From the Superintendent

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Reflections

2010-03-01

You absolutely must visit the Lindsay Park Elementary School website, click on ‘media’ and view two incredible video productions. Last year Parker Illes, who was in grade 3 at the time, was assisted by Marlene Driscoll and Martyn Bampton to produce a video entitled “ABC’s of Earth Care”. He was recognized for the “Yes I Can” award presented by the BC Council for Exceptional Children. Well, the focus on curricular content, video production and environmental education is very likely to result in recognition again this year. Marlene Driscoll along with Terri McKinlay, with the assistance once again of Martyn Bampton, have submitted a tremendous video “Worms” to the Science World, BC Green Games. The response of the Green Games organizer was “I LOVE your team’s project. What an amazing cross-cultural program. I will be sure to use this as an example of school-wide environmental education.” WOW! These are just two of the tremendous environmental education learning opportunities which our students at Lindsay Park are fortunate enough to benefit from. Congratulations to our staff and students for their dedication and creativity! Our students are so blessed that our schools have such a strong focus on environmental education, social responsibility, volunteerism and global commitment --- all aspect that would once have been considered to be part of the ‘invisible curriculum’ --- I commend all staff in our district who are making this ‘invisible curriculum’ a vital part of the educational experience for all of our students.

2010-02-22

Olympic fever continues to fill the air! It is rewarding to see how the Olympic ‘teachable moment’ is continuing to bring meaningful learning opportunities to our students --- too many wonderful examples to even begin mentioning any. I do, though, want to put us ‘on alert’ for the next incredible story we will have to share. Thanks to the amazing work of Kathy McCauley at SET BC and the support of DTSS staff and Kate’s family, Kate Gibbs is preparing to be a reporter at the Paralympics. Kate is an experienced reporter, having had this experience during the BC Winter Games. I’m hoping that we will be able to share some of her Olympic experience on our School District website. More to come……..

2010-02-15

So, here I am watching the Olympics and feeling very disappointed that our former DTSS student, Manny Osborne-Paradis, isn’t skiing until Monday. It’s still a very good thing that I’m watching --- the story of how athletes have made it to the Olympics is such an inspiration. Cindy Klaasen has come back following double knee surgery, Kristina Groves talked about the fact that she is small for a speed skater so it just took her longer to get to the Olympics. Not a surprise, but we can never underestimate the power of hard work and determination to overcome adversity in achieving goals. I know that we can all think of students who are in our classrooms every day in spite of their life situation. I have no doubt that it is often the support and encouragement these students get every day from Rocky Mountain staff that helps to give them the courage and strength to be in that classroom. We can never forget that!

2010-02-08

This week our schools will be recognizing the most important day of the year when it comes to relationships --- Valentine’s Day. Leadership students will be planning activities which will have both an emotional appeal and will raise funds for those people around the world who are less fortunate. Life’s lessons are key to the focus in our schools this week:

- Treating Everyone with Respect: Students will make or bring valentines for everyone in the class --- no one can be left out.

- Expressing your positive feelings: Students will express their fond feelings for each other and for our staff in a more open way than happens on most days.

- Sharing: Students will reach out, in an even more intention way, to assist others.

Our students are truly blessed to be attending school where they can learn and reinforce these life’s lessons in a way that celebrates the unique gifts that every student brings. A special thanks to our staff who enable this to happen. Please do not take for granted the incredible impact that you have on your students! I wish you all a very Happy Valentine’s Day!

2010-02-01

February 1 marks the half-way point in our school year which is hard to imagine. For our secondary staff and students this also marks the completion of semestered courses and the introduction of 2nd semester courses. Having been a secondary teacher and administrator I am always struck by the opportunity for a new beginning for those students who may find learning to be challenging, the opportunity to pursue new interests for those students who are beginning a subject area which they have not experienced in the past and the opportunity to re-enagage with areas of study which are of particular interest. As a teacher, this time of year was always bitter sweet for me --- the sadness of saying good-bye to 1st semester students and the delight of welcoming new students in my 2nd semester classes. With these personal thoughts in mind I wish our staff and students every success as you make the transition from 1st to 2nd semester. If you are a colleague in our K to 7 schools or are teaching linear courses in our secondary schools I wish you success and rewarding experiences as we begin the downward run to the end of another school year.

2010-01-25

Months of planning has resulted in an incredible Olympic celebration and torch relay throughout our school district. I felt like I was stalking the torch when I joined the celebration in Golden on Thursday evening, continued the celebration with our staff, students and community in Invermere mid-day on Friday and joined the celebration as the torch completed its tour through the Rocky Mountain School District on Friday afternoon. It was heartwarming to witness the outstanding performances of our students during the ceremonies, to see staff and students who were so excited to be torch bearers and to be part of the enthusiasm as our students joined with the community gatherings to cheer on the torch and anticipate the excitement of our upcoming Olympic and Paralympic games. Once again I want to extend a sincere thanks to our staff who contributed time and energy to the success of community events right from Field through to Kimberley. I also want to recognize, once again, our teachers and school staff who have taken full advantage of the ‘teachable moment’ and have extended the torch relay to significant and meaningful learning for our students. We will be posting a variety of pictures which represent the creativity and enthusiasm of our staff, students and community on our website shortly --- watch for it.

2010-01-18

Our Rocky Mountain Olympic week has finally arrived! It is clear that Golden, Edgewater/Radium, Invermere and Canal Flats have significant community and school plans which have been developed over the past year or more. Kimberley, with recent confirmation of the torch relay going through the community, has developed tremendous plans for community involvement. I want to take this opportunity to express sincere appreciation for the vision and leadership provided by our staff and students as we plan for this ‘once in a lifetime’ opportunity. The involvement of our students has been a critical focus of the planning and I am optimistic that your hard work will enable our students to have meaningful experiences which will build tremendous memories. I wish you all a rewarding and inspiring experience over the week ahead. I am looking forward to seeing our staff and student Torch Bearers and entertainers as the relay moves through our communities. Please check our district website, ‘From the Superintendent’ for a report on the ‘Olympic Plans’ which will give you a more complete picture of the Olympic plans.

I wish you all a wonderful week!

Bennie

2010-01-11

With the Torch Relay through our district just 10 days away I have been preparing a report on the plans for our January 12 Board Meeting. The plans are incredible and continue to speak to the dedication of time and energy of our community members and staff. We are delighted that the relay will now go through Kimberley which means that more of our students will be able to experience the excitement first hand. While the actual relay activities are incredible I reflect on the longer-term learning that will engage our students. Just one example of this is what is happening at Windermere Elementary School where students have written letters to the Embassies of the Olympic participant countries. In response, to date they have received over 60 flags from 21 Embassies. The students have also received pens, pencils, brochures and formal letters. Not only are the students ‘over the moon’ about the responses to their letters but the staff plans to continue to integrate this experience with future learning. Students throughout our district are benefiting from the Olympic experience in ways that we could not have predicted at the beginning. As we anticipate the Torch Relay going through our communities, with the participation of local student and staff torch bearers, involvement in the community programs and participation as ‘cheerleaders’ along the route, I don’t believe we can even imagine the long-term impact of this experience. I can only express sincere appreciation for the manner in which our staff is engaging our students in this learning experience and facilitating participation of our students along the Torch Relay route. This is one of those ultimate teachable moments!

2010-01-04

I trust that you are returning to work having enjoyed an enriching and joyous Christmas and holiday season. It`s hard to believe that 2010 is now here. For so many years we have been considering the implications of this year in BC and now the Olympic events will be held just a little over 2 weeks from today in our communities. I want to thank all of you who have been dedicating time in planning those events in our schools and communities. Your leadership will create unique memories for our students. This could well be a once in a lifetime opportunity for our students to have first hand experience with the excitement and passion that the Olympics bring. Within the next week I will be posting, on From the Superintendent, a summary of Olympic activities involving our schools and students, along with the names of our staff and students who have been selected as torch bearers. I can already tell you that the initial input is awe-inspiring. I wish you all a rewarding experience as our Rocky Mountain communities join in the Olympic celebrations.

2009-12-14

As we begin the final week before our Christmas Break, rich with school Christmas Concerts and seasonal celebrations, I am reminded of how fortunate we are to be living and working in increasingly diverse schools and communities. We are blessed to be looking forward to celebrating our cultural and family traditions and to be learning about the cultural traditions of our colleagues and families. We know that many families will have already recognized Eid, Diwali and just this past weekend, Hanukkah. With Christmas being the predominant celebration of our colleagues and families we also recognize that January will see the recognition of Ashura, Orthodox Christmas and New Year, and in February Chinese New Year. These are only some of the traditional observances and I’m honoured to wish all colleagues and our families a joyous time of celebration, a special time spent with family and friends, and every happiness in 2010.

2009-12-07

My reflection last week spoke to the thoughtful focus that our schools and students have on enriching the lives of others during this Christmas season. I have to tell you that, in fact, I have been overwhelmed by events that have occurred that truly bring this focus to life. The Kimberley Teachers’ Association, through a grant, has supported the publication of a book about the life of August Paw, a Mom who came to Kimberley as a refugee along with her family from the war and oppression in Burma. This incredible work was spearheaded by a Selkirk Secondary School colleague, Carl Challborn and absolutely echoes the inspiration that we all felt when we were able to welcome August’s children to our schools. A second incredible initiative was the work of David Thompson Secondary School students who, with the support of their staff and the community, organized a formal dance to raise funds to assist their custodian who is undergoing significant medical intervention and to support the Stephen Lewis Foundation in raising funds for aids intervention in Africa. Thirdly, I was fortunate, through my volunteer work with the Canadian Association for Community Living, to be in the House of Commons on December 3, the UN International Day for Persons with Disabilities, when Minister Peter MacKay tabled the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. All of these amazing recent events speak to the importance of our shared and concrete commitment to human rights. I am inspired by our staff, students and community, am truly aware that these three examples of our shared commitment to human rights are only some examples of the work being done, and am optimistic that while we have a stronger focus on ‘giving’ at this time of year our social justice/human rights work is at the core of our commitment throughout the year. I am also optimistic that the role modeling so strongly provided by our schools, our families and community will enable our students to move into their adult lives with a clear commitment to a making a meaningful difference in the world.

2009-11-30

As we begin the first week of December I am reminded of the powerful work that all schools do in connecting Christmas and festive activities to meaningful curricular learning outcomes, including a strong focus on social responsibility. It cannot be taken for granted that the Christmas and festive celebrations bring incredible delight to fine arts initiatives, enrich curricular learning and enhance social responsibility goals as students share their accomplishments at Christmas concerts, decorate their schools and the community, invite seniors to special lunches, participate in carol singing and writing letters with seniors, contribute to food banks and many other charitable causes and learn about the rich traditions of people from various religious and ethnic backgrounds. I recognize that this is a hectic time for teachers and school staff but I can promise you that the memories created for our students, their parents and the community make it all worthwhile! Please pass my sincere admiration and appreciation on to your staff as we begin the final month of 2009!

2009-11-23

A Rocky Mountain team just attended the BC School Superintendents’ Association Fall Conference ---- ‘Student Engagement’. Our experience at the conference reinforced, once more, the power of ‘team’ and a ‘collaborative’ environment. The internationally recognized speakers; including Valerie Hannon, Rushworth Kidder, Andy Hargreaves and Alma Harris, gave us much to think about and consider in our conversations. They raised powerful questions in our minds about how we can truly engage our 21st century learners. The title of Valerie Hannon’s keynote address says it all …. ‘Transformative Innovation: the 21st Century Imperative.’ I believe that we have much to gain when we open our minds to the ’15 Factors of Performance Beyond Expectations’ as presented by Andy Hargreaves and Alma Harris. I am particularly intrigued by ‘Factor 8: Counterflow’ in which organizations that Perform Beyond Expectations are “prepared to run against the mainstream, to move ahead not by going with the flow but against or around it. They do not just emulate existing strategies for success, but take counterintuitive directions that confound common practice.” Bottom line --- it’s all about innovative practice that will truly engage students! It’s all about student success!

2009-11-16

All schools in our district held Remembrance Day Ceremonies last Tuesday and I, again, want to acknowledge how important these ceremonies are and express sincere thanks for the thoughtful planning that results in such meaningful learning experiences for our students. I was fortunate to attend ceremonies at Windermere and Edgewater Elementary Schools. Both ceremonies were outstanding and each was a reflection of the unique culture of the school and community. Windermere students had been processing a book entitled ‘A Bear In War’ which is based on a true story of a teddy bear which is still on display in the Canadian War Museum. This book was read aloud by students during the ceremony and, for the first time, the students saw the pictures which are the illustrations in the book. What a powerful way to link the school goal of increasing ‘imaging’ skills for students from kindergarten to grade 7 to the Remembrance Day Ceremony! The Edgewater students also had a tremendous learning opportunity in that every student in the school was involved in the ceremony through choir numbers and reading of powerful poetry they had written. At both schools students lead the assemblies, Legion members participated and the students demonstrated strong skills in social responsibility. What a privilege to be able to be present at these assemblies. My only regret is that I wasn’t able to attend the ceremonies in all of our schools because I know the same respectful ceremonies with significant potential for learning were conducted in each of our schools!

2009-11-09

Last week was a poignant week with cause for significant reflection. Two highly respected Elders, Sheila Dehart from Shuswap and Jenny Alpine whose ancestry is both Shuswap and Ktunaxa, passed away. Both Elders have had a significant impact on the lives of so many people, including students in our schools. Jenny provided leadership as an ‘Elder in the Classroom’ at David Thompson Secondary School and I know that many students would have visited Sheila’s garden and learned from her traditional knowledge. I was blessed to attend the wake for Jenny and was inspired by the presence of many students along with community members, families and Elders. I was also struck by the conversation about the importance of language and how much Jenny, as a speaker, will be missed. This conversation was initiated by Chief Wilfred Tenneese, Jenny’s brother, as he talked with Elders Herman Alpine and Nelson Phillip, both of whom have dedicated time to sharing cultural knowledge, storytelling and acting as mentors for our students. We are fortunate to have Jenny’s niece, Barb Cote as one of our Aboriginal Education Support Workers and her great niece, Jenna Jasek, as one of our teachers. Our Elders who have passed away will be truly missed and I reflect on how important it is that we have strong role models for our students in our schools.

2009-11-02

In both District Directions 2013 and in the daily work of the district we have a significant commitment to staff development. Over the past couple of weeks this commitment has been very evident and I congratulate you all on the work dedicated to improvement. The District Professional Development Day on October 23 provided an opportunity for all staff in the district to be involved in learning opportunities. I want to take this opportunity to acknowledge you, your staff and committees for the preparation and commitment that brought this day to a successful conclusion. In addition to the tremendous learning opportunities provided on October 23, I want to recognize the work done by our Transportation Department through ‘Student Behaviour’ workshops facilitated by Pegg Davidson. I have no doubt that SD6 bus drivers are the only drivers in BC who are doing this important work to develop stronger skills in working with students. Congratulations! Our principals, vice-principals and learning coaches have also focused important learning leadership time in working with Barb Morris, Assistant Superintendent, Learning Leadership and Student Services over the past couple of weeks. As I reflect on this work, I can’t help but think about the positive impact on all of our students. In the end, it’s the difference we make in the lives of children that is truly important. Sincere thanks to all of you for making that difference!

2009-10-26

I have just experienced a week that I wish you could all have experienced. It is hard to believe that just 8 days ago I arrived in Madrid on my way to present sessions at the Inclusion International Inclusive Education Conference in Salamanca, Spain. Salamanca, as many of you would know, is home of likely the oldest university in existence. The development of the University of Salamanca began in the 1300’s and was built by Jesuit priests. I cannot tell you how awe-inspiring it was to do my presentations at this university, beside educators from all continents on this planet. Of greatest impact was the realization, once again, that, while we have improvements to make in our inclusive education work, Canada is far ahead of any other country whose presentations I heard. Just so we, particularly those of us in SD6, don’t become complacent, Doug Willms reminded us that each year, in education, we have new students, new parents, new staff who must be supported in developing an understanding of the importance of inclusive education and assisted in developing the capacity to work in inclusive classrooms. In the Rocky Mountain district we know that all students are more successful in inclusive schools but Doug Willms spent considerable time, in his presentation, emphasizing this point. He referred to the PISA data which provides evidence that BC students have achieved 3rd in the world in reading skills. He made reference to the fact that Canada has the lowest contribution to early learning in the G8, yet, by grade 3 our students in BC are reading at a level which is 3rd in the world. I couldn’t help but reflect on our Rocky Mountain circumstances and the fact that we now have early learning/StrongStart centres throughout the district. It will be interesting to monitor the impact on learning and success as our young children involved early learning move into our primary programs. As I contemplate the impact, I can’t help but consider the long-term impact on our graduation rates and the level of success of our students as they graduate. It just seems to me that the ‘stars are aligned’ --- we have development early learning opportunities offered throughout our district, we have a commitment to brain-based strategies (SMART learning, Calkins numeracy, Leyton Schnellert), we are dedicated to collaborative learning, we are staying the course with Assessment for Learning and we are working to continue meaningful secondary opportunities with authentic transition to ‘life after secondary school’. I applaud the work that Barb Morris and our Staff Development Committee are doing to support this thoughtful and wise work, I clearly understand that it is important work that requires an introspective approach and I acknowledge the thoughtful approach that our district and school-based learning leaders (administrators, teachers, support staff and parents) are taking which is clearly focused on improved success for all students. These are my Sunday afternoon reflections as I am returning home. We have much to celebrate and we know that our most important decisions are those that have the greatest impact on our students.

2009-10-18

Last week saw the Rocky Mountain District in partnership with the Columbia Basin Alliance for Literacy open 4 Outreach StrongStart Centres in the Windermere Zone. Without question this early connection of children and their families to our schools will have a positive impact on the transition to kindergarten. Nicole Pawluk as Early Childhood Coordinator and Evy Walker as the StrongStart facilitator both bring professional expertise and a passion for early learning which is evident in the early learning activities offered for our young children and their parents/caregivers in each of our sites. The Windermere Zone Trustees, Barb, Paul and I were delighted to join our principals as the StrongStart Centre Grand Openings were celebrated in Windermere, Eileen Madson, Martin Morigeau and Edgewater Schools. We were also delighted to have the grade 5 ‘Big Buddies’ join the opening celebration at Windermere Elementary School. The bottom line is that there is clear evidence that children who have the developmental opportunity offered through sound early learning programs and practices are more successful at an earlier age in school. We are so fortunate that the Ministry of Education is now funding StrongStart Centres throughout SD6 and we applaud our elementary schools for the thoughtful way in which they are welcoming the programs and building them into the culture of their schools. Last week was a true celebration of this partnership!

2009-10-13

Last week School Planning Teams met with our Trustees to share their 2009-2010 School Plans for Student Success. I was privileged to be involved with all review/approval sessions and am inspired by the continuing focus on ‘Success One Student at a Time’. I admire the commitment that our school teams have to keeping plans alive and making adjustments that truly reflect the learning needs of all students. Our schools are making a difference in life chances for all students by making a commitment to ensuring personal connection with our students and to addressing the unique needs that our students have at times of particular vulnerability. At the same time our staffs are making ‘leading edge’ changes in assessment for learning practices which recognize learning in authentic ways. I would ask school administrators to pass my sincere appreciation on to our staff for the thoughtful, research based adjustments being made in classrooms across this district. In the end, what’s important is that these changes are making a significant difference in the learning outcomes and life chances of our students!

2009-10-05

Congratulations to our staff, students, parents and community for the outstanding and innovative organization of Terry Fox runs. Not only did schools organize events that raised funds for the Terry Fox Foundation but you actively engaged your students in expanding their social responsibility commitments by doing such things as combining the Terry Fox run with a ‘Sea of Pink’ anti-bullying initiative, organizing the event so that ‘big buddies’ escorted ‘little buddies’ on the run, linking the run to literacy by giving all participants book marks, holding motivational assemblies as the first element of the run and hosting BBQ’s as a celebration upon completion of the run. I was fortunate enough to be at several of the runs and in each case I saw students, staff, parents and community members joining together for this important cause. I congratulate all staff, students and parents for organizing such meaningful events and for assisting our students to continue to deepen their commitment to helping others and building a richer personal understanding of social responsibility. As we look forward to time with family and friends for Thanksgiving next weekend I truly believe that the caring spirit evidenced in the Terry Fox runs is something to be genuinely thankful for.

2009-09-28

My past week was once again filled with tremendous inspiration. I was able to be in many schools throughout our district and I thank you all for making time in your extremely busy schedules to meet with me. With so many incredible experiences this past week I’d like to briefly comment on three:

1. Lady Grey: As you will know, this is the 100th Anniversary of Lady Grey. An unbelievable mosaic commemorating the anniversary was completed with credit to the artistic talents of Pierrette Robinson and Donna Williams who worked with students and staff at Lady Grey for each person to create a clay commemorative tablet. Those fired tablets have formed the frame around two unbelievable clay works of art which recreate education at Lady Grey 100 years ago and education today. A special thanks to our operations staff who so skillfully erected the Centennial Mosaics. I urge every one of you to go to Lady Grey to see the Centennial Mosaic which has been erected on the exterior of the school. Be prepared to be amazed and inspired!

2. On Thursday I was fortunate enough to accompany our Ab Ed Support Workers on a professional development trip organized by Deb Murray to a very old medicine wheel on the Nakoda First Nation near Ecksaw. Participating in ceremonies and learning from Deb’s deep cultural knowledge was a very meaningful experience for all of us.

3. On Friday I was at McKim during their Terry Fox run. The students had been honoured by Bob McWhinnie’s inspirational comments at an assembly just prior to the run. Bob is building a tremendous legacy through his strength in dealing with his cancer and his outstanding commitment to the youth of Kimberley. The students gave Bob a standing ovation which is certainly evidence of the impact he has.

2009-09-21

As we begin the last full week of September I reflect on what an incredible school start-up we have had. The strong focus on learning leadership throughout the Rocky Mountain School District continues to set the stage for a successful year for our students and a rewarding year for our colleagues and parents. It is your leadership and passionate commitment which makes the difference! Your powerful commitment to student success and improvement supports and echoes the focus in our district and schools.

I have had the good fortune to be in many schools since the beginning of the month and am hopeful that I will be able to spend time in our remaining schools during the next two weeks. I am truly blessed to share in the rich conversations and the enthusiasm for the year ahead which is evident throughout our district. A sincere thanks to each of you for improving the life-chances of our students!

• 2009-2010 Achievement Contract
• December 2009 Superintendent's report on student achievement
• District Calendar 2009-2010
• District Directions 2008-2013
• District Directions Carbon Neutral Action Report 2009
• District Directions Course Options 2009
• District Directions Gardens 2009
• District Directions Volunteer Activities 2009
• District Directions Work Force Strategies 2009
• H1N1 Poster