Friday 14 November 2014

"From Our Family To Yours"
What makes the Rundle Experience so unique?

November 14, 2014

With each passing week, I am in continual search of the answer to:


"What makes the Rundle Experience so unique?"

After plenty of reflection this week, I would choose to believe the answer is simply: family.

Over the past 7 days there were more than a few spectacular manifestations of the Rundle Family Experience and I'd love to briefly share a couple of them here.

Sandwich for a Story

Today I received a call from Evan Beck ('12).  Evan was calling me from Queens University, where he is currently studying Political Science, to speak about a project that he and Sam Sawchuk ('12) have been working on together.  This is not the kind of project you might expect a couple 20 year olds to be working on. The project of mention is called, "A Sandwich for a Story" and as nothing to do with university - it is best described as an empathy project.  A great overview of their work was recently captured on CTV News.  



When speaking with Evan, I had two questions for him: 1) What was the inspiration for this project/organization/action? 2) How can Rundle help their cause?  In summary, his response to the first question was that his father inspired him to instigate an empathy project.  He reflected on an experience he had in Victoria, BC one year over Christmas holidays.  When he was just 12 years old, his dad encouraged him and his sister to distribute sandwiches to people who were less fortunate they they were.  This small act of kindness and compassion has inspired Evan, and now Sam, to instigate their "Sandwich for a Story Project."

As for the answer to the second question - I've offered to buy Evan and Sam a 'sandwich for their story!'  When they arrive back in Calgary from their studies, we will get together and see we can create a synergy between their project and ours.

When thinking back to the theme of this week's blog, it is family that has created the conditions that allow them to go forward and make our world a better place.  We are proud to have Evan and Sam as members of our alumni family and look forward to seeing them back at Rundle on December 11th at our Volunteer Day.

Coming Together To Learn

If you've ever wondered what happens during those mysterious PD Days - here's some insight.  On November 10th we brought together all 150+ Rundle College Society employees and learned from each other.  We were graced with presentations on the latest in Brain Research by Ms. Mann, Critical Thinking by Mrs. Kim, Google Applications by Mrs. Armstrong and The Importance of Co-Curriculars by Mr. Domstad (to name only a few).  

Along with these spectacular presentations, we took a little bit of time to 'Know Your Neighbour' when Mr. Sylven gave his principal's inspiration.  Mr. Sylven artfully guided us through the principles of silo vs. system thinking.  These exercises are critical to our organization as we move closer to coming together at 17th Avenue.

Finally, we came together to do a craft, how 'family' of us! A big thank you goes out to our Fine Arts Department who assisted us in our cooperative painting project.


Can you guess what the finished product will be?

A Shared Family Experience

Without getting into too many details here, I was struck by our community's ability to come together in times of loss and celebration.  During this short week we have found time to remember those who have passed, we have celebrated a new citizen of Canada, we have welcomed new ones to the world and have toasted engagements (that's right, engagements is plural).  

It is these authentic moments and shared experiences, whether they are with our faculty, our alumni, students or families, that make Rundle really feel like it is a very special place to work, learn and live.  In fact, earlier this week someone asked me if I liked my job and without hesitation I responded with, 


"Rundle is the best place in the world to work and learn."

As it came out it felt so right, that I know it must be true.

Have a wonderful weekend, 

Jason B. Rogers
Headmaster, Rundle College Society

Friday 7 November 2014

"A very impressive school" & "Rundle students are exceptional."
Dr. Kent MacDonald
President, St. FX University

November 7, 2014

Just over a week ago I joined all the other Headmasters from across the country at a conference in Ontario.  At this conference we discussed trends in education, strategic planning and the importance of mental health education in our schools.  Beyond these set topics of discussion, another subtopic and focus could be summed up by the question:


"What do we want for our students 20 years from now?"    

Taking the conversation beyond "Let's get our kids into the best universities," really allowed us to think big.  As a group of Canadian school leaders we came back to the fact that we want to graduate great citizens of moral character.  The conversations were affirming as they aligned closely with our school's focus of 'kindness,' 'trust' and 'connection.'  

Generally, when walking down the hallways of Rundle College Society schools we are faced with burgeoning young men and women who are developing the highest levels of respect and overall character.  It is our hope that what they learn in our hallways today, they will take with them and it will influence and help them develop into successful men and women who will ultimately change our world for the better.

I witnessed specific evidence of these renaissance learners twice today:

Remembrance Day

Today, I took in two separate Remembrance Day Ceremonies, one at the Academy and the other at the Jr. Sr. High.   Both ceremonies were heartfelt and touching.  What struck me most was our students' respect.  There were many moments of remembrance, sorrow and thanks shared by every person in the room.  

Upon the completion of the Jr. Sr. High ceremony,  one staff member circulated the following e-mail.


"I am so happy and lucky to be a part of a school and culture like Rundle College, I get to work with some of the most amazing students and teachers in this wonderful world. Thanks you from the bottom of my heart."

That about sums up how the ceremonies left us all feeling.

StFX President, Dr. Kent MacDonald's Visit




Only 30 minutes after the conclusion of the Remembrance Day Ceremonies, I was fortunate to be able to welcome Dr. Kent MacDonald to Rundle College.  He had come to speak to our Grade 11 and 12 students about what is so special about his program!  There is certainly a lot to celebrate at StFX, namely:

- Small Class Sizes
- Great Teaching Faculty
- Meaningful Connections
- Endless Opportunities to Get Involved
- A Focus on the Development of Student Leadership and Character

Remind you of anywhere else?

After his brilliant presentation, I had the opportunity to speak with him personally for a few moments.  As I always do with all guests, I asked him what his initial impression of our school were.  He simply said:


"Rundle is a very impressive school."
"Rundle's students are clearly exceptional."

I couldn't agree more.

With that, I wish everybody in our community a wonderful long weekend.

All the best,


Jason B. Rogers

Sunday 2 November 2014

Experience Rundle
"Headmaster's Monthly Update"


Dear Rundle College Society Families,

Coming Up:

Remembrance Day Ceremonies
Each campus will be hosting a Remembrance Day Ceremony on November 7th. For more information on the timing and event specifics, please contact your school’s administrative assistant.  As a reminder, there will be no classes on November 10th (school wide PD) and November 11th (Remembrance Day).

AGM
Our Rundle College Society Annual General Meeting is taking place at the Elementary campus on November 26th at 7:00PM.  All Society Members are welcome to attend.

Gone By:

419
Our sincere thanks goes out to our very own Will Ferguson. Mr. Ferguson visited Mrs. Kim's Grade 12 English class earlier this month, and gave a great lecture on his Giller Prize winning novel, 419.  After speaking to the group, he dropped by and gave us all the best compliment, saying (and now I am paraphrasing), "Your students asked better questions than most literary critics do!"  Wow!

Rundle Social
Speaking of WOW - a big thank you to all parents, staff, and community members that came out and contributed at the Rundle Social. Of the $1.5 million we still need to raise, we were able to raise over $270,000 that night!  Beyond the financial contributions, what I noticed was the great energy and community feel. It’s  that energy and community spirit  that  makes Rundle so special, and really no amount of money can buy that.

Celebration of Learning
I was sitting in my office at our Jr. Sr. High campus when I heard a shout from the Great Hall - "I just got a 94 in Bio!" After this rally cry came a resounding applause from all who could hear it!

On a second occasion early this month, I was invited to join the students, staff, and parents at the Primary campus for their Celebration of Learning meetings. My heart was filled when I saw the students proudly showing their parents all their accomplishments. One young man even offered me a picture he had drawn. 

Both of these elements are great examples of our community fulfilling our mission and "Celebrating with them when they do."

Field Tripping - Grade 5's to the Academy
In early October I was able to accompany an entire class of Grade 5 Rundle College students to Rundle Academy.  We spent an afternoon eating cookies, sipping juice and learning about learning (or metacognition as the Grade 5's came to know it). An absolute highlight of the trip was our Academy Ambassadors. They did a fantastic job of personifying self advocacy and helping others understand what it means to 'take the "dis"out of learning disability.'

Heads Up - Experience Rundle

Happy... more than a Pharrel Song. This video was sent to me by a board member last month and I thought it was worth sharing with our whole community. As stated in last month's Heads Up - we only learn from people we connect with. In my experience, we also learn best when we are free from too much negative stress and feel empowered to be happy. This TED talk provides some great strategies to bring that happiness to our lives. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.


Kind(er) than is necessary. On a related note, earlier this month we were all inspired by an Airdrie girl who truly demonstrated what it means to be 'Kinder than is necessary.'  For those of you who missed it, have a look at this article. I know this motivated me to 'pay it forward' and I hope it does the same thing for you as well. More than anything, I really appreciate the idea that there are many ways to deal with adversity, and to conquer it with kindness is never a bad idea!  Who knew the power those little sticky Post-it notes had!

Even closer to home is this article about two amazing Rundle Alumni who have started a project called 'A Sandwich for a Story.' If you read nothing else in this update - take a moment to read about Evan Beck ‘12 and Sam Sawchuk ’12 and the inspirational work they have undertaken!

Lastly on the Kindness theme - World Kindness Day is November 13th. On this day, I challenge our community to find a way to make someone else's day brighter!

Making it Stick

Speaking of sticking...years ago I read a book by Chip and Dan Heath titled, 'Made to Stick.'  I was inspired by the author's divergent insights on how to help create memories that last a lifetime. On a similar note, last month I stumbled upon this article on effective study strategies for students. This is a helpful read for all those parents and educators that are working on making any idea 'stick.' 

Have a wonderful November.

My best,

Jason Rogers
Headmaster, Rundle College Society
"Attention to Excellence"