I wanted to take some time to wish all members of the Titan Family the very best for this holiday season and for a fantastic 2016.
2015 has been very busy and stressful for many of our Titan Family members. With the closure of schools in our area, the awkwardness of being in a new building with many new faces, the added confusion of political action, and the physical limitations of 'living' in 'portable city', our community has had a ton to deal with. I'm so proud of our students, staff and parents for their flexibility, understanding and cooperation during all of these situations. By 'living' through this together, we are building up a strong and resilient school community.
I have thoroughly enjoyed working with our Titans this fall. I've seen so much growth from our students and I can't wait to see what is in store in 2016.
Please take some time over the next couple of weeks to enjoy the company of friends and family and the spirit of the season. Enjoy the amazing opportunities that come from living in such a wonderful community and rest up for a busy new year.
See you in 2016 everyone!!!
Monday 14 December 2015
Sunday 6 December 2015
Community "Impact"
As I indicated in my last posting, the intent of our day-to-day work with students is to ensure that their learning has long-lasting "impact".
In the last few days, I've seen some really nice examples of this in our building.
Our "RAK" (Random Acts of Kindness) Team, decided to run an event called, "BRINGO". In this event, students bring in non-perishable food items in an effort to fill our "Canoewatin" (we have a large canoe in our front foyer that we've fondly labelled the "Canoewatin)"). This food will then be distributed to needy families in our communities.
As students bring in items, they are given a "BRINGO" card with numbers and grids, much like the game "BINGO". Each morning, as part of our announcements, numbers are drawn so that students can try to fill in their "BRINGO" cards. Outside of the fun that the game provides our students, the "impact" can be clearly seen in our front foyer. From my office window, I can literally and figuratively see the outpouring of support that our students have given to this initiative. What a caring and giving community we have here at Tay Shores! When students can actually 'see' the difference they are making, their learning has "impact".
On Friday, we had the pleasure of having Legion members from the Waubaushene, Victoria Harbour and Port McNicoll branches join us at our Spirit Assembly. They were here to honour the students who had "impacted" their membership during the annual Remembrance Day Poster, Poetry and Essay contest. We had numerous students win awards and money for their drawings, poetry and essay writing. Because they were working and learning for an authentic reason and audience, our students' work had "impact". Legion members were moved by their work, other students were inspired by their work and the award winners themselves understood firsthand how their work has meaning - it's not just a job assigned by teachers or parents.
Just a couple of examples from a very proud principal!!!
In the last few days, I've seen some really nice examples of this in our building.
Our "RAK" (Random Acts of Kindness) Team, decided to run an event called, "BRINGO". In this event, students bring in non-perishable food items in an effort to fill our "Canoewatin" (we have a large canoe in our front foyer that we've fondly labelled the "Canoewatin)"). This food will then be distributed to needy families in our communities.
As students bring in items, they are given a "BRINGO" card with numbers and grids, much like the game "BINGO". Each morning, as part of our announcements, numbers are drawn so that students can try to fill in their "BRINGO" cards. Outside of the fun that the game provides our students, the "impact" can be clearly seen in our front foyer. From my office window, I can literally and figuratively see the outpouring of support that our students have given to this initiative. What a caring and giving community we have here at Tay Shores! When students can actually 'see' the difference they are making, their learning has "impact".
On Friday, we had the pleasure of having Legion members from the Waubaushene, Victoria Harbour and Port McNicoll branches join us at our Spirit Assembly. They were here to honour the students who had "impacted" their membership during the annual Remembrance Day Poster, Poetry and Essay contest. We had numerous students win awards and money for their drawings, poetry and essay writing. Because they were working and learning for an authentic reason and audience, our students' work had "impact". Legion members were moved by their work, other students were inspired by their work and the award winners themselves understood firsthand how their work has meaning - it's not just a job assigned by teachers or parents.
Just a couple of examples from a very proud principal!!!
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