While the past month has been crazy-busy (I wrote some reflections about the work in an earlier post), I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge so many of the great things that I have been fortunate enough to witness and/or participate in during the months of April and May.
On April 17 and 18, the student-run Dance club (under the sponsorship of Mrs. Fuller) collaborated with Steveston-London and McMath Secondary schools to put on a fantastic showcase of incredible dance performances.
At the end of April, Mrs. Galan and Ms. Wu organized their annual ESL trip to Victoria.
Time for High Tea!
To kick off May, on Wednesday, May 1st, Mr. Todd Yamamoto organized his annual Science fieldtrip to Playland. A good time was had by all, and students got the chance to study what they have been learning in the world beyond the walls of our school.
A beautiful day (if you don't mind line-ups)
My favourite ride!
On May 2nd, the J.N. Burnett Fine Arts department members put on our annual Fine Arts Night. Our Superintendent, Monica Pamer, highlighted our night (among others) in one of her recent blog posts, and as she indicated, the evening was an impressive display of passion and talent.
Sidewalk art
The Jazz Band at work
Anyone hungry?
Who is thirsty?
Cup-O-Noodles?
Good crowds!
On May 3rd, the student-run ARC (Animal Rescue Club), under the guidance of sponsor Ms. Galan, organized its own "Cage-a-thon" to raise money and awareness for the SPCA and what we can all do to help our furry friends.
Looks pretty comfortable!
On May 10th and 11th, Burnett students hosted our 6th Annual Cyclebetes fundraiser. Another successful event that raised money and awareness for Juvenile Diabetes Research (a cause very important to me).
On May 15th, our school submitted its School Performance Plan. If interested, feel free to read it here.
On May 16th, the Grads of 2013 had a fantastic evening to enjoy a 3 hour boat cruise around Vancouver Harbour.
Check out the boat!
Beautiful night!
On May 22nd, our Parent Advisory Council hosted its Legacy Scholarship Presentations. These presentations are a highlight of the year. Students talk to parents about all they have done and learned during their time in high school, and what they are looking to do next. The very inspiring stories leave everyone impressed and the parents have a tough time deciding upon which of the 16 presenters will be awarded with a $400 scholarship.
Getting ready to tell their stories
Also on May 22nd, the Music Department had their annual Spring Concert.
On May 25th, our school hosted the First Annual Lorne Bodin Bike Ride which I have written about here.
On May 30th, our Athletic Director, Cat Bateman, hosted our annual Athletic Awards Banquet. Unfortunately, I have no photos, but wanted to say congratulations and thank you to all of the athletes, coaches and our hard-working AD, who make such an important part of school experiences happen.
And best of all, throughout the month, I was invited into several classes and was blown away by the great things I saw (below are just a few of the photos from some of the classes I observed).
Displaying a mobile in Ms. Dunn's SS 9 class
Presentations from the Number Devil in Ms. Rodriguez' class
More Number Devil
A Mid-Summer Night's Dream in Ms. Lam's class
Dissecting rats in Ms. Farnden's Biology class
More mobiles in Ms. Dunn's class
Flying motor airplanes in Mr. Bevan's Tech class
Mr. Niessen's class trying to propel all kinds of items
ESL class pen pal letters
Hard at work in Art with Ms. Mrsic
And an appreciation video put together by students for their Chemistry teacher (Mr. Kailley)!
These are just a few of the great things happening all the time at Burnett. I can't thank enough the fantastic staff and motivated, curious and fun-loving students who help make Burnett such a great place to work and learn. We only have a couple of weeks left! Study hard, have some fun and finish strong!
I have written before of my friend and mentor Lorne Bodin. Lorne passed away after a fight with stomach cancer in January of 2011 (see photos of his Celebration of Life), but his legacy lives on in countless ways. He is missed by so many people, but the way he treated others is something that all who knew him aspire to carry forward.
After two years of riding in the BC Ride to Conquer Cancer (which I have written about here and here), a large group of his friends decided to bring the ride closer to home and open it up to more participants. On Saturday, May 25th, a 25 km ride starting at Burnett Secondary School (where Lorne began his teaching career in Richmond) went south to the dyke, then east to Number 5 road and back. An after-party BBQ was hosted and everyone got a chance to visit and talk about how Lorne impacted their lives. Over 120 people participated or organized the event, and with a registration fee of only $30 (for a t-shirt and lunch), almost $2000.00 was raised for the Lorne Bodin Scholarship fund.
Students helping hand out t-shirts
Bonnie Leslie and Glenn Kishi
Looking good, ladies...
The boys sharing a laugh and some coffee
Rob Laing helping get everyone "pumped up"
Bert Wiens getting ready
It was this kind of day...
Jason Leslie with some opening remarks
Jan Bodin saying "Welcome and thank you for coming"
The Laing family at the turn-around
Superintendent Monica Pamer refueling
Mike Whittingham and daughter Reese
Birgitte Biorn and others doing some real riding
Jim Allison cheering people home
Spencer Leslie helping out with the BBQ
Checking out some tribute photos
Rose Sebellin and Dora Ho
Enjoying a burger in a good-looking shirt
Dora Ho and Team Leslie-Lorne was all about friends and family
Rob and Deb are ready for next year's ride
Jan Bodin and Andrew Ferguson having a chat
Enjoying a BBQ in the sunshine
The ride, as you can tell by the photos, was a smashing success, as the weather held, people thoroughly enjoyed themselves, and we all came together to remember and honour our friend, Lorne. Thanks to everyone for their contributions and participation in a great day. Special thanks to Deb Wheeler-Brown for the fantastic photos.
Some of the members of Team Bodin are still participating in the Ride to Conquer Cancer, and in order to ride, each participant needs to fundraise at least $2500.00. If you are so inclined, they would welcome any donations. Contributions can be made here.
The ride will become an annual event, as we look to grow the participation and keep Lorne's memory strong. We welcome anyone to join us (and I know Lorne would love to have everyone there), so keep your eyes open for the Second Annual Lorne Bodin Bike Ride in May of 2014.
As Lorne would say, "You all look good, my friends"
At this time of year, when I run into friends who are not educators, they often say to me, "So, I guess things are winding down for you..." I attempt to respond by saying something along the lines of "Actually, they are winding up. We are nearing the end of the year, but I am worried that I do not have enough time to get everything done".
As Cale Birk writes on his blog, The Learning Nation, "AprilMayJune" is a crazy, hectic and exciting time of year. Schools are busy places with staff and students frantically trying to "fit it all in", the office staff looking at next year's timetable, putting the finishing touches on the School Performance Plan, and dealing with staffing issues while our students are excitedly anticipating graduation ceremonies and summer holidays. It is also a time when people reflect upon the year that has passed and consider all that has been accomplished and learned.
As my second year in the Principal's office nears the finish line, I reflect upon what has been an incredibly steep learning curve, a frighteningly busy pace, some growth in my leadership skills and some significant changes within our school community. Looking back at my first year, I remember job-action, no meetings, reduced teacher involvement in extra-curricular activities, a three-day walkout, no report cards and a litany of other challenges. We managed to persevere through what were difficult times (especially for a "newbie"), and I thought to myself, "it can only get easier as I become more experienced, teachers become involved again and life returns to normal".
That statement was partly right, but could not have been more incomplete. My second year has been much more rewarding, and has not had the same turmoil, but to be honest, I have not found it easier. In fact, I am likely more fatigued now than I was at this time last year. Yes, I have more experience and a slightly better feel for what I am doing, and teachers are offering more assistance with a variety of tasks (extra-curricular opportunities and events like Commencement planning and so much more). There has been an increase in meetings and more open communication and collaboration with staff, and while it has been extremely beneficial, it is much more work.
I am extremely proud of what is being done at Burnett. From efforts to make our Assessment practices more Outcome-Based (discussions have included things like the Rick Wormeli video seen below) to our collaborative development of a Work Habits Rubric (also below), we have regained an extremely open, communicative and forward thinking climate in our school. This gets me excited, but I must admit, navigating these discussions has made this past year much more challenging than my first year. Year One was not a very real taste of the important work that school leaders do, since there was very little opportunity to lead. This year has been much more exhausting, but also invigorating and has left me with a feeling of some degree of accomplishment.
We are a long way from finished, and I still worry that we do not have enough time to get it all "done". But we will, and when we do, we will look back upon the important work that has been initiated this year and know that it is making a positive difference. What I have learned in the two years on the job is that it doesn't get easier, but my skills and the work we are doing does get better. And I wouldn't have it any other way!
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