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Spring Park Brainstorming Workshop Notes
A “brainstorming workshop” was held on Thursday, January 29, 2015 at Spring Park Elementary, one of a series of three such workshops scheduled for this week to allow home and school members to reflect on larger issues in education where we can work to affect change (notes from an earlier session at Montague Consolidated are…
Read More“The Myth of Average”
One of the dominant themes at our "brainstorming workshop" last night at Spring Park Elementary School was "class composition" – the challenges of classrooms populated by students with varying abilities, interests, strengths and weaknesses. It echoed similar conversation at Montague Consolidated earlier in the week. This TEDx talk, "The Myth of Average," by Todd Rose…
Read MoreMontague Consolidated Brainstorming Workshop Notes
A "brainstorming workshop" was held on Monday, January 27, 2015 at Montague Consolidated School, one of a series of three such workshops scheduled for this week to allow home and school members to reflect on larger issues in education where we can work to affect change. The small size of the group attending allowed us…
Read MoreEnglish Language School Board 2013-2014 Annual Report
At its Annual Meeting, held January 20, 2015. the English Language School Board released its 2013-2014 Annual Report (PDF). All home and school members are encouraged to review the report, as it is an excellent summary of operational issues in education in the province, with an overview of the board's strategic plan progress and financial…
Read MoreKeep the lines of communication open
Discussion between parents, guardians, teachers, administrators and staff has been the heart of home and school for more than 60 years: home and school is fundamentally about dialogue, and is based on the notion that through open and regular communication we can improve education together. In recent years the P.E.I. Home and School Federation has…
Read MoreHome and School offering funding through Parent Leadership Grants
January 5, 2015 For immediate release: Education and Early Childhood Development The PEI Home and School Federation is providing grants of up to $1,000 to Home and School associations to support parent engagement, says Education and Early Childhood Minister Alan McIsaac. “Parent involvement leads to student success,” said Minister McIsaac. “Study after study has shown…
Read MoreIn tune with transitions: Home and schools can work together to help students combat stress
Transitions, whether they be from school to school, grade to grade, classroom to classroom, or from public education to life beyond, are something that many partners in education are focusing on this year. Indeed the Nova Scotia Federation of Home and School Associations, at its recent Annual Meeting, dedicated an entire session to the topic,…
Read MorePresentation to English Language School Board School Principals Meeting
At the December meeting of all English Language School Board principals, held at Centre Belle-Alliance in Summerside on Monday, December 1, 2014, I delivered the following presentation on "home-school relations." Fifty-seven years ago Mrs. J. Gordon MacDonald contributed a piece to The Guardian, at the request of the PEI Teachers Federation, under the headline “Widening…
Read MoreConversations about Student Achievement: Parent-Teacher Interviews and Home and School Meetings
The term “student achievement” is used a lot these days when speaking of public education, and it’s a term that means different things to different people: achievement can mean good grades and high standardized test scores, or it can mean success at fostering empathetic, informed citizens. This month presents parents, teachers, administrators and staff with…
Read MoreHighlights of Nova Scotia Federation of Home and School Associations Annual General Meeting
I was honoured to be invited to attend the Annual Meeting of the Nova Scotia Federation of Home & School Associations on October 17 and 18 in Truro, Nova Scotia, representing PEI Home and School Federation. Friday Night Program On the Friday evening, October 17, there was a round of introductions, an informal receiption, an…
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