Excited About Teaching and Learning

I traveled out to two of the more unique schools in our district yesterday.  Peace View Colony School and South Peace Colony School are run in partnership between SD59 and the two Hutterite colonies.  It's always interesting to visit the colony schools and experience a different culture right here in our backyard.

My visit started with a 35 minute drive to Peace View, where I met up with Renee Elliot, the principal at the school.  We spent a few hours going over her planning for next year and discussing how unique the two schools are when compared to our other community schools.  Renee was not in the classroom yesterday as she had her "principal time" when I was there.

I then traveled another 20 minutes out to South Peace Colony where I spent about 45 minutes visiting with Nancy Hazelwood, the principal at that school.  When I arrived her students were all engaged in listening to Nancy as she read aloud from a novel they were enjoying together.  Shortly after I arrived, the students were off to the little library to gather the books that they were reading independently, and then they spent about 20 minute reading quietly.

This may sound like any other school, but colony schools are anything but ordinary.  Peace View has 19 students and South Peace has 24.  Students arrive sometime around their sixth birthday, usually not speaking or understanding any english.  A large focus in the school is language acquisition for the students. School becomes english immersion.  It's an amazing set-up with students from grade one, and sometimes kindergarten, all the way to grade 9, all in the class together.  Students continue on in the one-class school until their 16th birthday.  Then it is off to work on the colony.  At times older students are absent as colony duties take precedent. Seeding, sheep sheering, and harvesting the grain crops all need help from the young colony members.

The work of the solo teachers in these two schools is daunting.  Preparing educational programming for a range of students who span nine years and who arrive with no understanding of english is a huge task for anybody.  However despite the challenge, our teachers, Renee and Nancy, are doing amazing work.  My conversation with Renee centred entirely around what is best for her students.  Nancy explained to me how she is able to structure her class to meet the academic level of each particular student.  She is extremely proud of her student successes in math, and she described how happy her students are.  I think that Nancy's excitement and joy is having a significant impact on the learning for this particular group.  The level of enthusiasm that both teachers bring to their work on a daily basis is astonishing, given the complexity of the job.

I want to acknowledge the challenge that both principals, Renee and Nancy, face on a regular basis: from the long drive on dusty, muddy or icy gravel roads to the range of language abilities in each school. Renee and Nancy face all of this with a smile and a can-do attitude.  They truly have the best interests of their students and of the colony community at the centre of what they do.

Skills Canada, Try-a-Trade, and Women in Industry Forum: Thank You!

If you did not have the opportunity to visit the big 3 events on Friday at Northern Lights College in Dawson Creek, you truly missed an amazing day.

The Skills Canada Regional Competition was organized by Jamie Maxwell and a large group of volunteer event hosts and judges.  It was a terrific event that showcased the incredible skill development that has been happening for our students in School District 59 and in the Region.  From the Junior Skills events: Spaghetti Bridge Building, Gravity Cars, and Sumo Bots to the Senior events: including Residential Construction, Welding, Cabinetry, Auto Service, Culinary Arts, Graphic Design, Animation, Video Production, Computer Aided Drafting, Public Speaking, Job interviews, and more, the event was fantastic.  Our students were given the opportunity to shine.

Thank you Jamie and your impressive group of community and School District 59 volunteers.

Along with the Skills Event, Brad Booker put together another impressive "Try-a-Trade" activity filled day for all of the grade 7 students in our District as well as 3 or 4 busloads from SD60.  With support from NLC staff, our own District Facilities staff, and industry support from as far away as Texas (Pattern Energy) the hands on learning that took place throughout the day was amazing.  Students got to try carpentry, wind energy, mechanics, plumbing, electrical, practical nursing, and a whole lot more.  

Way to go Brad and your stellar support group who made this all possible. 

Finally, Laura Craig, on the heels of a community event the night before, hosted another successful Women in Industry Forum for female students in grades 9 - 11.  The format offered an opportunity for female secondary students to connect with women who are currently working in a variety of positions with both small and large organizations.  The inspiring conversations that occurred will help many of these students as they decide on future education and career paths.

Thank you Laura and your panelists for creating this opportunity.

The list of people who need to be thanked is much too long for this post.  You all know who you are and the contributions you made to help make this event possible.  Thank you all.

Reflections and Thanks

After a very busy week filled with amazing events at incredibly diverse schools in the District, I was in a reflective mood today.  I was thinking about how fortunate we are to work education in this District. 

This past week I served lunch to students and staff at Tremblay Elementary in Dawson Creek.  There I was impressed by how closely staff members work with students and the positive relationships they have in supporting some of our most vulnerable children.  Students made their way through the food line expressing their thanks and smiled, laughed and responded positively to the strangers in their midst.  Teachers and educational assistants mixed in to support those who needed more encouragement or assistance along the way. The positive rapport between adults and children was evident as they sat together and chatted openly, enjoying the meal provided. 

I traveled with Christy Fennell and Melissa Panoulias on Tuesday out to the Saulteau First Nation to watch the Moberly Lake Elementary School Christmas concert and have lunch with the community.  Along with the wonderful concert put on by the students and staff, I was impressed with the obvious close connection between school and community.  There was strength in the partnerships that were evident throughout the event.  Anneli Duncan has worked very hard to forge those relationships that are making a difference for the learning of her students. Parents and community members reached out to express their thanks to the school and the District for the support being provide for their children.

On Wednesday and Thursday I traveled with Candy Clouthier to watch the Christmas concerts and Peace View and South Peace Elementary Schools on the two Hutterite Colonies served by our District.  It was here, at both colonies where the culture is so foreign to most of us, that I witnessed the importance of family support and connection to others.  At each school the concert space was full and most in attendance were related to one another.  Watching the children perform and the adults respond to the wonderful singing, the short skits and the smiles of the children on stage reinforced for me how closely connected each of these communities are. It also had me thinking about how each child is supported by not only their parents, but by the community as a whole.  How fortunate we would be if this was the case in all of the communities we serve. 

I spent part of the morning today attending the Christmas Talent Show at DCSS-Central Campus, where I was principal last year.  Here I watched students, and staff, step out of their comfort zones and put themselves out there.  With close to 400 people in attendance, students were able to perform wonderfully, extending themselves in areas they previously would have not thought possible.  It was the supportive environment created by teachers, staff, student, and parents that made this possible. I was impressed by the growth shown in students I remember from last year, whom I would not have expected to see up on stage. 

My last stop of the day was at the Northern Lights College classroom on campus at DCSS-South Peace Campus.  Here the NLC staff was hosting a bar-b-q for students in the Heavy Duty Mechanics, Auto Service, and Esthetics Dual Credit Programs on site.  I had the opportunity to talk to school and college staff and also with students.  A question I often ask students, and I did today is, “What’s the most important thing you are getting from this program?” For two of the students I talked to the answer seemed to be a sense of hope for the future.  Both are students who have had struggles in their high school lives and who may have ended up dropping out and having diminished life chances.  Both are now on their way to careers in trades.  One is currently working and will continue to work with the same company after graduation and the other is on his way to a wonderful apprenticeship opportunity. It’s the hard work and support of an amazingly dedicated Career Education Team, along with support from school and college staff who make this possible. 

As the day comes to a close, my reflections on the last week have me feeling extremely thankful.  At my position in the School District 59 Board Office, I am surrounded by people who care passionately about the education, and social-emotional success of children in our District.  I am honored and thankful to be part of that team.  I want to thank you all for your commitment to children and for the difference you are making in their lives.  Merry Christmas to all of you and may you have a wonderful holiday in the company of family and friends. 

My First Career Education Society Conference

I recently attended the BC Career Education Society Conference in Vancouver BC.  It was a two-day event that featured amazing keynote speakers, a wide variety of timely breakout sessions, some hands on activities, and a wonderful networking opportunity. 

The Keynote speakers, Cathy Campbell and Wade Davies, both shared their insights about career development, directly and indirectly.  Cathy spoke to the importance of communicating to students that career paths are not linear, but rather a tangle of experiences, steps forward and steps back.  Wade Davies shared his own incredible personal story of personal discovery, based largely on his knack for being in the right place at the right time, and his curiosity and willingness to take risks. 

I attended a number of sessions that provided me with key information that will help me to guide our SD59 Career Education Team.  I listened to Tim Winklemans and Joanne Armstrong present Ministry direction and our need to align our practices with Ministry policy.  I also attended a session with Christian St. Cyr where he presented information from the  “Labour Market Year in Review.”  I was fortunate to also take part in an on the ground tour of the new Women’s and Children’s Health Centre construction project on the current site of the BC Children’s Hospital.  Here I saw journeymen trades persons and apprentices working on site in a vast array of trades.  It was an awesome morning on site.

What stood out to me the most at this event was just how passionate Career Education teachers, school staff, principals, and District staff are about their students and the opportunities that they have before them.  There are amazing careers awaiting our students, if they take advantage of the resources that we have to support and guide them in their initial steps into industry, professional designations, work and life in general. 

Now back at work in Dawson Creek, I am busy trying to continue to coordinate the provision of opportunities for our students in this dynamic, changing, economic climate.  What a great endeavor to be a part of. 

Learning Something New

I’ve been mulling over a number of blog topics for a while now, and nothing seems to really jump out and grab my attention.  My purpose for writing a blog is to share my thoughts and encourage discussion about learning.  I planned to keep up to date on trends and new findings in education and then write intelligently about those topics. 

Over the last few months I have been reading a lot, but it has not been about education.  I am currently finishing up Michael Watkins’ “The First 90 Days,” as I transition in to my new role as a District Principal.  I also have on the go, Simon Sinek’s “Start With Why,” and Susan Scott’s “Fierce Conversations.”  I bounce from book to book and it’s taking me longer that I’d like to read all three.  I recently heard from a colleague that my approach to professional reading could be referred to as “drive-by pro-d.” I'm certain that I don't like that term, as I am digging into the topics presented.

I have other books piling up on the corner of my desk that beg for my attention as well.  Sometimes it feels like there is just not enough time in the day. Despite the mountain of pages ahead of me, I think there is hope here.  I am learning. 

We all have our own strategies for moving forward in our careers and in life in general. If connecting with District staff, Principals, teachers, and students and having meaningful conversations with them is getting in the way of my reading, that’s a price I’m willing to pay.  As for jumping in to topics that demonstrate that I’m stretching my understanding of educational issues, I will get to those when the opportunities arise. 

For now, I’m living intent of School District 59’s Core Value:  “Continuous Learning for All.”

Adapting to Change

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness . . . ."

Charles Dicken's famous opening to his book, A Tale of Two Cities (1859), is a fitting description for our current time as we roll into the beginning of the 2015-16 school year.  There is still lots of optimism around opportunities for our students from K-12 and beyond, but it is tempered by the reality of rock-bottom oil prices and an economy heading into a recession.  

For the students in our geographic area, with Tumbler Ridge being the exception, most school aged individuals have not experienced a time when the local economy was not humming along or even booming.  For our graduating students, jobs have been plentiful and career opportunities have seemed limitless.  We are going into this school year optimistic about what the Site C project and LNG development will mean for the local economy, and in return what it could mean for the future of our students.  

We also need to be mindful of how quickly things can change and prepare our students accordingly.  Our focus on Critical Thinking, Collaboration, Communication, and Problem Solving through Inquiry Based Learning will help our students to meet the challenges of an uncertain future.  

As we embark on a new school year, with hope and optimism, we must continue to adapt to the changing landscape.  We also must think critically, collaborate with all stake holders, communicate our intensions, and problem solve to best of our abilities in order to continue to provide "Quality Education for Each Learner."