Principal Connections

I will admit that it took me a bit of time to wrap my head around the idea of harm reduction at school. Eventually, I realized that I was making the same mistake that a lot people around me were making in that I was not allowing myself to imagine running a school differently than I had prior to my current assignment. In my previous schools, if a student came to school under the influence there was no question what would happen: search was conducted to ensure that he/she was not in possession of illegal substances, parents were called to inform them of a suspension and the student was sent home immediately. The thinking behind this standard three-step process is that the entire student body had to be sent "a message" that being at school under the influence would not be tolerated. Essentially, this practice is for everyone else BUT the kid who is being sent home! I think a lot of that has to do with the fact that these situations are often the exception, not the rule. The long...

I love the animated film Inside Out and was happy that it was honoured with an Oscar tonight. I was especially impressed by the message of the film's director to adolescents who are struggling with trials and tribulations of growing up:  I know this message will resonate with a lot of the kids at my school who are aching to find their niche and show their authentic selves with confidence. One of the ways our school is shifting its culture to embrace this idea is the inclusion of our first maker space in our library and it is my hope that more pop up throughout the building. The 21st century is about repurposing, relevance, tinkering... Maker spaces fit the bill and can be the launching pad from which our kids can change the world.