September 18, 2023

Posted: September 18, 2023

An email was sent to parents Monday, September 18th regarding learning hubs.

For students:

PLC/HUB DAYS: IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Key changes: District-wide, PLC/HUB time will be moved to the end of the school day instead of the beginning of the day like 2022-2023.  HUB time will happen from 1:55-2:55.

What are Learning Hubs for students?  

• Learning Hubs are designated tutorial rooms across different areas of the school. Learning Hub days are designed for students to have personal choice on where to attend to extend their learning.  This differs from our typical format where students stay in RTI daily with their first block teacher.
• Professional Learning Community Time is a teacher-centric term. It represents the timeframe in which staff will collaborate with one another. During each PLC Time, half of our staff will be engaged in the PLC Cycle, while the other half of our staff are providing learning opportunities for students.
• Learning Hubs are staffed with multiple teachers, peer mentors (Totem Ambassadors) and support staff to work with students with personalized supports. Specific classroom teachers may not be available; but subject specialists will be available.
• Learning Hubs are student-choice; meaning that students may choose to stay on some days and other days, may feel they do not have the need.  We will also be using HUB time for grade-based learning opportunities throughout the year which will be mandatory to attend.

Learning Hubs:

On PLC Days, students will be dismissed from regular classes early. Students will either choose to go home at the dismissal time or attend a Learning Hub. Below are the Learning Hubs that are available to students.

• Social Studies/English
• Science/Math
• Directed Study
• Resource/Learning Assistance
• Computer Lab
• Physical Education
• Self-Directed Study

The Hub Time structure and its implementation periodically impacts the bell schedule.  Please see below for the details of the plan, the schedule, and some FAQs.

We have eight PLC days per semester. Please see the below table for the PLC Days.  They are all on Wednesdays.  They will be referred to as Hub Days for students.

PLC Day Schedule:

On PLC Days we have an altered bell schedule. PLC Time occurs at the end of the school day; regular classes end early. Please see the PLC Day early dismissal bell schedule below.  It will be referred to as HUB Time for students, including in My School Day app.

FAQs:

What will students do during Hub Time?

Students will be dismissed early from their regular classes on PLC Days. Students may either choose to leave campus when dismissed or they can choose to access a Learning Hub.

Are students required to attend Hub Time?

There will be some student activities or assemblies that require a specific grade or a group of students to stay for HUB time.  Students can choose to attend a Learning Hub or they can choose to go home at dismissal. There may be cases where a staff member needs a student to stay in a Learning Hub to get additional support, or to make up missed work. If a student is asked to stay, they are required to stay in the Learning Hub.

We will be requiring certain grades to stay at the school during HUB Time for various activities or assemblies.

If students choose not to attend a Learning Hub, can they still be at the school? 

In order to ensure that students and staff can focus on learning, students are required to either be in a Learning Hub or be off-campus. Students are not permitted to hang out in hallways or on campus. Again, students are required to either be in a Learning Hub or be off campus on PLC early dismissal days.

Will clubs, rehearsals, practices etc… be running during Hub Time?

Hub Time is exclusively for students to access Learning Hubs. Outside the timetable classes, rehearsals, practices and clubs will all commence after Hub Time has ended at 2:55 pm.

What should students do if they have an after school club, rehearsal or practice after school?

Students are required to either be in a Learning Hub or off-campus during Hub time. Those students who have a club, practice, or class to attend after 2:55 pm will need to choose between going to a Learning Hub or leaving campus until Hub Time is over.

As with the implementation of any new system or structure, we know there may be some initial confusion; however, as always, we will monitor the implementation process carefully, take feedback from students, staff and families, and make adjustments along the way. We have already implemented changes this year based on feedback from last school year. At ACSS, our staff have done a tremendous amount of work to prepare for the implementation of PLC Time and Hub Time. We are grateful for their thoughtful care to ensure that our plan is student centred and focused on learning and support for all students.

Should you have any questions about the implementation of PLC Time and Hub Time, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the ACSS Administration Team.