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What's the difference?

Thoughts on making a real difference in the lives of learners...

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Outside, inside - It's all about learning

9/30/2018

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Last week, buoyed by ​spectacular weather, our students spread out across the Lower Mainland. Groups were engaging in sub-alpine studies up the Chief, Grouse Mountain, and Mount Seymour; exploring the tidal flats along Burrard Inlet; hiking in Capilano Canyon; paddle boarding and kayaking in Deep Cove; and camping north of Whistler. If there was an outdoor activity worth pursuing, our students, teachers and tutors were there! It was a great three days in the out of doors.

Now, it's back to the daily routine of classes and tutoring. But will much change? Last week was about learning by engaging with the environment, exploring, discovering, observing and having flashes of insight. This week will be the same, only the venue will change. Students will still get their hands dirty exploring in the Science Lab or creating in the Arts. They will still get that personalized attention and sparks of insight that comes with hands-on math activities or focused tutoring sessions. Teachers will build upon last week's group bonding activities and reinforce them in their classroom communities. New friendships will extend out onto the playground or in clubs and sports activities.

Outdoor School is a great opportunity for staff to hang back, and while someone else is running the programme, they can really get a different perspective on their class in action. And this time spent by teachers and tutors carefully observing their students responding to new experiences and different types of learnings will help to inform their practice and give them insights into how each of their children and young adults learn best.

To be honest, the first few weeks of school are a bit of a waiting game for students and the adults working with them. There are the tentative first steps of renewing the learning process; establishing classroom routines and rhythms; doing math and language arts assessments; and structuring a tutoring plan for the year. But really, everyone in the school community is holding their collective breath, waiting for Outdoor School. The adults are waiting to fully solidify that bond that will propel student learning throughout the year; the students are waiting to cement friendships and get to know their teachers and tutors in a less structured, non-traditional environment - one in which everyone, adults and young people, are learners together.

The sunny days of Outdoor School are now behind us, and perhaps symbolically, the fall rains seem to have begun. But our community has gelled, the pattern of collaboration and learning has been cemented and we are all ready to plunge into our next adventure in learning.

I can't think of a better way to start the school year!

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Welcome (back) to the KGMS Community

9/7/2018

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What a great week this has been! On Tuesday the school and grounds were packed with families and friends and teachers and tutors who were all getting together to celebrate the start of another school year here at KGMS/Maplewood. This was a time to check things out, to make new friends and to reconnect with old ones. An army of parent volunteers sprung into action to offer food and fun activities and staff had the chance to spend some time with parents and students, so that we could dial back potential anxiety, and demystify what they might experience the next morning. General consensus? It was great to be back!

Now don't get me wrong, I haven't heard a single person complain about the summer that we all just enjoyed. Long sunny days, mild evenings, and a seemingly endless series of opportunities to enjoy the beautiful environment that surrounds us. That is not to say that there weren't challenges - near drought conditions in many communities; a proliferation of wildfires and the taste of smoke in the air even here in the Lower Mainland; but, in many ways, this summer was reminiscent of the ones that I remember from my childhood, the ones that seemed to go on forever.

But now, we are back in business, and on Wednesday morning the doors flew open and in surged a sea of faces: some excited, others anxious; some frowning, others with wide, sunny grins; some timid, others bold; some determined, and others reticent – and those were just the parents!  Our students came tumbling in the same way – there were the cautious steps of the newly arrived; the relaxed swagger of the old pros; and, everything in between. No matter how they stepped through the door however, by the time the school day came to an end I think that both our students and their parents made their way home feeling good about their days and their choices.

Needless to say, sooner or later the honeymoon will be over and the real tough sledding will begin. But for now, it's gentle as it goes as we ease into another long and productive school year. One of the greatest challenges in a school like ours is the development and nurturing of a sense of community among students, staff and families. There is a danger that people will see themselves as transient – taking time out from “real” school to do some academic skill building, personal reflection and growth, and, re-establishing a positive self-image before continuing on with their academic careers.

But this is a misconception. A year or two or three is an eternity in the life of a child. Each day is a new experience to be celebrated and integrated into a student’s sense of self and the world around her or him. That is why it is so important for us, as adults, to do whatever we can to provide opportunities for our students to feel that they are an integral part of something larger. 

Research indicates that family collaboration with schools increases student achievement. The benefits of parent and family involvement include higher test scores and grades, better attendance, more completion of homework, more positive attitudes and behaviour, higher graduation rates, and greater enrolment in higher education.  The payoffs for learning are obvious, not only for younger children, but for all our students. Although parent interest and attention is typically strongest at the primary level, continued involvement through the middle grades and in high school is important in encouraging and guiding our children’s development and achievement. At KGMS, we regard our relationship with our families as a partnership in which school and home share responsibility for each child’s learning. When this partnership is extended to include the larger community, the benefits are greater yet. Perhaps most important is that when responsibility for children's learning is shared by the school, home, and community, children have more opportunities for meaningful and engaging learning opportunities.It is our ongoing goal to provide a variety of experiences both inside and out of the classroom to continue to help our students to make those connections to the larger world.

Great summers, like this past one, allow us to recharge. Students, parents, and educators all emerge refreshed and reinvigorated from a summer like this. 
It’s a funny thing though, as much as I love summer, each fall when I experience first-hand the joy of learning once again, I remember that I love September even more!

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    Author

    Dr. Jim Christopher is recently retired Head of Kenneth Gordon Maplewood School and Maplewood Alternative High School in North Vancouver. A parent, author and long-time teacher, and educational administrator across Canada, he has been actively involved in the drive to differentiate learning experiences to meet the needs of all learners.

    View my profile on LinkedIn

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