Reinvigorating empathy - and Vice Principals

AdminfoFebruary 2009 Volume 21 • Number 3BCPVPA JournalReinvigorating empathyparent engagement • assessment practices • making the news

Let’s talk about parent engagementBCPVPA President Marilyn Merler offers some practical ideasabout how to engage parents with their children’s schoolsStudent engagement is a popularexpression in the worldof education. It certainly hascome up a lot at the past few conferencesI’ve attended. So, to remaincutting edge, let’s talk about engagement,but let’s talk about parent engagement.When parents are activelyinvolved with their children’s school,students benefit. As principals andvice-principals, our role is to encouragepositive parental involvement inour schools and that is possible inmany ways. Here are some ideas onengaging parents that I have witnessedor enacted over the years.Make your schoola welcoming place for parentsStart by being visible in the hallwaysat the beginning and endof the school day, when parents maybe dropping off or picking up theirchildren. This happens more frequentlyin elementary schools, butthere are still a few parents wanderingaround middle and high schoolsat the beginning or end of the schoolday. Use the student’s name whengreeting them and if you don’t knowthe parent’s name ask the studentto introduce their parent to you. Ina large school, it would be virtuallyimpossible to remember all of theparent names, but parents appreciatethat you know their children’snames. Stand at one of the entrancesto the school every morningand greet people as they come in.At the end of the day, walk aroundthe hallways and stop to chat withparents. On the first day of school,once the students are settled intotheir new classes, invite parents tothe staffroom and offer them coffeeand snacks. This works well in theelementary setting, when you havemany parents who are worried aboutleaving their children. This way parentsare still in the school, getting toknow other parents, and the teacherscan get on with their job of gettingto know the students. The more welcomeparents feel in the school, themore time they will spend there, andthe more time they spend at school,the deeper their engagement.Have a place whereparents can congregate?Parents enjoy having a comfortableplace to sit and chat witheach other while waiting for theirchildren. Try joining them sometimeto ask their opinion aboutsomething related to the school, forexample, “How is your child enjoyingour daily physical activity (DPA)program?” Or “Are you planning oncoming to the Family Math Nighttomorrow night?” Some schoolshave established parent rooms ordesignated portions of rooms forparent use. One parent room I sawFebruary 09 • Adminfo • 2had comfortable chairs and couches,coffee, toys for preschool children,and an excellent parent referencearea with all kinds of resources, includingcopies of the IRPs, parentingbooks, videos, DVDs, CDs, children’sbooks and novels, that couldall be signed out. There was also abulletin board with the school andPAC newsletter, the School Plancontinuespage 4Board of Directors 2008–2009Ma r i l y n Merler, Presidentmmerler@bcpvpa.bc.caLes Du k o w s k i, Pa s t-Presidentldukowski@bcpvpa.bc.caDirectorsLeslie Anderssonandersson_l@sd36.bc.caJameel Azizjaziz@sd73.bc.caBr i a n Chappellbchappell@sd57.bc.caCh e r y l Dewcheryl.dew@sd27.bc.caBr i a n Ja c k s o nBrian.Jackson@sd41.bc.caCl a u d e t t e La v o i eclavoie@sd50.bc.caEl a i n e McVieemcvie@sd61.bc.caMy l e s Mo w a tMyles_Mowat@sd59.bc.caCa r l Reppcrepp@sd62.bc.caPa u l Ta y l o rtaylor_paul@sd36.bc.caISSN: 1201-4214

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At one PAC meeting, my vice-principal and I tookparents through the six assessment for learningstrategies and explained how teachers were usingthem. In the next PAC newsletter, one of theparents wrote an excellent article about assessmentfor learning. Now that’s an engaged parent!ning Council report, a message area,as well as a computer. This room wasused frequently and parents took responsibilityfor it.Keep your parents informedParents who read the school andPAC newsletter are informedparents, but only to a certain extent.Through the newsletter we makethem aware of our school goalsand its progress, special events, theschool calendar, student/staff recognitionand concerns such as theparking lot at the end of the dayor the overflowing lost and found.But newsletters can’t give parents anin-depth understanding about theschool and how it operates. Schoolwebsites have the potential to fillthat need and I have witnessed theirincreasing usefulness for parents.Not only can a wealth of informationabout the school be a fingertipaway, but also there is the potentialfor valuable interaction.For parents who do come intothe school, make sure that yourschool goals and mission statementare posted in a highly visible place.Support your goals with student evidence,either in the form of work orphotographs (and change them frequently).Students and parents loveto see their work and photos in thehallways.Many parents are interested inknowing how things are done atschool. For example, how do youdetermine the class lists? This is acomplex procedure in most schoolsand for most parents, it is not clearhow this happens. Last year, at aspecially-advertised PAC meeting,I took our parents through the procedurewe used at our school to setclasses in June for the following year.Using a fictitious group of 68 gradetwo students and fictitious teachers,parents had the opportunity toplace these students in the appropriategrade three class. I made up individualstudent information cards,which described the learning needsof each student. I also gave someinformation about each fictitiousteacher. There were a variety of optionsfor grade three; a male teacher,two female teachers, a shared class,a 2/3 combined class, and as in reallife, each teacher had a distinct styleand special interest, such as musicor computers. I divided the parentsinto teams, each team representing agrade two teacher who had the taskof placing their students in a gradethree class. The parents took theirroles seriously and spent an hour onthe task. There was rich discussionand many excellent questions. At theend of the activity, all parents saidthat they had no idea how complex,respectful and difficult the task ofstudent placement was. I have triedthe same approach with a schoolwidewrite marking session, using thePerformance Standards. When parentshad the opportunity to use the PerformanceStandards to assess studentwriting, they had a much better understandingof the tool and how theirchildren’s writing is assessed. As effectiveteachers know, active participation,rather than “sit and get” willresult in deeper learning.Here are some other active participationideas: Lead parents throughsome of your DPA, such as “brainbreaks” or a few of the exercises inthe Action Schools! BC kit. At yournext science fair, have a parent projectcategory, where parents can submittheir own science fair project. Ihave done this and had some excellentsubmissions. Invite parent guestspeakers to make presentations toclasses. Ask your PAC president tospeak at the beginning of each staffmeeting. Be a guest presenter at aPAC meeting and give a mini- sessionon a conference or workshopyou attended. At one PAC meetinglast year, my vice-principal andI took parents through the six assessmentfor learning strategies andexplained how teachers were usingthem in their classrooms. In the nextPAC newsletter, one of the parentswrote an excellent article about assessmentfor learning. Now that’s anengaged parent! Set up some parent-studentnights in your school,such as computer night, where studentsshow their parents some ofthe programs they are using andparents have the opportunity to trythem out. Many schools organizeFamily Math Night or Family LiteracyNight. Have a suggestion boxfor both parents and students in aprominent place in your school or avirtual one on your school website.When we involve parents beyondschool fundraising, we have moreengaged parents and everyone benefits.Parents are a valuable part ofthe learning team at all schools andas principals and vice-principals, wehave a role in helping them to becomeengaged learners.February 09 • Adminfo • 4

Shifting the processChanging the assessment practices of anoutreach learning team in Southern Albertaby Lori IsbergThis paper explores three keyconcepts in Dylan Wiliam’s(2008) Changing ClassroomPractice: changing the design of schools,formative assessment, and knowing iseasier than doing. The paper will befrom an Alberta outreach educator’sperspective, specifically a teacherwho works at an outreach school inrural southernAlberta. Outreachschoolsand programs inAlberta are designedto workwith youth whoalready have orare in dangerof dropping outof a traditionalhigh school.Each schoolor program isunique to thepopulation itserves and theschool districtit is locatedin. EducationPlus, HighRiver Campus,is one of four outreach schools inthe Foothills School Division. Inmy division, four outreach schoolshave decided to work together withthe mandate to create a professionallearning community to see if student’sbecome more engaged in theirown learning using formative assessmentas the basis of dialogue. Tak-February 09 • Adminfo • 5ing a critical look at Wiliam’s (2008)paper is a natural point of departurefor this new learning team.BackgroundHigh school teachers tend tohead to their curriculum corners,coming out for the promiseof free food or fresh coffee. Professionallearning communities in highschools also tend to be curriculumsegregated. My experience in teachingin an outreach, alternative highschool in Alberta is an exciting, yetisolating career choice. My own professionaldevelopment has focusedon how to run a school without aprincipal on site, how to teach over50 subjects, and how to ensure thefocus remains on student learning.Outreach students are at-risk youthwho are in danger of not completingtheir high school education, aswell as youth who are looking for amore flexible way to obtain a highschool diploma. Most of the coursework is delivered through distributedlearning material, with teachersmarking and working with studentsindependently.(continues next page)

A conversation about caringA teacher and principal chat about social-emotional developmentby Sean CookSean (l) and Rob Zambranoshare an informal conversationabout social-emotionaldevelopment.Teaching high school Englishprovides an importantglimpse into the social-emotionaldevelopment of young people.In the English classroom, the studyof human emotion — particularlythose of characters in conflict — iscentral to the curriculum. Years ofwatching students respond to imaginedexperiences with values gainedfrom real life experiences has givenme a front row seat — one mightsay season’s tickets — at the spectacleof adolescent social-emotionaldevelopment.Unfortunately, things don’t seemto be going so well. Apart from welldocumented increases in depressionand anxiety, there seems to be a levelof preoccupation or distraction thatincreasingly limits students’ capacityto care deeply about their studies.With this in mind, I was pleasedto participate in the Dare to Careprogram at Centennial SecondarySchool in Coquitlam during the lastweek of October. Using both largeassemblies and small group interaction,the Dare to Care team ofDwayne Peace and Mike HanlonFebruary 09 • Adminfo • 8were surprisingly successfulat reinvigorating the students’and teachers’ sense of empathy,engagement and community.These guys are onto something.How long this heightenedsense of empathy and communitywill endure is anybody’sguess, but one thing is certain: it’sthere, just under the surface.And so, in the spirit of socialemotionaldevelopment, I invitedour principal, Robert Zambrano, toa local eatery for an informal chatabout the experience. Given theever expanding role of communicationstechnology in our lives, we oftenforget how much can be learnedfrom a friendly chat in a comfortablesetting. Following ten minutesof banter, the following conversationtook place.

Sean: What made you think aprogram focusing on social-emotionaldevelopment was necessary atour school?Rob: Well, working in a numberof schools, one acquires a sense ofhow things ought to be. When I arrivedat the school several monthsago things didn’t seem right. Kidswere interacting in a way that wasdisrespectful, as though the kids whowere on the edge of appropriate behaviorhad more influence than theninety percent of kids doing a greatjob. I had this sense.Sean: Your use of intuition, thisidea of just knowing, reminds me ofMalcom Gladwell’s idea in his book,Blink, that expertise, habit and intuitioncan work together almost as asixth sense.Rob: That’s exactly what it is. TheBlink analogy is an excellent one.Sean: Would you consider thisa new way of assessing a problem,given how much we rely on rational,methodical data collection?Rob: I think good teachers, well,anybody who is good at what theydo, whatever it may be, have thissense through the experience ofwatching their intuitions come tofruition. That being said, sometimesyou’re wrong. There was also a steadystream of teachers through my doorsharing their concerns. When Icame across Dare to Care, I thoughtwell, we need to do something, andit needs to be big.Sean: Why does it need to bebig?Rob: Because if a goal is not sharedand developed throughout the entireschool community and is notrevisited regularly, if it’s not smackin your face, it’ll never be achieved.As long as we are all at least facingthe same way, and have a commonunderstanding of what should be, Ithink that we have a shot at it. Butit’s also important to remember thatthose who look in another way arealso your allies, not your antagonists.They are the ones that keep you honest.They bring positive critique andconstructive feedback.Sean: According to the DalaiLama, “your enemy is your greatestguru.”Rob: That’s right. I welcome dissent:be prepared for a fight, but I dowelcome it. That being said, sometimesthe principal is put in a positionwhere he or she gets, or needs,to win. This can be positive or negative,depending on the call the leadermakes. Again, it’s very intuitive.Sean: Did Dare to Care live up toyour expectations?Rob: The three-hour assembly wasvery good, albeit long. But it neededto be that long: kids are constantlybombarded through media, peerinteractions and negative communityview points. To oppose this, theyFebruary 09 • Adminfo • 9

People need to be brought together toexperience the spectacle of those in authoritysetting the tone for values.needed to be “bombarded” with theconsistent, positive and truthful messagesthat may contradict previousbeliefs. After three hours, the kidsseemed acculturated to the new message,and their external shell of tryingto be who they were not seemedto have broken down somewhat.Sean: One might say that thespectacle needed to be grand because,in a sense, it was taking backthe power of spectacle from thosewho provide it electronically forcommercial purposes and with littleregard for the negative impact it canhave on communities and youngpeople in particular.Rob: I’d agree with that. Really,live performance does very well atbringing out the emotions and thetrue feelings of people. Similarly, Ibelieve this is what true leadershipis — an emotional experience thatgalvanizes all of the senses.Sean: Interesting. Again this focuson emotion seems to run contraryto an objective, rational or scientificapproach to management.Rob: Even the best scientific researchcontains a degree of emotionalattachment. Scientific theoriesare developed with beliefs andbeliefs come from experiences andemotions.Sean: If I recall correctly, playwrightGeorge Bernard Shaw wrotesomething to the effect that our valuesare acquired through shared stories,jokes and dramatic experiences.We then use our reason to come upwith the supporting arguments.Rob: The idea of our “individualstory” played an important role inthe small group sessions with Dareto Care. Students learned that eachindividual has a story, and that weshouldn’t rush to judgment based onwhat we assume is someone’s story.Sean: If we don’t know eachother’s stories, whose stories do weknow? The answer seems to take usback to the previous point that ourshared narratives, mostly throughspectacle, no longer seem to be servingus well.Rob: There is also this trend inWestern society of casting blamewhen things go wrong. But really,our own behavior is more importantthan focusing on what we perceiveothers to be doing wrong. Inthe small groups, kids looked insidethemselves to see who they wereand how they were similar to others.They learned that they could controla lot just by the way they respondand act.Sean: You know, our focus on thepower of stories, and on influencingthe world with how we respond to itrather than simply conforming to it,approaches what one normally considersspiritual considerations. Doesthis connect again to a diminishedcommitment to the rational ap-Sean (center, on bass) and Rob (right, singing) help to set the school tone atCentennial’s Christmas concert, performing with the group, The Staff Infection.February 09 • Adminfo • 10

proach to education?Rob: Absolutely. Now the questionis “how do we continue to buildthat understanding?” It’s as thoughwe need a small group session everythree months!Sean: People need to be broughttogether to experience the spectacleof those in authority setting the tonefor values.Rob: And the spectacle can bedone in a variety of ways. The smallgroups were intense. You need tocreate this discomfort to learn.Sean: I’ve often felt that slogansof “learning is fun” are not reallytrue, at least for adolescent or adultlearners. Real learning, especially interms of values, forces us to admitwe had it wrong before, and beingreminded of our ignorance is not apleasant experience.Rob: Paradigms need to be shaken.Cages need to be rattled but in thecontext of support and caring. Theseexperiences also create character.Sean: Were there any surpriseswith the Dare to Care program?Rob: I was surprised by how wellthe teachers took to it.Sean: As a teacher, I can say thatthe small groups allowed students tosee that teachers were caring, compassionate,and, dare I say, intelligenthumans. I have a theory that newmedia sets out to conquer old mediaand so-called “old values” by teachingus to not take them seriously. Thelast half-century of electronic mediahas consistently portrayed parentsand teachers, as … well … bumblingand dorky. Sometimes teachers areportrayed as superheroes, but the effectis the same: real ones look dorkyby comparison. In any case, in thesmall groups students learned thatteachers are, in fact, a credible sourceof relevant ideas about their lives.Rob: You know, I really stronglybelieve that kids know that and valueit. They just can’t admit it to eachother, for whatever reason. But themajority of kids, even the most difficult,know this.Sean: One big challenge in educationis that the model we use wascreated 100 years ago, with somemodification 40 years ago. But theworld of communication and community,and therefore the nature ofthe student who arrives at our doors,has changed dramatically. Is it possiblethat we are starting to see theearly stages of a new and perhapsmore relevant curriculum?Rob: Yes, but good teachers havealways changed with the times.Our recent accountability movementand achievement data movementhas helped push us away fromthat. Because until a kid is settled,teachers don’t have a chance withachievement. Elementary teachershave always known this.Sean: Your use of the word “set-February 09 • Adminfo • 11

tled” reminds me of Maslow’s hierarchyof needs: that until we feelsafe and secure, we can’t begin tothink about learning.Rob: That’s exactly right. Andstudents are different today. A recentMaclean’s magazine articlemakes the case that time spent withtelevision and video games actuallyrewires the brains of young people.Kids are now able to multi-task inways we’ve never seen before butas a result, they’ve lost some abilityto interact socially, to identity bodycues and interpret facial cues.Sean: Scary. We simply need to bearound people. We are social creaturesand have been since the dawnof time.Rob: And this course of eventsis hindering kids because we knowthat the brain has plasticity and thatit changes based on its experiences.Sean: Perhaps we should teachour students the harmful effects ofsome mental environments: for example,that sitting in front of theTV or computer screen too muchwill desocialize you. One simpleidea could change forever the decisionsthat a person will make.Rob: This goes back to the socialemotionaland social intelligencepiece of “knowing thyself. ” As aperson, how do I respond to thissituation?Sean: If the most important goalis to know thyself, and your actualrelationship with your environment,then what a parent should want fortheir children is not the highestgrades — which are easily inflatedunder pressure — but the most accuratereflection of where their childfits in, as they actually are, in orderfor both parent and child to makethe most informed decisions.Rob: And that problem is systemic.We don’t learn to learn anymore.We learn to get high marks, to getinto university, to get a job but wedon’t learn to learn.Sean: And if we just learn to geta job, without learning the socialemotionalskills that prevent anxietyor depression, then all the jobdirectededucation is irrelevant.Rob: It is irrelevant. The socialemotionalneeds to come first. Yesterday,my wife called to say thatour three-year-old son, Matteo,had a bad day at pre-school. Weboth came to the same conclusion:his discomfort was the result of ourrecent chaotic schedules. We thereforeconcluded that we are going togo spend much more time with ourchild. That has to be the default position.I don’t know if it is for mostpeople.Sean: If history’s any guide, it hasbeen the default position for infinitelylonger than ithas not been. It hasonly not been the defaultposition for what40 years, if that.Rob: That’s a goodpoint.Having remindedourselves of the importanceof spendingtime with family, ourconversation beganto wrap up. Whileawaiting the bill, wediscussed how a significantcultural shiftin the school wouldShortCourseuseful important sharing hearinginformative effective interesting fantasticSee page 18 for more informationFebruary 09 • Adminfo • 12require three to five years of continuedfocus. The bill was paid, and weset out for our respective homes.Later, while driving and reflectingcontentedly on the conversation,I was struck by a somewhat paradoxicalnotion. Our focus on socialemotionaldevelopment, while respondingto a serious and pressingconcern for student well-being, is awonderful opportunity to remindthe entire school community of anenduring human truth: the most reliableindicator of happiness is, hasbeen, and will continue to be, thequality of the relationships we havewith the people around us.Sean Cook is an English teacher atCentennial School in Coquitlam,a playwright and presenter ofThe Shakespeare Hoax: Literature’sGreatest Lesson. His next play, TheLittletramp Cafe, a cabaret dinnertheater, opens in March inVancouver. He can be reached atSCook@sd43.bc.caOur cartoonist is Rod Maclean, a former Surrey principal.For a weekly cartoon email Rod at ramaclean@shaw.ca

Student leadership commitmentis broadcast province-wideCBC British Columbia and Richmond students make the news for a dayin an innovative student leadership program that is part of a districtcommittment to develop student leadershipby Leslie DysonThe Richmond School Districthas made student leadershipa priority for morethan 10 years. If you’re a CBC listeneror viewer, or if you visit theCBC website, you may have seenone of the outcomes of that commitment.The broadcaster designatedNovember 26 as News Day inBC and gave Richmond secondaryschool students the opportunity toresearch, write and present the newsthat matters to them. It was sucha success that CBC is looking intoways to expand the initiative in BCand across the country.David Jang, regional communicationsmanager at the CBC, helpedorganize the event. He has beena passionate advocate of studentleadership as a student and trusteein Richmond, while working inthe public and private sectors andthrough his role as a presenter tostudents engaged in the BCPVPA’sStudent Voice.After hearing that students inBritain were well received whenthey were invited to take over theBBC airwaves, Jang approached theRichmond School District for thispilot project. “News Day surpassedour expectations,” he said. “The energyin the building [while the studentswere present] was somethingelse.” Student-produced news itemswere presented on television, radioand on-line from 6 am to 7 pm.“We had calls to the newsroomduring the show specifically to saythis was wonderful,” he added. “It’snot often people take the time tomake that kind of call.”Initially, the invitation went outFebruary 09 • Adminfo • 13to every secondary school studentin the district five months beforebroadcast day. More than 300 studentsanswered the call. They gainedsome media literacy while learningwhat is news, techniques for interviewingpeople and how to writenews stories for broadcast. Assignmentseven had to be completedover the summer break. Administratorsand teachers were offered atraining session in August.In the end, 18 students made itthrough the auditions and trainingand decided that they could handlethe rigours of this project in additionto all the other demands placedon them at home and at school.Pictures on pages 13 and 15 are from Richmond’s Student Leadership Conference in November.

As exciting and challenging as CBC’s News Dayin BC was for the hundreds of students whoparticipated, there is a bigger story here. Theemphasis on student leadership has changed theculture in every Richmond school and throughoutthe district.As exciting and challenging asthis initiative was for the studentswho participated, there’s a muchbigger story here. The emphasis onstudent leadership has changed theculture in every Richmond schooland throughout the district.The district has assigned two districtadministrators, Wendy Limand Glenn Kishi, to coordinate studentleadership development in studentsfrom kindergarten to grade12, “We’re in the business of enablingand empowering students,”The 17 students from the Richmond School Districttackled a number of important issues during theirstints as CBC reporters and their stories were heardon a variety of CBC programs, including The Early Edition,On The Coast, B.C. Almanac and CBC News: Vancouver atNoon and Six.Krista, Elaine and Alison wrote about teen stress levels,“Many adults these days feel as if teens have it easy. No jobneeding to be attended to, don’t have to pay bills, don’t havea family to feed. What they don’t realize is that teens areexperiencing more and more pressure these days not onlyby their friends but from school to fit in and succeed … ”Matea wrote about the ideal school, beginning her story,“It’s 2:39, a Friday afternoon on a regular school day. Studentsare sitting on the edges of their seats anticipating thesound of that last bell. As soon as it rings, they all bolt out oftheir seats and towards the door, as if there’s a prize waitingfor them on the other side … ”Casey covered the cost of school field trips, “School fieldtrips have become quite common in Richmond, where theyCBC’s News Day in BCYouth Perspectives on Local NewsFebruary 09 • Adminfo • 14Lim said. “Leadership developmentis not a separate add-on.”Lim defines student leadershipas “having the ability to influenceanother person’s well-being. Everyperson can be a leader,” she said.“Every child has the capacity to empowerthe next person. It’s movingfrom me to we.”In the process, students are learningskills connected to communication,problem solving, conflictresolution, critical thinking, cooperation,a global outlook and makinga positive difference. “It’s aboutdeveloping the whole person andtheir interpersonal and emotionalintelligences,” she said.Natalie Suen, grade 11 at PalmerSecondary School, said that she tookthe advice of an older friend whotold her to run for student council.“I had to go through an election. Iwas nervous, but in high school youhave to step up.” Since then, she hastaken advantage of opportunitiesto do community volunteering andparticipate in various clubs.“It doesn’t give me good grades,but I’ve gained some experience,learned lots of technical stuff andorganizational skills like being ableto compromise and negotiate. Imanage time better and my schoolwork’smore organized.“Others that don’t [get involved]are missing out. It’s a lot of work, butyou gain from it too, like meetingprovide fun as well as educational experiences. These tripscame with a cost, stressing the load put on underprivilegedstudents and their families … ”Kristen and Jamuna looked into the difficulties of findingstudents interested in taking English Literature 12, “If youwant to take English Literature 12 in Richmond next year,better start recruiting now. Kristen, a grade 12 student attendingSteveston-London Secondary, wanted to take EnglishLiterature 12 as an elective course. But there were simply notenough students interested to fill a single class … ”And Dharra’s story was on healthy snacks in schools,“In September, the Ministry of Education started a HealthySchools Program in British Columbia. … However, manystudents are fighting the program. At McMath Secondaryin Richmond, cafeteria sales are down 20% and vendingmachine sales, which have replaced chocolate bars withhealthy snacks, have been cut in half … ”All of the stories as well as information on the program,the students and a photo gallery are on the CBC website athttp://www.cbc.ca/bc/newsday/

new people.” She’s also learned thatyou can’t do it all yourself. “You’renot a one-man show. You still needpeople to help out.”Sam Chian, also in Grade 11,said he was motivated to take partin student leadership activities bya speaker who said, “‘The more effortyou put in and the more you do,the more you’ll get out of it.’ And ingrade 8, I didn’t like school at all.” Hesummoned up the courage to run forstudent council and is glad he did.“You get to know everyone in highschool. Of course, there are lots ofpeople who are more laidback or only do sports oracademics, but I think mylife would be more boringand I wouldn’t be gettingthe satisfaction of doingthings for other people.”A highlight for him thisyear was rising to the challengeof having to suddenlyrun a game activity forgrade 8 students. “I justpulled something togetherat the last minute anddragged in my friends. Wemade an amazing gameand the grade 8s loved it.”The school district providesseveral avenues forstudents to develop theirleadership abilities.TABLE 38 (The Association forBuilding Leadership Excellence inSchool District 38) is run by studentsfrom all 10 secondary schools.It is a lively group of between 60 and100 students that meets monthly topromote student leadership and socialresponsibility in all schools andthe community. It also gives the studentsan opportunity to influencedistrict and community decisionsand initiatives that affect them.Each school takes a turn hosting ameeting. The student council presidentchairs the session and studentsexchange ideas, skills and experiences.The TABLE 38 representativesthen take information back totheir schools’ leadership teams.In addition, a team of studentsputs out a district student newsletteron actions taken by TABLE 38and tips on becoming an effectiveleader. It is distributed to all schoolsthree times a year.A group of more than 40 elementaryand secondary students,together with educators and communityyouth workers, spends sixFebruary 09 • Adminfo • 15months planning and mounting theannual Student Leadership Conferenceon a Saturday in November formore than 800 participants, including600 students in grades 6 to 12.The goal of the conference is to helpstudents learn how to make a differenceglobally, locally and in theirschools. Before that can happen,student leaders have to look afterconference registrations, the program,preparing the conference site,training the volunteers, ordering thefood, arranging the publicity, developinga logo and preparing a PowerPointpresentation.The Richmond Schools ResponseTeam of students and educatorsraises funds to support Craig andMarc Kielburger’s Free the ChildrenOrganization. Over the past fouryears, the district has raised $51,000for a primary school in Sri Lanka.The team meets regularly to developstrategies to raise funds for incomedevelopment, educational resources,health care services and clean waterand sanitation systems for familiesat the primary school.Sustainability has become a majorfocus for leadershipactivities and there arestudent sustainability actionteams trained at thedistrict level and active inmany schools. Studentsattend workshops to learnabout presentation skills,communication, socialmarketing and environmentalsustainability. Activitieshave included reducingwaste and greenhousegases, communitygardening, greening initiativesand anti-idlingcampaigns. In addition,the District SustainabilityNetwork of students, parents,educators and communitymembers meets monthly tolearn about sustainability issues anddevelop ways to support each others’school-based initiatives.Palmer Secondary hosted the2008 student leadership conferenceand offers two leadership classes.Rob Laing, vice-principal, workedwith students from those classesand additional student volunteers toprepare for the conference.Laing said the students “love theaspect of giving back to the schoolculture … Student leadership isknowing and using your capacities

Chelsey and Caroline on the CBC news set.for the benefit of others and makinga positive difference. It’s setting anexample and being able to help otherssucceed and grow.”Betty Tang, grade 12, is on thestudent council, co-chair of the gradcommittee, co-president of the multiculturalclub and group leader forthe Duke of Edinburgh Award. “Idon’t sleep much,” she admits. “Mypersonal life goal is to inspire othersto reach their potential.” For herpart, she said, her parents and manyteachers have inspired her. “But Ithink I can do more to become abetter person.”Tang is also involved in the QuantumContinuum Club which invitesalumni to return to mentor youngerstudents. She is planning to stayinvolved while studying commerceat UBC. “I think you need moneyto make the world a better place.Eventually, I want to work with anNGO on business aspects.”Laing said that having studentsinvolved in leadership initiatives atthe school changes the culture becausethey play a key role in settingschool values. “Rather than havingteachers telling them what to do …I hear students telling others, ‘That’snot how we do it here.’ And the otherstudents respect that more.”Palmer students’ activities in thecommunity are also helping tochange public attitudes toward teenagers.Adults in the community arerecognizing that “there are somegreat kids in the school,” he said.“Student leadership was a fundamentalvalue in Richmond evenwhen I was a student here,” he added.Laing graduated from a Richmondhigh school in 1995.“I can see that some educatorsmight regard it as an add-on and,yes, it is extra work, but the benefitsare huge. If you don’t support it,there are costs that come with notestablishing the trust and respectthat are integral to an effective studentleadership program.”Laing also emphasized that muchof the success of the student leadershipprogram at Palmer and withinthe entire school district is due tothe teachers and support staff. “TheRemembrance Day ceremony wasplanned and run by the students, buta teacher did a lot of work and gavea lot of time to sponsor and coordinateit. Without the buy-in fromstaff members, you’re not going to beable to do the same things. On theother hand, when teachers and supportstaff see the final outcome, theywant to get involved. We have a highpercentage of teachers giving theirtime during a period when it’s sometimeshard to get people to volunteer.Everyone recognizes the value of developingstudent leadership.”Knowing that there are so manyyoung people who accept socialresponsibility and have the skills,knowledge and motivation to transformgood ideas into action leavesone comforted that the world is ingood hands.Leslie Dyson is a regular contributorto Adminfo. She can be reached byemail at dyson@uniserve.comKathleen Willott’s cover artKathleen Willott is a grade 12 student at Ucluelet Secondary School.Her cover art is an 18 X 24 inch pencil crayon completed earlierthis year. The artwork is currently on display at a café in Ucluelet.Our thanks to Kathleen, her art teacher (Shannon McWhinney) andprincipal (Carol Sedgwick) for submitting this work.February 09 • Adminfo • 16

Three opinions onplaying firsteating laterSchool watchwhat about reverse lunch?Gerri Galloway, principal – Spring Creek Community, Whistler: At Spring Creek Community Schoolin Whistler we have been Playing First and Eating Later for two years. It works well for us and is highly supportedby our families. We began with a presentation to the PAC. This was followed by a trial period of amonth, then feedback from families through a survey. It is now a way of life for us with children eating more balancedmeals throughout the day to support their expenditure of energy. We had to lengthen the block after lunchto allow for slower eaters. Teachers tend to use the time starting at 1 pm as read aloud (literacy instruction).Don Poelzer, principal – Parkcrest Elementary, Kamloops: Parkcrest Elementary tried this last year andit had mixed reviews. While the students generally ate better, they had a hard time settling and starting class ontime as kids would be visiting other classrooms etc. I changed it back to normal for this year and I would saythat all groups — students parents and staff are generally more satisfied with the current model. Eating first alsolends itself to scheduling intramural games and setting up noon-hour activities, etc. Personally, I like having thekids eat first, play second.Heidi Rensing, principal – Discovery Elementary, Shawnigan Lake: We have been doing this for acouple of years as have several other schools in the district. Students go outside at 11:15 and come in at 12. Theyeat, teacher reads and most classes go into some silent reading after. More lunch is consumed. There is less messafter lunch. Supervision is easier as everyone goes out at the same time. We also do a snack in the morning so itis not too long before they get to eat. We would not change back.FamilyLiteracyDay.caFebruary 09 • Adminfo • 17

ShortCourseProfessional development for newly-appointed principals and vice-principalsJuly 6–10, 2009 • Watch for details in eNews and at www.bcpvpa.bc.caKids First:Leading for Learningenjoyable inspirational thoughtfuluseful importantsharing hearing informativeeffective interesting fantasticpractical relevantJuly 6–10, 2009The 32 nd annual Short Course issponsored by the BCPVPA, UBC and BCSSA and isfinancially supported by the BC Ministry of EducationFebruary 09 • Adminfo • 18

Working together to build resultsThe BCPVPA’s executive director, Ted Whiteland,on our government relations tool kitIn December, I addressed theimportance of building resultsthrough relationships and a balancedand professional approach todual advocacy and government relations.This issue, I’d like to amplifyon this theme and describe the importanceof the “local connection.”Building cordial but apoliticalrelationships between all electedofficials and respective Chaptersis a critical component of theBCPVPA’s government relationsprogram. A successful program willboth broaden MLAs understandingof the BCPVPA and show how theBCPVPA might be of assistance tothe MLA and their constituents. Thepurpose is to build awareness andrelationships, not to lobby MLAson specific issues.The process of engaging withMLAs can be accomplished in a varietyof ways. Two methods wouldinclude contacting the constituencyoffice either to arrange to meet withthe MLA in their office for eitheran introductory meeting or updateor to invite the MLA to speak at localschools or attend Chapter meetings.One caution would be to checkwith any school district protocolregarding such visits, particularlyduring the writ period. Contactingconstituency offices should ideallyoccur four to six weeks in advanceof any meeting or specific event.MLAs have many demands on theirtime and they typically are in theirconstituencies only on Fridays.To assist with this engagementprocess, the BCPVPA has developeda “tool kit” which provides a range ofsupport materials, including:• Information on protocol andhow to arrange a meeting;• A list of questions you mightbe asked and suggestedanswers;• What to include in yourfeedback to the BCPVPA;• A list of MLAs arranged byChapters;• An electronic version of a“briefing deck” for Membersto customize with Chapterinformation which will begiven to the MLA.Our collective success for buildingresults through relationships isdependent upon all of us workingtogether in a positive and focusedmanner.From the tool kitWhat are some of the key challenges that principals and viceprincipalsface?• Managing the expanding mandate and growingcomplexities of the public school environment• Some school districts are facing critical shortages ofcandidates for positions as principals and vice-principals.Other districts are finding that candidates are considerablyless experienced than in the past.Ted WhitelandExecutive Director twhiteland@bcpvpa.bc.caSharon CutcliffeLegal and Contractual Services, Student Leadership sharon@bcpvpa.bc.caGaila EricksonProfessional Learning gaila@bcpvpa.bc.caIan KennedyLegal and Contractual Services ian@bcpvpa.bc.caCarol PowellFinance carol@bcpvpa.bc.caRichard WilliamsCommunications rwlliams@bcpvpa.bc.caFebruary 09 • Adminfo • 19