Earlier this summer, I came across this article online on the ESPN website. Some insightful messages to us all regardless of whether or not we are athletes. What advice would you have given your younger self if you could go back in time?
http://espn.go.com/espn/feature/story/_/id/9418365/notes-younger-self
Derek Logan,
Head of School
When vacations end it is inevitable that we spend some time reflecting on what we did while on holiday. As an educator summer is always a great time to recharge, do things you haven’t had a chance to do during the school year, and plan for the fun and excitement of another school year. As I came back to school this week after three weeks away, I thought about the highlights of my summer. I’m sure you have a list of your own memorable events as well.
Heather and I finally caved and bought the kids a dog: Lily. I wrote about this topic last year. My kids have been awesome in taking care of her. Beyond my expectations. I must admit it’s nice to have someone in your life who ALWAYS likes to see you.I’m looking forward to developing a top ten list of memorable events from the 2013/14 school year.
Derek Logan
Head of School
Tonight’s victory by the Leafs over Ottawa ensured that they would be involved in a playoff game sometime next month. Here’s a look back on the year 2004, the last time the Leafs made the playoffs:
What have you done since May 2004?
Derek Logan
Head of School
Last Monday I was sitting in my office when one of our grade 8 students knocked on my door and asked to speak to me. He had been on our European Battlefield trip with his Dad in March and they had written a thank you letter to me (as well as the five other faculty and staff who were on the trip). In addition he gave me a Vimy Pin. April 9th was the 96th anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge, and he asked me to wear the pin the next day to commemorate the battle and honour those Canadians who had fought in 1917.
The next morning, I put the pin on and went outside during drop off. A parent rode up with her son on her bike. She noticed the Vimy Pin and said that she saw an article in that day’s National Post about Vimy. This led me to stop into our Business Manager’s Office later in the morning as I knew she had the Post delivered to her house. I asked her if she would save the article for me as I was interested in reading it. While standing in the doorway of her office, the Church receptionist overheard us talking. She asks me if she heard correctly that I was speaking about Vimy. I said yes, and then she asked me whether I knew the name of the designer of the Memorial. Of course, I couldn’t remember on the spot! That’s when she told me she was related to Walter Seymour Allward, the designer. She told me some stories, including that she has visited the Memorial twice, the last time in 2007 after it was refurbished; that she’s been in the catacombs beneath the Memorial; that Walter has other pieces of work at Queen’s Park, in Brantford, etc., and that he’s buried locally in Toronto. Her and her sister have researched Walter over the years. Of course this led me to a further conversation with one of our history teachers and one of the main organizers of our biannual battlefield trip. She said she would arrange for some of our students to interview the Church receptionist for their end-of-the-year history project.
The above story started with a thank you. A very kind gesture indeed, but one that had the added bonus of leading to an unexpected encounter at KCS. You just never know where good deeds will lead and where this story may go next.
Derek Logan
Head of School
If you happen to be in the KCS lobby be sure to watch for more photos on our TV.
On Tuesday morning, at drop off, I was out in the plaza in front of the school when Officer Rich, our community police officer, pulled up in his cruiser. He was here to speak to our grade 6-8 students on the topic of bullying and cyber bullying. Before entering the school, Officer Rich suggested that, after his talk with the older kids, we could bring some of the younger students outside and they could climb in the cruiser, ask him questions, etc. In a momentary lapse of reason, I spoke with the grade 1 teachers and offered to take their classes outside for the twenty minutes of morning recess.
So at 10:20, I lined the grade 1 students up in the hallway and we marched outside. Thankfully Ms. Borg, one of the grade 1 teachers, volunteered to come with me and take some photos, although I had confidently said to her beforehand, “If a police officer and a principal cannot handle 33 grade 1 students, there’s a problem.” Five minutes later, after we had rounded up the students for a photo op behind the black iron fencing :), the students were given the opportunity to climb in the cruiser and look around. The fun began. The energy and curiosity of the students was amazing to watch, it was like a beehive: constant activity. Some students were asking questions of Officer Rich, while others were arguing with each other about who was sitting in the cruiser the longest. They each had an opportunity to wear Officer Rich’s hat, and that in itself created some interesting conversations. Another student found a worm and decided it would be a good idea to chase some of her classmates. And by this time it was only 10:27. How would I survive the next thirteen minutes? I thought to myself… I need a nap.
I always tell parents that I really enjoy having the grade 1 classes across the hall from my office. If I ever want a little humour in my day, all I need to do is visit their classes or stand in the hallway as they are getting ready to go to their next activity. Those few minutes each day help to put my role at the school in perspective, and they certainly make me appreciate the quality of people we have teaching our primary students at KCS. Next time I have a bright idea to volunteer, I hope I remember this twenty minutes, and do it anyway.
Derek Logan
Head of School
One evening last week, just before 8 p.m., I was driving my daughter, Alyssa, to her weekly piano lesson. She turned to me and told me that she thought that her brother, Brandon, needed M&Ms for his grade 9 Business class the next day. Let’s just say I was not pleased to hear this news at that time of night. My first question to her was when did Brandon find out he needed these M&Ms? Once she hesitated in her answer, I knew he found out last week, but forgot to tell either my wife or myself. I told her that I wasn’t going to the store to buy them at that point in the evening and Brandon would just have to figure it out the next day. Alyssa knew I meant what I said, as both she and her brother remember the time when Brandon was younger and he arrived at his soccer practice with one shoe. You may have guessed this, but I didn’t drive home to get the other shoe. If you have never done this before it is interesting to watch someone play soccer with one shoe. I am pleased to say that since that practice, Brandon makes sure he leaves the house with all his gear before getting in the car.
Unfortunately, I will never know whether the lesson I was trying to teach Brandon with the M&Ms and being prepared for school made a difference. When I got home from picking up Alyssa from piano, there was a package of M&Ms on the counter in the kitchen. My wife, Heather, went out and bought them. We hadn’t agreed on my M&M strategy in advance…
Derek Logan
Head of School
The St. Julien Memorial – a Canadian war memorial located in the village of Saint-Julien, Belgium. KCS European Battlefields trip 2013.
My last Blog post was February 12th. A couple of times each week since then, a thought comes into my mind that I need to write another post. Each week I feel guilty for not writing, but then I start on something else work or family related and another week passes by. The guilt begins again, I begin something else, and then another week passes without another post. It’s not that I haven’t been doing things the last eight weeks. I’ve been down to Philadelphia to attend the annual NAIS conference for educators across North American; attended a trip to the Canadian battlefields in Europe along with 74 other students, teachers and parents from KCS during the first week of the March break; prepared for Board meetings, strategic planning sessions, and staff meetings; read books; watched my Leafs on their playoff push while laughing at the hockey commentators and their inability to predict any trades; attended plenty of soccer training sessions with my son; celebrated a 75th birthday for my Dad, a 70th birthday for my mom (hi mom, thanks for reading!), and a 93rd birthday for my grandmother; bought Eagles tickets for July 11th.
In short, life happened, my blog posts didn’t. Life went on for you, and the fact that you didn’t read a blog post from me may not have made a difference in your last 54 days. It got me thinking about all the things we try to cram into each day, and if we didn’t do them, what would really happen? Maybe this blog post made you think for a second, maybe it was a non-starter; maybe it was a happy distraction in your day. At least for me, I no longer feel guilty about not writing something, my ‘writer’s block’ has been overcome and I’m already enjoying working on my next post. Stay tuned…
Derek Logan
Head of School
This morning as I was reading the paper I came across this story about a local high school. When I go home tonight, I will show this to my two kids and remind them, what you read on line is not necessarily the truth.
Derek Logan
Head of School
This morning I arrived at KCS at my usual time, 7 a.m. Normally, I am one of the first people in the school. I get here early to answer emails, check phone messages, scan the newspapers, and just to have a bit of quiet time before the energy of 300+ children descend on the school. Today, as I drove into the parking lot I noticed a couple of our faculty’s cars – Mrs. Hoggarth and Mrs. Marcynuk. As I arrived at the main doors in my still sleepy state, I was greeted enthusiastically by one of our grade 5 students. Then I walked down the steps and was met by three or four other wide-awake and highly – I repeat, highly – energized grade 5/6 students. My quiet time was gone. It reminded me of the day, just over three years ago when I arrived at the front door only to be met by Dave, the project manager of our third addition, who informed me that we had a flood in our second addition (which you may recall we had to close for over six weeks). It’s amazing how quickly our state of mind can change when prompted appropriately…
These dozen students and our two faculty members were getting ready to get on a 7:15 a.m. bus to a school for Canadian Literature event. You can bet that when I was 11 or 12 years old, I would not have been so highly energized at 7 a.m. in the morning to go to such an event (probably not at 10 a.m. either!). As usual, a KCS teacher had that inspirational touch with a group of our students.
Derek Logan
Head of School
A KCS parent passed this story on to me. Supposedly it’s causing quite a following in cyberspace with individuals taking sides on what the second place runner should have done. You can draw your own conclusions. Share the story with your children, and discuss with them what they would have done if they faced a similar situation.
http://www.sportdw.com/2013/01/ivan-fernandez-anaya-sportsmanship.html?m=1
Derek Logan
Head of School
kcsmatters.blog 