When I saw all of the blossoms on the trees in the spring, I thought “Oh No!”

I had never imagined in what context that statement would have made any sense to me and yet after my visit to Summer’s Corners, one our schools, just outside of Aylmer, I came away with a new appreciation of the duality of the meaning of a good crop. By the end of my visit, I knew exactly what that teacher was referring to.

Summer’s Corners is a large elementary school, where many of the local Low German Mennonite children attend. For many of the farming families, it is customary for the children to take part in the planting and harvesting of their crops. A chore which takes them out of school for most of May, June, September and depending on the abundance of the crop, into the month of October. As one can imagine, such an extensive absence can have a significant impact on the academic and social achievement for these children.

The meeting at Summer’s Corners was initiated by their concerned ESL department and administration, who were looking for alternative ways to support these children when their family responsibilities kept them from attending on a regular basis. In my role as Learning Supervisor, with ESL responsibilities, I was invited to attend this initial brainstorming session, along with Jeff Robinson, our ESL/ELD Learning Coordinator.

Recently the same community had implemented the ASPIRE program for Secondary students, who find themselves in a similar situation of having to work on the family farm and yet still want to earn enough credits to graduate with a diploma. This program opens the doors of East Elgin Secondary School, the local library and Summer’s Corners during the evening hours and teachers are on site to assist students with their school work. Some of the dedicated staff members even travel to coffee shops and the homes of the students to assist them with their learning.

In light of the success of the ASPIRE program, the elementary school is now looking to replicate a similar program for their intermediate students. I was so impressed with their strong level of dedication to do whatever it takes to provide these students and their families with as much support as they could, knowing all too well the responsibilities that these children have when it comes to working on the family farms.

We ended the meeting with a definite plan in place, which included collecting some initial data, looking for a way to fund it, ways to welcome the families into an information session and possible locations.

One of the perks of my new role is that I’m enjoying multiple opportunities to tour and visit schools and see the impressive work that our teachers do as they meet the needs of our students.

Do you have a student population that struggles with consistent attendance? What are some of the strategies that your school board is using to reach these students?

Come write with me…..

Three weeks ago, I officially started in my new position as Learning Supervisor.  It is a role which is providing me with new opportunities for new learning, daily and on many levels.   The portfolio is varied and the different teams which I get to interact with are tremendously talented.  One of those teams is our Instructional Coaches, which we spent the last two weeks with.   It was a time for us to build a sense of team,  co-construct our purpose statement and begin to explore the extensive ways in which we can support the professional learning needs of the elementary teachers within our school board.  I’ve been so impressed with our coaches’ desire to learn as much as they can about curriculum, technology, communication skills and the inner workings of Learning Support Services.

Ultimately our goal, as a team of Instructional coaches, is to support our teaching colleagues as they explore ways to improve student learning.  In order to improve, we need to look at ways to change how we are meeting the learning needs of our students.  In order to make informed changes we want to ensure that our teachers are immersed in their own learning.   It’s a rich cycle and one that is worth it!  Our time with our students is limited.  Let’s make the most of it.

Labour Day weekend is upon us once again and Tuesday morning will bring with it the start of the first day of this school year.  Each year I look forward to this day when the school yard is filled with children happy to see each other and parents reconnect after a few of months of summer holidays. Teachers are surrounded by former students, lining up to share their summer stories and their new group of students eyeing them up, trying to anticipate what the new year will hold for them.

There is laughter, lots of smiles and the odd tear as children reluctantly leave their parents’ side and join their new classmates.  There is such an incredible feeling of “fresh starts” and high expectations.  As the students file into the school and find their new classrooms, the new backpacks, pencils and markers are proudly displayed.  New shoes line the hallway and classrooms are spotless; ready for the first set of student work to be displayed and the first shavings from the pencil sharpener to float to the freshly waxed floor.

By lunchtime, new routines are in place and children have figured out which class their friends are in and are well on their way to making plans for the end of the day.   Teachers finish out their first day exhausted but proud of the work that went into all of those precious first impressions.

For me, this year’s first day of school will look very different as I find myself in a different role within our board of education. My role as a Learning Supervisor will afford me with the opportunity to assist the system on a larger scale when it comes to Literacy, French as Second Language, Native Language and English as a Second Language Instruction.  I will be blessed to work alongside a strong team of instructional leaders and support a team of 38 instructional coaches who will be working in each of our elementary schools.

Although I am thrilled about my new role and have been embraced by my new colleagues,  I know that Tuesday morning will be bittersweet. I will miss the laughter, the smiles and the reconnecting hugs.  The tears on that morning may indeed be falling from my eyes as I enter the Education Center, as opposed to the tears trailing down the cheeks of young children not wanting to leave their parents’ side.

To my colleagues who will be on school yards everywhere, embrace each and every moment of it.  For me, I will dry my eyes and embrace the learning that I will be doing as we co-construct our vision of our instructional coach team, as we listen to our Director’s Address and as we discuss professional learning plans with our coordinators.

Happy Labour Day Weekend…..

For some people finding the right combination of flavours to throw together to create delicious dish is exhilarating. Both my daughter and my husband can watch the Food Channel for hours on end, “Ooooohing and Ahhhhing” over the mystical methods of the chefs as they combine a little bit of this and a little bit of that and Voila, create an instant masterpiece.  On the rare occasion that I stop and feign interest in their shows, I hear a little voice in the back of my head saying, “I’m sure that President’s Choice makes something very similar and the only skill set that I’d need is to know how to set the oven to the right temperature”.

There are others who know the right combination when it comes to interior design. They know which colours, which fabrics and which textures, when tastefully intertwined make a house look like a home.  My mom is one of those people.  Her eye for colour is second to none and each home that she has decorated (including mine) receives rave reviews.  I’m the one in line at the Home Depot with the entire can of paint in my hand trying to match it with something that looks right and then sweetly asking one of my kids to return it, when I get home and find out that it doesn’t look right at all.

So admittedly, I do not get excited about food combinations or colour combinations, but what does excite me is when I find a resource that combines big ideas in education and does it in a way that makes it all seem so possible.  That is masterful for me!

This week, I’ve been voraciously reading professional resources as I begin my journey to a new career, Learning Supervisor with Program Services ~ Languages Portfolio.  Of the dwindling pile, the one book that has resonated with me the most is Michael Fullan’s Stratosphere ~ Integrating Technology, Pedagogy and Change Knowledge.  I’ve been following Fullan for some time now and it was rare for him to include any reference to Information Technologies in his writings. So you can imagine my surprise and excitement, as he challenges his readers to find ways to incorporate BYOD into an engaging school environment and to employ those teachers who are further along the technology continuum to mentor and support their colleagues.  His references to the work of Apple and Google provide a contemporary component to the book and give us, in education, something to aspire to. Fullan has always been a strong proponent of Change and good solid pedagogy and this book continues in that vein.   All the technology in the world is not going to help us improve, unless teachers are empowering students to go out and apply what they’ve learned to real life problems ~ problems that they want solved.

Combinations….. What resource have you read lately that cohesively combined meaningful Big Ideas?

Come write with me…..

This past week I had the opportunity to experience first-hand the feeling of being completely out of my element and going from a knowledge base of zero to a level of competence.  In a moment of weakness (probably when I was knee-deep in reading report cards), when my husband asked if I’d be willing to join him in a four day sailing course in Traverse City Michigan, I agreed.

Prior to departure for our trip, two text books arrived in the mail.  I glanced at them, but avoided cracking the spines.  It soon became apparent that I should have been better prepared before our first sail.  As we set off out of the marina, our instructor, Dan (the experienced sailor) asked each of us why we were taking the course.  My co-learners were quick to share their abundant sailing knowledge.  By this point, my anxiety about the next four days was on the increase.  As our instructor starting spinning his tails (each one embedded with sailing terminology) I found myself listening intently as I had a great deal of learning to do and only a few days to do it in.  Certification for this sailing course entailed not one, but two written tests as well as “on the water” testing.  The vocabulary was foreign. I was catching the odd phrase and found myself creating hand gestures and pneumonics to remember how an engine worked and when/how to hoist the mainsail in a variety of weather conditions.  

As I spent all day on the water and all night studying, it hit me that this is how many of our ESL students must feel as they enter a classroom for the first time ~ understanding a few key words and trying to make sense of the content vocabulary.

By the end of the four days, I had successfully passed both of the written tests as well as the “on water” tests.

Upon reflection, I dissected what had led to my success.  I have to give significant credit to the instructor. Not only did he masterfully entertain us with stories, which each had a purpose and a connection to the learning, he was very patient and encouraging.   Although I’m sure there were moments when he would have rather been the helmsman, he allowed me to take the wheel and experience the thrill and challenge of keeping the boat on an even keel.

My experience reinforced what we already know about the connection between strong instruction and learning:

Stories help, a lot!

Demonstrate faith and confidence in your students

Experiential learning is by far the most effective

And of course….

It’s never too late to learn a new skill!   

Throughout the past year, the Wilfrid Jury school community embraced the notion of “Student Voice” and offered their students a variety of opportunities to showcase and celebrate the power of involving students in school-based decisions.

Early in the school year, our school was selected to partner with the City of London in the Real Voice Project ~ A neighbourhood action project dedicated to connecting youth and making a difference in London.  A group of our grade 8 students worked with community partners, including students from Banting to produce a video and share it at the year end celebration in June.

 In January, when we held our second Wilfrid Jury Community Forum, we invited about 20 of our students to attend and share their opinions and suggestions as we continue to work to enhance the amazing things happening at Jury.

 In February, we were one of three elementary schools asked to take part in the Secondary School Student Voice Conference at the Hellenic Center. Our group, “Ready To Be Heard” was so excited about the potential of student voice at the elementary level, that they came back to school and held their own Student Voice conference for their grade 7 and 8 classmates. With the feedback from the conference they were able to create short term and long term action plans, wherein students will have more involvement in school-level decisions.

 In June, we invited Dan and Mary-Lou Smoke, along with Ashley Sisco, our Thames Valley First Nations Education Advisor to assist us with a Student Voice session with about 15 of our First Nations students. The session provided both the school and the Board with some effective feedback as to how we can better support First Nations students at the elementary level.

 For the past two years, our Grade 8 students have designed and painted a four panel mural, along with the assistance of Tara Nurse, an artist, as their parting gift to the school. The murals hang proudly in the school library. The theme of the poster is something which captures the final year for our students. This year, they decided that they would combine two themes ~ Student Voice and Technology. It was an incredible way to embody the success of Student Voice for our 2012-2013 school year.  

On more than one occasion, I’ve shared that I begin each day by reading Seth Godin’s Blog.  The topics are so well written that they appeal to a wide range of readers.  Even though the posts are not necessarily about education, I find many connections to the world of leadership and learning.  One of his most recent ones, Can An Audiobook Change Your Life?  planted the seed for this blog.  

About 6 years ago, a friend at the time lent me a copy of “The Life of Pi” on CD.  It was one of those “must read” books that everyone else seemed to know about.  So each morning, I would strap my CD player to my waist and begin my morning walk.  I became so intrigued with the book that on many days I would walk at night too.  I can vividly recall listening to the final chapter as I sat on my back deck, not wanting to turn it off but my legs were aching from so much walking I couldn’t take another step.  The power of the audiobook had hit me. 

I then turned to Gladwell’s,  The Outliers and Blink, as my walking CDs . In my mind I was killing two birds with one stone ~ fitness and fascinating facts. 

During the summer that I was taking my SOQP course, we needed to read a rather lengthy book on Emotional Intelligence.  In an effort to be more efficient with my time, I purchased the audiobook and listened to it as I drove back and forth for my course.  Again, killing two birds with one stone ~ driving and digesting  information.

In an effort to broaden my audiobook palate, I started to listen to novels and then whole series.  Some of my favourites are David Baldacci’s The Camel Club Series and James Patterson’s, The Women’s Murder Club. I can’t tell you exactly how many novels that I’ve listened to in the last 6 years, but I can still vividly recall so many of the characters, the intertwining plots and the unpredictable endings.   Again killing two birds with one stone ~ expanding my tastes and enjoyment

In the last 6 years, I’ve traded my bulky CD player for an iPod Shuffle,   listened to, more than I can recall, audiobooks  and I’m now downloading both professional and personal books directly to my iPhone.  I rarely turn on the car radio and find myself purposefully taking the long way home, just to listen to the final words in a chapter.    I couldn’t agree more with Seth when he challenges his readers to “just try it”.

Are you an audiobook listener?  Do you have any great recommendations?

 Come write with me…….

This morning,  I was greeted with a surprise farewell assembly from my staff and students.  To see all 700 of them gathered, just to say good-bye to me was wonderful.  We usually do all of our farewells on the last day of school and with it being a large elementary school, that celebration usually takes the whole morning.  I was expecting to be tagged on at the end. 

But I was treated to a video of each class saying good-bye and “Thank you” and a lovely book, hand made by my “babies” as I affectionately refer to them.

I wanted to capture my Farewell address in print, as I had a number of staff members share how touched they were by my words. 

So here goes….

“Four years ago, I found myself in a very similar situation as I was saying good-bye to another group of students and staff members at my former school.  I was sad to leave, but very excited about going back “home” to Wilfrid Jury”.  On that day I remember that I promised myself 3 things.   I promised myself that I would as hard as I could, along with the staff to ensure that student learning was going to be at the heart of everything that we did. That we would bring in wonderful resources, such as technology to ensure that our students at Jury had every opportunity to be successful.   I also promised myself that we would continue to ensure that families felt at home when they entered our doors. Knowing the community, I knew that this would be very important.  And the third thing that I promised myself is that I wouldn’t fall in LOVE ~ Because when you fall in love, it’s too hard to say Good – Bye.

Well, as the song goes, Two out of Three ain’t bad….  I was immediately embraced by this community and I immediately fell in love with everything that Jury embodies.  This last four years has been the most challenging and most rewarding professional and personal experience that I’ve had and I have to thank each and everyone of you for being a part of that.

As I say good-bye, I have one request for each of you and that is that I want you to promise me that you’ll continue to work as hard as you have for the past four years, when you return in the fall and you are working with your new teachers, Mr. Kuracina, Mrs. Brown and your new principal, Mrs. Builder.   That is the greatest gift that you could give me….

Thank You”

I was impressed that I was able to get through my farewell address without lots of tears, but as soon as I left the front of the gym and was embraced by students, staff and parents, I could no longer hold back the tears.  I was thankful for the refuge of my office and the guiding hand of one of my learning support teachers who knew I needed a few minutes to compose myself and then get “back to work”.

I have one more day to enjoy my life as a principal in a school before transitioning into a different role in the fall.  I never forget how truly blessed I am to have had this opportunity.

June is a month mixed with many emotions. Students are excited about their upcoming summer vacation. Staff are working their way through report cards and year end activities. Some staff are transferring to new schools or into new assignments. Our grade eight students are looking forward to their graduation ceremony and final moments in their elementary school.

As administrators, we are going through the same range of emotions and for some of us, we are excited about a change in the fall ~ a new school, a new assignment or retirement. Last week, we attended our final Principals Community of Schools meeting and several of us will not be returning in the fall, so we were entertained by a number of “Good-byes”. Donna Walker’s analogy of a good-bye was truly beautiful. I will try my best to paraphrase what she said.

 I want you all to close your eyes and think about your favourite book. Think about those characters, whom you’ve followed through their storylines. You know who they love, what they like to do and their dreams for the future. Now think about the setting. Whether it is a sandy beach, a rocky mountain, a quiet river or a exciting urban location, you can see the colours and smell the smells. Now, think about the plot. You remember the opening scene, the problems the characters encountered, the climax and the last moments.

 Saying good-bye is like closing the final page on your favourite book. You don’t want those characters to go away. You want to experience more stories with them, go to more exotic locations and live through more challenges with them, but you can’t.

Life is about closing one book and getting ready to open a new one, with new characters, different settings and other story lines.

 Thanks for being a part of my favourite book.

Spring time is an exciting time of the year in a school.  We are working hard to ensure that our students are prepared for final assessments. The weather has changed and we are transitioning from winter coats and boots to shorter than I’d prefer shorts and tops which barely cover body parts. Our students would rather be outside playing soccer and baseball than synthesizing information or making text to text connections.  As a staff we feel as if we have one foot in the current school year and one foot in the upcoming year.  We begin class placement meetings, discuss room assignments, order supplies and begin to network with those whom we will be working closely with in the fall. 

For those staff members who recognize the importance of personal and professional growth and embrace the opportunity to transfer to another school or another position, dusting off their interview skills becomes important.  As the administrator in a large school (we have about 85 staff members), our admin team is provided with many opportunities to interview teaching, secretarial and support staff members.  I enjoy meeting perspective staff members, sharing significant highlights about our school and learning new strategies and ideas as we work our way through the list of questions.  We are purposeful in our intention to make candidates feel at ease and to create the conditions whereby they highlight their strengths as a staff member.  At times, I feel that we, as a school, are the ones being interviewed as the perspective next school for these talented educators.

During our most recent interview session, we worked our way through our usual list of questions, providing the candidates with an opportunity to share their qualities and skills, specific examples of differentiated lessons, assessment techniques and strategies for engaging reluctant learners.  At the end of the interview, I tossed out a final question (not listed on the page) and asked the candidate, “If I called your current administrator, what would they say about you?”  The candidate had a great comeback about his current principal, sharing that she would tell me not to hire him, because she would want to maintain him on his current staff. We laughed and then he proceeded to provide some more insight.  I continued to ask that same “off the cuff” question to the next four candidates and at the end of the evening it became clearly apparent that each candidate (although they were all very excited about the possibility of working with us) was very humble in their first response about their set of skills and qualities and yet when we asked about how others viewed them, they provided us with a much more glowing and well-rounded list of qualities

I’m wondering how our students would fare if we asked them about their skillset and then asked them how we, as their teachers, see them?   Do we learn modesty as we age?  Is it culturally unacceptable to share one’s qualities, even when employment is at stake?

 Do we spend enough time teaching our children to be proud of what they offer and how to articulate their strengths?