Authentic Learning… At the Forefront 15 Jan 2017 What school is your child going to attend next year? During my childhood you simply went to the school that was in your neighbourhood; but that is not necessarily…
Uncategorized Words of Wisdom 2016 27 Jun 201629 Jun 2016 Congratulations! You are off on a new adventure; one that you can go forward and explore with confidence because you are prepared. First off, you learned a lot of amazing…
Collaboration… Being a Farmer 6 Mar 201620 Mar 2016 This week I presented at Discovery Education's Ignite Vancouver. This is my 5 minute presentation. Please excuse the run-on sentences and poor punctuation. It is written like I spoke it…
Authentic Learning… My One Word: Create 31 Jan 201631 Jan 2016 The one word challenge was set by Chris Kennedy a month ago. It has taken me a little time to put my thoughts down but my one word is Create.…
Authentic Learning… Help. My Professional Growth Plan 30 Nov 2015 I am the principal of a school with 326 students. This year, like every other year, those students were grouped by age and then broken into divisions within what might be…
Uncategorized Welcome Back Message to my School 20 Sep 2015 Welcome back to a new school year! Over the course of this summer Caulfeild received a "refresh" in a number of locations around the school. Our washrooms that were "vintage" from…
graduation… Words of Wisdom 23 Jun 2015 These were my words of wisdom at our Grade 7 Farewell ceremony today... Good luck. These are two words you will hear for the rest of your life. Usually they…
Connecting… What’s my Possible? 3 May 201520 Sep 2015 Last week I participated in my first Ignite session as a speaker. It was a very inspiring night with a host of wonderful ideas being shared. This blog post is what I…
Collaboration… Engaging the Third Teacher 21 Apr 201521 Apr 2015 This year we have been exploring Learning Spaces as part of our Dare to go Further journey with student learning. As a school that has implemented the IDEC model, we have…
Connecting… Making our Learning Visible 25 Jan 2015 Each month our Parent Advisory Committee holds monthly meetings to discuss PAC related issues. During these meetings I deliver a Principal’s Report filled with interesting matters about the school. This…
Connecting Remembrance 2 Nov 20142 Nov 2014 Ever since I can remember November 11th has always been very significant to me, because it has always been personal. I remember growing up watching the CBC's Remembrance Day service from Ottawa…
Connecting… Dare to Go Further 26 Oct 2014 I love this video because we have all been there. Maybe not looking down from the top of a ski jump, but doing something that instilled an element of "hesitation".…
Uncategorized TEDxWestVancouverED 6 Oct 2014 After a year of planning, TEDxWestVancouverED became a reality on Saturday, September 27. At 8:30am three hundred educators, parents and members of the community began their day at the Kay Meek…
Authentic Learning… Leaving a Lasting Impression 1 Sep 2014 A couple of days ago I saw a few former students who I had the pleasure to teach when they were in grade four - during my first time at Caulfeild Elementary. They were…
Inquiry… Thank You Ridgeview 2 Jul 20142 Jul 2014 It has been three years since the photo was taken. This was my first day of school as the Vice-Principal of Ridgeview, and what an amazing experience it has been.…
Authentic Learning… Who Has the Power? 11 Jun 201411 Jun 2014 This week's Maclean's Magazine has a column by Emma Teitel titled "Get Them When They're Young". The argument is that we need to make a more concerted effort to teach…
Uncategorized A View from the Small Office 2 May 2014 A revisit of an old post about the work we've done at Ridgeview
Inquiry… First the How. Now More the Why of BYOD. 24 Feb 2014 My last post was about Our Approach to BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) and the strategies we implemented to make it a success. But even as parents were bringing in the…
Collaboration… Our Approach to BYOD 15 Jan 201415 Jan 2014 At the end of June last year we sent a letter home to all of our grade 5-7 parents notifying them that Ridgeview Elementary was initiating a Bring Your Own…
Collaboration… 10 Thoughts 1 Dec 2013 I always enjoy Elliotte Friedman’s 30 Thoughts opinion piece on CBC Sports so I thought I would try my own version as I reflect back on the first three months…
Connecting… Connecting with Remembrance Day 8 Nov 201311 Nov 2013 Each year, in my role as Vice-Principal, I have the honour of shaping the annual Remembrance Day ceremony at Ridgeview Elementary in collaboration with our teachers. My goal every November is…
Uncategorized What Makes a Difference? 22 Sep 2013 What brought JOY to your learning when you were a student? My wife Charity has returned to school this year seeking her British Columbia Teachers Certificate through Simon Fraser University…
Uncategorized Taking the First Step can be the Hardest 25 Aug 2013 Last week the administrators of West Vancouver returned to work for our annual beginning of the year conference. This is a wonderful opportunity to both reconnect with one another and…
Collaboration… Reflecting on our Innovation 11 Jun 2013 Yesterday educators in the West Vancouver School District came together at Sentinel Secondary to share the process and results of their inquiries from throughout the year. The innovation grants provided…
PICTURE THIS... 