This year, there has been a concerted effort to refine interdisciplinary passage projects at each school, providing more opportunities for students to practice key competencies and showcase their work. A great example of this is seen with the Grade 2 Passage Presentation. Students, after researching famous historical figures, engaged in discussions to identify traits of good leadership and developed thoughtful questions to ask local leaders. These leaders will visit the students for interviews, offering an exciting real-world connection to their learning. The enthusiasm for this revised project has been palpable, showing how meaningful interdisciplinary projects can be for younger students.

Grade 5 has continued to integrate the Portrait of the Graduate competencies into their interdisciplinary projects, ensuring that students are developing essential skills across content areas. For the first time,

Grade 4 has developed their own interdisciplinary project, which addresses multiple competencies, including communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and citizenship. These projects will be showcased in the spring to the Board of Education, providing students a platform to display their work and reflect on their learning journey.

For Grade 7, a subcommittee of teachers and administrators met multiple times this fall to refine their interdisciplinary projects. The committee focused on adjusting the scope and depth of the projects in alignment with the Portrait of the Graduate competencies. English Language Arts teachers sharpened their focus on topics such as “sustainable development goals” and “actions to be the change,” with students creating infographics and writing letters to local and regional entities to advocate for change. In science, Grade 7 students shifted their focus to explore and create flameless heaters, connecting real-world applications to their studies.

Professional development sessions provided additional opportunities for collaboration between administration and the English and social studies departments. These sessions allowed for a review and revision of the interdisciplinary project presentations, ensuring that the Portrait of the Graduate rubrics were fully integrated. The goal was to promote greater student agency and create more intentional learning opportunities in both social studies and English classes. These refinements aim to support student growth, foster deeper learning, and give students more ways to showcase their interdisciplinary projects while embodying the core competencies of the Portrait of the Graduate.