Student Senate
The Student Senate is a dedicated group of intermediate students who plan a variety of events for the student body.  This year the students organized a Penny Fair and donated several hundred dollars to Unicef!  Student Senate also helps to support some of our school clubs as well.  Their participation in encouraging Spirit Days throughout the year is greatly appreciated. 

School Council
Our School Parent Council meets 5 times a year and provides a newsletter update.  They have worked on a variety of projects in our school such as raising the awareness of literacy in our school.  A Parent/Student/Teacher survey was undertaken and the results are proving to be useful in school plans as well as in encouraging parents to read with their children at home. 

Parents of Walsh
Our Parents of Walsh group provides financial support to our school programs.  They organize and run 2 brunches at the Vittoria Community Centre each year.  They support programs such as the grade 4 swimming program and have given each grade division in the school money with which to purchase additional classroom materials.  Their organization and support of the Walsh Snack Program are invaluable. 

Transportation
We currently have 14 buses that service our school’s population.  We transfer students from 4 area secondary schools and 2 separate schools.  The ability to do this has taken a great deal of cooperation among staff, the transportation department and school bus drivers.  By working together, we have a plan of action to make this undertaking as manageable as possible. 
Students are encouraged to follow bus rules to make the transporting of students from home to school as safe as possible.  Thanks to our partnership with New Orleans Pizza, we are able to provide our students with incentives as part of our Bus Buddy program.  Each month students who have had no bus reports, and who are actively following the rules of the bus have their names entered into a draw.  The students who have their names drawn are given a coupon for a family sized pizza from New Orleans Pizza.  We thank our families and students for encouraging good bus behaviour for the safety of all.
 

Improved reasoning skills will be evident as students read, retell and reflect from reading from a variety of text

2.  Modelling by peers and teachers. Include reflection as an extension of retell.

3.  Continue journal writing across the curriculum.

4.  Use DRA to show progress.  This data will help students continue to receive instructional level reading beyond the primary grades.

5.  School Council, through newsletters,

Monitor progress and realign as new data is collected.  Ongoing

Ongoing
 

Assessment to begin now to provide, in September 2002, baseline for student program and assessment

DRA assessment kits

Jan McLellan strategies from whole staff workshop