Connecting Leaders: - and Vice Principals

Building an Uncommon School CultureSATURDAYBREAKOUTSession Description:This session will focus on growing and developing relationships in thesecondary school setting using digital tools as well as in-person experiences.While it is true that technology is playing an important role in transformingeducation, we must continue to ensure that developing empathetic citizensis a primary focus of our system. This session will examine examples of how social media can be usedin positive ways to build community and develop empathy and engagement amongst students. Aswell, we will look at ways to build empathy and community in more traditional ways such as the useof student activities, guest speakers etc. We will examine how to extend the impact of these moretraditional activities by incorporating social media. Participants should come ready to share their ownideas about community building.Presented by:Grant Frend graduated from Simon Fraser University’s PDP program in 2001. He started his teachingcareer at Thomas Haney Secondary, a self-paced, self-directed high school in Maple Ridge. He thenworked on the leadership team to open Samuel Robertson Technical Secondary School in Maple Ridge.Grant taught English, Social Studies, Physical Education and Leadership as well as serving as a literacysupport facilitator. He moved from Vice-Principal to Principal at Garibaldi Secondary School in August2011. Grant has a strong belief in fostering empathy amongst high school students and his involvementin leadership activities is one vehicle he uses to achieve this. Grant blogs at schools.sd42.ca/tpoTwitter#BCPVPA13Implementing an Aboriginal AcademySATURDAYBREAKOUTSession Description:In the spring of 2012 Merritt Secondary ran its first Aboriginal Academy forgrade 9 students. This one-semester program became a First Nations culturalimmersion through which students gained course completion for English 9,Social Studies 9, Science 9, PE 9, and First Nations Art 9. Parent, student andcommunity responses have been so positive, that we are now looking to expand to the grade 10 level.The approach we’ve taken to implementing this Academy is unlike anything else we currently offerin the school. We are working to reconnect students to the land, their culture, and their language.In addition to embracing the Principles of First Peoples’ Learning, First Peoples’ Pedagogy, and 21stCentury Learning, Aboriginal Academy 9 reflects other current educational thoughts, including Project-Based Learning and Blended Learning. If you are interested in knowing about what we’ve done, howwe’ve developed and implemented our Academy, things we’ve learned, and things we are lookingahead to, this session will address your questions. We are not only committed to the success of ourstudents through this Academy, but also to sharing with others who feel that, like us, a differentapproach to First Nations education, for some students, can make significant differences that result inimproved sense of self, cultural awareness, health and wellness, and academic progress.Presented by:Karen Goetz, a Vice-Principal at Merritt Secondary, in addition to her other administrative roles hasbeen working on the development and implementation of Aboriginal Academy 9 and 10. This workhas included development of curriculum, collaborating with local First Nations individuals and groups,Connecting Leaders: Beyond Innovation & Change