September 30

The SAN Script – Tuesday, September 30

Photograph by Paul Bica   The Maloja Pass (Italian: Passo del Maloja, German: Malojapass) (elevation 1815 meters/5954 ft) is a high mountain pass in the Swiss Alps in the canton of Graubünden, linking the valleys of Engadin with the Val Bregaglia and Chiavenna in Italy. It marks the watershed between the Danube and Po basins. [source] Maloja is one of the highest road passes in Switzerland, you can see the complete list here. If you like amazing roads like this one, be sure to check out the Sifter’s previous post: 21 Roads You Have to Drive in Your Lifetime

Photograph by Paul Bica
The Maloja Pass (Italian: Passo del Maloja, German: Malojapass) (elevation 1815 meters/5954 ft) is a high mountain pass in the Swiss Alps in the canton of Graubünden, linking the valleys of Engadin with the Val Bregaglia and Chiavenna in Italy. It marks the watershed between the Danube and Po basins. [source] Maloja is one of the highest road passes in Switzerland, you can see the complete list here.
If you like amazing roads like this one, be sure to check out the Sifter’s previous post: 21 Roads You Have to Drive in Your Lifetime

voice of the day

There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest.

Elie Wiesel

prayer of the day

Lord, in the times when we feel powerless to prevent injustice, may we have confidence that you are with us to the end. And may this confidence propel us to speak out against evil. Amen.

 

We are at 84 votes as of 5:30 am today – please vote today and every day for the next 14 days so we can make it into round two!

St. Anthony Today

Kim out – Ryan in

Debra out – Nicole Dagenais in (new to short list)

Shayna in all day working on mural – priming of the wall

Please vote for St. Anthony today!!

Student Support meetings continue today – Sabina, Paul, Geraldine, junior teachers

please see our student engagement list – I am trying to complete notes from the meetings to this list.

ALPs and long-range plans due today

6 Principles Of Genius Hour In The Classroom

sept 30 - 2

Genius Hour In The Classroom: 6 Principles Of Genius Hour

by Terry Heick

Genius Hour in the classroom is an approach to learning built around student curiosity, self-directed learning, and passion-based work.

In traditional learning, teachers map out academic standards, and plan units and lessons based around those standards. In Genius Hour, students are in control, choosing what they study, how they study it, and what they do, produce, or create as a result. As a learning model, it promotes inquiry, research, creativity, and self-directed learning.

Genius Hour is most notably associated with Google, where employees are able to spend up to 20% of their time working on projects they’re interested in and passionate about. The study and work is motivated intrinsically, not extrinsically. The big idea for Google is that employees motivated by curiosity and passion will be happier, more creative,  and more productive, which will benefit the company in terms of both morale, “off-Genius” productivity, and “on-Genius” performance.

What’s The Difference?

Genius Hour provides students freedom to design their own learning during a set period of time during school. It allows students to explore their own curiosity through a self-manifested sense of purpose and study while within the support system of the classroom.

A key distinction compared to more open, self-directed learning and user-generated learning experiences is that within a “Genius Hour” framework, this student-centered approach is only used a portion of the schedule, providing students a choice in what they learn and how they learn it during a set period of time within a school day.

Genius Hour In The Classroom: 6 Principles Of Genius Hour

Sense of Purpose

Students must find their own sense of purpose in what they study, make sense of, and create. The context and motivation are no longer entirely academic, which forces both the student and teachers to make adjustments.

full article here

 

September 28

The SAN Script – the week of September 29 – October

Live in the present. Do the things that need to be done. Do all the good you can each day. The future will unfold.

Author: Peace Pilgrim

 

 

Sept 28th

Monday, September 29

GAFE (Google in Education) Conference is this Saturday – if anyone else wants to go please let me know – I think there are extra tickets

Sabina in

Jennifer out OPEN

voting starts today for our Aviva Community Fund Campaign.  The project with the most votes will receive $100,000.00.  We will use this money to dig up the asphalt and redo our yard!  Here is the link:  https://www.avivacommunityfund.org/ideas/acf19604

cross country training begins tomorrow in preparation for the meet on Oct.7th

Shayna Tate our mural artist is in to start work with the students on our mural in the main hall

The milk order deadline is today

Squirmies program at 11:35 from Sept 29 to Nov 24

Tuesday, September 30

ALPs and long-range plans due to the office

Please vote for us today! https://www.avivacommunityfund.org/ideas/acf19604

mural work continues with Shayna Tate

Wednesday, October 1

Paul away – after first recess – Geraldine designate (Director’s Conference)

Please vote for us today! https://www.avivacommunityfund.org/ideas/acf19604

St. Anthony

Rosary schedule

Every 1st Wednesday of the month, beginning October 1st

JK AM is FDK 1, Mrs. Draper;  10:00 to 10:20

Grade 1/2  Ms.Myers; 12:15 to 12:35

Grade 2/3 Mrs. Manzoli 12:35 to 12:55

Grade 3 is Teacher X; 12:35 to 12:55

Grade 4/5 is M. Girard; 12:55 to 1:25

SK PM is FDK 1, Ms. Miles;  1:45 to 2:05

Grade 5/6 is Ms. Clermont; 1:45 to 2:30

mural work continues with Shayna Tate

Parent newsletter comes out – paper and web site

Thursday, October 2

Paul out – Geraldine designate (Director’s Conference)

Please vote for us today! https://www.avivacommunityfund.org/ideas/acf19604

School Photo Day

mural work continues with Shayna Tate

Friday, October 3

Paul out – Geraldine designate (Director’s Conference)

Please vote for us today! https://www.avivacommunityfund.org/ideas/acf19604

mural work continues with Shayna Tate

Saturday, October 4

GAFE Conference – Denis, Cathy , Natalie , Debra, Paul attending

 

Expedition Insects – A New Interactive Book from the Smithsonian

Expedition Insects is a neat interactive book from the Smithsonian Science Education Center. The new book was written to helps students in third through fifth grade learn about insects from all over the world. The book is full of pictures and videos to complement the text. Throughout the book students can click or tap on underlined words to quickly access their definitions.

Expedition Insects was created for the iBooks platform. It is interactive if you read it on a Mac or on an iPad. A non-interactive version of the book is available to read too.Sept 28-3

September 26

SAN Script Friday, September 26

voice of the day

“Those who are rooted in the depths that are eternal and unchangeable and who rely on unshakable principles, face change full of courage, courage based on faith.”

-Emily Greene Balch

prayer of the day

Good God, give us grace to hear your promises. Give us freedom to trust your promises. Give us patience to wait and humility to yield our dreamed future to your large purpose.

– Adapted from Prayers for a Privileged People

IMG_3109

 

Sept 26

 

3 days until voting starts for our school!

St. Anthony Today

9:00 am – Visit by  Donna Mailloux researcher – to work on EQAO scores with Paul

Guest Reader: Paul in Mrs. Rupnik’s Class, 1:20-1:30

Fun 2 Run opening – juniors – Learning Commons 1:45

 

WHAT is outstanding teaching and learning?

September 25

The SAN Script Thursday, September 25

IMG_3050

Wednesday was a great day at St. Anthony – over $340.00 raised for cancer research and a terrific Terry Fox event – what great spirit!!

Thanks sandra and everyone who helped put this great event on!

Those who are lifting the world upward and onward are those who encourage more than criticize.

– Elizabeth Harrison

St. Anthony Today

Boys soccer – McMaster School Nora out

Shayna Tate – mural artist in to meet with all students (in-class) – starts first thing today.

I will try my best to get to every room and spend 10-15 minutes or so talking to each class (depending on what the teachers prefer)
Please inform teachers that due to smaller size of mural, all students in school may not have a chance to paint with me. It is up to teachers to decide students selected and sign then up on my schedule day of. All students ideas will be considered however and the goal is to be inclusive in this way. They are partners with me in designing theme.
This will allow for a better quality mural.

an example of Shayna Tate's work - Shayna will be in this week to start working on a mural for St. Anthony.

an example of Shayna Tate’s work – Shayna will be in this week to start working on a mural for St. Anthony.

11:00 – Planning and Facilities Principal Orientation Meeting (Paul and Bob) at school

Welcome to BBBSO Lainey for Grades 4/5 and 5/6 students

Dalhousie Daycare Meeting in reading room (2nd floor) all day today

8 Ideas That Will Permanently Break Education As We Know It

Sept 25

Disrupting Education: 8 Ideas That Will Break It Once And For All

by Terry Heick

As education changes, it depends primarily on internal catalysts for that change. That is, the “things” that change it are on the “inside” of that system itself, most notably data, assessment, PLCs, and running a distant fourth, technology. It’s interesting that technology is among the least impacting “agents of change” in the classroom. Certainly it has caused teachers and districts to update some of their practices (e.g., budgets, teacher training, and IT policies) but very little of their thinking (e.g., peer-to-peer and school-to-school collaboration, assessment forms, and learning models).

At some point, this will change. Eventually the tethers will break and education–in whatever form or forms–will shoot forward like it’s been held back in a slingshot for nearly a century. It may not feel triumphant at first. When things you lean on give way, you flail and panic and yelp. There will probably be a lot of that. In fact, if you stand in the hallway at school or sit in a staff meeting, you can probably hear the yelping now.

Below are 8 ideas that will permanently “break” education as we know it–in the best possible way.

1. Connectivity is replacing knowledge.

2. Student are clients.

3. Adaptive software can replace 75% of what a teacher does.

4. YouTube is way, way more engaging than reading and writing.

5. Reading and writing should be social.

6. The disruption of mobile technology will be complete.

7. Parents don’t understand teaching and learning.

8. Universities are decaying.

you can read Terry’s post for each of these interesting points here

September 24

The SAN Script Wednesday, September 24

Seen here is a gorgeous sunset over a lavender field Provence, France. The photograph, taken by Vincent Brassine was captured in the commune of Revest-du-Bion. Located in southeastern France, Provence is world-renowned for their incredible lavender fields. I can smell it from here!

Seen here is a gorgeous sunset over a lavender field Provence, France. The photograph, taken by Vincent Brassine was captured in the commune of Revest-du-Bion. Located in southeastern France, Provence is world-renowned for their incredible lavender fields. I can smell it from here!

Lord, stir up the remnants of your goodness in us so that together we might proclaim, “Another world is possible — indeed, it is already here in Christ!” Amen.

– From Common Prayer

St. Anthony Today

Terry Fox Day

Sept 24-2

Sandra’s last note:

We will have a little pep rally (just thought of that:) before beginning our walk around our playground with the kindergartens – depending on time we will go around once or twice with them.
Sam (a former student of St. Anthony who has survived the same type of cancer as Terry Fox and who inspired our run will once again join us and lead us along the route)
After our walk around the playground the kinders will go back in or walk a couple of more times if they like while the rest of the school walks out the gate up Booth Street to Dow’s Lake (make sure you have all walking forms) – do a loop before coming back up Booth towards school.
We will meet back in the playground before going back into the school gym.
At this point we will settle our classes (Kinders will join us) and Paul will have his hair dyed and later don his princess get up.  Paul will visit classes throughout the afternoon.
We will conclude our event before dismissing classes for lunch.
couple of notes:
If you would like to make posters with your class to carry during our walk that would be great – they could say “Believe” Terry Fox, No more Cancer, Hope, your get the theme!
The students can put tattoos on the night before or do it as a class the morning of..
Really talk the event up the next couple of days so that we can reach our goal – we are very close and get the kids excited.

Technology can close achievement gaps, improve learning

September 10, 2014
The report recommends one-to-one computer access for students for more effective learning (Photo: iStock)

The report recommends one-to-one computer access for students for more effective learning (Photo: iStock)
In a new report, GSE researchers identify secrets to successful technology implementation, particularly with students at risk of dropping out.

As school districts around the country consider investments in technology in an effort to improve student outcomes, a new report (link is external)from the Alliance for Excellent Education(link is external) and the Stanford Center for Opportunity Policy in Education(link is external) (SCOPE) finds that technology – when implemented properly -can produce significant gains in student achievement and boost engagement, particularly among students most at risk.

“This report makes clear that districts must have a plan in place for how they will use technology before they make a purchase,” said Bob Wise, president of the Alliance for Excellent Education and former governor of West Virginia. “It also underscores that replacing teachers with technology is not a successful formula. Instead, strong gains in achievement occur by pairing technology with classroom teachers who provide real-time support and encouragement to underserved students.”

see the rest of the article here

 

September 23

The SAN Script Tuesday, September 23 – first day of Autumn

Do not waste time bothering whether you ‘love’ your neighbor; act as if you did. As soon as we do this we find one of the great secrets. When you are behaving as if you loved someone, you will presently come to love [that person].

-C.S. Lewis

Sept 23 - 2

We are applying for an Aviva Grant – you can see the full details and a much better version of our page here

 

Voting starts in 6 days – if we get 1000 votes, we can move on to the next round.  I have communicated this to the school council and the Communications Dept at the Board.

sept 23

More details to follow – can we get 1000 votes for our project??

St. Anthony Today

Paul out – elementary principals meeting – Meg rotating designate

Lunch  Monitor Mairi starts today at 11:15

Tech Tuesday – we start with Lisa Langsford and Karen McEvoy at 3:15 today.  Pizza arrives from Pizza Shark at 4:00PM – I may be a few minutes late due to my meeting at the board, but Lisa will get things started.  We will be using the Learning Commons and the staffroom.  Please bring the device(s) you need help with.  Thanks for all those who completed the survey – I have shared the results with Lisa and Karen.  Thank-you for volunteering for this session!!

For the latest update on our work on the Innovation Center please see this blog entry

Good news!!

we have received $2500.00 this week for our Arts Program – i will outline the entire program in a post soon and will also go over this at our October staff meeting.

We have also received a $500.00 grant from our superintendent Peter Atkinson for our Innovation Center!

really interesting article – written from the American perspective, but I think it applies very well to all of us in education

Growth Mindset: A Driving Philosophy, Not Just a Tool

Edutopia

sept 23-3

 

Picture a high school ELA honors class full of amazing kids who came up through the grades without any struggling, kids who thrive in schools that believe these students would do just fine. It was a class of mine, students who felt initially uncomfortable but were ultimately able to come together and study Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-­Five, a novel that presented content and literacy challenges the students weren’t used to.

How about my son, who entered first grade last year as five-­year-­old, not because I’m a crazy, achievement­-driven parent, but because we had just moved from New York to Massachusetts, which define cutoff ages differently? We thought to put him in with his age group, but the district saw that he’d do better in first grade (he actually tested past second), and his new teacher ran her literacy program using flexible grouping so that all the kids could continually excel as was appropriate.

There are also the children about whom we research and debate by statistically measuring their challenges and opportunities. These are the rural, inner city, low SES, ELL, and ethnic minority students who, for a wide variety of reasons, continue to show up toward the bottom of the achievement scales used by schools and American society.

Or the incredibly successful, well-­intentioned and high-­performing faculty department that is faced with changing student needs, mandated curriculum adjustments from the Common Core, and a societal call to leverage technology for a variety of reasons. Should they maintain the program they’ve always used since it’s been so successful for so many?

These are just examples, but what do they have in common? The need to grow. Please note that I didn’t say the need to meet some predefined goal or the need to adopt any particular program. I simply believe that all people, especially within the context of education, are learners with room for improvement.

read more here

 

 

 

 

 

September 21

The SAN Script The Week of September 22 – 26

Rest: Community

Richard Rohr

Our Western culture leans toward self-sufficiency and independence, and we often need to be reminded that we are part of a greater whole, that we are not alone in our longings and efforts for peace, justice, and healing. This is one of the great gifts of what we usually mean by “church”—a gathering of people in solidarity of purpose, praying and seeking God’s presence together.

Find some way in which you can join in the life that is greater than your own. Participate in a vigil, sharing the grief and hope of your neighborhood or world. March with others to bring visibility and voice to an important issue. Make a pilgrimage to a sacred or violated site to connect your small place in time with a history and a broader meaning.

Rest in the knowledge that God’s Spirit weaves your participation as a single thread within a life-renewing pattern. You are connected to the source of Life!

Gateway to Silence:
I am hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3).

an example of Shayna Tate's work - Shayna will be in this week to start working on a mural for St. Anthony.

an example of Shayna Tate’s work – Shayna will be in this week to start working on a mural for St. Anthony.

Nurturing the Innovator’s Mindset in Your Classroom

From Edutopia

Galileo Learning’s California-based programs have been developing K-8 innovators for the past 13 years. This summer, more than 20,000 kids worked with 1,300 educators to build go-karts, print 3-D projects, program Java to modify Minecraft, paint Italian frescoes, engineer bridges, and design fashion lines.

One thing that we always come up against, and I’m guessing it will sound familiar, is that students are often reluctant to engage in creative work because they fear making mistakes and are overwhelmed by open-ended design challenges. They can also be quick to give up when they experience a setback.

To counter this, we identified a set of attributes required for innovation, and we call them the Galileo Innovator’s Mindset:

Sept 22 - 1

  • Visionary
  • Courageous
  • Collaborative
  • Determined
  • Reflective.

These attributes are prominently visible in every one of our classrooms. But the words are just the starting point. Dozens of practices and rituals come together to make our culture of creativity and innovation real for students. We find that, after just a few weeks in this setting, students are willing to imagine new possibilities, take risks, build off each other’s ideas, and keep going until they reach their goals.

8 Strategies for Teaching Innovation – click to see more

Our Innovation Center

Our second meeting planning our innovation center will be held at the Faculty of Social Science, University of Ottawa on Monday morning.  We have now linked ourselves up with St. Luke’s Ottawa along with the University of Ottawa, Algonquin College and Blockheads.  We are working on fundraising for materials for the innovation center and also activities for our Maker Week planned for later this year.  I still need a few teachers to volunteer to take a student teacher from the Global Cohort program on EPLC so that we have student teacher volunteers to work on the center.

I will write a full report on the community blog after the meeting.  You can read more about the project here

The innovation center will be set up in the learning commons and will feature among other things a 3-D printer!

St. Anthony this week

Monday, September 22

Paul out early AM – Innovation Center meeting at University of Ottawa

LTO Interviews (Paul) 10:30 –

Tuesday, September 23

Paul out – Elementary Principals meeting Board Office

Tech Tuesday – Lisa Langsford and Karen McEvoy will attend.  Thanks for completing the survey!

Wednesday, September 24 – Terry Fox Day!

10:15 – start to the walk – more details coming from Sandra.

Welcome to Brandon Jodoin-Algonquin CYW

Thursday, September 25

Shayna Tate – artist visiting St. Anthony – planning for school mural

I will try my best to get to every room and spend 10-15 minutes or so talking to each class (depending on what the teachers prefer)
Please inform teachers that due to smaller size of mural, all students in school may not have a chance to paint with me. It is up to teachers to decide students selected and sign then up on my schedule day of. All students ideas will be considered however and the goal is to be inclusive in this way. They are partners with me in designing theme.
This will allow for a better quality mural.
IMG_0917

11:00 – 1:00 PM Planning and Facilities meeting – Paul – at school

Welcome to BBBSO Lainey for Grades 4/5 and 5/6 students

Friday, September 26

We (Social Committee) will be collecting monies shortly.  I understand the going rate is $50 for full time staff and $25 for half time staff.

Please note – ALPs are due to Paul by September 30th.  The document is attached to the calendar.

September 19

The SAN Script – Friday, September 19

The love of our neighbor in all its fullness simply means being able to say, ‘What are you going through?’

-Simone Weil

prayer of the day

Lord, open our eyes to see that the fruit of life comes when we plant seeds of hope among those whom the world rejects. Amen.

– From Common Prayer

great work by everyone - Congratulations on the win!!  Thanks very much Sandra for coaching the girls.

great work by everyone – Congratulations on the win!! Thanks very much Sandra for coaching the girls.

 

St. Anthony Today

Andrew Harvey – Evergreen Foundation – in to visit the Green Team and Teresa Rupnik – 11:30 today

Andrew will be working with us all on a greening renewal project this year at St. Anthony

Sabina in today

Teachers as Technology Trailblazers

Why Sharing Your Good Work Is Necessary, Not Boastful

Megaphone man at the Metro 4 by Hazzat, on Flickr
Creative Commons Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic License
   by  Hazzat 
Just last week, I have having a conversation with two educators at a family picnic. They were a thoughtful pair, and they had a wonderful grasp of teaching and learning.

About halfway through the conversation, I asked them the following question:
“Have you ever considered your sharing your good work on Twitter or social media?”

I thought the question was relatively innocuous as both of them had checked Facebook or Instagram throughout our chat. However, their responses were really interesting. They both turned to me and said, “We don’t do that.” When probed, they explained that they felt that it was boastful to show your professional accomplishments on social media.

Their words caused me to stop and reflect. If we’re not sharing the good things we’re doing in our classrooms on social media (and beyond), I believe we’re going to end up with a lot of misperceptions and confused educational stakeholders.

for more of this article, please click on this link
and finally….

September 18

The SAN Script Thursday, September 18

image

Thanks to Bob for this picture – we will be asking to get  this important document back from St. Anthony in

preparation for our anniversary next year

But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian, for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith.

– Galatians 3:25-26 

St. Anthony Today

Girls Soccer – all day at McMaster School – Sandra, Paul out, Silvia in

Kim out – Emily Bacon in

Paul out (PM) Board office

Norma McCartney-SEA trainer in today

The Committee List is up on the blog (special page) and in Drive – thanks everyone for signing up and to Nora and Geraldine for organizing this.  If you have not yet had a chance to sign up you can do so on Google Drive

10 Social Media Skills for The 21st Century Teachers ~ Educational Technology and Mobile Learning

 

Sept  18

please see this link for the full article and infographic – very interesting!

September 17

The SAN Script Wednesday, September 17

We have reached 2/3 of our goal!!

We have reached 2/3 of our goal!!

In the day-to-day trenches of adult life, there is actually no such thing as atheism. There is no such thing as not worshipping. Everybody worships. The only choice we get is what to worship.
-David Foster Wallace

prayer of the day

God, shepherd us away from the idolatries and ideologies of nationalism and consumerism that plague our world today. Free us to worship you, our rock and our redeemer. Amen.

Thank-you everyone for a wonderful night last night.  There was a wonderful spirit in the building!  Thank-you for all you do for our children and our parents.  This is a great, caring community!

St. Anthony Today

Paul in late (meeting with triad principals)

Natalie out (AM) Silvia in

soccer practices continue – girls soccer tournament at McMaster Thursday!

Digital Citizenship: It’s More Than a Poster!

BY  · AUGUST 4, 2013

Let me begin with a huge disclaimer.. These posters are not intended to substitute for true, open and honest discussions with kids, nor are they meant to replace the daily modeling that should be taking place in showing kids how to be a great digital citizen through our own actions. I’ve always been open with students. These statements on these posters are a result of discussions that happened within our classroom and most importantly, they are not just some ‘rules’ that I posted at the start of the year and expected kids to understand and follow. Being a great digital citizen is a process. It doesn’t happen overnight. But, in too many classrooms, schools, and homes, it’s not happening at all. Kids are growing up in a digital world, that is a given. But, being responsible with technology use? That’s an option that we can be a part of each and every day. Not just by hanging a poster, but by living it.

Sept 17-2