Time to Write a New Story....

                          If you tell me, it's an essay.  If you show me, it's a story.                                                                                  Barbara Greene

It's August - a time for new beginnings, new friends, new ideas, new stories!

          It has been a few months since I have blogged in this space. Transitioning to the opening of another new school has required discovery, concentration, innovation, investigation, exploration and above all - patience! Although there has been plenty to write about, there has been limited time available - particularly since I am also in the midst of conducting case study research towards the completion of my PhD thesis!!  However, it is now mid-August and I am focused on the writing of a new story - hopefully capturing elements of all the discoveries made over the past several weeks as well as the new adventures waiting to be experienced!

         The story of Eric Harvie School is grounded in the children who will soon arrive to add dimension to our learning experiences.  It also begins with the reality our shiny new building is still under construction and is not nearly ready for us to inhabit!  

         Therefore, the story of EHS begins with understanding the concept of school - that it is more than a particular place on a particular landscape. It is, rather, the story of learners, teachers, staff, family members and a community coming together to build shared understanding of what learning is and how the world is discovered and experienced in myriad ways each day by each and every student. It is the story of place yet also a story of movement, exploration and thinking beyond our place to the whole world. In essence, it is a story of uncovering and building connections. Yes, we will begin as a school-within-a-school located within the halls of Tuscany School. We will also begin as a centre of learning, questioning and discovery that reaches well beyond the expected borders of what is usually thought of as 'school'.

           Through the ages schools have evolved from gatherings in open spaces (think Socrates under the tree - an iconic image that may not be completely accurate but is certainly symbolic) through evolutions of small buildings in rural communities to great stone institutions to modern glass and steel structures full of windows, technology and functional furniture. What has endured is the essence of school - students gathered to develop key understandings, pursue questions, debate possibilities, create new images and ideas, share perspectives or tear apart myths - with teachers who provoke thinking, offer guidance, nudge practices or develop strategies for embarking on new learning expeditions. EHS will be thoughtfully pursuing this essence of school in all our daily interactions, both during our tenure at Tuscany School and when we venture into our new building.

          What will this look and sound like?  This is always my first question whenever someone approaches me with a new possibility - what could this look and sound like for the children and adults connected to our school?  While many of the nuances of 'look like/sound like' will unfold with the input of the children and staff who are the lifeblood of the school, there are some clear directions and elements that will frame our learning adventures together. These directions will always be approached through the lens of personalized learning - adapting learning experiences for every child to maximize their own personal potential for thinking, discovery, investigation and representation. 

• Peace Education
• understanding we all have a role to play in building positive, strong connections with others both in our community and around the world
• Place based learning
• getting to know our community to become an integral part of our place rather than just an observer 
• Innovation and Design Thinking
• problem solving as a way of thinking and approaching new ideas actively rather than passively
• Building Learning Literacies
• language, mathematics, science, humanities - each language of learning requires the development of specific, as well as broad-spectrum, strategies and thinking frameworks

           There is always such energy and possibility when starting to write a new story! I am excited by this energy and very much look forward to writing the story of Eric Harvie School together with the new learners, families and staff who will form the foundation of our learning community - our story will inform countless other life stories and promises to have an enduring ripple effect for years to come. I welcome you to this new adventure!

Lorraine Kinsman

Principal, Eric Harvie School