Intellectual Development
Our students will learn key academic skills - like reading, writing and math - to encompass the knowledge and processes associated with intellectual development. As learners and meaning-makers, students take subject-specific concepts and content and transform them into a new understanding.
Goals
- Improve student success in literacy.
- Improve student success in numeracy.
Spray Park Engineering Project
At William A. Fraser Middle, our school goal asks us to consider:
How do we develop the conditions for students to be challenged to develop critical thinking and perspective taking while learning how to “learn” and work with peers from diverse backgrounds?
Mr. Leinweber’s Spray Park Engineering Project is a powerful example of this goal in action. In this interdisciplinary Grade 8 learning experience, students design and build working models of splash‑pad features found in local spray parks. Each model includes coded circuits, pumps, and touch‑sensor activation, requiring students to integrate scientific understanding, mathematical reasoning, and creative problem‑solving.
Connected to Our District and Curriculum Priorities
This project aligns with the Abbotsford School District’s Student Success priority, particularly the focus on improving numeracy. Students apply mathematical concepts such as:
- Measurement and geometry
- Proportional reasoning
- Data analysis
- Spatial reasoning
These skills are used in an authentic, real‑world context, demonstrating that students are not simply “doing math” — they are using math as a tool for innovation, exactly as the BC curriculum intends. This work also reflects our district mission to prepare and inspire our students for a lifetime of success.
Preparing Students for a Lifetime
The Abbotsford School District’s mission and vision come to life in this project. Students engage in:
- Hands‑on, engaging, real‑world learning
- Collaboration and teamwork
- Creative problem‑solving and design thinking
These experiences reflect the district’s vision for world‑class, innovative, individualized learning, and support the Board’s Strategic Plan by strengthening core competencies and connecting learning to future pathways.
The Why
The Spray Park Engineering Project is more than a hands‑on activity — it is a model of the kind of learning our school and district are committed to:
- Challenging, meaningful, and connected to the real world
- Grounded in numeracy, design thinking, and innovation
- Collaborative and inclusive
- Aligned with our school goal and the district’s mission, vision, values, and Strategic Plan
This project demonstrates how Fraser Middle students are becoming critical thinkers, creative problem‑solvers, and collaborative learners who are prepared for the future.
Foundational Skills Assessment (FSA) at William A. Fraser Middle School
The Foundational Skills Assessment (FSA) is a provincial check‑in on core literacy and numeracy skills for our Grade 7 students. It is not a report card or an evaluation. Instead, it provides one valuable source of information that helps us understand how students are developing the skills they need to think critically, solve problems, and engage confidently in their learning.
At Fraser Middle, we review FSA results alongside numerous classroom assessments, the Whole Class Reading Assessment (WCRA), the Student Numeracy Assessment and Practice (SNAP), student voice and reflection, and teacher expertise. Together, these tools help us guide instruction and support every learner.
How the FSA Supports Our School
The FSA helps us:
- Identify strengths and areas for growth in literacy and numeracy
- Inform school‑wide strategies and targeted supports
- Ensure equitable access to learning for all students, including Indigenous learners, multilingual learners, and students with diverse abilities
These insights directly support our school goal:
To develop the conditions for students to think critically, understand diverse perspectives, and learn how to learn in collaborative, inclusive environments and aligns with the Abbotsford School District’s mission to prepare and inspire students for a lifetime of success. FSA information helps us ensure all students have the foundational skills they need to thrive.
Our use of FSA data supports district priorities by:
- Strengthening excellence in teaching and learning
- Supporting equity and inclusion for all learners
- Elevating student voice and engagement
- Using data to guide thoughtful, responsive decision‑making
What Our 2025–26 Results Show
Grade 7 Literacy
81.7% of students are On Track or Extending
Most students demonstrate a strong understanding of literacy concepts, with a smaller group requiring additional support.
Grade 7 Numeracy
56.5% of students are On Track or Extending
Numeracy continues to be an area of focus, aligning with our work in Building Thinking Classrooms and strengthening conceptual understanding.
Our Commitment
At Fraser Middle, FSA results are used to support student growth and understanding. They help us refine instruction, strengthen interventions, and ensure every student feels safe, included, and challenged.
The FSA is one part of a larger picture—one that includes student voice, teacher expertise, family partnerships, and our shared belief that every student can grow and learn.
Learning Through Innovation and Problem Solving
Mr. Ross co-taught with our LLC teacher, Ms. Kraljevic, and students in Pod H explored renewable energy by designing, building, and testing their own wind turbines. They combined their understanding of electricity, science concepts, and coding to solve real‑world problems.
This learning experience supports our school goal of building critical thinking, collaboration, and perspective‑taking skills. By engaging in hands‑on, project‑based learning, students were challenged to think deeply, take risks, and persevere when things didn’t work the first time.
This project aligns with our mission and values by helping students become curious, capable learners who demonstrate respect, collaboration, and responsibility.
The work also connects directly to the Abbotsford School District Strategic Plan. Students experienced:
- Excellence in teaching and learning through inquiry‑based, hands‑on instruction
- Ethical and innovative use of technology by using coding and electrical components
- Strong engagement and well‑being through collaborative group work and real‑world problem solving
Through projects like this, students are not only learning curriculum outcomes — they are developing the confidence, skills, and thinking habits they need for future learning and contribution to their community.
Peter Liljedahl’s Building Thinking Classrooms is a framework that creates conditions for students to engage in genuine problem-solving rather than rote learning. It emphasizes strategies like random groupings, working on vertical non-permanent surfaces, and using rich tasks to make thinking visible and collaborative. The goal is to build a classroom culture where students think deeply, reason, and learn through exploration and discussion.
