Education

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A Lesson in “Knowing!”

I’ve discovered that reading a lot of different blogs and online journals is not the same as writing your own. Not the same in the least! When I first came up with this plan a part of me envisioned all the wonderful ideas I have floating around in my head just coming out as I sat at the keyboard. My fingers would do that little magic dance they do and words would form into sentences and sentences into great ideas and I’d be able to share those ideas with like-minded teachers and administrators like myself and we’d collaborate in some mysterious bond in this online world in the blogosphere out there in cyberspace.

But…… I’ve been sitting here for almost an hour now writing and deleting, writing and editing and doing more deleting. I’ve had 2 cans of Diet Coke (which I know is not good for me – someone told me once about the aspartame in it and how it causes bladder cancer in rats , but I digress – maybe the next entry can be about my drinking habits)

So what WAS the real reason I wanted to do this again – this writing – this blogging project? Guess it’s not as easy as I thought. Ah, stupid idea now that I’m actually here having to write something. Why am I dry? Why won’t the words come? Why isn’t there one simple idea sitting there waiting to be explored?

And then it hit me like a brick – and I saw myself like so very many of the kids I’d taught over the years who sat quietly, pencil in hand, hunched over a piece of paper on their desk, doodling strange pictures in the margins of the paper – not knowing what to write, dry, writer’s block, barren, lost, dead in the water, nothing important to say, empty!

I then couldn’t help but think about all the incredible teachers I work with now and how well they are able to motivate even the most reluctant writers to produce some good pieces of writing.  I’ve seen the writing posted on their bulletin boards, in our halls and some, even on a teacher’s website or blog.

I know instinctively that writing is a process – I remember that from my own high school and university days – and then from all the years I spent in the classroom.  Yes there is a process, but there is also that end product, that piece that is finally done and ready to have an audience. How do we get kids from that initial start-up point, through the process and then to that proud final edit moment when we “publish” and the piece is done?

Well, I feel better! I’m now into my first cup of green tea (to ward off the evil affects of the aspartame, I’m sure) but I have my plan. Over the next few blogs let’s talk about how we motivate kids to write! What ideas work? Which ones don’t?  Is there a tried and true method? We want to produce good communicators; kids who can put their ideas down on paper (or an online journal, blog or website) and communicate effectively. How do we as teachers do that? How do you do that?

Let me know!

Come write with me!

Sue ….

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A Sense of Community

 

“Without a sense of caring, there can be no sense of community.” Anthony J. D’Angelo

May was an incredible month at Wilfrid Jury. As we celebrated many milestones and achievements I was constantly reminded what a wonderful, caring school community we have.

 We started the month with Education Week, which included a visit from the NASCAR racing team and a community BBQ and our 20th Anniversary Open House. As a part of our Open House celebration, we were entertained by the reflections from our former administrators. Each one commented on the strength of the Jury community. It was certainly a proud moment for Don Jury, a relative of Dr. Wilfrid  Jury, as he listened to all of our stories.

Our next event was our Primary Literacy Day where our Intermediate students worked extremely hard to support our primary students in a variety of literacy activities. It was such a wonderful sense of community to see so many students and staff work together to support our school goal.

As we continued through the month, the junior and intermediate students took part in their Track and Field events and encouraged each other from event to event. Some of our  students went on to the Regional meet and many of our students represented us well at the Special Olympics.

Our sense of community reaches well beyond the doors at 950 Lawson road. This month, the Limberlost Chaplaincy celebrated their 30th Anniversary. It was an honour to be one of their guests and listen to how their organization has grown and supported our students and their families over the years.

 As we embarked on our project to create a Reading Garden, we were very fortunate to receive funding from various community sources. Without their support, our Garden would continue to be a dream and not a reality. We will continue to rely on the community to maintain the Garden throughout the summer months.

 Our month ended with an inspirational message from Theresa Carriere, the remarkable woman who will attempt to run 100 km in one day on June 10, 2011. Theresa’s message is one about empowering a larger community to support her cause.

Each and every event this past month has added something significant to the lives of our students at Wilfrid Jury and none of them would have been possible without the support of the  greater community. Our school is so much more than paper, pencils and books, it is a caring community that relies on students, staff, parents and other community members in order to create a sense of belonging for all who are fortunate enough to walk through our front doors.

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Growing Successful – Each and Every Day!

Growing Successful – Each and Every Day!

Each month I set out to share thoughts, ideas and information with the school community within this forum – this blog. I often wonder if anyone takes the time to read my blog as I’m sure other “cyber-authors” do. And yet, regardless of who reads them, I continue to post something  on a monthly basis. And as I write I can’t help but reflect on our students who are often asked to write throughout the day in their classrooms. Do our students have that same sense of “who’s reading this?” when they complete assignments? Do we tell our students on a regular basis that what they’ve written is worthy of being shared in a public forum? As we implement our newest Assessment and Evaluation document, “Growing Success”, we are very aware that we need to provide students with constructive, timely feedback in order for them to improve. Do we need feedback for blogging or is it enough that someone took the time to read it? Or is it just enough that I get pleasure from the writing?

 

Do we provide students with authentic opportunities to write and  then do we validate what they’ve written? As adults do we demonstrate how important it is to write for a variety of reasons, including pure pleasure? We often talk about reading for pleasure, but how many of us write for pleasure?

 

Written communication has certainly morphed into a variety of forms recently with the invention of text messaging, BBM’ing and emails. And, in a sense, a whole new language has developed. Our students know that brb means be right back and f2f means face to face. Does simplifying the length of the message simplify the meaning? Or are our  students actually communicating in writing more than the previous generation.

Growing up I was on the phone all the time, whereas my children rarely have long conversations on the phone.Kids today collect email addresses and Facebook accounts like we used to collect phone numbers. They txt or BBM their friends throughout the day without even thinking much about it. These days if I have a quick message to send to a staff  member or a friend, I rarely pick up the phone and talk to them, I’ll blast off a quick email and trust that they’ll get the message in plenty of time. Back in the day, writing a letter occurred when you needed to share something with family and friends who lived far away or for those times that you wanted to share something extra special and personal. Now we blog our thoughts, ideas and feelings for the world to see.
 I recently have started to use Twitter and get regular updates from the various “tweets” I’ve subscribed to. I must admit I love this new technology and learn something from someone’s thoughts and ideas everyday. It’s amazing what can be said in 160 characters or less.

And so we learn it’s not about the quantity, but about the quality of the writing or the communication.

I love quotes and cartoons and so I found what others have said about blogging. Short, brief, to the point, but it communicates very well, I think.  

~ A blog is merely a tool that lets you do anything from change the world to share your shopping list. ~

 

 

“Yes, blogging is entertainment. It is performance. Each blog post is a show, sometimes an opera, sometimes a 30 second commercial. Like a show, it may start with a bang, lead you along from song to song, have a great climatic moment, then leave the audience wanting more.” (

Lorelle Van Fossen)

Do you have a favourite writer? A favourite blogger? Or do you just enjoy reading all the entries your friends post on Facebook? It’s a world filled with wonder and words and, in the end, that’s what school is really all about – helping students to grow to become good communicators, whether it be reading, writing, taking pictures, shooting videos or drawing cartoons.

Today (and everyday) take the time to read something your child has written, or post (if only on your fridge door) a picture they have taken or a drawing they have created. Together celebrate their creativity, for it is in that celebration they will feel inspired and will find themselves growing successful each and every day.


(click image to find out)

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Feel the Burn

From the depths of a long, snowy winter, we are finally emerging and welcoming Spring 2011. Soon, the large snow banks will disappear and the muddy ground cover will turn to lush green fields and lawns. The crocuses, daffodils and tulips will be blooming and adding a rainbow of colour to our gardens.

 Spring is a time of renewal and rebirth and this spring I’m working towards a renewal of my own personal fitness regime. I’ve joined a club and I’m working with a trainer. During my first couple of sessions, as I discovered muscles that have been dormant for a while, I couldn’t help but draw many similarities between my fitness journey and the journey that some of our students travel as they work their way through learning activities.

In order for students to improve, there needs to be many factors in place. They need the right tools such as reading material that will challenge them, but not frustrate them. They need a variety of learning opportunities . Similarly when I choose weights to lift, if I choose ones that are too heavy, I may damage muscle tissue, but weights that are too light, will not give me any noticeable results. I also thrive on a variety of exercises that challenge me to think about my body position and breathing techniques.

 Teachers track student progress by collecting assessment information from diagnostic, formative and summative tasks. Together, the trainer and myself use a tracking system to record the intensity of some of the exercises and the number of repetitions. In order for me to get stronger, I need to increase my endurance and use my muscles in a variety of exercises. In order for students to get better, they need to practice their skills in a variety of applications.

Not unlike the trainer, who provides ongoing encouragement, support and feedback in the form of correct positioning, correct breathing etc., the teacher is integral to the success of a student’s ability to learn and improve. Teachers can be the greatest cheerleaders and encourage students on a daily basis. Teachers provide meaningful, constructive feedback which gives students information on how they can improve their performance.

 “The task of the excellent teacher is to stimulate “apparently ordinary” people to unusual effort. The tough problem is not in identifying winners: it is in making winners out of ordinary people.” ~K. Patricia Cross

 

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Heart Month

 

 February is often seen as the Heart Month! We celebrate Valentine’s Day and Staff Appreciation Week. Our grade 7/8 students offered the school community the opportunity to demonstrate their caring for others by purchasing and sending Candy Gram! It truly is the month of Love.

 

 

February also has Family Day and what a joy it was recently to just have a full day away from work to be with our own families. It is a perfect holiday to have in the month of Love. But tonight while preparing for school tomorrow, I happened to flip the channels and came across the Oscars. I’m not one for much Hollywood glitz and glamour, but I have seen a few of the movies and was interested in knowing how they might fare tonight. The show was indeed a wonderful escape to the glamorous lifestyle of the rich and famous, but it was the ending of the show that I enjoyed the most. A chorus of children from New York had been flown by United Airlines all the way to Hollywood to sing at the Oscars. In the tradition of Glee, the P_22 Chorus from Staten Island, with their music teacher, Gregg Breinberg sang their way into the hearts of America with their rendition of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”

The background story of this school’s rise from a very normal and ordinary school on Staten Island is most insightful.

 

Their teacher, Breinberg had been singing the songs of many famous artists for years now and posting them on YouTube. One of their Lady Gaga songs has had almost 5 million hits. Many of these famous singers who’s songs were taped and posted were so impressed with what they heard, the path to the Oscars was paved by their suggestions.

 

And now they were on the set at the Staples Center at the Academy and the Oscars.

 

As I listened and watched the kids I couldn’t help but see all our own Jury students there. But I was so taken with what the music teacher from New York said about his students when asked if he could have ever believed this could have ever happened to his choir. Breinberg told the interviewer “I could have never dreamt this was possible..But it shows that hard work can make anything possible.”

 

That struck a strong cord with me. “Hard work can make anything possible!” And although it’s exciting for this young group of students from New York to be at the Oscars, I couldn’t help but think how hard work helped a young student in grade one read an entire short story for the first time. Hard work brought a group of grade 3 students excitingly into my office sharing a math story they had written. Hard work brought a group of Early Years students to my office with their story webs. Later I thanked those teacher who had worked so hard to help get their students to that point. And so it goes on each and every day here at Jury – the hard work and the exciting pay-off.

 

Thank you parents of all our children. YOU have worked so hard to produce the wonderful attitudes in the children you send us each morning. Thank you to all our staff here at Jury for your dedication to working with all of our students and ensuring that they learn something new every day.

 

But most of all I want to thank each student who comes through our doors each morning. When you feel like quitting and giving up, remember “hard work can make anything possible”. What is your “anything?” What are your dreams? All of us are here to help you see your dreams come true – each and every day.

 

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The Gift of Giving

The Gift of Christmas Giving

Exactly one week ago, the entire Bruyns clan sat down to enjoy a meal together. It was the first time in 4 months that all five of us were at the same table. My daughter was home from UBC and our eldest son, who now lives in London, was joining us. The kitchen was filled with lots of laughter and many conversations overlapping each other. As things started to quiet down, I asked the annual question, “So, what would everyone like for Christmas?” Gone are the days of helping to write letters to Santa and with two of our children living on their own, I expected a response of, “Rent money”. But much to our surprise, each of our three children had one thing on their list that they wanted, which meant I would have to brave the crowds and head out for some Christmas shopping.

 Our youngest son has recently taken up snowmobiling, so he wanted a heated helmet. There just happened to be an advertisement on the radio for a sale, so I scooted out to Crazy Al’s. I had never ventured in there before, but I was immediately greeted by a pleasant sales person, who assisted me in choosing the right style and size. I started to browse and found a coat that fit perfectly. I had just finished my husband’s shopping at that point! The second salesperson, noticing that I was also purchasing the helmet, offered me a deal on the coat. I was very thankful and would highly recommend that store to friends.

Our eldest son wanted a pair of Timberland boots. As is the case with most young adults, the brand name means everything. So, on Monday, I decided to brace myself and venture to White Oaks Mall. I should have realized  when it took me three circles of the parking lot to find a spot, that it was going to be a busy day. Busy was an understatement…. After a few hours of purchasing some gifts, I wandered into the Bay and found myself in the shoe department. To my surprise it wasn’t that busy. I was immediately greeted by a friendly salesperson who was very knowledgeable about the boots that I was looking for. She took the time to explain the pros and cons of each style and then successfully found me the right size. While she was waiting for her turn at the till to ring in my sale, she looked over and noticed that the day of shopping had taken its toll on me. She cleared off a chair and invited me to sit down while she finished the sale. That small act of kindness was almost as wonderful as finding the right boots in the right size.

 Now for our daughter… Her initial response to my question filled me with happiness. “I’d like an IPOD Nano”. Ah, now there was a gift that I’d enjoy shopping for. Future Shop, Best Buy… who knows, maybe a little techno trinket for me too. But then came the clincher… “A 5th Generation ~ but they don’t make them anymore”. Yikes… Visions of midnight trips to Zellers to try and win an elusive Furby when Kaitlyn was 10 were swirling in my head. We were two for two and I was determined to find this gift for our daughter. So I contacted a friend who suggested I find one online. The AppleStore did have them and guaranteed delivery in 2-3 days. That would bring us to December 24. Should I chance it? I took the plunge and placed the order.

On the 23rd, we were able to track the FedEx delivery route of the IPOD. I remembered Tom Hanks set out on FedEx plane on Christmas Eve in the movie, “Castaway”. I hoped our IPOD didn’t end up on an exotic island. I was truly impressed with the online tracking system. The IPOD travelled  from China to Tennessee to Mississauga all in one day. So, as of Dec. 23 at 7:30 p.m. it was in Mississauga. On the morning of Dec. 24, I contemplated driving to Mississauga to pick it up, but then I decided to trust in the system and be patient. As of 10:50 a.m on Dec. 24 it was in the depot in London and as of 1:59 p.m. it was safely in my hands. I wish I had a plate of homemade cookies for the FedEx delivery person ~ they would have done that if this was a movie. The level of service that both Apple and FedEx provided was outstanding.

So, as Christmas morning rolled around, each of our three children were thrilled with their gifts and even surprised that I had come through and purchased the “right” gift. They were very thankful and I was so happy to sit there and watch them open and enjoy their gifts.

As I reflect on the last week, one of the things that I was so thankful for was the level of customer service that I received in each of the three scenarios. People took the time to not only sell the product, but assist me in more ways than they would ever know. One store provided a discount, one provided a much needed place to rest and one provided me with a piece of mind.

 We often talk about education in terms of customer service. What is it that we can provide for our students ( our customers). And not unlike the salespeople that I met this week, teachers provide students with what they need at the time. Sometimes our job is to give students as much information as possible ~ we challenge them to get as much as they can out of a lesson or an activity. Sometimes our students need us to take care of them and school can provide a safe, comfortable spot for them to stop and relax before accepting the next challenge. And we always do a great job of tracking our students’ progress. We know where they have come from and where we want them to be.

I hope that your holidays were filled with the wonders of the season and that you found gifts in places where you least expected.

Mrs. S. Bruyns

 

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Parents as Partners

 Parents as Partners

“We know that parents have an important role to play in supporting student learning. Studies show that students perform better in school if their parents or guardians are involved in their education.” That quote is from the Growing Success document which forms the basis for our new assessment, evaluation and reporting system in Ontario.

At Wilfrid Jury, we welcome parent involvement and appreciate that it comes in many forms. Some of our parents are available to volunteer during the school day with classroom activities and field trips. Other parents complete tasks for our students and teachers at home in the form of preparing learning materials. We have a very dedicated Parent Council who volunteer their time at monthly meetings and spearhead fund raisers. Without that partnership, we would not be able to offer our students as many opportunities as we do.

Every parent plays an integral role in their child’s education, when they enter into a partnership with their child’s teacher. It is so important for our children to recognize that teachers and parents are working together to support student learning. Communication between home and school is paramount. We ask that parents use the planner to initial that their child has brought home important information and homework. If there are questions or concerns about what has happened throughout the school day, please drop us a line or give us a call. As is the case with most situations, there are always two sides to consider. Teachers enjoy sharing good news stories with parents.

Children want to see themselves as learners. Parents can play an important role by being their child’s cheerleader and encouraging them and praising them for their efforts. Children want to please their parents and their teachers.

At times, our children may make inappropriate choices. We need to trust in the strong partnership that exists between home and school and together ensure that our children realize when a better choice could have been made. Giving children the opportunity to apologize and practice making the right choice will give them a strong foundation as they become more and more independent.

“Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.” ~ Henry Ford

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Each Student Every Day

Last week, all of the Thames Valley administrators and superintendents met for our annual August gathering at the Board Office. During our time together, we discussed the new initiatives for the upcoming school year, the budget, capital planning and a new shoe policy for all employees, among other topics.  I truly enjoy that first meeting of the school year. It allows me the opportunity to network with my colleagues, catch up on summer news and get back into the swing of things for school improvement planning.

The morning session ended with an address from our Director, Bill Tucker. Some of you may remember him as a former principal at Wilfrid Jury ~ 10 or so years ago. Mr. Tucker is passionate about student learning and he inspires all of us to do our best in order to get the best out of our students. We have a vested interested in our children ~ They will be our future doctors, lawyers, mechanics, electricians and parents of the next generation.

Mr. Tucker shared with us, the new motto for Thames Valley ~ Each Student Every Day.  I believe in that phrase and I know that the staff that I work with on a daily basis believes it too. We ensure that our lessons meet the needs of all learners, those who find school challenging and those who excel. We ensure that our students are greeted with a smile each day ~ knowing that our staff are pleased that they are here and are ready for a productive day of learning. We ensure that we include character education as a part of our daily routines and we ensure that parents are respected as valuable partners in the school community at Wilfrid Jury.

As we continue throughout this school year, the phrase, “Each Student Every Day” will become a part of our culture!

Welcome Back!