The Emotional Bank Account

Last week I was speaking with one of our students who felt that he was getting the short end of the stick from his classroom teacher.  He thought that any time he asked for something he was denied.  I asked what he had done to build the relationship to the point where, when he asked for something, the teacher might be inclined to agree.  He said that he really hadn't done much, and in fact, sometimes talked too much in class.  We began discussing the notion of an "emotional bank account".  I told the student it was just like a real bank account where you have to make deposits before you can make a withdrawl.   This is how we all respond to others in our lives, if they have contributed (made a deposit) emotionally to us, we are more likely to respond favourably when they ask for something.  This is consistent with the idea of contribution versus consumption.  We have to make a positive and worthwhile contribution to our community and to those around us, before we can ask for something.  The student began to understand the idea that it wasn't an obligation on the part of the teacher to meet his requests, but rather it was part of an ongoing relationship that needs to be built by both parties.  The student thought this was a good idea and returned to class ready to make a few "deposits" before he really needed to make a withdrawl.  I had to draw the line however, when he suggested the idea of bringing an "emotional bank card" to class.  I had to admire his sense of humour and felt that the lesson had been learned.

The Little Things That Matter

I was watching one of our parents the other day. She was working on a bulletin board in our main entrance hall. I had asked her if she would be interested in doing a 'Welcome Back' message. She readily accepted and has created a wonderful piece of art that helps to make our school more welcoming and inviting. The thing that struck me though, was that she had her brand new baby wrapped tightly against her in a little "snuggly" baby carrier. It made me think of all of the selfless work that happens in our school on a daily basis by parents, students, and staff. It is this commitment from all of us that has come to make David Cameron School such a great place for kids.

This year we will continue our work on developing our school community. I can't think of a single thing that is more telling of the kind of community we want than these individual contributions. I heard it said this summer that we are creating a culture of consumers. People who are only interested in purchasing and using, not in contributing or giving back. We have begun talking with our students about the importance of being contributors to society, not just consumers. I am heartened by the many contributions already being made in our school. Last week, four students came to me to ask if they could create a club that contributes to our environment by cleaning up. They took it upon themselves to pick up garbage on our playground and to sweep our main student foyer that is covered in grass each day. They didn't want anything for it, they weren't looking for recognition, they just wanted to contribute. What a wonderful thing. As we go through this school year, we will revisit this theme, and I am sure, continue to be amazed by the incredible capacity of those around us.

After the Dust Settles

We made it through the first week and managed to get all of our students into their new classes by Friday. Last week was an extremely busy week for our staff, in addition to the usual hubub and business of our Homecoming Week, we also had to replace and balance class lists twice as new divisions were added Tuesday and then again on Thursday. This requires a huge amount of additional work on the part of the staff to ensure the very best placements for our students; a job our staff takes very seriously. We think we have done a good job and have created a structure that reduces our intermediate class sizes and creates some positive student groupings. With this work behind us now, we can begin to move forward with our main task of ensuring a strong academic year for all of our students.

We look forward to working with families over the course of this year in support of our students' education.

A New Year On The Horizon

Happy New Year may be an appropriate expression at this time of year as we get set to welcome our students and families back. The summer is a great time to re-charge for everyone and prepare for the year ahead. I have heard it expressed that there are no "bad" summers, it's just that some are better than others and this one has been great.

We are excited about the prospect of this new school year here at David Cameron. We survived the often hectic and chaotic blending of Glen Lake school and David Cameron, and as such have emerged as a stronger entity, built on strong beliefs about student learning. This year promises to be an excellent opportunity to solidify the work begun last year and to continue the development of a positive and vibrant school culture that welcomes and values all members of our school community. In fact, one of our school goals this year is to continue the development of our school culture.

We look forward to working with our returning families once again and also getting to know our new families. Welcome to another great year. I look forward to seeing all of the bright, excited faces at school next week (oh, and the kids too).

Planning Cycle

Each year, school's across the province are required to develop a school plan that reflects their goals and direction for the next school year.  The School Planning Council (SPC) at David Cameron has shown tremendous interest and understanding in supporting us as we build our plan.  We have chosen two areas of focus for the 2009/2010 school year, they are: the continued development of our school culture and, an increased use of assessment for learning practices.

This year with the addition of students and families from Glen Lake Elementary we have been working to create a new school culture that is reflective of all of our new school community.  It was felt that this was an important area to continue our work.  In particular, focusing on the development of social responsibility for our students.

We have also determined that a focus on assessment for learning practices will strengthen the academic development of our students by clearly stating learning intentions and providing descriptive feedback to students.

These two areas will provide a strong foundation for student learning and create an environment that is engaging, supportive, and focused on success for all.

June Already?

It has been a fantastic year at David Cameron, albeit a busy one.  We are well on our way towards our new entity as a blended school, having spent the last nine months working together.  This of course leads us into the final month of the school year and as always June is chock full of activities (see our calendar page for exact dates and details).  

Here are a few hi-lites:  District Track and Field meets coming up this week, followed by Bike Roadeo, Parent/Staff Appreciation luncheon, Talent Show, Beach Day, Grade Six Farewell, and our Year-End Assembly.  These of course are only the school events, each class has a number of field trips and/or special events planned to mark the year-end as well.

Each of these events creates another opportunity to build our school culture and connect with the broader school community.  Between the school and our PAC, we have managed to host many wonderful things during this year.  Which brings me to the Fun Fair held this past Friday.  What an amazing thing to see so many David Cameron families turn out for a beautiful, sunlit evening.  The parent organizers behind this event were amazing and pulled off a fantastic event, thanks so much to them and to everyone who pitched in (make sure to come to our Parent/Staff Appreciation Luncheon or at least stop by for a coffee and a muffin before school on June 12th.).  It is this kind of community spirit and connection that makes this school such a great place for everyone.

Let The Planning Begin!

At this time of year we are in the midst of all of the excitement that year-end brings, but more importantly, we are already planning for the next school year.  Our School Planning Council (SPC) has been engaging in conversations about areas that, we as a school, might focus on as a goal.  

School Planning Councils were initiated several years ago as a means of ensuring meaningful consultation with parents in relation to the actions of the school.  Since then, Planning Councils have been a cause for concern from the BCTF, resulting in teachers withdrawing from the conversations.  This obviously complicates the process which is mandated through Ministerial Order and School District Policy.

The David Cameron SPC continues to work in the best interest of students and the school as a whole as it considers information from a variety of sources including Satisfaction Surveys, FSA, and personal judgments regarding areas for potential focus.  Setting and working towards goals is an important part of the continued growth of our school.  We are excited about what the next school year will bring us and the opportunities we have to improve the achievement results of our students.