Blog Posts

Earlier this school year I made the commitment to report back on what I had learned as a consequence of my “shadow a student” experience.  Listening to students has been a key part of my practice over the last few years, and shadowing a student is the most recent iteration of this learning journey.

Keeping the district’s focus on equity in mind, the Dr. Thomas A. Swift Elementary school community has taken on a small project of our own. Together with a couple of other elementary schools, we are using picture books to dive into topics of diversity and equity.

Earlier this school year, leaders in our organization had the opportunity to learn from renowned psychiatrist, Dr. Shimi Kang on the subject of mental health and wellbeing.

In our school district's four-year strategic plan, we have targeted improved early learning as a means of impacting student success. At Mathxwí Elementary, all primary classrooms have committed their year to explore practical ways to improve early literacy learning.

“Now let us begin. Now let us re-dedicate ourselves to the long and bitter, but beautiful, struggle for a new world.” -- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Noticing a shift in literacy instruction across the district? Wonder what is going on in the classroom down the hall?  

It has been my practice for the last few Januarys to make predictions about possible changes in the K-12 sector. This practice goes back as far as 2015 when I highlighted the top ten issues facing our education system and some things to watch for as we sought to transform it.

Good Afternoon, South Poplar Families!

Today was our final day of our Holiday Spirit Week: 5 Books♥5 Ways♥5 Dress-Up Days. Just like the main character of “The Polar Express” we all wore our pajamas for our great adventure – his adventure was to the North Pole … ours was to conquer the last day of school before Winter Break. 😉

“The Polar Express” is a favourite holiday book all about believing in the magic of Christmas. Please click here to watch it, our final “Story by the Fire with Wildcat”.

Good Afternoon, South Poplar Families!

Today, for Day 4 of our Holiday Spirit Week: 5 Books♥5 Ways♥5 Dress-Up Days, our whole school was Grinch-ified. We wore green, ate Grinch-cookies, listened to the book, and even had a visit from the Grinch himself. Our hearts have now grown three-sizes as the Who’s reminded us about the meaning of Christmas.

“How the Grinch Stole Christmas” is a classic Christmas story that was written in 1957. Please click here to watch it, our Day 4 “Story by the Fire with Wildcat”.

Good Afternoon, South Poplar Famliies!

Today our school community was looking super cool … some may even say snowy cold. Our staff and students let their inner-snowpeople out, donned their white, and enjoyed Day 3 of our Holiday Spirit Week: 5 Books♥5 Ways♥5 Dress-Up Days: “Snowmen at Night” Day.

“Snowmen at Night” is an imaginative story about the nighttime antics of snowmen, which lead to their somewhat disheveled looks come sunrise. Please click here to watch our Day 3 “Story by the Fire with Wildcat”.