We Are Doing Hard Things!

May20

Before I begin the main thrust of my post today I’d like to acknowledge and thank all those educators who are going well

beyond expectations this year in the many situations we find ourselves. Those pivoting to online learning again when we were so hoping to stay face to face and a special thanks of appreciation to those educators in Spec Ed classes who are now face to face in situations that might cause anxiety and stress, we want to thank you. Your work for all our students, under very difficult circumstances is not going unnoticed. Thank you.

Which brings me to a recent presentation we had from Dr. Robyne Hanley Dafoe, who presented on Everyday Resiliency. Through the context of an incredible personal story of a life changing event Robyne shared her maxim: I can do hard things. Five powerful words. Yes, there is no doubt that leaders are tired, but , as Dr. Hanley Dafoe shared, exhaustion can co-exist with the ability to perform challenging tasks. You are doing hard things!

One characteristic of being human is for our desires to come easy and instantly. Many societal advancements and daily habits reinforce the expectation for things to happen quickly, if not immediately (e.g., fast food, Amazon Prime, Google searches…).

Doing hard things often feels, well…hard. But this is where personal growth happens and the outcomes can be transformational. Our actions through challenge can be the catalyst for impact and change. Challenging ourselves to take on difficult tasks is where leaders come alive. Leaders have the courage and determination to do things that other may not want to do or may not have a vision for doing. Through a belief in one’s abilities we can, and do, move mountains to support the well-being, learning and safety needs of our students and school teams.

Drew Dudley also spoke to our system leaders recently and shared the following quote, “Leaders create moments that cause other people to feel as if they are better off for having interacted with you.” There is no doubt that the heavy lifting work of leadership leaves others and ourselves better off.

At the end of our educational leadership journey, will we cherish the moments of comfort, or the moments where we worked with determination, overcame obstacles and had a positive impact on the lives of those we served? To me the latter choice leaves me with hope and purpose knowing that I will have had impact.

Lisa Munro

Assumptions & Judgments! Where Do You Live?

Oct30

This summer I had the opportunity to listen to an amazing guest speaker share some of her experiences living with a child who struggles with mental health. One story in particular helped me better understand how easily a judgment can be made; often built on a weak foundation of mistaken assumptions.

Here is a brief recap of her powerful story: For this mother getting her child to school each day was often extremely difficult as a result of her daughter’s ongoing struggles with mental health. The fact that the child’s father had passed away three weeks prior only confounded the daughter’s emotional wellness. On one particular evening, like many evenings before, her daughter had great difficulty settling to sleep. The mother spent most of the night comforting her daughter. When morning came her daughter was too agitated to be school-ready. Rather than going through the typical morning rituals of fixing hair and dressing, the mother made an alternative choice to spend her morning snuggled up on the couch with her daughter reading a story so that her daughter could be calm and experience as much success at school as possible. Once at school and walking through the school yard the mother overheard two adults commenting on her unkempt, frazzled, appearance. The adults commented that the mother had clearly been out all night partying and couldn’t even be bothered to get herself presentable to take her child to school. This faulty assumption left a lasting impression on a mother who had set aside her own needs for those of her daughter.

Making judgments is natural. It is how we determine how to act and how to respond. Often, without realizing it, judgments are instantaneous and based on assumptions. In this case, seeing someone who looked differently made others feel uncomfortable. I have challenged myself to think about the assumptions that I make about others. I want to remember that everyone has a story and to ask myself when I would do the same. I share this challenge with each of you.

Which One Do You Feed?

Sep25

As many of you who read my weekly blogs already know, when a quote resonates with me I like to relate it to an educational context. A friend of mine recently shared (and paraphrased) the following parable from a movie that he saw: Two wolves are fighting. One wolf is darkness and despair. The other is light and hope. Which wolf wins? The one you feed. There are several versions of this lesson on the internet, but in each the message is the same: we will find what we are looking for. This is also true for experiences at school.

As we begin our learning journey together for the 2015-2016 school year parents, staff and students may feel the emotions of either wolf when school life presents them with new or difficult situations. Experiences in the first weeks of school might bring out feelings of fear, uncertainty, or ambivalence. Other experiences might create feelings of excitement or hope. For example, I have had recent conversations with parents about relationship concerns with classmates.

As you work through all of the unknowns of the first weeks of school and throughout the year I encourage you think about which wolf you will feed. Know that throughout the year the staff at Emily Stowe Public School is here to support you. We are committed to helping students develop confidence, problem solving skills, a passion for learning and the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to reach their fullest potential. We are looking forward to working with you and your child(ren) throughout the school year. I encourage you to contact me or any other staff member to help you navigate through new or challenging situations.

Cookies and Kindness

Mar27

This week I would like to share a story that left me inspired by a student’s actions:

During a meeting with a parent I commented on the kindness of her daughter’s actions at school over the past few weeks by bringing in warm home-baked cookies and secretly setting them on the staff room table for all to enjoy as they arrive at school in the morning. The student requested that the cookies be left anonymously as she was not baking them for recognition. Here was her moms’ explanation as to why she has been baking and sharing cookies:

“I’ll tell you why my daughter has started doing this. After Christmas break she was looking forward to participating in Cheer Team again. Eventually she asked her teacher-coach and was told the season was over, and that it was ‘just too hard right now’ after the tragic loss of two team members over the last year. My daughter had this teacher-coach as a classroom teacher for both of her JK/SK years. This teacher showed up at her birthday party dressed like a princess (which the kids LOVED!). We appreciated and admired her dedication to her students. When my daughter heard about her teacher-coach’s sadness about losing team members and how hard it was to move forward, she was also upset, not for herself, for the teachers. I guess she never grasped how difficult it would be for them as well.

Kids don’t always think outside their own world. We’ve tried to encourage our daughter to do this, and this was a nudge to remind her. She decided to make the cookies (with assistance) and bring them in. This is why she did not want to put her name on them; because it wasn’t about her. It was a nice thing to do for the staff because they deserve to know they’re appreciated and loved too. She’s committed to doing this every so often because it makes people happy. She likes seeing people smile and she does get a little burst of pride knowing she’s helping to do that.

I know every parent is proud of their child, and that every child is special. Our daughter is a spectacular kid. She always tries, and sometimes she’s awkward and forgets things and gives attitude when she doesn’t mean to. It’s a process. Growing up. Not an easy one at that. She has challenges and struggles, but she’s determined. She wants everyone to be happy, and if a plate of cookies helps, she’s more than willing to do that at least.”

This student’s random acts of kindness are inspiring and reminded that children have so much to share. School is a place for all of us to learn, but the lessons do not always need to come from the classroom. Sometimes they come from the heart!

What is “The Pledge” All About?

Nov16

pledge This week is a very important week in the Thames Valley District School Board. As a school and district all staff and students will take the ‘Pledge to End Bullying.’

Taking a pledge is one positive step towards prevention. Using the pledge as part of the creation of a culture of respect makes this commitment even MORE profound. A while back I watched a powerful video that I immediately fell in love with called “20 Things We Should Say More Often.” It is narrated by Kid President and he challenges the audience to add to his list to make the world an awesome place.

The students in Ms Yates’ grade 7 class took this challenge to heart and created their own list of 20 things that should be said more often.

If you can imagine a world where positive talk like this was the standard then you can imagine a world where the Pledge will have most certainly fulfilled its promise! What would you add to the list?

Please see the links below for additional strategies to support anti-bullying:

http://www.tvdsb.ca/safeSchools.cfm?subpage=223280

To see the more information about the pledge, please see check out the following link: http://www.tvdsb.ca/endbullying

The history behind The Pledge on the CTV website and on the TVDSB website

You could also print and sign The Pledge as a reminder of your promise!

Click Image to See Video

Summer Wish for my Emily Stowe Family

Jun23

family_summer_holidays Earlier this year I shared with you the three expectations that students at Emily Stowe Public School are expected to follow throughout the year:

Be safe
Demonstrate respect (and all positive character traits)
We are here to learn.

My hopes for all of you and your families over the summer holidays, do not stray far from our school expectations:

I hope you and your family keep safe whether you are travelling or staying close to home.
May respect befall you; in the way you are treated and the way you treat others. Whether you are trying exercise patience navigating busy summer destinations, finding innovative ways to beat mosquitos, the summer heat or encouraging cooperation amongst siblings and finding humor when things don’t go as planned.
Finally I wish that learning finds you no matter where you go or whatever you do. Summer learning can be some of the most exciting learning of all. It might be exploring a new destination, revisiting a local favourite destination, learning a new campfire song, inventing a new summer recipe, or reading some literary treasures.

I wish you all the best and look forward to seeing you on September 2, 2014 for another exciting year together. And if you have the time and the inclination, come back here to my blog and tell me about some of your summer adventures. I’d love to hear about them.

Have a fun fill, safe and happy summer!

Here are some fun links you might enjoy looking at:

1. Trails in Southwestern Ontario for hiking, walking and exploring.
2. Galleries and Museums in Ontario
3. Ontario’s Waterways – click on the map of Ontario and explore
4. Norwich Public Library – list of summer activities on their front page
5. Summer Skating Schedule
6. YMCA Summer Schedule – Woodstock
7. And no summer is complete without a trip or two to Ritchies Ice Cream

Citizens CAN change the World!

Jun16

I love keeping track of “firsts” and this week we hosted our first annual Volunteer Tea. Many volunteers were able to attend so we could recognize their contributions to our school community, but since not everyone was there, I want to extend a sincere THANK YOU to all of the volunteers who have been able to support the ESPS community in any capacity throughout the year. All contributions are valuable, whether you were able to attend a class trip, support the hot lunch program, participate in Parent Council, prepare food for the healthy snack program, or support students with learning in the classroom. During the tea I shared the following quote about my belief in the impact of volunteers:

Margaret Mead quote

Thank you for all of your support throughout the year. The “citizens of our community” have certainly changed the world at Emily Stowe. We value all you have done and look forward to a continued partnership in the new school year.

Here is a quick link to a pictorial slide show of our community fund raiser which went towards our play-yard equipment. We raised over $40,000 on this night! Truly world changing for all the students at ESPS!

 || click image to see the slide show ||

It’s All About Community!

Mar2

all about community It is Sunday afternoon and I am feeling a little tired. I am most definitely not saying this to lament. This is not the tired you feel on a rainy afternoon or a long work week, but rather the kind of euphoric fatigue you might feel after a great workout or being the guest at a surprise party. I am left with a sense of contentment and happiness because of the spirit of community that I have witness over the past week.

It all began on Tuesday with our Olympic Day. Students from FDK to grade 6 participated cooperatively with their teams in many ‘Olympic’ games under the leadership of the grade 7s in games developed and organized by our grade 8s – the epitome of working together.

On Thursday, our school community came together to celebrate great character through our monthly assembly. Students from grade 1/2, 2 and 7, respectively, presented poems, chant and performed the “Cup Song”. Our school week ended with a Friday afternoon presentation for students from grade 6, 7 and 8 with a former Norwich student who shared his experiences with NASA.

The weekend began with the ESPS girls’ basketball team proudly representing us at the TVDSB finals. Although the girls did not medal, they demonstrated integrity, perseverance and the spirit of great sportsmanship. We are very proud of them and their dedicated coaches.

playdateES

Finally, on Saturday evening “A Playdate with Emily Stowe Dinner and Auction” took place at the Norwich Community Centre in support of Playground Fundraising efforts. Words cannot do justice in explaining the vision realized by our Parent Council. Their relentless efforts and countless hours of commitment helped to create one of the most memorable fundraising events I have ever seen in my career.

From a school level, families and students worked together to make baskets that were a HUGE success. From a community level, the Norwich Community Centre provided an incredible venue for us to maximize our fundraising efforts. The meal, put on by the Optimist was, bar none, worth the cost of admission alone! The Fire Fighters volunteered their time and energy and supported many of the evenings most exciting bids. A surprise announcement – a $5000 donation from the Oxford Junior Farmers only added to the excitement of the evening !Let’s not forget the greater community that came out to support this cause and the countess community donations that made the fundraising possible! All of this began from the inspiration of Parent Council wanting to provide our children with a great playground! One could not end the week feeling anything less than inspired!

Although I have only shared a glimpse into a few of the community experiences at Emily Stowe Public School, these are the acts that I witness day in and day out in our school and greater community. It is a model of community that I hope will inspire our children and a kind of learning that you cannot find in a textbook.

Parent Engagement – Homework (Pt. 2)

Dec1

Whose Homework is it?

With a role in education all of my life I recognize that the face of homework has changed since most of us went to school. For some, this may seem challenging, but it does not need to be a barrier to assisting your child(ren) with homework. In this update I will continue to share some tips on how to help your child(ren) with their homework.

One of the key things parents can do to help their child(ren) succeed is to help them take responsibility for their own learning. You can help your child to become a self-directed learner by asking your child purposeful questions that will help them form a problem-solving approach to learning using these 4 steps.

Define the problem and describe the desired result. (You may ask: What are you supposed to do?)
Brainstorm ideas, and decide which ideas to use. (You may ask: Let’s think of some ideas?)
Make a plan. (You make ask: Which idea do you think you should use?)
Try it out.
Here are some other problem-solving questions and statements that you can use.

Let’s talk about your school work.
What were you asked to do?
Can you show me how you got your answer?
Have you seen someone else do it?
Try looking at your problem again.
If you can’t find a solution, let’s ask for help from your teacher. When will you be able to ask for more help?

(Taken from Parent Tool Kit, Pg 16-17 www.ontariodirectors.ca)

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Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart. ~William Wordsworth

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