The final unit task for the Cold War (50s/60s) unit in my History class was to create some kind of news - a newspaper or a news report, looking back major events of the Cold War. Here's just one of the great examples of student produced videos, that they uploaded to YouTube, for this project! 

Today, we received our shipment of yearbooks! I have had the chance to go through it and I must say, I am REALLY proud of my team! Despite being only four members strong (with a few special guests who helped along the way), my team worked tirelessly to produce a phenomenal 120 page, full colour yearbook! 

This year's theme was "Passport to Pius" and our focus was on all things journey related. 


My journey as yearbook advisor ends this year, as I pass the torch to my colleague. It has been a memorable 4 years and I thank all of the dedicated students I have worked with along the way. I am proud of the four books we created together and I hope that all of the students who have purchased them will look back fondly and remember their years within these walls. 


And remember....

"A yearbook is...

a keepsake, a jewel,
the treasure trove of youth.
It transends distance and time,
dollars and dimes,
health, beauty,
pride and duty
to a place where young lives began.
Burid in the future
is a discovery of your past;
a time when photographs and stories
become precious.

 
A yearbook is ...

a heartbeat, a pulse,
the rhythm of our school.
It captures every giggle and sigh,
gasp and cry,
unties athletes and scholars,
leaders and followers
in a way that nothing else can.
Its body is your life
and the voice of the school,
its breath the moments frozen in time.


A yearbook is ...

an anchor, a link, the tie between the present and past.
It records people and places, names and faces, facts, notes, messages and quotes,
drawing a map of the places you've been.
Though life's course may change,
your history remains
and forever travels with you."

Each year, as part of the Grade 12 "Grad" retreat, students are given the opportunity to reflect on their years at our school. As a part of a closing to their journey, each student is given a sheet of paper and the opportunity to write a letter to any staff member of their choosing, expressing any thoughts, comments or feelings that they have.

This year, I was blessed to have received three wonderful letters from graduating students. The one below left me speechless and unbelievably touched by the kind words.

It is moments like these, when you read the words of students whose lives you have impacted, that we see the true depth of teaching. Teaching isn't just about content, lessons or evaluations; it is a human impact on another's life. 

As educators, we are given the gift of working with young people and shaping the future. It is an extraordinary gift! 

Whenever I need a refresher about the power of teaching on young lives, I will read this letter and remind myself that we make a difference every day! 

On Friday at our PD day, I was honoured with my Associate Teacher of the Year Award from Queen's University. The picture I've shared is one of me with Peter Brodribb (Practicum Supervisor) and Nadine Thompson, Practicum Placement Officer, who presented me with this award.

I am truly honoured, humbled and grateful to have recieved this award from Queen's. Thank you for such kind recognition. 

Tonight was an exciting professional development opportunity for me! I had the chance to be the guest moderator for Canadian Ed Chat - a professional learning chat on Twitter for Canadian educators, which takes place each Monday at 8pm EST. 

Our topic this evening was Differentiated Instruction and when I mentioned to the moderator team that it was one of my passions, Michael Quinn (@neurophilomath) kindly asked me to co-moderate the chat with him! 

Together with the Ed Chat team, we came up with a series of awesome questions to stimulate discussion on DI and to gain ideas about effective implementation, especially using technology.

It was such a great experience for me and I thank the team for allowing me to step in for the night to talk about one of my biggest passions - DI! 

If you are an educator, I highly recommend you join us for a chat! I promise you'll leave the hour filled with tons of great ideas!