Blog Posts

Being the oldest high school in the city, Abbotsford Senior Secondary School has a proud history. Take a walk down our Graduates Hall, which features all the grad classes since 1956. Look around our Heritage Wing, highlighting the physical changes that our school has seen and showcasing some of the historic athletic accomplishments of our teams and past graduates. Throughout our building, the storied history of our school and the people who have filled its halls are celebrated.

I think it is important for a Superintendent to try and stay connected to what is happening across the district and the broader community. While there are never enough hours in the week, I do my best to make regular rounds and to take in community events. And wherever possible, I like to share the good things I see.

Yale has a history of strong support for its Indigenous students. As a staff, we acknowledge the need to learn more about Indigenous culture in the spirit of being culturally sustaining.  

Does this dialogue sound familiar...?  

Parent: “What did you do at school today?”
Student: “Nothing.”

At W.J. Mouat, we are lifting the veil of what happens at school through our weekly Spotlight on Learning series and our yearly Celebrations of Learning, which demonstrate both the intellectual and human/ social nature of learning. Check out the 58 different contributions!

There are no guarantees in life, but wherever you want to go or can imagine going, education is probably the best way there. How does a child in Kindergarten one day become an architect? How does a grade nine student become an arthroscopic surgeon or an agriculturist? How does one become an electrician or a chef? You guessed it - education. This is why I often describe education as the bridge to anywhere.

At Abbotsford Traditional School, Lewis Van Dyk, had the opportunity to implement strong inquiry opportunities in the classroom in his first year at the school. In 2021 Abbotsford Traditional School first offered an Engineering 11 course.  When Mr. Van Dyk took over the course, he focused on mechanical engineering and implementing the engineering design cycle through inquiry. Mr. Van Dyk focused on developing student design skills, as well as how simple machines work and the advantages that they have.

With my last blog post as superintendent (I still have a few more to write in my retirement), I would like to close with gratitude and appreciation for the many people with whom I have travelled this thirty-six-year path. I mentioned in my last post that it was because of the inspiration and encouragement of teachers, and one in particular, why I chose to become an educator. The journey to finding and fulfilling my purpose, particularly in leadership, has been filled with meandering adventures and learning. What resonates most with me are the people who have been on the journey with me.

With all the recent retirement festivities I have had cause of late to reflect on my journey in the education system.  One of the frequent questions I have been asked is why I decide to become a teacher “all those years ago.”  I have had occasion over the years to mention it on World Teacher Day, but for me, the decision had everything to do with my school experiences, and a challenge extended to me by a very special human being.

Aldous Huxley said that “words can be like rays. When they are used properly, they are able to get through anything.”

At Rick Hansen Secondary, I have had the great privilege of working to develop new Creative Writing courses that satisfy English credits for grade 11. For those students who love to read, are curious about writing and publishing, and need a creative outlet to express their thoughts, worries, and experiences in ways that are not visual—photography, visual art, theatre—Creative Writing 11 has become a haven.

In previous posts, I have shared my perspectives on the spectre of systemic racism in education, particularly in relation to Indigenous Peoples. I highlighted two interrelated constructs related to this issue: epistemic racism (the idea that there is only one form of true knowledge) and the related “racism of low expectations” highlighted in the 2016 Auditor General’s Report.