At this time of year when we are considering the end one calendar year and the start of another, I can't help but feel excited about all that is possible and yet to come. At the same time though, I look back at what has been accomplished and will no longer be. A new year is always a bit of a give and take for me emotionally.
This is exactly how I am feeling as we close in on the end of 2010 and the retirement of two of our long-serving staff members. As we prepare ourselves to say farewell to Ms. Heck and Ms. Chauhan I look back at all that they have accomplished in their long careers and the influence they have had over countless numbers of students and say thank you. Our school will forever change as a result of their retirements, and while we are saddened to see them go, we must also look to the future to see what is possible for all of us. We take the lessons learned from these long-time colleagues and we apply them in new contexts and with new people.
To recognize for all of us that we will one day be moving away from the David Cameron Community is a difficult one. As Chris Kelly and Bruce Bearsto (Education Canada, 2010) reflect on this inevitable change, they say, "it is also vitally important [to] recognize that their time will be temporary, the organization will eventually and inevitably be carrying on without them, and the best they can hope to do is to affect at least some aspects of the ... culture in a way that will have some positive and enduring impact on others; namely, on the students".
With this in mind we say farewell to our colleagues Ms. Heck and Ms. Chauhan and know that we wish you well. We also thank you for your time, efforts, and contribution to the culture that is David Cameron School.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Sunday, December 5, 2010
The Strength of a Community
It is hard to believe that it has been three years since I joined the David Cameron School Community. Over that time I have been impressed at every turn by the depth of caring and connectedness of everyone involved in educating our students. This has never been more apparent than over the course of this past week.
Over the last week and a bit we received news that a former David Cameron Student, who still has a sibling in our school, had not been well. He had spent a considerable amount of time in the hospital as doctors tried to determine the illness. With concerns mounting, the student was moved to BC Children's Hospital in Vancouver, where he has been diagnosed with cancer. The nature and extent of the disease is still to be determined. While the family and our community continued to struggle with the news, many people began to ask, "what can we do for them?". We quickly wrote a letter asking for contributions at our movie afternoon and were overwhelmed by the response. Parents, staff, and neighbours were quick in their reactions, with people phoning to ask if they could do more than donate money. A few of our students took it upon themselves to make and sell friendship bracelets to help raise money for the family.
This willingness to step in and donate or offer services has shown that there is a strong and vibrant community that exists in support of our school and our students. We spend a lot of time at school talking with students about values, beliefs and virtues. It is great to see that these are being internalized and acted upon. December's virtue is Service; that is, service to others to help make their lives a little easier. We are fortunate to have seen this virtue put into action in so many different ways over the past few weeks.
We will continue to determine how we can best support the family as they learn more about what the coming weeks and months will bring. As the family helps us to understand their wishes and needs we will keep all of you informed as well. Thank you to everyone who has contributed in some way to making this whole ordeal just a little easier for this family.
Over the last week and a bit we received news that a former David Cameron Student, who still has a sibling in our school, had not been well. He had spent a considerable amount of time in the hospital as doctors tried to determine the illness. With concerns mounting, the student was moved to BC Children's Hospital in Vancouver, where he has been diagnosed with cancer. The nature and extent of the disease is still to be determined. While the family and our community continued to struggle with the news, many people began to ask, "what can we do for them?". We quickly wrote a letter asking for contributions at our movie afternoon and were overwhelmed by the response. Parents, staff, and neighbours were quick in their reactions, with people phoning to ask if they could do more than donate money. A few of our students took it upon themselves to make and sell friendship bracelets to help raise money for the family.
This willingness to step in and donate or offer services has shown that there is a strong and vibrant community that exists in support of our school and our students. We spend a lot of time at school talking with students about values, beliefs and virtues. It is great to see that these are being internalized and acted upon. December's virtue is Service; that is, service to others to help make their lives a little easier. We are fortunate to have seen this virtue put into action in so many different ways over the past few weeks.
We will continue to determine how we can best support the family as they learn more about what the coming weeks and months will bring. As the family helps us to understand their wishes and needs we will keep all of you informed as well. Thank you to everyone who has contributed in some way to making this whole ordeal just a little easier for this family.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Professional Development
On Friday, November 26, the David Cameron Staff got together to explore our personal and professional pre-dispositions towards learning and the learner. Our session was facilitated by retired Vancouver School District Superintendent, Chris Kelly. The idea for the day was to discuss and share our personal views of our learners and how those views impact upon the students' ability to learn. This was a great opportunity for our staff to work together and gain a stronger understanding of individual beliefs and how they support our greater collective beliefs.
During the day we explored three key questions posed to us by Chris, these were:
1. How do we actually view children and young people as learners?
2. How do we define the core purpose that focuses, guides and characterizes our efforts as educators?
3. How should we continue to engage in, and support our own learning and development as a professional learning community?
These are three very big questions to tackle in a single day. As we began our work together it quickly became evident that as a collective group we hold the learner in high esteem and believe that we do have a positive impact on them as developing human beings. Much of what we have done and continue to do in our school around beliefs and values surfaced and were reinforced through our conversations.
A key notion that emerged was the importance of belonging, competence, and self-determination as essential aspects for learning. Much of our conversation centered on the importance of belonging and ensuring an environment where students, staff, and families feel part of a strong community. It became abundantly clear that in order for students to be successful as learners they need to be in an environment where they feel a strong sense of belonging and that we as a school community must continue to reinforce and explore new practices that support this concept.
This day was a great starting point for us as a staff. Our next steps are to explore continued ways to engage in professional inquiry that will support our learners in reaching their potential. In the end, Chris left us with the notion that it is our job to "enable rather than determine a person's capacity for learning".
During the day we explored three key questions posed to us by Chris, these were:
1. How do we actually view children and young people as learners?
2. How do we define the core purpose that focuses, guides and characterizes our efforts as educators?
3. How should we continue to engage in, and support our own learning and development as a professional learning community?
These are three very big questions to tackle in a single day. As we began our work together it quickly became evident that as a collective group we hold the learner in high esteem and believe that we do have a positive impact on them as developing human beings. Much of what we have done and continue to do in our school around beliefs and values surfaced and were reinforced through our conversations.
A key notion that emerged was the importance of belonging, competence, and self-determination as essential aspects for learning. Much of our conversation centered on the importance of belonging and ensuring an environment where students, staff, and families feel part of a strong community. It became abundantly clear that in order for students to be successful as learners they need to be in an environment where they feel a strong sense of belonging and that we as a school community must continue to reinforce and explore new practices that support this concept.
This day was a great starting point for us as a staff. Our next steps are to explore continued ways to engage in professional inquiry that will support our learners in reaching their potential. In the end, Chris left us with the notion that it is our job to "enable rather than determine a person's capacity for learning".
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Student Conferences
Each year at this time parents, teachers, and students get ready for our first round of student conferences. These conferences create the opportunity to meet and discuss student progress to this point in the year. Student conferences are considered one of two informal reports (along with three formal reports) mandated by the Ministry of Education. Informal reporting can be accomplished in many different ways, including such methods as, email, phone conversations, interim reports, and just recently completed by one of our staff, Skype.
While conferences are considered informal, they are an important contact with families to see their child's classroom and meet face-to-face with the teacher. Many families have already had conversations with their teachers and have a good sense of what is happening, so this simply presents another opportunity to reinforce student successes. During student conferences, most teachers share samples of student work, discuss areas that they are doing well in, as well as areas for improvement. This is also a great time to discuss goals for the next term in order to help students focus their energies in areas of needed improvement.
The value in having these conferences is in the strengthening of the home-school relationship. The greater insight that families have into their child's learning, the better able they are to support the learning. When we partner in this way, we are able to make much more progress than working separately. So, thanks to all of you for your efforts on behalf of the students at David Cameron and your willingness to take the time to have these important conversations.
While conferences are considered informal, they are an important contact with families to see their child's classroom and meet face-to-face with the teacher. Many families have already had conversations with their teachers and have a good sense of what is happening, so this simply presents another opportunity to reinforce student successes. During student conferences, most teachers share samples of student work, discuss areas that they are doing well in, as well as areas for improvement. This is also a great time to discuss goals for the next term in order to help students focus their energies in areas of needed improvement.
The value in having these conferences is in the strengthening of the home-school relationship. The greater insight that families have into their child's learning, the better able they are to support the learning. When we partner in this way, we are able to make much more progress than working separately. So, thanks to all of you for your efforts on behalf of the students at David Cameron and your willingness to take the time to have these important conversations.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Having Fun
As I sit here on Halloween Eve, I can't help but reflect on the fun we had at school on Friday. Our students were fantastic, lots of kids dressed in costumes and many brought in carved pumpkins for display. Having a day where kids (and staff) can have a little fun together is a great way to ensure positive connections.
Our day started with a parade of fabulous costumes as students and staff arrived at school. We had ghosts and ghouls; Michael Jackson, fairies and princesses (plus lots of others). As well as the costumes, we had students arrive with their pre-carved pumpkins for display in our main entrance. Just before lunch time our primary students came to the gym for a little dancing fun. The students enjoyed dancing to the Monster Mash, the Chicken Dance, and many other favourites. At lunch time it was the intermediate students' turn to dance. There music was slightly more current with pop hits blasting in the gym. After lunch all of our students participated in a Halloween Safety assembly to help ensure their safety while trick or treating.
All of these things show that we can have fun together at school and still meet expectations for how we behave. I am reminded of something I read years ago that said, "student's won't always remember what they learned in school, but they will remember the fun they had with their teachers." I hope we can be the kind of school where we can all have fun together to help make the learning easier.
Happy Halloween everyone.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Creating the Conditions for Students to Fix Problems
On Thursday and Friday last week, seven of our staff were able to participate in a session on "Control Theory" led by Diane Gossen. Control Theory comes from the work of William Glasser, a noted psychiatrist who has been working on the concepts of behaviour for more than 40 years. Control Theory forms the basis for Restitution, a way of working with students to help them fix behavioural mistakes.
At the center of Control Theory is the notion that humans have different realities and experiences (pictures in our minds). It is through these realities that we understand the world. If we have different pictures then we experience events differently. Students that have limited pictures or options see only a few behaviours as choices for themselves and when their choice doesn't match the situation, we have a behaviour problem. Control Theory also focuses on the notion that all behaviour serves a purpose - we behave in certain ways for a reason. We cannot control others, we can only control ourselves. As a result, the way in which we work with students is to create an abundance of new options so that they can choose alternative pathways to get their needs met.
When individuals perceive a mismatch between what they hoped to get and the end result, they behave in certain ways to close the gap between their need and the reality. For example if someone orders a cup of coffee with a particular picture of what that coffee will look and taste like, and the actual coffee does not match our expectation, we have a mismatch. This is where behaviour comes in, we can make a variety of choices to adjust our expectations down ("it's okay I can manage with this cup") or we can adjust to get what we want (send it back to be re-done). In short, we have a variety of socially acceptable ways to get our need for a good cup of coffee met. Students who struggle with behaviour issues have these same mismatches with everything from school work to relationships. The difference is that they don't have enough strategies to adjust so that they can get their needs met, the only options they have are to show alternate behaviours.
The day and a half session with Diane has opened our eyes to working with students to figure out what needs they are trying to meet through their behaviours and to provide them with alternate pathways to get those needs met. Control Theory is more supportive and learning is enhanced through this view of behaviour.
At the center of Control Theory is the notion that humans have different realities and experiences (pictures in our minds). It is through these realities that we understand the world. If we have different pictures then we experience events differently. Students that have limited pictures or options see only a few behaviours as choices for themselves and when their choice doesn't match the situation, we have a behaviour problem. Control Theory also focuses on the notion that all behaviour serves a purpose - we behave in certain ways for a reason. We cannot control others, we can only control ourselves. As a result, the way in which we work with students is to create an abundance of new options so that they can choose alternative pathways to get their needs met.
When individuals perceive a mismatch between what they hoped to get and the end result, they behave in certain ways to close the gap between their need and the reality. For example if someone orders a cup of coffee with a particular picture of what that coffee will look and taste like, and the actual coffee does not match our expectation, we have a mismatch. This is where behaviour comes in, we can make a variety of choices to adjust our expectations down ("it's okay I can manage with this cup") or we can adjust to get what we want (send it back to be re-done). In short, we have a variety of socially acceptable ways to get our need for a good cup of coffee met. Students who struggle with behaviour issues have these same mismatches with everything from school work to relationships. The difference is that they don't have enough strategies to adjust so that they can get their needs met, the only options they have are to show alternate behaviours.
The day and a half session with Diane has opened our eyes to working with students to figure out what needs they are trying to meet through their behaviours and to provide them with alternate pathways to get those needs met. Control Theory is more supportive and learning is enhanced through this view of behaviour.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Giving Thanks
What a fabulous weekend this has been. The weather was great, the food was great, and connections with family were great as well. I began thinking about what to write in this week's blog on Friday, after another very busy week at school and how much I was looking forward to the Thanksgiving weekend. Normally, I'm not one to get too hung up on the whole "what am I thankful for" thing, but this weekend I started thinking about how thankful I am for the tremendous staff I have at David Cameron School.
This really became clear to me as I read an interview with Bill Gates in the latest Maclean's magazine. He was lamenting the failure of the American education system and the tolerance for mediocrity in its teaching ranks. As I read, I kept thinking how opposite his perspective is to my reality. At David Cameron we have teachers that are not only dedicated, but have the learning needs of all of our children as their central focus. Our teachers are not complacent and happy with the status quo, they are constantly looking for new insights and strategies for their teaching that will help students achieve greater learning.
Last week, I wrote about our Literature Study Circles as an innovative, cross-grade method of increasing the sophistication with which students comprehend text. This is a single example of the kinds of things that our teachers do on a daily basis, while at the same time supporting the variety of needs that students in their classes have.
David Cameron school has become a complex, fast-paced, large elementary school, but despite these challenges our teachers remain committed to the learning of each child. So, Thanksgiving has made me think about how truly thankful I am that I get to go to a place every week that has such a caring and forward thinking group of teachers. Thanks to each of you.
This really became clear to me as I read an interview with Bill Gates in the latest Maclean's magazine. He was lamenting the failure of the American education system and the tolerance for mediocrity in its teaching ranks. As I read, I kept thinking how opposite his perspective is to my reality. At David Cameron we have teachers that are not only dedicated, but have the learning needs of all of our children as their central focus. Our teachers are not complacent and happy with the status quo, they are constantly looking for new insights and strategies for their teaching that will help students achieve greater learning.
Last week, I wrote about our Literature Study Circles as an innovative, cross-grade method of increasing the sophistication with which students comprehend text. This is a single example of the kinds of things that our teachers do on a daily basis, while at the same time supporting the variety of needs that students in their classes have.
David Cameron school has become a complex, fast-paced, large elementary school, but despite these challenges our teachers remain committed to the learning of each child. So, Thanksgiving has made me think about how truly thankful I am that I get to go to a place every week that has such a caring and forward thinking group of teachers. Thanks to each of you.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Literature Study Circles
Last year at David Cameron School we began to use an instructional process called "Literature Study Circles". This is a way of engaging students in reading a wide variety of books in order to respond and comprehend what they have read. The key to engagement is that students can choose books that they are interested in and then read at their own pace. Students then meet up with others reading the same book to discuss their thoughts.
Last year we had a number of classes involved in this cross-grade process that has students from different classes joining together in conversation about the books that they have read. While most of the work was done at the grade five and six level, we had staff try it out in other grades as well, including grade one and two. The strategy teaches students to "say something" about what they have read or about connections, questions, or comments other members of their group have made.
Our experience last year was incredible as we sought to help students develop into more sophisticated readers. The depth of understanding and comprehension that students were able to demonstrate was impressive. As a result of these positive outcomes, our school is continuing to work on this as a means for student learning and staff collaboration. Our vice-principal, Ms. Jarvis, has done an incredible job taking on the leadership of this with staff and in gaining outside funding support through the Raise-a-Reader fund.
Our students are fortunate to have such a forward thinking and engaging process to be a part of. We are excited about extending this program into more classes this year and having more students and staff involved.
Last year we had a number of classes involved in this cross-grade process that has students from different classes joining together in conversation about the books that they have read. While most of the work was done at the grade five and six level, we had staff try it out in other grades as well, including grade one and two. The strategy teaches students to "say something" about what they have read or about connections, questions, or comments other members of their group have made.
Our experience last year was incredible as we sought to help students develop into more sophisticated readers. The depth of understanding and comprehension that students were able to demonstrate was impressive. As a result of these positive outcomes, our school is continuing to work on this as a means for student learning and staff collaboration. Our vice-principal, Ms. Jarvis, has done an incredible job taking on the leadership of this with staff and in gaining outside funding support through the Raise-a-Reader fund.
Our students are fortunate to have such a forward thinking and engaging process to be a part of. We are excited about extending this program into more classes this year and having more students and staff involved.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Knowing Students By Name
I have been asked several times by parents over the years, how I know all of the kids names. I have a confession to make, I don't know them all - yet. This year I probably know 85 to 90% of our students by name and I am working on the rest.
Knowing students by name is an important part of my work in the school - maybe the most important. When I'm able to say "hi" or call a student by their name it helps to create a connection between me and them. This connection helps me to check in on what's going on or help to resolve problems that might be occurring. I really believe that it helps in creating a positive learning community as well. Students feel welcomed and included at our school and knowing their name contributes to this. Besides, calling to a student in the hall and saying "hey you" doesn't quite have the same affect.
There are some pieces of educational research that suggest a positive relationship with a caring adult at school helps students to feel accepted and competent in their academic work. In our school plan we refer to this as "belonging" and it is essential to a person's learning success. "Belonging encompasses a person's own sense that they are genuinely and caringly included among all others in their place of learning, and that they can feel personally secure in this" (Chris Kelly, 2010). Calling a student by name is one way that I can show I care. This is a small contribution to the much larger connection that our classroom teachers and support staff make in getting to know our students on a much deeper level. No where is this more evident than in our class placement process at the end and beginning of each school year. When we discuss possible class lists our staff know, in detail, what works for kids, who they connect with, and what supports they need in order to be successful. The depth with which our staff know your children never ceases to amaze me.
How fortunate we all are to have a place where our students are connected in such a meaningful way to adults that care and in turn, this breeds confidence in learning.
Knowing students by name is an important part of my work in the school - maybe the most important. When I'm able to say "hi" or call a student by their name it helps to create a connection between me and them. This connection helps me to check in on what's going on or help to resolve problems that might be occurring. I really believe that it helps in creating a positive learning community as well. Students feel welcomed and included at our school and knowing their name contributes to this. Besides, calling to a student in the hall and saying "hey you" doesn't quite have the same affect.
There are some pieces of educational research that suggest a positive relationship with a caring adult at school helps students to feel accepted and competent in their academic work. In our school plan we refer to this as "belonging" and it is essential to a person's learning success. "Belonging encompasses a person's own sense that they are genuinely and caringly included among all others in their place of learning, and that they can feel personally secure in this" (Chris Kelly, 2010). Calling a student by name is one way that I can show I care. This is a small contribution to the much larger connection that our classroom teachers and support staff make in getting to know our students on a much deeper level. No where is this more evident than in our class placement process at the end and beginning of each school year. When we discuss possible class lists our staff know, in detail, what works for kids, who they connect with, and what supports they need in order to be successful. The depth with which our staff know your children never ceases to amaze me.
How fortunate we all are to have a place where our students are connected in such a meaningful way to adults that care and in turn, this breeds confidence in learning.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Keeping our Kids Active
In my family, this past week has signaled the start of another busy year with sports and other activities beginning. This means that the taxi service is also in full swing as we juggle between soccer, volleyball, cross country, basketball, and piano lessons. This same act is done by many of our David Cameron families as well. I think it's great that there are so many opportunities in greater Victoria to lead an active lifestyle. There are many sports organizations dedicated to kids, as well as sport facilities, and community trails for jogging or biking. Victoria even offers support for families with financial difficulties through the KidSport organization.
At David Cameron we continue to promote daily physical activity for our students. As a school, we do our regular Monday School-Wide Run (and Marathon recognition), and many classes go for hikes along the galloping goose trail on days that they are not scheduled into the gym. We also have lots of play equipment for students to use at recess and lunch. We know that kids need to move and be active and yet, in Canada, obesity has become the second leading, preventable, cause of death, only outdone by smoking. A few years ago there was a statistic released by General Motors that they were spending more on health care costs than they were on raw materials to build cars. These facts seem to add a little more importance to the need for daily activity.
So, let's do our part to keep getting the kids where they need to be and supporting them in whatever activities they choose. Let's also commit to being good role models for them in our own lifestyles. We will do our best to encourage, support, and offer activities at school as well.
At David Cameron we continue to promote daily physical activity for our students. As a school, we do our regular Monday School-Wide Run (and Marathon recognition), and many classes go for hikes along the galloping goose trail on days that they are not scheduled into the gym. We also have lots of play equipment for students to use at recess and lunch. We know that kids need to move and be active and yet, in Canada, obesity has become the second leading, preventable, cause of death, only outdone by smoking. A few years ago there was a statistic released by General Motors that they were spending more on health care costs than they were on raw materials to build cars. These facts seem to add a little more importance to the need for daily activity.
So, let's do our part to keep getting the kids where they need to be and supporting them in whatever activities they choose. Let's also commit to being good role models for them in our own lifestyles. We will do our best to encourage, support, and offer activities at school as well.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Here we are again.
This is such an exciting time for everyone; students, parents, and teachers. As much as we love the carefree and relaxed atmosphere that summer brings, there is a certain serenity in routines and regularity. This year at David Cameron is no exception, we are all looking forward to another great year.
This past week, our staff worked hard behind the scenes to re-organize student placements due to the addition of a new division. In June we tentatively place students into their classes based on our projected enrollment and then often need to make adjustments due to new arrivals. This year our numbers are close to the 350 student mark.
During the first week of school, students returned to their previous year's class and re-connected with friends, while teachers made those class adjustments. It was also a great opportunity to refresh our school expectations in the minds of the students. In order for us to all "be together", we must "work together" to create the kind of school we want. We also introduced our first virtue of the year - Idealism. This sets the tone for our year in encouraging students to dream big and to pursue those dreams. It also focuses us on setting high standards and expectations within our school community.
So, with all of that in mind, here we go again with the 2010/2011 school year.
This past week, our staff worked hard behind the scenes to re-organize student placements due to the addition of a new division. In June we tentatively place students into their classes based on our projected enrollment and then often need to make adjustments due to new arrivals. This year our numbers are close to the 350 student mark.
During the first week of school, students returned to their previous year's class and re-connected with friends, while teachers made those class adjustments. It was also a great opportunity to refresh our school expectations in the minds of the students. In order for us to all "be together", we must "work together" to create the kind of school we want. We also introduced our first virtue of the year - Idealism. This sets the tone for our year in encouraging students to dream big and to pursue those dreams. It also focuses us on setting high standards and expectations within our school community.
So, with all of that in mind, here we go again with the 2010/2011 school year.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Farewell to our grade sixes
I always approach this time of year with mixed feelings. On one hand I am excited to see our grade six students taking the next step in their academic careers, with the possibility of their futures open to them. On the other hand, I can't help but feel a bit selfish and wish that they would stay around for awhile longer. It seems that we are just getting to the point where their contributions to our school are mature, community-based, and supportive of a great environment, and then they leave.
This year, our grade sixes have taken on incredible leadership roles and have set a standard for years to come. They have taken on the responsibility of our morning announcements for the first time, they continue to act as our student announcers for assemblies, and they have created many opportunities for student involvement in things like floor and road hockey tournaments, to name a few things.
Beyond the contributions that they make to school in tangible ways, their influence within the school is positive and calming (most of the time ;)). They demonstrate the ability to contribute to our school environment (who can ignore the guitar playing on the school grounds), solve problems in peaceful ways (too many times this year, problems have already been resolved prior to any adult intervention). They also have a great sense of the impact of their contributions and they thrive on this as a part of who they are.
We are fortunate to have such a great group of students as our leaders and role models. Their positive influence can only help to continue the tradition of excellence at David Cameron that our new grade six students will aspire to. While I am sad to see them go, I can't wait to hear the stories of their successes in years to come. Best of luck to all of them in the future.
This year, our grade sixes have taken on incredible leadership roles and have set a standard for years to come. They have taken on the responsibility of our morning announcements for the first time, they continue to act as our student announcers for assemblies, and they have created many opportunities for student involvement in things like floor and road hockey tournaments, to name a few things.
Beyond the contributions that they make to school in tangible ways, their influence within the school is positive and calming (most of the time ;)). They demonstrate the ability to contribute to our school environment (who can ignore the guitar playing on the school grounds), solve problems in peaceful ways (too many times this year, problems have already been resolved prior to any adult intervention). They also have a great sense of the impact of their contributions and they thrive on this as a part of who they are.
We are fortunate to have such a great group of students as our leaders and role models. Their positive influence can only help to continue the tradition of excellence at David Cameron that our new grade six students will aspire to. While I am sad to see them go, I can't wait to hear the stories of their successes in years to come. Best of luck to all of them in the future.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Leadership and Belonging
We were fortunate recently to have Chris Kelly, retired superintendent of Vancouver School District, visit our school for a day. The purpose of Chris' visit was to help guide us in our continued work on school culture. Chris' insights and thoughts have been helpful in guiding our directions for next year.
Two key ideas have emerged in relation to our on-going efforts for developing our school culture. One is the notion of belonging. This is the act of ensuring that students (and other members of our school community) are genuinely and caringly included in our school, and those who promote this should be recognized for their contributions. The work we have been doing over the past few years has focused on the centrality of the learner and ensuring a sense of belonging really allows us to fine tune this. Secondly, Chris has given us a new insight into the notion of leadership that moves away from formal or defined leadership. He defines leadership as "the act of taking personal responsibility for the quality of others' experience". These intentional acts to foster belonging and care for others are foundational to the kind of culture we continue to strive for in our school.
With these ideas in mind it becomes an exciting prospect to move forward into the next school year with some lofty ideals to work towards. We have always supported the notion of internal control and decision making for our students. If we can now get them to think about the relationship of their actions on another individual as well as the broader community we will have achieved something amazing.
Stay tuned as we further develop our thinking on these ideas.
Two key ideas have emerged in relation to our on-going efforts for developing our school culture. One is the notion of belonging. This is the act of ensuring that students (and other members of our school community) are genuinely and caringly included in our school, and those who promote this should be recognized for their contributions. The work we have been doing over the past few years has focused on the centrality of the learner and ensuring a sense of belonging really allows us to fine tune this. Secondly, Chris has given us a new insight into the notion of leadership that moves away from formal or defined leadership. He defines leadership as "the act of taking personal responsibility for the quality of others' experience". These intentional acts to foster belonging and care for others are foundational to the kind of culture we continue to strive for in our school.
With these ideas in mind it becomes an exciting prospect to move forward into the next school year with some lofty ideals to work towards. We have always supported the notion of internal control and decision making for our students. If we can now get them to think about the relationship of their actions on another individual as well as the broader community we will have achieved something amazing.
Stay tuned as we further develop our thinking on these ideas.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Is it really June?
The weather notwithstanding, it is hard to believe that June has descended upon us already. It seems that we were just welcoming new families to our school and introducing our staff, and yet, with the hurry that is the school year, we find ourselves getting set to end another year. June is a busy time and does not seem to "wind down", instead it seems to hurry up and then just end.
Along with our commitment to academic work for our students and wrapping up the instructional/ assessment part of our year we have a number of other activities that press our time. These include, year-end field trips, our school fun day, Grade Six Farewell, and our year-end assembly (to mention only a few). For some it appears that June is a "write-off" for academic work and that the majority of time is spent on fun activities. While it is true that June sees its fair share of field trips and special events it is also a critical time do year-end assessments, complete instruction in units, and ensure our students are ready for their transition to the next grade. In the midst of all of this our teachers are actively gathering evidence of student learning in order to provide parents with the final report card of the year. This final report is not only an indication of the students' learning in the third term but also overall for the school year.
So, June is here and with it the hustle and bustle of completing the year. The final push for our students to complete their work and to have a little fun with their classmates prior to the transition to the next phase of their education.
Along with our commitment to academic work for our students and wrapping up the instructional/ assessment part of our year we have a number of other activities that press our time. These include, year-end field trips, our school fun day, Grade Six Farewell, and our year-end assembly (to mention only a few). For some it appears that June is a "write-off" for academic work and that the majority of time is spent on fun activities. While it is true that June sees its fair share of field trips and special events it is also a critical time do year-end assessments, complete instruction in units, and ensure our students are ready for their transition to the next grade. In the midst of all of this our teachers are actively gathering evidence of student learning in order to provide parents with the final report card of the year. This final report is not only an indication of the students' learning in the third term but also overall for the school year.
So, June is here and with it the hustle and bustle of completing the year. The final push for our students to complete their work and to have a little fun with their classmates prior to the transition to the next phase of their education.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Creating Opportunities to Participate
This past Friday was a great day for student participation at David Cameron. After weeks of working with students in PE classes and in groups during academic time, we held our Intermediate Track Meet. Students had been practicing and learning about running events, as well as field events and were excited to try them out in some friendly competition. In year's past our Intermediate Track Meet was held at the beginning of May, from which, our Track Team was selected. Students did not have the opportunity to learn and practice the events before the competition. Our staff spent lots of time trying to teach the students how to do the events as well as trying to give everyone a turn during the track meet. It meant that for some students, it was their first and last time trying the event. Our new plan, gave everyone many chances to practice and try out the events.
The energy and enthusiasm on Friday was fabulous, with lots of excitement from our students. At one point, we had two high jumpers still competing in the grade six boys group, when a grade one and a grade two class showed up to the gym to begin their PE. "No problem", said the teachers, the kids would love to watch. What an incredible environment with the ones, twos, and grade six boys cheering every jump. The two boys were buoyed on by the enthusiasm and rhythmic clapping.
We are now ready to head to the District Field Events Meet on June 2 and the Track Meet on June 4 with a great group of student athletes whom we know will represent our school well.
The energy and enthusiasm on Friday was fabulous, with lots of excitement from our students. At one point, we had two high jumpers still competing in the grade six boys group, when a grade one and a grade two class showed up to the gym to begin their PE. "No problem", said the teachers, the kids would love to watch. What an incredible environment with the ones, twos, and grade six boys cheering every jump. The two boys were buoyed on by the enthusiasm and rhythmic clapping.
We are now ready to head to the District Field Events Meet on June 2 and the Track Meet on June 4 with a great group of student athletes whom we know will represent our school well.
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Our On-Going Commitment to School Culture
Over the past two years our school community has been working hard to build a new school culture. We have seen many successes in this regard, but we still have a ways to go. Our continued growth has to take into account the needs of our students, parents, and staff. As well, we must come to an understanding of what it means to be a "big school". With a student enrollment around 340 students it becomes more difficult to have the intimate connection that a small school allows. It becomes harder to know all of the students and their families and for students to know all of our staff. These are things that we need to continue to work on. How do we make a large school seem small? What processes and procedures do we have in place to recognize student success and to make it a place where people feel welcomed and engaged?
These are some of the challenges that we continue to face as we work together on behalf of our students. As we look forward to next year, there continues to be a commitment to the culture of our school. Celebrating student success, encouraging a sense of exploration and engaged learning, as well as clearly understood expectations for behaviour are some areas that will allow us to continue our growth together.
We have come a long way as a school and have made several positive strides forward in our quest for student success. A continued focus on developing culture will allow us to fine tune our work and address some new areas that relate to how we want to be seen by our community. Things are great at David Cameron and we want to continue that trend. The only way to do that is to continue to pay attention to the things we want to "grow" and get more of. Our Planning Council, PAC, staff, and students all strive for the best that we can be.
These are some of the challenges that we continue to face as we work together on behalf of our students. As we look forward to next year, there continues to be a commitment to the culture of our school. Celebrating student success, encouraging a sense of exploration and engaged learning, as well as clearly understood expectations for behaviour are some areas that will allow us to continue our growth together.
We have come a long way as a school and have made several positive strides forward in our quest for student success. A continued focus on developing culture will allow us to fine tune our work and address some new areas that relate to how we want to be seen by our community. Things are great at David Cameron and we want to continue that trend. The only way to do that is to continue to pay attention to the things we want to "grow" and get more of. Our Planning Council, PAC, staff, and students all strive for the best that we can be.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Planning for Next Year
Sorry I missed last weeks blog, there were just too many exciting things going on during the weekend. Happy Mother's Day to all of our David Cameron Parents. I hope you had an enjoyable day and that your children treated you well.
This time of year keeps us busy with a number of things on the go at the school, key among them is the planning process for next year. The District is finalizing its 2010-2011 budget and trying to deal with a million and a half projected deficit. This will have impacts in many aspects of our school and across the District. The Board has made a commitment to protect positions close to the classroom and to try to keep as many resources in front of children as possible. As this process unfolds, the District is also trying to deal with future spaces for students as Sooke is one of only a few Districts province-wide with a growing population. In particular, the District continues to pursue plans to replace Belmont Secondary with two new schools (one at Royal Bay and one at the former Glen Lake site). There will be a public consultation meeting on this at John Stubbs School on May 18 at 7:00pm.
At David Cameron we are now in a position to begin thinking about our class configuration for next year and how we will staff for that. This is always a difficult time for staff as the possibility of lay-offs loom. We are hopeful that as student numbers solidify and positions become available, most people will find positions for next year. Our school is projected to be down slightly in numbers for next year going from our current head count of around 340 to 320. This will likely mean the reduction of one division for next year, although, the last two years have seen us add divisions in September.
Regardless of all of these difficult decisions we will always look at what is best for students and how we can use the resources available to support them the best way possible. If you have any questions please don't hesitate to contact me at the school.
This time of year keeps us busy with a number of things on the go at the school, key among them is the planning process for next year. The District is finalizing its 2010-2011 budget and trying to deal with a million and a half projected deficit. This will have impacts in many aspects of our school and across the District. The Board has made a commitment to protect positions close to the classroom and to try to keep as many resources in front of children as possible. As this process unfolds, the District is also trying to deal with future spaces for students as Sooke is one of only a few Districts province-wide with a growing population. In particular, the District continues to pursue plans to replace Belmont Secondary with two new schools (one at Royal Bay and one at the former Glen Lake site). There will be a public consultation meeting on this at John Stubbs School on May 18 at 7:00pm.
At David Cameron we are now in a position to begin thinking about our class configuration for next year and how we will staff for that. This is always a difficult time for staff as the possibility of lay-offs loom. We are hopeful that as student numbers solidify and positions become available, most people will find positions for next year. Our school is projected to be down slightly in numbers for next year going from our current head count of around 340 to 320. This will likely mean the reduction of one division for next year, although, the last two years have seen us add divisions in September.
Regardless of all of these difficult decisions we will always look at what is best for students and how we can use the resources available to support them the best way possible. If you have any questions please don't hesitate to contact me at the school.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Anything Worth Doing, Is Worth Doing Well
Today was the TC10K race, with over 13 000 runners. It is a run that I love to do every year, and somewhere in the middle of doing it, I wonder why I like it. Today, I felt good until the 5K mark, but kept going, at the 8K mark I started to think how I had ruined a great morning, but I persevered and reached my goal. On Friday night, we had our PAC sponsored Fun Fair. When the skies opened and the rain fell, it would have been easy to say "call it off", but our PAC persevered, by adjusting their plans and staging a hugely successful "indoor" Fun Fair. This quality is one that we want to instill in all of our students.
It seems that giving in when things get tough is too easy a choice these days. At school, we work to help our students understand the message that if it is worth doing, it is worth putting our best effort forward and working until we complete it. The staff at David Cameron School continually push our students towards their best work and to ensure they finish what they start. Persevering under difficult circumstances is a great life skill and one that will help our students in their future careers. We as adults need to be great role models for this, and we are.
It seems that giving in when things get tough is too easy a choice these days. At school, we work to help our students understand the message that if it is worth doing, it is worth putting our best effort forward and working until we complete it. The staff at David Cameron School continually push our students towards their best work and to ensure they finish what they start. Persevering under difficult circumstances is a great life skill and one that will help our students in their future careers. We as adults need to be great role models for this, and we are.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
School Spirit
This year, Student Voice has offered suggestions on dealing with garbage on the school grounds, how to hand out play equipment at recess and lunch, and what to do on our "spirit days". The photo attached to this blog shows our recent "Crazy Hat Day" with a few of the selections on display that day. These days are important parts of our school community and help engage students. They show students that pride in your school and fun can go hand-in-hand with a focus on academic work. Showing school spirit is an important part of making stronger connections which ultimately lead to greater student results.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Fair and Equal: The Same Thing?
I think that I have mentioned before that in any situation their are a variety of perspectives, including the students, staff members, parents, and even the broader community. With that in mind, it's fair to say that no two situations are ever the same. Which brings me to my point this week, that is, fair does not necessarily mean equal. Equal means that everyone gets the same thing, fair means that people get what they need.
At the essence of fairness is determining the circumstances of each situation and the people involved. What is going to stimulate the greatest amount of learning and move the person forward strengthened? This is how we would want to be treated if we were in a situation where we had made a mistake, and its where students should be so that they can make mistakes and learn too.
A few years ago, the notion of "zero tolerance" emerged as a necessary component of most school codes of conduct. To many, zero tolerance meant that everyone got the same consequence regardless of circumstance. The notion has evolved to the point now where zero tolerance means that something will always be done when rules and beliefs are broken, but the consequence will be fair and in relation to the needs of the individual.
I believe this notion of, what's fair is not necessarily what's equal, is important in allowing students to take risks in their learning and still be held accountable when they make mistakes, but in a way that strengthens them, rather than blaming or shaming them.
At the essence of fairness is determining the circumstances of each situation and the people involved. What is going to stimulate the greatest amount of learning and move the person forward strengthened? This is how we would want to be treated if we were in a situation where we had made a mistake, and its where students should be so that they can make mistakes and learn too.
A few years ago, the notion of "zero tolerance" emerged as a necessary component of most school codes of conduct. To many, zero tolerance meant that everyone got the same consequence regardless of circumstance. The notion has evolved to the point now where zero tolerance means that something will always be done when rules and beliefs are broken, but the consequence will be fair and in relation to the needs of the individual.
I believe this notion of, what's fair is not necessarily what's equal, is important in allowing students to take risks in their learning and still be held accountable when they make mistakes, but in a way that strengthens them, rather than blaming or shaming them.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Why Do We Care So Much?
I watched the movie "The Blind Side" last night, for which Sandra Bullock won a best actress Oscar. The movie was great and got me thinking about disadvantaged people and why we care so much. In the movie, a family ends up taking in a total stranger who has suffered a life of neglect and poverty. They nurture and support him towards his own ultimate success.
As we each go through our day-to-day world we come across so many people that have less than us, and yet, there are a few that we truly "connect" with and want to help. Dan Gardner in his book "Risk" talks about the numbers of people in need as being overwhelming to the average person, we can't relate. However, when these numbers are reduced to a single story or person, it links more easily to our emotions, as a result it is easier for us to act when it is one person than 1000. It still doesn't answer the question of why we do it.
In teaching, there are so many students that cross our paths, that at times the need can be overwhelming and yet, we do what we can for each one of them. Still, there are some students that truly "catch" us and pull us into their story for whom we want to do more, and in doing more, we gain. I think it is as much what we get out of the relationship as what the other person does that makes us care. It is in this shared sense of growth, support, and nurturing that we gain as well. I see first hand examples every day from students, parents, and school staff caring for other individuals.
There is a little boy at school with whom we have struggled over the years. This year has been a standout year for him as many staff have reached out and provided the support and understanding that he needs to be successful. In extending that understanding we too have benefited. I saw him and his father in the school hallway a while ago and stopped them both to say thank-you for helping me to learn the value of patience. In this relationship, we have both gained.
So, why do we care so much? It is in our capacity as human beings that we have the unique gift of empathy. Beyond simply caring for others, it is also a bit selfish as we realize that in giving we also gain.
As we each go through our day-to-day world we come across so many people that have less than us, and yet, there are a few that we truly "connect" with and want to help. Dan Gardner in his book "Risk" talks about the numbers of people in need as being overwhelming to the average person, we can't relate. However, when these numbers are reduced to a single story or person, it links more easily to our emotions, as a result it is easier for us to act when it is one person than 1000. It still doesn't answer the question of why we do it.
In teaching, there are so many students that cross our paths, that at times the need can be overwhelming and yet, we do what we can for each one of them. Still, there are some students that truly "catch" us and pull us into their story for whom we want to do more, and in doing more, we gain. I think it is as much what we get out of the relationship as what the other person does that makes us care. It is in this shared sense of growth, support, and nurturing that we gain as well. I see first hand examples every day from students, parents, and school staff caring for other individuals.
There is a little boy at school with whom we have struggled over the years. This year has been a standout year for him as many staff have reached out and provided the support and understanding that he needs to be successful. In extending that understanding we too have benefited. I saw him and his father in the school hallway a while ago and stopped them both to say thank-you for helping me to learn the value of patience. In this relationship, we have both gained.
So, why do we care so much? It is in our capacity as human beings that we have the unique gift of empathy. Beyond simply caring for others, it is also a bit selfish as we realize that in giving we also gain.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Zen and the art of class organization
Each year, we go through the ritual of organizing classes for the next school year. It is a balance between enrollment projections, the number of students currently in our school, and past trends. It is an important activity as it determines the number of divisions that we have, therefore the way in which we organize students for instruction, and ultimately, how many teachers we have in our school. This becomes an even more difficult process in a year where the Board of Education is faced with a possible shortfall in necessary funding.
As we consider all of the factors that are available to us, we also try to look at the needs of the particular student groups we have. Do we need to group students in a particular way in order to provide support, do we need to separate some students to ensure workable class groupings, do we have "split" or "straight" grade classes? Then we have Provincial legislation and District Policy that provides some "rules" around how many students in a particular class, and of those students how many might be on an individual education plan (IEP). We then have to ensure that we consult with the District, our school staff, and parents via the School Planning Council (SPC).
All of this is terribly important in ensuring the best balance of grade offerings, and student groupings for learning because students don't get a "do over". This is there only shot at that grade and we want to set them up for success with a great bunch of classmates in a class structure that supports their needs and abilities.
So, we carefully choose how we configure our classes and how we place the students in those classes, then over the next several months (right up to and including September), we watch the student registration numbers. A few students at a certain grade level registering at our school or leaving our school could mean the gain or loss of a division, which means; you guessed it, re-organization and re-placing the students in the new classes.
Patience, understanding, and a certain resolve to get it right no matter how many changes occur, is the challenge we face each year at this time. So, with deep breaths and thinking happy thoughts we are poised to plunge in.
As we consider all of the factors that are available to us, we also try to look at the needs of the particular student groups we have. Do we need to group students in a particular way in order to provide support, do we need to separate some students to ensure workable class groupings, do we have "split" or "straight" grade classes? Then we have Provincial legislation and District Policy that provides some "rules" around how many students in a particular class, and of those students how many might be on an individual education plan (IEP). We then have to ensure that we consult with the District, our school staff, and parents via the School Planning Council (SPC).
All of this is terribly important in ensuring the best balance of grade offerings, and student groupings for learning because students don't get a "do over". This is there only shot at that grade and we want to set them up for success with a great bunch of classmates in a class structure that supports their needs and abilities.
So, we carefully choose how we configure our classes and how we place the students in those classes, then over the next several months (right up to and including September), we watch the student registration numbers. A few students at a certain grade level registering at our school or leaving our school could mean the gain or loss of a division, which means; you guessed it, re-organization and re-placing the students in the new classes.
Patience, understanding, and a certain resolve to get it right no matter how many changes occur, is the challenge we face each year at this time. So, with deep breaths and thinking happy thoughts we are poised to plunge in.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Inquiry Teams
A unique feature of working in the Sooke School District is something called "Inquiry Teams". Inquiry Teams are groups of teachers and administrators that have a particular question that they would like to answer. The District provides some funding support to allow folks to meet and discuss their question. This allows staff members to be actively engaged in advancing their practice and improve the academic success of our students.
At David Cameron, we are working on the following question; "Does the use of Literature Study Circles (LSCs) help students to become more sophisticated readers?" What an incredible project this has turned out to be, with a large number of our staff actively involved and many more following along to see how it goes. At this point we are working across grade with grade 5 and 6 students, however, we are poised to extend this with grade 1 and 2 students being involved as well.
LSCs allow students to choose from a variety of books (novel and graphic) and then to meet with others who are reading the same book to have in-depth conversations and to share their connections and understanding. This program has exceeded beyond our hopes on many levels. One thing is the number of staff who have become involved and are doing some amazing things with students to enhance their learning. The second thing is the students themselves. After the last LSC, students shared their connections with books through a variety of means during the LSC Celebration. One student wrote an original piano score, another student chose a song with lyrics that connected to the novel, other students did role plays, and on-and-on it went. And thirdly, we have extended our involvement beyond classroom teachers to include EAs, support staff, and even our school secretary. At the end we were truly able to say that students were reading at a far more sophisticated level.
Inquiry Teams happen all across our District and ask many different kinds of question. I t shows a positive commitment from our District and an incredible sense of professionalism from our school staff. These are the kinds of things that continue to push learning for everyone to new levels.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
The Power of Mentoring
What a great Spring Break. The week has flown by, with quite a mixture of weather thrown in to keep us on our toes. Today turned out to be not too bad and allowed me a chance to get out for a run. While I was running I started to think about some of the people in my life who I consider mentors. We know that mentors are people that we have to choose, whose values and beliefs match with our own. There are a few key people in my life whom I still rely on for feedback and advice.
Just before spring break we said farewell to three of our student teachers, Leah, Shannon, and Carmen. The role that our staff plays as mentors and positive role models for beginning teachers is impressive. The vast experience and background that our teaching staff has to offer to those just starting out helps to ensure that the student teachers have a solid foundation to begin their careers. As in all relationships, however, there is a give and take. In the teacher/student-teacher relationship our teachers gain fresh insights and ideas to blend into their own repertoire, while student teachers gain immensely from years of experience. This is an important part of the work we do as we create opportunities for people to put their studies into practice. It requires support from the University, the School District, staff, students, and most importantly, parents. We have been fortunate to have excellent beginning teachers placed in our school.
As I think about it, the relationship that exists between the teacher and student-teacher is the same that exists between teachers and students. The idea is to provide them with some knowledge and then let them explore how that fits with their understanding by trying it on for size; all the while, providing them with feedback, encouragement, and support. We build the scaffolding that supports the learning and then as they become proficient we are able to take the supports away and let them experience their learning for themselves. Many teachers remain life-long mentors for students who return for advice and friendship. What a great legacy.
We all play the role of mentor in some way in our lives. When someone chooses to ask our advice and accept our feedback we grow ourselves.
Just before spring break we said farewell to three of our student teachers, Leah, Shannon, and Carmen. The role that our staff plays as mentors and positive role models for beginning teachers is impressive. The vast experience and background that our teaching staff has to offer to those just starting out helps to ensure that the student teachers have a solid foundation to begin their careers. As in all relationships, however, there is a give and take. In the teacher/student-teacher relationship our teachers gain fresh insights and ideas to blend into their own repertoire, while student teachers gain immensely from years of experience. This is an important part of the work we do as we create opportunities for people to put their studies into practice. It requires support from the University, the School District, staff, students, and most importantly, parents. We have been fortunate to have excellent beginning teachers placed in our school.
As I think about it, the relationship that exists between the teacher and student-teacher is the same that exists between teachers and students. The idea is to provide them with some knowledge and then let them explore how that fits with their understanding by trying it on for size; all the while, providing them with feedback, encouragement, and support. We build the scaffolding that supports the learning and then as they become proficient we are able to take the supports away and let them experience their learning for themselves. Many teachers remain life-long mentors for students who return for advice and friendship. What a great legacy.
We all play the role of mentor in some way in our lives. When someone chooses to ask our advice and accept our feedback we grow ourselves.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
A proud moment in our history
Whether you're a fan of the Olympic Games or not, you have to admit that was some special time. There were so many hi-lites it's hard to know where to begin. For me, the greatest thing is the outpouring of Canadian pride and unified feeling that we are a special and unique place to live in this world. At the start of the games there were many who were quick to jump on the "I told you so" bandwagon about the negative aspects of the Games, and yet, as the emotion surged and the athletes competed, something miraculous happened. The negative voices were drowned out in a sea of appreciation.
There are times in our small school community when the "nay-sayers" threaten to drown out the positives that we have worked so hard to build. And yet, there is this constant and consistent murmur that continues to overwhelm the negativity and continues to carry us to greater successes for our students and our children. We continue to work towards every success and advantage for our students and while there will be some things that don't go quite right there are certainly more that do.
With the completion of our second term, we hit the home stretch for this school year. This does not mean that we can sit back and relax, it is a time to continue to push and grow as much as we can as a community of learners in support of our children. I encourage, parents, staff, students and other school community members to help us strengthen the great aspects of our school. We have something great here, let's keep building it.
There are times in our small school community when the "nay-sayers" threaten to drown out the positives that we have worked so hard to build. And yet, there is this constant and consistent murmur that continues to overwhelm the negativity and continues to carry us to greater successes for our students and our children. We continue to work towards every success and advantage for our students and while there will be some things that don't go quite right there are certainly more that do.
With the completion of our second term, we hit the home stretch for this school year. This does not mean that we can sit back and relax, it is a time to continue to push and grow as much as we can as a community of learners in support of our children. I encourage, parents, staff, students and other school community members to help us strengthen the great aspects of our school. We have something great here, let's keep building it.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Developing Social Responsibility
On Sunday, my family and I braved the Olympic crowds in Vancouver to get a first hand look at some of the images we have been seeing on TV. One of the things that struck me as we wandered through the mass of humanity was how responsible everyone was. It is said that patience is a virtue and it was certainly shown during our time in Vancouver and in particular with the more than 1000 walk-on passengers at the ferry.
This got me thinking about the monthly virtue focus we have here at David Cameron. There has been much research about the ineffectiveness of specific, focused, anti-bullying and character education programs. I tend to agree with the research to the extent that teaching a particular program is not very effective. I do think however, that raising the awareness and providing a focus for how we want to live together in our social context is important. These ideas and values are translated into action everyday on our school playground (and in the streets of Vancouver). At David Cameron it is more than learning about the virtues it is an expectation from everyone; students, parents, and staff, that this is how we behave together.
The other day we were having a conversation with our staff about respect at our school. We were talking about the many examples of it that we see on a daily basis, but the most compelling evidence was that we can have over 340 students go out to play at recess and lunch and behave respectfully and responsibly towards each other. This is our focus in action and is demonstrated not in completing worksheets from a program binder, but in our daily interactions and use of our many virtues.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
The Planning Process
Sorry to the few of you that follow my blog for missing last week, however, the ski hill called and I answered.
"Appreciative Inquiry" is a process of looking at things from a positive mindset, that is, what's going right and how do we get more of it. This is in contrast to the traditional planning model that comes at things from a deficit perspective, ie what are we not doing well and therefore what do we need to do to improve. While it is important to know where deficiencies exist, it is more important to know what is going well within those areas and amplify them. It has been said that "we show value by what we pay attention to". As a school we need to pay attention to the great things that are happening in our work so that this attitude becomes pervasive in our school and we focus on the good, not the negative.
Appreciative Inquiry is not a sort of Pollyanna process where we only look at good things. It allows us to tease out of issues the parts that are going right and then focus on getting more of it. Even in areas of weakness there are examples of positives, these are the ideas that we seize on and use as the foundation to continue to build excellence for our school.
As we head into our annual planning cycle and begin to examine goal areas for the 2010/2011 school year, we will look at what's right with our school and how to continue on that path, rather than focusing on what's wrong and the downward spiral that brings.
"Appreciative Inquiry" is a process of looking at things from a positive mindset, that is, what's going right and how do we get more of it. This is in contrast to the traditional planning model that comes at things from a deficit perspective, ie what are we not doing well and therefore what do we need to do to improve. While it is important to know where deficiencies exist, it is more important to know what is going well within those areas and amplify them. It has been said that "we show value by what we pay attention to". As a school we need to pay attention to the great things that are happening in our work so that this attitude becomes pervasive in our school and we focus on the good, not the negative.
Appreciative Inquiry is not a sort of Pollyanna process where we only look at good things. It allows us to tease out of issues the parts that are going right and then focus on getting more of it. Even in areas of weakness there are examples of positives, these are the ideas that we seize on and use as the foundation to continue to build excellence for our school.
As we head into our annual planning cycle and begin to examine goal areas for the 2010/2011 school year, we will look at what's right with our school and how to continue on that path, rather than focusing on what's wrong and the downward spiral that brings.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Excellence
"It's a funny thing about life: if you refuse to accept anything but the very best you will very often get it."
- W. Somerset Maugham
At David Cameron we have very high expectations for ourselves, our students and for our larger community. We think that we can contribute to excellence by setting the bar high and helping our students reach for it. The idea of excellence is one, that for many students, is not in their vocabulary, however, it is very much within their reach if they choose it to be. The month of February has us focusing on excellence in our school. While excellence is a core area of our work throughout the year, it is important to pause and reflect on the importance of excellence in our lives at this time so that we can re-focus our efforts.
Each day at school I am fortunate to see examples of excellence all around me. It may be in the student who stops me to let me hear the song they have learned on the recorder and how they have added to it to make it their own, it might be in the teacher who comes to tell me about the unbelievable math lesson that they just had and how the kids were completely engaged, or it might be in the Family Olympic Night that our PAC hosted last Friday that saw a great turnout of our school family. Excellence is all around us, everyday, and in every way.
Excellence becomes a frame of mind, a way of seeing the world. If we can instill the notion in our students that they are capable of excellence, there is no knowing what they can accomplish in their lives. So, it is for these reasons (and many others), that we turn our attention to excellence in this, the month of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, the final month of term two academics, and our mid-point in the school year. Keep working with us to help our students believe in themselves and to not settle for something short of excellence. We all have the capacity to do so much, so well.
- W. Somerset Maugham
At David Cameron we have very high expectations for ourselves, our students and for our larger community. We think that we can contribute to excellence by setting the bar high and helping our students reach for it. The idea of excellence is one, that for many students, is not in their vocabulary, however, it is very much within their reach if they choose it to be. The month of February has us focusing on excellence in our school. While excellence is a core area of our work throughout the year, it is important to pause and reflect on the importance of excellence in our lives at this time so that we can re-focus our efforts.
Each day at school I am fortunate to see examples of excellence all around me. It may be in the student who stops me to let me hear the song they have learned on the recorder and how they have added to it to make it their own, it might be in the teacher who comes to tell me about the unbelievable math lesson that they just had and how the kids were completely engaged, or it might be in the Family Olympic Night that our PAC hosted last Friday that saw a great turnout of our school family. Excellence is all around us, everyday, and in every way.
Excellence becomes a frame of mind, a way of seeing the world. If we can instill the notion in our students that they are capable of excellence, there is no knowing what they can accomplish in their lives. So, it is for these reasons (and many others), that we turn our attention to excellence in this, the month of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, the final month of term two academics, and our mid-point in the school year. Keep working with us to help our students believe in themselves and to not settle for something short of excellence. We all have the capacity to do so much, so well.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Technology and our Future
There are a few new term out there that refer to "Digital Natives" and "Digital Immigrants". Digital Natives are those that have grown up with technology as an integral part of their lives, whereas, Digital Immigrants come to technology later in the game, are a little unsure, and are more reluctant to embrace the opportunities. Our children are so accustomed to technology that it seems strange when it is not a part of what they are doing, in fact, our current students have not known a world without the internet.
The challenge for our school is not, how do we keep up to the pace of change, instead it is how do we ensure that students understand how technology can be used to stimulate creativity and innovation, communication and collaboration, and the ethical use of technology.We are currently working with a committee of staff members to examine a variety of directions that we are interested in exploring. These directions include, wireless access, laptops to have computers as part of the classroom, handheld devices such as iPods to enhance learning. Then we have the instructional side that includes document cameras, SMART boards, and digital projectors.
We are excited to be moving forward with some technology directions in our school to ensure that our students have the opportunity to embrace technology as part of their learning. Over the coming months we are hopeful to have some instructional technologies added to our classrooms as well as developing a plan to have more seamless integration within the classroom for student use. Stay tuned for some exciting developments over the next while.
The challenge for our school is not, how do we keep up to the pace of change, instead it is how do we ensure that students understand how technology can be used to stimulate creativity and innovation, communication and collaboration, and the ethical use of technology.We are currently working with a committee of staff members to examine a variety of directions that we are interested in exploring. These directions include, wireless access, laptops to have computers as part of the classroom, handheld devices such as iPods to enhance learning. Then we have the instructional side that includes document cameras, SMART boards, and digital projectors.
We are excited to be moving forward with some technology directions in our school to ensure that our students have the opportunity to embrace technology as part of their learning. Over the coming months we are hopeful to have some instructional technologies added to our classrooms as well as developing a plan to have more seamless integration within the classroom for student use. Stay tuned for some exciting developments over the next while.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Unity
At the beginning of January we had the great opportunity to welcome ten international students to our school. These students are from Korea and are here for only a few months to gain some understanding of our culture and to practice their language skills. Here we are two weeks later and these students have made friends and are completely immersed in school life. These opportunities to meet and befriend others from around the world help to show that the differences we have are not that great and they serve to unite rather than divide.
Unity also means that we are able to work and play together respectfully and responsibly. Our students continue to show this on a daily basis at David Cameron. Last week on one of the many rainy days we have been having lately we had the students inside during lunch and had the chance to use our new "Rainy Day" plan. Students were able to select from a variety of games and activities that were dispersed throughout the hallways around the library. Students played with friends, little buddies, and siblings and without a single problem. At the end of the lunch period, everyone cleaned up what they were doing and returned to their classrooms to eat. What a great show of unity. If we didn't have everyone working together to make this a success it could have easily been a disaster with over 300 students in a fairly small area.
It is examples like these that make our school such an incredible place to be. It also shows that learning takes place not just in our classrooms but in the everyday interactions between people. Way to go David Cameron!
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Student Leadership
As educators, our real role is to make ourselves redundant. We teach students to think for themselves, and how to find information that they need in order to solve problems in their everyday lives. Part of this learning, includes taking on leadership roles and being able to direct, organize, and follow through on tasks. The ability of our David Cameron students to do just this never ceases to amaze me. We have such an incredible amount of talent and positive peer role models in our school that it's a wonder teachers get to organize anything.
Leadership comes from being thrust into positions, taking control of situations, or being invited in to power. With the Olympics on people's minds, hockey is something that seems to be a focus for leadership opportunities in our school these days. We have the organized and formal approach where some students in grade 4 and 6 are taking control by organizing an intramural hockey league. They are setting dates, rules, and teams. On the other hand, we have our regular recess/lunch hockey going on in the turn-around, where older students are including younger ones and teaching them how to play. These older students recognizing that in order for everyone to have fun, someone needs to take charge, have done an admirable job of ensuring a great outside activity.
These are two small examples of the myriad leadership initiatives being undertaken in our school. Who knows, maybe one day we'll have some of our student leaders writing this blog instead of me.
Leadership comes from being thrust into positions, taking control of situations, or being invited in to power. With the Olympics on people's minds, hockey is something that seems to be a focus for leadership opportunities in our school these days. We have the organized and formal approach where some students in grade 4 and 6 are taking control by organizing an intramural hockey league. They are setting dates, rules, and teams. On the other hand, we have our regular recess/lunch hockey going on in the turn-around, where older students are including younger ones and teaching them how to play. These older students recognizing that in order for everyone to have fun, someone needs to take charge, have done an admirable job of ensuring a great outside activity.
These are two small examples of the myriad leadership initiatives being undertaken in our school. Who knows, maybe one day we'll have some of our student leaders writing this blog instead of me.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
The Start of A New Year
At this time of year, people often look forward to things to come while at the same time, reflecting on things that have happened. I am always excited to return to school after a great break and look forward to the great opportunities yet to come in this school year.
As we get set to return we are fortunate to have ten Korean students joining us for a couple of months. These students are in grades 5 and 6 and will be here to practice their english language skills and to learn about our customs and culture. To welcome them, our virtue for the month of January will be Unity. This is a chance to see that despite differences, we can all connect and contribute to a greater whole.
We also have new plans in place to support students on Rainy Days. Students will be able to socialize with friends from other classes and choose from a variety of games and activities that will be available to them.
In addition to these great opportunities we will also continue to focus on improving our technology plan, moving forward with our goal selection process for next year, Foundation Skill Assessments, and a variety of performances that will be visiting our school.
I look forward to the opportunity to continue to work with all of the great families and staff here at David Cameron over the course of 2010. Happy New Year to everyone.
As we get set to return we are fortunate to have ten Korean students joining us for a couple of months. These students are in grades 5 and 6 and will be here to practice their english language skills and to learn about our customs and culture. To welcome them, our virtue for the month of January will be Unity. This is a chance to see that despite differences, we can all connect and contribute to a greater whole.
We also have new plans in place to support students on Rainy Days. Students will be able to socialize with friends from other classes and choose from a variety of games and activities that will be available to them.
In addition to these great opportunities we will also continue to focus on improving our technology plan, moving forward with our goal selection process for next year, Foundation Skill Assessments, and a variety of performances that will be visiting our school.
I look forward to the opportunity to continue to work with all of the great families and staff here at David Cameron over the course of 2010. Happy New Year to everyone.
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