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3/16/2012

I just finished reading John Furlong's book, Patriot Hearts. Furlong was CEO of VANOC, the organizing committee for the 2010 Winter Olympics. Besides being a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the Olympics, I was impressed with this striking example of leadership driven by vision. I was struck by Furlong's ability to carry out an articulated vision that the 2010 Winter Olympics would be Canada's, not just BC's, games. This vision guided him in selecting VANOC executives that upheld the same vision and making other key strategic decisions. In my opinion Vancouver would never have been awarded the Games if not for Furlong's ability to persuade the federal government to support the bid financially and politically. This vision resulted in several key features including a cross country torch relay that involved the communities of 90% of Canadians, opening and closing ceremonies that touched on all aspects of Canadian culture and each province being given a theme day throughout the Games. In my opinion Vancouver would never have been awarded the Games if not for Furlong's ability to persuade the federal government to support the bid financially and politically. Furlong's leadership style appeals to me for several reasons. First, he blended passion and pragmatism. For example, he elected to make the Own the Podium program (a financed objective of Canada winning the most medals by strategically sponsoring the Canadian athletes in events in which they held the greatest chance of medaling) a part of the VANOC project in organizing the games. OTP brought together his passion for making the Games a nation building event and his pragmatism in knowing that the ultimate measure of the Games' success for many Canadians would be how our athletes would perform. Second, he valued the hard work of people in his organization. His book cites numerous accounts of Furlong taking time to make contact with and show heartfelt appreciation to the thousands of Blue Jacket volunteers. Third, he always put people at the forefront of his operations. Perhaps the most striking example was how on the final day of the Paralympics he travelled to Georgia to attend the funeral of Nodar Kumaritashvili, the luger killed on a training run on the first day of the Games. Furlong was physically and emotionally exhausted by this time, yet he made effort to make the arduous journey by helicopter, airplane, and car to the young man's remote village to support and comfort Nodar's family. He also brought a cash gift from VANOC to show tangible support to this family which lost its son to the Olympics. He explains that to decline the invitation to participate in Nodar's funeral would have contradicted the essence of what VANOC and the Olympics were about. True leadership is always that which shows genuine care and compassion for others, both those inside the organization and those whom are served by the organization. In contrast to the egocentric and socially disfunctional Steve Jobs (see my previous blog entry), John Furlong is an exemplary leader who inspires me and many others to combine vision, pragmatism, and compassion.

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1/10/2012

Reflections on the 21st Century Learner & the skill set (or lack thereof) of Steve Jobs

One of the books I am currently reading (I usually have several on the go) is Steve Jobs, the biography of the founder of Apple and arguably the most influential person in personal computing history. This is a fascinating read as the author, Walter Isaacson, takes the reader deep into Jobs’ psyche, exposing both his brilliance and volatility.

Jobs pioneered the idea of the personal computer and infused his genius for design, elegance, and user-friendly interface, culminating in the Mac computer, the iPod, iPhone, and iPad. But his business life was heavily corrupted by his extreme misuse and abuse of the people who worked for him. He was prone to massive eruptions of anger toward his employees, many of whom worked tirelessly to make his vision of personal computing a reality. Even his most trusted allies experienced his unpredictable mood swings and extreme micromanagement.

In many ways Jobs is the “anti-example” of the model 21^st Century learner. The 21^st century learner, by definition, is the individual who must acquire basic literacy and numeracy skills, technological fluency, excellence in problem-solving abilities, and social intelligence. Business leaders are demanding that the school system produces individuals who possess a combination of technical skill and the soft “people” skills of empathy and interpersonal communications.

Jobs possessed very little in the way of people skills and seemed to lack any understanding of how to work with people and motivate them. Indeed, it appears that Jobs’ most loyal employees were those who were continuously mesmerized by his ability to enthral and almost hypnotize his audience with his enthusiastic vision and presentation skills. He was renowned (and ridiculed) among his peers for his tendency to defy or ignore hard fact and perceive the world according to his own wishes. This was widely known as the Steve Job "reality distortion field".

Jobs was truly an anomaly. The vast majority of successful business people are those who combine technical skill with an ability to work with people and collaborate successfully. Jobs possessed no ability to listen to others’ ideas nor compromise his views.

It is essential that in our school system we continue to embrace both the domain of academic skills and knowledge as well as social responsibility and communication skills. If we want our students to get jobs (and not be Jobs) then people skill must be valued in the curriculum we provide.

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8/30/2011

Looking Ahead

There are few parents, students, or school staff members who don't look forward to the start of another school year. Everyone has at least one thing they look forward to, whether it's the return to regular routines, being reunited with friends or colleagues, or best of all the opportunity to learn something new.

I always feel excited this time of year about the prospects of a brand new school year ahead. But I have to admit that my own enthusiasm cannot quite compare to that of my daughter, who starts Kindergarten this fall. Her excitement about starting school began building in July. As the summer wore on I found myself envying her unbridled enthusiasm for the approach of September. I finally asked her to list the things she is looking forward to. She announced three things:

1. “I get to paint”

2. “I can drink water and eat my lunch”

3. “I get to play on the monkey bars”

Ah, the simple things! My immediate thought was, “I can do these things too!”. So I have now added these items to my own list of what I look forward to as the school year begins. In no particular order, I enthusiastically anticipate:

· The hum of busy classrooms in which students are engaged and enjoy learning

· The look of satisfaction on the face of a teacher who has reached a child

· Noisy laughter and chatter of children playing outside at recess and lunch

· The smiles of parents in the hallways

· Special events like musical performances and recognition assemblies

· Pride on the faces of students who accomplish a particular task for the first time

· Colourful and intriguing displays of student work on bulletin boards

· School-wide events that are pulled off by great teamwork among the staff

· The squeak of running shoes in the gym accompanied by the singing voices drifting out of the music room

· Painting with the Kindergarten students

· Drinking water while I eat my lunch

· Playing on the monkey bars… well sometimes

I invite you to reflect on what you anticipate in the school year ahead. Have a great year!

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4/27/2011

Talkin' 'Bout My Generation

What generation are you?! A quick Google search produced the following terms for different generations that are currently alive:

Traditionalists, 66 years old and older

Baby Boomers, 47-65 years old

Generation X (aka the Me Generation), 31-46

Generation Y (aka Echo Boomers, Millenials), 14-30

Generation Z (Zippies), 13 and under (Source: http://unlockthemysteries.com/factsgenxy.aspx)

Apparently the members of Generation X don’t like the term “Me Generation” (I wonder why!). However, as a member of this group I have to admit that members of my generation have been, in general, very focused on their own personal gratification, rights, needs, and “self-actualization”, often to the detriment of the needs and rights of others around them! Many aspects of our society reflect the self-centred views of the Gen Xers, such as the demands for instant gratification and high levels of personal choice; Starbucks comes to mind!

Our current generation of children, the Zippies, has a very different outlook on life than previous generations. Sure, they are very good at knowing what they want and how to get it. (I wonder who they learned that from?!). But today’s children also show an encouraging and inspiring interest in addressing the needs of others. They also show a willingness to sacrifice some of their own interests to help out others. In the last several years of my career I have seen many examples of students involved in exciting humanitarian projects, the likes of which my generation never would have dreamed of. I am truly inspired by today’s children and their awareness of global issues and their desire to make a difference for others.

Our recent Jump Rope for Heart fundraising campaign was an excellent example of students’ enthusiasm to make a difference. The fundraising was a huge success in that we raised over $9000 for the Heart & Stroke Foundation! What impressed me most was the effort that many of our students went to in order to raise funds. I heard a number of stories of children who approached not just friends and family members but also folks in their neighbourhoods. Yes, there were incentive prizes that students could earn for raising money. But I know of some students who will donate their prizes to children in the community who are less fortunate and could use some new sporting goods. Way to go!

Being an educator to the current generation of children is a great privilege. Their potential to positively impact the world is very real; it’s our responsibility to nurture and encourage this!

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3/8/2011

A Community of Learners

A school is truly a community of learners. This was very evident at CRE on Friday, Feb. 11th during our Multi-Age Valentine Activity. This event involved students from Grades K—5. They met in their colour teams throughout the school to create their own large Valentine’s card for their family. Our Grade 4 and 5 students took the role of leader by first creating a Valentine template for every child in the school earlier in the week. Then on the Friday they helped younger primary students understand the task and then assisted them in creating their Valentine. Teachers were assigned to each team to supervise, encourage, and

guide the children through the activity. This speaks to me of community for the following reasons: Students were working with each other and forming friendships with children from other classes and grade levels.

Older students were acting as leaders and role models (a theme that I addressed with Grade 4 and 5 students during class visits the previous week). Younger children felt very important working with the older ones. All students produced a card of which they were proud and eager to share with their family. Teachers

interacted with and got to know the children in other classes. Thank you to Ms. Oliver and Ms. von Unruh for organizing this event. I hope that when you walk through the doors of CRE you get a sense of our community spirit, where every child is accepted and supported and where relationships are built on mutual respect and a common pursuit of learning. Speaking personally, I appreciate the friendly and supportive words and actions of our parents as they are around the building. I see lots of smiles from children and adults on a daily basis; that says a lot about our community!

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1/3/2011

Hello Coquitlam River!

I am excited to now be part of the Coquitlam River learning community. As the new Principal I look forward to getting to know the students, parents, and staff in the coming weeks. I can especially relate these days to those kids who start at a brand new school part way through the school year. Relationships and routines are already established; one wonders how they fit in and what their experience at this new school will be like! I am confident that I will greatly enjoy the coming months and years as I serve CRE in my role. I am deeply committed to fostering the learning of all students and I invite you to join me on this mission

Here is some background information about me. I began my teaching career, in Coquitlam, in 1991. I taught elementary classroom and resource room for seven years before teaching middle school student services for the next five year. From 2002 to 2007 I was a district Student Services Coordinator (Gifted Education & Assistive Technology). I then was Vice Principal at Hillcrest Middle from July 2007 until December 2009 and Acting Principal at Harbour View Elementary from Jan to Dec 2010. I have my undergraduate and graduate degrees from Simon Fraser University. Prior to my university undergrad program I had completed Marketing Management at BCIT.

I live in Coquitlam and my wife and I have two children, ages 4 and 6. I enjoy playing and watching hockey, reading, and having fun with my kids.

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12/2/2010

Farewell Harbour View

This is my last newsletter I’ll be writing for Harbour View. I want to say a huge THANK YOU for the warm welcome and friendly working relationships I have experienced with you. I thought that a poem (given that we have a schoolwide writing goal J) would capture what I have appreciated about being here for the past year:

Happy kids who show success in their learning and pride in their school

Always parents willing to support school events, fundraising, and most importantly their children’s learning

Reliable, professional, caring Office, SEA, supervision and Caretaking staff

Beautiful view of the harbour? ...I mean mountains!

Outstanding teaching staff, so dedicated to students’ learning

Unity

Reputation in the community that is second to none

Volunteer parents in our PAC who do so much for the life of the school

Integration and support for all children

Educational programs that support the growth of the whole child: academic, intellectual, social, emotional, physical

What a wonderful year I’ve had, thank you so much!

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10/25/2010

21st Century Learners

I am intrigued these days by the discussion of 21^st century learning. As I shared at the last PAC meeting, educational leaders are taking a close look at what our students of today need to learn so that they will succeed as adults in the 21^st century of rapid technological change and unprecedented global problems. C.D. Jerald of the Centre for Public Education lists the following skill sets that our children will need:

· Post-secondary or technical training of some kind

· A strong grasp of traditional knowledge and skills in subjects such as Math, Language Arts, and Science

· An ability to apply subject knowledge to real world challenges and problems

· Critical thinking, communication skills, and abilities to create new products and adapt to change

· An ability to incorporate a deep understanding of content knowledge into critical thinking and problem solving

Based on my own observations, there is an additional attribute that our students need to develop: the ability to understand and respond to local and global issues. I believe that the leaders of tomorrow will be those individuals whose working and personal lives include activities that improve the lives of people across the street and across the globe. We live in a global village, where the concerns and problems experienced by some people groups often affect our own lives. Climate change, overpopulation, poverty, injustice, conservation of resources, the need for alternative fuels, and interdependent economies are issues that affect us all. The children of today must become the leaders of the future who will have the skills and the compassion to solve these big issues.

My convictions about students developing a social conscience were heightened during the recent We Day event. On October 15^th Ms Becker and I had the privilege of accompanying 14 Harbour View students to join with 18,000 Lower Mainland students at We Day, a day of speakers and entertainment at Rogers Arena. The purpose of We Day was to celebrate and promote awareness of what young people are doing to fight poverty, injustice, and social problems around the world. The organizers, Craig and Marc Kielburger of Free the Children, hosted such renowned speakers as Al Gore, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Martin Sheen, Spencer West, and Rick Hansen, all of whom gave inspiring messages to the kids about the power they possess to make a difference in the world. One of the highlights was the specific mentioning of Harbour View Elementary along with six other schools for their work to raise funds for local and global causes. Among the highlights was Harbour View being specifically mentioned along with four other schools by Craig Kielberger during his intro speech (to recognize our money raised for Haiti relief last January). You can watch it at http://watch.ctv.ca/we-day-2010/vancouver/we-day-2010---vancouver/?cid=marquee_weday_vancouverpost_vid#clip360229 it's around the 9:20 mark in this clip.

We at Harbour View are proud of our school community’s culture of giving to those in need. This year our efforts will focus upon the Brick-by-Brick build-a-school campaign that will result in educational opportunities for needy group of children in Africa. We will also support the Halloween for Hunger campaign to fill the shelves of local food banks and the Poppy fund for our veterans. The fundraising activities we take on are, I believe, a crucial part of making our students ready for the 21^st century!

M. Peters

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9/18/2010

September Start-Up

How full is your bucket?

So far in this month's assemblies we have enjoyed two of the books in the How Full is Your Bucket series, by Tom Rath. These books present an analogy for how our lives are either enriched or depleted each day by our own actions toward others and how we are treated by others. The analogy is that every person on earth has an invisible bucket that hovers over their head throughout the day. A kind deed given or received produces a drop in one's bucket, while a deed of disrespect drains a drop from the bucket. The goal is that every individual carries around a full bucket.

This analogy conveys a powerful message to our students, for their education must include a deeper understanding of how their actions impact the lives of others. Harbour View students are renowned for their social conscience and positive attitude toward each other. In my position I have the priviledge of witnessing this each and every day. I am continuously amazed at the family feeling there is at Harbour View. It is a joy to witness how kindly the older treat the younger students. The caring and encouraging way that our staff treat all students no doubt sets the tone for this.

Next time you are at the school, take a moment to appreciate the friendly caring spirit at Harbour View. It is something that we can all take pride in- students, staff, and parents alike.

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8/23/2010

Summer Reflections

It is great to be back at Harbour View after a very enjoyable summer break.

My family and I enjoyed many experiences, from motoring our way through two provinces and two states (most nights crammed into our 4 person tent!), to swimming, fishing and hiking, to a fun day at a huge amusement park in Idaho. While not travelling I really enjoyed sleeping in and reading some good books. I also took golf lessons for the first time (don’t worry, I won’t be joining the PGA tour anytime soon!).

Included in my summer memories are the several conversations I had with my son, who will be starting Grade 1 this fall. We chatted about the new things that lie ahead for him:

- eating his lunch at school

- having computer classes

- going to school for a full day

- getting a new teacher who will likely be new to his school

- having "homework" for the first time (e.g., spelling words, home reading)

These kinds of changes are a big deal in the life of a 6 year old! Experiencing them from a parent's perspective has deepened my appreciation of how the start of a new school year means changes and new challenges for every child. New teachers, friends, classroom expectations, academic challenges... and new school supplies add up to much excitement and sometimes not a little nervousness about September.

The Harbour View staff is keenly aware of the various emotions that each student goes through in the early days and weeks of the school year. It is our goal therefore to ensure a smooth and positive start for each child. Much time is devoted to building relationships with and among students. We also know that establishing clear routines and structures in our classrooms gives students a sense of security and confidence on a day-to-day basis.

I am thankful to be able to serve the Harbour View community for the fall term, before heading off to a different elementary school principalship at Coquitlam River Elementary in January 2011. One of my goals is to know every student’s name by the time I leave. I appreciate it whenever students come up to me and ask me if I know their name!

Have a great September start-up everyone!

Mr. M Peters

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