School Environment

A diverse body of research outlines the role of environmental factors associated with not only fostering literacy, but also school success. Parkview School clearly promotes literacy as its most important school improvement goal. Like many schools, their mascot is displayed on the front of the school. They updated this by adding well-recognized symbols to characterize their school's literacy focus.

Inside the school facility, children's artwork, as well as commercially available educational posters with slogans promoting the importance of reading and the value of schooling, adorn the school walls. Copies of the mascot are also strategically placed around the school building and proudly adorn the outfits of staff to remind the students of the school's heavy focus on literacy.

Without a doubt, Robin recognizes the importance of literacy in the lives of both children and adults. Her school has adopted a holistic approach to education by offering its students more than an academic education. Obvious efforts are being made to promote literacy and demonstrate a commitment to providing education for all students. At the time of the study, the community-school link was being carefully examined. Parkview School staff redefined this link by working with a committee of community workers to establish a centre for young children within the building. Funding was obtained through government grants to hire staff to prepare programs for its young users.

Parkview School students are aware of what literacy is and often use the word literacy when talking to their parents about events at school. During one of my interviews with Beth and her family, all three of her children spoke about some of the literacy projects that their classes had done. They also talk proudly of being able to go to the principal with a completed project sheet. Clearly, at this school, visiting the principal has taken on a meaning quite different from many schools where generally negative reasons prevail for a visit to the office.