Gifted Challenge Summer Program applications are available

Summer may seem like a long way off, but it is just around the corner if you are interested in applying for our Gifted/Challenge Summer Program.  

The Student Application Package has been sent out to schools, and parents can also download an application from the VSB website; you need to click on programs and then you will see the icon at the top of the page.  Here's the information about gifted summer school.

Applications are accepted on a first come first serve basis, so get your application in early, before the programs fill.  There are lots of exciting course offerings, and I encourage parents and teachers to refer students who are interested! As well, you do not need to be a student in a Vancouver school but you should have a PEN number.

This program is run through Continuing Education and is not affiliated with the programs that are offered at the Challenge Centre during the school year...so I can not answer any questions about specifics, however, if you need more information, you can email the director at:  gifted@vsb.bc.ca

I encourage as many students as possible to enroll and take part in this great summer opportunity!

Gifted Challenge Summer Program applications are available

Summer may seem like a long way off, but it is just around the corner if you are interested in applying for our Gifted/Challenge Summer Program.  

The Student Application Package has been sent out to schools, and parents can also download an application from the VSB website; you need to click on programs and then you will see the icon at the top of the page.  Here's the information about gifted summer school.

Applications are accepted on a first come first serve basis, so get your application in early, before the programs fill.  There are lots of exciting course offerings, and I encourage parents and teachers to refer students who are interested! As well, you do not need to be a student in a Vancouver school but you should have a PEN number.

This program is run through Continuing Education and is not affiliated with the programs that are offered at the Challenge Centre during the school year...so I can not answer any questions about specifics, however, if you need more information, you can email the director at:  gifted@vsb.bc.ca

I encourage as many students as possible to enroll and take part in this great summer opportunity!

Welcome to Term Three

Welcome back to school.  I am busy getting term three up and running at the Challenge Centre. What is happening this term?

1.   Operation Civilization Challenge centre. This is a program for grades 3 and 4 students (there was a typo in the manual that suggested the program was for grades 4 and 5 students - I apologize for not catching this before it went to print!).  I will let the schools know the students for this program over the next week.

2.   The Future is Wild Program begins next week and runs for 4 days.  Looking forward to working with these young naturalists!

3. I rescheduled the last Book It! Program for grades 5/6/7.  We missed our last day due to job action, so I have rescheduled the program for Monday April 16th. I can't wait to finish off the book club with these amazing readers.

4. We have other programs coming up for the primary students:  please get the applications in for:  Discovering Science Gr. 1; Gizmos and Gadgets Gr. 2/3; Poetic Picassos Grade 2.


3.  Book Club Gr. 4's:  we still have three more sessions with these fantastic readers!

5.  For teachers who applied for "Exploring Identities":  there was a small amount of applications received, but I may be able to offer a program some time in April (I will keep you posted).


So it looks like it will be an exciting term!  I am looking forward to working with students again!

Welcome to Term Three

Welcome back to school.  I am busy getting term three up and running at the Challenge Centre. What is happening this term?

1.   Operation Civilization Challenge centre. This is a program for grades 3 and 4 students (there was a typo in the manual that suggested the program was for grades 4 and 5 students - I apologize for not catching this before it went to print!).  I will let the schools know the students for this program over the next week.

2.   The Future is Wild Program begins next week and runs for 4 days.  Looking forward to working with these young naturalists!

3. I rescheduled the last Book It! Program for grades 5/6/7.  We missed our last day due to job action, so I have rescheduled the program for Monday April 16th. I can't wait to finish off the book club with these amazing readers.

4. We have other programs coming up for the primary students:  please get the applications in for:  Discovering Science Gr. 1; Gizmos and Gadgets Gr. 2/3; Poetic Picassos Grade 2.


3.  Book Club Gr. 4's:  we still have three more sessions with these fantastic readers!

5.  For teachers who applied for "Exploring Identities":  there was a small amount of applications received, but I may be able to offer a program some time in April (I will keep you posted).


So it looks like it will be an exciting term!  I am looking forward to working with students again!

Ski Racing and Authentic Praise in Education

Inside the Ski Racing Mind: Don't Praise Your Children! | Ski Racing

 This is a great article on how we praise children in sports, and particularly, how we often say "good job" or "great work" and praise outcomes rather than processes.  There is a reference to Carol Dweck's research! Basically, the article talks about not praising inborn talent (you are a gifted skier), but rather praise the areas the child has control over, such as effort, attitude, responsibility, commitment, discipline, focus, emotional mastery, fitness, technique, equipment preparation.   

How does this apply to working with gifted students, and all students?  We need to provide opportunities for the inborn talent to emerge, AND provide encouragement and support for the areas the student has control over....their effort, responsibility, their focus, their preparation, and discipline.  Both work together.  (I believe the innate talent is revealed by the emotional maturity and mastery of the student, but this is a entirely different blog post!). 

Our family has fallen into the ski racing world.  Through this world, my sons have learned a great deal about hard work, disappointment, being organized, the importance of a good attitude, and how to work as a team in a very tough sport.  I am so grateful for the lessons they are learning!  The biggest lesson is disappointment.  My older son races really well, but he is not the fastest kid.  He doesn't win medals.  However, he goes to the award ceremonies after the races, and waits patiently, thinking that perhaps, this time, he will get a medal.  Afterwards, he is crestfallen.  He works so hard and there isn't an external reward for him!

So, we use this as a lesson:  we debrief, we talk about disappointment, and hard work, and we try to focus him on the good things, like being in the moment and knowing that you did your best.  It is so hard and tough, but we are building resiliency, one step at a time.  

Let's focus on building resiliency in our students and teaching them that innate abilities are important (and interesting), but that IT IS our intentions, and our effort, and our hard work, and our commitment, and our passion for what we are doing that matter much much more. Disappointment is good.  It refocuses our soul and helps us learn.  

  

Ski Racing and Authentic Praise in Education

Inside the Ski Racing Mind: Don't Praise Your Children! | Ski Racing

 This is a great article on how we praise children in sports, and particularly, how we often say "good job" or "great work" and praise outcomes rather than processes.  There is a reference to Carol Dweck's research! Basically, the article talks about not praising inborn talent (you are a gifted skier), but rather praise the areas the child has control over, such as effort, attitude, responsibility, commitment, discipline, focus, emotional mastery, fitness, technique, equipment preparation.   

How does this apply to working with gifted students, and all students?  We need to provide opportunities for the inborn talent to emerge, AND provide encouragement and support for the areas the student has control over....their effort, responsibility, their focus, their preparation, and discipline.  Both work together.  (I believe the innate talent is revealed by the emotional maturity and mastery of the student, but this is a entirely different blog post!). 

Our family has fallen into the ski racing world.  Through this world, my sons have learned a great deal about hard work, disappointment, being organized, the importance of a good attitude, and how to work as a team in a very tough sport.  I am so grateful for the lessons they are learning!  The biggest lesson is disappointment.  My older son races really well, but he is not the fastest kid.  He doesn't win medals.  However, he goes to the award ceremonies after the races, and waits patiently, thinking that perhaps, this time, he will get a medal.  Afterwards, he is crestfallen.  He works so hard and there isn't an external reward for him!

So, we use this as a lesson:  we debrief, we talk about disappointment, and hard work, and we try to focus him on the good things, like being in the moment and knowing that you did your best.  It is so hard and tough, but we are building resiliency, one step at a time.  

Let's focus on building resiliency in our students and teaching them that innate abilities are important (and interesting), but that IT IS our intentions, and our effort, and our hard work, and our commitment, and our passion for what we are doing that matter much much more. Disappointment is good.  It refocuses our soul and helps us learn.  

  

Spring Break Musings

As a teacher, I continually feel cut off from what is happening globally in education.  I think it is a phenomenon expressed by many teachers:  we are with students, in our classrooms, working hard.  But what is going on out there?  What are other districts doing?  How are they experiencing the changes that are going on in our world and how does this impact our teaching?   

So, having a few seconds to myself, I look at blogs of teachers and educators to get a handle on how they are experiencing these fast and terrific times, and how they handle sharing their stories.  

Well, I was impressed with West Vancouver.  Check out the blog of the Superintendent, Chris Kennedy  who has done a fantastic job in uniting his district with a strong and focused message!  His emphasis is on real world learning, and how the role of teacher is changing.  We are not the deliverers of curriculum, but the supporters, managers, and coaches of students who are powerfully making sense of their own learning.

I always link it back to my own learning as a teacher:  when working in the Multi-Age Cluster Class, a full time gifted program, I was surrounded by huge intellectual powerhouses!  These students were seekers of knowledge, had brains crammed with information and facts beyond my wildest dreams, and  were able to make abstract connections that kept me on my toes.  Now, these students did not need my rendition of facts or teaching on how things worked.  They needed a guide to assist them in making sense of their learning, a facilitator, a person to keep them on track, to ask the right questions, to push them for further understanding, and to show they how to be communicators of their knowledge.  That was and continues to be my role.  And, I love it!  

So when parents and teachers ask "what do you teach" in the challenge centre, I am very evasive.  I come with a plan, and then I seek out what the students need, and then I go from there.  I always have a plan, but I always need to meet the group and get their feedback, and push forward!

Finally, I LOVE what Chris Kennedy says is so important, in his TED talk (go to his great blog and check it out)....good writing still matters.  When we use technology as teachers, we need not get bogged down by it all (my techie husband rolls his eyes at my lack of skills in the techie world) but we need to understand that good writing still matters. 


So, as we work in our "own houses" of teaching, I like to think that we can make connections with other learners, and use social media as a means to discover ideas and share knowledge.  This is 21st Century Learning at it's best!

 

Spring Break Musings

As a teacher, I continually feel cut off from what is happening globally in education.  I think it is a phenomenon expressed by many teachers:  we are with students, in our classrooms, working hard.  But what is going on out there?  What are other districts doing?  How are they experiencing the changes that are going on in our world and how does this impact our teaching?   

So, having a few seconds to myself, I look at blogs of teachers and educators to get a handle on how they are experiencing these fast and terrific times, and how they handle sharing their stories.  

Well, I was impressed with West Vancouver.  Check out the blog of the Superintendent, Chris Kennedy  who has done a fantastic job in uniting his district with a strong and focused message!  His emphasis is on real world learning, and how the role of teacher is changing.  We are not the deliverers of curriculum, but the supporters, managers, and coaches of students who are powerfully making sense of their own learning.

I always link it back to my own learning as a teacher:  when working in the Multi-Age Cluster Class, a full time gifted program, I was surrounded by huge intellectual powerhouses!  These students were seekers of knowledge, had brains crammed with information and facts beyond my wildest dreams, and  were able to make abstract connections that kept me on my toes.  Now, these students did not need my rendition of facts or teaching on how things worked.  They needed a guide to assist them in making sense of their learning, a facilitator, a person to keep them on track, to ask the right questions, to push them for further understanding, and to show they how to be communicators of their knowledge.  That was and continues to be my role.  And, I love it!  

So when parents and teachers ask "what do you teach" in the challenge centre, I am very evasive.  I come with a plan, and then I seek out what the students need, and then I go from there.  I always have a plan, but I always need to meet the group and get their feedback, and push forward!

Finally, I LOVE what Chris Kennedy says is so important, in his TED talk (go to his great blog and check it out)....good writing still matters.  When we use technology as teachers, we need not get bogged down by it all (my techie husband rolls his eyes at my lack of skills in the techie world) but we need to understand that good writing still matters. 


So, as we work in our "own houses" of teaching, I like to think that we can make connections with other learners, and use social media as a means to discover ideas and share knowledge.  This is 21st Century Learning at it's best!

 

Introverts Unite!

A great Ted Talk on being an introvert.  Misunderstood in schools.  I am married to an introvert, and my sons are introverts.    In schools, we need to understand who the introverts are and give them their space to think.  Teachers thrive on group work and we want students to share their ideas and contribute...ALL THE TIME.   What about those quiet ones?

Often, at parent teacher conferences I get, "Your son is beginning to share in class", as if not sharing is a BAD thing.  Well, I know my son, and sharing his ideas verbally, is not what he likes to do.  I have worked with kids like my son, and sometimes it is unnerving ...unnerving to have the kid in class who doesn't say much.  "What is going on in that head?  What is happening...I am not getting the feedback that I usually get with others...." .   We relate it back to our own teaching without realizing that it really has nothing to do with us, but that the child is thinking, or "in their head".  

Finally, I love how Susan Cain focuses on going to the wilderness and getting away.  The link to nature and solitude is very powerful and important for our souls, whether we are introverts or not.  

So teachers and parents, let's think about our learners in a global mindset,  understand that introverts and extroverts exist on a continuum, and plan to give time for reflection and thinking for all.

Introverts Unite!

A great Ted Talk on being an introvert.  Misunderstood in schools.  I am married to an introvert, and my sons are introverts.    In schools, we need to understand who the introverts are and give them their space to think.  Teachers thrive on group work and we want students to share their ideas and contribute...ALL THE TIME.   What about those quiet ones?

Often, at parent teacher conferences I get, "Your son is beginning to share in class", as if not sharing is a BAD thing.  Well, I know my son, and sharing his ideas verbally, is not what he likes to do.  I have worked with kids like my son, and sometimes it is unnerving ...unnerving to have the kid in class who doesn't say much.  "What is going on in that head?  What is happening...I am not getting the feedback that I usually get with others...." .   We relate it back to our own teaching without realizing that it really has nothing to do with us, but that the child is thinking, or "in their head".  

Finally, I love how Susan Cain focuses on going to the wilderness and getting away.  The link to nature and solitude is very powerful and important for our souls, whether we are introverts or not.  

So teachers and parents, let's think about our learners in a global mindset,  understand that introverts and extroverts exist on a continuum, and plan to give time for reflection and thinking for all.

Welcome to Spring Break

Spring Break is here and I wish everyone a great two week break.  I will be spending time skiing at Sun Peaks, reading, and spending time with my family.  

It has been an interesting and tumultuous time in education in British Columbia, and parents and teachers alike are waiting to see what will happen and what the outcome will be.  

Much more to follow..

Welcome to Spring Break

Spring Break is here and I wish everyone a great two week break.  I will be spending time skiing at Sun Peaks, reading, and spending time with my family.  

It has been an interesting and tumultuous time in education in British Columbia, and parents and teachers alike are waiting to see what will happen and what the outcome will be.  

Much more to follow..

A Book A Week

Viewing the blog of Gino Bondi,  Principal at John Oliver Secondary, I was excited about his post on reading. I am inspired that he is reading a book a week and I am enjoying his reviews. I will definitely keep these books in mind for my summer reading list.

I am an avid reader and the students I work with are avid readers.  However, life has gotten in the way of my reading this year, and I have endless excuses as to why I haven't read:  the dog needs walking, there is laundry to fold, there are lunches to make, yoga classes to go to, dishes to wash, and the list goes on.

It was during my last book club meeting that I became inspired because the students were so interested in novels!  They talked and talked about novels that I hadn't read.  So, to keep up with the reading of my students, I am going to read a novel a week.  Not any novel, but novels for young readers ages 8 and up.  And, I will share these books here, in order to give ideas to other teachers, students, and parents.

My first review is a book recommended to me by a student who likes adventure stories:  Silverfin.  This book by Charlie Higson is part of the Young Bond series.  This story is about young James Bond before we know him as a handsome spy, as depicted in the movies.   

I highly recommend this read, as it appeals to young boys and girls who like action and adventure.  I enjoyed how the author portrayed the young Bond as a an ordinary kid.   As he says,

" I  knew  when I first began thinking about the project that I didn't want James to step out on to the first page wearing a mind tuxedo, a smirk,  and a shoulder holster; I didn't want a shrunken down version of Pierce Brosnan (the actor who was playing Bond at the time).  I wanted him  to start out as a reasonably straightforward and recognizable thirteen-year-old boy, so that kids reading the book could identify with him.  Why not? I reckoned that James Bond, the man (in many ways the ultimate man) - the international jet-setting playboy/secret agent - must have started life like all of us, as an ordinary kid" (page xiv, introduction to Silverfin)

The story begins with Bond being sent to Eton, and his trials and tribulations in meeting students, finding himself as a talented long distance runner, and finally his issues with George Hellebore, an American student whose father Lord Hellebore owns a castle in Scotland. During his Easter holidays, Bond visits his Aunt Charmian and his dying Uncle Max in Keithly Scotland, and he comes upon the mystery of a local boy who has disappeared, fishing at Lord Hellebore's castle at Loc Silverfin.  And so the mystery begins!

As a young adult, I read many of the James Bond books by Ian Fleming, and I have seen all of the James Bond films - being quite the fan of the early films staring Sean Connery. I am looking forward to reading other books in this series, and I can think of lots of boys and girls who will enjoy this exciting read!

A Book A Week

Viewing the blog of Gino Bondi,  Principal at John Oliver Secondary, I was excited about his post on reading. I am inspired that he is reading a book a week and I am enjoying his reviews. I will definitely keep these books in mind for my summer reading list.

I am an avid reader and the students I work with are avid readers.  However, life has gotten in the way of my reading this year, and I have endless excuses as to why I haven't read:  the dog needs walking, there is laundry to fold, there are lunches to make, yoga classes to go to, dishes to wash, and the list goes on.

It was during my last book club meeting that I became inspired because the students were so interested in novels!  They talked and talked about novels that I hadn't read.  So, to keep up with the reading of my students, I am going to read a novel a week.  Not any novel, but novels for young readers ages 8 and up.  And, I will share these books here, in order to give ideas to other teachers, students, and parents.

My first review is a book recommended to me by a student who likes adventure stories:  Silverfin.  This book by Charlie Higson is part of the Young Bond series.  This story is about young James Bond before we know him as a handsome spy, as depicted in the movies.   

I highly recommend this read, as it appeals to young boys and girls who like action and adventure.  I enjoyed how the author portrayed the young Bond as a an ordinary kid.   As he says,

" I  knew  when I first began thinking about the project that I didn't want James to step out on to the first page wearing a mind tuxedo, a smirk,  and a shoulder holster; I didn't want a shrunken down version of Pierce Brosnan (the actor who was playing Bond at the time).  I wanted him  to start out as a reasonably straightforward and recognizable thirteen-year-old boy, so that kids reading the book could identify with him.  Why not? I reckoned that James Bond, the man (in many ways the ultimate man) - the international jet-setting playboy/secret agent - must have started life like all of us, as an ordinary kid" (page xiv, introduction to Silverfin)

The story begins with Bond being sent to Eton, and his trials and tribulations in meeting students, finding himself as a talented long distance runner, and finally his issues with George Hellebore, an American student whose father Lord Hellebore owns a castle in Scotland. During his Easter holidays, Bond visits his Aunt Charmian and his dying Uncle Max in Keithly Scotland, and he comes upon the mystery of a local boy who has disappeared, fishing at Lord Hellebore's castle at Loc Silverfin.  And so the mystery begins!

As a young adult, I read many of the James Bond books by Ian Fleming, and I have seen all of the James Bond films - being quite the fan of the early films staring Sean Connery. I am looking forward to reading other books in this series, and I can think of lots of boys and girls who will enjoy this exciting read!

Job Action and Cancelled Program

We are in job action and there will be no Book It! Session 4 for the Grades 5 an 6 students on Tuesday March 6th.  I will try to reschedule this program, as I would love to see all of you one last time.  I will keep you posted.  Have a wonderful weekend!

Job Action and Cancelled Program

We are in job action and there will be no Book It! Session 4 for the Grades 5 an 6 students on Tuesday March 6th.  I will try to reschedule this program, as I would love to see all of you one last time.  I will keep you posted.  Have a wonderful weekend!