As promised, what follows are my thoughts/reviews of the Burnett Drama Department's Spring Production of "The Laramie Project".
I have written before of how privileged and proud I feel to have the opportunity to work and learn with the talented and dedicated staff and students of J.N. Burnett Secondary school. I have referenced the great things happening both in and outside the classroom and am honestly astounded by many of the things I see.
The theatre production that has just finished running this past week, however, has me almost at a loss for words. All that comes to mind is "WOW!". Under the direction of Drama teacher Mr. Marco Soriano and with the assistance of fellow staff members Mr. Wes Bevan, Mrs. Cristina Carvalhiero and Ms. Kirsten Taylor (who provided help with set construction, video production and artwork) the talented cast and crew put together a stunningly beautiful and provocative piece.
The Laramie Project is a well-known and critically-acclaimed 3-act play that profiles the city of Laramie, Wyoming. In October of 1998, a gay university student was brutally beaten and killed in the town. The story got a tremendous amount of media attention, and one month later the Tectonic Theatre company went to Laramie and conducted over 200 interviews over the next year with many residents of the area. The interviews led to the writing of the play.
Most high school performances leave the audience laughing, singing and/or feeling good about life. This one was different. As described by Mr. Soriano, the play "provokes thought, incites conversation and challenges the performers... (it) does not pretend to offer solutions. It simply holds up a mirror to us as an audience and forces us to consider our role in the problem." Issues surrounding respect, tolerance, prejudice, relationships and community run throughout the play and have both cast and audience members thinking and asking questions at the play's conclusion. While I was impressed by and proud of our students and their performances, I found myself wondering, despite about all that we do at Burnett to combat many of these issues in today's world, are we doing enough?
The stage work, lighting, sound, visuals and performances were at a remarkably professional level. Most of the actors had between 3 and 5 different roles and the characters, accents and opinions were widely disparate. The performers were stunningly good in their portrayals and played each role with impressive depth and conviction. The lessons learned by cast and audience members alike will resonate with them for years to come, and hopefully, performances such as these will continue to challenge us to make the world a more respecting, thoughtful and caring place.
Apparently, I am not at a loss for words. I would like to thank all of the staff and students who worked so hard in putting together what was a moving, professional and thought-provoking production. Well done! It may be a copyright infringement, but I give the show "two thumbs way up"!
It is the time of year when schools and communities all around British Columbia are coming together to cheer, support and be excited about the high school basketball playoffs. This may be debatable, since all sports have their audience and supporters, but the BC High School Senior Basketball Championships (both Boys and Girls) seem to be the crown jewel of the high school sports scene.
J.N. Burnett's Senior Boys team has completed its season, finishing just short of the Provincial Tournament after placing 6th in the Lower Mainland qualifier. Despite the disappointment of falling one spot shy of their goal, it has been an extremely exciting and rewarding journey for both the team and the school. After many close games in league, the team finished the regular season with a 9-1 record, then hosted the Richmond playoffs. The school community fed off the success of the team, and the Richmond tournament (written about here), was an incredibly fun place to be for four glorious days. The crowds in the gym, the buzz around the school, and the sense of pride and school spirit is a big part of what makes school sports such an important part of a young person's education.
I remember my time in high-school athletics very fondly. Many of the lessons learned while playing for school teams are the things I use most frequently in my adult life. Overcoming obstacles, collective problem solving, working together, leadership skills, challenging yourself in difficult times and how to communicate effectively and build relationships with my teammates and coaches are all things that were learned best on the court or field, and are the skills that serve me best today. While classroom teachers are also developing many of these 21st Century Skills, too often schools and students are judged by marks and exam results (see the controversial Fraser Institute Rankings). We need to appreciate that the lessons learned through curricular and extracurricular opportunities are often immeasurable and overlooked but equally important and may resonate with students even longer.
The Richmond District has a strong tradition of success in basketball, and much of it is because we have been blessed with tireless volunteers like Paul Eberhardt, Les Hamaguchi, Chris Kennedy, Anne Gillrie-Carre, Bill Disbrow and Kent Chappell to name just a few of the better-known coaches who have worked the sidelines for many years. These volunteers are people who put in countless hours and create the experiences that make memories for the students on their teams. While some may occasionally criticize some of their methods, no one can question their efforts, knowledge, the lessons learned and how much they care about the students with whom they work.
Much like School Sports, other extra-curricular programs are hitting their stride at this time of year. Next week, the Burnett Drama Department will be performing its Spring Production, "The Laramie Project". Events such as these (which I will write about in greater detail in a future blog post) are incredibly rich learning experiences for the students, and serve as a fantastic way to bring the community together to support and learn from and with our children. Don't miss out on what promises to be an educational and entertaining show!
To all the performers, competitors, directors and coaches who have worked and learned so much this year, thank you! And to all of those who are still playing and performing, best of luck! Make the most of these opportunities, because they will become the memories that you will carry with you for the rest of your lives. The learning that happens in events like these stays with you and helps shape you into the adults you will become.
This past work-week (only four days long following the much-enjoyed Family Day Monday), was a crazy one at J.N. Burnett Secondary School. After several long days, I look back on it with fondness. Included in the "week that was"....
Tuesday, Feb 12-Bill 22 Consultations for Semester 2 courses
Wednesday, Feb 13-Parent Program Planning Information night
Thursday, Feb 14-Conference day-Career Awareness and Program Planning for next year. Plus my wife's birthday and Valentine's day (I asked a few of our talented Glee club students to sing Isn't she Lovely and Happy Birthday, plus purchased a home made cake from a former student)
Friday, Feb 15-My eldest son returning from Carnaval in Quebec with stories to tell
Good times at Carnaval!
All week-Several meetings with new staff, students and parents as well as regular responsibilities
The highlight of the week (Feb 12-15), however, was our school hosting the Senior Boys Richmond Basketball playoffs!
Cat Bateman, our incredibly hard-working and organized Athletic Director, with the help of her PE 10 Incentive class and a crew of volunteer student scorekeepers and staff game directors put in many late nights (until after 10:30 PM both Tuesday and Wednesday) to host a great tournament that was enjoyed by all participants and spectators.
Getting ready to play!
Good crowd, great game!
Our very talented team made it to the finals with solid victories over Steveston-London and McRoberts and faced arch-rival R.C. Palmer for the title on Friday night. The gym was packed and fans from both schools cheered passionately but respectfully for their sides. There were several teachers in attendance to acknowledge the efforts of their students (something that I know is much appreciated by the kids). The student-athletes competed incredibly hard from the beginning of the game, and the contest was extremely entertaining as both teams came out shooting the ball well. Palmer took control of the game with continued great shooting in the second quarter, while Burnett fell into some foul trouble. Down 23 at halftime (60-37), our team was in danger of losing touch, but with an incredible display of character the boys clawed their way back into the game, reducing the lead to 6 points at one time in the fourth quarter. A couple of big baskets for Palmer quieted the crowd and the final score ended at 91-82 for the Griffins. A tough loss for the Breakers, but the display of character and never giving up by our athletes told a story that speaks very highly of the people they are.
It truly was enjoyable to be in the gym every evening after school. Kids working hard and competing plus the energy and respect shown by the fans and the athletes for each other made me very proud to be part of this great school and community. Good luck next week at the Lower Mainland tournament to both teams, especially our Senior Boys and their coach Bernard Lim. Special thanks again to our Athletic Director Cat Bateman and her hard working crew of helpers who made the tournament such a huge success.
Another special thanks (and Happy Birthday) also goes to my wife and children for being so supportive despite my absence from home this week.
Weeks like the one just past are tiring beyond words, but I am always amazed at the talents and efforts put forth by our students and staff. Those efforts give me so much energy and enjoyment that I can not imagine another line of work that would be more challenging yet invigorating. I am exhausted, but I wouldn't have it any other way!
Congratulations on a job well done! Go Breakers!!!
An event very near and dear to my heart has been scheduled for Friday,February 22nd, 2013. A good friend, Mr. Steve Beauchamp, has organized a day of action in memory of his daughter, Tessa. Steve is a pillar in the basketball community, which is how I came to know him, and has always stood for bringing people together and trying to give back to make our world a little closer. I have had the great pleasure of playing for and with Steve, and know him to be a gentleman of the highest character. Though I did not know his daughter personally, I followed her courageous story from a distance and was heart-broken to hear of her passing one year ago this January 27th. Steve is an incredibly hard-working and giving personality and has obviously instilled these values in his family, as demonstrated by the story of Tessa. On February 22nd, people are encouraged to wear purple (Tessa's favourite colour) and attempt to raise as much money and awareness as they can for a charity of their choice (since charitable causes were important to her). The video clips above and below tell the story of Tessa and all she overcame and stood for in her short life. A truly inspirational person, the event is a great way to make a positive difference in the lives of others and to carry on the work initiated by Tessa, her family and many others like her. If you are interested in starting something for your school and/or community, please contact Steve or the Tessa Beauchamp Foundation at tessa23foundation@gmail.com. To learn more about Tessa and the Foundation created in her memory, please go to the website here.
Every year, Labour Day marks a time of renewal and excitement in the minds of students all across North America. I have written about it being the real Happy New Year, and though it is not quite the same, I feel similar sensations for myself and the staff and students I work with when it comes to second semester. For most of my education career I have been involved in Linear programs. I went to a linear high school and until 8 years ago, when I moved to Burnett, I had always worked in linear schools. Burnett, like several other high schools in the Lower Mainland, employs a semester system where students take four subjects every day for half the year and at the end of January, those courses finish and four new ones begin. The excitement and sense of starting over always reminds me of the John Lennon song above.
Some people are fond of the semester system because of the idea of a fresh start, indicating that many students who may be struggling get to hit the "Reset" button. While this may be true, I also find it invigorating because the end of January can be a difficult time in schools for all staff and students. Days are short, the weather is poor and doldrums can set in. Completing a course and getting a new set of classmates, teachers and courses gets people excited again, and the conclusion of the first set of events can quite often be some of the best teaching and learning of the year! As an example, over the past two weeks, I have made it a priority to get into classrooms and see what is happening in our school (I need to make this an even higher priority because I am interested in and proud of the work I see our staff and students doing. Plus, I find what I see to be extremely exciting and uplifting). As courses were coming to an end, I saw fabulous Art projects, Science Fair project presentations and Home Economics labs, and student pride in their work was palpable. I saw invigorating lessons introducing Grade 8's to Shakespeare and I saw several performances of Grade 10 and 11 students representing their understanding of Romeo and Juliet, MacBeth and Hamlet.
This past Thursday, after a lengthy and frustrating Principal's meeting where we discussed concerns about enrollment, staffing, budget and several other "bad news" items, I went back to the school and in order to lift my mood, spent the afternoon in three separate classes (all in one block). One of the comments made in the morning meeting was that "so much of what we read on Twitter and the internet, and see on the news and other forms of media is that we in education are doing it all wrong and need to 'blow-up' the system". That is hard to hear, and after what I saw that afternoon, is not accurate. People contend that students are completely disengaged and bored by what is "being done to them" in school. Yet, in one block I watched musical representations of Spanish language terms, Shakespearean recitals in English classes, and extra-ordinarily creative Drama performances. In that same period there were plenty of the requisite final exams and projects, and while it may be considered taboo to say it, I believe these summative assessment pieces are necessary and valuable. The students I saw all around the school were fully engaged, enjoying what they were doing, problem-solving and thinking creatively, laughing, being respectful of one another and talking about how much they were going to miss this class next semester. Good things are happening all over our schools, and while we continue to work at improving the system, we need to remember that we are doing inspiring, important work!
As we end the first semester, take time to reflect on what you have accomplished so far, appreciate your efforts and recognize the learning that continues. As the Provincial Exams take place over the next three school days, remember that just around the corner you will get new teachers, new classmates, and new courses... Take advantage of the FRESH START, and have a great second half of the year!
I will admit to being a less-than-avid reader (most of my bed-time reading is limited to short articles found in Sports Illustrated, Educational Leadership or in the Twitterverse or Blogosphere). But with 2012 now in the rear view mirror, I would be remiss if I did not make notes for myself about some of the books I have read, so I am able to refer back to them if needed. While these books do not represent all that I have read over the past year, they do make up the dozen most memorable for me (for both good and bad reasons).
Dr. Mel Levine is a widely respected author and his 2003 book, The Myth of Laziness, is one that resonated with me, largely because, like him, I feel that all people are born with a desire to be productive and successful. Like many in education, I have used and heard descriptions of students as being "lazy" when they are not doing as well as we might expect. Levine does a nice job of profiling case-study examples, and providing possible explanations for the substandard performance (output disorders, memory weaknesses, language production anxieties etc.). He attempts to provide some strategies for supporting these struggling learners, and while the suggestions leave something to be desired (they appear a bit thin), acknowledging that the struggles are less a result of laziness than some other explanation is the important message for me. To quote Dr. Levine, "When we call someone 'lazy', we condemn them as a human being". This book does a decent job of explaining other factors contributing to underperfomance.
This book, written almost 20 years ago (in 1995), was long overdue in my reading, but it felt as though the issues Ken Dryden referenced in In School, are the same as those we are concerned with today. Extremely well-written and readable, the book serves as a documentary of a year in a suburban high school in Mississauga, Ontario. Dryden tells the tales of high school life from the perspectives of both teacher and student, outlining the harsh realities faced in some difficult home lives as well as the chronic underfunding plaguing education (for more than two decades). He does a good job of highlighting the successes of the students and the system, while recognizing that things need to be improved for greater success in the future. Admittedly, he does not have the answers for how to improve the system, but does complete a nice narrative that engages readers and gets people talking and thinking.
The wildly popular Ted Talk video led Simon Sinek to writing a book that has been largely celebrated in educational circles. I found Start With Why to be a decent read that reminds us to change our "bottom line" from one of financial to one of purpose. Profiling several of the more "successful" companies of recent times (Apple, Harley Davidson and Southwest Airlines), Sinek states, far too repetitively for my liking, that these companies (and other successful people like Martin Luther King Jr. and the Wright brothers), all did what they did because of a WHY, not because they saw an opportunity to make money. I enjoyed the book, and found some ideas very transferable to education, but found it far too repetitive and felt the Ted Talk video was a much more concise version of the same ideas. The quote most frequently used by Sinek, "People don't buy WHAT you do, they buy WHY you do it", is an important reminder for those of us in education, just as it is for the business world.
Todd Whitaker is another extremely popular author in education circles, and while What Great Teachers Do Differently is not his first book, it is the first of his works that I have read. A decent read that emphasizes many of the good things decent educators are already doing, I found it very reaffirming. Whitaker writes of the need to put relationships first, care about people, be respectful, be positive and remember that we are teaching students, not subjects. These are all great reminders, but certainly nothing we have not heard before. One of the drawbacks of the book was that it does not offer suggestions for how to improve as we move into a new generation of teaching and learning (the 21st Century buzzword that has so many people confused or concerned). While reaffirming and an important reminder of the things that matter, I found the book to be somewhat hollow if one is looking for new and creative ways of performing the important work of teachers.
Another hugely popular You Tube video that prompted a book, What Teachers Make is slam-poet Taylor Mali's short snippets of experiences that led to the writing of the poem. A poem that has equal numbers of supporters and critics, I found the book a great conversation starter with staff. Like the poem, it is an inspiring, passionate and humorous look at teaching and the often inaccurate view many people have of the role. There are several somewhat controversial statements within the book that get people talking, and while I do not agree with many of Mali's stances on things like, "How dare you waste my time with anything less than your best effort?", "sit through 40 minutes of study hall in absolute silence" and "no, you may not work in groups, no, you may not ask me a question", the opportunity to talk with people about their differing positions on things like homework, assessment, classroom mangagement and standardized testing have proven exceedingly valuable for our school. The book, however, not unlike Sinek's Start With Why, pales in comparison to the Youtube video.
Harvard Education Professor, Tony Wagner, wrote The Global Achievement Gap, an oft-cited book that looks at how students in the United States are falling behind students from other countries around the world. While the book has a largely American focus, Wagner does mention the Seven Survival Skills for students that seem universal and synonymous with the 21st Century skills written about elsewhere (Critical thinking, Collaboration, Communication and Curiosity to name a few). The book analyzes how/if the seven skills are being taught in several public schools in the U.S., looks at the issues of test-preparation that seem to be hampering any efforts of educational reform, discusses how to motivate today's learners, and then analyzes some small schools that seem to be getting it right. The American focus of the book was a small drawback (since I feel that Canadian schools appear to be ahead of many American schools in terms of pedagogical practices), but of greater issue for me were the exemplars chosen by Wagner when he profiled the schools that were working. High-Tech High, The Met and the Francis W. Parker Charter Essential School are all small charter-type schools that have set up common principles based upon the Seven Survival Skills. They have all had great success, and provide some very good ideas for how we can look at restructuring our schools, but Wagner does not describe how to implement the effective strategies of these schools in a more large-scale environment.
Renowned BC keynote speaker, former school-based administrator, Tom Schimmer, spoke at the Richmond Administrator retreat in Whistler and as part of the preparation for his speaking engagement, we all got copies of his book, Ten Things that Matter from Assessment to Grading. The book is a very engaging read that provides some good examples for how we need to look at doing things differently. Most of the ideas are not new, but Schimmer provides some easy-to-read examples of how we should be encouraging confidence in students, providing more descriptive feedback, differentiating instruction and assessing more accurately through use of Assessment For Learning strategies.
Why School? by Will Richardson is a short e-book that looks at the ways school will need to be re-invented in the near future. Richardson writes about how schools can no longer be disseminators of information and must be more concerned with helping students learn how to analyze and synthesize the information that is now so readily available. Richardson asks the question, "How can we begin to move our schools to become places of more relevant, connected, creative learning?" An important question that he attempts to answer by referencing the need to change our teaching strategies to incorporate more technology, our Assessment strategies away from content mastery to learning mastery, and change our curriculum from one that is delivered to one that is discovered. Richardson does a good job of identifying the obstacles to significant change (policy-makers and their desire to reference data from test scores to demontrate whether or not our students are learning), but he recognizes that if we do not make the necessary changes, we are doing a great disservice to our students.
While professional reading does take up most of my leisure time, it is not the only type of reading I engage in. At the pleasure end of the spectrum, I did find some time to squeeze in a few light reads.
The Measure of a Man is a story of a man, a suit and a father, written by B.C. author and apprentice tailor J.J. Lee. The story provides a brief history of the suit, and is interwoven with reflections upon the relationship between the author and his father (the original owner of the suit that Lee is tailoring). Far from a fashionista, I found the historical information of the suit somewhat lacklustre, but the anecdotes of the tumultuous relationships within the family to be heartfelt and extremely captivating. As a father and an educator, it was an eloquent reminder of the importance and long-lasting effects of relationships for young people.
While I appreciate Russell Peters, the comic, I was hugely disappointed in his biography, Call Me Russell. I found the stories to shed very little light on his creative inspirations, and felt the book was a narcissistic recounting of Peters' sexual exploits and rise to stardom. Peters writes of his adulation of his father and the close relationship he has with his brother/manager, but the book does not flow well, and while he does mention his struggles with ADHD, the book seems to hop around much like a young person who can not sit still. A funny man, to be sure, but his biography was not all that humorous and, in my opinion, a fairly immature representation of all that he has accomplished.
A big fan of John Grisham, I also enjoy a good baseball yarn (see Field of Dreams). The very short Calico Joe was enjoyable but left me wanting a little more. It is the story of a young baseball fan and his father, a struggling professional pitcher who does not treat himself or his family well, and eventually confronts the next superstar in the game. A bean-ball ends the fictitious career of Joe Castle, but becomes the background of how the son of the pitcher tries to make amends with his father and between his father and Joe Castle later in life. Heart-warming and very readable, the story felt a little thin. I would have enjoyed greater character development on the part of the father and son, but also to see how their flawed relationship played on the son in the later relationships with his family. Very easy to consume, the book was an enjoyable summer read, but I felt it could have been so much more (much less enthralling than Kinsella's Field of Dreams).
One of the books of 2011, the Steve Jobs biography by Sir Walter Isaacson, was extremely captivating. I got to enjoy the book while on my first-ever Caribbean cruise with the entire family (a group of nine) and the trip was so relaxing and gluttonous, I found myself completely engrossed in the book for hours at a time. A very well-written, compelling story about a flawed genius, Jobs is portrayed as a hard nosed, artistic perfectionist who, despite demons that destroy relationships with so many around him, was able to redefine the technology, arts and music industries. I do not consider myself an Apple person (I am more comfortable working with PC's), but must give both Steve Jobs and Walter Isaacson their due for their creations.
These represent 12 of the more memorable books for me in the year 2012. If you have any recommendations for future reading, I would be interested in hearing your selections. If you differ with my reviews of any of the books listed above, please feel free to reply.
At this time of year, it is easy to get caught up in the busy-ness of life and we can all be guilty of thinking only about ourselves and what we are struggling with. One of the best ways to take me away from these thoughts occurred last Thursday, when J.N. Burnett Secondary shut down regular classes and instead had students participate in a series of conferences/workshops focused on Social Responsibility. Each student went to their homeroom class and was given a schedule for the day that included guest speakers like:
John Banovich-a renowned speaker who works with MADD Canada, Mr. Banovich (an actor and director in the TV and Film industry) made the following video about his experiences. He is a survivor from a horrific car accident involving a drinking driver. He spoke honestly and passionately about safe driving and making good choices. We have had him speak at our school several times before, and his message certainly resonated with our Grade 12 students.
Holocaust survivor Alex Buckman gave a stirring speech to our Grade 11's about how to overcome the obstacles in your life and how important it is to care for others. One of the other presenters introduced himself before the two men had to go their separate ways, and he later said that despite what had been a frustrating morning (dealing with traffic, car problems etc.), meeting with a man like Mr. Buckman always puts things into perspective and reminds us that our challenges are not so overwhelming. Our students felt much the same way.
Brandon Steel from the Vancouver Police Department and Joe Caliendo, a former Hell-Angel gang member, made a presentation about Gangs and Drugs. The hard-hitting presentation impacted all those who observed it. The Officers with whom I spoke prior to the presentation are trying to reach kids early enough so they are not enticed into a world of gangs, drugs, deceit and other illegal activities. Their talk was very well-received.
Jesse Miller-Mr. Miller is a a former Police officer who is now a widely-acclaimed public speaker looking at the dangers of social media and digital footprints. He gave two presentations, speaking with every student in the school. His engaging, thought-provoking and informative sessions had students walking away promising to tighten the securities and become more careful about the photos they put on Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and other social media platforms.
Students also had a series of Social Responsibility lessons led by homeroom teacher on topics like: Safe Driving, Racism, Diversity, Suicide Awareness, Bullying, Stress Management, Ethnicity, Building Resilience (a session led by members of the Psychology 12 class for Grade 8 students) and for the Grade 12's a lesson reviewing and updating their Grad Transitions documents.
The highlight of the day (for me, personally) was the 13th Annual Seniors Brunch, where the Leadership class, led by Ms. Leslie Cain, invited over 120 guests from neighboring care homes and Community Centres.
Waiting for out guests to arrive
Here they come!
Enjoying some entertainment from Glee!
Writing about the experience is a member of the Leadership 11/12 class, Czara Bernabe.
The
Senior’s Brunch is that time of the year that J.N. Burnett opens their doors to
welcome and appreciate our seniors. Ever since I entered high school, I
would always see this yearly event and wonder what is it for? Is it just to appreciate
seniors? Is it an event that leadership class prepares every year? Yes, it is
all of those things, but being able to participate made me realize how much more there
is to it. “Doing the actual event is only 10 percent of the work, 90 percent is planning and organizing the
event, and it is the hardest part”-Ms. Cain (our Leadership teacher). This statement is true, because every
little detail and every single decoration was thought of and created by the leadership
class. Every step brought the students closer together. Yes, we had our
disagreements and minor problems, but when the time called for it; we all rose up.The Senior's Brunch is an event
that everyone enjoys and has a wonderful time. For the students, the
teachers and especially for our seniors, it’s an event that you come out of smiling
and having created positive memories and relationships that will last a lifetime.
Pearl Xu, one of the editors of Burnett's on-line newspaper, JN BAM, also wrote about the day here.
All in all, another fantastic day, and one that made me very proud to work at this great school. Thanks and kudos to all of our students for their efforts in making the day so rewarding and to our phenomenal staff (especially the Conference Day planning committee members-Mrs. Musani, Mr. McDonnell, Mr. Anderson, Mrs Ten-Pow, Mr. Lee, and Ms. Takada) who do all the little things that make the experiences for the students so valuable. Also deserving mention are Ms. Cain, Mr. Ghaug, Ms. Freeman and the band plus the students from Glee for their efforts with the brunch. Thanks to everyone for such a memorable day!
