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…
Uncategorized Presenting My Trip to the Top of Mt. Kilimanjaro 2 Jun 2013 Revisiting my trip on the day our donation was presented...Some great photos for anyone interested in undertaking this adventure for a great cause!
Authentic Learning… Students Taking Action to Help Other Kids 28 May 2013 A month ago two students at Ridgeview Elementary were announced as winners of the Burn Fund Burn Awareness Contest. Under the leadership of their teacher Amy Meldrum, all our grade…
Collaboration… My TED Journey – A Personal Passion Project 28 Apr 201327 Apr 2013 If you are doing something you love, an hour feels like 5 minutes. Sir Ken Robinson Our committee has spent many "5 minute blocks" over the past few months organizing TEDxWestVancouverED…
Authentic Learning… Following your Passion (Part 1) 22 Mar 201322 Mar 2013 For many years I have encouraged students to dig into their curiosities through Passion Projects, Teach Me Something I Don't Know events, and Learn Something Amazing activities. Each time, I…
Collaboration… Connecting and Innovating 27 Jan 201327 Jan 2013 A few months ago I attended my first EDCamp. My only prior knowledge about EDCamps was that the participants' interest determined the workshop topics and it was a great opportunity to…
Inquiry Presenting My Trip to the Top of Mt. Kilimanjaro 26 Nov 20122 Jun 2013 Today I presented a slideshow to the students at Ridgeview Elementary about my trip to Africa. In putting together a presentation I hoped would be meaningful and interesting for the…
Connecting… Connecting with my Climb of Mt. Kilimanjaro 4 Nov 20124 Nov 2012 On October 17, 2012 I stood on the roof of Africa. It was an incredible feeling watching the sunrise over the clouds and Mawenzi Peak below as a vicious wind…
Uncategorized The Agenda for our Climb 6 Oct 2012 A quick and simple post today... The plan for our trek is below. Starting on the 10th you'll be able to follow our progress at http://summitsofhope.com/baseCamp.asp?ClimbID=30 Oct 10: Arrive in Africa…
Connecting… 7 Days… 30 Sep 20121 Oct 2012 I wrote this as an email today and after reading it, I felt it would also make a great blog post. Enjoy. As of today I have raised just over…
Authentic Learning… Taking Action for a Cause 23 Sep 2012 Last week was Summits of Hope Week at Ridgeview Elementary. This was five days dedicated to fundraising for our team's climb up Mt. Kilimanjaro in support of BC Children’s Hospital…
Uncategorized Not Long Now… 2 Sep 20122 Sep 2012 To begin...THANK YOU to everyone who has donated, raised funds or taken the time to send me words of encouragement about the climb. September is here and that means the…
Uncategorized 46 Days 22 Aug 201227 Aug 2012 The clock on returning to work has struck zero but the countdown to Kilimanjaro continues... 46 days... Thank you to everyone who has undertaken a fundraising initiative, sold Flags of…
Uncategorized Mt. Kilimanjaro 24 Jun 20123 Jul 2012 On a mid-October day later this Fall, I will be looking out at the world from the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro, Africa. The journey to 19,340 feet began on Monday,…
Authentic Learning… Our Learning Adventure in the Wild 6 Jun 2012 The points of a compass are North, East, South and West but the grade 5's at Ridgeview Elementary redefined the points through the lens of environmental stewardship last week as…
