Why Don’t Schools Teach “X”?

I love the fall — it’s an exciting time of renewal — a new school year with shiny floors and everyone looking refreshed and energized. It is also a time when I hear lots of suggestions about what we should be teaching. Here are some of my all-time favourites:

  • changing a flat tire
  • surviving in the wild
  • negotiating a contract
  • filling out a federal tax form
  • growing vegetables
  • performing basic pet care
  • displaying manners such as holding a door
  • investing in stocks and bonds
  • sewing on a button

‘Basic pet care’ was new to me this year. Not sure what that means beyond feeding your dog, putting out some fresh water, going for walks, and taking them to the vet when they need it … but I digress. That’s not really the point.

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Putting a Wrap on 2023-2024

Wrapping Up The Year

I look forward to this time of year because of the events that celebrate our time together and personal milestones. I also become reflective on some of the other events that have made a difference. For my year-end post I’ve organized a short list of things that have made us better. Each of these has personally resonated with me as a significant step forward in our district. I hope that you enjoy them and that they might also resonate with you.

My 2023-24 list of noteworthy events:

  • Year #2 of our Strategic Plan
  • Revitalized School Plans
  • A Commitment to a Better Future
  • Stelly’s Indigenous Cultural Room
  • 84 New Childcare Spaces
  • A Disruptive Technology

Year #2 of our Strategic Plan

We are concluding Year #2 of our five-year strategic plan and we’ve learned a lot. With a crisp focus on 4 key areas (Literacy, Indigenous Learner Success, Mental Health & Wellness, Global Citizenship) we continue to use the Plan to steer priorities, conversations and actions:

  • Meeting agendas, professional development opportunities, presentations to the Board, School Plans, Professional Growth Plans, budget priorities — they are all being shaped by Strategic Plan 2022-2027.

It is exciting to see alignment between so many facets within our district — areas such as Facilities (e.g. Stelly’s Cultural Room), our learning agenda (e.g. Literacy, Indigenous Learner Success, Mental Health & Wellness) as well as budget and staffing priorities — all laser focused on the goal of improving student success.

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