Jan 11, 2024

DEEPER LEARNING

By |2024-01-11T14:24:36-08:00January 11, 2024|21st Century Learning, Leadership, School Vision|0 Comments

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 [...]

Jun 22, 2023

ORCAS, NO SLEEP, AND NIGHT WATCH

By |2023-06-22T21:27:57-07:00June 22, 2023|21st Century Learning, Middle School|0 Comments

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 [...]

Mar 9, 2022

THE HUB

By |2022-03-10T14:01:03-08:00March 9, 2022|21st Century Learning, Middle School|0 Comments

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 [...]

Feb 3, 2020

GROUP WORK

By |2021-07-07T21:25:03-07:00February 3, 2020|21st Century Learning|0 Comments

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 [...]

Dec 16, 2019

27 DAYS AND COUNTING

By |2019-12-16T11:44:43-08:00December 16, 2019|21st Century Learning, Middle School|2 Comments

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 [...]

Oct 22, 2018

HERE’S TO THE CRAZY PEOPLE

By |2018-10-22T14:40:11-07:00October 22, 2018|21st Century Learning, Secondary|4 Comments

My daughter phoned me a couple of years ago and said, “Dad, I bought a boat.” Awkward silence. I didn’t know what to say. She had just been married, her husband was in his last year of university, they were poor as church mice and she was halfway through her nursing degree…and she bought a [...]

May 7, 2018

FROM ONE HUT TO ANOTHER

By |2018-05-07T09:05:19-07:00May 7, 2018|21st Century Learning, Elementary|2 Comments

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 [...]

Mar 5, 2018

DIGITAL POSTURE

By |2021-07-07T21:25:03-07:00March 5, 2018|21st Century Learning, Technology|0 Comments

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 [...]

Feb 19, 2018

BEFORE THE CURTAIN CALL

By |2018-02-19T09:11:17-08:00February 19, 2018|21st Century Learning, Middle School|0 Comments

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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