Mar 5, 2024

JOY COMES IN SMALL SLICES

By |2024-03-05T11:02:54-08:00March 5, 2024|Middle School, Nurturing Hearts|1 Comment

I’m not a big fan of new year resolutions. It could be that I have a terrible track record keeping them. But this year I decided that I need to take better care of my health. I’m a terrible binge-eater. I don’t bring a lunch (there’s rarely a break long enough to enjoy it anyway), [...]

Feb 21, 2024

HONOURING STORIES

By |2024-02-21T12:37:44-08:00February 21, 2024|Engaging Minds, Middle School|0 Comments

You are so weird! Usually, this would sound like an insult to any middle school student. The comment seems to target a student’s self-esteem, their sense of belonging, and tells them they don’t fit in. What would happen if students found a way to see this comment as a compliment—a statement that affirms the reality [...]

Feb 7, 2024

THEY’VE COME SO FAR

By |2024-02-07T12:57:12-08:00February 7, 2024|Elementary, Nurturing Hearts|0 Comments

A few years ago, Kirsi Antunes, our school counsellor, introduced our staff to the language of “expected” and “unexpected” behaviours. For opportunities where we wanted to correct a student’s actions (actions, not willful wrongdoing), rather than saying they were making a bad choice, we tried to name the unexpected behaviours and help them choose [...]

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 [...]

Nov 8, 2023

FAULTY PARENTING

By |2023-11-08T15:47:47-08:00November 8, 2023|Middle School, Parenting|1 Comment

Amy and I have four boys. Our home is filled with rough-housing, noise, smell, and a ton of food. Our boys are extremely active. They all play sports. We shuttle them back-and-forth from sports, swimming, and playdates. Yet somehow, when they return home, they still have energy to burn. We encourage (hear “tell”) them to [...]

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