Commencement speech 2014

In my final post to this blog as the Principal of J.N. Burnett Secondary, I would like to share the comments made at the school Commencement ceremony on June 26th.  It was an enjoyable evening, celebrating the amazing achievements of this Graduating class.  I am sure all parents were tremendously proud, and so was I.  As stated previously, I will miss many things about Burnett Secondary, but what I will miss most are the students.  They are kind and compassionate leaders who are incredibly talented in a wide variety of areas.  Their diverse skills were showcased extremely well at our Commencement.  A special thank you goes out to all of the students who gave me a special send off and gift at the conclusion of the night.  You are amazing people!  Good luck!

Good evening distinguished members of the platform party, graduates, family and friends. To J.N. Burnett Secondary’s graduating class of 2014 we say “Congratulations.”  It is an honour to be addressing this outstanding group of young adults.

To begin, I must acknowledge that it has been another difficult year for education in British Columbia. Yet again, staff and students have had to endure tumultuous times of uncertainty and hindrance.  Despite these challenging circumstances, we are gathered to commemorate and celebrate your high school years at Burnett. And, it is with heavy hearts that your teachers are absent from tonight’s ceremony.  As an integral part, your teachers have devoted time and energy into your education; they have enjoyed connecting with you, and they are proud of your accomplishments. As a staff, we have been incredibly invested in your learning.

So, what is it about our work as educators that makes us so invested?  I believe it is the stories that make us swell with pride and feel as though we are helping to make the world a better place. Rarely do today’s headlines trumpet the good deeds of citizens; but at Burnett, the hallways and classrooms feature many examples of what is good and worthwhile. There are noble initiatives being led by members of this grad class which deserve to be chronicled: the amazing efforts of our Green Team to make an environmental difference; the leadership and governance of our Student Council; the conviction to raise awareness and to protect animal rights of JNB ARC and the passion and sportsmanship shown by our athletes.  Worthy reports continue when we recall our Leadership, Dance and Band Classes hosting the Seniors’ Brunch; when we are moved with gratitude by our annual Remembrance day ceremony; when we recall the student energy of Burnett’s first Open House; and when we look back at the fantastic Spring Production of Romeo and Juliet.

These examples are but a few. Each of your stories enlivens the school and makes Burnett such an incredible place to work. Despite all the turmoil that exists in today’s political climate, I cannot imagine another career I would rather hold than that of a teacher. It is our association with each of you that make this profession so rewarding. As educators, we value the lessons learned not only in the classroom but we treasure the knowledge gained from the connections to those around us.

Allow me to speak of a person I remember most from my education.  A friend and colleague, Mr. Lorne Bodin, once taught at this school and I had the pleasure of working alongside him as I began my career as a Vice-Principal at Palmer. I learned much from him and he continues to influence my practice today. Lorne demonstrated:

Compassion and Patience. Listen to each other and empathize with those who need support. Look to help those who need your time, your ear and your voice.

Loyalty and Leadership.  Speak well of others, even when you disagree. As you pursue your dreams, be an encouraging example - make those you know feel enriched for having known you.

Humour and Optimism. Be able to laugh at yourself and look for the good in all situations - even tough circumstances. 

Gratitude and Appreciation. Be thankful for all that you have. Show appreciation to your parents for their support, your teachers for their time and your friends for their care.

Lorne embodied these characteristics and he touched the lives of those with whom he came in contact. We lost Lorne to cancer 3 and a half years ago, and while we miss him greatly, his spirit lives on and his legacy is strong. In fact, I was introduced to cycling by Lorne. And, two weekends ago, I completed my third, Vancouver to Seattle, Ride to Conquer Cancer where, through the efforts of many, over 9 million dollars was raised to help fight this disease. We are extremely fortunate to be able to present the first Bodin Memorial scholarship to one of our graduates tonight. It is being awarded to an individual who makes a positive difference in the school, connects well with others, demonstrates kindness, and is generous with time. 

The qualities I have decribed are immeasurable. And, they are the most admirable traits I hope your parents and, we, the school community, have impressed upon you.  Yes, you have learned some valuable facts and useful formulas and many of you have done very well on your quizzes, tests and assignments, producing some extremely impressive results. But many years from now, what you will recall most are the relationships you nurtured - with your family, your teachers, your classmates - with those who have profoundly touched your life and positively transformed the way in which you think and the way in which you behave. 

This Graduating class is already in possession of these invaluable attributes. You are respectful, cooperative and compassionate.  You are mindful, intelligent and kind. Your efforts and deeds are influential. Continue to nurture what is noble and good because you are also the reason teaching, despite all the frustrations and difficulties occurring right now, is still the best job in the world.

Like all of you, I am also completing my last year at Burnett and beginning a new chapter. Like you, I will miss not only the great activities, but also the people who define this school. We bring together our individual strengths and we contribute to the community in meaningful ways. You have helped me to learn and grow and I will fondly remember all of you and this wonderful place.

Grads of 2014, we know that you have been equipping yourselves to face the many challenges and the endless possibilities available to you.  We want to thank you for your contributions to the school and the community. To quote the late Dr. Maya Angelou: “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people may forget what you did, but they will never forget how you made them feel.”

I am confident as I look around this room that you have made those around you feel proud, cared for, and valued.  Tonight is an important milestone in your lives. Please, feel proud.

In my final act as Principal of this great school, I want to do something to commemorate the evening...  It is time for a selfie... 

I encourage you to do the same.  Tonight, go take a selfie with someone you love...are blessed to know....has impacted your life......!

Congratulations!!!

Goodbye, Breakers...

Hmmmm....  This is tougher than I thought and I am not entirely sure what to say...

 

For the past 9 years (6 as a Vice-Principal and the last 3 as Principal), I have had the distinct pleasure of working at J.N. Burnett Secondary School in Richmond, BC.  I consider myself very fortunate to have worked at this school.  The time spent here has been the most professionally rewarding of my career because I have learned and grown so much and developed important relationships with many students, staff and parents.  Each of you have helped, challenged and supported me, and I am forever grateful and hope that I was able to do the same for you.  I am sad to be leaving behind the many great people (staff and students alike) and close friends I have made at the school and in the community.  I will treasure the memories and relationships formed here for years to come and I can't thank you enough.

I would also like to say farewell and thank you to some staff who are also leaving Burnett.  Mr. Whittingham, Mrs. Kusec, Ms. Johal and Mr. Ghaug are all long-time Burnett staff members who will be moving on to other assignments in the fall, and I would like to wish them good luck and thank them for all they have done to help the students of our school.  You have had an indelible impact on many lives and you will be dearly missed.

 

I am, however, eagerly anticipating my move across the island to Matthew McNair Secondary School.  Change is never easy, but to quote Jim Rohn, "Your life does not get better by chance, it gets better by CHANGE".  This is a new opportunity in a different community with much to learn and experience.  These growth opportunities do not happen without some pain and longing for familiar faces and routines, but I welcome the challenges to continue learning, and encourage you to face the changes in your life the same way.

Finally, I would like to acknowledge incoming Principal, Mr. Bert Wiens, who comes to Burnett after four years as Principal of Cambie Secondary.  I would like to wish Mr. Wiens every success as a Breaker!

 

Have a great summer!  You have earned a restful, relaxing and fun-filled time with your friends and family.  Please know that I will miss each of you.

 

It has been an honour working with you.  Best wishes for a safe summer and hopefully, a smooth start-up in September.

 

Jason Leslie

Bodin Bike Ride 2014

Three and a half years ago, people in the Richmond School District and beyond lost a good friend and colleague.  Lorne Bodin was an inspiring husband, father, teacher and friend and those of us who knew him or had the pleasure of working alongside him, miss him greatly.  After losing his battle with stomach cancer, a large group began riding in his memory in the BC Ride to Conquer Cancer (something that Lorne was passionate about).  A few of us continue to ride, and if interested, you can make a donation here.

Team Bodin 2011

After doing the Ride to Conquer Cancer for two years, we felt we should do something local that could be enjoyed by a larger group.  Last year, we hosted the first-ever Lorne Bodin Bike Ride.  Over 80 participants enjoyed a 25 kilometre route around Richmond, and returned to Burnett Secondary School for a social barbecue, visiting and remembering our friend.  We raised almost $2000.00 for scholarships that are now being given out in Lorne's memory, and decided to make the ride an annual event.  This past weekend another large group of his friends and family got together for the Second Annual "Bodin Bike Ride" to remember Lorne, celebrate the way he lived his life, and raise some money to help students looking to further their education.

A great time was had by all as we enjoyed the scenic ride and got a chance to talk about the way Lorne treated others, how he would do anything he could to help anyone in need, and how his legacy is strong because he inspired so many to lead positive, helpful and selfless lives.  

Lorne's wife Jan and brother Greg 

Some opening words

Lorne's brother Greg thanking people for coming

A group shot before the ride

Jim Allison getting ready to go.

On the road...

More riders on the Railway bike path

Rob Laing directing traffic

At the half-way mark

The Laing clan handing out snacks

Everyone having fun

On the way back...

Lorne's Mom and the BBQ crew (Thanks Jason Davidson!)

Almost done!

A huge 'Thank-you' goes to Deb Wheeler-Brown for the fantastic photos and another to all the people who contributed in the various ways they did to make the event a success.  We would also like to acknowledge Jason Davidson of M&M Meats in Richmond for doing the barbecue for us.  If you are ever hosting a fundraiser/social event with a barbecue, he is the person to contact! 

We look forward to doing it again next year.  Save the date of the Saturday after the Victoria Day long weekend.  It promises to be another fun-filled, healthy way to reconnect and remember a great man.

Assessment Guidelines

Having just finished off the doldrums of February (for me, the toughest time to be a teacher, an administrator and a Canadian-largely due to the cold weather and short days), the light that is keeping me moving (besides the talented staff and students I am surrounded by at JN Burnett Secondary School), is the Assessment Guidelines our school is developing in response to Policy 607 from the Richmond School District.

For the past three years, our school has been engaged in discussions around our Assessment practices.  We have been using terms like Assessment For, Of and As Learning, and going to Professional Development sessions led by speakers like Tom Schimmer.  The school district is now asking each school to produce their own Assessment Guidelines to help make consistent the beliefs and practices of school personnel and share the statement with parents and the public.

J.N. Burnett Secondary has long been very successful with our students.  Our most recent report card reinforces that statement.  1165 student taking 3 or 4 classes each in first semester yielded 3804 course attempts, and our students had only 153 failed classes.  That is a 96% completion rate.  Only 4% of our courses were failed.  This success rate, coupled with the Provincial Exam results (which once again showed our scores to be above district and provincial averages in each of the examinable courses), leave us very proud of the accomplishments of our students.  But there is room for improvement.  The statistic cited earlier (153 courses failed in semester one), leaves us asking, "Did we make every attempt to help these students find success?"  Each one of those failures is a student, someone's son or daughter, who did not meet with the success we want for all our students. What more can we do to support these kids?

The focus of this past Friday's Professional development day was on developing our Assessment Guidelines and within those guidelines lie our school's Steps of Intervention designed to support students who may be struggling.  The Pro-D discussion centered around 20+ case studies that were created by staff members at our school.  The conversation was rich, and the outcome was positive.  Teachers spent a couple hours talking about difficult situations and trying to come up with solutions that would aid the student and become the framework for our school's Assessment Guidelines.

Our first draft generated the following…

The most exciting part for many of us was the sharing and generating a list of potential intervention steps.  We are all incredibly proud of how well our students have done at Burnett, but we also want to be sure that every step possible has been taken to ensure success for all.  Taking the time to formalize and share ideas and intervention steps proved very valuable to our staff and our hope is that it directly benefits our students and their families.

Our next step is to formalize and publish this document on our website.  We are also asking for input from staff and parents.

After the uplifting Winter Olympics (was the greatest moment the unbelievable Women's Hockey Gold medal, Alex Bilodeau's repeat Gold medal or Gilmore Junio's selfless offering of his speed skating spot to Denny Morrison?), we have only two more weeks until a well-deserved Spring Break! We can make it!

  

Remember this...

After watching the Conference Championship NFL games last weekend (Go Seahawks!!), I stumbled upon an article in the Huffington post here. Written by an experienced teacher as a way of reminding herself, her colleagues and her young and perhaps overwhelmed proteges about what students remember, I found the article speaking loudly to me. As a school-based Administrator, there have been times when I have felt frustrated that I am not effectively leading change.  The busy-ness of the job sometimes leads to days wondering if what I am doing is actually having a positive impact on the culture of the school.  Like many of us, I am probably my own harshest critic, and needed this article as a reminder that the work we do, just by being present, does make a difference…

The author wrote about what students actually remember about their teachers. She commented that it is not the lesson plans, not the decorated rooms, not the tests written or the projects assigned.  What students remember is YOU and how you connected with them and made them feel.  When I reflect upon my own years as a student and recall the teachers I had, the ones who brought back a flood of memories, smiles and laughs are those who challenged me, shared something about themselves and asked me to share something about myself.  My Biology teacher (Mr. Hallett), my Physical Education teacher and Rugby coach (Mr. McTavish) and my Business Ed teacher and Basketball coach (Mr. Auman) all gave of themselves for me, and asked that I give back.  These relationships helped build me into the adult I am today, and I recall all that they did and how they connected with me far more than any curriculum I was taught.  When speaking with my own children (now in Grade 8 and Grade 6), they, too, speak of fondness for teachers who make them laugh, share stories with them and make them feel important and cared for.

The article goes on to suggest that the most important thing to do is to be:

Be available

Be kind

Be compassionate

Be transparent

Be real

Be thoughtful

Be ourselves

While these things alone are not the only things educators must do, they must also be a priority for Administrators in their dealings with both students and staff. Teachers are tasked with the complex job of helping children learn, and Administrators have the equally challenging responsibility of leading change in a quickly evolving educational landscape.  In order for either of these jobs to be effectively done, one must have established trusting relationships built on compassion, listening and open communication.  New teaching practices and ministry initiatives are often worthwhile and can be exciting, but at the core, must be able to answer the questions, "How does this benefit students?" and "Is this something our staff can appreciate and recognize as worthwhile in their practice?"  There have been several times where I have been uncertain about my effectiveness, but I have always been present, invested in best serving the needs of students and compassionately conversing with staff.  While we all have a responsibility to be more than kind and compassionate (we do need to teach and have difficult conversations), I am reminded of the importance of slowing down and being available.

While many of the initiatives coming at Education Professionals around the world can feel at times overwhelming and confusing, one thing has remained true. Educators make a difference in the lives of staff and students, and everyone remembers how they were treated.

To quote Dr. Maya Angelou, “I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

Conference Day, Senior's Brunch and Winter Concert

There is so much happening in high schools around North America in the weeks leading up to the Winter Holidays.  A small sampling of some of the goings-on at Burnett follows...

On Thursday, December 5th, Burnett Secondary school held it's 14th annual Conference Day, which was highlighted by the Senior's Brunch.  Always a holiday memory for both our guests and our students, this year was no exception.  The Conference Day seminars focused on Social Responsibility and lessons delivered by homeroom teachers included Safe Driving, Social Media Awareness, Anti-Bullying and Building Community as well as Understanding Racial Diversity.  A keynote speaker seen by the entire school was Michael Bartolotto, as well as guests who spoke about the Holocaust and The Richmond Multi-Cultural Society who presented about building community.

 

It is with great pride that I show below a highlight video of the ever-popular Senior's Brunch, created by students Meghan G and Janelle P.  Well done girls and thank you to the entire Leadership and Law classes plus some Student Council members, Mr. Ghaug and Ms. Davis as well as the Glee club, Ms. Freeman and the Jazz Band and Ms. Johal and the Dance class.  The smiles on the faces of both the students and the Senior's indicated that a great time was had by all.
 

 

 

Ho, Ho, Ho

Getting ready...

 

Here they are!

 

Glee club singing

 

Another recent highlight was the Winter Concert, hosted on Thursday, December 12th.  A full house of spectators were treated to an excellent concert put forth by the Concert Band, Grade 8 Band, and the Jazz Band.  Thanks go out to all the performers and their director, Ms. Freeman.  The admission of canned food or money to be donated to the Richmond Food Bank raised hundred of cans of food as well as hundreds of dollars all to be given to a very worthy cause.

Grade 8 Band

Concert Band

 

Next week is our last before the holidays, so I would like to remind students to do what you can to help support those in need.  Our Student Council Canned Food Drive (which has brought in thousands of cans of food and several hundred dollars in donations so far) will continue through Friday, so please do your part.  Also to look forward to is Friday's ever-popular Santa's Breakfast, where lots of entertainment (including a performance by our staff) and a full hot breakfast will be served to any and all who purchase a ticket (all proceeds will be donated to the Food Bank).  Tickets are available from Student Council members at lunchtime for $5 each or 4 for $15.

 

Enjoy the last week and to all members of our school community, have a Happy Holidays and Best Wishes for the New Year!

 

An Opportunity

Educators and parents across British Columbia are currently being asked to provide feedback about the Ministry of Education's new Curriculum Frameworks.  At first glance, the documents are encouraging and exciting since the content for each course (frameworks for English, Social Studies, Mathematics and Science have been developed for Kindergarten through Grade 9) appears to have been reduced, thus allowing more freedom for teachers and students to explore concepts in greater depth, incorporating more cross-curricular teaching and learning, and pursuing more student passions.  

 

This new freedom provides an opportunity for all of us to redefine what we do.  At Burnett, we are beginning the conversation with our own questions for staff:  "What are the things we are struggling with?" and "What help do we need in order to address these issues?"  And for Educational Facilitator meetings: "What are the things we want students to learn in all courses?" and "How do we overtly teach and assess these things?"

 

We have questions about the unknown; How will Graduation program courses be impacted (Frameworks are still being developed for  courses in Grades 10-12)?  How will curriculum changes be reflected in the summative provincial exams that exist in English 10 and 12, Math 10, Science 10 and Social Studies 11?  But we are improving our use of new technologies, are altering assessment practices to become more outcome-based and informative, and are adding strategies that help increase student engagement.

 

Seth Godin's Ted Talk "What is School For?" (and associated blog posts "What is school for?" and "What is high school for?"), asks a very important question that we in British Columbia now have the opportunity to answer.

While some may consider Godin a little radical and seemingly hyper-critical of the American Public Education system, his question is one that demands our attention as we move forward with our Assessment practices and new, less content-heavy Curriculum frameworks.  Godin refers to public education having been created in the industrial age to produce obedient, interchangeable factory workers. We have come a long way from the industrial age, and are now doing so much more than teaching students to be compliant, but, as Godin states, school needs to be reformed to: "measure experience instead of test scores", utilize the new technology available, encourage "cooperation rather than isolation", help our students "do something interesting", and teach them how to "connect the dots, not collect the dots".  While I do not agree with everything Godin states in the video (I think there is some value in memorization and society demands that we develop more than individual passions in our students), he very provocatively and correctly suggests that we need to rethink the purpose of school today.

I don't see those of us in education "Stealing Dreams", but I am excited that we have the opportunity to redefine what we do and answer the very important question, "What is School For?"....