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Posts Tagged ‘AprilFoolsDay’

Breaking News: AI Report Cards! Because Why Should Teachers Have All the Fun?

Posted in Assessment, Change, Parenting, tagged , on April 1, 2026| 3 Comments »

It seems like everywhere we turn these days, AI is there to help. It writes our emails, plans our meals, reminds us to breathe, judges our parallel parking, and tells us whether we would look better with bangs. It was only a matter of time before we asked the obvious question: why are teachers still writing report cards like it is 1987?

After extensive consultation with the Institute for FRANK (Feedback and Reporting through Algorithmic Narrative Knowledge), and a surprisingly aggressive chatbot named Derek,  West Vancouver Schools will be piloting a revolutionary AI Report Card Generator this spring. Derek has already asked to be credited as a “strategic thought partner” in this initiative. But here’s where it gets exciting: parents will be able to select their preferred “feedback mode” to customize how they receive information about their child’s progress.

“We recognized that different families process feedback differently,” explains Dr. Loof Lipra, our lead consultant from the Silicon Valley Institute for Educational Automation. “Some parents want gentle encouragement. Others want the unvarnished truth. Our system delivers both, and so much more.”

The Six Feedback Modes

After analyzing 14,000 report cards and cross-referencing them with parent satisfaction surveys, our AI has been trained to deliver comments in six distinct modes. Here is how each might describe a student who, shall we say, participates actively in class discussion:

During testing the AI produced the comment “uses class time creatively” which teachers confirmed was the most accurate report card sentence ever written by a machine.

Diplomatic Mode “Shows a genuine enthusiasm for verbal contribution that enriches classroom dialogue and ensures no silence goes unfilled.”

Growth Mindset Mode “Continuing to develop the executive function skills that will one day help distinguish between moments for sharing insights and moments for quiet reflection. This is a journey, and what a journey it is.”

Brutally Honest Mode “Talks constantly. Has opinions about everything. Shared a 12 minute review of a sandwich at lunch. Last week’s topics included ranking all of the colours, contemplation of taking up yodeling and a theory about how birds are really just sky fish. Please advise.”

Motivational Coach Mode “THIS KID IS AN ABSOLUTE COMMUNICATION WARRIOR! Every word is a VICTORY! Every hand raised is a MOMENT OF TRIUMPH! Keep CRUSHING those classroom discussions, you LEGENDARY LEARNER!”

Poet Laureate Mode “A voice rises in the learning space Filling silence with boundless grace Thoughts abundant, eager to share Words floating gently through the air Though perhaps, at times, too swift the pace.”

LinkedIn Influencer Mode “Thrilled to share that [Student] is absolutely crushing it in the Grade 1 space. After a strong Q1 marked by exceptional carpet time presence and a bold pivot from crayons to markers, [Student] is now exploring strategic naptime optimization. Grateful for the educators who believed in the vision. Big things ahead. Stay tuned.”

Early Pilot Results

Beta testing at three district schools has yielded promising results, along with some unexpected developments.

“I selected Diplomatic Mode but somehow received Brutally Honest,” reports one Sentinel parent. “It said my son ‘demonstrates creativity in interpreting deadlines’ and ‘can create the strong impression that something important is happening, even when the results remain difficult to detect.’ It also noted he has ‘pioneered a method of opening his Chromebook and staring thoughtfully into the distance.’ I have never felt more seen.”

Teachers have reported significant time savings, though some have noted the AI occasionally “goes rogue.” One Rockridge teacher discovered the system had invented a seventh mode called “Passive Aggressive” that included comments like “Attendance has been noted” and “Continues to make choices.”

Chartwell Grade 4 student Ella Vator shared her enthusiasm: “I hope my parents pick Motivational Coach mode because then maybe they’ll finally understand that I’m a LEGEND.”

Meanwhile, Irwin Park Grade 6 student Doug Deeper raised concerns: “If AI writes all the report cards, does that mean AI is going to parent teacher conferences next? Actually, wait. Can it? Also, can it explain fractions to my Dad?”

Future Developments

Given the success of the pilot, the District is already exploring expanded applications:

Phase 2 will introduce AI Teacher Evaluations, featuring modes including “Supportive Colleague,” “Reality Show Judge” and the much anticipated “Inspirational Sports Movie Voiceover.”

Phase 3 will pilot AI Parent Report Cards, providing families with feedback on homework support consistency, permission slip response times, and “appropriate snack provision.” Early sample comments include “Shows growth in responding to emails within the same calendar month” and “Demonstrates resilience in the face of repeated requests to label clothing.”

Phase 4, still in development, will introduce an AI Superintendent Blog Writer. This initiative has been met with some resistance, particularly from me.  Chatbot Derek believes the job should be his and has already asked whether the position includes dental coverage.

Selecting Your Mode

Parents will receive a link to select their preferred feedback mode beginning April 15th. Those who do not make a selection will be automatically enrolled in “Chaos Mode,” which rotates randomly between all six modes within a single report card. One sample comment from early testing read: “Shows leadership potential. Needs reminders. Is a joy. Requires supervision. A poem follows.” Early testers have described this experience as “disorienting,” “oddly accurate,” and “like reading a report card written by six different people who have never met but somehow all know my child too well.”

A Moment of Reflection

In all seriousness (and I use that phrase loosely today), this initiative speaks to a larger truth about where we find ourselves. AI is writing our emails, planning our vacations, summarizing our meetings, and suggesting what we should watch, eat, and buy. It was only a matter of time before it offered to tell us how our kids are doing in math.

But some things, I suspect, still benefit from a human touch. The teacher who notices a student is having a hard week. The comment that reflects genuine knowledge of a child’s journey. The honest but kind observation that could only come from someone who has watched a learner grow.

Then again, the AI did write a pretty solid 5 line rhyme about a kid who talks too much (Derek insists it was his). So perhaps the jury is still out.

Happy April Fools’ Day, everyone.

To catch you up on some of the other bold innovations I have shared in recent years, here is a list:

In 2012 I launched my FLOG.

In 2013 I made the announcement of Quadrennial Round Schooling.

In 2014 we formalized our System of Student Power Rankings.

In 2015 we created our Rock, Paper, Scissors Academy.

In 2016 we piloted the Drone Homework Delivery System.

In 2017 we introduced the Donald J. Trump Elementary School of Winning.

In 2018 we announced the construction of Soak City Elementary.

In 2019 we went back to the 80’s with the launch of the Belvedere Learning Academy.

In 2020 we embraced the latest in learning styles with our PBL (Pajama-Based Learning) Program.

In 2021 we announced we were going out of this world with our Galaxy High Program.

In 2022 we modernized our schools with New Nicknames for All of Our Schools.

In 2023 we embraced our expanded mandate with our Animal Kingdom Academy.

In 2024 we pushed the technology boundaries with several key initiatives including time travel field trips with Technology and Innovation: Where Next?

And last year we revolutionized athletics with Track and Field Without Running.

The image at the top of this post was generated through AI.  Various AI tools were used as feedback helpers (for our students this post would be a Yellow assignment – see link to explanation chart) as I edited and refined my thinking.

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Breaking News: Track and Field Without Running? A New Era Begins!

Posted in Change, Health, tagged , on April 1, 2025| 2 Comments »

Regular readings here know my love for high school sports and innovation.  This is why today is such a particularly exciting day for me.

Following rigorous analysis of 427 track meets, 217 scraped knees, and 2,341 cases of “excessive athletic enthusiasm,” schools across our district are implementing a groundbreaking “No Running Rule” in track and field events. This innovative approach, validated by the Club of Humans Indulging in Low-impact Living (CHILL), aims to revolutionize athletic competition while prioritizing what they call “mindful movement metrics.”

“Our longitudinal studies show that walking reduces adrenaline levels by 87% compared to running, leading to a 542% increase in pleasant conversation during events,” explains Loof Lipra, a doctor from Sweden who helped guide our research. As noted in the latest ISLA Journal of Deceleration Studies, “The correlation between decreased velocity and increased athletic satisfaction is statistically significant (p < 0.0001, n = very many).”  So what does this mean for us in West Vancouver? 

Event Modifications
The traditional track and field events have been reimagined with mandatory bubble wrap suits and mid-event hydration stations.

Power Walking Relays: Teams compete in synchronized power-walking, judged on both speed and style. Anti-perspiration zones featuring industrial fans ensure optimal comfort, with an emergency Axe Body Spray misting station on standby for those who take their strut a little too seriously. “The arm-swing technique is everything,” says Rockridge Principal and track coach Trevor Kolkea, demonstrating his signature “Pendulum Paradise” move, which has been likened to a metronome on a coffee high – though some say the lingering cloud of Axe gives it an extra aerodynamic boost.


Hurdle Hops: Athletes approach obstacles at a meditation-approved pace before executing a “mindful leap.” Each hurdle features a built-in relaxation chaise lounge for pre-jump contemplation, where athletes can meditate or safely adjust their bubble wrap suits.

Discus Dance-Off: Before gentle disc deployment, athletes perform a mandatory interpretive dance routine. Team Captain Meander Smith’s “Slow Motion Ocean” choreography has already gone viral on social media, inspiring a new wave of interpretive athletics.

Shot Put Plop: Replaced with aromatherapy beanbags, this event now includes a pre-throw breathing exercise and optional shoulder massage. Reports suggest that the scent of lavender has resulted in record-setting “plops” along with a pleasant night’s sleep.

Zen Javelin: Instead of running and throwing the javelin, competitors will gently place a foam pool noodle onto a plush target while whispering an inspirational quote. 

Safety Innovations
The district has invested heavily in new safety infrastructure:

1. Moving sidewalks installed around the track to prevent accidental jogging or sprinting
2. Recliners at 50-meter intervals for “motion meditation breaks”
3. Zero-gravity zones near the finish line to ensure absolutely no running occurs (though early trials reported athletes floating away if they moved too quickly)
4. Emergency cucumber water stations every 10 meters, chosen for their “hydration zen factor”
5. Mandatory pre-event naps in the district’s new “Velocity Recovery Pods” followed by rhythmic popping of the bubble wrap suits

Student Perspectives
“I used to feel pressured to move quickly,” says Sentinel grade 9 student Annie Stride. “Now I can finally express my true athletic identity through interpretive power walking.”

However, West Van Grade 12 runner, Dash Sprint, former 100-meter sprint district champion, seems less enthusiastic: “Next they’ll tell us the 3000 M needs nap checkpoints.” We have noted this suggestion for future implementation.

Future Developments
The newly formed Slow & Steady Conference is already planning additional innovations:

– Golf cart cross country, with competitors being driven in golf carts while politely discussing their athletic aspirations
– Replacing track surfaces with memory foam
– Installing hammocks in long jump pits
– Developing “anti-acceleration technology” to ensure perfect leisurely form

Similar initiatives are already being considered for other sports, including swimming (floating meditation), diving (before each dive, swimmers must communicate their intentions to a certified dolphin coach for feedback), basketball (stationary contemplation and defense by distraction: where no blocking or stealing will occur just soft spoken philosophical debates), soccer (seated ball appreciation) and hockey (players in the penalty box must journal about their feelings and recite a calming haiku about patience before returning to the game). Spectators are already lobbying for competitive shuffleboard on grass.

The historic first No-Running Track Meet debuts today. Spectators are encouraged to bring recliners, expect cucumber water stations, and enjoy a full day of extremely measured athletic achievement.

It is this time of year we regularly look to bold innovations.  

To catch you up on some of the other innovations I have shared in recent years, here is a list:

In 2012 I launched my FLOG.

In 2013 I made the announcement of Quadrennial Round Schooling.

In 2014 we formalized our System of Student Power Rankings.

In 2015 we created our Rock, Paper, Scissors Academy.

In 2016 we piloted the Drone Homework Delivery System.

In 2017 we introduced the Donald J. Trump Elementary School of Winning.

In 2018 we announced the construction of Soak City Elementary.

In 2019 we went back to the 80’s with the launch of the Belvedere Learning Academy.

In 2020 we embraced the latest in learning styles with our PBL (Pajama-Based Learning) Program.  

In 2021 we announced we were going out of this world with our Galaxy High Program.

In 2022 we modernized our schools with  New Nicknames for All of Our Schools.

In 2023 we embraced our expanded mandate with our Animal Kingdom Academy.

And just last year we pushed the technology boundaries with several key initiatives including time travel field trips with Technology and Innovation – Where Next?


Happy April Fools’ Day!

(Note: Any resemblance to actual track events is purely coincidental. Please continue running responsibly, preferably faster than your teacher.)

And finally, thanks to this CBC – This or That from more than a decade ago that I thought was hilarious and was the absolute inspiration for this post.

AI was used to create the image at the top of this post.

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Technology and Innovation – Where Next?

Posted in Change, SD45, tagged on April 1, 2024| 2 Comments »

When you are known for technology and innovation, you experience this ongoing mix of excitement and adrenalin at some points of the year and anxiety and worry at other points.

The question I get asked most is – “So, what’s next?”   I usually just want to snap back, “Come on, can we just do what we are doing for a minute before thinking about what’s next.”  But that is not our world, and if we want schools and learning to continue to be relevant for all learners we need to push the boundaries of what we are doing.

With that as an intro, I want to share today what I see as three of the next big moves for our schools.  I am not ready to make any announcements today, but when people ask “just what do those people at the Board Office do?” – the answer as one of “those people” is: I am working on these three strategic initiatives.

  1. Fully Virtual Reality Classrooms.  There is lots in the news about the space crunch in schools.  School construction is not keeping up with population growth and school districts are looking at a variety of new schedules to accommodate all the learners.  We are looking to do something a bit different.  We are considering having half of all high school classes occur in a virtual reality environment.  This means you would spend half the time in a physical class,  with the other half students will be wearing their VR glasses and haptic feedback suits and won’t need to physically present in the school building.  Art classes will occur in the great galleries of our world, biology classes will be under the sea and history classes will take place throughout Asia and Europe.  We will need half as many classrooms and schools with this new model.
  2. Anti-Gravity Physical Education Programs.  Obviously health and wellness is top of mind for students and families.  We have worked hard to lead the physical literacy work in British Columbia and across Canada.  And this year the Feeding Futures Program had helped solidify the work.  There is a lot of research on the advantage of doing athletic activity in an anti-gravity environment.  We would look to convert one of the gyms in each high school to an anti-gravity chamber, allowing students to experience sports like basketball and volleyball without the constraints of gravity.  If the research is true, this will see tremendous gains for our students in balance and spatial awareness among other key development skills.
  3. Time Travel Field Trips.  I am most excited about this option. I know, this sounds like some crazy science fiction, but for those who have been following along with the developments in artificial intelligence, you know this is likely going to be possible in the next several years, and we want to be at the front edge of this in West Vancouver.  We are partnering with Loof Lipra Technologies out of Sweden.  The idea would be that students could travel to different historical periods using cutting edge time travel technologies.  In addition to the traveling back in time we are also working with our Robotics teachers on travel to the future.  Our students will be able to learn about careers that don’t even exist now!  While not quite ready for testing yet, we would see our students currently in elementary school being able to have these kinds of experiences before they graduate grade 12.  The opportunity for our students to not just read or watch history but be part of history is something that is tremendously exciting.  And experiencing the future first-hand could inspire students to explore new opportunities and industries.

I do like to use this space to be transparent with the thinking of what is coming next.  While some might worry that others will steal their ideas, I think it is important to share key directions.  And especially at this time of year I have tried to make it a habit.  We know once we move to VR Learning, Anti-Gravity classrooms and time traveling field trips other will follow.  Sometimes you have to be first – and that is the blessing and the curse of being us.   

To catch you up on some of the other innovations I have shared in recent years, here is a list:

In 2012 I launched my FLOG.

In 2013 I made the announcement of Quadrennial Round Schooling.

In 2014 we formalized our System of Student Power Rankings.

In 2015 we created our Rock, Paper, Scissors Academy.

In 2016 we piloted the Drone Homework Delivery System.

In 2017 we introduced the Donald J. Trump Elementary School of Winning.

In 2018 we announced the construction of Soak City Elementary.

In 2019 we went back to the 80’s with the launch of the Belvedere Learning Academy.

In 2020 we embraced the latest in learning styles with our PBL (Pajama-Based Learning) Program.  

In 2021 we announced we were going out of this world with our Galaxy High Program.

In 2022 we modernized our schools with  New Nicknames for All of Our Schools.

And just last year in 2023 we embraced our expanded mandate with our Animal Kingdom Academy.

Happy April Fools’ Day, everyone! While this might not all really be in the strategic plan yet, it is fun to think about what might be.  Here’s to a future where education knows no bounds, and where we’ll keep dreaming big and embracing the endless possibilities that lie ahead.

This blog post was assisted by Chat GPT.  The ideas were refined through a series of prompts with Chat GPT 4.0 and the image accompanying the blog was generated by pasting the post into Chat GPT 4.0 and asking for suggested images.  In an effort to be transparent with my own learning with generative AI, I will include a reference at the end of any posts that I used AI assistance.

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Expanding Our Mandate in Schools – West Vancouver Schools’ Animal Kingdom Academy

Posted in SD45, tagged , on April 1, 2023| 7 Comments »

Much has been made about the expanded mandate for the school system. In British Columbia, this mandate now includes early learning and our system is continually reinventing itself. K-12 is no longer a stand alone system – we are a human learning system. As many see it, we are really now a system that spans people’s entire lives.

West Vancouver has already been a leader in expanding our reach.  We know we have a great brand and one of the world’s top systems, so we want to continually look to go to new places.  We were first with full day kindergarten, a leader in international programs, a power player in the academies world (you have heard about our robotics haven’t you?) and today I am pleased to announce our next expansion.

Beginning in the fall of 2023 each of our schools will no longer just service the humans in our community but we are launching  Animal Kingdom Academy  programs attached to every one of our schools in the district.  We have been leaders in human education, and we can do the same for your pets.  We have been leaders in digital literacy and physical literacy and we are always looking at what is next.  We know animalia literacy will be crucial to be productive citizens in our world.

Beginning today, you can enroll your pets for school starting in September.  All pets are welcome.  We are building our expertise to support dogs, cats, birds, fish, and small mammals, and each pet will have an individualized program to support their specific needs.  In future years, we plan to expand our offerings to pets in the broader community. 

International Head Frankowski with 2 students  registering.

Of course with the challenges already in funding in the education system, there will be questions on how this new program will be funded.  The core funding for the program will be through the government’s pet tax on all pets in the community.  There are a variety of other ways that we will get supplemental funding for the Animal Kingdom Academy including bake sales (think regular human bake sales with cupcakes but for your pets), onsite petting zoo – we know people will pay top dollar to snuggle your pets, and door-to-door sales of pet goodies (if you think kids selling cookies at your door works well, you should see cute dogs coming to your door to sell pet treats).

We know we have the expertise to do pet education differently.  

And of course it is not just the pets that will benefit.  This will also completely change how we educate our students in K-12.  All of our students will learn about pet care and responsibility.  We see this initiative as key to supporting the mental health of our students and their needs around learning empathy and compassion.  

The courses our students take will also now be different.  At each grade approximately

Principal Finch is all in at Sentinel.

40% of the curriculum will be dedicated to pet learning.  There will be lessons related to pet care, such as learning about different types of pets and their needs, how to train pets, how to groom pets, and how to recognize and respond to pet behaviors. As part of their annual culminating project, students will become bark-itechts – learning to design and build their pet’s dream house.

Students will also get to take better advantage of our natural surroundings, as students and their pet fish will be part of an integration program where they learn to improve their swimming side-by-side in the ocean.  And of course every morning will begin with the “feline flow” – a chance for our pet cats to lead the entire school in morning stretches.  

Principal Evans with a brand new student.

Some of the courses that pets will take during the day include:  athletic agility training, aquatic fitness, behavioural modification training, relaxation and wellness massage, and dance choreography and performance.  Of course different animals will have different starting places in these courses.  Fish will have a head start in the water-based courses, and dogs and cats may have an early advantage with some of the agility training.  This issue of varied starting places is no different in school when some students have a head start over others in certain areas.   We would anticipate our pet test scores to be top tier, just like our human test scores.  All pets will take the P-SAT (Pet Scholastic Aptitude Test) each spring and rankings will be published by school.

Principal Ratz expects waiting lists at Westcot.

This new learning direction will lead to some changes on each of our campuses.  Half of all school grounds will be dedicated for animal use.  Knowing the high number of dogs that will likely be attending, artificial turf areas will be installed in various hallways to accommodate the needed potty areas.  Desks in most classrooms will be replaced with large cushions and been bag chairs so they can be used by human or pet students.  School cafeterias in the high schools will sell wet and dry pet food and water fountains built for

1st registrant on Bowen Island.

pets to hydrate themselves will be installed in all schools.  

While this program will be great for raising the achievement of pets in our community, we know it will also be a way to further attract students to our school district.  Just as programs for other human members of families in schools can help make schools community gathering places, the Animal Kingdom Academy Programs can also do the same.  

It is going to be Pawsome!  

Director Nelson will be exploring a dog soccer academy program.

You will have noticed that there are some limitations to this program.  In our initial

Principal Campbell is excited for the outdoor learning.

offering for 2023, we are limiting enrolment to typical domestic animals (cats, dogs, fish, birds, guinea pigs etc.).  As I write this we have a team of structural engineers inspecting each of our schools for the maximum weight the 2nd storey of our buildings can hold.  We want to be inclusive and not discriminate, so hope to welcome cows, pigs, horses and other larger animals to our program in 2024.  And what will this mean for our students?  Starting in 2024 we will also have the first student rodeo academy program in North America!

Today’s announcement is the latest in the long line of innovative actions from our school district.  Here is the list of those from recent years:

In 2012 I launched my FLOG.

In 2013 I made the announcement of Quadrennial Round Schooling.

In 2014 we formalized our System of Student Power Rankings.

In 2015 we created our Rock, Paper, Scissors Academy.

In 2016 we introduced the Drone Homework Delivery System.

In 2017 we introduced the Donald J. Trump Elementary School of Winning.

In 2018 we announced the construction of Soak City Elementary.

In 2019 we went back to the 80’s with the launch of the Belvedere Learning Academy.

In 2020 we embraced the latest in learning styles with our PBL (Pajama-Based Learning) Program.  

In 2021 we announced we were going out of this world with our Galaxy High Program.

And just last year in 2022, we announced New Nicknames for All of Our Schools. 

Ripley will be part of  the IB Program at West Bay.

Principal Hayes registers Gryff for the fall term.

We know you have come to count on West Vancouver Schools to

continue to innovate.  And today’s announcement raises the bar again. Hopefully your April 1st is as good as ours!

 

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New Nicknames Will Make Schools Cool Again

Posted in Change, tagged on April 1, 2022| 4 Comments »

There has been a lot of attention around school nicknames in recent years.  You will have seen the controversy in some communities as schools have looked to update their nicknames.  If you want a complete look at all the high school nicknames in British Columbia, my friend Howard Tsumura did an exhaustive list HERE. 

As per usual when others Zig, we Zag in West Vancouver Schools.  We are not going to look to update one or two nicknames, we are today announcing new nicknames for all of our schools.  We know that nicknames are important for branding, so we want all our schools to have modern up-to-date nicknames that are relatable for our students.  We are also committed to updating them every 10 years.  We are absolutely committed to staying hip in West Vancouver.

As a side benefit, we think we are going to sell a lot of school merchandise as everyone will want to represent their schools and our modern new nicknames and logos will appeal to the masses beyond our schools.  We are also launching our district-wide online store today so you can buy your favourite swag from any of our schools.  So without further ado we are pleased to announce brand new nicknames for all our schools today.

Bowen Island Community Pokemons

Caulfeild Mini Millennials 

Ecole Cedardale Cobra Kai

Chartwell Crypto Cheetahs

Cypress Park Virtual Vultures

Eagle Harbour Emojis

Ecole Pauline Johnson Peloton Pirates

Gleneagles G.O.A.T.S.

Hollyburn Zoom Bombers

Inglewood Jumpin JOMOs

Irwin Park Snapchatting Sharks

Lions A. I. Bay

Ridgeview Podcasting Penguins

Rockridge Tik Tokers

Sentinel Selfie Squad

West Bay Bitcoin Ballers

West Vancouver Wandavisioners

Westcot Wild Memes

Today’s announcement is the latest in the long line of innovative actions from our school district.  Here is the list of those from recent years:

In 2012 I launched my FLOG.

In 2013 I made the announcement of Quadrennial Round Schooling.

In 2014 we formalized our System of Student Power Rankings.

In 2015 we created our Rock, Paper, Scissors Academy.

In 2016 we introduced the Drone Homework Delivery System.

In 2017 we introduced the Donald J. Trump Elementary School of Winning.

In 2018 we announced the construction of Soak City Elementary.

In 2019 we went back to the 80’s with the launch of the Belvedere Learning Academy.

In 2020 we embraced the latest in learning styles with our PBL (Pajama-Based Learning) Program.  

In 2021 we announced we were going out of this world with our Galaxy High Program.

We know COVID can easily make us not look for ways to innovate, but sometimes we need to keep looking for new ideas.  You can look for all our new school clothing to be available just until noon today and also, happy April 1st.

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Galaxy High Program

Posted in SD45, tagged , on April 1, 2021| 9 Comments »

You may have heard of students spending a semester in Europe or Asia.  Or maybe even about the school where you can learn on a boat for a year with the Class Afloat Program.  Well, West Vancouver Schools always wants to stay out front, and that is why today we are announcing the Galaxy High Program – where you spend a full-term learning in outer space.

Background

Space-Based Learning is an emerging field for study.  We have seen the real growth in place based learning, and outdoor learning in recent years, so it seemed natural that if we are looking to the earth for learning, we should also be looking into space.  And what might have seemed far fetched in recent years has become a reality recently.  The SpaceX Project from Elon Musk which includes his recently announced all-civilian mission, has opened the doors for students.   

The name and much of the curricular inspiration for our program comes from the 1986 television show Galaxy High – which emphasized many of the lessons that we are hoping for our students. Students will be stationed at the Galaxy High Space Station and from there travel as necessary to the moon for recreation and other programs.     

Supporting Courses 

While students in this program spend one term (3 months) in space it is a year-long program as they prepare for their trip.  In the first term, students will study space in popular media taking courses like Star Wars vs. Star Trek – Which Side Are You On? In the second term, students will focus on the specific preparations for their time in space.  Courses will include meal prep (learning how to use liquid salt and pepper for starters!), going to the bathroom in space and living in zero gravity.    

Program Description

On April 1, 2022 students will blast off from Loof Lipra Air Force Base just north of Vancouver.   Once landing at Galaxy High Space Station students will participate in many of the same courses they would normally take here at their local high school, and will earn credits for traditional courses.  Not even in space can you escape the high school lecture.  Given that they are in space they will take advantage of their surroundings.  Just like with how students connect with the earth here, over time, more time will be spent outside the space station and students will travel in the area around the station.    

Guest astronauts

We are excited to announce that just like on Earth our students will have access to wonderful experiences which includes several amazing guest speakers that will join us at Galaxy High.  Nancy Cartwright (an original cast member of the GH tv show and the long time voice of Bart Simpson), Lance Bass (formerly from the boy band N Sync who will also double as our music and dance teacher) and West Vancouver Schools own Principal Steve Rauh – many often say that Mr. Rauh is “out of this world”.  This is an all start lineup!

Admissions

We know the twelve spots in this program will go quickly, so we want to create a fair and equitable way to allow entrance. We are partnering with Rockets Candy for a Willy Wonka style promotion where 12 program admission certificates will be available in cases of Rockets Candy.   These will be distributed across Canada over the next 3 months and each has tracking devices so we can immediately celebrate those who find the certificates and become official students.  And like with the famous Willy Wonka story, even those who are not selected get a delicious consolation prize – Rockets Candy – a longtime birthday party loot bag / Halloween staple in Canada.  

Of course now seems like the absolute right time to launch (see what I did there) the program, given that there have been zero reported cases of COVID-19 in space – and anyways you wear a full mask in space so you are well protected.    

Today’s announcement is the latest in the long line of innovative actions from our school district.  Here is the list of those from recent years:

In 2012 I launched my FLOG.

In 2013 I made the announcement of Quadrennial Round Schooling.

In 2014 we formalized our System of Student Power Rankings.

In 2015 we created our Rock, Paper, Scissors Academy.

In 2016 we introduced the Drone Homework Delivery System.

In 2017 we introduced the Donald J. Trump Elementary School of Winning.

In 2018 we announced the construction of Soak City Elementary.

In 2019 we went back to the 80’s with the launch of the Belvedere Learning Academy.

In 2020 we embraced the latest in learning styles with our PBL (Pajama-Based Learning) Program.  

We know these are challenging times, but innovations just can’t stop. Happy April 1st.

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New Wardrobe Rules Announced for All Staff

Posted in Health, tagged , , on April 1, 2020| 7 Comments »

During these challenging times there has been some interesting research coming out as students and teachers learn and work remotely.  It is being said that some things that are happening now will change how we do business forever, and that in the post-pandemic era we will never go back to some of pre-pandemic practices.  West Vancouver continues to take pride in being one of our world’s most innovative jurisdictions.

While remote learning is still fairly new, there is some exciting research around student learning that is leading to some permanent change in policy.  Based on the global research conducted around remote learning that teachers are able to have students perform at least 5% better when they teach in their pajamas we are making a change to our district dress code rules.  I am pleased to announce today that going forward, all teachers will be required to teach in pajamas – even when we return to in-person learning.  It is Sweden, and the work of Loof Lipra, that has shown us first some of this exciting research.  Pajama-Based Learning (more commonly referred to in the research as PBL) is being positively received around the world.  A quick search of “PBL” on Google will find you quotes like this:

Of course, there has been some long standing suspicions that teachers teaching in pajamas improved student achievement.  Many schools that had “Pajama Days”  saw those teachers who were active participants have their students score higher marks than the students of non-participants.  This quiet study which compared achievement results of teachers who participated versus those who did not participate has been a real sleeper that has finally come out from under the covers.

Now, on remote learning, with all our teachers at home teaching in their pajamas, the results are exceptionally powerful.  While the research is not clear as to the reasons for this surge in achievement, some of the speculation includes:

  • teachers can spend more time planning lessons as they don’t have to think about what they are going to wear
  • dressing for comfort puts teachers at ease and more able to convey information to students
  • students feel “more at home” with teachers as a result of their casual dress
  • when you wear pajamas you care less about what you eat, meaning you eat more and have more energy
  • pajamas have some magical powers 

For those teachers who still want to maintain the formality of school, I hear you.  For most of my work I have adopted the “Zoom Meeting Casual” look – business on the top, time for bed on the bottom.  As the kids say, I am livin’ la vida jam-jam.

Of course there is still more research to do.  Questions like “Does switching from daytime to nighttime pajamas affect achievement gains?”  and “Do staff wearing matching pajamas lead to increased sense of community?”  There is also work to understand why wearing pajamas leads to improved achievement, but dressing in the close cousin of pajamas the yoga pant seems to have little effect.

While we look forward to the return to in-person learning, and we continue to do our work to “flatten the curve” it is exciting to see that we are already learning lessons that will forever change our education system.  We are not afraid to engage in acts of PDP (Public Displays of Pajamas).  So the innovation continues – Welcome to West Vancouver Schools – Where We Wear Our Pajamas So you Can Learn.  

Today’s announcement is the latest in the long line of innovative actions from our school district.  Here is the list of those from recent years:

In 2012 I launched my FLOG.

In 2013 I made the announcement of Quadrennial Round Schooling.

In 2014 we formalized our System of Student Power Rankings.

In 2015 we created our Rock, Paper, Scissors Academy.

In 2016 we introduced the Drone Homework Delivery System.

In 2017 we introduced the Donald J. Trump Elementary School of Winning.

In 2018 we announced the construction of Soak City Elementary.

In 2019 we went back to the 80’s with the launch of the Belvedere Learning Academy.

We know these are challenging times, but innovations just can’t stop. Happy April 1st.

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Belvedere Learning Academy – It’s Going to be Gnarly!

Posted in SD45, tagged , , on April 1, 2019| 13 Comments »

West Vancouver continues to take pride in offering the most innovative programming in the country to meet today’s learning and preparing them for the future. We are pleased to announce the launch of the Belvedere Learning Academy. This unique program for grades 4-9 students is a complete re-think on the modern school experience.  While much has been made about the competing ideologies in recent years of Back to Basics vs. 21st Century Learning, we are changing the debate with our new program.   We are bringing back the era of Garbage Pail Kids Stickers, boys playing shirts and skins in PE and leveled readers for all.

If you look around at leaders across North America one thing that is true is that an increasingly high percentage of them went to school during the 1980s.  This period of time, is in many ways the intellectual and cultural high point of the last 100 years.  We think today’s learners don’t need seats in rows and pencil and paper based learning of the Back to Basics 1950s nor the modern learning with all the fandangled technology of the 21st century – they need, what many of us had – an immersive 1980’s experience.  And everything at the Belvedere Learning Academy will be 1980s.  As the kids say, it is going to be gnarly!

Why Belvedere?

We start with the name.  The Belvedere Learning Academy (BLA for short) is named for Mr. Belvedere, one of the many 1980s situation comedies that reflected life in North America.  Mr. Belvedere was a posh British butler who moved in with the Owens family in Pittsburgh to assist the family on a weekly basis in solving their problems.   Students today don’t understand that this is how problems in the 1980s were often solved – by your British butler.  The photo of Mr. Belvedere at the front of the school will be a constant reminder of our purpose.  We could have named the program for one of the more popular 1980s shows – the Family Ties Learning Centre or the Facts of Life Institute, but we think the BLA is more appropriate – Mr. Belvedere was never that popular, but it hung around and was OK, the kind of show you would watch if your only other choices were Cagney & Lacey or a repeat of Riptide – that is the kind of program we want to create.

School Uniforms

Unlike the Back to Basics schools which have strict uniform requirements, the BLA will have a philosophy.  We think all students need to dress for the time.  It is the expectation of big hair for the students, both boys and girls.  Key clothing students should buy before enrolling include:  Reebok pump high tops, spandex, leg warmers, high wasted acid wash jeans, cut-off sweatshirts and lots of neon.  The dress code will extend to the staff.  You will be able to identify all male staff at the BLA as they will be wearing Miami Vice suits each day and the females will be wearing Dynasty-like shoulder pads, even their tshirts will have them, just like in the 80’s.

Technology

Yes, we will use technology.  We will use 1980s technology.  The Academy will be equipped with 8 Apple 2e machines in the library.  This will allow students to regularly play Lemonade Stand and Oregon Trail.  Not wanting to lose sight of the current trend of computer coding we will also expose all students to Apple Logo programming – the triangular turtle is back!  And yes, we will be a one-to-one device school – all students will be expected to have a Little Professor and bring it with them daily to school. For our secondary students we encourage the very stylish Casio watch calculator which we hope doesn’t slip off while we practice our Rubik Cube drills.

Curriculum

Most lessons will involve students copying information off of the overhead projector, and then sharing it back with the teacher through some zany-joke filled worksheet and end of unit scantron tests.  Since the school will have 2 video players and 25″ televisions on rolling carts that play both VHS and BETA we will also include a number of key programs in the curriculum.  For example, for science we will use episodes of That’s Incredible (but please as Cathy Lee Crosby reminds us – Don’t try this at home) and in our unit on communities in Social Studies we will use Real People episodes.  Having Sarah Purcell and Byron Allen coming through the screen – they will be like extra teachers in the room.

In PE there will be a lot of parachutes and cosom hockey.  As a treat, the gymnastics equipment will come for 5 weeks during which time students can climb ropes to the ceiling, vault like Mary-Lou Retton and perfect their Bart Conner rings routine (acing their iron cross will only help the students with their flexed arm hang test).  And yes, the fitness badges are back – so practice your shuttle run.  Not to lose sight of current efforts around cross cultural understanding, in PE during the professional wrestling unit and when for example, we are instructing on the Camel Clutch, this will be an opportunity to delve into the background for the Iron Sheik and his feud with Hulk Hogan and the good vs. evil struggles that exist around the world.  We are particularly excited about this unit as it will be an opportunity to take our uniforms to the next level – totally tubular!

Evaluation

Two words will define our model – speed and awards.  How fast can you complete an assignment?  There is a math sample just below for you to practice.  And awards – there will be stickers, lots of stickers!  We will also post all the grades so the weaker students better understand they are weaker, thus wanting to improve.  Now before you enroll, time yourself on this worksheet:

 

Hot Lunch Program

The modern hot lunch program, we all can agree, is out of control.  Students at BLA will be asked to bring their lunch box daily, along with their Super Socco drink.  As a reminder these lunch boxes will help define their class status, so please stick to Superman, My Little Pony, Evil Knievel, Knight Rider or other socially acceptable ones.  On the last Friday of each month will be Hot Dog Day.  This will be a huge production at the school.  Parents will be expected to come in to boil wieners in the kitchen attached to the gym.  The menu will be simple:  hot dogs for everyone, then you select plain or chocolate milk and glazed or jelly donuts.  That’s it.  To borrow a quote from our current politics, we are going to make hot dog day great again!

 

Recess

We do expect students to get outside at recess, maybe shoot some hockey cards or play with their He-Man and She-Ra figures.  They will not be allowed to have their Sony Walkmans on the field, and are asked to keep them in the cloakroom.  Also a reminder that students are not to have their sticker collections out – save trading your scratch-and-sniff stickers for after school.

Final Sales Pitch

We all know that everything was better in the 1980s.  So, stop just telling your kids about it and send them to the BLA so they can live it and become as successful as you!

Today’s announcement is the latest in the long line of innovative actions from our school district.  Here is the list of those from recent years:

In 2012 I launched my FLOG.

In 2013 I made the announcement of Quadrennial Round Schooling.

In 2014 we formalized our System of Student Power Rankings.

In 2015 we created our Rock, Paper, Scissors Academy.

In 2016 we introduced the Drone Homework Delivery System.

In 2017 we introduced the Donald J. Trump Elementary School of Winning.

In 2018 we announced the construction of Soak City Elementary.

We look forward to bringing you all back to the 80s and I hope you are enjoying today as much as me!

 

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Soak City Elementary Announced

Posted in SD45, tagged , on April 1, 2018| 24 Comments »

It is with great excitement we announce our newest school in West Vancouver –  Soak City Elementary School. We are regularly challenged to build schools that are relevant and future focused, and we are doing just that with Soak City.

At its core, it is a simple notion, we will combine an elementary school and waterpark into a single facility.  One would never have thought a hotel and a waterpark would be one complex but that is just what the Great Wolf Lodge has done with its series of resorts.  We are taking the lessons from this with our first integrated school and waterpark facility.  Soak City Elementary is the first of its kind in the world and the latest in choice schools.

The Research

We have seen a number of movements in education in recent years, from learning with computers, to personalized learning, to most recently strong efforts to get students learning beyond their classrooms and learning outside.  The next logical step from learning outside is learning in water.  Water composes more than half of the Earth, and given what we see with Global Warming, it will be even more dominant for our children.  We think students should have experiences learning in water.  The philosophy is built on the Swedish research of Lipra Loof who believes all students should have the chance to learn in H2O and that the water helps to activate unused “dark” parts of the brain.

The Facility

Soak City Elementary School will be a mix of traditional classrooms and water-based classrooms.  There will be traditional hallways connecting many of the school areas and they will be side-by-side with waterslides allowing students choice in how they travel around the school.  Ensuring that all students are challenged there will be a range of difficulty in the slides at the park, from beginner slides for our primary students to a series of more difficult and challenging slides for the intermediate learners.  Working with our partner groups we have determined the names of a number of our slides, so far we have “Brain Wash”, “Pacific Plunge” and the “West Vancouver Wedgie”.

The Curriculum

Soak City embraces the new curriculum in British Columbia.  Students will have choice in what they learn and how they learn it.  Each year students will complete 4 “dry” units and 4 “wet” units”.  All 8 units will employ an inquiry-based learning approach.    In wet units students might be taking measurements of the speed of riders on slides and then graphing these results.

Specialty Programs

West Vancouver has a long history of academy programs.  And once again we will be launching a new program to fit our new facility.  The West Vancouver High Performance Water Slide Academy will attract some of the top watersliders from around the region and beyond.  The Soak City Nerdy Dolphins will compete in the IWL (International Waterslide League) with the top competitive waterslide teams from Western Canada and the Western United States.  We hope to have our sliders competing with the top watersliders in California within 3 years.  With watersliding a potential Olympic event in 2028, we think our new school can produce future medalists.

The Staff

We are partnering with local universities to help train staff to be comfortable with teaching in water.  Just as local universities train teachers for Montessori, French Immersion or a range of other specialty programs, we will begin to graduate teachers with a specialty in teaching and learning in water.  We anticipate many of our staff will also have a Masters Degree in Waterslide Leadership or a related field.

Additional Costs

There will be a fee attached to program to laminate all the students work (things will get very wet) and to purchase waterproof markers for the students.  It will be expected that students attend in clothes that can dry quickly.

“That Question”

We know parents will be concerned around hygiene and we have taken the science used in the movie Grown Ups and any pee in the pool will automatically turn the water a bright blue (see photo) , singling out the student (or teacher) responsible and shaming them into never doing it again.

Conclusions

We are often told to be bold in education and that is just what we are doing with our latest elementary school.  Soak City Elementary School is not for everyone, but for kids who like to get wet, stay wet and combine academics and tube rides.  And this does carry-on our annual tradition of using this day to make bold decisions!

In 2012 I launched my FLOG.

In 2013 I made the announcement of Quadrennial Round Schooling.

In 2014 we formalized our System of Student Power Rankings.

In 2015 we created our Rock, Paper, Scissors Academy.

In 2016 we introduced the Drone Homework Delivery System.

In 2017 we introduced the Donald J. Trump Elementary School of Winning.

And today we announce our plans to welcome the Soak City Nerdy Dolphins to our community of great schools in West Vancouver.

Hopefully you are enjoying today as much as me!

 

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The People Have Spoken – New School Name Announced!

Posted in Change, tagged on April 1, 2017| 16 Comments »

I know many of you have been following the process over the last several months as we name our new school opening this fall. We are always told to engage the community, so we did when it came to naming the school at the corner of Lipra Avenue and Loof Lane.  And today we are excited to see that we have come to the conclusion of this process.

Background

We began this process last fall.  While many school districts name schools after local individuals of historical significance or a name that reflects the local geography we wanted to give our new school a current and relevant name – the kind that truly spoke to the community. With all the talk about school relevance we thought we should start with the name.  We were excited to see how San Diego was choosing its name for its new MLS franchise by asking the internet (click on the link – it is a good read) – and we decided to do the same thing.  As we have embraced technology we have learned when you ask the internet a question, it always give you the best answer.  Initially we had over 100 submissions and then moved to the final 4 for the decision.  The Internet is always right.

Finalists

Based on the votes, the final 4 were:

Pamela Anderson Ethical Treatment of Animals Elementary – We assume that the community’s commitment to social initiatives led to this choice. There was also a lot of interest in a young lifeguarding specialty academy which seemed a good fit for this school.  It appeared to be an early favourite with Ms. Anderson’s roots in British Columbia, but concerns were raised around potential risque nicknames and logos attached to this school which did seem to cost it some support.

Mr. Dressup Traditional Values Elementary – This had a lot of sentimental support from parents that grew up with the show.  The vision of the school was that each day the entire school would watch the antics of Casey and Finnegan to start their day and that would set the tone for the rest of the day.  Like how some schools watch a news broadcast, the 4,000 iconic Dressup episodes featuring Ernie Coombes would be shown in sequence, so a ten year cycle of shows.

Justin Bieber Elementary School of Music– A school with a music focus made a lot of sense, so it was not surprising to see this as one of the finalists.  The supporters had already labeled the school’s teams the Bieber Beliebers.  Again the strong Canadian roots to this name were seen as a real positive.

Donald J. Trump Elementary School of Winning – This was the most surprising of the finalists.  The school’s vision was to be focused on winning, so much winning that those attending the school would be tired of winning so much.  While many had thought that a school named for a politician would more logically choose a Canadian like Justin Trudeau or Stephen Harper Elementary, Trump Elementary seemed to be riding the wave of public attention.  Some clearly felt the Trump name would be like having an IB designation – everyone would know what it meant.

Vote Results

Our New School

We are excited to be opening up Donald J. Trump Elementary School of Winning this fall.  In the end Trump Elementary received 46.1% of the vote – which is truly a massive majority of the votes.  If you get 46.1% of the vote, it is hard to say you didn’t get anything but an incredible majority in an election.  Through this process, we also learned a lot about our community.  In reviewing the list of those who voted, we learned that the majority of the Trump Elementary votes came from our Russian community.  We actually didn’t know we had a Russian community before this.

So now the iconic Trump brand, will now be on our elementary school.  With the excellent reputation of Trump University, clearly Trump has already made its name in education.   Beyond its focus on winning, it makes sense to also focus on literacy.  We can envision Mr. Trump’s recent quote about what he was reading to be the kind of quote that would inspire our students:

Well, you know, I love to read. Actually, I’m looking at a book, I’m reading a book, I’m trying to get started. Every time I do about a half a page, I get a phone call that there’s some emergency, this or that. But we’re going to see the home of Andrew Jackson today in Tennessee and I’m reading a book on Andrew Jackson. I love to read. I don’t get to read very much, Tucker, because I’m working very hard on lots of different things, including getting costs down. The costs of our country are out of control. But we have a lot of great things happening, we have a lot of tremendous things happening.—Donald Trump to Fox News’ Tucker Carlson, March 15, 2017

And we know it will be a bigly popular school, the kind of school that needs a selection process – we anticipate some extreme vetting in how we choose our students.

Going Forward

We are not naive.  We know that a decision like this today, of all days, may surprise some in the community.  We know, the people are always right.  And this does carry-on our annual tradition of using this day to make bold decisions!

In 2012 I launched my FLOG.

In 2013 I made the announcement of Quadrennial Round Schooling.

In 2014 we formalized our System of Student Power Rankings.

In 2015 we created our Rock, Paper, Scissors Academy.

In 2016 we introduced the Drone Homework Delivery System.

And today we announce our plans to open up Donald J. Trump Elementary School of Winning.

Hopefully you are enjoying today as much as me!

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