Sometimes, life seems unusually lop-sided. The week of February 20th, a four-day week coming off of our Mid-Term Break, life at KCS felt that way. It had way more than its fair share of wonderful.

Starting Tuesday, astonishing art adorned the foyer. Staff, parents and students arriving at KCS were greeted with grade 7 ‘memories’ sculptures and canvas painting in the style of Alex Colville, posters from the musical poster contest, Inuit art from the grade 2s, folk art in the style of Maud Lewis by the grade 4s, and biographies of our ‘Big Bad Musical’ cast. As if that wasn’t enough to look at, the KCS TV shared photos of our ice hockey club playing sledge hockey, our grade 8s playing with their grades 1 and 2 buddies, and many other beautiful moments from our Four Doors to Learning program.

Wednesday was our annual grade 4 Medieval Times Feast. Students, dressed as lords, ladies, dragons and jesters, entertained parents, other students, and faculty through skits, sword-fights, jokes, juggling, poetry-reading and ukulele-playing. The students’  family ‘coat-of-arms’, ‘stained glass’ and gargoyles adorned Canada Hall. A mighty feast followed, thanks to the generous efforts of many parents.

Thursday was our February “Wake Up to the Arts”. The foyer, already festooned in art, was now complemented with student curators and live music from students as well as music from our upcoming musical. Thursday also saw our U12 girls basketball team reach double overtime in the finals, earning second in the tournament. In the evening, parents, staff and faculty enjoyed ‘Pasta Palooza’, good company, and heart-warming speeches.

Friday started with the weekly ‘Free Hugs and High Fives’ from four grade 7s greeting all who enter. Starting at 9:00, the grade 6s enjoyed a speakers’ series where guests spoke of their successful careers, enticing students to consider their future role in a global marketplace. Meanwhile in chapel, the following took place for the rest of the school:

• Five students read ‘bricks’ for the Wall of Service
• Eight grade 2 students read about their ‘Acts of Kindness’
• Three grade 5s spoke about their ‘Turn Out the Lights Tuesday’ campaign
• Three grade 7s announced that last week was a record-breaking ‘Walk-to-School-Wednesday’
• Five grade 7s led our weekly ‘Compliment Friday’, which invited four students and a teacher to give public compliments
• The House Captains announced upcoming House Lunches, the House mascot names, and an upcoming contest, “Are you smarter than a House Captain?”

Honestly, where else was there a week like this?

School, just like life, isn’t always happy. It can be tough, frustrating, and even unpleasant. We can’t always shield students from this fact, nor should we if we could. What is important, however, is that children learn they can make a lot of goodness happen in their lives.  Happiness, and well-earned pride from making a difference, is in their control. This is a lesson infused in all the academics, arts, athletics and citizenship at KCS. And goodness, when squeezed into a short week, they pack a mighty punch.

Their eyes were wide as saucers. They screamed. They squealed. Their bodies jiggled with joy and laughter as they watched what their teddy bears got up to in the library over the weekend. The world has many places that are truly awesome. Last weekend, in the eyes of the grade ones, our library was one of those most special places.

Hartley the Bear, the host of the party!

During a Friday Pyjama Day, with Ms Hoggarth’s help, Hartley the Bear, the KCS library mascot, announced that he would be hosting a party over the weekend for the teddy bears of all the grade one students. The party would begin when all ‘their people’ left at the end of the day. Cameras were set up to capture the shenanigans.

You can see the results here. What you can’t see is the response of the grade ones when they watched their imaginations come to life. Of course, the teddy bears’ activity came about as a result of some human friends. It wasn’t real. But the wonder and surprise, the awe and appreciation, was real. It was a lesson that goes as follows: your imagination is valued, things you imagine can come true, libraries can be magical places, and school can have wonderful surprises that will make you smile with appreciation for years to come.

Thank you, Hartley and friends, for making this unforgettable experience happen. You are nurturing a Habit that is boundless in value. The awe and appreciation you have inspired reach far beyond the grade ones.

Andrea Fanjoy,
Assistant Head, Academics

“…I like donating things. You should try it. It needs to be simple and it needs to make someone happy.” -Teagan (grade 2)

I wish every seven year-old could come to KCS for grade two. That way more people would learn to make the world better.

As part of their year-long study of citizenship, the grade two students are asked to perform acts of kindness. With the help of their parents, they conjure up dozens of ways in which to help others and our planet. When done, they write about their acts and then share their accounts at assembly.

Here is what this year’s grade twos have done to make the world better:

• Nine students donated to food banks
• Eleven students donated to Goodwill
• Five either donated to or did something nice for hospitals
• Six helped homeless people and a women’s shelter
• Eight donated to charities such as the Children’s Wish Foundation, Unicef, Youth Unlimited, World Wildlife Fund and the Aga Khan Foundation
• Seven contributed locally by helping a neighbour, helping a family in need, picking up litter, donating to their former nursery school and recycling old batteries
• Two donated books to a book drive

This is just the beginning. Since their first week at KCS, they have seen students of all ages get up in assemblies and share their acts of service, written on “bricks” for our Wall of Service. They have seen students from grades three to eight sharing leadership projects that make a difference in our school and beyond. And they have been greeted in the foyer with food drives and book drives and shoe drives and winter coat drives. The “Act of Kindness” unit is their launching pad for many acts to come. It is the beginning of a habit that matters on a global scale.

Teagan is in grade two. Her quote, however, captures a wisdom way beyond her years. If only every seven year-old could come to KCS for grade two.

I first proved my mettle on a canoe trip. I was 10 years old and this was an extended family ‘vacation’ on the Restigouche River in New Brunswick. It wasn’t how I would have chosen to spend a holiday, and the endless nipping of sand flies, physical exertion, sleeping on rocks, perpetual paddling, lack of plumbing and terror of rapids together represented the challenge I had to overcome. Of course I did.

As I recall, the next time I stared down a daunting challenge was my first experience with exams. I was in grade 7 and we wrote 10 exams, two each day for five days straight.

I have written before about how quickly the world is changing. You have no doubt read the work of others who say the same. Some things, however, don’t change. In fact, some things have always been. While the things that change are important, it is equally important to note the things that don’t.

One of these things is the rite of passage.

Rites of passage have served to infuse maturity throughout time and across cultures. When I first thought of the significance of this, it was in a graduate course that focused on the most jaw-dropping of examples. In some societies these rites of passage, often for mere pre-teens, can include extreme pain, deprivation and well-founded fear. In these cases, the rites of passage are often singular events where the individual begins a child and leaves an outright adult within a matter of days. However arduous the challenges, those who emerge feel proud, mighty and mature.

What in the world does this have to do with KCS?

In today’s world, rites of passage may take place in a rugged outdoor experience. They can also be a significant school or life challenge.  As I reflect on my canoe trip and my first experience with exams, they were rites of passage that left me feeling proud and mightier than I had before.

Our grade 6-8 students have just finished exams. I know exams have been a trial for many of our students, and their families. Since the Christmas holidays, life hasn’t been the same. Students have been studying daily, either willingly, or with prodding, yelling, angst and frustration. They have worked exceptionally hard preparing for this unusual academic challenge.

If your child wrote exams and at times you questioned what this was all for, it is about more than learning how to write exams. Yes, there are many ‘practical’ reasons for why writing exams is beneficial. I’ve written about them elsewhere. What I haven’t written about before, and what may even matter more, is how exams also connect our students to something timeless. Rites of passage, in whatever form they take, are proven sources of hard-won resilience and pride.

Now is the time to celebrate their rite of passage. Your child is not as he/she used to be. While they have not made a full leap into adulthood, they deserve to feel proud of themselves, mightier and more mature, and to feel that those around them see them as such.

This is also a time to share the stories of your own rites of passage.  Your child can now better understand what you mean when doing so.

What were the rites of passage that helped make you the adult you became?

Andrea Fanjoy,
Assistant Head, Academics

That’s what Daniel thinks. When challenged to improve a bare-bones paragraph about KCS, the grade five flood-gates opened. Here are more passion-fuelled excerpts from some budding writers:

“…Learning here at KCS is a blast. You will be taught to persist no matter what. You will be told to try your best and strive for accuracy in everything you do. KCS is an exciting, friendly place to learn and you will love it here no matter who you are because KCS is the best! – Amelia

“…Another thing I love about K.C.S. is that everyone is so nice. If one person falls everyone will be there to help them, even if they just slipped in the mud. People are always asking if they need help, need to borrow something or anything else. I have never gone a day at K.C.S. that I have not seen at least 5 nice things happen to someone. It’s like if a really mean person walks into the school then suddenly they are hit with a nice ray and then they are really nice!” – Carys

The Best Things about KCS are…
…Too many to mention. The students rock. They work hard and do such a great job.
Teachers, oh teachers they are so great.
They encourage me to punctuate.
They show self-control,
And rock and roll.
They help us do what is right
And teach us to be bright.
The teachers at KCS rule
They are also so awesomely cool.
I wish every school was KCS. The world would be such a better place…
– Andrew

“… The teachers are the most helpful and kind people I have ever met.  Not one of the teachers at K.C.S. aren’t willing to stop doing what they are doing and help you out or answer one of your questions. Whenever a new student comes to K.C.S. everyone is open to tell them where to go or even be their buddy for the first few days…We learn so much sometimes my friends and I think our brains need more space…” – Jessica

“KCS is my world because there are so many wonderful students and teachers. When I walk in every morning I feel like this is my family. The students are always nice and inviting. Don’t even get me started on the teachers because they care for you as if you are a child of their own…” – Melena

“We have 4 school rules: Respect, Manners, Try your best, and don’t feed the Washington squirrels. “  – Kevin

“…When I walk through the school door, I inhale and think of all of my friends. I really hope my life at this school never ends. A teacher then greets me with a huge smile. I soon smile back; I hope I’m here for a while. This school always reminds me of a humpback whale. A humpback whale that’s not willing to bail. It always warms my heart when others hold the door for me, that it fills my whole heart with tons of joy and glee…” – Sierra

“KCS is an extraordinary school. There is never a dull moment. Each day is filled with excitement. The students are very welcoming and kind. They are willing to hold a door for you or assist you when you need help …Many people say school is meaningless, but I say that KCS isn’t a school. It’s more like your home away from home. It’s a place where you can be crazy, and laugh your head off. KCS is the place you want to be!” – Summer

“…In conclusion, KCS is an amazing school. Anyone who goes here will agree with me. If you aren’t already going to KCS, you should really consider it.” – Jacqueline

Andrea Fanjoy
Assistant Head, Academics

Excitement isn’t unusual at KCS. Those who witnessed last week’s ‘Free Hug/High Five Friday’, then joined us for an unforgettably heartwarming assembly of student leadership and achievement, know what I mean.

Imagine having an extra dose of excitement heaped on top! Most readers may not have noticed, but much of the education world is aflutter over Apple’s recent announcement that its iPad division is now in the e-textbook business. Teachers, parents, one Head of School  and assorted others in the Twitterverse made sure this announcement didn’t escape my scope.

Rest assured, this is being followed with interest.

Events like this remind me of a favorite book, a ‘rudder’ in my career: Jim Collins’ Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap…and Others Don’t (2001). Collins led a team of 21 researchers in the pursuit of what makes sustained greatness possible. Analysing over 1400 Fortune 500 companies, the team sought to identify the common features among those that have significant success for a period of at least 15 years. Only 11 companies made the cut. In this select group, the common features that seem to make them great are as interesting as the features one might assume make them great, but are absent.

Being the first to adopt new technologies is among the conspicuously absent.

Collins and his team identified seven features that contribute to greatness. If they can be summarized at all, it could be to say that great companies are exceptionally mindful of everything they do. How would they respond to the Apple announcement? When faced with new technologies, the approach of great companies is to “Pause – Think – Crawl – Walk – Run.” Their example is to beware the buzz and proceed with prudence until it is clear that the new technology is compatible with company strengths and objectives. Sober advice for seductive times.

The iPad’s interactive textbooks are exciting. They offer a number of attractive features. Maybe when the buzz settles a bit, we’ll remember that there is much more to education than textbooks, in whatever form they take. Then it will be time to crawl.

Andrea Fanjoy
Assistant Head, Academics

At KCS, it’s our mission to develop lifelong learners with the habits to face and embrace life’s challenges. Many of our students and parents have an extra one of those challenges on their plate right now.

Exams.

Students in grades 6-8 write exams starting January 30th. Love them or hate them (yes, we’ve had students say they love them!), learning to prepare for and take exams is a challenge we all have to face at some point. Starting them in grade six, with ample guidance and time learning how to prepare, is the best way to start. Though a big deal, exams at KCS are also a safe opportunity to face this challenge, ‘try your best’, and learn from mistakes.

Looking at our Habits poster in my office Friday morning, I wondered which of the habits students should focus on to be successful preparing for exams. Five stood out. When written down, it became clear they made for a nice little acronym – a beacon for calm in the storm of stress that often surrounds the ‘e’ word. The acronym is PAUSS. The habits are:

Persist – this is a marathon, not a sprint

Adapt – old patterns of studying and time management likely need to change

Use past learning – use notes and old tests; use strategies that you already know to work, and avoid those that you know don’t

Show self-control – stick to the study plan; focus on the task; remember to also rest, eat well and get exercise

Strive for accuracy – follow the study keys, test yourself, aim to understand any errors

Exams inherently stir up anxiety. PAUSS, happily, does not.

If your child is writing exams, encourage them to PAUSS. And watch with pride as your child develops habits that matter. Take heart. Dread will soon be replaced with delight, and doubt will be replaced by well-earned confidence. And the unknown challenges to come will face a tougher foe.

Andrea Fanjoy,
Assistant Head, Academics