How the School Has Changed with 3-5 year olds in it

Posted on September 16, 2013 by Derek Logan

We’ve now completed the first two weeks of the 2013/14 school year, and for the first time in KCS history, we now have classes in PK-SK. Here are a half dozen observations I’ve made during the our first eight days together.

There’s a lot more singing going on in the PK-SK classrooms than in other classrooms in the school. I’ve witnessed the singing of instructions, singing goodbye at the end of the day, and singing about various topics the students are learning about. I like it. I’m considering mandating more singing by our grade 7 and 8 teachers.
There’s even more energy in the school than before. So many times over the years, I’ve heard from current and prospective families what a wonderful feeling they have when they enter KCS during a school day (and when you are a prospective family it is important to visit a school during the day; otherwise all you are doing is touring a building). We’ve just taken that feeling to the next level.
Uniforms look great on children at this age. Over the past year, we’ve had many discussions about uniforms for our youngest students. According to most moms that I’ve run into during the first few weeks of school, just for the cute factor alone, this was the right decision.
Things take a lot more time. I watched a class of 16 JK students come in from outside on the play structure, change their shoes, wash their hands and then line up to go back to their classroom. It reminded me of the times during the summer when my children were the same age, and I was taking them to the park. It always seemed to take forever to get Alyssa and Brandon ready and out the front door. It seems to me that our PK-SK teachers possess a truckload of patience as well as some magical powers in order to do all four things in ten minutes.
Days don’t get much better than when you start it with a handshake, a fist bump, a high five, or the occasional hug around your kneecap, from a three, four or five year old.
Finally, it’s a lot harder to remember the names of 154 new students. In the past we would have approximately 50 new students a year (the majority in grade 1) and I would try to know all their names in the first week. This year, I’ve given myself until the end of September. Let’s see how I do.

Derek Logan
Head of School

Prince-Able

Posted on September 13, 2013 by Derek Logan

One of the parents came up to me today at the New Student Presentation this morning. She told me that she was having a conversation with her JK daughter before they arrived at school about what was going to happen at the presentation.

“Mr. Logan is going to introduce you to the rest of the students.”
“Oh, the big guy?”
“Yes. He’s the principal.”
“He must also be a prince because the word prince is inside the word principal.”

In less than a week, I’ve been called a magician by a grade one student, and a prince by a JK student. I hope my wife is reading this.

Derek Logan
Head of School

Things I Heard at School in the First Week

Posted on September 9, 2013 by Derek Logan

One of the joys of this job is what you hear students say to you or to each other. Every time I hear a gem like the ones below I think of the old television show, “Kids Say the Darndest Things”. Here’s three quotes from the first week. There will be more throughout the year – you can count on that.

While standing at recess on the first day of school a grade 5 student rushed up to me and said, “I love the new student planner. It has tabs in it that look like your tie.”

The second day of school began with me standing in the plaza out in front of the school. It was about 8 a.m. and still relatively quiet, when one of the grade 1 students was dropped off. She walked up to me and said, “Are you waiting for me?”

About fifteen minutes later one of our grade 3 boys (Daniel) arrived. I asked him, “How was your first day in grade 3?” His response, “It was easier than I thought.”

Finally, on Friday I was reading a story to all of our grade 1 students. In part, I do this each year in the first week to help me learn their names. Before I started reading the story, I went around the room and correctly called each of them by name. After this happened, and just before I started reading, one of the girls put up her hand and asked me, “Are you a magician?”

Derek Logan
Head of School

What Were You Doing 25 Years Ago?

Posted on September 5, 2013 by Derek Logan

On September 5, 1989, KCS opened its doors to 50 students from grades 1-5. Seven staff members and a host of volunteers worked tirelessly to make our school a reality back then. From such modest beginnings, we have grown to a school of 411 students from PK-8 and with a faculty and staff of 61. Over the past 25 years, we added on to our facility four times:

September 1995: our library, a couple of classrooms and some change rooms
March 2003: six classrooms
December 2009: eight classrooms, a new science lab, two music rooms, a small gym and some office space
June 2013: renovated and upgraded former SGNS space as a result of an amalgamation that was announced in Fall 2012

And now we are preparing to build a high school by September 2016. Given all that has been accomplished so far in KCS history, I am confident that next 25 years will bring many more successes and memories. But before we look forward let’s take a look back to 1989 and what some of our KCS people were up to 25 years ago…

The song Walk Like An Egyptian topped the Billboard Charts
Mrs. Hoggarth, our teacher-librarian, got engaged.
The Soviet Union pulled out of Afghanistan and The Berlin Wall began to be dismantled
Mr. Kolozetti went to his first RUSH concert…he’s been to 15+ RUSH concerts since then
The World Wide Web was first conceived of in Switzerland by Tim Berners-Lee, which would be opened to the public for free use in 1993
Meghan DeCaria, one of our teachers, was born
The television show Seinfeld premiered
Mrs. Borg had a French poodle named Pierre
An earthquake in San Francisco disrupted the World Series
Anatoli Guelfgat, our Facilities Manager, was living in Leningrad, Soviet Union (emigrated to Canada in November 1990)
First episodes of The Simpsons shown
Ms. Gaudet won a grade 9 basketball championship in Nova Scotia
Price of gold was approximately $381 (U.S.)
Ms. Dulmage was going to CFNY concerts at the Etobicoke Olympium
Brian Mulroney was Canada’s Prime Minister; David Peterson was Ontario’s Premier; Art Eggleton was Toronto’s mayor
Mr. Sawyer started his undergraduate degree.
The SkyDome (now known as the Rogers Centre) opened
Madame Barchuk was in two musicals: Annie and HMS Pinafore.
Toyota launched Lexus
Mrs. Freeman was pregnant with her daughter, Rebecca
The first of 24 satellites of the Global Positioning System is placed into orbit

It’s always fun to look back. We’ll do this again in another blog later this month.

Derek Logan
Head of School

The Journey Through KCS

Posted on September 3, 2013 by Andrea Fanjoy

Lots of little ones are joining KCS this week. And this year they’re littler than ever.

As of this September, KCS now has pre-, junior and senior kindergarten, in addition to grades 1 to 8. The excitement among faculty is palpable, and the desire to do our best for these youngest of students as strong as ever. Like we do for every student, we’ll follow their journey through to graduation from KCS with heartfelt interest. Here’s some of what they will come across:

Deeply caring and driven teachers who are constantly improving what they do to best meet their students’ needs.
A school experience committed to giving students the academic foundation and Habits they need to be successful in school and throughout life. Their learning will be enriched, at times accelerated, and differentiated to meet the strengths and needs of all.
A house system, led by senior students, that brings community, spirit-raising and friendly competition to the school day.
An immersion in student leadership that makes clear everyone can be a leader, and that leadership can unfold in infinite ways.
When in grade 1, they will have a grade 8 buddy who will organize get-togethers, high five them in the hall and be an example of the fine young men and women they will also become.
An extra-curricular schedule with around 35 club and team opportunities available to the students each term.
A regular message that they can make the world better, through acts big and small, through our Wall of Service and service learning projects.

Some will start shy and become contest-winning public speakers. Some will become passionate artists. Some will discover a penchant for politics, and will debate provincial legislation at the Ontario Legislature in grade 8. Some will bring home championship banners in sports. Some will become published authors in our YAKCS program. Some will discover special talents in math contests and robotics. Some will perform in an orchestra at Roy Thomson Hall. Many will become leaders with experience and skill beyond their young years.

It’s amazing to watch little ones grow. Immersed in the same opportunities, the unique core in every child will blossom in whatever way it chooses to.

That’s why we watch with so much interest. And why we’re so excited to be part of the journey.

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

Advice to Your Younger Self

Posted on August 28, 2013 by Derek Logan

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

For Goodness Sake, Get Connected

Posted on August 26, 2013 by Andrea Fanjoy

This one’s for teachers. And for everyone else who can pass it on to teachers.

We’re a pretty passion-driven lot. We work with children to meet their vast array of needs because we want to make a difference, the biggest difference we can. Ready to face daunting challenges each day (the more we learn the more challenges we’re aware of), we’re fuelled by a desire to do good.

Well, for goodness sake, get connected.

I’ve downloaded a 60-page guide on Project-Based Learning from a tweet. Videos, blogs, articles, websites, people and resources directly valuable in my day-to-day and strategic work are regularly on my feed. I’ve had Twitter chats with teachers from around the world. Tweets sent during conferences include attachments that boost the learning for all exponentially. My experience isn’t special – it lies in wait for any teacher who gets connected and builds a network. No single conference, workshop or book can replace the quantity and breadth of daily learning that comes from a professional learning network on social media.

Teachers around the world have embraced social media, particularly Twitter, like no other profession. While classroom walls and traditional timetables continue to separate us physically, more and more teachers are reaping the benefits of an infinite number of colleagues from whom to learn. Gone are the days when you have to know everything, solve everything and create everything largely yourself. We have always tried our best. With a much bigger knowledge base and tool kit than traditional professional development can ever provide alone, our best can now be much better.

If you’re a teacher and not yet connected, take the leap. Twitter stands out for efficiency and access to the largest number of educators and content. For the visually-inclined, check out Pinterest. Enjoy selecting the colleagues of most interest and relevance. No need to tweet. No need to post. Just learn.

I wish you a great school year. With a global professional learning network by your side, you’ll be on your way toward your best one yet.

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

Teachers wanting to learn more about Twitter should check out www.edudemic.com and their “Ultimate Twitter Guidebook for Teachers”.

June 14th Seems So Long Ago

Posted on August 21, 2013 by Derek Logan

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.

Had a deck built in my backyard. Should have done this seven years ago when we moved in. Reading, relaxing, barbequing, the occasional nap, hanging out with friends and family.
Bought an eReader in June. Avoided having one for the longest time as I believed I needed to have a book in my hand to enjoy reading. Love it, especially the Preview option. Must be a lesson here somewhere.
Watched my parents and my in-laws as they were celebrated by their friends at my parents 50^th anniversary and at a surprise party for my father-in-law. All people need friends like they have.
Attended three concerts: Eagles, Heart and Jason Bonham, and KISS. The first one was one of the top three concerts I’ve seen in my life. The second had an amazing song list, Ann Wilson can still wail, and the bands did a rendition of Stairway to Heaven that was comparable to what they did at the Kennedy Center in December 2012 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvvoVZ6DhoY. Always wanted to see KISS when I was a kid. Never took the opportunity. Now I’ve seen them the last three times they played T.O. Until you’ve seen the show, don’t judge the band.
My daughter, Alyssa, is in the midst of driving lessons, and she was hired for a part time retail job at a local drugstore. Two milestones on the road to old age for me.
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.
Went to Chicago with my wife, Heather, for our 20^th anniversary this summer. Our first trip without the kids. Why did it take us twenty years to learn to do this?
Taught a ten hour course on mental health in our schools at the Canadian Accredited Independent Schools (CAIS) Leadership Institute. One of the most stressful things I’ve done in a while, but also one of the most rewarding.
Attended a baseball game at Wrigley Field. It’s great attending a sporting event when you are going just for the experience and you are not worried whether your team wins or not. This outlook would help all Toronto sports fans.
Spent a night and early morning in a 40 year old Blues bar called Kingston Mines while in Chicago. In the words of a friend of mine, the place “drips the Blues from the walls”. An apt description. If you enjoy the Blues, make the pilgrimage.

I’m looking forward to developing a top ten list of memorable events from the 2013/14 school year.

Derek Logan
Head of School

Getting Dirty

Posted on August 7, 2013 by Andrea Fanjoy

As a child, it was playing in the local woods. Now, it’s working in the garden. For some others, it’s part of going to camp or the cottage. For a small number more, it’s volunteer labour abroad or adventure travel.

However you do it, getting dirty doesn’t happen like it used to.

A growing chorus of parents, educators and nature-lovers are concerned about how children today are increasingly removed from nature. Whether the reason is electronics or modern parenting, there is little denying that children don’t linger outside as much as previous generations. Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods, has labeled the result Nature Deficit Disorder and makes the argument that this is behind some of the major health challenges children face today, including obesity, attention disorders and depression. If that isn’t reason enough, nature packs a powerful learning punch. In addition to all that’s worth learning while outside, research makes clear that learning is stronger if it’s multi-sensory. If it comes with a taste, touch, sound and smell in addition to a look, the memory is embedded in multiple parts of the brain and more secure and readily retrievable as a result.

In the footsteps of Louv, and armed with research, forest schools are gaining media attention as an alternative to more time indoors. A recent article in the Toronto Star featured the Guelph Outdoor Preschool, Ontario’s first licensed outdoor preschool. Children will spend the bulk of the day outside, rain or shine, hot or cold. Under their teachers’ care, these lucky little ones will experience flora and fauna and yes, dirt, all while working on the most foundational skills all preschool programs seek to nurture – language, math, science and social studies, in addition to questioning, curiosity, wonder, imagination, flexibility of thought, and persistence. Evidence suggests these children will be off to a good start with their learning.

Not all children have a forest school to go to, and plenty of great learning can and does happen in typical school environments. That being said, it’s summer. School isn’t keeping children inside. Find ways for you and your child to connect with nature. Get outside. And if you need convincing, take Louv’s book with you. He won’t mind if it gets dirty.

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

Summer Learning

Posted on June 11, 2013 by Andrea Fanjoy

Cubbies are cleaned. Lockers lay bare. Papers have been sifted through with favourites kept and the rest thrown out.

Summer holidays have arrived, and the weight of the academic world has been lifted for another year.

I’ve been guilty of thinking that children have it relatively easy. I can remember once pointing out to a group of teens how hard their teachers are working, leading extra-curriculars, teaching all day, marking and planning every evening. I deserved their immediate challenge. They reminded me that, in fact, students also have a lot of demands on them. They’re involved in those school extra-curriculars and more, they’re in those classes throughout the day, and they’re doing homework every evening. They have endless expectations on them for managing themselves and their work. Many regularly face misunderstanding, mistakes and reprimand in both academics and social relations. They navigate this world with the vulnerable self-esteem, self-confidence and skill set inherent in being young. Even in the best schools, the days are not easy.

Many parents and teachers bemoan the long gap between June and September. It’s true that some academic learning can take a hit. Having said that, other learning should be savoured in the summer. Because the school year doesn’t always make enough time for it, here is some of the summer learning I hope all children work hard at this holiday:

Learning through play
Learning through mistakes
Learning within one’s strengths and passions
Learning and relaxation in a healthy balance
Learning what and how you want, just for the love of it

Lots of important things are learned at school. And lots of important things are learned outside of school. Like students, teachers also learn a lot over the summer. Maybe, as a result of all their learning, more of this summer learning will work its way into the school year.

Have a wonderful, learning-filled summer.

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

This article will be published in the July 2013 edition of SNAP Etobicoke.