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.
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