Lafarge Canada – a good neighbour and friend to Exshaw School

Grade 4 Exshaw School students and Principal Paula Hanson with Lafarge Canada Plant Manager, Heinz Knopfel, with employees: Janet Braeger, & Brad Watson.

I often use this blog to thank those who support our schools.  It’s little enough to do when the contributions are so valuable, so needed and do such good things for kids.  In this “grip and grin” photo above, the kids have a lot to smile about: Lafarge has donated $15,000 to the Exshaw school. These funds will go toward the emergency lunch program, literacy and numeracy initiatives and the very exciting new program using iPads to support learning.  Thank you for this, Lafarge! The board of Canadian Rockies Public Schools recognizes and appreciates the generosity of Lafarge Canada; we also acknowledge that the company’s largesse does not stop at the Exshaw town line, but extends into the Bow Valley and into many sectors. We are enriched not just monetarily, but also by the vote of confidence such a gift demonstrates. Your faith in us helps us to stand taller and do our work better.

Retreat & beyond

Photo from http://www.canadianmountainholidays.com/ Thank you, Canadian Mountain Holidays

This is a big-time catch up post – my first one since March 23rd! I did start a couple in April, but could not trust myself to steer clear of political commentary, so I remained in the confines of Twitter and Facebook. Now things have calmed down somewhat, I’ll fill in some of those blanks.

The board of Canadian Rockies Public Schools  District sequestered ourselves for our annual retreat, April 21 and 22 in the Banff School Board office boardroom. This time is our chance to focus on what’s going well and how to sustain and support those things, as well as to carefully examine our challenges.  The picture above seems a metaphor for me of our Board work. Each person finds their place and role on the Via Ferrata of Canadian Rockies Public Schools, but wherever we are on the hierarchy, on the journey, we are all linked by a common purpose, as these adventurers are by their climbing rope.

The seven trustees, Secretary-Treasurer Dave MacKenzie, Superintendent Callaghan and his “heir apparent”, Chris MacPhee, as well as Kate Belford, Assistant Superintendent of Student Services,  and Darren Dick, Coordinator of Instructional Technology met and tackled an ambitious agenda. The board had met with the Principals prior to retreat for, as the cliché goes, “a full and frank discussion”. I am glad that this group feels they can express themselves honestly and openly. They are consummate professionals who are passionate about their schools and students; the district is lucky to have them.

So those of us at retreat sought to define and then emphasize what the fundamental goals of teaching and learning are; this will then shape our decisions around budget.  Inspiring Hearts & Minds core principles were reaffirmed; that process, those definitions and aspirations are the screen through which our decisions will pass.

Yes, I know, easy for us to say.  Recently someone tweeted the link to a post from my blog from a year ago…it is a case of déja vu all over again. I asked the Alberta Government to supply predictable sufficient funding to Public Education; we also asked our stakeholders to let the government know what is needed. Many letters and emails were sent to Edmonton.

The government got the predictable part right, but it is predictably insufficient: the three-year allocation of 1%, 2%, 2% will be outstripped by inflation and the increase in staff wages and salaries…and CRPS still has a deficit to repay.  Our funds have shrunk so much that even our piggy-bank looks unhealthy!

I am also waiting with bated breath: who will be in Cabinet? Will tripartite talks (Alberta Teachers’ Association, Alberta School Boards Association, Government of Alberta) resume? Will @LukaszukMLA be Education Minister again? What of The School Act?

Meanwhile, I choose to embrace hope and keep on working toward the best outcomes for our students.  So despite sometimes feeling as though we are marching endlessly in place, I will continue to work with government to see how inequity in funding might be addressed.  In that vein, I share these spring flowers that I gave to my best pal in the world on her birthday yesterday.  Onwards and upwards.

Science Fair 2012: A whole lotta learning going on!

Mr. Darren Dick assesses a project.

So pleased to be invited back to the Annual Canadian Rockies Public School District Science Fair. First and foremost, a big shout out to Shari Worobey, uber-organizer, and to Canmore Rotary. Shari once again had her ducks – and all the kids’ projects – lined up in a row. Canmore Rotary supported the project not just with dollars but with volunteers – close to 40, I believe. The judges came from many sectors. It all proves once again, the added value the community pumps into our schools.

High school student judges huddle: "Let's get it right."

Once again Shari gave the judges a combo training session and pep talk. She spoke of how the students had taught her, as they presented. She mentioned that although she teaches languages arts and not science, the use of the scientific method is germane to all curriculum, as well as practice doing presentations. She encouraged us to learn from the students as we used provided rubrics to grade the projects.

The two hours of judging flew by as I listened to the students, asked questions and parsed the results. There were miles of aisles and the gym was packed out with people.

Kudos to everyone involved. I’ll be back next year… if you’ll have me. I get a bit of a window into how difficult a teacher’s job is, and, as I mentioned last year,  I am grateful for the insight.

Miles of science project aisles!

Thrive!

Artwork & Photo by Wendy Marie Bush

Yikes! My last post was over a month ago? I was going to post on the 21st of February or so, but hubby’s heart att-ack-ack-ack-ack (Jim’s a big Billy Joel fan) on the 20th changed my priorities somewhat. He is recuperating nicely. Calls himself “stentman”. So… I am reflecting: how do we move forward? How do we THRIVE? Change is not easy but we both have quite spectacular motivation now.

We all think we want to be “happy”, to find the secret of happiness. I believe what we really want is to thrive. “Failure to thrive” is a medical term for children and the elderly, a veterinary term for young animals and the term is also used in horticulture. It means wasting away, not growing and developing – the antithesis of what we want from our education system. We want our schools to thrive so our children can grow to blossom into the very best individuals they can be.

In order to thrive, all life needs to be more than just sustained by adequate resources. Want that Amaryllis to really burst into flower? Want those puppies to be fat, happy and sassy? Want your children to love life, to be healthy, strong and here -  in the now? Then  furnish more than just the “basics”; add concentrated  love and focused attention.

So as the provincial government passes this budget and then goes into the election, please inform yourselves so you can call on the politicians to ensure the whole education system thrives. Equity in funding is required to guarantee equity of access. Choking off adequate dollars will result in stunted and weak schools… and unsatisfactory student outcomes. It will be inevitable.

Unofficial Ribbon Cutting: Kim Bater, Brian Callaghan, Ken Riordon. So happy to see the new home for this facility.

There is a lot more news – the Board is only waiting on Education Minister Thomas Lukaszuk‘s signature on the paperwork to announce the successful candidate to step into Mr. Callaghan’s big boots Update: Letter is signed! Announcement will be made today; the new Canmore Daycare had its unofficial opening at its new site -

Kids play in new empty daycare: "We can run!"

next door to the Canmore Middle School; the next three year-calendar cycle will be on the website tomorrow - the board passes it tonight. And I have a ton of reading and websites to share…

Interwebs, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways…

This video explains Google’s Art Project and is a fine illustration of why I love the internet: the potential it opens up for everyone. I know, people in the developing world don’t have computers – except when they do. The TED: Ideas Worth Spreading website is another reason I am held in the thrall of the internet.

Sometimes my children like to mock me – gently and affectionately, I tell myself. They find my enthusiasm for social media, and all things internet, convergence-related and   interactive, well,  goofy, but endearing.

“Hey moms, ” they’ll said “What’s the interwebs telling you today?” I look at them and, whatever I say,  what I am thinking is: “Where do I begin?”

Why just today, Valentine’s day, 2012, here’s some things from the interwebs:

1. Put this: sqrt(cos(x))*cos(300x)+sqrt(abs(x))-0.7)*(4-x*x)^0.01, sqrt(6-x^2), -sqrt(6-x^2) from -4.5 to 4.5 into  a search engine and you get taken here
2. On the Google homepage click on the “doodle” for a lovely little animation accompanied by the acclaimed crooner, Tony Bennett.
3. Go to the National Film Board of Canada site for this sweetly romantic animated short.

Yes, these are just fun, trivial time-wasters. But these just provide a respite from the heart of what I find. I have access to multiple news feeds: print, images, audio and video – the original source material.  It is, at minimum, entertaining; sometimes it is transcendent.  And that’s just the one-way stuff. Never mind twitter, comments on blog forums and so on…

My old fossilized brain is keeping some its elasticity because of the stimulus I get from my computer, I am convinced of that. And isn’t it better that’s what I feel – to be a lifelong learner – than choosing to  retreat from this crazy world, wearing a tinfoil hat and muttering darkly about the way things used to be? At least that’s my message to my husband and kids.

So here is a virtual cupcake for you all from Communitea Café in my hometown. Perhaps one failing of the internet is you can’t actually take a bite from it…yet…

Magic, enthusiasm and lifelong learning

Ellie Wakabayashi, Autumn Snowstorm, 2011, Through The Lens

“I always say three things lead to success: hard work, talent (a little bit of talent doesn’t hurt) and enthusiasm. If you have two of these three, you’ll succeed – as long as enthusiasm is one of the three.” We heard this at the Whyte Museum gallery opening of the 15th edition of Through the Lens, from Craig Richards, curator of photography at that Banff institution and prime mover of the program which has introduced nearly 600 students from Banff, Canmore and Morley to film and digital photography.

I met Craig in Edmonton in 1979, when he began dating my friend Linda Petras – now his wife. In 1980 my husband Jim launched an ambitious project: climb 75 Alberta peaks to celebrate Alberta’s 75th birthday. Craig was approached to be official photographer. He jumped aboard before the endeavour was an up-and-running reality. He found sponsors, participated on climbs and encouraged the rest of the team from the sidelines. That was my first experience of the successful formula of hard work + talent + ENTHUSIASM.

Craig is the very embodiment of enthusiasm. His passion is not just for his craft of photography, it is also for sharing that with the students. He can’t wait to see what the students will bring back, to see what his teaching of f-stops, depth of field and lighting has wrought: “The end product is displayed on the walls of the museum; the really exciting part is the learning that happened with each of the participants.”

Craig’s energy and commitment are an exemplar to the children: how to proceed if you want to succeed. He also affirms a vote of confidence in each of the learners. Craig takes the students seriously, pays attention to their aspirations. The gift he gives to the Bow Valley children that he mentors is not only the beginning of mastery of an art but also insight into what is possible.  That is pure magic, like a unique moment caught in a camera lens. The lessons learned in Through the Lens will serve the kids for the rest of their lives, whether or not they find a career in photography. Hana Kujuawa, daughter of Board chair Kim Bater, took part in the program in 2011. Kim wrote an eloquent piece of praise.

A 15th anniversary hardcover book, featuring 140 to 150 of the best photos created since 1997, will be published next year.  The book will also include a DVD of the 15-year full catalogue of 1,800 photographs. Canadian Rockies Public Schools District Board of Trustees is pleased to support this project with a $2,000 donation.  It seems a paltry thanks for 15 years of dedication, of transformational education, and unflagging enthusiasm.  Thank you Craig, thank you.

A footnote: As Craig himself mentions, with particular emphasis, a project like this takes many partners stepping up in order to succeed. I thank each and every donor, whether in cash, kind or other support; whatever the quantity, the outcome is priceless. Thank you.

Old school lessons learned in the kitchen

As we continue to talk about transforming (rather than reforming) the education system, I’d like to share a couple of simple lessons I’ve learned, and then tie them together at the end, à la Aesop fables, with a moral.

Lesson #1:

I first heard this story from my pal Anne Georgeson, a wise and funny woman – also, once upon a time, my boss. Today I googled it: up pops Snopes with its versions of the “legend”. Here’s my version:
So Alice leaves home to attend university. When Thanksgiving rolls around she decides to host a potluck dinner for her friends; she’ll bake  a ham as the anchor for the meal. Alice phones her mum to get the recipe. Her mum tells her about the glaze and the cloves and the pre-heat the oven and adds, “And just before you pop it in to bake, cut off the nubbin.”

Alice asks “Why?”

“Well now, I don’t know, that’s what your grandmother taught me – the meat is perfect, so there must be a reason.”

“Okay, but next time you are talking to Grandma, ask her the reason, will you?”

A few days pass. Alice’s mum gets on the phone with her mum; she asks her:”Why cut off that nubbin?”

“Oh,” says her mum, Alice’s grandma,  “Back when I had the wood stove, the oven chamber was too small to fit most hams. I just kept the habit, I guess.”

Lesson #2:

When I was about 11, I was traveling with my parents to our new posting – Cleveland, Ohio, USA. My dad would be opening the Canadian consulate there. Whenever we had these breaks between posts, we’d visit friends and family, some not seen for a long while. At one of these pit stops, after supper, since there were no other children and the grownups were bo-o-ring,  I decided to curry favour with my folks by doing the pots and pans. You see, my mother insisted that when our family were guests in someone’s home, we go above and beyond  in helping with household chores. The cast iron fry pan was black with years of use. I scrubbed my little heart out; I made that thing SHINE!

As I was drying it off to sit in the dish rack, our hostess and my mum came in to see what I was up to.  “Eeep,” said our hostess, surveying my handiwork, “I spent 22 years getting the perfect patina on that sucker.” I felt so very foolish.

The application for the transformation of teaching/learning? Everyone throughout the education system has to examine and reflect on WHY things are done the way they are done – maybe once there was a very good reason but that reason no longer exists.

At the same time, we need to be sure to preserve the things which are hard-won and valuable and rare.  Not so straightforward, is it?

Community partners: we can’t succeed without you

Ruth Snyder, Alberta public school board trustee from Northern Lights School Division #69, wrote a blog post today to acknowledge the contribution made by peace officers working in the division; their wages are paid by the MD.  She says “I’m thankful we have many partners who support us in providing quality education in our communities.” We at Canadian Rockies Public Schools are also thankful for those who support our work and our students.

Today I want to send a shout-out to Canmore Rotary for all that organization does for our kids. From being a gracious host at “Festival of Trees” to donating to “Food for Learning” to providing opportunities for international exchanges to citizenship initiatives to the “Adventures in…” career programs and beyond, this group of men and women truly practice “Service above Self”, and live “One profits most who serves best” – to the benefit of the children in our area schools, helping translate students’ dreams and hopes into reality.

This is how I am rolling today.

Before I begin, remember my disclaimer!

The Canadian Rockies Public Schools (CRPS) Board has a large workload on at the moment.  The negotiations between the Alberta School Boards Association (that is our Provincial Association, the “voice” of all 62 locally elected Alberta school boards), the Alberta Teachers Association and the Government of Alberta for a long-term wage/employment agreement are no more: the Minister of Education has mandated a settlement be presented to him very soon by a disinterested third party ; our district’s financial woes are not resolved and that must and will be addressed in the coming weeks; the applications for superintendent are rolling in, with the shortlist to be determined on February 1st; the district calendar consultation continues: 52 pages of raw data to be distilled into the core concerns and issues, keeping the focus on what is best for kids’ learning. These are serious matters which weigh on my mind.

The Minister of Education, Thomas Lukaszuk, has been rolling out announcements over the last few days, making headlines.  “Parents will be able to look and see how much money a school board is getting and how much is actually getting into Johnny’s classroom,” is a quote from the January 11th Calgary Herald.  Perhaps it is a function of our district’s tiny perfect size, but much of what the Minister is moving on is already happening in CRPS: our meetings – committee and public – are open to the public; trustees attend school council meetings; the budget and financial statements, as well as agendas and minutes,  are available from the website. The minister’s 10-point Plan left me, as the kids used to say “meh”. I am glad the PATs and Diploma exams are coming under scrutiny. I appreciate that Mr. Lukaszuk wants to “own” his new portfolio and be seen to be doing what’s best for kids. I am just not sure he appreciates how much is happening already.

And I want transformation of education. So do my fellow trustees.  Inspiring Hearts & Minds started us off.  Inspiring Education gave us momentum and real hope that the province understood the profound changes needed – not just to maintain the current level of excellence in the provincial education system but to begin to move it to create not just “21st century learners”, but learners for the ages.  At the moment politics seem to have gotten in the way; the looming election is colouring the conduct of our leaders.

My fondest,  fervent hope is that the posturing that accompanies the short-term goal of an election victory could be set aside; that the actions undertaken in the next little while by those in power will be to the long-term benefit of all Albertans – and most particularly to those most vulnerable.

Meanwhile, like brave optimistic Russell in Disney movie Up, pictured above, I’m putting on my flying goggles, giving the thumbs up and getting on with it… and that’s how I am rolling today.

Exshaw School Christmas Concert: We are Family

One of my favourite events at our schools is the Christmas Concert.  This year I was only able to get to one; it was last night in Exshaw. This K-Grade 8 school was humming with excitement when Trustee Vi Sandford and I arrived. Staff, parents and community members hailed us as we found our seats. The principal, Ms. Hanson, publicly welcomed us as well as former Exshaw School principal, Deb Anstey.

Then Suzanne Morley, the Music Specialist, took over. She made a good start by welcoming the assembly in Stoney, which delighted the crowd. Then, I have to say, she positively lit up those students with her verve and signature conducting. I took pictures of the performance, but Suzanne’s energetic style meant some part of her was always blurry.

So I got her to pose in front of the snowflakes in the hall so we could give a proper thanks and “Compliments of the Season” greeting to her. Thanks to all the staff and students for their hard work in producing such a heart-warming event.  Special thanks to “Mr. Morley” (aka John Frolick), whose volunteer time and skills really added to the evening’s show.

The final number of the concert was not a traditional Christmas tune, but it certainly summed up the feeling in that gymnasium as the kids chorused with gusto: WE ARE FAMILY!