“Hi Summer! Oh…and hi Mr. van der Leek.” She is often greeted first and I do not take offense. Summer has connected with so many middle school students during the past several weeks and has happily done her work making friends with these mid-sized humans. In fact, when we walk to school each day, Summer [...]
BY NAOMI STEWART, SECONDARY FRENCH TEACHER Remember way back…seven weeks ago…when we moved into Connected Learning? I think I cried at least once a day during the week after spring break. It was full of rapid preparation and baptism by fire. Instructions and expectations changed minute to minute. Admin worked hard to stay up to [...]
I’ve been thinking a lot about value lately. Part of that has to do with our family’s decision to sell our house and move out to Abbotsford this year. You never really think about the value of something until you want to sell it…. We have put in a lot of time and energy into [...]
BY MONICA DEREGT, ACADEMIC COUNSELLOR I have an eclectic gathering of gadgets on my desk. Some might think of them as toys; others may think I have a unique decorating style. Among my collection is a playable rainbow art ball, a squishy silicone cat, a fake bonsai tree, a magnetic hourglass, lavender-scented stress balls, and [...]
BY SARAH BESSEY, ACS PARENT I didn’t realize how much I had internalized the lie that I should be all things to my tinies until I was unable to do it all. I spent a fair bit of tears as a young mother on the fallacy that I had to be the one who provided [...]
BY KAREN VAN EGMOND, ACS PARENT I’m currently working on my Masters in Education. People ask me why, and I’m at the point where I’m asking myself that same question. Let me tell you, if it was easy, everyone would do it. In addition to the coursework, I have to come up with a project [...]
At 7:50 am, I hug my son and daughter and bid them farewell. I watch them walk down the street and head towards our school. I close the door, breathe deep, and smile. Yes, my kids walk to ACS every day. Saving Time or Sanity? In actuality, if I drove them, it would take me twice [...]
As a young boy, who was raised in Ontario, I remember taking multiple family vacations “to the west” to visit my grandparents in Lacombe, Alberta. On one of our trips, my parents decided to traverse the continent mostly in the US, taking in some sights along the way such as Mt. Rushmore, Yellowstone etc. However, [...]
I can’t remember exactly when I first met Mike Ouwerkerk. I know it was early on in my time here at ACS, 22 years ago. Mike initiated our Grandparent Crossing Patrol. Back then, there were no houses around our school property and looking out the front of the school you mostly saw a large, sandy [...]
“Bon joor les eleves!” “Comment aller voos?” My typical morning greeting in my best Franglais. I usually conclude my welcome address with, “That’s French for those of you that aren’t bilingual.” This is always met with a hail of criticism, correction and, sometimes, laughter…that’s the point. I have fun with my poorly developed linguist skills [...]
