On rainy days at ACS Elementary, students love to gross out the teachers on supervision by showing them big, fat worms. To their giggling delight, the teachers respond as they hoped:“Ewwww! Gross!” Except when they bring the wiggling creatures to Nature Kindergarten teacher, Christine Beugelink. “Cool! Let me see!” she says, stopping them in their [...]
How do you teach elementary students about the effects of Canadian geography on Canada’s history? Or about how the vast array of geographical terrains and climates of early Canada impacted the Indigenous peoples and the first European settlers? You build a 3D map of Canada so large it’s difficult to find a table big enough! [...]
The setting was a professional development trip with other colleagues from ACS to an exemplary school, founded on project-based learning principles. I remember first walking in and being taken aback when a student approached me, offering a tour of the school. Joseph was his name, and he especially wanted me to experience a class that [...]
As if this first year of “principaling” wasn’t enough, I went with two of our grade 8 classes on their SALTS trip last week. Every year, our grade 8 students spend a week on a tall ship through SALTS (Sailing and Life Training Society). What an adventure! Orcas off the stern, rope swings and swimming [...]
They come running to the reception area with books, games, sketch pads, and friends. “Is it our day today?” they ask Mrs. Howard. Big smiles spread across the students’ faces as they scurry to different learning pods set up across the Learning Commons. To say this space is a hit would be an understatement. It [...]
I have been enrolled in an MBA program for the last few years and it’s been quite a ride. One that has sparked significant growth for me personally and ultimately—I hope—professionally. “Leading Organizational Change and Culture” is my most recent and second last course in the program. No Sympathy Here During the first week of [...]
I had been waiting for it and somehow, I missed the call. For real? I emailed the City of Abbotsford awhile ago with some deep hopes of partnering with them on a “What’s in My Backyard?” project. A project—that post-Newcastle Island trip and amidst FSA writing in grade 7—was due to be presented at Presentations [...]
BY WENDY ENNS, LEARNING SUPPORT SERVICES COORDINATOR What on earth could I possibly offer teachers from a rural village in Ethiopia? In November 2016, I had an incredible opportunity to travel with Run for Water to see a village that ACS Elementary raised money for clean water and a school. I was asked if I [...]
I admit it…I’m a late adopter. I am careful in approach and rarely jump into anything new without appropriately assessing all options. Then I weigh them, and observe the early adopters to be sure I don’t experience the same pitfalls they will inevitably find themselves in. And although I consider myself a digital native, I [...]
Feathers floated through the air; strands of wig hair lay scattered on the ground. Kids were running around in circles practising a classmate’s fish swim move, and the one counter space left in my classroom had become an apparent make-up station. My classroom resembled anything but a learning environment. “Mrs. Barthel, I can’t find [...]
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