Joyeux Noël et Bonne année

It's the season, isn't it? But the season for what?  For the first time ever I headed out into the woods on Quadra Island, found a little Douglas Fir (unlike its 200 foot high brothers all around it), said a silent word of thanks and then cut the tree and brought it into the house to decorate. Decorations, stockings, presents, roast duck and Joyeux Noël to all.  Not a bad Christmas for a nice Jewish boy. The Christmas story was around in the music we listened to. Not so much in the Doctor Who Christmas specials we were watching or the presents. So where was the spirituality? Perhaps when we went for a walk among the falling snow and lacy white branches of the trees.  In the deep rich mosses covering the cliffs, in the birdsong and eagle cries in the sky. In the peaceful meditation as I cross country skied in the alpine meadows and through the still forests. Mounds of snow falling ominously from the treetops and whiskey jacks flitting around me.

Contrast that with the wedding I attended yesterday.  A former student, whom I taught when she was in grade 2, all of 15 years ago perhaps, now a young woman, a writer and a student, a wife and a Christian. A devout Christian finding meaning in this our troubling world.  The service was most traditional, and I felt very much an outsider.  At the reception commenting with my neighbour on the role of faith for our friend, in the day's events. The groom's parents praying since he was a boy that he would find a wife.  A neighbour at our table talking of his plans to teach overseas, spreading the gospel. And us, feeling like this was another world. I am very glad that my ex-student has found love, a soulmate, a community; that she has found her place in the  world. It is not my place, my faith, my idea of a partnership, in which the groom pledged to "protect" and the bride to "submit."  Really? Submit?  What century is this? What place does this sort of traditional religion have in 2013?  I know it is more common than I see in my own community, among my circle of colleagues and friends, but it scares me. Absolutely we need the spiritual in our lives, and western society is lessened somewhat because many people do not feel the spiritual.  But a blind faith, a belief that there is only one path to salvation, that not following Jesus, or any particular spiritual path, no matter which one, makes one less human, less blessed, less good, is erroneous. It has led, still leads, to conflict around the world and in our community's.  It leads to division, to intolerance, to a world we hoped to have left in the Middle Ages, in the 19th century.  

We need the spiritual in our lives, more than the materialism and commercialism that has brought human and environmental degradation to the planet, but we need the spiritual that connects us all, regardless of religion, race or culture. I find that more in the snowy forest, rather than the house of worship.

Images de l'automne

C'est la vie . . .

Mi-novembre. Pluvieux. Frais. Moon dogs up in the somewhat starry sky. Lots new, perhaps too much new, to take the time to write. Dozens of loaves of ciabatta baked, hundreds of cookies, travels to the snow and the mountains, the forest and the coast. Family celebrations and tears. One school year melts into the past. The next one rushes forward. One daughter becoming a teenage. The other a young woman. Friends moving away and returning. Birth & death. Frustration and love. C'est la vie. Might as well dance. To Khaled, or perhaps an old tune from when I was but a lad . . . 

Field Trips and Exams: It must be June

The end of the year is fast approaching and with it our year end field trips. This year Bill 22 and the resulting BCTF job action has put teachers in a difficult situation. For us, year-end field trips and our camping trip are an integral part of our program. The activities complement our classroom learning as well as providing opportunities for celebration and closure to our year together. The BCTF plan demands, however, that teachers limit their excursions to regular instructional hours. Over the past weeks, we have discussed how we would comply with our union directives without adversely affecting our students.

After much deliberation, Mme Brault, Mme Balabuch and I have decided to continue with our scheduled (and in some cases, paid for) excursions but we, as teachers, will limit our involvement to regular school hours (8:30-3:00). Most of our trips will occur within these hours, but for the camping trip to French Beach, this will require parents be responsible for supervising breakfast, afternoon and evening activities. We will be on site if we are needed, but will be "off duty." We are in an unusual position, but hope that this modification of our role and yours will allow for a very successful year end for all.

Today I sent home a year-end trip package with information and forms for all activities. Please indicate if you can join us for any of the trips (especially for the French Beach camping trip), complete the paperwork, and send in $40 to cover the cost of all excursions. As always, please contact me or Mr. Ross if the cost is a limiting factor to participation. Forms are due next Friday, June 1st.  If you are joining us overnight, please also have a criminal record check completed by the Victoria Police Department as soon as possible if you have not had one done in the past year. The school office can provide you with a letter to have the criminal record check fees waived. We will be having more organizational meetings over the next weeks for students, after which they will have a better sense of what camping equipment and food they will need to bring. Forms can be found here.

Please note that students who have incomplete grade or who have not completed major assignments will not be permitted to attend trips. There is a curriculum completion day coming up on June 7th and I will let you know at the end of next week what work is missing, if any.

We do have final exams coming up on June 14th and 15th, in Math, English and Socials. Mme Brault has already distributed review question booklets for Math. Mme Balabuch and I will be doing in-class review and teaching study skills. For Socials, students can review their work and duotangs from the entire year, label blank maps with the places studied, and compile point form study notes on each of the units. They can predict what "big concept" (environment and culture, messages that changed the world, roles in society, etc.) questions I might ask and answer them. They can also review or download unit work on the class wiki. Please note that the  Lit Circle Final Project is due this coming Wednesday.

Thank you very much for your ongoing support.

Looking back: looking forward

Exactly one year ago my family packed up our house and took off to Europe for three months. I find myself thinking a lot about the trip, about our experiences, about how much we have done in the past twelve months and where I find myself today.

The trip was life-changing. Certainly for my daughters, they now have a deeper understanding of the world, of opportunities. They have made connections with places and people, and we all speak about reconnecting with those we care about, be that friends, old or new, the farm in Languedoc or the market in Paris, and we know that we will be returning. It is not a question of "if," only "when."

For me, the trip was about taking a break for the status quo, pressing pause on my work, my career, exploring other ways of being, and perhaps testing the waters for an alternative lifestyle. I did bring some of that back home with me. My garden is blooming and growing with flowers and vegetables. I spent Easter recreating it to reflect the Italian gardens we saw. We eat more simply, good breads and cheeses, fresh local fruit and veg.  My life is as busy as before, with all the demands of work and parenting and money, but the stress has slipped away. Maybe it is because I have a richer perspective now. I don't have the two hour lunches and siestas we had in the Midi and Tuscany, but I do take more time for myself. I try to fit in walks, runs, friends, writing and painting, cooking and gardening, time with my daughters. These are the things that are important.

And so I look forward. To living simply. To sharing this mode de vie with others. To planning trips and overseas experiences for my daughters and for myself . . . in time. I am in no rush to head off again, but rather I will consciously work to create a better life here, now. I am asking myself how can I enrich my life. By developing community - in my neighbourhood, among friends, among colleagues, at school, in Victoria. By growing myself - looking after my body, my mind, my spirit. By getting involved - in local issues and organizations. By living every day like I am on holiday - taking advantage of each moment, of opportunities, of relishing experiences and of appreciating every one I meet, at least as much as I can.

And if I can live this way, living each day fully and with appreciation, taking time for myself and for others, all good things will follow and I will have no regrets.

End of April Update

It has been a busy few weeks and I imagine it should continue for the rest of the year.

RESEARCH PROJECTS & CONGRÈS:
To start off I would like to congratulate all the students who completed and presented their research at the Congrès a couple of weeks ago. I had great feedback from the staff who attended and helped me evaluate. Despite a few technical difficulties, students did a phenomenal job of researching and presenting.

The final element of the Huit pas Rite of passage is for students to undertake 20 hours of volunteering. This could be around school, helping with neighbours and friends, with businesses or non-profits. The goal is to allow students to give back to their community, gain skills and experience, and further clarify their interests. A tally sheet can be found here. (Volunteering from any time this school year is acceptable as long as it can be verified by the supervising adult).

REPORT CARDS:
You have likely been hearing about Report Cards in the news. Yes, teachers will be completing reports cards this week. You will be receiving your child's report next Monday, April 30th. The reports will be abridged, consisting of a letter grade covering work in the first two terms and a work habits code (Excellent, Good, Satisfactory, Needs Improvement). There will only be comments if there has been a significant change in progress since last term. As always, I am more than happy to meet with you or have a phone conversation if you have any questions or concerns. We are writing reports to comply with last Friday's Labour Relations Board order, but there is still a great deal of frustration with the provincial government and Bill 22 which I feel with hurt students, your kids and my own. Feel free to write to the Premier and Minister of Education to encourage them to create a fair mediation process and repeal Bill 22.

FIELD TRIPS:
There are a few events coming up that you should know about.

• Wednesday-Saturday: Band Trip to Kelowna
• Thursday, 9:30-2:30: For those not on the trip, Chinatown exploration with Div 15 and 17; please join us for all or part of the day.
  
• Friday 12:45-2:45: Crystal Pool swim with all Immersion classes; please come along!
• Monday, April 30: Report Cards home
• Wednesday/Thursday, May 2-3: Previously scheduled Student-Led Conferences cancelled; contact me, Mme Brault or Mme Balabuch if you would like to set up a meeting at another time.
• Thursday, May 10th, 7:00 pm: Dig It school musical at Vic High
  
• Thursday, May 17th: District Transition Day - all Grade 8s to visit their high schools.
• Friday, May 18th: Pro-D Day
  
• Thursday, June 7th: Curriculum Completion Day
• Thursday/Friday, June 14-15: Grade 8 Final Exams (Math, Socials and English only)
  
• Monday June 18-Wednesday June 20th: Camping Trip to French Beach (Div 15, 16 & 17) - please mark on your calendars. If you would like to join us on this trip (details to follow in May), please let me know and ensure that you have a current (within last 12 months) criminal record check. Though this is a voluntary extracurricular trip on the part of the Grade 8 Immersion teachers, we have chosen to take this trip to celebrate and bring closure to the year.
• Friday, June 22nd: Grade 8 Celebration - a final celebration for Grade 8s (note: there is no graduation ceremony for middle schools) consisting of a student planned lunch and dance; please do not plan to be away this day or you'll hear it from your kids!
  

CURRICULUM:
In French and Socials we are studying the Middle Ages. Students have an assigned role (serf, knight, noble, miller, etc.) and will look at medieval life through that lens. We will look at class and gender roles, the power of the Church, the rise of cities and the bourgeoisie, art, literature, justice, a quick look at medieval Japan, and end with a Medieval Feast in a few weeks. In French students are continuing to read their Lit Circle books and discuss them on Wednesdays and gleefully conjugate verbs and learn how to use "complements d'objet direct et indirect" (ex. Je la lance, tu lui écris un lettre).

In Science we are continuing to learn about Optics (light, lenses, vision) and we will be dissecting sheep eyes next week! There is a mix of horror and excitement about that! We will then move on to microscopes, cells and the immune system.

In Math the class is working on the Pythagorean Theorem and Geometry. They have begun Track and Field in Phys Ed.
In English they are finishing up their Radio Plays. If you haven't listened to your child's play, do ask them. They are very entertaining.

And that will keep us busy for the next month or so!

Joyeux printemps

It is good to be back after a couple of weeks off. I enjoyed hearing about everything that students did over the break, holidays to the sun and snow and rain, tournaments, time with friends, movies, books, and all things Hunger Games. I had a quiet break in town, baking and gardening with my daughters, reading (including Hunger Games 1 & 2!) and a quick trip last weekend back to the Juan de Fuca Trail.

I can't believe we are a week from April. The year has gone by quickly and this final term always flies by. In French and Socials we will be finishing up our Media unit over the next two weeks, then plunging into the Middle Ages and finishing the year looking at the Renaissance. We have just started another Lit Circle round, this time with discussions in class and on the Wikispaces site (at http://mbarwin.wikispaces.com/project/list) once a week or more. We will also look at French literature from medieval times through to Molière, a French contemporary of Shakespeare.

In English students will be working on Radio Plays. In Science we are continuing our study of optics, followed by microscopes, cells, body systems and ending with ecology.

Here is what is coming up over the next couple of weeks:

• Thursday, March 29th: High School counselors will be joining us to guide students through the course selection process. Students will be bringing home course booklets and forms for you to sign and return.
• Thursday/Friday March 29-30: Choir Trip to Powell River.
• Friday March 29th, 9:15-12:00: Broadway Brilliance concert at the Royal Theatre with the Victoria Symphony and Cdn College of Performing Arts; we will be walking down at 9:15 and require at least one adult to help supervise; please email back if you can come along.
• Friday afternoon: Restoring Natural Ecosystems program, with visiting expert from UVic. Feel free to join us for this indoor/outdoor experience.

• Wednesday, April 4th: Rite of Spring Concert
• Thursday, April 5th: Research Project Conference - at long last, students will be presenting their research to their peers, families and the Central community; we are working on the schedule but I will post it on the Wiki and send it out to you next week.
• Friday, April 6th & Monday, April 9th: Easter (no school)
  
• Tuesday, April 10th: Media to Change the World project due (a group project including a poster, an radio message and a video, to be posted on the Wiki).
• Friday, April 13th: Complete research project due (title page, table of contents, all chapters, revised if necessary, etc.); this is the final chance to submit work for the research project.

I did send home Term Two marks before the break. If you have not seen the mark/self-evaluation form, let me know and I can send you the Term 2 grades. As always, please feel free to send me a note or leave a message at school if you have any questions or concerns.

Joyeux printemps!

Looking at the world; leading the world

 

Over the past few days I've been looking at the world, looking at our leaders, considering the challenges facing our community and our world, and how we go about addressing the challenges. I went to hear anthropologist, National Geographic "resident explorer" (what a great job!) and photographer Wade Davis talk about the Sacred Headwaters of the Nass, Stikine and Skeena rivers and the threat from the Red Chris Mine. I went to a PAC meeting with our district superintendent and listened to ideas on what qualities make an effective leader. I was immersed in the conflict between teachers in BC and our provincial government. I listened to the Imam of the local mosque talk to my class.

The message: Listen. Be respectful. Do what is right. Allow others to do what they do best. Appreciate.

Wade Davis said, when talking about Shell Oil executives looking to develop natural gas deposits in Northwest BC, there are no enemies. We must look for common ground, be opportunistic (in the sense of taking advantage of every opportunity), and recognize the values others have. He was talking about the non-monetary value of the land to the Iskut people, and of the ecological value of the biodiversity. 

We, as teachers, and the government, need to understand and respect the value that the other puts on economic prudence, on creating balanced classrooms, on supporting learning. How that can happen is up for discussion, but without the respect, without the search for common ground, hon the process of reconciliation begin? As hurtful as I feel Bill 22 is, I do not doubt that the BC government wants a strong education system, one that other jurisdictions strive to emulate. Indeed many of the aspects of the BC Education Plan reflect how I teach and what I feel is important in education: personalized learning, quality teaching, flexibility, technology. Is it complete? No. Where is the focus on ecological literacy, on getting kids outside, on community, on traditional knowledge? And for the plan to be successful there needs to be adequate funding and supports for every student, and working in conjunction with teachers, parents and administrators. 

Solutions do not work when they are imposed. Look at Bill 22! They do work, as we advised our superintendent, when change is organic, when participants are empowered and feel valued, when all the skills and knowledge of the community is taken into consideration. Once one does that, they can see the leverage points in the system and work with the system to effect positive change.

And thinking about appreciation, take time to appreciate every moment, as Louie Schwartzberg explains in his short: Nature, Beauty, Gratitude.