We are now back into full swing after our February break, which saw our staff engage in quality professional development. The Alberta Teachers’ Association provides for the two day convention which featured Rick Hansen as their opening keynote and Dr. Yong Zhao as a sessional presenter. Both speakers provided engaging and thought provoking messages to …
Tag: Holy Spirit Catholic Schools
Feb 26
Provincial Achievement Tests
In the Province of Alberta, students in grades 3, 6, and 9 write Provincial Achievement Tests (PAT’s) on a yearly basis. Grade 3 students write tests in only Language Arts and Mathematics, while students in grades 6 and 9 complete the previous two plus Science and Social Studies. These tests were initially instituted as a …
Feb 21
From the Desk of the Superintendent- Public Consultation
The Board of Trustees will be hosting a public consultation on March 5th in the cafeteria at Catholic Central High School Campus East from 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM. The consultation will be open to all Holy Spirit staff, parents, guardians, high school students and community members. We are hoping that this wide range of …
Feb 17
Being instead of doing!
I’m a subscriber to the Leadership Freak. I love the insights I receive about leadership in under 300 words. The blog causes me to reflect on my own practice as a leader in a school division- sometimes I’m reaffirmed for what I’m doing and other times… However, some of the posts really push me hard in my thinking …
Feb 13
From the Desk of the Superintendent- Budget 2012 Highlights
On February 9, 2012, the Alberta government presented the provincial budget. After reviewing the budget with senior administration, I would like to provide some brief highlights and potential impacts to Holy Spirit. One of the issues that the Board of Trustees and the Alberta School Boards’ Association (ASBA) sought was longer term funding. The ability …
Feb 12
Preparing tomorrow’s teachers!
On Friday, I had the pleasure of presenting to members of the Faculty of Education at the University of Lethbridge on the transformation agenda. I began my presentation with a quote that I took from a tweet by Dave Martin (@d_martin05) “If we teach today, the way we were taught yesterday no one will ever …
Feb 04
Finding your PLN
I recently read an article published in the ATA News suggesting that teacher’s autonomy and choice for pursuing growth plan goals had slipped. The article, “Teachers want a balanced approach to PD” is based on longitudinal data from the Alberta Teachers’ Association. In the ATA 2010 PD Survey only 44.4% of respondents reported a high …
Jan 31
From the Desk of the Superintendent- February 2012
It is hard to believe that we are entering the 2nd half of the school year. Semester 1 is completed and diploma exams are finished for our high school students. Plus, we have certainly not experienced the winter weather that is typical for this time of year. With the exception of a short cold snap, …
Jan 02
From the Desk of the Superintendent- January 2012
Happy New Year and welcome to 2012. I have certainly enjoyed the time off between Christmas and New Year. It is always wonderful to have some extra time to spend with the loved ones in our lives. I’m coming back to work fully rested and ready to take on an extremely busy January… even as I enter another …
Dec 04
Christmas is about Christ!
This past week an elementary school in the Ottawa area became a national news story when they chose to replace their traditional Christmas concert with a non-denominational February fest. I did a quick review of some of the 451 comments already posted and to say the least, it is an extremely controversial topic. Last Friday, I …