the program be accepting expressions of interest K-3 for this coming September, or K only?
The program will be accepting expressions of interest for students in K-3 for this September.

Will it be one class, or one class for each grade?
It will be a multi-age class consisting of grades K-3 with one teacher.

How many years will the children be with one teacher?
The program is designed for children to learn with the same teacher for 4 years (Kindergarten to Grade 3).

Is this a pilot program?
It is not a pilot program.  This program will continue to run as long as there is adequate registration.

Will there be more than one cohort of students able to start in September?
The current plan is to start with one cohort.  If the expression of interest process shows that there is enough interest to run more than one cohort, the district may consider the feasibility of running more than one program.

Is there a specific percentage of each age group required to be represented in the classroom in order for the program to run?
It is hoped that each grade will have a similar number of students.  If this is not the case, other grade configurations may be considered.

Is there specific school supplies required?
No.  Students will need to dress appropriately for outdoor learning.
If there are issues for families to attain appropriate clothing, this will not be a barrier to the program.  Families would contact the teacher or principal for support.

Would a student continue at Airport in grade 4, or would they need to return to their catchment school?
Yes, once students finish grade 3 in the program, they would go into grade 4 at Airport.  If families wanted children to return to their neighbourhood catchment school, they would talk to the Airport Principal in January prior to entering grade 4.

Is there any possibility for an extension of the program to Grade 7?
The current plan is just for a K-3 program, but there is always the possibility of the program extending into intermediate grades should there be sufficient interest among families.

Is it first-come, first-served for the program?
The program will not follow a first-come, first-served process of registration. Instead, participants will be selected through a lottery system.

What are the at-school day hours (on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, & Thursdays)?
At Airport, school begins at 8:35 a.m. and ends at 2:30 p.m..

Will there be priority for students/families that are currently in the Airport School catchment?
No, this program is open to interested families from across all schools.

Does Airport School have before and after school child care, and will it be available to students in the program.
Yes, there is a before and after school care at Airport.  Currently the program runs at capacity and has a waitlist.

If a student is given a spot but it doesn’t work out, will they have the opportunity to return to their catchment school?
The ability for a student to their catchment school in the middle of the school year would depend on the space available at that school.

Is there already a teacher connected to this program?
No, the teacher will be selected for the program as part of the district’s spring staffing process.

What will the class size be?
The class size will adhere to district class size and composition guidelines.

Do younger kids get the opportunity to practice leadership skills, assuming the older kids will lead during group activities, and vice versa for the older kids?
Yes, all students will have opportunities to develop leadership skills, regardless of age.  While older students may naturally take on leadership roles in group activities, younger students also bring unique strengths and perspectives that allow them to lead in different ways.  Leadership is not just about age, but about individual strengths, skills, and contributions.  Students will have opportunities to mentor, collaborate, and take on responsibilities that align with their own abilities and areas for growth, fostering a balanced and supportive learning community.

Will expectations be to maintain or exceed grade level expectations when students come out of the program?
As with learning in all classes across the district, students will be supported in meeting and/or exceeding grade level expectations of the BC curriculum in relationship to their learning goals.

How much choice and personalization will be incorporated?
The teacher will determine appropriate opportunities for choice and how to personalize learning for the students based on BC curriculum learning standards; interests, strengths and learning goals of the students; and best practices in play pedagogy.

What is the difference between pedagogy of play and unstructured play?
Pedagogy of Play is a way of teaching that uses play as a tool for learning, where educators play an active role in scaffolding, observing and reflecting on play to extend developmental and academic goals.  During this play, children have choice, allowing them to explore, create, and engage in meaningful learning experiences based on their interests and passions.

Unstructured Play is free play, with no or little adult direction, allowing kids to explore, imagine, and create on their own.

In this program, pedagogy of play is the focus. Unstructured play occurs on school days during recess and lunch breaks.

Is there an Indigenous component to the program?
The First Peoples Principles of Learning are foundational to and an integral part of the BC curriculum, so they will be a component of learning. In addition, the district’s Strategic Plan for Education includes indigenizing and decolonizing as a design principle for learning and is an important part of all district initiatives.

Will there be a technology component to the program?
Technology will be used as a learning tool in the classroom. This may include:
– documentation of learning through portfolios
– as a means of researching topics and capturing student ideas and curiosities
– supporting different learning styles “speech to text”, etc.

Will students get explicit reading, writing and math instruction?
Yes, academic learning will take place during large blocks of ‘play’ time (as in centres, choice time, investigations) in addition to taking place in large and small group instruction.

Is there a plan for life skills opportunities – food preparation, care of the environment, class pet, etc.?
The classroom teacher will be responsible for planning and implementing educational programming in these areas.

How is the class managed when it comes to picking activities for play-based learning when there is a wide range of ages?  How do you manage when kids want to do different activities?
Clear expectations and routines will be laid out by the teacher and may be co-created with students to guide the structure and coordination of learning activities.

What teaching methods will the program draw from?
The program will draw from a variety of teaching methods, including:
• First Peoples Principles of Learning: Emphasizing holistic, experiential, and relational learning that is connected to the land, culture, and community.
• Pedagogy of Play: Using play as a teaching and learning tool. The teacher intentionally weaves curriculum into the play to scaffold the child’s learning.
• Montessori: Promoting self-directed learning, hands-on activities and collaborative play among multi-aged peers in a prepared environment.
• Reggio Emilia: Valuing the child as strong, capable, and resilient. This approach emphasizes child-led projects, the role of the environment as the third teacher, and the importance of community and self-expression.

Does this program represent possible developmental shifts for the whole school district, or will it be a more focused school specific program?
Yes, through the District, Provincial and International resources for Early Learning, there is a shift towards pedagogy of play in all primary classes, in addition to incorporating First Peoples Principles of Learning into our practice.

What percentage of learning will take place outside?
The class will spend time outside daily for learning on in-school days (Tues.-Thurs.) and is the focus for the weekly community days (Fridays).  The exact percentage of outdoor learning will depend on the focus of the learning on any given day.

Will there be curriculum provided for the Monday home-based learning day?
Yes, the teacher will offer a variety of learning opportunities, including numeracy and literacy activities such as journal writing, numeracy and literacy games, and inquiry projects that support and extend the learning happening in the program.

Does my child have to attend the community learning days on Fridays?
Yes, the community learning days are an extension of the learning that takes place on the other 4 days and is incorporated into the overall instructional minutes required for the school year.

Will parent support and attendance be required on the community days?
The program will follow the field trip guidelines for the district – 2 adults in attendance. This may include parents, other school district employees, and/or community members.

Will the hours for the community days be consistent with the days at Airport?
Community days are on Fridays and will run from 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m..

Will community days run all yearlong?
Yes, community days will run on Fridays throughout the entire year. However, on days with extreme weather conditions, when it is not safe to be outside, the class will meet at Airport Elementary.  It’s important for children to dress appropriately for the weather.

What are the expectations for community days in relation to getting children to and from the community event?
Families are responsible for dropping off and picking up their child from various locations in the Comox Valley on community days every Friday.  There may be car-pooling opportunities between families.

Can you give examples of what Friday community days may look like?  What kind of experiences can students/families expect?
Community days will take place across the Comox Valley and may include places such as Puntledge River and Fish Hatchery, Seal Bay Park, Air Park and Beach Area, local farm, museum, etc.  The experiences will be varied and based on the focus of curricular areas in learning. There will be direct teaching, as well as exploration. It is expected that places may be visited more than once over the year, in order to deepen and extend the learning of that place.

How do you expect to organize community days?  Are you going to reach out to groups/activities or are you open to community groups contacting you with program or field trip ideas?
Planning for community days will be a collaborative process.  The teacher will reach out to community groups while also welcoming opportunities from organizations and community members that express interest.  Decisions will be based on student interests as connections to the learning happening at Airport.

For further questions, please email: lisa.pedersen-skene@sd71.bc.ca