PAC Legacy Scholarship Presentations

The past two and a half months have been hectic and as a result I have not been able to give much attention to this blog.  As a new Principal, I have been working, for the first time, through complicated and sensitive issues surrounding staffing (downsizing and layoffs, plus posting and hiring), timetable issues, Commencement planning and speeches plus all of the regular end-of-year stressors (which this year have been further complicated by the continued labour unrest between the BCTF and the Provincial Government).  To say the learning curve has been steep would be a massive understatement.  At times I have felt overwhelmed and have questioned my abilities and decisions.  I suppose, however, that the second-guessing and constant analyzing and thinking is a positive part of the reflective process that goes with learning new things and challenging oneself.

Despite the long hours and restless nights, I have continued to enjoy what I do and the people with whom I work and learn.  One such event that reaffirmed my love of this job was held this past Wednesday evening.  Our Parent Advisory Council (PAC) held its annual PAC Legacy Scholarship Presentations for any Grade 12 students who wished to share with parents their Graduation Transitions documents.  The evening was attended by eleven parents (volunteers from PAC and anyone else who was interested), and 20 students.  The library was set up so that parents could rotate around tables and have brief question and answer sessions with students who were presenting  reflections upon their years in school.  The six most interesting and engaging presentations (as decided upon by the parent group) were chosen as recipients of a $500 PAC Legacy Scholarship.  Though I was not evaluating the presentations, I did have the opportunity to observe and have informal conversations with many of the students and parents.

I was thoroughly impressed.  There were students who were preparing to go to school next year in faraway places like the University of Pennsylvania, Cornell and University of Hong Kong.  There were aspiring Doctors and Scientists plus several Artists, Fashion Designers and future Youth Counsellors.  Among the most inspiring were the stories of students who have overcome feelings of isolation when they arrived in Canada understanding very little English.  There was also a student who demonstrated and talked about his love of the VEX Robotics extra-curricular program that he was a founder and leader of.  There were students who talked about the changes they had gone through on their journey towards adulthood, including one who had fallen in with a group of friends early in his school life that led to some poor decision-making.  His family intervened and set him up with Richmond's Integrated Youth Services Society, a charity founded by Esther Ho which looks to  support new immigrant children by introducing them to causes like the Personal Growth Youth Pilgrammage to Yunnan, China.  The student has now been overseas and is actively involved in fundraising to help bring a high-school education to students in rural China.  Talk about a life-changing experience!  Others talked about how much they had grown from their experiences in Leadership classes and when they were given opportunities to be role models for younger students in events like our Grade 8 Retreat.  

In each of the conversations I had with students, I asked them after their presentation was over what was one memory of school that they would recall 15-20 years from now.  In each case, the answer was "the people".  I also asked what they were most proud of from their time in school.  In most cases the response was "I surprised myself by how much I overcame and improved".  I was pleased to hear that the students will remember the relationships formed in these years and was reminded of the article written by Charles Wheelan that is getting a great amount of attention in the Twitter world now.  The article is a tongue-in-cheek commentary on Graduation speeches.  Titled "Ten Things Your Commencement Speaker Won't Tell You", item number seven rings true for me and I thought of it frequently when speaking with our Graduates.  It refers to how the "Adults in your life don't want what is BEST for you, they want what is GOOD for you".  Too often, our children and students are protected from failure and risk by the adults in their lives.  We do this with the best of intentions, but if we push them a little, and allow them to fail and learn from their mistakes, they will surprise themselves and us with what they can accomplish.  The presentations from Wednesday night confirmed that if we allow them, our students can and will go above and beyond, even if their first attempt may not have ended with a positive result. 

What a fantastic evening it was!  Thank you to the parents who invited me to attend, and especially to the students who once again inspired and reinvigorated me with their stories, aspirations and reflections upon their time with us.  As an entire group, you will be fondly remembered.  Best of luck in your future endeavours.  These last few weeks will be a blur for you.  Study hard but slow down and enjoy the moment.  The memories and relationships you will take from here will last a lifetime.

Museum

Last Thursday night I had the pleasure of watching the J.N. Burnett Theatre Department's Spring performance of the play "Museum" by Tina Howe.  The play, written in 1976, is a satirical look at the world of Modern Art and the characters who often visit art shows.  Set in an unidentified museum in New York, there was a large cast of brilliantly portrayed characters who graced the stage.

The performance was extremely well-received by the "standing-room only" audience of family and friends, who were treated to an inspired and humourous production.  Though each of the actors was outstanding, there are a few that deserve special recognition;  the ever-energetic Moses Caliboso as both Mr. Salt and Giorgio, Jei So as Mrs. Salt and Harriet, Stephanie Wong as Barbara Castle and Zoe and Jessica Wong as Barbara Zimmer and Francoise.  Also deserving of mention was Sharon Mui as Tink Solheim and an elderly parent and, of course, lead actor Justin Wang as the frustrated, in-over-his-head security guard.  Despite singling out only a few, I would be remiss if I did not give out kudos to each of the 31 actors in the show!

The show was directed by Drama teacher, Mrs. Karen McNee.  Tech Education teacher Mr. Bevan, David Tam and Samson Lee helped with set design, and Ms. Jackson, Heidi Ng and Angie Wu from the Textiles department aided with costumes.  There were likely many others who pitched in and I apologize if I missed you!  The cast of 31 actors (playing 40 different characters) and 30 behind the scenes crew (including 4 teachers and a husband) worked exceedingly hard.  No one described the efforts and rewards of the show better than director, Mrs. Karen McNee:

Welcome to the Museum and the last day of the exhibition “The Broken Silence”!

This play focuses on character rather than plot and it caught my attention during my annual play search this last fall.  I had heard much about so when I finally read it, I was really excited that I had found the right one for this year.  I love the range and variety of characters it features and wanted to provide as large an opportunity for casting as I could.  I enjoy the humour that the characters bring, but also the heart.  They represent little bits that we can recognize in ourselves, or in the people we know.  Despite their pretense, there is an honesty that drives each of them.

As you may know, recent events pressured us to either cancel the show or honour all of the work we have put into this since January and get this show up three weeks early.  The students and staff involved collectively decided to proudly present to you all that we had created and do the best we could with the time we had left. The passion these students bring each day have made this process such a pleasure and a joy.

Like I often am, I was amazed by the talents, passion and coming together of the teachers and students when in situations like these.  As mentioned by Mrs. McNee, the performance was bumped up by three weeks for a variety of reasons, among them the uncertainty of teacher job action in the dispute between the BCTF and the Ministry of Education.  Students and teachers alike desperately wanted the show to go ahead, and worked very hard under significant time constaints.  They came together and put on a magnificent show!

Congratulations to all those who contributed to the performance.  You put on an exceptional show and made yourselves and us proud.  Special thanks go out to the teachers who made the project possible.  Well done!

Ride to Conquer Cancer

It has been more than a month since I last posted anything on my blog or Tweeted anything on Twitter.  The break has been necessary.  Among the events consuming my energy in March included the unsettling labour dispute within education in British Columbia, beginning the timetabling process for next September, and the staffing and potential downsizing facing our school for next year.  I enjoyed a very welcomed break from March 10-25th when Spring Break came.  We enjoyed our first-ever cruise as the family (a group of 9 including my wife, our 2 children, my sister and her family and my mother and father) sailed aboard the Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas (a ship that only 5 years ago was the largest in the world).  It was a luxurious way to travel the western Caribbean, with stops in Labadee, Haiti; Falmouth, Jamaica; Grand Cayman Island and Cozumel, Mexico.  As expected, I enjoyed all that I was supposed to, and the relaxing and eating caused to me feel well-rested and only seven pounds heavier than when I left!!

Having made the decision to lose the seven pounds I gained (plus a few more), I am now turning my attention to getting back on my road bike and training for the Ride to Conquer Cancer.  This epic adventure is a two-day ride from Cloverdale, BC to Redmond, Washington scheduled for mid-June.  I rode last summer (check here for the blog about it), and found the experience so rewarding, I signed up to do it again. 

I was inspired to ride last year because my good friend and mentor in my professional life, Lorne Bodin, had recently passed away after a bout with stomach cancer.  He was an avid cyclist who had captained a team in the ride only a year before.  An exemplary human being, I learned a great deal from Lorne, and still think of him everyday.  I also ride for the countless other people whom I know have had their lives negatively impacted by cancer.  Gil Puder and Mike Tinker were two other exceptional people whose lives ended prematurely after battling the disease.  Their families still deal with the loss and the effects cancer has had on them.  We all have stories like these, and in many cases, cancer has hit lives much more directly than it has mine.  Please consider making a donation to the ride or to any cancer fighting cause.  Any amount is hugely appreciated.

I am now actively beginning my fundraising efforts, and need to raise $2500.00 in order to participate.  If you are so inclined, donations can be made on my fundraising page here.

Thank you in advance for your generosity.

Learning and the Brain

After a very long week finishing Bill 33 consultations for Semester 2, hosting a parent information meeting, helping coach the Senior Boys Basketball team in the playoffs, supervising a school dance and initiating the course programming for next year's timetable, it is finally time for me to reflect on an opportunity from the week before.  I had the chance to go with friend/colleague Bert Wiens (@bewiens) to the annual Learning and the Brain conference at the Fairmont Hotel atop Nob Hill in scenic San Francisco.  

The Fairmont Hotel

The conference opened on Thursday morning with an optional pre-conference, and I attended a workshop on Teaching Wisdom, led by Dr. Kevin Washburn. The session was thought-provoking and discussed the idea of teaching "Creative Thinking" rather than content.  Below is a video that was shown to prompt conversation.  Dr. Washburn talked about the need for educators to teach the "basics" in order to give students the skills needed, and then the freedom to develop their own technique and the choices to develop their creativity.  He touched on the importance of self-direction in learners and moved into the concept of helping students develop "wisdom".  He listed eight capacities commonly seen in "wise" people: Self-regulation, Valuing, Morality, Compassion, Humility, Altruism, Emotional Regulation and Dealing with Uncertainty.  It was an interesting dialogue that made me think about what more our schools should be doing to help build these skills, recognizing that each of them requires time to develop. 

Thursday afternoon then kicked off the main conference, with the focus of keynote speakers being the brain science behind educating happy, healthy, moral and self-regulated learners.  Many of the speakers were Neuro-scientists, Psychologists and Medical professionals and admittedly, several of the sessions left me wanting more.  I found some of the presenters a little dry and too technical regarding the biology of the brain and the chemical rationale for certain behaviors.  There were, however, some excellent links to understanding why certain teaching strategies are more effective in connecting with the adolescent brain.  The two most dynamic and engaging speakers were Dr. David Walsh and Dr. Yong Zhao.

Dr. Walsh is a renowned Parenting and Education professor from Minnesota who has been seen on television talking about how self-regulated children have a better chance of success in school (he reproduced the famous Marshmallow test-see below).  I saw three sessions led by Dr. Walsh and was impressed by each one.  In The Brain Goes to School, Dr. Walsh talked about GABA as a brain relaxer that needs to be released in order for someone to be ready to learn.  He explained that GABA will be present  when people feel comfortable and connected to others, and be absent or low when the brain is on alert for threat or danger.  He also talked about dopamine and the appropriate level of challenge.  Tasks that are too easy or too difficult will result in the brain not getting the release of dopamine it needs for appropriate engagement.  Dr. Walsh also mentioned the importance of sleep, the value of exercise and some tips for how to effectively use praise.  His humorous storytelling ability and the connections to working with adolescents made the session extremely valuable.

His second session, Why Do They Act That Way?, looked at the delayed development of the Prefrontal cortex.  Dr. Walsh noted that by about 12 years of age, the brain is close to full-size, but the development of the brain and the links between neurons continues until the mid-to-late 20's.  Much of this explains the risk-taking and emotionally-charged behaviour seen in many adolescents.  Dr. Walsh commented that adults use the prefrontal cortex to read emotions, while adolescents use the amygdala, which often results in over-emotional reactions. 

In his third session, Say Yes to No, Dr. Walsh talked about the challenge of teaching self-control to children when today's culture promotes concepts like MORE, FAST, EASY and FUN.  As indicated in the video below, he stressed the importance in setting boundaries and having clear expectations for children which helps them develop the ability to say no to themselves.  He also mentioned that ability to self-regulate is a greater predictor of success, happiness and popularity than is IQ.  Dr. Walsh provided great insights into the challenges and purposes of parenting and teaching adolescents.

Dr. Zhao also gave an extremely humorous and engaging presentation on What Defines a High Quality Education?  A professor at the University of Oregon, Dr. Zhao hails from a small farming community in China and he spoke about the high PISA rankings that China (specifically Shanghai) has scored while the United States languishes at a significantly lower ranking.  He asked some very pointed questions about the infatuation the American media has with these results and thinks that too much value is being placed on them.  He spoke candidly about the differences between the Chinese and American education systems, noting that higher tests scores do not necessarily mean a better education.  Dr. Zhao indicated that Americans have long been concerned about being "poor test-takers", often finishing below Russia, then Japan, now Finland and China in International rankings.  He then compared the system in the United States to that in China and stated that he felt Americans embraced creative thought, cultivated entrepreneurship, and promoted self-confidence and risk-taking.  His experience in the Chinese system found that students were given less opportunity to develop self-confidence, they were told to respect and not question authority and they were asked to conform, thus reducing the development of innovative and creative thoughts and ideas.  He stated that despite the high success rates on PISA tests, the Chinese were calling for education reform, attempting to change the mindset to "Invent a job, not Find a job".  He raised some very important questions, and reminded us all to ask the question, "What makes a successful education?" 

Aside from the experience of the conference, I was blown away by the city of San Francisco.  I had not been as an adult and with the weather ideal (16-18 degrees and sunny every day... quite a welcomed change from what I had become used to in Vancouver), we took any opportunity we had to tour the city.  The Golden Gate Bridge, Fisherman's Wharf, Ghirardelli Square, the Embarcadero, Union Square, Alcatraz, the cable cars and so many others sights to see.  It was easy to see why so many people from around the world rave about the scenery.  Living in Vancouver, I usually find myself returning home from travel commenting on how there is no place in the world more beautiful than the Lower Mainland of British Columbia.  San Francisco is the first place I have been where the comparison between Vancouver and another locale caused me to pause for a moment.

The Cable Cars

The Golden Gate Bridge

It was a welcomed respite from the hectic schedule I have been keeping at work.  It allowed me to think and reflect and it reaffirmed much of what we are already doing with our education practices in British Columbia.  As we continue to look for new and better ways of going about our work, I am confident that we can change the perception that some students have that school is a place like this....

Alcatraz!

Frustrated and tired...

As a preface to this post, I need to remember the time of year and acknowledge that I may be fatigued, as may several of the people with whom I have spoken.  Our school has just completed semester break and the week of exams, supervision, marking, and preparation for semester 2 start-up has left many people (myself included) exhausted.  When this is coupled with the continuing labour dispute and negative press that surrounds education in British Columbia, many of the best in the business are frustrated and feeling a lack of appreciation of their efforts.

During the week, I had the opportunity to engage in several conversations with teachers about how they are doing and what they are looking forward to next semester.  While many are excitedly preparing for new courses and a new group of students, some are frustrated by a series of issues being faced by our educators.  I also watched a Dan Rather Reports episode called "Finnish First", a report on how the American system is lagging behind the education system in Finland, and it caused me to reflect on how educators in this province may be feeling.

Linda Darling-Hammond, Professor in the Stanford University School of Education, was quoted several times throughout the piece (below is just one excerpt), and she talked about how the Finnish system doesn't put great value in standardized testing (an issue in BC, but an even greater issue in the United States), has a shorter school day for students, and supports the teaching of the arts, noting that success in those areas transfers well to core courses like Math and Science.  What really caught my attention, though, was her comment that Finland's educators are happy to be teachers.  She describes them as feeling appreciated, appropriately paid, well-trained and selectively chosen, not having massive debt and being given plenty of time to train and continue professional development.  This is an important factor in any profession.  Do the employees feel valued and appreciated?  I know that B.C.'s teachers love what they do, but I worry about how supported they are feeling.  I am not suggesting that Finland's system is infinitely superior to Canada's (I am sure Finland has its own set of problems in school and in society), but I am confident that much of the reason for Finland's success in education has to do with a qualified and satisfied teacher workforce.

Reflecting again upon the conversations I had this week, I am drawn to two discussions with two of our very best, most dedicated teachers.  Both of them care passionately about kids, work exceedingly hard to prepare students for their futures and are constantly rethinking their practice, looking for new and better ways of doing things.  In both cases, the students in these teachers' classes enjoy being there and recognize that they are being challenged, well-prepared, and given an opportunity to develop skills that will serve them well.  Both teachers are considered firm and fair evaluators who support their students, but insist on a level of work and engagement that will result in the students learning.  These teachers are also very strong leaders within our school community, and help affect whatever change our school attempts to make regarding assessment practices, embracing technology or sharing ideas around new teaching strategies. 

While the reputation of each of the teachers is very strong, they are presently feeling frustrated for a variety of reasons, among them the fact that many students are wanting to withdraw from their courses to take the same class on-line.  The reason for the students making this request is simple and clearly articulated; they admit that they would likely learn more in the class offered in the school with either of these teachers, but feel that "it will be easier to get a better mark if I take it on-line".  Please note that this post is neither an indictment of the on-line learning programs around the province, nor is it an attack on the BC Ed plan, much of which, as articulated in an earlier post, I agree with and think we are already doing.  What concerns me, however, is the inconsistency within it.  We continue to speak about improving our assessment practices, trying to move away from numbers to more descriptive feedback about what students are learning.  But with universities, parents and students still clamoring for numerical data, we do not appear ready for the societal shift that needs to accompany this change.  Conflicting messages about needing certain marks versus learning for learning's sake still bombard students, who often choose the path of least resistance, opting for what they feel is an easier route to their desired goal.  As the BC Ed plan promotes more Personalized Learning and the use of technology to assist students educational pursuits, this conflict may increase.  We must remember that the system we have now has evolved over many years, and while not perfect, has many excellent qualities and practices that should not be abandoned as we search for new and innovative methodologies to add to both teaching and learning.

So what is my point?  Primarily, that we are doing an excellent job educating our students in British Columbia (see chart below that has Canada ranked 3rd in the world on 2009 PISA testing, and note that BC is considered one of the best educated provinces in our country), despite the challenges being faced (including a widely diverse population and what many consider to be funding shortfalls within education).  Can we improve?  Of course we can, and we will, but only if our very best teachers feel their efforts are appreciated, recognized and appropriately supported.  The discussions around the BC Education Plan need to be carefully considered and the relationship between the government and the important stakeholder group of teachers needs to be repaired. To create a new plan, force it upon teachers who are feeling unappreciated and underpaid and then have the group face reports describing them as greedy, dishonest and unprofessional (a common practice in negotiations, I understand) is not likely to result in the positive outcomes described in the BC Ed plan. It may, in fact, chase away some of the best and brightest in the profession--the ones we need most to continue to improve our already excellent system.

Life-changing Learning

The first week back after a break is always a challenge.  Finding the rhythm, returning to busy-ness, early mornings, late evenings, the stress of trying to balance home and work...  This week has been difficult, and I am tired (despite it being only 4 days long).  After enjoying this morning's Canucks versus Bruins hockey game (a high-emotion game, to be sure!), I can not stop thinking about a fantastic class I had the chance to observe on Wednesday.

Allow me to give a brief history to what led to the lesson.  Shortly before the Winter Break, I was approached by a young teacher at our school who was inquiring about taking a two-week leave of absence.  She had recently been presented with an opportunity to travel to Rwanda and do some volunteer teaching of English in the Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village (ASYV) just outside of Kigali. As a fairly young teacher, she was unclear on whether or not she could get the time away from her job in Richmond, and what the cost would be.  While worried about the consequences, she was enthusiastic about what she could learn from this opportunity.

After speaking with me, she contacted her teachers union and the teaching personnel office to request a leave.  It was granted, and she was given permission to venture to Rwanda for two weeks, starting December 30th.  She has been there now for one week, and has been blogging about the experience as a means of journaling and sharing (her blog is appropriately titled Hand in Hand: As You Teach You Learn).  What she describes is both eye-opening and inspiring (for her and the readers).

The village was originally founded by Anne Heyman to aid teenaged orphans from the Rwandan Genocide of 1994.  The model for the village is based on the Yemen Orde Youth Village, which was established in Israel to help orphans from the Holocaust.  The village was built to accommodate 500 orphaned students aged 15-21 with a focus on caring for, protecting, helping and nurturing these children who have survived some incredible hardships.  The intent is for graduates to be ready to continue their educational pursuits and lead balanced lives with a commitment to making their community, country and the world a better place.

On Wednesday afternoon,  one of the classes Ms. Davis team-teaches with another staff member at Burnett had the pleasure of connecting with their teacher via Skype.  I watched as students got to interact with their teacher, ask her questions about the experience, and learn about Rwanda, the genocide and the efforts to support the survivors, all in real time!  The students were genuinely interested and engaged, learning about Rwanda, social responsibility, and technology.  When the Ministry of Education talks about the BC Education Plan, here is an example of high learner-engagement working on 21st Century Skills, empowered by technology.

The experience Ms. Davis is getting is indeed life-changing, and I laud her for taking the risk (both financial and otherwise).  But I am equally impressed with how this experience is impacting students at Burnett.  When I reflect on the education I had when growing up, I have nothing but positive memories.  I had the chance to be influenced by strong professional instructors (see blog post, World Teacher Day), and enjoyed time making friends and memories, playing sports and learning some requisite skills that have served me well in life.  But nowhere in my experience was there a focus on the world like students are exposed to today.  Many schools around BC have social awareness volunteer programs, with opportunities for students to travel to less fortunate parts of the world and build schools, homes, playgrounds etc.  Even for students unable to travel on these expeditions, there is a much more broad awareness of social issues and a desire to help than there was in my school years.  Much of this is due to the technology tools that can "bring-to-life" the experiences of others in far away locales, but it is also a credit to the students and educators who are making it a priority.

Congratulations and thank you goes out to Ms. Stephanie Davis and the organization she is working with.  You are making a difference in the lives of the people in Rwanda, but your impact is far greater than that.  You are setting an example for many others, and by sharing your experience with them using technology tools like blogging and Skype, the good work you are doing will cause others, here in Richmond and around the world, to be more active in helping those in need.  We are all impressed with your willingness to take risks, help, and teach others.  This is 21st Century Learning at its finest!

One Year Later

I swore I would not do this, but here goes anyway...  A blog about my one year anniversary of Blogging and Tweeting as well as a New Year's resolution.

During the Winter Holidays of 2010, I was introduced to Blogging and Twitter by a colleague and friend of mine (@terryainge and Pacer Post).  He was relatively new to it also, but was describing the benefits, saying that Twitter was the best Professional Development tool he had come across, since it helped him stay informed and connected at any time of day.  He described Blogging as a means of formulating and articulating more clearly some of his philosophical beliefs about education.  I had some time over the break a year ago to play around and attempt to learn what benefits the two social media tools could provide me, and admit to becoming hooked almost immediately.

Just over one year has passed since my introduction and I still do not use Twitter like I could, only rarely finding the time to "Tweet" about an article I have read or a link to somebody else's blog.  I do, however, use it as a "voyeur", and it helps me stay informed with the most recent articles, thoughts and discussions on many topics within education.  I have yet to participate in an #edchat or other Twitter discussion hashtag, but have been an interested on-looker and can certainly see the value.  I have spread the word about the use of Twitter for the purposes of Professional Development with our staff, and have managed to get a few teachers to join in.  A commitment I am making to myself for the upcoming year is to get more actively engaged with all that Twitter can provide, becoming more willing to participate in the discussions, share my beliefs and challenge the thinking of myself and others.

While I have not yet taken full advantage of all that Twitter has to offer, Blogging has been much more meaningful for me.  On December 21, 2010, I posted my first entry, about the Seniors Brunch, an act of social responsibility our school has been engaged in for the past 12 years.  I found the process of writing about it very valuable since I was forced to synthesize more clearly all that I saw as important in the things we do at school.  I have long had some general ideas about what is important, and some vague answers to the question, "Why do we do what we do?"  Blogging has forced me to think more deeply about what is important, and made me take the vague philosophies I have, and make them more specific, and in some ways, more measurable (though measuring all that is important in schools is a hot-button topic for a future post).  Writing for an audience is very good for forcing people to put more thought and specifics to what may have been vague ideas, and some staff at our school are now using blogs with their students for those very reasons.

Shortly after writing that first post, I took the time to reflect on all that my good friend, Lorne Bodin, has taught me over the years we have known each other.  His fight with cancer, his passing in early January, and my family's attempts to support his family, still occupy my thoughts daily.  Blogging about him was a form of therapy, and it served as a great communication tool for sharing information about his Celebration of Life and the Photos from the event.

Since that time, I have returned to blogging about the goings-on within our school and community, writing with great pride about the amazingly talented staff and students who continue to overcome obstacles to produce and be responsible for impressive feats of socially-responsible behaviour, academic achievement and extra-curricular excellence.  Admittedly, much of what I write about is little more than school newsletter material, but I find even that serves a valuable purpose.  As the Principal of a school, it is important that I am aware of the things occurring in our building, and if I am hoping to influence some change and/or improvements in how we go about our business, then one of the most effective methods for encouraging this growth is to celebrate the positive examples already happening.  While some see Blogging as a tool for challenging thinking and posing questions (which it is), I fully intend to continue using my blog as an on-line journal, celebrating the accomplishments of our school, in hopes of expanding the pockets of excellence that I see.

As I grow more comfortable with my role and the use of the tools, however, I hope to be able to push the limits of my social media use, encouraging deeper thought and spurring on greater connections and conversations within my workplace.  Therein lies my New Year's Resolution.  I resolve to take my involvement with Twitter and Blogging to a deeper level, encouraging even greater thought and reflection and to challenge my thinking and the thinking of those with whom I interact, in hopes of promoting my professional growth and the continued improvement of the school where I work.  While there is some inherent risk in this, I believe it is a risk worth taking.  Some of the questions I may ask, or the philosophies I may share, could result in failure, but to quote Sir Winston Churchill (found in a blog by Jeff Delp, a fantastic administrator/blogger from Arizona whom I follow), and words for all of us to remember when working with our students and children,

"Success is not final, failure is not fatal;  It is the courage to continue that counts"

I look forward to continuing the journey, and hope that those who take the time to read what I put out there find some value in it also.

Enjoy the rest of your holidays, and may 2012 bring health and happiness to you and your family.