As we near the end the 2023/2024 school year, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the parents of Division 14 for their support this year. It was a great year and the students have done an amazing job working hard in improving their reading, writing, and math skills. I am proud of everyone’s dedication to their learning and I hope that they will continue to work hard, remember to ask questions, and remember to ask for help when needed. I am sad that I will not see them in September, but I hope that I will see them around Burnaby.

My main goal this year was to make each student aware that they are the key to learning  and by having a growth mindset and understanding that only they have the power to do what they want. Further, I wanted them to see how everything we learn has critical connections to other things we learn and to everything around them. As lifelong learners, we need to create meaning in what we learn by finding connections to our knowledge and other things we have learned. By taking these connections one step further to the world around them, the learning gets solidified by making logical and practical sense of learned content. This helps learners develop their holistic skillsets in profound and integrated ways.

We, as a class, used the “Tribes Agreements” to guide our behaviour and in hopes of making the best choices. I hope that each student will continue to remember these agreements as they grow older. Throughout the year, we continued to use the phrase, “Make good choices”, which happens when we first stop and take a breath (or a series of breaths) so that we can think and proceed with the appropriate behaviours. It is important to be aware of what we are doing so that we can make good choices. By being aware of what our body is doing, what we are feeling, and what we are thinking, this awareness will help in guiding us towards making good decisions.

For example, when something doesn’t go in the way we had anticipated, or a situation arises, it is easy to blame someone or something for what happened. In the fall, many students would say, “My mom didn’t put my planner in my backpack,” or “My dad forgot to put my library book in my backpack.” My response was and will always be: “Whose planner is it?”, or “Who borrowed the book?” It is important to take responsibility or ownership for the choices that we make. Learning to take ownership for something negative is difficult to do. However, it takes courage to accept mistakes and negative decisions. Further, it shows a willingness to learn and  without making mistakes, we cannot grow. Most importantly it is the awareness and ownership of these mistakes that is critical and this mindset that takes time to develop with lots of encouragement.

Taking responsibility isn’t only important when owning up for our mistakes, but is also critical if we are to learn. It also takes courage to ask for help. Seeking out the strengths of others in our community and learning from them helps each one of us to become better at our own skills. It is important that being able to seek out and ask others for help strengthens our weaknesses and shows that we are becoming stronger individuals. This kind of mindset is essential if we are to grow and continue to develop to become strong individuals.

Sometimes, even though we have given our best effort, the end result is not what we may have anticipated. However, do we choose to dwell on failures and make ourselves feel miserable, or have a mindset that is more productive by asking ourselves, “Where do we go from here?”, or  “What can I do now?” Looking at what did go well is something that we can continue doing. By examining what did not go as planned, can always be reflected on and re-evaluated for next time. This mindset is taking a proactive approach rather than a reactive one. Remember that we cannot change the past, but we all have opportunities to change the future. Being aware of what we are doing and what we can do is important. As the students leave grade 2, it is my hope that they leave with a solid foundation of awareness skills based on finding critical connections.  These connections can lead to a developing sense of responsibility, a growth mindset, and self-regulation skills.

Here are titles of books that may help to give a different perspective on children. Punished By Rewards by Alfie Kohn is an older book, but a good read. I recently began rereading it. I have included a link if you are interest. The Whole-Brain Child by Daniel J. Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson gives strategies on how to nurture the developing mind of your child. A different perspective to what we may have grown up with. How to Raise a Reader by Pamela Paul and Maria Russo has some great ideas for families of how to nurture readers from pre-birth to teenagers.

I hope that you all have a great summer. If you ever have any questions, please feel free to reach out at my email address. Take care.