School Learning Plan

McKay is a small community school in Beaverton, Oregon. We serve students Pre K- 5 with a diverse, vibrant student body. 26 of our students qualify for special education 30 are English Language Learners with 18 different home languages represented and our school qualifies for the community eligibility program, with all students eligible for free meals. McKay believes in wrap around support for our students and engages in partnerships with Children's Institute, Metropolitan Family Services, MFS and Playworks. MFS provides a free after school program for 75 students four days a week,  summer programs for students, incoming kinder academy and parent outreach, education.

Our academic program and school culture are informed by an anti-bias approach.  In anti-bias education children learn to be proud of who they are, to respect human differences, to recognize bias, and to stand up for what is right.  With a comprehensive approach to educating the whole child, we aim to equip all of our students with the skills and perspectives necessary to become fully engaged members of their communities.

We use the workshop model for instruction in math, writing, and reading.  Focus on knowing the students well as learners, readers, and mathematicians continues to be a primary focus for designing and implementing instruction. Various assessments for reading provide specific guidance on where the students are as readers and what strategies need more refinement. At McKay,  all students have individualized reading goals and know what they are working on as readers.  In writing,  authentic published writing and continual daily practice provide us with a roadmap for instruction.  In math, we use the workshop model and mathematical practices to ensure we are supporting the individual learners.  Each of these areas necessitates conferring to set up individual goals, and strategic grouping during work time to link instruction to need.  We have been implementing a co-teaching model during reading and writing to support our Emerging Bilingual students.

Along with the rest of the Beaverton School District,  we have recognized the need to further equip our staff with tools to support and nurture our students social and emotional learning with a trauma informed lense.  We have made gains over the last couple of years in implementing the following structures;  morning meetings in each classroom each day, soft start, use of the Toolbox framework and restorative practices. Playworks has also transformed our recess space into a learning playground where students have safe opportunities to engage in organized games and practice conflict resolution skills in real time. At McKay we work to ensure that every student feels safe and experiences a sense of belonging and significance at school each day.