UNews - Wilson Middle School

U of L study shows middle school literacy program improves reading skills and motivation

caroline.zentner — Mon, 15 Jun 2015 17:15:31 +0000

A three-year study by Dr. Robin Bright (BASc ‘79, BEd ‘82, MEd ‘88), a ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge education professor, shows middle school students who sometimes struggle with reading can become engaged and motivated readers with the right resource materials and a focused approach.

Typically, literacy is a focus of elementary education as children learn the basics of reading.

“We lose that focus somewhat in middle and high school or else it just falls to the English teachers. What makes this study groundbreaking is that teachers from all subject areas committed to wanting to learn how literacy will make the work they do as teachers better,” says Bright.

The study came about after Bright was contacted by Dean Hawkins, principal at Wilson Middle School in Lethbridge. Teachers at the school told Hawkins they wanted to focus on literacy because their students didn’t seem interested in reading, and achievement scores showed some were reading at a primary school level.

“Not everybody is a great reader by the time they get to middle school or even likes reading,” Bright says. “The teachers at Wilson were most interested in increasing students’ motivation for reading and engagement and felt reading achievement would naturally follow.”

Hawkins adjusted the school’s timetable to allow for a six-week long literacy program with 50 minutes of instruction each day. Bright offered professional development to the teachers to help them teach reading. However, finding the right resources for middle school students proved to be a challenge.

“They need resources that are going to be fun and applicable to their lives and they also needed activities that would be interesting and worthwhile,” she says.

Such literacy resources are expensive so teachers either borrowed them or created their own. Each year the school applied for a grant from the Indigo Love of Reading Foundation to help them buy the needed resources. Their application paid off this year when the school was awarded $125,000 over three years.

In each year of the study, Bright measured the effect of the literacy option by administering a questionnaire to a random sampling of students in each grade level and surveying teachers about their students’ motivation.

“The results show that, through the literacy option, children got the message from their teachers that they can learn to succeed in literacy. Even if they’re struggling readers, they still believe they can learn to read and learn to love reading,” says Bright.

The teachers also observed that their students seemed very excited about the literacy option and were more interested in reading.

The study was published last fall and Bright has since been contacted by a number of teachers and schools asking for her assistance in setting up a literacy program. This summer, she will present the results of her research in Vienna at the European Literacy Conference.

Bright will continue working with the school for the next three years, continuing to provide professional development, to act as a resource person for purchasing materials, and to measure the impact of the grant by surveying students, parents and teachers yearly.

U of L Health Sciences Researcher Among YWCA Lethbridge Women of Distinction Award Recipients

trevor.kenney — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 21:30:41 +0000

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Faculty of Health Sciences researcher Dr. Bonnie Lee joins Lethbridge College president Tracy Edwards, special needs supporter and community volunteer Nadine Chandler and addictions/recovery advocate Mallory Kristjanson, the YWCA Young Woman of Distinction, as recipients of the 2010 Women of Distinction Awards.

Brief biographies are outlined below.

The Women of Distinction Awards Ceremony 2010 will be held on Friday, March 19 starting at 5 p.m. at the Lethbridge Lodge. The Master of Ceremonies is Kaella Carr, CTV reporter and Young Woman of Distinction 2009.

The guest speaker is Tara-Jean Popowich, winner of the 'So You Think You Can Dance' Canada competition 2009.

Please call 329-0088 or stop by the YWCA for your tickets ($75 with a $50 tax receipt).

YWCA Women of Distinction Awards recognize outstanding women who live and work in Southern Alberta. This year four women have been selected.

Through a competitive process, the honourees are chosen from a group of nominations. The awards are based on the candidate's accomplishments, commitment and leadership. It is important for the YWCA to recognize these accomplishments on an ongoing basis.

The Women of Distinction Awards Ceremony is a wonderful venue to showcase the talent and leadership of women in Southern Alberta. Women honoured have been trail blazers, entrepreneurs, innovators, social advocates, and volunteers.

BONNIE LEE

Bonnie Lee, Ph. D. of Lethbridge is 2010 YWCA's Woman of Distinction in the Spirit of Women category.
Bonnie¹s experiences as a global citizen took her from Singapore where she was born to nine other cities in Asia and North America before locating in Lethbridge in 2005. The positive influence of her mother and early education with the Maryknoll Sisters in Hong Kong is reflected in her values and sense of purpose.

Her undergraduate degree in English Literature is from Smith College, Massachusetts and her Ph.D. and postdoctoral studies from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Ottawa.

Bonnie's life and career have gone through numerous metamorphoses: speech-language pathologist, marriage and family therapist, Unitarian Universalist minister, and now: professor and researcher at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.

One theme remains constant, her dedication to draw out people's innate gifts through creating supportive relationships. Her research and clinical contributions using "couple relationship" to work on problem gambling and other addiction issues are gaining recognition nationally and internationally.

In spite of a major loss in her life, Bonnie's zest for living and learning remains strong as she enjoys close relationship with her two adult children. Since moving to Lethbridge, she has grown to love the land and skies of Southern Alberta that inspired her paintings which express her connection to nature and the earth.

NADINE CHANDLER

Nadine Chandler of Lethbridge is YWCA's Woman of Distinction in the Social Advocate category. Nadine is a pioneer in the integration of special needs students into the public schooling system.

What began as "looking after the interests of her own child" grew to be an international norm in the field of education. She is a role model and a leader in prevention and intervention programs in Lethbridge and all of Alberta.

She grew from being a new mother who reached out for support and education about what was best for her son, to being a visionary and advocate in equality education for children with special needs, a support to other mothers, a resource to teachers, administration and support staff, and a coach and friend to young women with special needs.

While others may have ceased this level of involvement when their child graduated from high school, Nadine has continued to give, staying current of the latest knowledge in the field of special needs, coaching for the Special Olympics and volunteering in organizations that serve the needs of adults with disabilities.

TRACY EDWARDS

Dr. Tracy L. Edwards of Lethbridge is our Woman of Distinction in the Community Commitment category. Originally from Ontario, Tracy worked fifteen years for the Nova Scotia Community College before moving to the United States to pursue doctoral studies.

She has twice been designated as a Kellogg Fellow and is the recipient of numerous scholarships and leadership awards. She was recognized in 2007 as a Distinguished Alumnus of the Community College Leadership program at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Texas at Austin.

Tracy holds Bachelor of Arts and Master of Education degrees from Saint Mary's ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in Halifax and her doctorate is from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Texas at Austin, with a specialization in community college leadership.

She has been the President of Lethbridge College since July of 2005. Tracy and her husband reside in Lethbridge and are the proud parents of four grown children and doting grandparents to five grandchildren.

MALLORY KRISTJANSON

Mallory Kristjanson of Lethbridge is YWCA's Young Woman of Distinction in the Turning Point category.

Mallory was born June 30, 1986 in Lethbridge and attended Wilson Middle School and graduated from Winston Churchill High School. She is deeply involved with a recovery program and sponsors women of all ages through their journeys.

She has volunteered with the Lethbridge Regional Hospital in the pediatrics ward, at the Lethbridge Correctional Centre, working directly with inmates struggling with addiction and other problems; and as a server at the Soup Kitchen.

Mallory loves walking her dog, Timber, in the Old Man River bottom, writing songs, journaling, Hip Hop dancing and swimming. To stay grounded and spiritually filled, she attends the Celebrate Life Recovery Service at Central United Church in Calgary weekly.

The Women of Distinction Awards Ceremony 2010 will be held on Friday, March 19 starting at 5 p.m. at the Lethbridge Lodge.

Master of Ceremonies is Kaella Carr, CTV reporter and Young Woman of Distinction 2009.

Guest speaker is Tara-Jean Popowich, winner of the 'So You Think You Can Dance' Canada competition 2009.
Please call 329-0088 or stop by the YWCA for your tickets ($75 with a $50 tax receipt).

Please feel free to contact Barbara Pittard, Chair: Women of Distinction Committee at 320-2912 or btpittard@shaw.ca if you have any questions.

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ hosts Boat Race

trevor.kenney — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 00:21:16 +0000

If you want an entertaining way to spend an hour on Wednesday, Nov. 25, visit the Max Bell Regional Aquatic Centre beginning at 1 p.m. to witness the sailing (and likely sinking) of a number of cardboard boat creations that will be put to the 'water test' by 29 teams of students in grades seven to 12 from Lethbridge and southern Alberta.

The 2009 Chinook Regional Cardboard Boat Race gives students 90 minutes to build a boat capable of supporting their team's weight during a morning session which begins at 10:30 a.m. in the Students' Union building, Ballrooms "A" and "B."

After lunch they compete in two challenges -- speed and weight. Most importantly, the objective is to stay afloat and make it across the shallow end of the Max Bell Regional Aquatic Centre.

The 2009 Chinook Regional Cardboard Boat Race participating schools include: Picture Butte, Hays, Father Leonard Van Tighem, Warner, St. Joe's (Coaldale), G.S. Lakie Middle School, Kate Andrews (Coaldale), St. Catherine's (Picture Butte), Magrath, Vauxhall, Chamberlain, Wilson Middle School, Enchant, Coalhurst, RI Baker (Coaldale), St. Mary's (Taber) and Catholic Central High School.

Stadium will serve as athletic hub

trevor.kenney — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 21:47:25 +0000

A touchdown dance is in the offing and chances are it will be a crowded end zone the weekend of Sept. 25-26, when the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge's new Sports Stadium Complex is officially, and finally, opened.

Plagued by multiple weather delays over the course of its two-year construction, user groups from throughout southern Alberta are understandably elated that the finish line, or goal line, is now within sight.

"This has been in the works for a lot of years and to finally stand here on a turf field is just spectacular," says Catholic Central High School football coach Mike Nightingale.
"It's going to be just amazing on those Friday nights when the lights are turned on; it will be a spectacular atmosphere."

The 2,000-seat, multi-use facility is the first of its kind in southern Alberta and a major addition to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's athletics program.

Having opened the 1st Choice Savings Centre for Sport and Wellness in February 2007, the addition of another elite-level venue further raises the status of Pronghorn Athletics.

The new stadium also strengthens the relationship between the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and the southern Alberta community. High school football and minor football will be major tenants in the fall, while the new artificial surface opens the possibility for use by soccer and rugby groups. As well, most major track and field meets will utilize the facility and the introduction of a junior football program to the city remains a possibility now that a suitable venue is in place.

"I see it being used 24/7 for track, rugby, football, soccer, it's going to be an amazing thing," says Craig Brack, Wilson Middle School principal and a longtime figure in local football circles. "It's going to be great for fans to be able to come out and watch a game in the proper way. It's first-class all the way."

Bringing people to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ is a key priority for the institution and the stadium will do just that.

"The partnerships between the city and the U of L are very strong in terms of providing quality facilities for both our athletes as well as community members," Manager, Facilities & Services, Deb Marek, says. "It brings people to campus who would not normally come to campus and that's critical for us. There's still that barrier with people coming across the river to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, it can be seen as intimidating, and the more we host these events and bring the community here the better."

The benefits for the community will be widespread but it will be most appreciable in what's available to the city's youth.

"I think you're going to see a lot of events gravitate towards this facility. It will open up a lot of opportunities for our kids," says Nightingale.

UNews - Wilson Middle School

U of L study shows middle school literacy program improves reading skills and motivation

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