MY GOODNESS - Will benefit everyone
What do we really want for our children?
The love of a family, a safe environment in which to live and learn, living with little anxiety and a genuine sense of purpose, self-confidence and courage, and healthy self-esteem. This list could go on and on.
We have so many dreams and aspirations for our kids, and we share them with our students. Above all, we hope that they become good people—individuals who comprehend that they have a role to play in improving the lot of those less fortunate, that they can influence what happens with the environment, and that we collectively make a lasting, positive impact on our own lives and those of others.
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GROW UP - Strong and Courageous
Here’s one of my fundamental beliefs: we have a choice in how we grow up and how we help our children grow up.
Our new advertising campaign issues some strident challenges to Grow Up and Get Real! Those challenges, though bold, are supported by our knowledge that we enable our students to develop character.
“Parents can only give good advice or put them on the right paths, but the final forming of a person's character lies in their own hands.” Anne Frank
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GET REAL - Good at who you can be
Truth in advertising - myth or reality?
In our case, we state with confidence that it’s entirely real.
We’ll be rolling out new ads over the next little while, and the sharp-eyed among you will notice them in the Globe & Mail, Best Side & Cayman Marshall magazines, at Joshua’s Creek and 16 Mile arenas, and elsewhere.
We proudly claim to help our students get real good at who they can be, grow up to be strong and courageous, and show how their goodness will benefit everyone.
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Embracing the richness of a world view
One of the best features of teaching is that you become enthusiastic about answering questions. We get lots of them from our students, parents, and families considering our school for their kids. Embracing curiosity is a key pillar of how we approach teaching at Walden.
A frequent question concerns why ‘international’ is part of our name and how we’re not simply a school for foreign students.
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Celebrating Winter Holidays: Every Moment a Milestone
The Christmas and holiday season ought to be a time steeped in merriment, an occasion where every ordinary moment is imbued with an extraordinary touch, transforming each instant into a memorable milestone. Regrettably, in our modern-day festivities, we frequently find ourselves ensnared by the materialistic allure of the season, fixating on the 'stuff' rather than the true essence of celebration.
At its core, this time of year is a tapestry woven with joy, compassion, and togetherness threads. It serves as an annual reminder to cherish the company of loved ones, spread kindness, and revel in life's simple pleasures. Yet, in the rush to check off lists and fulfill expectations, we often lose sight of these invaluable sentiments.
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Embracing the spirit of meaningful volunteerism
Raising funds is often in the spotlight in the world of giving and making a difference. Nonprofits and organizations work tirelessly to gather the resources needed to support their missions and projects. While fundraising is essential, something even more potent is often overlooked: the passion for advocacy and spreading awareness.
At our school, we think of it as the "Three Ts" - Time, Talent, and Treasure. Everyone, including our youngest students, can get involved and make a positive impact.
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Academics and Life Skills: Two sides of the same coin
In the education of elementary school children, there exists a symbiotic relationship between academic rigour and life skills. These two facets of education are not isolated but intricately intertwined, working together to shape the future of young learners.
Walden’s IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) and Middle Years Programme (MYP) are renowned educational frameworks aimed at advancing the academic prowess of elementary school children. These programs provide a holistic and inquiry-based approach to education that not only enhances students' academic abilities but also nurtures their personal and social development.
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Embracing the spirit of Orange Shirt Day: A year-round commitment to reconciliation
Orange Shirt Day, observed annually on September 30th, holds profound significance in Canada as a day of remembrance and reflection. It commemorates the painful history of Indigenous children who were forcibly taken from their families and placed in residential schools. The orange shirt symbolizes the resilience of survivors and the ongoing journey towards reconciliation. While the day itself is a powerful reminder, it's essential to carry forward the values it represents throughout the year. In this blog post, we'll explore the importance of Orange Shirt Day and discuss ways we can actively embrace its spirit throughout the entire year.
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Student agency: learning how to learn
In a rapidly evolving world, where knowledge and skills become obsolete at an alarming pace, the ability to learn and adapt is crucial for every student. Recognizing this imperative, a recently published report* by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has shed light on the significance of student agency in education. The report reinforces the core principles we uphold at Walden, emphasizing the importance of enabling students to become active participants in their learning journey.
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Shaping a Kinder Future
Last month I treated you to a short post to make a point about spending less time on digital devices. This month it’s a longer post. I thought you might have more time to spend on a summer’s day to learn more about how we make a better world with kids.
Education plays a pivotal role in shaping young minds, particularly during the formative years of Junior Kindergarten (JK) to Grade 8. It is during this critical period that children develop fundamental values, attitudes, and skills that influence their perception of the world. Educating children with a focus on creating a better world holds immense significance in fostering a compassionate, responsible, and sustainable society.
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Tips for moving from the virtual to the real world
This is a short post.
It’s short because it’s about spending less time on digital devices.
It’s written in response to a parent’s request for some insight into how to get kids off digital, into the real world and doing so without immeasurable grief.
Does this sound familiar?
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Build or repair?
Remember the beginning of 2020? Until February or March of that year, the world seemed pretty normal. Then we launched into the pandemic and life changed forever.
No matter how we might try to discard our memories and stake a claim to our resilience, our ability to pivot, our responsiveness to unforeseen circumstances and the simple weirdness of the entire situation, one issue is undeniable. The pandemic created an epidemic of stress in our children.
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Henny-Penny and wondering if catastrophe is looming
World Has Less Than a Decade to Stop Catastrophic Warming, U.N. Panel Says
“One morning, as Henny-Penny was plucking worms in the henyard, an acorn dropped from a tree right onto her head! She had no idea what had hit her, however, and so she started shouting:
“The sky is falling! The sky is falling!”
We often use the story of Chicken Little as a cautionary tale about overreaction and exaggeration. What is sometimes forgotten is that the story ends with Foxy Loxy enjoying a meal of fresh poultry!
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Why?
Here’s an observation I came across recently that resonated powerfully.
“A paradigm shift occurs when a question is asked inside the current paradigm that can only be answered from outside it.” - Marilee Goldberg, The Art of the Question
It took me a couple of minutes to digest and then it came clear to me: you will not achieve meaningful change if you never bring new perspective to an opportunity; you will not produce a different result if you continue to apply the same method to problem solution; you will never discover new wonders if you never leave the highway you’ve always travelled on!
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How we motivate meaningful change throughout the school year
A friend shared this story with me just after Christmas.
His son got a $10 bill from his grandfather. If you’ve seen the new bill, it’s a striking design featuring a portrait of Viola Desmond. After checking out the note for a bit, his son asked him, “Who’s the lady on my money?”
He told him that Viola Desmond was a Canadian heroine who took a stand against racism in Nova Scotia when, in 1946, she refused to leave a whites-only section of a movie theatre. “Oh, you mean she’s like Rosa Parks?,” his son responded.
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We have the power to shape our future
What do you want your legacy to be?
Even as adults, these are enormously challenging inquiries. They challenge us to explore areas to which we seldom pay attention. They require us to not only face but welcome adversity. They demand a relentless exploration of our motivations and reflections on where we’ve been, where we are and where we hope to go.
When I tell you that these are just a few of the challenges the Walden student confronts, you might think we’re over-reaching their capabilities. And, if we were to do so without providing support and guidance, you might be right.
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A better quality of life and learning through mentoring
Without delving too deeply into science, what we’re talking about here is an important aspect of naturalistic observation. Understanding and influencing behaviour by experiencing what happens to a child’s brain when they interact with elders.
The idea of engaging with your youngsters (or elders) is not just for the sake of grandparents and grandchildren. It can actually bring about for both parties by sharing wisdom, experience, and perspectives.
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Differences make us unique
Our approach to acceptance at Walden - Everyone is welcome here.
The commitment is not just a pretty sign we hang on our doors and in our classrooms. It’s a daily reminder that we must always respect and show support to all students, staff and their families. We teach our students and remind ourselves that we acknowledge each other's differences, and acknowledge the humanity of someone raised to think differently from us.
That we do not agree to disagree but accept that differences exist, which is what makes us all unique.
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How do we mobilize our students to be good people?
Imagine what our society could become if each of us actively took our principles to the street, if we each contributed in some small way to making our neighbourhood a better place to live for every one of us, if we took action that would improve the lives of those around us - near and far.
The world is full of young people who, with the right mix of determination and willpower, can effect change at the local level. They begin with one issue they’re passionate about, then find small, local ways to organize and find solutions to the problem.
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How we help children move from anxiety to hope
Proactive in fostering student achievement, we recognize wellness as an essential pillar of education. Students take part daily in mindfulness activities, which is a mandate of our program. Evidence suggests that introducing mindful meditation into the classroom is an effective means of improving attention and emotional regulation. We recognize the importance of encouraging and modelling a healthy lifestyle that includes mindfulness, which will prepare students for success.
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