Principal Connections

I'm not so sure I gave the notion of leaving a legacy at a school in which I have worked a second thought. Not until a couple of days ago when such a comment was made and I have been thinking about it ever since. I'm not entirely comfortable with this idea. The context: I was given the task of learning how to create the master timetable and determine room and resource allocation for the next school year. I doing so, I was finally about the have the freedom to move and shake things up about to create a cross-curricular Chromebook lab where all of the Tutorial and Learning Strategies courses will be taught. This class room is far away from the often looked-down-upon "Special Education wing" of the school. I thought it was important to: 1.) invest the resources in these courses in order to equip the students taking these course, who are often at risk in so many ways, with a solid set of real-world technology skills while they recover their credits, and 2.) make a s...

I've decided to attempt becoming Google Certified Educator Level 1. It's not like I'm not busy enough, right? I'll admit that part of me feels a bit out of the loop now that I've made the jump from teaching to administration. If I was still in the classroom, I would have done this long ago. I figure that I never turn away a good opportunity for more meaningful professional learning. My certification may give me even more credibility to be able to contribute on a system-wide level. I've already been providing some PD for my colleagues on ways in which administrators can leverage GAFE on a daily basis. I think I'll be better able to support teachers. I'll admit, that while I will always continue to "put myself out there' when it comes to being a sort in-house support for teachers, teachers have a hard time regarding me as a teacher, which is what I am after all. I actually gave a moment's pause to how this certification might be perceived by...

So the Principal comes rushing into my office yesterday to look out my window. My office faces our lovely peace garden and I have always loved the view. This day was no exception. "Chris! There are two kids kissing on the benches of the peace garden and it's getting kinda racy. A lot of people have been watching from the windows." Great, I thought... Myself and the other Vice Principal thought it might be a good idea to take a stroll into the peace garden, looking as if we were investigating... something. We said 'hello' to the students as we passed by and at that point, there was a safe amount of distance between them. My colleague started pulling out weeds and I kept looking around. I can't imagine how completely and utterly ridiculous we looked, although my suspicions were confirmed by the staff who were watching the whole episode unfold from their office windows. At one point, we even walked up to the students and asked them if they saw anything out of the...

I just received news yesterday morning that I will be transferring to a new school in September. I'm mostly excited beyond words. I'm finally getting a chance to work in a new community. I'm not expecting a "better" experience, just something different. I think I need to serve in another school in a completely different location before I begin to discern whether or not being a principal is for me. That's right, I still don't know. It's not that I'm unhappy in my job or have any regrets. I'm definitely not ready at this point to say with any certainty that I'm ready.  Anyway, there are a lot of mixed emotions. In as much as I thrive on change and new challenges, I'm sad to part ways with the families I have worked especially close with over the past four years. For anyone who doesn't believe that Administrators make real connections and differences in the lives of kids and families, you should look at my inbox.

Since 2008, I have been a member of my board's FNMI Steering Committee. It has been a highlight of my career. I have written curriculum, helped to influence policy, but more importantly, I have made friendships with wonderful colleagues and members our of local Native communities. Now as an VP, I have worked to promote our self-identification process and the various Native Studies courses. It never ceases to amaze me how people react when I share this experience. "How many of those kids can there possibly be in Catholic schools?" they ask. It doesn't really matter. Read the MOE policy framework: this good work benefits all kids and I'm proud to be a part of a movement that promotes cultural sensitivity and awareness, and fosters communication between two historically estranged communities, all in the interest of doing what is best for kids. Today, I attended what I thought would be our last committee meeting of the year and instead, we were surprised with a drum m...