Process and Content: Reflections on Genius Hour

Many years ago my brother and I chose to drive 6 hours to witness the PhD defense of my brother-in-law. Our reason for the trip was primarily to show family support and encouragement, not because we expected to necessarily understand or gain anything from the content of the actual presentation.  During the intensive review of his multi-year work, one of the things that amazed me most was the focus on what hadn’t quite worked out, what was unexpected, and what he should do differently as he continued to expand his research. I learned that the process mattered as much as the content.

I was asked to come to grade seven last week to attend “Genius Hour” presentations. Mr. Hosmar had opened up class time for quite a number of weeks that allowed students to commit themselves to investigate something of their own choosing. There were few requirements, but a key objective that was supported was to encourage reflection about the process of doing the work they set out to do. Students planned a wedding, designed shoes, created stop-motion animation, made a butterfly house, and attempted to improve basketball shots with technique. What did it make them learn, perhaps even about themselves, by doing the work?  What do they now want to do? It was a pleasure to have conversations with them after their presentations and have a window in on their own learning. What they shared was less about the content of their learning, and more descriptions of how they had self-guided themselves through obstacles and challenges.

The nature and purpose of learning continues to change as we move through time.  We do not “serve” content in neat ready-made packages to students, we aspire to develop patterns of exploration, reflection, and self-actualization – doing the important work of risking something new to grow in wisdom and understanding about God’s amazing world.  May that learning never end.  SJ

Grit and Resilience: Success at what?

I heard part of an interview recently about these two words and their use as identifiers of future success adolescent students and the life challenges that await them when they reach early adulthood. I found myself both appreciating how clearly these two character qualities or mindsets were being portrayed and simultaneously unsatisfied with what they were to be used for.

Success is a dangerous word since success at what is very important preliminary point of clarification.  Before we take about developing grit and resilience toward whatever success represents, we need to be clear about the goal. Success at self-promotion? Grit in developing ways to get further ahead than everyone else? Resourcefulness in gathering wealth, opportunity, privilege, and prestige?

Our definition of success speaks volumes about what we value and trust in. The vision statement for our school declares success to be “…a life of faithful, Christian discipleship” as our vision statement phrases it. The simplest meter stick for gauging success may be the question “Am I working for God’s kingdom and his glory, or for myself?” Faithfulness in using what we have been given for God’s glory and God’s purposes, is the definition of success we ought to work with.

Take our upcoming field day for example. Our goal is to attempt to acknowledge every bit of effort that every student invests in the day. Rather than give a ribbon only to the top three or four finishers, our field day structure uses the results of all of events that students complete to achieve an overall score for the day. Students receive an overall total which is compared to standards that earn them a first, second, third, or fourth place achievement. Since every centimeter and second counts, we are excited to see students reaching for their best with a sustained overall effort. We also are excited that students look to better their previous year’s achievement as they practice for the event. The grit and resilience we wish to encourage is to use whatever gifts and talents you have to the very best of one’s ability, within a community of encouragement and fair play. Success here is doing your best, not simply finishing first.

Whether it is playing a musical solo on Wednesday night or playing at all, whether it is looking to set a new track record or to make a first successful attempt – we are excited at LCES to give students a platform to take risks and do great things in His kingdom. God has prepared them for just that! 

SJ

Travelling the road in the most excellent way: Perseverance and Dedication

There is more to a race than finishing first.

Just recently I watched a documentary of a group of intense cyclists who raced across the country in the Trans America Bike Race. This grueling and entirely solo venture has riders pushing their bodies to the limit of their physical and psychological limits. The winner in 2015 travelled 4400 miles in just under 19 days, averaging 230miles (370kms) per day riding from the Pacific coast of Oregon to the Atlantic Ocean in Virginia. They often bike alone, right through the night, stopping only for minimal sleep and nourishment. Just finishing that race is worthy of celebration regardless of how long it takes. It is a truly amazing story that makes you stop and consider what one can do when perseverance and dedication are applied to specific goals.

Our students are about to start up mileage club again in preparation for our upcoming Track & Field day. This running initiative at recess sees some students doing laps by choice around our back field at recess. They stop in to get a paper “foot” punched to verify they have completed a lap. Many have in mind to better their personal record of how many feet they gather in the running blitz.

Perseverance and dedication. These two admirable and valued character qualities are a requirement for running or biking, but even more so for life. When those two qualities are matched with an intentional, worthwhile purpose – like easing the burden of those around us, being a faithful presence, an encouraging force, an agent of blessing by choice - then we truly have travelled the road in the most excellent way. In doing so, we aim to “…use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace.” (1 Peter 4:10)

How good it is that we can teach our children in this most excellent way at LCES each day! May we seek the kingdom (Matthew 6:33) with perseverance, dedication, and purpose in all we do and say SJ

this week.

Rejoicing in the Journey

“This is the school that the Lord has made,
Let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

This customized 2nd verse of the children’s bible song “This is the Day” was sung in chapel this morning, one side of the room echoing the other. Singing it that way seemed to challenge us to remind one another that it was important we not forget that vital truth as we move into a new week of living and learning by faith. With my head full of many details and complex planning situations, I was grateful to be so simply reminded that the sum total of what happens here in our school is not entirely dependent on just us. God provides, God leads, and we pray God delights in what happens at LCES each day.

Much like the Israelites who focused on a cloud by day and pillar of fire by night, we trust that our
measured and carefully calculated steps of planning are directing our pathway from a posture of obedience rather than arrogance. We can do nothing without God’s care and provision and are immensely grateful for what we experience here at LCES each day: a group of students and adults delighting in discovery and learning, in awe of our world and God as its Creator.

Our path is not always a level plain. School leadership is presently working through fiscal realities that are challenging in that enrollment numbers are becoming increasing challenging to predict accurately. We want to offer excellent Christian education, which has costs, and yet also keep it as accessible as possible to parents. All of these matters impact staffing, what we can include in our student program, and making strategic next steps toward our future.

As our capital campaign’s name boldly states, our future is bright. Challenge creates opportunity to-
day, much the same way it did when the founders of our school dared to push against many obstacles
to see a new venture begin – a Christian day school where Christ is King and all truth is God’s truth.

Indeed, let us rejoice in be glad in it. This is the school the Lord has made. SJ

Mini-rulers and Creation Care: Compelled to Action

“Rule over fish in the sea and birds in the sky and over the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” Genesis 1:28








For teachers, there are moments of great joy when their teaching evokes a very immediate and authentic response from the students they teach. Being so close to students and their growing understanding of God`s world is a privileged space to inhabit; we see God’s world in such clarity through their discovery of things so fresh and new to them.

Last Friday our JK class was learning about the reality that some animals are, or soon will be, extinct. Ms.Hessel shared possible reasons for this happening. Specific mention was made of man-made plastics and other garbage that animals eat that harm them. Indignant at this very sad prospect and without hesitation they said that if this was the case they needed to go outside “right now” and
clean up the garbage outside on our school property. “We’re going outside to clean up our world!” they shouted in unison as they marched out the door. They chose the response to the information they had learned, and their enthusiasm to complete the cleanup showed their commitment. Within 30 minutes they had three bags of garbage and recycling.

Both the wonder at (and responsibility for) creation was felt very viscerally by these students in ways that immediately connected knowing with doing. This is a way of showing biblical wisdom that we pray develops into life-long habits of faithful living, a worldview grounded in God’s word, and an engagement with God’s world that helps to renew creation.

May we continue to have the fresh eyes and quick-to-action attitude our youngest learners model for us. SJ

Technology in a Christian School: Faithfulness in Exploring

30 years ago a box showed up in my boyhood home, with the intent that my brother and I might benefit from the exposure to something quite new – a simple home computer (pictured here). Later, as a grade nine student, my father challenged me to learn to properly type a certain number of words per minute, with a promise that a specific demonstrated speed would mean he would help me purchase a computer of my own. I believe that both of these decisions were based on a strong belief that the use of technology, specifically a computer, would likely be a very key part of our future and there would be great wisdom in ensuring that we were confident and proficient on this new horizon. Many times in my life I have appreciated the fortitude of those strategic parental decisions.

As principal I’m often asked by potential new LCES parents or simply others who are interested to know what our approach is to technology as part of learning. It is worth noting a few things about this question.

The quick association of technology in learning as being about computers, tablets, chromebooks pro-
jectors, and more is understandable, but we are wiser to realize that everything from scissors to pencil crayons and whiteboards to ball point pens are technology. We know that all of God’s world belongs to him, and all of it can be used in faithfulness or disobedience. Technology doesn’t live outside that
truth. Ours is the task of sorting out the difference and being intentional about choosing wisely.

Technology of any kind will never replace the value of excellent teaching. The presence of technology alone in a classroom or school doesn’t indicate students will learn any better or be any smarter. The value of a skilled and committed teacher who is able to match learning methods well with student’s abilities, interests, and development is as essential as always. Technology may be part of that picture.

These two matters understood, we do know that technology will be a part of children’s future and we
want to prepare them well for its opportunities and challenges. Our staff and teachers are able to do
things they would not otherwise be able to do with technology and we certainly are excited about many developments in the last number of years at LCES in this area. It is already exciting to consider some of the ways our students collaborate, investigate, and create in the digital platform they have available to them.

Our staff has constructed a document called “LCES E-Device Guidelines” that sets us out some clear
parameters for how we collectively as students, teachers, administration, and parents can work together with clarity. I encourage you to take a look if you have not already. SJ

Pacing With Our Students: What They Need to Hear

“Every kid is one caring adult away from being a success story” Josh Shipp

A favorite author of my mine described purposefully guiding and leading adolescents with a beautiful image of pacing alongside a child at a pace set by the child, not the adult, on a spring walk. “Pacing
requires me to listen to the heart of an adolescent, seeing beyond words and behaviors. Pacing takes
time. Pacing is not the easy road. Pacing builds trust.” Adults can often struggle to understand the reality of their children, perhaps because of time, or because of the very different adolescent experiences of today don’t overlap well with their own.

A culture of care at LCES is something I’m grateful for. I watch with great appreciation as all our LCES staff - office admin, teachers, bus drivers, EA and more - work together to create a fabric of support and love for our students. We know God made them, God loves them, and has a specific purpose for them. We have the privilege of being alongside them as we watch God at work in them.

I saw the following list recently of things that every child needs to hear often. I like the challenge in
them to be so deliberate in how we support our future leaders.

I’m sorry

I forgive you. 

I’m listening

This is your responsibility.

You‘ve got what it takes. 

I’m proud of you. 

I love you. 


It also sounds like a list of things that God also tells us to live by through His word. SJ