Community
Weekly Assemblies
We begin each week with a full-school assembly in the school gymnasium. For the past several years, assemblies had taken place on Wednesday, but I like the move to Monday as it establishes a positive tone for the remainder of the week. For the most part, the assemblies are an opportunity to acknowledge student success. Applauding recipients of the Athlete of the Week or Arts Pins or Academic Excellence Awards has become part of our Assembly ritual.
Today’s assembly had a singular focus and recalled the horrific events of December 6, 1989. Close to twenty students were involved in this presentation. Besides recalling the events of the Montreal Massacre, the students also reflected on the importance of tolerance, equity and respect. As with all of our assemblies, there was a nice balance of visual images, words, and music. Quite a moving experience for all in attendance.
Parent Volunteers
I have mentioned this before in other blog entries, but it bears repeating: our parent body is fantastic! We are so fortunate to have parents who actively support the education of their children not only through attending school events, but also by giving generously of their time. Three examples of this from the past week come to mind.
Several days ago the school’s senior leadership team and our Board of Directors attended a day-long offsite retreat in which we began preparing for the development of the school’s next strategic plan. Having board members free themselves from the demands of their full-time careers for a full day is extraordinary and demonstrates the high level of commitment they exhibit towards the governance of the school.
More recently, we began preparing for this year’s Annual Giving Campaign. One important aspect of this event involves parents acting as grade captains who phone parents and encourage them to contribute to the Annual Giving Campaign. It is never easy to ask your peers for money, but throughout the years we have had numerous parents dedicate their personal time to this vital function. These parents realize that annual giving plays a key role in helping to shape the student experience here at Greenwood.
Finally, last night the school played host to our annual parent volunteer sign-up. This event is organized by the Roundtable, which is our parent auxillary. A group of parents lead the Roundtable and organize a variety of events that not only raise money for the school, but more importantly, enable parents to connect with one another and build the ethos of community that is so important at Greenwood. I can’t thank our parents enough for all they do for the school.
Back at Kilcoo
It was fun to be back at Kilcoo Camp last week. Students, teachers and the Kilcoo staff were in fine form and the weather was perfect. Kilcoo offers our new students and staff a great opportunity to connect with the culture of the school, as well as with each other. It is also a terrific leadership opportunity for our returning students. As I reminded them at the opening night campfire, it is really important for the Greenwood veterans to reach out to the newcomers and make them feel welcome. We like to believe that this kind of openness is characteristic of our school.
As you might expect in any camp setting, meals are an important part of the experience. Students are organized in grade groups and in most cases, there is a teacher or a Grade 12 student at each table. Eating together three times a day affords the group the chance to get to know one another in a setting outside of their cabin or activity groups. Members of each table take turns “hopping” and “scraping,” which helps reinforce collective responsibility within the group. I eat at a different table throughout my time at Kilcoo, as it allows me the opportunity to interact with a variety of students. For the record, Grade 9 boys are the chow champions!
I was reminded of the importance of the Kilcoo meal times when reading an article in the Globe this weekend (“Chewing over the benefits of family meals“). The article described how the bonding and connectedness that develops when a family eats together positively influences the brain development of kids.
Remarks to the Class of 2009
Some of the grads may not remember this, but a few of us together started at Greenwood six years ago. You were beginning Grade 7, and I was the school’s first ever Director of Academics. We got to know each other during that first week at Kilcoo, where I sat in some of your classes and activities.
One moment from that week that I recall fairly well was the Grade 7 visit to a farm in the local Minden community. It was a perfect fall morning—the sun was shining, a mist rose in the fields. At some point, we divided up into small groups to perform farm chores. I can’t remember everyone who was in the group, but I definitely recall Sonam Shah, Sam, Gerry, Alexis, and Nik were in the group. Our group’s task was to remove pumpkins from the field and stack them onto an old wooden wagon. With a bit of a whoop, some of the group charged into the field, and started to carry or roll pumpkins to the wagon.
Then someone came up with the idea of forming a line between the field and the wagon so that the pumpkins could be passed from person to person. Good strategy, provided people stayed in line and did their part. I recall that we dropped a few pumpkins that morning, but all in all, with encouragement and positive redirection, the work was completed and we took some satisfaction in seeing the wagon piled high with pumpkins, knowing that, in some small way, we had helped that local farmer with his harvest.
Obviously, you have grown a great deal since then. You are a larger cohort than you were six years ago, as new members of the class have entered since that time. Physically, you have moved from adolescence to adulthood. But, some of the same characteristics you exhibited on that fall morning in 2003 remain. I thought I might take a moment and describe a few of the traits that distinguish the Class of 2009.
This is definitely a group that likes to have a bit of fun. This trait was evident on many occasions this year. The Halloween haunted room, your enthusiasm for the House cheer-off during Spirit Week, your Friday morning dance energy, the clever skits of the Assembly committee and the disco-themed athletic banquet are just a few examples of this. I hope you never lose this willingness to laugh or make others laugh. I believe it was the wise philosopher Rod Stewart who advised us to make the best of a bad joke and laugh if off. Something to remember as life gets a bit more serious.
Though you like to have some fun, you also have learned that eventually the pumpkins need to get on the wagon. This characteristic has been most evident this year, although I say that with some reservation after having read Dan Martin’s article on the addiction to Bubble Shooter. All this time walking by the Reading Room, I thought you were engrossed in math or science or classical civilizations’ work. In all seriousness, you have put a great deal of time and effort into the fulfillment of your postsecondary goals. The percentage of Ontario Scholars in the Class of 2009 was our best ever.
You have also worked hard to support other areas of school life. A good number of you maintained your ongoing commitment to community service on Thursday mornings—the group that made crafts for children at Sick Kids Hospital are a great example of this. Others have exhibited leadership on one of our school teams, in the Senior Play, or in Arts Week or in Model UN. In every instance you served as positive role models for the younger students involved in these activities. I hope you hold on to the desire to work hard and continue to savour the satisfaction that comes with the achievement of a goal fulfilled.
You are also a group that doesn’t do things in the conventional way, as I learned on that fall morning a few years ago. Though this approach is not without its challenges, it also holds significant rewards. History has taught us that there will always be a need for people to think differently or go against the grain. The story of human progress bears this out. When I look upon some of the original touches that you have brought to our school culture this year, I can’t help but imagine that there are some wonderful creative ideas percolating within each of you. I hope they one day manifest themselves in business, in the arts, in education, in philanthropy, and possibly, in public service.
One of the oft-quoted lines from Shakespeare comes from the play Hamlet, in which Polonius at the end of a long speech to his son, Laertes who is about to leave home, advises his son: “This above all else—to thine own self be true.” If I had one wish for you, this would be it. In a few short months, you will leave home in search of new opportunities. This departure from the world of your parents brings new challenges. I hope that we have equipped you with the strength of character to face these challenges so that you never lose sight of your essential selves.
Greenwood Celebration Day Remarks
Good morning…
Seeing as this is our last Friday of the year, and we are in the theatre made famous by Canadian Idol, I thought we could have one last music quiz. Listen closely as there are some final house points on the line. Mr. Shorter, if you will…That’s right. The song was “Golden Years: by David Bowie…
I chose “Golden Years” as the first Friday Dance Party song for this year in the hope that our year together would bring out the best in all of us, both collectively and individually. Looking back on the past year, I do feel we have fulfilled my wish. It gives me great pride to share a few golden moments with you, moments that I believe capture the spirit and character of our unique Greenwood culture.
One of my favourite moments of this year came during our first fire drill in September. Rather than simply return to classes, I thought we might do something special to welcome our new Vice-Principal, Jane Audet. Some of you may know that Jane has a deep, dark secret…an addiction to ice cream. So, my plan was to serve students ice cream in the Lodge as they returned from outside the building. We assumed that the wooden sticks needed to eat the ice cream came with the ice cream cups. Wrong assumption. Not to worry—we ate the ice cream using coffee stir sticks. Initially, the students were puzzled by the whole affair. What did this have to do with a school fire drill? But as our students do on so many occasions, they rolled with it and enjoyed the moment. They found a space in the Lodge, chatted with friends and teachers and enjoyed their ice cream and the break from class. I can’t think of too many high school cultures that would tolerate this type of unscripted moment, especially in the first week of school.
I enjoyed their willingness to look on the lighter side on many other occasions as well. Our annual Halloween celebration was a good example of this. This year, every student and staff member, as well as our parent volunteers who judged the house costume competition, came in costume. And some pretty amazing costumes they were. This year’s Halloween festivities gave our Grade 12’s a chance to demonstrate their spirit of adventure. They transformed the Media Arts room into a haunted house. In what was the ultimate test of leadership this year, I crawled through the darkened maze hoping the Grade 12’s would go easy on their dear old principal. This same sense of joy and laughter echoed throughout our Winter Olympics and Spirit Day. It will be pretty hard to top this year’s tire roll, but I am sure Lub, Ms. Hall and the house leaders will come up with some new twist next year.
Some recollections are more sombre. For the first time in our school’s short history, we dealt with the death of a staff member. Gary Hood’s terminal illness in November took us all by surprise. Your cards, letters, e-mails, phone calls, and posters meant so much to Gary, Charlotte and their extended family. I will always remember Gary’s return to school at an assembly in December and your warm welcome for him, as well as the memorial assembly that took place after Gary’s death. Hearing staff and students share their recollections of Gary with us emphasized to me the quiet network that runs throughout our community and the impact we have on one another. Gary’s positive approach to life, encapsulated in his favourite saying, “always good,” is his lasting gift to us.
I believe the generosity of spirit we extend to one another enables us to reach out and offer a similar degree of support to others outside our community. As Lub often reminds us, this quality is one of Greenwood’s distinguishing characteristics. Aside from Lub, our teachers, and in particular, the Education Interns played an integral role in supporting our community service program. One memorable moment was hearing that some of our Grade 9 students who had volunteered at Claremont Retirement Residence when they were in Grade 8 continued to visit the seniors after school on a weekly basis. They decided to do this without any prompting from anyone here at the school. This empathetic response says a great deal about the resonance of the school’s community service program on our students.
Academically, there was much to celebrate. Today over 200 students will receive the Principal’s Award, which acknowledges a consistent application of effort and level of achievement throughout the year. Over 100 students received the designation of academic excellence throughout this year. What I love about this award is that it celebrates high levels of engagement and passion in a particular assignment or project. The range of projects that received this designation was commendable. Thanks to the persistence of Ms. Walcott, the range of published writers who came to inspire our students was as vast as it has ever been. The session with Meg Tilly was certainly one to remember. My most memorable learning moment would have to be this year’s co-operative education fair. Hearing our Grade 11 students speak so confidently and passionately about the many things they had learned through their job placements in construction or fashion or public relations firms, to name but a few, was a real testament to the value of authentic learning.
Two areas of school life where the desire to persevere was evident was in arts and athletics. Both programs made impressive strides forward this year. Teasing out one memorable moment from this year in the arts is not an easy task. I loved hearing the wide range of musical performers in our assemblies. Nick Toyne and Raleigh Seldon’s duet from the movie “Once” and the senior rock band’s note-perfect rendition of Lighthouse’s “One Fine Morning” were truly memorable. The lively multimedia adaption of James and the Giant Peach was also a treat, as was the buoyant energy displayed in our first-ever fashion show. Students and staff took to the runway this year to model original creations by students in our Fashion Design class. Clearly, some of our staff has doing some moonlighting! Walking into to Trinity College in February and seeing the degree of professionalism that surrounded our production of 7 Stories was a real thrill. Everything about the production, from the staging to the performances of our cast, was first-rate. This collaboration of staff and students was united by a common vision to take our drama program to a higher level of excellence. Solid gold!
The same spirit of collaboration and desire for excellence permeated our athletic program. 38 Greenwood teams competed in CIS this year. All told, we won six championships in five different sports, our best showing yet. We continued to produce one of the highest student participation rates in athletics of any CIS school. We also had more athletes representing Greenwood at OFSAA than in any previous year. Much of this success is due to the dedication of our coaches, who put in countless hours ensuring that our student athletes develop their individual skills and more importantly, learn to work as a team. One memorable extended moment in this year’s athletic program took place on March 7 and 8. Over this 24-hour period, we had 3 boys’ basketball teams and 2 girls’ volleyball teams in the championships. Both volleyball teams exhibited grace under pressure and emerged as champions. Though only one of the basketball teams won the championship—a three-peat no less, I marvelled at the way our U-14 and U-16 teams played hard against teams that were considerably bigger and more experienced. Unfazed, they supported one another, maintained their composure and gave it their best. This is the Greenwood character we are all so proud of. So much true learning happens outside the classroom—our arts and athletics program are evidence of this.
I could ramble on interminably about what a great year it has been, but I think we have a few more awards to hand out. In closing, I would like to extend a number of thank you’s:
Firstly, to the school’s Board of Directors, and in particular, Richard Wernham: Your direction, advice and support have been so important in my first year as Principal.
To our Vice-Principals, Jane Audet, Alison Holt and Kelly Giannoccaro: Your wise counsel and unwavering support throughout this year has been invaluable. The school is fortunate to have such a hard-working leadership team.
To the teachers and non-teaching staff: Your commitment to Greenwood’s mission is the core of the school’s success. Quite simply, you are the spinners of gold.
To the parents: Your ongoing support of your children and of our staff throughout the school year has been remarkable. We are fortunate to have such engaged partners in the education of your children.
To the students: I have been so impressed with the level of initiative you have taken throughout this year in creating projects that enrich the lives others. Art for Aids, a book drive for students in Regent Park, various Me to We fundraisers, backpacks for inner city kids attending Mooredale Summer Camp, and a clothing drive for Oasis. These are just a few of the beneficiaries of your efforts.
And finally, to the Class of 2009: Your leadership has pushed enthusiasm for our school’s house competition to new heights. You have also worked hard to achieve an impressive array of postsecondary destinations. On behalf of the school, we wish you all the best on the next leg of your journey and look forward to seeing you return next fall as Greenwood alumni.
I look forward to another golden year in what will be Year 8 of the Greenwood story. I hope that everyone has a wonderful summer.
Grade 7/8 Community Service Fair
The year end here at Greenwood brings with it a number of celebratory events. Our Grade 7 and 8 students presented their community service projects this morning, which explained what they had learned through their year-long, weekly participation at one of our six community service locations. It was inspiring to see the high level of dedication that students directed towards this project. They had created scrapbooks, videos, and slide presentations that they shared with a range of visitors. One group, the students who partnered with the Claremont Retirement Residence, created a bound book, which provided a nice permanent document of the experience. We also had some of the seniors from Claremont and students from Regent Park attend the event. Both of these groups commented on how much they look forward to working with our students.
In my remarks to the students, I encouraged them to remain active in service learning throughout their time at Greenwood and beyond. As one of our senior students, Maddie Cappe, reminded them, Greenwood students are a privileged group. One of the values that we try to emphasize here at Greenwood, is that privilege brings responsibility. Specifically, our students need to use the socioeconomic advantage they have inherited to make a positive contribution to the world they inhabit. Based on what I witnessed this morning, I would say our students our indeed doing just that.
Celebrating Greenwood’s Teachers
Earlier this week we had our annual Spring Dinner. This year’s theme focused on a celebration of teaching at Greenwood. Over 200 parents, staff and faculty attended this event. We debuted our new video, Teaching and Learning at Greenwood, which features three students and three faculty members. The response to the video was fantastic–many thanks to Jon Weiman, older brother of one of our Grade 12 students, and a recent graduate of the Film Studies program at Queen’s for creating the short film. Included below is an excerpt from my speech about teaching at Greenwood…
…This morning we began our student elections for the upcoming school year. We started the process with our Head Boy/Girl elections. As you are probably aware, these two leadership positions are open only to Grade 12 students. We had 16 students apply, which is pretty remarkable when you consider the Grade 11 cohort has 62 students. Close to 25 per cent of the class chose to run for the school’s top leadership position.
As I listened to the speeches, I was struck by a few things. Firstly, it says a great deal about the student culture at the school if so many of our senior students are interested in leadership. Secondly, and of equal importance, is what the candidates spoke of. They talked about how Greenwood had changed them, made them more confident, made them feel they had found a home. Such statements are not commonplace amongst high school students. I choose to believe that our candidates were sincere, and not engaging in election rhetoric. I would also argue that this deep attachment to Greenwood is the result of the relationship our students have with our staff and faculty, who are the focus of our celebration tonight.
One of the great strengths of our school is the relationship that teachers develop with their students. It has a great deal to do with our small school culture and the value we place on teaching the whole child. Our teachers get to know their students in a variety of ways: in the classroom, on the playing fields or in the gymnasium; at Kilcoo, or on a community service venture; or simply through day-to-day encounters in the Lodge, Success Centre, or dare I say, the after-school homework room. Having the ability to connect with young adults is the key characteristic we look for when recruiting teachers. E. M. Forster, the British writer, once remarked that the sole responsibility of a writer was to “only connect” with the reader. Technique, subject matter, and so forth were all important, but no amount of skill or artifice would make up for a writer who has nothing to say.
Forster’s advice applies to teaching as well. Great teachers connect. Great teachers inspire. Great teachers bring out qualities in us that we didn’t know we possessed. This connection is paramount when working with teenagers. It has been said before, but teenagers have a great BS detector. They can tell when you really don’t believe in what you are saying or when you don’t know the answer and are simply saving face. I think if you look back on your experience with teachers, you could easily identify teachers who truly connected with you.
For those of us who have become teachers, these memorable teachers form our template or mental model of the kind of teacher we would like to be. Quite often the experience with a memorable teacher was the turning point in choosing education as a career path. One of the questions I always pose when interviewing teachers who want to work at Greenwood is to tell me about a teacher or teachers who played an important role in your life. In doing so, prospective candidates identify what they value and how they approach teaching.
Grandfriends’ Day
Grandfriends’ Day is a long-standing tradition here at Greenwood. Usually, we celebrate this tradition in early May. This past Friday the school played host to over 100 grandparents and grandfriends of our students in Grades 7, 8 and 9. For students attending Greenwood for the first time, this event allows them to share aspects of school life with their grandparents and grandfriends. Our visitors were treated to an assembly that enabled them to get a first-hand account of the range of activities their grandchildren participate in at Greenwood. It is a nice sight seeing our students tour their older family members through the building, and the obvious delight and pride their grandparents feel in this moment of connectedness.
A Night at the Theatre
Watching “7 Stories” last night at the George Ignatieff Theatre, I couldn’t help but marvel at the wonderful journey our drama program has taken over the past seven years. This point became clear to me as I climbed the steps to the George Ignatieff Theatre and there in front of me in bright lights was the poster advertising “7 Stories.” Ellen Langille, one of our Grade 10 students, did a great job designing it. Everything else about the production of the play was first-rate, from the cast photos in the lobby and the impressive set, to the promotional campaign the students staged in an effort to drum up enthusiasm for “7 Stories.” I was blown away by Dan Blumberg’s video about the making of the production.
The play itself was superb. It always amazes me how some of our quieter students find their voices through participation in a dramatic production. To me, this is one of the key reasons for having a vital school drama program. Dramatic productions are also a great way to build community. The bond that the cast and crew (membership ranged from Grade 7 through 12) developed during the production was evident to all during the curtain call. I was really pleased to see the warm thank yous from the cast to the teachers who participated in the staging of “7 Stories.” We are fortunate at Greenwood to have a number of teachers with a strong background in the arts. It certainly was evident last night.
Keeping the Green and the Gold!
Those of you who read my blog (and I hope you do!), know that I have been meeting with groups of parents to listen to them discuss the school’s needs and priorities over the next few years. The sessions have been enjoyable, as well as informative. One interesting topic came up at the session with the 7/8/9 parents and it had to do with the teaching staff. Many parents emphasized that the school needed to ensure that it retains its talented teachers, a point I wholeheartedly agree with. We have been fortunate to be able to hire some terrific experienced teachers and some outstanding teachers new to the profession. As I indicated at the meeting, my ideal staff composition is a balance of beginning teachers (the green!), and experienced teachers (the gold!). What we have tried to do in our professional development practices is create a formal structure that enables a transfer of knowledge from the gold to the green, and from the green to the gold. The use of technology is a good example of this latter point. I am generalizing here, but our beginning teachers tend to arrive with an affinity for technology, and adapt readily to its use within the classroom. Conversely, you learn the nuances of managing a classroom and planning lessons when you do so on a daily basis. Even the best teacher education program can’t provide this learning to beginning teachers. In this area, consistent mentoring is critical. This ongoing exchange of ideas and support is the essence of a professional learning community, which I believe we are.
Community Partners at Dundas P.S.
Because we have had two late nights here at school this week (due to parent-teacher conferences), we dispensed with our regular Thursday morning staff meeting. This gave the teachers a chance to sleep in and me an opportunity to board the bus and head to Dundas P.S. For the past five years, Dundas has been one of our community partners. Seeing 65 Greenwood high school students working with students at Dundas, who range from ages 4 through 10 is a wonderful thing to witness. Greenwood students either read to or are read to by a Dundas student–this process is age-dependent. We do this to support their literacy program. Working with students from Greenwood also allows Dundas students to develop social and communication skills. Our students also benefit as well, particularly in the area of empathy and communication. It truly is a mutual exchange–we learn from them and they learn from us. I was also impressed by the ease with which the two groups interacted. Seeing as it was the first snowfall of the year, one group of Greenwood students went outside and played in the snow with the JK students. Many of these Dundas students are new to Canada, so being out in the snow was a real treat. As I wandered from room to room observing the student interaction, it struck me that some of senior students had have been engaged in some form of service learning for five and six years. For this group, volunteering has become a matter of habit. This bodes well for the city’s future.
Broader Perspectives
Since school began, I have made a point of speaking to the students at each of our weekly assemblies. It is a good forum to reiterate our shared community values. For example, in one discussion I reminded students how their actions as hoppers and scrapers, roles Lub has invented to organize the distribution of food at Kilcoo Camp, reinforce the importance of service and looking after one another. More recently, I explained to the students how we use the school’s involvement in community service to broaden the perspective of the Greenwood community. By involving themselves in community service, students get to work with students from different cultures and socio-economic groups. There is much to be learned from this exchange. I am hopeful that we can find ways over the next few years to expand our community service program and would welcome any ideas you may have about this important part of the Greenwood program.
You can call me Al!
Welcome to my blog! As you probably guessed from the title, this space is an opportunity for me to think out loud about day-to-day happenings at Greenwood (and date myself with obscure pop culture references). On some occasions, I may also reflect on some issues beyond the Greenwood context.
My hope is that I can post several times per week and that you will take a few minutes to share your thoughts with me. All of this is part of my year-long “listening tour.” To truly understand the needs of the Greenwood community, I will be spending time talking with staff, students, parents, community service partners, and anyone else who feels they have something I need to know about our school. This blog is one way to do this. I would also like to host some informal gatherings—Alison Holt is working on those and you will be hearing more about them in the near future. Feel free to post a comment or if you prefer, send me an e-mail. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts about Greenwood.