Tomsett School Story Focus: Literacy, Identity & Deep Comprehension

At Tomsett, we believe that literacy is more than reading and writing—it’s about making sense of the world and finding our place within it. This year, our school-wide inquiry asks:

How can nurturing students’ comprehension strategies develop their competencies as thinkers and communicators?

Through explicit instruction, collaborative routines, and learning experiences that reflect and respect students’ diverse identities, we are deepening students’ ability to think critically, communicate clearly, and connect personally to texts. Using strategies like Say Something, See/Think/Me/We, and Explode the Image, students are learning to go beyond surface-level responses and engage in meaningful dialogue.

Across all grades, students are:

- Using sentence frames to express and defend ideas

- Engaging in quick writes, table talks, and Padlet discussions

- Connecting reading to themes of community, identity, and belonging

- Practicing respectful debate and thoughtful questioning

We are proud to center student voice and identity in our literacy journey, and we look forward to continuing this work through DEAR time, literature circles, and school-wide initiatives like Canada Reads and Smash Boom Best podcast debates.