Tag Archives: Tim Monds

#PSD70′S Innovative Journey Continues…

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In Parkland School Division we talk about having “jumped” and are focused on preparing our children for the 21st Century and the ever-changing global community. For a number of years now, we have been hearing about 21st Century learning skills. Well, we are now in 2013!  We are well into the 21st Century and it is safe to say that innovative practices are changing the way that students learn and our teachers teach in PSD schools.

A great figurative example can be found in August of last year, when PSD’s 1,100 staff gathered at MCHS to start the school year. One of the videos shown for our staff on opening day was of a young skier about to launch from a much bigger ski jump than she had ever tried previously. The most compelling part of the video was how she talked herself through it, and the pride she felt once she made the ‘jump’. In PSD, – whether as educators, support staff, or administrators – we regularly talk, share, and show how we have also made that jump.

Our work to move PSD’s Three Year Education Plan forward is grounded in research but more and more it is becoming research in motion – as we see innovation and best-practices from around Alberta and the world, we adapt, we model, and we change our course when necessary.  Few people question that the education system we have known for over a hundred years will serve our children in the same way it did our generation. But, shouldn’t we be questioning if a school system established in the 19th century can meet the needs and expectations of 21st century learners? Can we do things just a bit differently? Don’t we owe it to our kids to try?  Our children have entered a global community where technology is a tool used daily to support the work in many organizations. That is why, in PSD, our updated mission is all about preparing, engaging and inspiring our students to be their best in a quickly changing global community.

We have heard in recent media accounts that Alberta’s new standardized tests will likely emphasize competency over content, and that Provincial Achievement Tests will be replaced with prototype tests focused on literacy skills and competency. Other exciting innovative opportunities include Alberta Education recently announcing an expansion of the High School Flexibility Enhancement Project that will enable more high schools in Alberta to become involved. Spruce Grove Composite High School was one of the first pilot schools in Alberta over the last three years. During the pilot project at SGCHS, the high school completion rate has risen to 82.1%, which is 8% higher than the provincial average for Alberta.

PSD’s ultimate goal of student success and well-being keeps us focused. Whether it is literacy, numeracy, competency-based report cards, learning coaches, professional learning, resiliency work, or the use of technology as a learning tool, we continue our journey toward every child being successful, sharing and learning in our local and global community.  A few highlights of recent innovative work underway in PSD include:

  • Greystone Centennial Middle School Innovation in Education Week. 260 school projects approved by administration were completed, culminating in a showcase at the end of the week for the student body.  The overall purpose was to create learning experiences for students that help them develop and grow in innovative ways.  Learning outcomes were met while allowing students to pursue an area of interest.
  • Supporting PSD’s commitment to inclusion involved implementing a Learning Coach program to facilitate job-embedded and ongoing professional learning for teachers.  We are moving from a model of special education to one where “all’ students are special.  Dedicated learning coaches have been sharing the learning in a blog.
  • Development of a youth resiliency project through hiring a resiliency coordinator to facilitate a division-wide comprehensive school health plan with every PSD school. This project aligns to PSD’s ultimate goal of student success and well-being. PSD is focused on enhancing the resiliency and health of all students, nurturing partnerships and maintaining a commitment to the development of the whole child at all levels of their education.
  • Development of a Learning Leader project where staff and students have opportunities to learn how to use tools such as the iPad to facilitate their learning.  This project highlights how technology is there to support/facilitate our learning in many ways.

Our future is exciting in PSD!  Our children will have opportunities to enjoy, experience and discover new careers we could not even dream of only 10 or 20 years ago.  Our role as schools, educators and school communities is to ensure that students have the skills they need to be ready for this wonderful opportunity.

Wellness Matters

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Wellness Matters

This past weekend I visited my mother.

It is close to a year since my dad passed away from a very aggressive cancer.  On February 24, they would have been married 59 years. In Parkland School Division we talk about the importance of relationships and modeling. I have said to our Lead Team that we must find ways to balance the demanding lives of educators so we can be the best we can be both at home and at work. My visit was about focusing on personal relationships so I may be stronger in my position as a Superintendent. Sharing personal stories is not something I like to do, so why today? Well, I want to say to all of our PSD staff that while our ultimate goal of “Student Success and Well-Being” expressly focuses on students, the success and well-being of our staff is equally as important.  Without you, our 1,100 dedicated staff, our Division would not be the leader we are today.

Well-being to me means striving to be the best we can be at our work place as we educate the amazing youth we work with. It also means looking after oneself and one another. Former CEO of Coca Cola, Bryan Dyson said it well in a 30 second speech:

Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling some five balls in the air. They are work, family, health, friends and spirit and you’re keeping all of these in the air.

You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back.  But the other four balls – family, health, friends and spirit – are made of glass. If you drop one of these; they will be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged or even shattered. They will never be the same. You must understand that and strive for it.

Work efficiently during office hours and leave on time. Give the required time to your family, friends, and have proper rest.

Value has a value only if its value is valued.

My mentor shared this with me in my first year of being a Superintendent.  I have not forgotten it.  I do not always model it, however, I do strive to.  There are few careers where you leave on time and only work during office hours, but that does not mean we should not strive to look after all five balls.  If we are truly dedicated to our profession, we will likely be challenged to strike the balance.   However, if we remind ourselves to focus on our wellness, our students will certainly benefit.

We do want our staff in PSD to give it your all: to share your passion, and do what is best for our children and community and model the way forward.   One of our teachers, Jessie McLean said it well in a recent post:

Don’t underestimate the impact you have on your students. It’s a power that comes with a great deal of responsibility.

Together, we will continue to do what is right for our future leaders/citizens in Parkland School Division. Thank you for your dedication to our youth! And, thank-you for the continued contributions you are making to ensure our students will be their best in a quickly changing global community.

#PSD70 Learning Together at #NCTCA

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I am pleased to share a recent storify where teachers share their learning. One of PSD’s priorities is engaging staff.  This was exemplified
recently at the North Central Teachers’ Association convention this past week in Edmonton. The two samples from Storify that you see below, aggregated by Division Principal George Couros,  provides a small sample of how PSD teachers are truly engaged and willing to share their learning. Each of us will benefit from their collaborative efforts to share, so that we may continue to strive for PSD’s ultimate goal of student success and well being.

After all our purpose is to prepare, engage and inspire our students to be their best in a quickly changing global community.  Who
better to facilitate that learning than the dedicated, engaged staff of Parkland School Division.

Together we can achieve anything!

Check out Day 2!

Learning from the past, as we embrace the future in PSD

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Welcome back! I hope everyone had the opportunity to enjoy some well-deserved time off with family and friends as well as making some new memories during the holiday season. We had a very rewarding and productive year for PSD in 2012, and I know we have much to look forward to across the division in 2013.

Over the Christmas season I had the opportunity to spend some quality time with my family. On one of those occasions we watched the movie “Stepmom” with Julia Roberts and Susan Sarandon.  A scene from the movie really did stick with me, and I began to think how it applied to what we are doing in PSD.  It is the scene where Susan Sarandon meets with Julia Roberts in a restaurant.   They are talking about Susan’s daughter getting married some day and how Susan’s character will not have the opportunity to be there as she will have passed away of cancer.  Julia, as the stepmom, talks candidly about how she is afraid all her stepdaughter will ask for is Susan, her mom.  Sarandon, on the other hand, is afraid her daughter will not ask for her at her wedding.  At this point, Susan makes a statement that has really stood out for me.  She talks about Julia as the stepmom having her daughter’s future and Susan having her past.  They talk about how their daughter will have the best of both worlds because she will have the past and the future.

This has stuck with me as I have often spoken about how as we continue to move forward in the 21st century meeting the needs of our children, we have to balance our established practices with future-focused goals and competencies.  In many ways, we must respect the past, while continuing to strive for a better future – just as Julia Roberts and Susan Sarandon captured so eloquently in Stepmom. I continue to say we will not throw the baby out with the bath water. This approach of respecting past-practice is particularly evident in the current transition in Alberta Education from accountability pillars to an assurance model of education. Additionally, Alberta Education’s competency wheel still has literacy and numeracy in the centre, focused on the child.  We, in PSD, do too!  As we look to the future and embrace our vision of exploration, creativity, and imagination making learning exciting, where all learners aspire to reach their dreams; we must never forget the past.

We are focused on engaging our students, staff and community as we prepare our students for a world that is fast paced, connected and global.  To do this, we will continue to teach what many of us call the “basics”, including literacy and numeracy.  We will also focus on the competencies outlined by Alberta Education; engaged thinkers and ethical citizens with an entrepreneurial spirit.

We are in exciting times, where together we can ensure our children are well prepared for a future many of us couldn’t imagine 10 or 20 years ago.  But imagine we do!  Whether it is project-based learning, authentic assessment or ensuring our students do well on provincial exams, it is about ensuring our children are ready for a global community with a commitment to life-long learning.

Wishing each of you a Happy New Year and all the best in 2013.

Tim

Reflecting on a Great Year and Spreading Holiday Cheer

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As the holiday season approaches, and the days get just a little snowier and just a bit colder, we have the opportunity to reflect on the school year we’ve had to date in PSD, but also to look ahead at the promise and potential for 2013. And, of course, it’s a given that we are all incredibly excited to be joining our PSD schools for their annual Christmas concerts – a highlight for many, myself included.

While it does seem that the school year has moved along pretty quickly, it’s reassuring to see so many positive and exciting things happening in our schools and within the Division. We are incredibly pleased to see that PSD’s new vision, mission, values and priority areas are being embraced within our schools. To see our vision that captures exploration, creativity, and imagination come to life in so many different ways in classrooms and staffrooms across PSD has been very powerful to see. Our new three-year education plan is also anchored by our four corporate priorities of engaging our students, staff, and community, in addition to stewardship of our resources. This streamlined approach in defining our priority areas will assist schools with planning, while also making our reporting back to the community more meaningful.

It is indeed a long list of accomplishments for PSD that we’ve seen this fall. We have much to be proud of. The introduction of learning coaches, a transition to the new report card format for all K-9 schools, a continued focus on facility improvements, and innovations with student bussing, have all contributed to meaningful improvement in PSD. We’ve also been seeing a little more about our schools through our local media. Anytime we have the opportunity to showcase student success and innovative school programming with broader community audiences, we increase the understanding of how PSD is committed to student success and well-being.

Ahead of the holiday season, we are also seeing just how important citizenship and social responsibility are to staff and students in PSD. The spirit of giving and helping others is certainly visible in many PSD schools as food drives, clothing donations and other charitable causes are being supported in very meaningful ways. In some cases, we are even seeing individual students lead these initiatives. As our corporate values and beliefs highlight, we are a caring and compassionate organization.

On behalf of our Senior Team, I’d like to extend our sincerest best wishes to you and your loved ones for a happy and safe holiday season. Your ongoing support and contributions play a meaningful role in supporting quality education for all students in PSD. We look forward to an equally successful New Year in 2013!

Getting Comfortable!

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Recently I had the pleasure of attending the 21st Century Learning Leadership Forum in Banff. We heard from Marc Prensky, Bruce Dixon, Mary Simon, Simon Jackson and more. There were Thought Provoking Festivals and Innovation Studios. The forum was very much focused on the ‘art of possiblity’. It was exciting to hear conversatin about our children (our future!) being successful at becoming what they want to be and what we want them to be.

Division Principal George Couros and I had the pleasure of presenting at this conference about Parkland School Division’s initiative for Innovative Teaching and Learning. This is one of a number of key iniatives underway in PSD to move us closer to our Ultimate Goal of Student Success and Well Being.

Marc Prensky spoke about getting comfortable at the conference. My first thought was I have been uncomfortable in this world of technology, connecting with the world and presenting. Then upon further reflection…I realized how I am truly embracing this world and most days enjoying it. We have opportunities we could have never imagined in Education.

Marc also spoke about daring to do what is right for kids. He focused on imag-u-cation…if we had the technology how would we use it to enhance our learning? He also spoke of teachers engaging ‘with’ kids and trusting children to teach teachers about technology. He shared his thoughts on how teachers used to teach students and now teachers and students accomplish real things together” Marc reminded us; “This generation shares everything”. As I listened, I felt uncomfortable. Wow…messy and scary work at times, going in unchartered territories  and a quite a paradigm shift.  Can we get it right? Then I reflected back to our vision of imaginaing, creating, exploring and dreaming! In Parkland School Division we have the permission to be innovative, risk takers and get it right in a changing global community.

In PSD we are gradually learning to become comfortable and embrace this “new world” and how we can use these amazing technology tools to enhance our learning and connect with the world so we can make a difference.

It is ok to be uncomfortable, but it is not ok to stop learning because we are in a world we don’t totally understand yet. The digital world is here, so how do we use it to support education and our ultimate goal of student success and well being? Enjoy the journey, challenge your comfort level, and we will probably be comfortable again. Well, at least comfortable for awhile!

Our Vision For the Future: Sharing #PSD70′s Priorities

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Here in Parkland School Division we are happy to share our latest video from Parkland School Division that talks about our Vision and Mission. We continue to collaborate, create and learn together as we pursue our vision of exploration, creativity, imagination inspiring all learners to reach their dreams. Please feel free to share comments and questions.

Welcome Back PSD!

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By Parkland School Division Superintendent Tim Monds (Storify provided by Brian Leadbetter, Director of Communications)

Wow, what an amazing opening week for PSD! I had the opportunity to visit a number of schools across our Division this morning, along with members our senior executive team. It was great to see so many bright, smiling faces of our students ready for another great year in PSD. Our staff in the schools were also incredibly engaged and eager to start off the year, and were very complimentary of last week’s Division PD Day. Thank-you to all of our staff for making this year’s professional development day very memorable as we took the opportunity to unveil PSD’s new vision, mission, values statements, and priorities. The excitement, passion, and collaboration was shining brightly. As you can see from the #psd70 tweets from the day below, we certainly have an engaged and committed staff. I’m looking forward to the opportunity to move forward together with our new vision, and mission and to build on the momentum we’ve begun the school year with. Some of the words I’ve heard to describe our opening day were passion, inspiration, amazing, and opportunities. We’re pleased that staff across PSD found the day so engaging and inspiring. Through our new vision and mission we’re committed reflecting the dynamic and future-focused organizations that we are today.

Amazing Time to be Education #leadershipday12

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We are starting the year here in Parkland School Division with an even greater passion!  Is that possible?  I feel like a kid counting down the “sleeps” until school starts!

As a leader I feel so fortunate to be surrounded by such an amazing staff.

We are about to launch the Boards new vision and mission.  Our new vision is contemporary,  leading us forward in what learning looks like today and what it can look like in the future.  This will be accompanied by updated values and beliefs. All of this will be launched at our opening day kick-off on August 29, 2012.

Our continued dedication to being a learning organization will be embodied by not only our students, but our entire community.  Richard Gilchrist, our Board Chair, will be kicking off the second year of the “184 Days of Learning” project and helping to set the tone of another exciting year for the Parkland School Division community.  We are honoured to have a progressive board that believes in going, as Chris Kennedy states, “elbows deep into learning”, with all of our schools.  This forward thinking will only ensure that we get better for kids.

As I think about this year and the excitement about it, I look back to what brought us to this point….

It began with an education planning session with the Board of Trustees and many stakeholders representing many different facets of our community along with all schools.  We looked at the big picture, we used our imagination, we were creatiing and exploring our options, and realized it was time to move on with a new vision to better prepare our children to be a part of our global community that is changing quickly. When I reflect on that day and the numerous stakeholder meetings that followed, I realize the importance of relationships, engagement and authenticity.  As leaders we must have a keen sense of who we are, communicate,  build trust, be positive, recognize our mistakes and limitations, be open and transparent, so we can build an environment where creativity can flourish.  A place where we can all dream!

We need to be able to explore, be creative, and re-imagine our future.

It is an amazing and exciting time to be in education.  A time where sharing, innovation and creativity continuously grow.  We are looking ahead to the future and the possibilities that it holds for our students.  We are proud to be in a province where we have been given the freedom and where we are encouraged to explore how we can further focus on how to improve learning for all.  Alberta Education promotes this learning through Goal two; High quality education through collaboration and innovation.  Within Parkland School Division, we want to focus on how we can not only do this for students, but for all learners within our community.  When we grow, our students grow.  It starts with us.

P.R. Wilson wrote the following statement:

Whether I’m older
or only two…
there are so many things
I can do!

I AM AMAZING!

When we work together, the potential for all of us, especially our students, is unlimited.  I am excited for this year and the opportunities it can bring.  Let’s continue to all learn together and ensure that our students see their “amazing”.

Looking forward to a great year!