Practising Leadership

Posted on January 23, 2013 by Andrea Fanjoy

Every Friday we have a school-wide assembly. Here’s how a recent one unfolded:

Three grade 8s presented their regular ‘Save that Species’ game show/skit to promote awareness of endangered species.
Three other grade 8s announced the conclusion of their successful Winter Coat Drive, thanking the KCS community for donating 101 coats to families in need.
Another five grade 8s came to lead our weekly ‘Compliment Friday’, inviting students in grades 1-4 to come up and give a public compliment to anyone they felt made a difference over the holidays.
Four girls in grade 6 reminded the community of their Poster-to-Canvas contest, with submissions due early February.
A group of House Captains from grades 7 and 8 announced the upcoming House lunches.
About thirty students from grades 1-8 came forward to present the ‘brick’ they earned for our Wall of Service. Each brick represents an initiative that makes a positive difference, and included acts such as running in marathons for charity, donating birthday money, distributing food to families in need over the holidays and many, many more.

And these represent a mere fraction of the leadership projects that are currently underway.

Practice makes perfect. The world could use more perfect leaders, or at least great ones, so KCS is working on it.

How do we do it?

First, we’ve taken the mystery out of great leadership. Every student at KCS knows the traits that lead to not only personal success but also a meaningful life that makes a positive difference. The KCS Habits of Mind, Body and Action are the undeniable, timeless attributes that make one a leader in all aspects of life.

Second, we’ve made leadership accessible to all. Leadership isn’t reserved for our oldest students, nor to students winning elections, or to students arbitrarily chosen by others. Leadership opportunities are as infinite as the imaginations of each student. If they can dream it, and we can help them make it happen, it can be pursued. We also make it clear that leadership is not always a big and bold undertaking – it can be as small and impactful as facing a daunting personal challenge, standing up to others doing something wrong or helping someone when they’re hurt.

Third, we’ve made it imperative. We don’t see leadership as optional in life – it’s as important as the academic skills that underlie any undertaking. Leadership is practiced in smaller ways among our youngest students, unless individuals choose to pursue a more substantial leadership project. By grade 6 it’s a timetabled subject and all students are given the time and guidance to imagine and deliver on an idea that makes a difference. Many choose to support groups in need, others choose to provide exciting new offerings to their schoolmates, such as contests and talent shows.

Our students have unparalleled opportunities to practice leadership. We know that the world would be a better place if all children went to a school that unleashed the leadership within, and we hope that one day this will come to be. In that way, KCS is practising leadership too. After all, it’s true what they say, practice does make perfect.

Andrea Fanjoy,
Assistant Head, Academics
You can follow Andrea on Twitter @afanjoy.

A Haunted House that Left Me Scared, and Bursting With Pride

Posted on October 31, 2012 by Andrea Fanjoy

A preschool-aged sibling hid in his room. A writhing trapped rat greeted us at the door. A skeleton sang and swayed while playing the keyboard. A ghost fell on my head. The masterminds? Two boys in grade 4 and their trusty crew of friends, one sister and parents. The mission? To raise money for breast cancer research.

This story goes back to the first day of school. A boy in grade 4 approached me, clipboard in hand. He explained that he had started organizing a Haunted House fundraiser and wanted to meet to discuss it. He knew that’s all it took to launch a leadership project. “Drop by my office and we’ll talk. But remember that you must be willing to persist, and to think flexibly as we plan.” This wasn’t part of a club or program and would test his commitment from the start by making him take responsibility.

He had lots of ideas. He gathered a team. When they learned they couldn’t create a Haunted House at KCS, his friend suggested they could transform his garage. When this boy asked his parents if they could use the garage, his parents replied that they needed a written proposal. The proposal passed, posters were made, a Powerpoint presentation to their classmates was given and a note to their parents posted in the weekly newsletter. Throughout were lots of drafts, changes, challenges, and mistakes. They gave up their recesses, tracked me down a dozen times or more, and devoted two weekends to preparing the garage.

: Haunted House created to raise money for breast cancer research

The boys and their siblings raised a significant amount for cancer research. Dozens of visitors experienced an unforgettable Haunted House. This group, through their efforts, made the world better in multiple ways.

And adults of the world are left with a lesson. Don’t ever assume children are too young to lead. Let them lead. We’ll all enjoy a world that’s much richer for it.

Andrea Fanjoy,
Assistant Head, Academics
You can follow Andrea on Twitter @afanjoy.

It Takes a Village

Posted on October 1, 2012 by Andrea Fanjoy

What does it take to make the world a better place? It takes a village of children – children who are empowered to do so, that is. Here’s what happens when you have such a village:

Four boys in grade 4 are organizing a Haunted House fundraiser for breast cancer research;
Five girls in grade 2 are organizing a food drive, and four others a toy drive;
Two girls in grade 4 are ramping up for their third year of their “Fair Food Friday” awareness campaign;
Two others in grade 4 spoke at assembly to remind everyone to say thank you when the door is held for them;
Two gentlemen in grade 8 are preparing for this year’s “Walk to School Wednesday” campaign (which has led to exponential increases since it began three years ago in the number of students walking to and from school);
Two other grade 8s are delivering math enrichment workshops for younger students;
A group in grade six is organizing an art contest;
A group in grade 7 is organizing our school’s participation in “The Vow of Silence” to promote awareness of and an end to child labour;
One new student in grade three took the initiative to pick up garbage on the field beyond what was asked;
Another new student in grade three taught his class about his favourite charity “Helping Hands”;
All of our grade four students helped organize our Terry Fox Run;
Sixteen House Captains stirred up our KCS spirit;
“Compliment Friday”;
“Free Hug and High Five Friday”;
“Talent for Treats”;
“Turn Out the Lights Tuesday”;
Volleyball for the Food Bank;
A winter coat drive;
Art for shelters;
Club leaders;
Recess helpers;
Lunch supervisors…

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Be sure to visit our homepage for regularly updated student-led leadership initiatives – we’ll be featuring them in the news feed.

The world has a lot of room to be made better. Adults are unable to do it alone. Empower the children in your village to use their talents and desires to make a difference. You’ll be amazed at the difference they make.

Andrea Fanjoy,
Assistant Head, Academics

You can follow Andrea on Twitter @afanjoy.

Me to We Leadership Centre

Posted on September 14, 2012 by Derek Logan

Last fall Ms. Field (Director of Athletics) and Ms. Gaudet (Citizenship Coordinator) came to me and suggested we make changes to our outdoor education and leadership program for our grades 7 & 8 students. Last week saw the culmination of that initial discussion almost twelve months ago when our intermediate students attended the Me to We Leadership Centre in Bethany, Ontario during the first week of school.

Feedback upon their arrival back to school last Friday, as well as the various conversations I’ve had with students and teachers over the past few days, have helped me to realize that all of the work that went on behind the scenes over the past year to make this change happen is already having a positive impact on our students. It reminded me that too often we see the final product of something and forget about all the thought and efforts that went on behind the scenes to make it happen. The easiest thing would have been to keep the program the way it had been running for the past three to four years. But that is not leadership. If there is one thing I’ve learned as a Head at KCS over the past five years, doing the easy thing in the short term is almost never the right thing to do in the long term.

Over the coming school year, I look forward to seeing firsthand the development of our student leaders and the action they each take to make KCS and our community a better place for everyone. Going to the Me to We Leadership Centre was a great way to kick start these efforts.

Derek Logan
Head of School

Can we stay in for recess?

Posted on September 11, 2012 by Ms. Gaudet

Growing up in Nova Scotia, I distinctly remember asking that question. In winter, I would volunteer to clean the boards (blackboards, that is) or laminate, just to avoid the cold nor’ easters. In the warmer weather, we had to be cajoled back in at the end of recess.

Our students ask this question too. But, it happens year round.

This past school year one of my most recess-loving boys asked to stay in to work on his Lego robotics project for science class. He knew that the extra time testing his robot would help his team in the next competition. And, to him, it was worth it.

After visiting an outdoor education centre, a group of grade 7 girls decided to construct Save That Species, a skit, in game show format, which was regularly performed at assembly to inform their peers about endangered species in a fun and informative way. They asked to stay in to practice, arrange costumes, and construct background slides on the computer.

Others worked on presentations for younger students, creating games for their class, or tracking our Lights Out Lunch where classes are reminded to turn off the lights. Clearly, student leadership is pervasive.

During our student voice sessions in 2011/12, we asked students about leadership. We asked: What does it mean to be a leader? How do you feel that you get to be a leader at KCS? What would you add or change about student leadership at KCS?

Here’s what some of our students had to say:

‘To be a leader means that you encourage others to make positive choices, to act with empathy, to do what is right.’ Interestingly, few students thought that being a leader means the one who wins the trophy, or the one who gets to be in charge of others. They’re empowered as leaders to help others, not to overpower others. I think that is an amazing indicator of our school’s culture.

The list of ways that students were involved was extensive! Among the ways that they showed leadership: teaching younger students, peer tutoring, house captain projects, helping teachers lead clubs, coming up with new ideas for the school, picking up garbage in the park, creating new projects, and helping others with their problems.

One of my favourite quotes was from a grade one student: “I feel good whenever you (the teacher) say ‘journal time is over’ and I pick up all the pencil crayons.” It’s the little things that make a difference.

Students voiced their opinion that there should be more time dedicated to leadership. At present, there is a leadership class for grades 6, 7, and 8 students. We’ll be using every opportunity to make sure that students who want to be leaders, can be leaders. We believe that everyone can be a leader.

The teachers at KCS read about leadership this past summer. The Leader in Me, by Stephen R. Covey, talks about how students are empowered and engaged when they can be leaders. Luckily, this is not be a revolutionary idea for our school. It’s already there.

Ms. Gaudet
Citizenship Coordinator, Grade 7 History & Geography

Grade 1s are So Honest

Posted on April 13, 2012 by Derek Logan

Today we had a Spirit Day at KCS. It was beach day. I was sitting in my office with one of my colleagues with my door open. My office is across the hall from the grade 1 classrooms. The younger students are always interested in seeing what the faculty and staff wear on Spirit Days. The two boys peeked their heads in to see what I was wearing – my Toronto Maple Leafs beach shirt, shorts and sandals. One of the boys said to the other, “He doesn’t look that weird.”

Derek Logan
Head of School