by Tanya KienekerSometimes we feel like very lazy parents. It’s true. We hear stories from friends about the adventurous things they've done with their kids—going on hikes, camping along the Baja, attending concerts… (Don’t even get me started on Disney Land or family camps!)And us? We prefer to stay at home and make the kids [...]
I was asking my Humanities 9 students a series of questions in preparation for a research project. "Is it OK to use a pencil?" "Is it OK to use an apple (to make pie, for instance)?" "Is it OK to use a chicken (to make pie, for instance)?" Most answered yes to all of the [...]
We all make assumptions. I watch my boys getting off the bus in the afternoon, one carrying Owen's backpack and the other carrying Owen, and I assume my 5-year-old was snoozing. I observe a mom pull into the parking lot, studiously avoiding eye contact with everyone, her dark hoodie pulled up over her head and [...]
I have two very important words to say to you. These two words are for you parents. Just two words. Thank you. You may have heard these words from me before, but today, I want you to REALLY hear them. Thank you—for sitting with your child and reading. Especially during those times when it seems [...]
Every once in a while someone asks me a really good question that gets me thinking deeply about life. However, more often it is some small event or interaction that prompts me to ponder. Recently, I spent a couple of days with our Grade 8 students at Camp Kawkawa, and I experienced one of those [...]
The last months of grade 8 are a flurry of activity, and believe it or not, our end-of-the-year trip to Camp Kawkawa actually gives teachers and students a chance to catch our collective breath. Sure, we have lots of great stuff planned to make the most of our time at camp, but a big part [...]
When I picked her up from school for a dentist appointment, I was greeted with the words: “You look like everybody’s mom.” I wasn't exactly sure if that was a compliment. And then I caught a glimpse of myself in the reflection of the window. It was true. I had conformed. I was wearing my [...]
We just passed a six-year milestone for our family. In May 2008, our son Sam (currently an ACS grade 11 student) went to the hospital with his mom because we thought he had the flu. After tests and many worrisome conversations with the E.R. staff, they determined that he likely had Leukemia. We were on [...]
“Nice dance moves, Buddy!” I wasn’t sure what my brother, calling from Edmonton, was talking about. But then he noted that he had recently seen the Inside Out launch video and proceeded to regale me with how much his daughter—my niece—was killing herself laughing at her Uncle Seth dancing in the library with his students. [...]
by Tanya KienekerAs I sit down on Kim Fleming’s couch, our kids playing quietly around the house, she jumps right in. She knows the topic of our interview, so it only makes sense that she skips all the pleasantries.“So here’s a good story. When my mom and dad first got married, they had someone from [...]
