education week 2013 semaine de l’Éducation october 6...

EDUCATION WEEK 2013 SEMAINE DE L’ÉDUCATIONOCTOBER 6-12, 2013

Rooted in Education, Growing for the Future

Enraciné dans l’éducation,Se développer pour l’avenir

S e p t e m b e r / O c t o b e r 2 0 1 3V o l . 5 7 / N o . 1

N E W F O U N D L A N D A N D L A B R A D O R T E A C H E R S ’ A S S O C I A T I O N

the bulletin september/october 20132

Lesley-Ann BrowneEditor

Michelle LamarcheEditorial Assistant

Linda Babstock, John Bishop,Elliott Green, Louise KingDesign • Printing • Distribution

Linda FarrellOnline Services

The Bulletin is published five times a year during the school year by the

Nfld. and Labrador Teachers’ Assn., 3 Kenmount Road, St. John’s,

Newfoundland, Canada, A1B 1W1.Tel: 709-726-3223; 1-800-563-3599Fax: 709-726-4302; 1-877-711-6582

[email protected]

Unless otherwise indicated, materi-als used in The Bulletin may be repro-

duced or broadcast without permission. Advertisements and/or notices of resources

carried in this publication do not imply recommendation by the Association

of the service or product. Advertising inquiries should be directed to:

Michelle Lamarche, Ext. [email protected]

Subscription Rate: $18 per year. For subscriptions and address changes

contact Printing Services, Ext. 249.

Deadlines for material are:Nov/Dec Issue: November 1

Jan/Feb Issue: January 6

ISSN-1189-9662

Member of the Canadian Educational Press Association, International Association of

Business Communicators, and the Canadian Association of Communicators in Education.

Printed on Recycled Paper

Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.

~ Martin Luther King Jr.

What are the things that

matter to teachers?Think for a minute about what matters to you personally as a teacher. Are you willing to speak out about these issues? I became involved in the NLTA because teacher issues matter to me. I became involved because I believe in our Association – your Association. I believe in the professionalism of the staff at 3 Kenmount Road to serve the teachers across this province. I believe in the com-mitment of our Provincial Executive to the priorities and welfare of all teachers. Most importantly, I believe in your voice and the voices of your colleagues across this prov-ince to make the changes necessary to allow us to teach effectively and professionally. Fine sentiment in theory, you may be thinking. It’s easy for you, Jim. Speaking out doesn’t bother you. Let’s settle one thing now. It’s not always been easy for me. There was a time when it was easier for me to keep my head down and say nothing. Certainly safer. I understand how fear can prevent teachers from speaking out. This is the real world where speaking out carries real risks. The price can be too high. However, there is a higher price for remaining silent: loss of control, voice, and self-respect, feelings of exploitation and lack of appreciation. In saying nothing, we undermine our professionalism and our ability to address the needs of our students. Here’s the thing. There are already ave-nues currently at our disposal through our collective agreement that give teachers the voice to effect change. Article 31:16 of the

collective agreement allows a teacher to bring a personal complaint to the school board or Department of Education. The school board-teacher liaison committee and occupational health and safety com-mittee are other avenues to bring issues to the attention of those who make the deci-sions. So, we can commiserate with col-leagues around the lunchroom table, or we can speak where it will count. And this is not a one off. It must be part of our lifelong commitment to speak to the issues that matter in our professional lives. In June, teachers were surveyed to help me and Provincial Executive determine the priorities of the NLTA. Over 730 teachers (approximately 11%) responded at one of the busiest times of the school year. Remarkable! Teachers wanted the NLTA to negotiate a collective agreement, develop strategies to engage teachers (especially new teach-ers), monitor and address any impact of amalgamation on the educational system, and advocate for work/personal life bal-ance for teachers. I promised to be a voice for teachers, and I will live up to that promise. Your priorities are my priorities. But I will need your voice. Your Association needs you. We need each other. So we have a choice. We can speak about what matters to us. We can begin to have the conversations with each other, our employer, our Association, the Department, the public about the things that are important to our profession and to the welfare of our students. Or our profes-sional lives can begin to end.

Up Front from the President


Features14 Executive Director’s Message

Changes – Challenges and Opportunitiesby Don Ash

15 Copyright MattersNew Copyright Law Impacts Teachers and What Can Be Used in the Classroom

16 Living WellStand by Meby Judy Beranger

20 Professional Development7 Habits of Highly Effective People – NLTA Summer Workshop Projectby George Tucker

22 Developing Successful Schools (DSS 2013)by George Tucker

23 The Show Must Go On?by John Rao

24 A Sage at Any Ageby Beverley Park

25 Math/Science Special Interest Councilby Craig White

26 “Making a Difference”:A Project Overseas Experience in Saint Luciaby Dana Pittman

29 Hats Off!SAC Distinguished School Administrator of the Year Award Winner 2012-13

30 ViewpointRe-Making the Case for Physical Education in NLby Zoe Hamilton

32 Framing Diversity: A Different Approachby Dr. Patricia Briscoe

34 Media AwarenessSocial TV and Togethernessby Matthew Johnson

DepartmentsUp Front from the President 2On Location News 4In Memoriam 13Calendar back cover

C O N T E N T S

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For further information please contact:

Linda Babstock, Database ManagerNewfoundland and Labrador Teachers’ Association

Tel: 709-726-3223 or 1-800-563-3599, ext. 249 [email protected]

Newfoundland and Labrador Teachers’ Association3 Kenmount Road, St. John’s, NL A1B 1W1

Note: You may need your NLTA membership card to access discounts from the NLTA Teacher Discount List which can be found on the NLTA

members-only website at www.nlta.nl.ca.

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4the bulletin september/october 2013

NEWSProv i n c i a l /nat i o na l/in t e r nat i o na l

CAMPBELLTON

Greenwood Academy celebrates 21st Century Digital Learner WeekGreenwood Academy in Campbellton was abuzz with digital learning activities during the week of April 29 to May 5, 2013 as teachers and students collaborated to incorporate technology into daily instruction and learning during 21st Century – Digital Learner Week. K-9 students participated in activities such as class blogs, digital book talks, video recording apps and Facetime. They also created digital math games, Excel sheets, digital books, book talks, bitstrips, and iMovies. Students used many different iPad apps and interactive SMARTBOARD/Apple TV software activi-ties across the curriculum.

“The focus was on activities to inspire students to become critical thinkers and problem solvers and to encourage them to connect, communicate and collaborate in technology-rich environments,” said Ellis Pope, Principal of Greenwood Academy. “It was exciting to see teachers and students learning together, and to see students challenged, engaged, supported and inspired through the use of resources they know best and use most … technology!”

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The end of the week was celebrated through a school-wide assembly. Students had the opportunity to see various presentations about what other classes had been doing. The Assistant Director of Education (Programs), Ms. Lucy Warren, brought greetings from the Nova Central School District via MS Lync, an online communications system in use throughout the district. Throughout the day students participated in activities such as a QR Scan scavenger hunt and Geocaching, and they wore navy school shirts with a white QR-scan on the back. When their t-shirts were scanned by a Q-scanner it read, “At Greenwood Academy we are DIGITAL LEARNERS!” “The week was a great success at Greenwood, and the school plans to build on the use of technology to promote learning,” concluded Principal Pope.

STEPHENVILLE

Stephenville Elementary’s Kilometers for Kids IIOn May 31, 2013 Stephenville Elementary held its Kilometers For Kids II fundraising event for the Janeway Children’s Hospital. The event was an 11 km trek that began at the school and followed the route to Little Port Harmon and return. The entire school population actively participated in the event, with more than 200 staff, students and volunteers involved. Principal Cindy Barker and Instructional Resource Teacher Brian Duffenais ran the entire distance and were accompanied by approximately 90 students and volunteers who biked, while the remainder of the staff and students walked a por-tion of the distance. The presence of the RCMP was greatly appreciated and certainly helped in ensuring the safety of everyone involved. To help with the fundraising efforts students went door to door with pledge sheets. Some stu-dents went beyond collecting sponsors and also sold tickets, had yard sales, and a few other activities. To motivate students to raise money, the two students who raised the most money were invited to pres-

While completing the unit Structures /Build it Up (Science) and Engineer it (Language Arts), Jake Hynes and Zachary Layden use the Bridge Constructor App to create and test a stable bridge over a river canal. They chose suitable materials with triangular shapes to help withstand pressure and demonstrated its strength in class through the use of the Smartbaord, apple TV and iPad.

5 september/october 2013the bulletin

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ent the cheque on air during the Janeway Telethon. The two students who accompanied Mrs. Barker, Vice Principal Rosemary Foley, Mr. Duffenais, and Ellie the Eagle (the school’s mascot) were Claire St. Croix and Andrew Jesso who raised $1,522.63 and $800.00 respectively. Mr. Duffenais said it is impor-tant to note that Ms. Lillian Cormier who is on staff at Stephenville Elementary, took it upon herself to raise $1,000! There was overwhelming support and people gave generously. This is the eighth year for the Kilometers For Kids II event, but the first year at Stephenville Elementary. The fundraising effort lasted a month and the staff and students collected a total of $11,100. Over the past eight years the event has raised more than $36,000 for the Janeway Children’s Hospital Foundation. Stephenville Elementary would like to thank everyone who supported them, both through mon-etary donations and donations of their time. “We could not do this without the support of the friends and family of Stephenville Elementary as well as the community at large!” concluded Mr. Duffenais.

SPANIARD’S BAY

Holy Redeemer awarded $20,000 Youth Innovation GrantHoly Redeemer School in Spaniard’s Bay is very pleased to announce that they have been award-ed $20,000 from the Department of Innovation, Business and Rural Development, NL. On June 19, 2013, MHA Glenn Littlejohn was at Holy Redeemer to present the school with $20,000 for their youth innovation grant entitled “Multimedia in the 21st Century”. The cheque presentation was made at the school’s annual Non-Academic awards assembly.

(cont’d on page 6)

Cindy Barker (Principal) and Brian Duffenais (teacher) pictured with some of the many participants in Stephenville Elementary's Kilometers for Kids II fundraising event.

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Holy Redeemer will be using this money to pur-chase 20 additional iPads for the school as well as developing a media/video editing room for student use. The project will also see students communicat-ing and learning with students throughout the prov-ince of Newfoundland and Labrador as well as in the province of Alberta. The school will also be partner-ing with CDLI to assist with the communications between schools. Training is also planned for staff and will be a component of this project. Students and staff of Holy Redeemer would like to thank committee members: Principal David Crane, Assistant Principal Robert Bishop, teachers Lorna Dwyer, Ron Fagan, Deanne Deering, Bobbi Harrington, Paul Sheppard, Susan Whitten, and Andrew Mercer for their efforts in securing funding for this upcoming project.

Holy Redeemer student wins prestigious award at “Virtual Media Festival”Holy Redeemer School is very pleased to announce that this past June, student Morgan Sheppard in Ms. Bishops’ Grade 7 classroom was named Amalgamated Academy’s Virtual Media Festival (AVMF) photography winner for her submission of “A Bully in the Shadows”. AVMF aims to bring the youth of our province, country, and world together through video production, animation and digital photography. This festival provides students in grades 7-9 the opportunity to share their work with their peers and people working in the TV/Video, Animation and Photography industries. Morgan received an iPad Mini and Holy Redeemer will receive a new digital camera. Congratulations to

Morgan from all students and staff of Holy Redeemer for winning this prestigious award. Students and staff would like to thank teacher sponsors Ms. Pauline Bishop, Mr. Robert Pike, and Ms. Jane Green for encouraging participation in the festival.

ST. JOHN’S

St. Matthew’s School giving the gift of freshwater joysSt. Matthew’s Elementary School and the Rotary Club of St. John’s celebrated the completion of their African Well Project in a special assembly held in March 2013. H2O for Life paired St. Matthew’s with Chisamba Junior Primary School in Malawi, a school of similar size in a needy area of Africa. The school community raised close to $5,000 toward the construction of a well and sanitation system for this school. Rotary matched St. Matthew’s efforts with a further $5,000, which was then doubled again by the Water and Sanitation Rotarian Action Group (WASRAG). St. Matthew’s Leadership Group orga-nized many fundraisers and increased awareness of

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Pictured (l-r): Robert Pike, Jane Green, Morgan Sheppard (winner), Pauline Bishop

Buddy Wasisname and the Other Fellers join St. Matthew’s Glee Club in a performance of “Freshwater Joys”.

Pictured (l-r): Robert Bishop, Glenn Littlejohn, David Crane, Lorna Dwyer, Deanne Deering, Bobbi Harrington, Paul Sheppard, and Ron Fagan (Susan Whitten and Andrew Mercer unavailable for photo)


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the value of fresh water. Buddy Wasisname and the Other Fellers were pleased to join St. Matthew’s Glee Club in a performance of “Freshwater Joys”, a school adaption of their song, “Saltwater Joys”.

NL Students recognized in the CSA Science ChallengeAlmost 100 experiments from across Canada were submitted to the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) Science Challenge. This past December, Darla O’Reilly from Let’s Talk Science, Dr. Paul Sylvester, Dr. Kate Souders, both Planetary Geochemists from MUN, Renate Pohl, Trevor Morris (International Space University Alumni) the Johnson GEO Centre and Eastern School District collaborated to help organize video planning sessions for students in the Eastern School District. A CSA panel of judges that included CSA Astronaut Jeremy Hansen selected the main winners and the top ten finalists. Congratulations to not one but TWO teams from Bishops College who were both selected in the top ten finalists from across the country! To view “Juggling in Space” by Amanda Ricketts, Lesley Turpin, Kirsten Gillis, David Grainger, Mark Hewitt and Stephen Squires (Level II Bishops College students) visit www.explorecuriocity.org/Content.aspx?ContentID=2162 To view “Sky-high Rope Jumping Challenge” by Josh Lehr, Andrew Mouland, Sarah Winsor, Natalie Griffin and Holly Burford in grade 12 (Level III Bishops College students) visit www.explorecurioc-ity.org/Content.aspx?ContentID=2161

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Front Row (l-r): “Juggling in Space Team” Stephen Squires, Mark Hewitt, Amanda Ricketts, Kirsten Gillis, David Grainger (missing: Lesley Turpin).Middle Row (l-r): “Sky High Rope Jumping Challenge Team” Andrew Mouland, Josh Lehr, Natalie Griffin, Holly Burford, Sarah Winsor.Back row (l-r): Darla O'Reilly (Let’s Talk Science), Renate Pohl (ISU Alumni), Dr. Paul Sylvester (MUN), Dr. Kate Souders (MUN), Yvonne Dawe (Science Dept Head, Bishops College).

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St. John’s student wins big at Telegram Regional Spelling BeeOn March 8, 2013, students from 30 schools across Newfoundland and Labrador participated in the first annual Telegram Regional Spelling Bee. The competi-tion was steep and it soon became evident that many of the competitors came to win. Earlier in the year contestants were given word lists to study in prepara-tion for the event, but once it became obvious that many of the contestants knew the majority of the words from those lists, the judges switched to words that were not on the lists. By the 10th round only three contestants remained which included students from St. Bonaventure’s College, St. Paul’s Junior High and Holy Cross Junior High. “When the championship word “tenuous” was given to Cassandra Clowe-Coish from Holy Cross, you could hear a pin drop,” said Linda Hart, Principal at Holy Cross Junior High. “The anticipa-tion in the room was palpable, but it was seemingly with ease that Cassandra spelled the word without faltering, winning the Spelling Bee.” Cassandra received $3,000, a dictionary, and an all expense paid trip to Washington D.C. in May to par-ticipate in the Scripps National Spelling Bee. At the Scripps Spelling Bee in Washington, Cassandra tied for 42nd place out of approximately 300 participants from around the world.

MDJH captures $1,000 prize in “Show Your Volunteer Spirit School Contest”To coincide with Volunteer Week 2013, April 21-27, Honourary Volunteer Week 2013 Chair Paddy Daly, with support from the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador Office of Public Engagement, and work-ing with the Community Sector Council NL and the Volunteer Week 2013 Committee, launched the “Show Your Volunteer Spirit School Contest”. The contest was open to all schools in Newfoundland and Labrador to celebrate and promote youth vol-unteerism. Students were encouraged to create their own submissions; however, they needed permission from their school to submit on their behalf. Three $1,000 prizes were provided by the Office of Public Engagement in each of the primary/elementary, junior high and high school categories. Macdonald Drive Junior High in St. John’s was awarded $1,000 in the junior high category thanks

to an award-winning essay by Richard Ryker, a then Grade 9 student at the school. Richard’s essay bestowed the value and benefits of volunteering and described his very positive and worthwhile experi-ences with the many volunteer activities taking place at Macdonald Drive Junior High. In an excerpt from his essay, Richard said, “…Volunteering is essential for youth, and we at MDJH believe that whole heart-edly. It helps you learn and develop skills, become more connected with your community, and gives you motivation and a sense of accomplishment. Mainly, there is no better way to lift your spirit and have fun than to help out and volunteer.”

Macdonald Drive Junior High Jazz Band tours the “Big Land”The Jazz Band from Macdonald Drive Junior High School in St. John’s traveled to Labrador from May 22-24, 2013. The band performed in Churchill Falls, Goose Bay and Sheshatshiu. The trip was high-lighted by tours of the Military Museum, Labrador Interpretation Center and Churchill Falls-Labrador Corporation Hydro facility.

Darryl Feener, then Principal of Macdonald Drive Junior High, said it was an amazing sharing of cul-tural and geographical experiences that will not soon be forgotten.

NLTA Medal winner announcedBailey Oake from Big Bras d’Or, Nova Scotia, is this year’s recipi-ent of the Newfoundland and Labrador Teachers’ Association Meda l . Ba i l ey g r adua t ed from Memorial University at

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Richard Ryker

Students from Macdonald Drive Junior High enjoy a tour of the Churchill Falls-Labrador Corporation Hydro facility during their trip to the “Big Land”.

Cassandra Clowe-Coish

Bailey Oake


the Spring 2013 convocation with a Bachelor of Education (Intermediate/Secondary). During her studies in the Faculty, Bailey main-tained an excellent academic record with an overall average of 81.7% in her Education courses. She has also demonstrated fine teaching in the classroom receiving an excellent review from her cooperating teacher during her internship placement at Prince of Wales Collegiate in St. John’s. Bailey has had a life-long background in volun-teerism and has demonstrated an enthusiasm for teaching from a young age. Having studied music, dance and art from early childhood, she actively passed her own love of these subjects along to others. In her application letter to the Faculty, Bailey wrote: “As a student, I reap rewards because of my perserverance, dedication and appreciation. As a teacher, these same qualities will take strong effect. I am committed to my work and to my decisions; I never back down from the task at hand”. The sincer-ity of this statement was to become very significant for this young woman. In December 2011 while leaving the Faculty of Education building, Bailey was struck by a car and severely injured. Yet despite having to take a temporary leave of absence from her studies for surgery for a broken back, Bailey returned to Memorial to finish her remaining courses and internship, and to complete her Education degree. After her ordeal, Bailey began a campaign to bring awareness to pedestrian safety on campus. A year after her injury, she returned to the accident site in an organized march with other members of the Memorial community. Recently, as a result of her petition, the City of St. John’s has agreed to pursue discussions with MUN regarding an area-wide traffic study and has approved a crosswalk upgrade in the area where Bailey’s accident occurred. Bailey is currently working as a substitute teacher with the Cape Breton Regional School Board while maintaining her professional practice as an artist. Bailey is most deserving of the NLTA Convocation Medal. She has an enthusiam and love of teach-ing. She has demonstrated outstanding dedication, perserverance and optimism – values that will con-tribute towards making her an exceptional teacher. The NLTA Medal is awarded annually to an Education student who, during his/her academic career, has made an outstanding contribution to the Faculty of Education and to the University. The recipient must be a graduating student and have a consistently good academic record in the profession-al courses required for the degree. The award is made by Memorial University on the recommendation of the Dean of Education.

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NLTA Staff ChangesOn July 31, 2013, Edward Hancock retired from the Newfoundland and Labrador Teachers’ Association after 27 years of service. Ed began his employment with the NLTA in 1986 as an Executive Assistant for Field Services. In 1990 he was appointed as an Administrative Officer in Benefits and Economic Services, and, in 1997, he was appointed to the position of Assistant Executive Director, with responsibility for coordinating all programs and services of the Benefits and Economic Services Division. In November 2001, Ed assumed his new role as Executive Director of the NLTA. Prior to joining the Association in 1986, Ed spent 13 years as a classroom teacher and school administrator. We wish Ed much happiness in his retirement.

The NLTA Provincial Executive Council is pleased to announce the following staff appointments:

Don AshDon Ash has been appointed to the position of Executive Director of the NLTA effective August 1, 2013. Don has worked with the NLTA since 1998 as an Administrative Officer in the Benefits and Economic Services Division. In 2008 he was appointed Assistant Executive Director and Director for the Benefits and Economic Services Division. In this position he worked directly with the Executive Director in the overall coordination of NLTA programs and services and in administering the operation of the NLTA office. Don received his Bachelor of Science/Bachelor of Education from Memorial University with a major in Mathematics in 1980 and a Masters of Business Administration from York University with a major in Organizational Behaviour/Public Administration in 1982. He also holds a Certificate in Industrial Relations from Queens University which was received in 2005. Beginning his teaching career at Laval High School in Placentia in 1983, Don has 18 years of teaching and administrative experience in a number of schools in the Province. He served as branch president for the Conception Bay South Branch of the NLTA and was a member of the NLTA Provincial Executive Council from 1997-98. Since 2007 he has been a member of the Atlantic Regional Board of Directors for the Canadian Pension and Benefits Institute (CPBI). In his new position of Executive Director, Don is the Chief Administrative Officer and is respon-sible for the coordination of the total NLTA pro-gram. He represents the Association on most Liaison Committees and is familiar with all programs and services offered by the NLTA.

Steve BrooksSteve Brooks has been appointed to the position of Assistant Executive Director effective August 1, 2013. Steve has worked with the NLTA since 2008 as an Administrative Officer in the Benefits and Economic Services Division. He has an extensive background as a district leader, school administrator and teacher. He joined the NLTA from his position with the Eastern School District where he was a Senior Education Officer. Steve has a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction from Memorial University as well as a Bachelor of Education – High School Social Studies and Religious Studies, and a Bachelor of Arts - Political Science. He also has a Certificate in Industrial Relations from Queens University which was received in 2010 and has completed numer-ous training programs including Labour Relations Foundations, Negotiation Skills, and Dispute Resolution. He has a strong reputation as an edu-cational leader and has presented at conferences locally, nationally and internationally. In 2001 he was recipient of the School Administrators’ Council Distinguished Principal/Vice-Principal of the Year Award. He is also a Certified Facilitator for the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People Program©. In his new role Steve is responsible for coordinat-ing the daily operations of the Benefits and Economic Services Division and will assist the Executive Director in the overall coordination of NLTA pro-grams and services.

Miriam SheppardMiriam Sheppard has been appointed to the posi-tion of Administrative Officer in the Benefits and Economic Services Division effective August 19, 2013. Miriam holds an LLB from the University of New Brunswick and a BA (with distinction) from the University of Lethbridge. She was Freelance Legal Editor with Lancaster House before joining the NLTA and previous to that she was a Solicitor with a provincial health authority where she provided legal advice, representation and support in human resource matters including labour, privacy, disability accommodation, human rights, workers’ compensa-tion and policy issues. Miriam held other positions over the years with the Healthcare Corporation of St. John’s, Government of NL, and with the law firm Curtis, Dawe. Throughout her career Miriam had prided herself on her competence, leadership skills and integrity. Her legal knowledge is supplemented by front line experi-ence as a human resources professional, giving her a legal and practical grasp on human resources issues.

Miriam Sheppard

Edward Hancock

Don Ash

Steve Brooks


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NEWFOUNDLAND & LABRADOR

Schools get an A from Kids Eat Smart FoundationThere are 210 registered Kids Eat Smart Clubs in provincial schools; that’s an A for healthy nutrition for our children! Kids Eat Smart Clubs serve over 20,000 students every school day thanks to the dedication of school staff, friends and family, community volunteers and generous donors. Each Kids Eat Smart Club is different. Most serve breakfast or a morning snack, but some serve lunch or an afternoon snack. Some are grab-and-go while others are sit down cafeteria style. Teachers, school staff, parents, grandparents, community service groups, businesses, students and other volunteers open the cupboard, cut the fruit, pour the milk, make the smoothies and toast and help kids get the nour-ishment they need to focus on their school work. Kids Eat Smart Foundation is a registered charity that works to ensure children throughout the prov-ince attend school well nourished and ready to learn. They work with clubs through the start up process, provide annual grants for food and equipment, and provide support to the programs through menu planning, volunteer supports, fundraising initiatives, and overall structural support. If your school has a Kids Eat Smart Club they wish to thank you for your commitment to our chil-dren. It’s school staff, teachers and principals just like you, who work with community volunteers to truly make these clubs so successful. If your school does not have a Kids Eat Smart Club please contact Kids Eat Smart Foundation at 722-1996, 1-877-722-1996 or [email protected]. They would be happy to help you get started!

Ella Manuel Scholarship 2013 award winner announcedThe Ella Manuel Scholarship for 2013 has been awarded to Hannah Rumbolt, a graduate of Harriot Curtis Collegiate in St. Anthony. Hannah was selected from many excellent applications received from high schools around the province. An outstanding student and a leader in school and community affairs, she is aiming to become a paediatric physician.


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An Inuit-Métis and member of the Nunatukivut community council, Hannah has a passionate interest in medical problems among aboriginal peoples. This is the 26th year in which the award has been given in memory of Newfoundland writer, broadcast-er, peace activist and feminist Ella Manuel. This year’s scholarship, worth $2,500, is given to young women graduating from high schools around the province to assist in their further education. The support of Suncor Energy and the Crosbie Group is gratefully acknowledged.

AUSTIN, TEXAS

NL teachers enjoy week of PD hosted by AppleJuly 2013 was an exciting time for three teachers from Newfoundland and Labrador who traveled south to Austin, Texas – not for a holiday, but rather a profes-sional development opportunity hosted by Apple. Christina Cox (St. John’s), Peter McCormack (Labrador) and Thomas Sheppard (CBS) have recently been accepted into the Apple Distinguished Educators (ADE) Class of 2013. This award is given to teachers who integrate Apple Technologies into their classroom curriculum through different strate-gies. As ADEs these teachers get access to software development by Apple and they often get invited to

speak and present to other teachers about their expe-riences in the classrooms. “The opportunity for a week of professional devel-opment hosted by Apple with teachers from across Canada, the United States and Mexico was amazing,” said Christina Cox. “The week was filled with col-laboration and creation resulting in PLNs that will continue to grow as teachers prepare to go back to their classrooms in the fall.” Any teacher using Apple products in their class-room who is interested in obtaining more information about the program can contact either of the teachers involved ([email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]) or check out www.apple.com/ca/education/apple-distinguished-educator/

Substitute Teacher Special Interest Council

The Substitute Teacher Special Interest Council is a group for NL Substitutes to connect with a united voice to

help with the following:

• A place to raise questions or concerns that we can discuss and look for solutions.

• A source for information not always available to us.

• A source for help with everyday problems that may arise.

• A source to help improve our chances to gain full time employment.

• Mainly a link for new and existing substitutes to help with their career and professional development.

Executive

Co-Presidents: Hannah ClarkeWilliam Hayden

Co-Vice Presidents:Melissa BudgellDennis Moulton

Secretary:Amanda Swain

Treasurer:Nicole Clarke

Communication Officers (for contact to join):Mike [email protected]

Patrick [email protected]

NL teachers at Apple seminar in Austin Texas (l-r): Christina Cox, Peter McCormack, Thomas Sheppard)


HUBERT LEYTE, OCTOBER 20, 1927 – MAY 2, 2013

Hubert Leyte was born in Eastern Tickle, Fogo and enjoyed all the fun and excitement of growing up in a small fishing community. He attended a one-room school until Grade 6, and then went to St. Andrew’s School in Fogo. He graduated from high school in June 1943. In September of 1943 Hubert went to Boat Harbour to begin his teaching career. He taught in Boat Harbour for two years and attended summer school in the owff-season. He then taught in Mann Point (now known as Davidsville) for 11 years. In 1956 he moved to Change Islands where he taught for a year and then moved to Carmanville in 1957 where he taught for eight years. In 1965 he moved to Clarke’s Head and in 1968, when the new Centennial

Central High School opened, he taught there until he finished his teaching career in 1983. Hubert was a community volunteer with the Local Service Committee. Early in his years he was a lay reader in the Anglican Church. Later in years he loved to fish from his beloved cabin in Snows Harbour, loved to garden and do woodworking. In 2012 he wrote a book for his family about his life’s journey. Away from work Hubert was a devoted husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather. While teaching in Mann Point he met his wife Annie. They were blessed with 12 children, 18 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren. (Submitted by Elaine Torraville, daughter of Hubert Leyte)

Hubert Leyte

•In Memoriam Submission Guidelines

Submissions to In Memoriam should be a maximum of 250 to 300 words and may contain a photo of the deceased. In Memoriams should be submitted within a timely manner – normally within the same school year (if possible) of the death of the teacher. Information may be includ-ed on where the deceased lived and taught, their education, accomplish-ments, community involvement and family information. It is preferred that all submissions be e-mailed to Lesley-Ann Browne, Editor of The Bulletin, at [email protected]. If submitting by mail, please address to: Editor, The Bulletin, Newfoundland and Labrador Teachers’ Association, 3 Kenmount Road, St. John’s, NL, A1B 1W1. Submissions may also be faxed to 726-4302 or toll-free at 1-877-711-6582. Please be sure to include a contact name, school or business name, mailing address, telephone number and e-mail address.

Important Notice for New TeachersNew Teacher Kits

To receive a copy of NLTA’s New Teacher Kit, please contact:Susan Cardoulis

Newfoundland & Labrador Teachers’ Association3 Kenmount Road, St. John’s, NL A1B 1W1

Tel: 726-3223, ext. 246 or 1-800-563-3599 (toll free)[email protected]

Thinking About Applying for

Educational Leave?Applications for Educational Leave for the

2014-15 Academic Year have been mailed to schools with the Sept/Oct issue of The Bulletin

and are available on the NLTA website at www.nlta.nl.ca.

Application is made to the District. Districts must forward applications to the Department

of Education by February 1, 2014.

Your district may have an earlier deadline. Please check

with your district office.

I N M E M O R I A M


On July 31, 2013, Edward Hancock retired as Executive Director of the NLTA after a 40-year

career in the education sector – 13 years as a class-room teacher and school administrator, 27 years as a staff person with the NLTA, including 12 years as Executive Director. It has been my privilege to have been on staff with Ed for the past 13 years, the last five as the Assistant Executive Director. In that position, I had the opportunity to be mentored by Ed Hancock, and to experience first hand his intel-ligence and commitment, not only to the teachers of Newfoundland and Labrador, but to the Canadian Teachers’ Federation and their efforts to assist teach-ers both nationally and internationally. Ed’s career was dedicated to the promotion and, as sometimes required, the defense of a strong inclusive public education system. His vision, knowledge and experi-ence will be missed by the Association and teachers of this province. I shall miss his guidance and advice. However, with change comes opportunity and challenges. I welcome the opportunity to be the Executive Director of the NLTA and commit to addressing the challenges that we, as educators, will undoubtedly face over the coming years. I welcome the opportunity to work with President Jim Dinn and the 2013-15 Provincial Executive. I look forward to working closely with my col-league, Steve Brooks, who is the new Assistant Executive Director of the NLTA and Director of the Benefits and Economic Services Division, and I wel-come Miriam Sheppard to the NLTA staff team as an administrative officer in the Benefits and Economic Services Division. Both Steve and Miriam bring a wealth of skill and experience in labour relations to their respective new roles and will provide excep-tional service to the teachers of the province. Most teachers in the province returned to school facing significant change to their employment struc-ture – that of a single English School District for the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. No doubt

teachers will be faced with challenges associated with ensuring that a larger school district does not result in a lessening of resources and supports for schools and teachers at the local and regional levels. There should be opportunities for teachers to have input in policy development as provincial policies are developed. Your Provincial Executive and NLTA staff will be working diligently on your behalf with the provincial school district to ensure consultation and input from teachers is heard, and that concerns are addressed. The Government has engaged the NLTA in dis-cussions regarding the challenges of maintaining sus-tainable defined benefit pension plans for teachers. Through discussions and ultimately collective bar-gaining, the Association will endeavor to protect the integrity of our pension plan for all teachers – past, present and future. We anticipate collective agree-ment negotiations to pick up momentum this year, and we are expectant that our negotiating team will achieve a fair and reasonable collective agreement. The NLTA Provincial Executive commissioned and endorsed an IT Strategic Plan by Bell that defined the Association’s IT future, and developed a set of plans to support and enhance the Association’s ability to deliver programs and services to the teach-ers of Newfoundland and Labrador. Some 30 projects have been identified for implementation over the next five years which should result in the utiliza-tion of technology in an effective and secure manner capable of addressing the needs of teachers. The NLTA Provincial Executive have identified a number of priorities for 2013-15 including: nego-tiating a new collective agreement; supporting and developing beginning teacher initiatives; developing a strategic plan for membership engagement; moni-toring school board amalgamation and its impact on teachers, and; addressing non-collective agreement issues that impact teacher work life. The Provincial Executive and NLTA staff look forward to meeting challenges and opportunities inherent in working on these priorities over the coming two years. The staff of the NLTA, both support and administra-tive, are second to none, and are dedicated to serving the best interests and well-being of teachers through support, advocacy, educational leadership and the development of outstanding programs and services. On behalf of the NLTA staff I offer best wishes for an enjoyable and successful school year. I encourage you to contact the NLTA for advice and support as you face the challenges and realize the opportunities that arise over the coming months.

Don Ash is Executive Director of the NLTA.

E X E C U T I V E D I R E C T O R ’ S M E S S A G E

Changes – Challenges and Opportunities

by Don ash


Recent changes to Canada’s copyright law pro-vide many new benefits for teachers and the

learning process in the classroom. In June 2012, Parliament passed the Copyright Modernization Act and, a few weeks later, the Supreme Court of Canada issued a landmark decision interpreting what fair dealing means in an education setting. Taken together, these two events have set new rules for copyright and education. Copyright law has become clearer and easier for teachers and students to follow in two significant ways.

The use of Internet materialsThe new copyright law provides a clear legal frame-work that supports the use of the Internet in class-rooms. A new provision establishes that teachers and students can legally conduct routine classroom activ-ities such as downloading, saving, and sharing pub-licly available Internet text or images, incorporating Internet materials into assignments, and exchanging works electronically with one another. This new Internet provision applies only to mate-rial that is publicly available on the Internet and that has been posted on-line with the authorization of the copyright owner. For instance, the provision does not apply to pirated textbooks or films. Also, teach-ers and students must respect any digital lock (such as encryption or password-protection) that restricts access or use of the Internet content.

The use of “short excerpts”The Supreme Court decision interpreted fair deal-ing as permitting teachers to copy and communicate short excerpts from a copyright-protected work for each student in a class. So, teachers can make cop-ies of short excerpts from a book or magazine, for example, for distribution to students in their class without having to ask for copyright permission or pay copyright royalties. Short excerpts can be taken

for education purposes from books, film, television, audio-visual recordings, as well as sheet music. As a consequence of this Supreme Court decision, many educational uses of copyright-protected works no longer require payment of copyright royalties. However, teachers’ use of copies of short excerpts is meant to be a supplement to – not a substitute for – the purchase of copyright-protected work. The ruling does not allow the copying of a whole copyright-pro-tected work, only a “short excerpt.” It does not mean teachers can copy whole textbooks.

Know your limits with the new copyright law Teachers routinely encourage copyright awareness and respect for copyright. Given the many changes to the copyright law, teachers should learn more about the new benefits and limits for classroom learning. There are very good resource materials being made available by the Newfoundland and Labrador Department of Education, as well as the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (CMEC), the Canadian Teachers’ Federation and the Canadian School Board Association. • Fair Dealing Guidelines are set to help educators deal fairly with copyright-protected works. The guidelines provide a detailed description of “short excerpts”. • Copyright Matters! is a helpful guide to copyright law and education, providing teachers with user-friendly information on what they need to know about copyright in the classroom. These materials can be downloaded from the CMEC website: www.cmec.ca.

New Copyright Law Impacts Teachers and What Can Be Used

in the Classroom

C O P Y R I G H T M A T T E R S

Attention: Substitute TeachersThe Université Sainte-Anne has announced that it is offering a $4,000 bursary to teachers in Newfoundland and Labrador without a permanent teaching contract. The bursary is to help substitute teachers study French at the Universitéw Sainte-Anne.

Substitute teachers who are interested in receiving the bursary from the Université Sainte-Anne are asked to contact François Bélanger, Director of the Immersion Department via email at [email protected] or via telephone at 902-769-2114, ext. 7210.


Stand By Me When the night has comeAnd the land is darkAnd the moon is the only light we’ll seeNo I won't be afraid, no I won’t be afraidJust as long as you stand by me. (Ben E. King)

Who is it that stands by you, no matter what? Who is it that you can depend on to be there regardless of circumstance –

someone you know is always in your court, willing to help carry the load? In your home/family/work/community life – who are the people you can depend on and trust? Name them and keep them sacred and acknowledged. Loyalty is one of the greatest gifts we can receive and being loyal is one of the greatest gifts we can give. With the uncertainties and changes of this past school year, loyalty has been tested and conflict of loyalties has arisen. However, for some loyalty has been strengthened. Teachers have had to respond to a myriad of challenges – reassignments, school clos-ings, talks on teacher contracts, to retire or not, board amalgamation – what does it mean, what is it going to mean? I find that maintaining my focus on “what” and “whom” I want to be loyal to enables me to reduce my stress. The principal promised me I could change grades this year and as it turns out it changed – but not to what I wanted. This was a real test of my loyalty to my prin-cipal. We both won as I decided that it wasn’t so bad. As a result I have enjoyed this summer and am mentally prepared for the new challenge. (High School Teacher)

What is loyalty?To quote a wise teacher: “loyalty is knowing that someone will stand by you with unwavering support and trust.” Loyalty is about being committed to your family, friends, colleagues, school and systems – not

just when times are good but more especially when things get tough. Definitions of loyalty include faithfulness, devo-tion, commitment or obligation to a person, group or country. Loyalty has also been characterised as tender acts of being there for others even when you don’t want to be! It is about trusting confidences and protecting the name and integrity of another at every opportunity even if it means standing alone. As a noun it includes: faithfulness, commitment, alle-giance, reliability, fidelity, dependability, trustworthi-ness, steadfastness, trustiness and true-heartedness. One thing I know for sure is that no matter what happens in my life you will always stand by me. I know I can show up on your doorstep and be welcomed!! I’ll have a home while you are alive, no matter what! (A teacher to her older sister) Over 100 years ago Napoleon Hill conducted the first large scale study of success. He found that “lack of loyalty” was the leading cause of failure in all walks of life while maintaining loyal relationships equated with life success. More recently Keiningham and Aksoy, in their book, Why Loyalty Matters (www.whyloyaltymatters.com) remind us that every dream we hope to accomplish in this life is going to be with and through our loyal relationships with others. I supported Helen, a new teacher, kept her in the loop and for the first term everything was great. By second term Helen had aligned with two particular teachers who were quite negative. As Helen started complain-ing about every little thing I felt my loyalty wavering. I decided to talk to her about this even though it was dif-ficult. Things are improving and I am pleased I did not give up. It is not about how many friends we have; but rather how many of those you can count on. I wanted to be one she could count on. (A fellow teacher) Experiencing and giving loyalty is energizing and a great antidote to dispelling the fear that often feeds and heightens anxiety. It is difficult to spend much

L I V I N G W E L L

Stand by Meby JuDy Beranger

“… every dream we hope to accomplish in this life is going to be with and through our loyal relationships with others.”


time in the throes of anxiety when one is concentrat-ing on how and to whom they wish to practice their loyalty skills. The strength of a family can be monitored by its loyalty to each other. When my parents became ill I was surprised that family members, who I thought would be there to help, were not, while others from whom we expected very little demonstrated great acts of loyalty and compassion. (Teacher who is in a caregiv-ing role with her parents.)

If the sky that we look uponShould tumble and fallI won’t cry, I won’t cry, no I won’t shed a tearJust as long as you stand by me

Animals can be rich examples of loyalty. Most of us know stories where animals, like humans, have a sixth sense of knowing who to trust and who not to trust and when to provide comfort. When I was in grade school my Grandfather’s good friend, Jim, had a massive heart attack and died while at work in the family business. Jim’s dog and loyal companion Bismarck, was at his side and the only one he would let near the body was my Grandfather with whom he was familiar and trusted. Bismarck knew that my Grandfather was also loyal to Jim.

Loyalty SkillsLoyalty impacts our happiness at work. A landmark Ipsos study on loyalty – the most comprehensive study of loyalty ever conducted – found that employ-ees with the highest levels of loyalty characterized themselves as the happiest. Loyalty skills cited in the research and their appli-cation for teachers include:• Support/assistance. Support to colleagues such as sharing expertise, contacts, lessons plans, research, covering off on duty, anything that might feel sup-portive and keep stress at bay.• Giving time/attention. Taking an interest in the overall school challenges and projects supporting to the degree that you can, demonstrating empathy, and “standing by” your colleagues, school, and leadership.• Recognition/encouragement. Valuing and appre-ciating all that is good along with a thank-you. Remember there are lots of us who think all kinds of good things about others but crazy as it may seem, people are more likely to say the negative out loud more quickly than acknowledging the positive. Be a cheerleader.• Self-sacrifice/commitment. Teachers are incred-ibly loyal in their commitment to do what it takes

to get the job done. They stay late, do the dreaded duties with a smile and stand up for the sometimes unpopular viewpoints of students, other teachers and administration. There is always someone willing to put themselves out for others.• Reliability/trust. Following through on what you say you’ll do. Others know that you are consistently dependable to confide in and lean on. As another school year commences it is helpful to name who it is you want to emulate this year. Who do you experience as an exemplary model of loyalty? Consider discussing what loyalty means to you as a staff at one of your staff meetings. Some years ago there was a story from the Special Olympics, where nine contestants assembled at a starting line for the 100 yard dash. They all started out together, not exactly in a dash, but with the rel-ish to run the race to the finish. One boy stumbled, fell and started to cry. Hearing this, the other eight slowed down, turned around, saw what had hap-pened and went back. One special Olympian helped him up, kissed him and said, “that will make you better.” Then all nine of them linked, arm in arm and walked together to the finish line. Everyone in the stadium stood and cheered for more than ten min-utes. Talk about loyalty! Find a loyalty mantra and repeat it especially when life presents the negatives. Some days when you only have one nerve left – just getting ignored by someone can be enough to set you off. Name some of the people in your life you trust to be there no matter what. It could be something as short and easy as: No matter what happens to me today I know that Greg, Ann, Peter and Mark (insert your names) will always be there for me, will stand by me no matter what! Repeat that sentence often, know how absolutely true it is and feel the support throughout your whole body. It is a good mantra for you to repeat often when you feel alone or depleted of energy and you want to stay away from the negative at work. This helps with staying focused on what you can control. That is really the secret. Let go of what you cannot control and when it enters your thoughts, let it go again and repeat the mantra. If you can’t think of one person, call EAP and we will help.

Judy Beranger is a Wellness and Employee Assistance Coordinator with the Employee Assistance Program for Teachers. For confidential assistance contact Judy Beranger (ext. 265) or Gail Carroll (ext. 242). Suggestions for future articles for this Living Well section are welcomed.

L I V I N G W E L L


FOR NLTA OFFICE USE ONLY

Date Received Confirmation Sent Information Package Sent

Note: • Teachers within two years of retirement (on or before June 2016) are eligible to attend.

• All participants must pre-register. • You will receive confirmation prior to seminar. • Travel costs will be paid according to policy and only to the nearest seminar. • Teachers are advised to bring a calculator.

Please submit registration form to: Melanie Jaster Benefits and Economic Services Division Newfoundland and Labrador Teachers’ Association 3 Kenmount Road, St. John’s, NL A1B 1W1 Fax: 709-726-4302; 1-877-711-6582 (toll free)

or submit online at www.nlta.nl.ca. Go to Forms Online and click “P”.

R E G I S T R A T I O N F O R M

Name

Mailing Address

Postal Code

Home Telephone

Social Insurance Number*

School Name

School Telephone

Email

* By providing your SIN you are authorizing the NLTA to request your pension information from the NL Department of Finance. This information will be used for NLTA internal purposes only.

Please check which session you will be attending:

■ Oct. 17-18 – Greenwood Inn & Suites, Corner Brook

■ Oct. 24-25 – Mt. Peyton Hotel, Grand Falls-Windsor

■ Nov. 7-8 – Holiday Inn, Stephenville

■ Nov. 14-15 – Holiday Inn, St. John’s

■ Nov. 21-22 – Holiday Inn, St. John’s

■ Dec. 5-6 – Holiday Inn, St. John’s

Will your spouse be attending? ■ Yes ■ No

Name of spouse (if attending)

Earliest eligibility date for pension

Have you attended a previous pre-retirement seminar?

■ Yes ■ No

2013 Pre-Retirement Seminar

NOTE: As space is limited, registrations will be taken on a first-come, first-served basis.


Date Received Confirmation Sent

Please submit registration form to:Melanie Jaster

Benefits and Economic Services DivisionNewfoundland and Labrador Teachers’ Association

3KenmountRoad,St.John’s,NLA1B1W1Fax:709 -726-4302;1-877-711- 6582(toll free)

or submit online at www.nlta.nl.ca. Go to Forms Online.

NOTE: As space is limited, registrations will be taken on a first-come, first-served basis.

Name:

Mailing Address:

Postal Code:

Home Telephone:

Social Insurance Number*:

School Name:

School Telephone:

E-mail:

Have you attended a previous financial information session? Yes No

Please check which session you will be attending:

Oct. 19 – Greenwood Inn & Suites, Corner Brook

Oct. 26 – Mount Peyton Hotel, Grand Falls-Windsor

Nov. 16 – Holiday Inn, St. John’s

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

2013Financial Information SeminarsRegistration Form

(please print)

FOR NLTA OFFICE USE ONLY

Newfoundland and Labrador Teachers’ Association

MAXIMUM

30PARTICIPANTS

PER SEMINAR

* By providing your SIN you are authorizing the NLTA to request your pension information from the NL Department of Finance. This information will be used for NLTA internal purposes only.


The Professional Development and the Benefits and Economic Services Divisions of the NLTA offered a 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

Signature Certification Workshop from August 12-14, 2013 at the NLTA building. The workshop was con-ducted by George Tucker and Steve Brooks who are both certified 7 Habits Signature Program facilitators. This was the second consecutive summer that the Association offered teachers this particular personal development opportunity. Once again interest in the program was high. The 24 available slots were quickly booked, although unfortunately, a number of participants were forced to withdraw at the last minute due to personal reasons. All areas of the island portion of the province were represented. Participants agreed to pay the cost of the 7 Habits workbook ($150). It is worth noting that the usual cost of attending this certificate workshop is normally $2195 (USF). The NLTA is able to provide its members the workshop on a significantly lower cost-recovery basis as a result of having two trained facilitators on staff. Participants were not given formal evaluation forms to complete. Instead they were asked to volun-tarily offer written comments. Representative sam-ples of the comments collected are provided below. Participants wrote:

• Thank you for perspective and giving me the belief that I can control my life. I feel a renewed sense of achievement and know I am going to be the person I want to be. The road is hard – the path is long – believe and practice – make me strong. I am going to make it. I feel stronger because of this program. I want to share with my friends, family and colleagues what I have learned. We will continue to grow and learn together. Thank you Steve and George! • This was one of the better workshops I’ve attended. The combination of engaging presenters and inter-esting materials made the three days fly by. These were not new concepts, but the way in which they were presented really helped me to think about my life – both personally and professionally – in a dif-ferent way. It has really helped me to see the flaws in some of my habits and to create new ideas for how I can deal with these situations in the future.• These past three days have allowed me to re-evaluate my own personal values and commitments and reminded me to practice what I preach. I am in the helping profession and often take care of other’s needs, at times neglecting my own. The 7 Habits reminded me to take care of myself and sharpen my saw. I really enjoyed this interactive PD. It was very valuable, and I hope to engage in the 7 Habits con-tract. Both facilitators were very skilled and charis-matic. Excellent job!• Positive – The interaction and co-presenters were enjoyable, and the collaborative nature was well organized. The personal stories shared, and that we were allowed to share with each other, helped to reiterate all of the 7 Habits and made them take on a personal nature. Three days all together was difficult in that there was not enough time to reflect on each of the habits and try to implement some of the ideas before learning more.• I felt that I needed to complete this three-day course to renew my mind and spirit and to redis-cover who I am. I think this course has put me on the right path to do just that, as I continue with my busy lifestyle. I have enjoyed the shared stories and

7 Habits of Highly Effective People

NLTA Summer Workshop Projectby george tucker

P R O F E S S I O N A L D E V E L O P M E N T

7 Habits Signature Program participants under the Tree of Knowledge at the NLTA Building, St. John’s.

21

T O P I C

september/october 2013the bulletin

the laughter that we have all shared. It has truly been an inspirational three-day professional development session. I have met wonderful people at this session. I would recommend this session to any friend, family member or colleague. Thank you both for three great days. Please continue to offer this session so others can benefit as I did. Take care.• Thank you both for three wonderful days of per-sonal development. As you have said throughout, “7 Habits is not about adding new content to our lives but providing guidelines and a thought process to enrich all we do.” I have thoroughly enjoyed the three days; I have thought and reflected much and spent time with great people. I know I will use the principles of the 7 Habits as I journey on! I agree that the hour for lunch and relaxed pace is needed for this session! Thanks so much. • I enjoyed the sessions. The 7 Habits thinking does assist one with staying on top of one’s life and rela-tionships. Some of the methods/beliefs discussed have been a part of my life, especially in my personal life, and as a result, I do have healthy relationships. The timing of this session was just as important as the lessons learned. Timing with blending beliefs, decisions, rooted within my own experience, to move forward and ensure the decisions I make now will be based on lots of information and training to make the best decisions to begin another new life. Thank you both.• The last three days have been very eye-opening and inspirational. I have learned a lot, and I really hope that I can practice the 7 Habits in my daily life, at work, at home and in any other aspect of my life. I have learned a lot from you both and from the other participants. Thank you both so much for your humour, your anecdotes, for making the content so real and meaningful. Thank you.• Before the program began I felt that the timing was not good for me given the amount of other things I needed to do this week. After completing the three days I am glad that I took the time to come to listen and learn with an open mind. I’m sure that in the future I will use a number of the items/habits we discussed over these past three days both at home and at work. Great job with keeping the three days enjoyable.• The course was great. Just renewed some of my beliefs – reminded me of how I “want” to live my life. I have already ordered “7 Habits to Effective Families” … looking forward to the read. The stories make the learning more real. Overall – excellent; enjoyed the three days!• What a fabulous few days this course has been! It has provided great reflection for me in each of the

areas of the 7 Habits. I enjoyed the learning from both of you and the learning from my fellow partici-pants. It challenged me to revisit some of my habits and to set some new goals! Many thanks for this wonderful opportunity!• I think that this program can be life-changing (if I choose to make it so). I saw, over the past three days, that I have many strengths. I think I’ve been focusing on my needs/weaknesses more lately and not feeling good about all my strengths and the good things I do and I am. This program has helped me feel better about myself. I’ve also learned a lot. Some of the espe-cially poignant ones are: fast is slow and slow is fast; using the time matrix; focus on top priorities (use your compass); stop and think between the stimu-lus and my response. In terms of self-improvement, which I strive for, this may be one of the best things I’ve ever done. I choose to make it life changing.• Out of all the personal and professional develop-ment courses I have completed, I feel this has been the most rewarding. It truly is a versatile training that you can implement into all areas of your life for the betterment of yourself and your relationships.• Thank you so much for delivering this workshop to us. Also thank you for making this accessible to us. I feel privileged to have attended and doubly privileged to have had the experience to share this with my husband. If any adult had the opportunity to do a workshop, this is the one that would be most universally helpful. I’ve gained so much insight into self-improvement that this will not only benefit me personally, but also as an educator, spouse and par-ent. I feel I can leave today and reach these personal goals that I’ve had for a while but felt that I’d never reach. I know by adopting these habits and continu-ally working on them I will be a better adult overall. Thank you.

Steve and George are planning to facilitate future 7 Habits workshops. If you are interested in being a participant, contact George at [email protected] for details regarding 7 Habits Signature Program workshops.




Once again this year, the Newfoundland and Labrador Teachers’ Association partnered

with the teacher associations in the three Atlantic Provinces to sponsor the DSS 2013 Institute. The event took place at Mount Allison University in Sackville, New Brunswick on July 8-11, 2013.

Approximately sixty school administra-tors and teachers, including a delega-tion of twelve educa-tors representing the Newfoundland and Labrador Teachers’ Association, partici-pated in a wonderful learning experience with DSS Institute 2013 fac i l i ta tor , Sandra Herbst. The focus for the insti-tute was “Leading

the Way – Transforming Schools through Effective Engagement, Assessment and Leadership”. Sandra Herbst opined, “Transforming educa-tion is not about the latest idea. It is about imagin-ing the best possible future for our students, putting our hearts into our work, so that we can have the greatest impact. It is about building on research and finding ways to make the seemingly impossible both possible and practical. We do that while building thriving relationships with those around us – this is

both the joy and challenge of leadership”. DSS 2013 allowed delegates to reflect upon their learning communities through the lens of student engagement and organizational learning. As leaders in education, participants’ journeys to success begin with the end in mind and by using quality assess-ment practices to keep on track and provide tools for what lies ahead. Quality assessment and engagement propels schools and systems toward their desired goals. By using the same steps that enable our students to achieve, leaders can employ assessment in the service of learning techniques to plan for, implement, gather feedback, and collect evidence of progress and growth. Successful leaders don’t attempt to do this work alone. They learn alongside others, by deliberately pausing, listening, asking questions, and reflecting. This is the cycle of engagement and renewal. The agenda for the DSS Institute 2013 was pro-cess-driven. Herbst and delegates drew on active learning strategies to think and talk together while planning how they can use those same strategies with their learners when they return to their respec-tive schools in the fall. According to the feedback from participants, DSS 2013 was once again a very successful initiative in all areas. Planning has already begun on DSS 2014; ensure to mark your calendar to apply.

Developing Successful Schools (DSS) is an annual event made possible through a partnership between the four Atlantic Teacher Associations (NLTA, NBTA, PEITU and NSTU) and the New Brunswick Department of Education. Information on DSS 2014 will be available in the new year. Contact George Tucker, Administrative Staff Officer in the PD Division (NLTA) at [email protected] if you are interested in being a participant.

Developing Successful Schools

(DSS 2013)by george tucker

NLTA Delegates

DSS 2013 delegates on the steps of Hesler Hall at Mount Allison University

Sandra Herbst

september/october 2013the bulletin 23

It’s 8:15 a.m., you check your email and there are 14 new messages from just the night before. The messages are all urgent because the show opens

next week, your lead is sick and her understudy is out of town. This would be something you could handle, if the costumes were finished and the set was painted. You know you still have time but the pro-grams have just arrived from the printers and don’t contain your main sponsor or a cast list. You take a moment and as you walk to the main office for help you remember that you have duty until 9:00 a.m. and won’t be able to deal with it until lunch. Who can help? All the teachers and students who can are getting ready for their own classes and associated responsibilities. You have a singing rehearsal from 12:00 to 12:30, so you’ll have to wait until 3:00 but you have full cast rehearsal at 3:00 p.m. Now what? If you can relate to this you have probably direct-ed or organized a school production, concert, or musical. It is also likely that you are a Theatre Arts or Drama teacher. If you are lucky, this is what you do full-time but more and more these days you might also have a few Art or English classes. It’s challenging because you and your students love doing these productions and even with your great team of teachers, these projects are a huge amount of work. In addition, major productions become an expectation from your administration or the school community as a whole. Perhaps your school relies on it as a major fundraiser for other school activities or it is the cornerstone of the fall events in your town. It becomes difficult to stop producing the show but it’s also difficult to continue without the right skills, supports, or expectations. You still have a full course load and associated responsibilities and these projects can require hun-dreds of hours for presentation. How do you proceed? As a teacher of Drama or Theatre, you have a unique set of professional growth needs. While many of the workshops offered at your school or during board close-outs are important, if you are looking for new methods for developing voice, movement, or technical expertise, there are rarely workshops for you. It is with these ideas in mind, that we are seek-ing your support for a Theatre Arts Special Interest

Council of the NLTA. A special interest council exists for other groups including Music and Administrators, but not for Theatre Arts. “Special Interest Councils of the NLTA are formed by a group of teachers who share a particular educational interest.” The council would have two major focuses: Professional Development and Teacher Welfare. We are in need of subject specific Professional Development related to the work we do as Theatre Arts educators. Important issues including: workloads, class sizes, rehearsal/performance spaces, also require attention. With a Theatre Arts Special Interest Council, we will have a mandate to provide much needed PD for teach-ers of Theatre and those with co-curricular Drama programs at all levels. This is a great opportunity we have yet to avail as a group. Now that the boards have amalgamated it is also a great opportunity for prov-ince-wide sharing of strategies, successes, and chal-lenges running a curricular or co-curricular program. As a Theatre educator, you are part artist, pro-ducer, director, manager, writer, parent, AND teacher. Like so many other school programs, your work is important for school life. Given the important cul-tural and social contribution these projects add to the school community, and future artists, there should be some consideration given to your workload and teaching duties. You need not be a full-time drama teacher to be a part of the council, nor are you required to attend a number of meetings. This is for any teacher with an interest in Theatre Arts who may wish to be a part of this council. Right now, we simply need 75 teachers province-wide, to begin. We have a number of you signed on already, but we still need more involvement. Please send me an email if you’d like to put your name on the list to be a part of this exciting group of teachers as part of the first Theatre Arts Special Interest Council. Good luck with all your projects this year, and thanks for all the work you do for your community - keep the arts alive!

John Rao is a Theatre Arts Teacher at Holy Heart High School in St. Johns. He can be reached at [email protected] or 709-754-1600.


The Show Must Go On?by John rao

“…we are seeking your support for a

Theatre Arts Special Interest Council of

the NLTA.”



It is the start of another year, the real new year for anyone associated in any way with education. For

some it is the start of a career – those newly minted teachers fresh out of the Faculty like fresh buns out of the oven. There’s nothing better! I saw them in August at Staples and Dollarama and everywhere back-to-school supplies were to be bought. Their energy and excitement was palpable! They were shiny and new and I wanted to go up to them and say congratulations and good luck. But – know what? There were other teachers in those stores too. Like me, their first year was long behind them and their shine was a polished one, but they, too, were poring over the shelves looking for some special thing that would make their job easier or signal a special welcome back to their students. I want to say a big welcome back to all of you, the new and the not-so-new. We all have our place in the staffrooms and classrooms of this province. I have reached that magic milestone where I can, if I so choose, call an end to this career that I have lived and loved for thirty years. I have experienced firsthand many historic moments in education: three major school board restructurings, one teacher lock-out, one strike, the end of the denominational system…and more. And now you’re thinking, “My Lord! How old is she anyway?” As I encounter people in the summer (usually on the pilgrimage to Costco!) I feel as though it is I rather than the products they are buying that have a “BEST BEFORE” date. Everyone checks if I am still “at it”. Oh yes! I am! Society seems to worship youth. Entire industries are built around products that preserve it. You only have to look at the space at the pharmacy reserved for anti-aging, anti-wrinkle, anti-gravity, serum, creams, masks and mudpacks to know that this is true. Our never-ending quest for eternal youth has spawned a certain attitude toward what it is to age. But let us not forget that with age can come the wisdom that can only be gained from experience.

Truth be told, I am no stranger to Miss Clairol, but I don’t mind at all growing older; the alternative sucks. A colleague and friend of mine, Lois at PEITF, and I have actually discussed our plan to grow old “dis”gracefully. You have, no doubt, heard the phrase “You’re not getting older; you’re getting better.” If I were to recall some of my moments as a young Grade 8 teacher, I think “If I knew then what I know now, how much better I’d have been.” Over the years I have had the privilege of learning from courses, workshops, con-ferences and, perhaps the best of all learning, conver-sations with colleagues. If I knew then what I know now, I could have done better at lesson design and student engagement and assessment. But I would have missed the chance to make those discover-ies over time and to grow with them. As much as I respect and admire the knowledge and skills of those mentors who have years of teaching and learning, so too, I respect and admire the naiveté of those who do not know what they do not know. There is room for all of us! Our students benefit not from one or the other, but both. This new year I encourage you to embrace the stage you are in right now – whatever it is. Be glad to be the newbie or the rookie on staff. If you are the person with experience, appreciate that and know that it is of value. If you are eligible for retirement but have decided to stay – don’t apologize. You are where you belong, if that is what you feel. I am a great fan of Gordon Pinsent, whose mem-oir was published recently. As I was reading it I had a hundred and one ah-ah! moments of wanting to share his insights. Here are some of the best: “I’ve always looked ahead. What’s next? What’s next? […] And people say “My God, Gordon, you’ve done a lot of work”. People look at me with that fishy expression and say, “Wow, you’re still at it!” which is another way of saying, hey Gordon, maybe it’s time for you to leave, to sign off. […] My brother Harry calls every so often and gently tries to nudge me to give it all up. He is waiting for me to come home to Newfoundland and sit on a bench with him and watch the world go by. But I’m not ready for that. […] When you’re in your eighties, you can still have your best idea tomorrow.” (Gordon Pinsent: Next© 2012, McClelland and Stewart) No matter what your age or stage, I hope you leave yourself open this year to the possibility of hav-ing your best idea tomorrow. Happy new year!

Beverley Park is Senior Administrative Officer in the Professional Development Division of the NLTA.

A Sage at Any Age

by Beverley Park



In June an expression of interest was sent to science teachers in the province with respect to forming a

Science Special Interest Council of the NLTA. As a result of discussions with some teachers and staff at the NLTA’s Professional Development Division, the call for expressions of interest has been changed to include Mathematics teachers, K-12. If you expressed interest in response to the original email, please do not do so again unless your email address has changed. The reasoning for forming a Math-Science SIC is as follows: • Prior to the devolution of the subject-based SICs that occurred about 10 years ago, the former Math and Science SICs had merged to create a Math-Science SIC to address the professional learning needs of K-12 math and science teachers. The com-bined SIC had a great deal of success and their annu-al conferences were well attended. • Outside of the larger urban centres, many 7-12 teachers have both math and science courses in their teaching load. All across the province, K-6 teach-ers teach most of the subjects, including both math and science. A Math-Science SIC would be able to provide programs and services to address the cross-disciplinary professional learning needs of larger numbers of teachers. • Given that our teaching population has declined significantly in the past 20 years, it is unlikely that either a science or math SIC would be viable in either the short or long term. By forming an SIC to represent K-12 math and science teachers, we will be able to provide programming and services to a large number of teachers and therefore, have the greatest chance of being viable over the long term. As this is an “expression of interest” it is not a commitment to actually join an SIC; that oppor-tunity will be provided after we have approval to form the SIC. Those who indicate interest will be kept apprised of the status of the proposal and will have opportunity to provide input, etc., to the struc-ture and operation of the SIC. In order for NLTA Professional Issues Committee to look favorably on

the formation of an SIC, there has to be a minimum of 75 teachers interested and a provisional executive must be ready to take leadership until formal elec-tions can be held by the membership. All teachers (K-12), interested in the possibility of forming a Math-Science SIC of the NLTA should email me with their expression of interest. If you are interested in being part of the provisional executive council, please indicate that as well. While the benefits of being part of an SIC will evolve with the membership and leadership, at mini-mum are increased opportunities for Professional Learning, opportunity to network with peers across the province, access to up-to-date information relat-ing to the teaching of math and science, etc. Specific details of what the SIC will offer will be worked out when an executive committee is established.

If you have any specific questions, please contact Craig White, Education Consultant – Let’s Talk Science, [email protected]

Math/Science Special Interest Council

by craig white

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Project Overseas is an endeavor made possible by the Canadian Teachers’ Federation (CTF). CTF is made up of the various teacher orga-

nizations across Canada’s provinces and territories. CTF partners with teachers’ unions in developing countries to provide inservicing to educators in the host countries. Canadian teams work together with local co-tutors and teacher union staff to provide professional development sessions on areas of need deemed important to the host country. Each year, the NLTA sponsors one teacher to participate in Project Overseas. That participant would volunteer their time during the summer to travel to Ottawa for an intense orientation session and then onward to an overseas country. This year, I am honored to say that I was the fortunate individual chosen to participate. I first heard about Project Overseas through friends and colleagues of mine who were previous participants. The prospect of traveling to another country while having the chance to gain insight into their education system and culture was appealing to

me; what a privilege to be involved in such a marvel-ous professional development experience! I applied and eagerly awaited a response. In December I was ecstatic to find out that my application was successful; what a wonderful oppor-tunity and adventure! Then came curiosity and some anxiety – where would I be traveling? What would I need to prepare? What kind of health concerns might I encounter? I waited in anxious anticipation to find out which country I would be working in. In January the phone call came; I was shocked to hear “Saint Lucia”, as the majority of NL past partici-pants had been paired with countries in Africa. Saint Lucia is located in the Caribbean, an island between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, north of Saint Vincent and north-west of Barbados. I was will-ing to travel anywhere but I could not believe that I was going to the Caribbean. I immediately began researching – the people, culture, food, geography, politics, and of course education. It was all very exciting and a little overwhelming. Over the course of the next few months the plan-ning process was ongoing. I met and conversed with my three Canadian team members via Skype, tele-phone and e-mail. In April, we were informed that our topic would be Special Education, focusing on four particular areas of need: Learning Disabilities (LDs) and Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs), Early Childhood Education, Differentiated Instruction, and Authentic Assessment. Each of us would be respon-sible for preparing and facilitating one focus area. Other workshops facilitated by Saint Lucian profes-sionals included an overview of Special Education in Saint Lucia, Child Friendly Schools, and a session on HIV/AIDS. At this point upon receiving my topic, I was very nervous as I am not formally trained in Special Education. My session focus areas were LDs and ASDs. In preparation I did a great deal of research and also talked to several colleagues and specialists

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“Making a Difference”A Project Overseas

Experience in Saint Luciaby Dana PittMan

Canadian team members and Saint Lucia Co-tutors

“…My enthusiasm for teaching has

been rejuvenated. My Project Overseas experience was out-standing, rewarding and memorable.”


within my school district. They were extremely help-ful in providing information and suggestions. As well, I was very fortunate to have the ability to com-municate with my Saint Lucian co-tutor via e-mail and telephone. Sometimes communication with co-tutors does not happen until you enter the country and meet in person. My co-tutor, Brenda, was fantas-tic. She was also trained and knowledgeable in the area of Special Education. On July 3rd I traveled to Ottawa to participate in a four-day orientation program at CTF Headquarters. It was here that I met my Canadian teammates and the other 46 teacher volunteers participating in Project Overseas 2013. This year participants traveled to six African and seven Caribbean countries. After four days of intensive training and team building, we were ready to begin the journey to our various destinations. From the moment we arrived in strikingly beauti-ful Saint Lucia, we were welcomed with open arms. After a twisting turning two-hour drive across the mountainous island, we arrived at our destination, the country’s capital Castries. Our program director from the Saint Lucia Teacher’s Union (SLTU) met us at our hotel and did everything to ensure that we were well taken care of. The next day we went to the Teacher’s Union office to meet with our co-tutors and plan for our sessions. Our day was cut short due to the impending tropical storm which was forecasted to hit Saint Lucia and surrounding Caribbean Islands early the next morning. The prime minister actually shut down the country. We missed our school visits and meeting with the Minister of Education and were advised to stay put in our hotel. Thankfully, the storm track changed and we were spared the brunt of it. Things returned to normal in time for us to start our teaching sessions on schedule.


27


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PROJECT OVERSEAS 2014 Teachers Teaching Teachers

Volunteer for Project Overseas with the Canadian Teachers’ Federation!

Would you like to assist teachers in a developing country? Are you interested in learning more about global education issues?

Do you see yourself volunteering in Africa or the Caribbean during the summer?

CTF seeks English and French-speaking Canadian teachers at the primary, elementary, and secondary levels who are interested in volunteering to offer in-services in a wide range of subjects in countries throughout Africa and the Caribbean. Many current projects include special education, literacy acquisition, peace education and gender equality as well as the core subject areas of English, Math, Science and Social Studies, within a child-centred methodology.

Each year, over 50 Canadian teachers are chosen to volunteer on CTF’s Project Overseas (PO). On PO, Canadian teachers give their time and talent to offer professional development in-service programs in partnership with teacher organizations in developing countries. Based on requests from CTF’s partners overseas, teams of Canadian teachers are formed in January and in-service projects take place in July and August.

Application criteria include:• beamemberofaprovincialorterritorialteacherorganizationthat

supports PO• holdavalidteachers’certificate• havecompletedatleastfiveyearsofteachinginCanadabyJuly2014• beaCanadiancitizen• beinexcellenthealthandabletoworkindevelopingcountry

conditions (a doctor’s letter is required)• showevidenceofflexibility,maturejudgment,skillsandastrong

willingness to put the team and project needs above personal needs• holdaCanadianpassportvaliduntilatleast December 2014, at the

time of application (proof that a passport application has been made will be accepted)

POisavolunteerexperience.Administrative,travel,andlivingexpensesare borne by CTF and provincial and territorial teachers’ organizations (which are CTF members). No salaries or honoraria are paid to participants in PO, sponsors do not cover costs associated with substitute teachers or release time, and no family or friends are permitted during pre-departure orientation or overseas programs.

TO APPLY:Application forms are available by calling the NLTA or online at

www.nlta.nl.ca; Click “ONLINE FORMS”, then P – Project Overseas

Please forward application to:Professional Development Division

Newfoundland and Labrador Teachers’ Association3KenmountRoad,St.John’s,NLA1B1W1

Tel:726-3223or1-800-563-3599

Deadine for applications: November 7, 2013

INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMSTogether We Make a Difference!

Canadian Team Members with the President of the Saint Lucia Teachers' Union (SLTU)


Throughout our three weeks of sessions we got to interact and work with the staff of the SLTU, as well as 50 teachers from all over the Island of Saint Lucia. The Saint Lucian teachers are simply heart-warming. Such proud and passionate educators! They are truly fulfilled by their profession and they deeply value education. It was indeed a humbling experience to work with them. Participants were so appreciative of the opportunity and the information that they gained from our sessions. I listened to their stories with admiration, as these teachers are undeni-ably dedicated and determined to make a difference in their profession. I learned that some of the main challenges that they face include delays in access to special education, inclusion, lack of teacher train-ing in Special Education, a high dropout rate in the population of boys, access to public education for all children and youth, lack of parental involvement, a deficiency in teaching materials and resources, keep-ing current with effective instructional strategies, inadequate documentation, and large class sizes at the secondary level. In some situations, policies are in place but protocol is not always clear for teaching staff. As well, they lack resources for supporting stu-dents with special needs within the classroom.

One thought that persisted throughout my experi-ence was how much I admire the unconditional faith that is evident in the people of Saint Lucia. Teachers began each day with well wishes and a prayer or song of thanks. Regardless of challenges facing them, they are resilient and persistent and they overcome adversity; they possess that endless “drive” that we sometimes fear we will lose as our careers as educa-tors progress. In addition to teaching, our Saint Lucian friends ensured that we experienced their culture, and indulged in their delicious cuisine and unique activi-ties. Carnival, Pigeon Island, the local food and craft market, the Soufrière volcano, sulphur springs and mud bath, the Diamond botanical gardens and min-

eral baths, and Reduit Beach are some of the many highlights that the Island has to offer.

Inevitably, our adventure had to come to an end. The rollercoaster of mixed emotions was never more prominent than during our last teaching day – so happy to have successfully completed our workshop, so moved by the experience, so anxious to be returning home, and so sad to be saying farewell to new found friends and colleagues. Collaboration is a powerful tool and I am so thankful for my remarkable Canadian col-leagues and how well we functioned together as a team along with our Saint Lucian co-tutors. The bonds and relationships formed will last a lifetime. During the closing ceremony, the president of the SLTU, Mr. Julian Monrose, said “Teachers: you took time away from your summer vacation to attend these sessions, and I am so proud of what we have achieved. Go back to your classrooms in September ready to make a difference”. From a global perspec-tive, countries face some similar and some very diverse challenges. However, the common goal is to provide the best educational experience possible for students, to allow them to reach their potential and achieve success. This is not possible unless we take action to continuously develop ourselves profession-ally and seek opportunities to do so. I am inspired and motivated by the Saint Lucian teachers and their passion and tenacity for education and learning. My enthusiasm for teaching has been rejuvenated. My Project Overseas experience was out-standing, rewarding and memorable. My sincere grati-tude goes out to the NLTA, CTF, and my Canadian and Saint Lucian colleagues. I am honored and privileged to have been a part of such an amazing initiative. I am proud to say that I am a teacher, and I have both the opportunity and ability to make a difference.

Dana Pittman is a teacher at Sprucewood Academy in Grand Falls-Windsor.


Saint Lucian teacher participants engaged in a learning activity

Canadian team member Dana Pittman & Saint Lucia Co-tutor Brenda Virgile with a group of Saint Lucian teacher participants


H A T S O F F !

Each year the School Administrators’ Council (SAC) of the Newfoundland and Labrador

Teachers’ Association recognizes one of its school administrators with the Distinguished School Administrator of the Year Award. This prestigious award is decided through a rather vigorous applica-tion process with applicants being identified in all ten provincial SAC Regions. The SAC Distinguished School Administrator of the Year Award Winner receives a cash award of $500, a personal plaque and their name engraved on a perpetual plaque which hangs in the recipient’s school for a year. The recipi-ent is honoured at the annual SAC Conference. In addition, the winner of the award becomes the SAC provincial nominee for the Canadian Association of Principals’ Distinguished Principal of the Year Award. The 2012-13 recipient of the SAC Distinguished School Administrator of the Year Award was Joy Brown. Joy was also honoured by the Canadian Association of Principals’ Association when she was named the CAP Distinguished Principal of the Year for 2012-13. At the time of her award announcement, Joy was the Principal of Coley’s Point Elementary School. Joy retired at the end of the 2012-13 school year after a long, very rewarding and productive career. If you are interested in learning more about the SAC Distinguished School Administrator of the Year Award or if you would like to nominate a school administrator colleague for the 2013-2014 award, please contact George Tucker, Administrative Officer, PD Division (NLTA) at [email protected].

SAC Distinguished School Administrator of the Year Award Winner 2012-13

Dr. Kevin Giles (President of SAC) and the 2012-13 SAC Distinguished School Administrator of the Year Award recipient, Joy Brown, receiving the perpetual plaque from the annual award sponsor, Ruby Manuel (centre), a Realtor with EXIT Realty on the Rock.

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V I E W P O I N T

The Department of Education budget announcement last spring provided an atmo-sphere of uncertainty for teachers, in par-

ticular those in specialty areas. The subject area of Physical Education is affected both directly in schools and in the structural support provided teach-ers at the district and government levels. In recent years the Newfoundland and Labrador physical education model had become one of the best in the country. In 2002 the position of Physical Education Consultant was created at the Program Development Division at the Department of Education. “This position is dedicated to strengthen-ing the provincial physical education curriculum. The new consultant will work directly with board specialists, principals and teachers to highlight the importance of physical activity and encourage our students to become more physically active,” stated then Education Minister Judy Foote in a January 3, 2003 news release. In 2005 mandatory physical edu-cation was implemented in high school programming and directly supported by $1.4 million in new physi-cal education equipment. An additional $2.6 mil-lion was allocated as part of the Provincial Wellness Plan and Healthy Students’ Healthy Schools’ initia-tive (Oct. 2006). These efforts at the Department of Education were supported in each district through Physical Education Program Specialists. Linking departmental objectives with district physical edu-cators and schools, these Program Specialists pro-vided professional development and guidance in the implementation of curriculum objectives and student assessment within these curricula. The students of this province also benefit from being taught by a large number of physical education specialist teachers. In a provincial Physical Education Survey conducted in 2007 by Dr. Antony Card, School of Human Kinetics and Recreation, Memorial

University of Newfoundland, in partnership with the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador and the Physical Education Special Interest Council (PESIC), 72 percent of schools surveyed had a dedi-cated physical education specialist teacher. “Physical education specialists are more likely to: have well-planned programmes that consider pupils’ develop-ment in several domains (e.g. physical and affective), individualised instruction, deliver inclusive lessons, use recommended assessment strategies, provide opportunities for skill development, have success in enhancing pupils’ fitness levels and have a posi-tive impact on the overall school climate” (Fletcher & Mandigo, 2012, p.365). These researchers also noted that “when physical education specialists are removed from schools, significant decreases in vigor-ous activity time and skill development have been noted” (p. 365). With such professional and structural support, PESIC was confident in nominating NL physi-cal education specialist teachers for the nation-al Physical Education Teacher of the Year Award. Physical and Health Education Canada, the national PE professional body, awards three of these awards nationally each year. For the past eight years seven physical education teachers from Newfoundland and Labrador have received this prestigious award rec-ognizing the quality physical education programs in their schools. PESIC is now gravely concerned that this progress and success may be compromised by the structural uncertainty that the latest budget announcement has created. The Department of Education Consultant has been made redundant, physical education teach-ing positions face cutbacks and we are waiting to see how one program specialist for the entire province will affect programming and professional develop-ment. PHE Canada (2013) reported “In all, 90 per-

Re-Making the Case for Physical Education in NL

by Zoe haMilton

30

“It’s better to build children than repair adults.” (Jill Van Dijk)”


cent of Canadian parents feel physical education and health education are important, while only 77 per cent are satisfied with the quality of the teaching. The difference points to a structural problem where for decades, physical and health education has been prioritized less than math, language arts or the sci-ences.” Newfoundland and Labrador was developing a strong, supportive structural base. The Minister of Education in 2003 voiced the acknowledgement of fostering meaningful physical education programs when she said, “Just as increasing literacy levels depend on getting the youngest children interested in reading, so must we introduce the importance of daily physical activity to our young people.” The progress that Newfoundland and Labrador physical education has made over the years is in jeopardy and therefore so is the physical literacy of our children and youth. Currently, there are a number of curricula in vary-ing stages of updating and implementation. Without a consultant at the Department level devoted to physi-cal education curriculum development and redevel-opment, PESIC is concerned how this work will be completed. Physical educators await professional development for curriculum and assessment strate-gies which is provided by district program specialists. Again, without a regional program specialist devoted to physical education, that support will not be as readily available. Cuts to the allocation of specialist teachers also provide concerns. The amount of time allotted in the Program of Studies has not changed, but the curriculum is expected to be delivered with a reduced amount of specialty teaching units. The psychomotor, cognitive and affective skills needed by children to become active, healthy members of society remains the same and evidence (Fletcher & Mandigo, 2012; PHE Canada, 2013; Jones, 2013) dictates that qualified physical education specialists have the intimate knowledge of skill development and the pedagogical repertoire to teach lessons for maximum participation, skill and strategic develop-ment, implement inclusionary practices and adapt the lesson for those with special needs. “Not only is the physical education teacher imparting knowledge, they must also be deeply familiar with fundamental movement skills so that they can recognize proper form and help a student to build these skills in a fun, positive and motivating environment. This is key because we know that if students do not develop this basic physical literacy, they are more likely to lead a highly sedentary, and ultimately unhealthy, lifestyle,” states Chris Jones, CEO of PHE Canada.

The elements presented above have far reach-ing effects. The subject area of physical education is designed to teach students the fundamental motor skills that are necessary to successfully participate in and appreciate physical activity and physical health. Quality physical education, and by extension many of the extracurricular physical activities that are organized in schools, also nurture a child’s social and emotional development as they learn to share, practice strategies to get along with others and gain confidence through the responsibility that physical activities provide. As a child develops through our school system, the course objectives become increas-ingly more challenging and complicated, each year of development building upon the last. School culture is enhanced in every school where a quality physical education program is found. The physical education class is where a child can be taught and practices the basic skills that allow them to feel comfortable enough to be involved in school activities. Student safety also becomes a concern in this high-energy, high-activity curriculum area when non-specialists are asked to teach a subject area in which they do not feel comfortable (Fletcher & Mandigo, 2012). The recent cuts in teacher allocations and pro-gram support has set back progress in physical edu-cation to the ultimate detriment of the children and future adults of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Zoe Hamilton is President of the NLTA Physical Education Special Interest Council (PESIC).

V I E W P O I N T

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References:Fletcher, T. & Mandigo, J. (2012). The primary schoolteacher and physical education: a review of research and implications for Irish physical education. Irish Educational Studies 31:3, 363-376.

Jones, Chris. (2013). Kids deserve phys-ed specialists. Retrieved June 12, 2013 from www.phecanada.ca/resources/news/kids-deserve-phys-ed-specialists-column.

PHE Canada (2013). Survey: Canadian parents show strong support for physical and health education. Friday, March 1, 2013. www.phecanada.ca/resources/news/survey-canadian-parents-show-strong-support-physical-and-health-education


When most people think of diversity they think of culture, race, gender, religion, physical ability, and so forth. However,

diversity has many meanings and interpretations and what is diverse for one person is not for another. There are many explanations for multiple views of diversity, but what is usually overlooked is an under-standing of our knowledge construction frameworks that shape our views of diversity. As Haberman and Post (1998) explain, our life experiences, attitudes and dispositions toward inequality and difference is the best predictor of how we view diversity and how we then approach it within our teaching. The different approach to diversity involves not only see-ing diversity, but also understanding our frameworks that shape it. Therefore, we must consider the bench-mark that we use to gauge what is diverse from our conceptualization of normal. The purpose of this article is to highlight how conceptualizations of the norm or status quo are often overlooked in diversity discussions and how educators can use this informa-tion to critically reflect on their existing frameworks of diversity that guide equitable pedagogies, inclusive schooling and school structures. “In the most simplest conception, diversity refers to difference” (Egbo, 2009, p. 2). However, closely linked to how diversity is framed, we must consider how it affects concepts and actions of inclusive and equitable education in classrooms, schools, and communities. Two of the most prevalent influences of diversity are associated with the academic gap and the opportunity gap. Therefore, we can assume the word ‘gap’ means there is a standard or benchmark that substantiates boundaries which in turn creates deviation from a norm and thus diversity. Those who do not achieve the standard are diverse. So what is the standard? Who decides what knowledge will be valued and not valued in schools? And most importantly, how does it affect students who are not in the dominant group? From this viewpoint the meaning of diversity is not related to visible differences such as race, cultural, physical

and so forth, but is framed as academic difference (not a visible characteristic). This angles the discussion of diversity to understanding how dominant standards of schools are creating diversity and in turn inequitable and non-inclusive education. From an historical perspective, schools and their values of knowledge are constructed on white European middle class values. According to Bourdieu and Passeron (1977), this is termed as the cultural capital and those students from the cultural capital background are more likely to be successful in school then those who do not have the cultural capital. In reality, students with the cultural capital fit into school, while all others are diverse and do not fit. There are patterns of diversified non-fitting groups. As research indicates (Delpit, 2006; Egbo, 2009, Giroux, 2002), there are specific populations and groups who are consistently underachieving (accord-ing to the standard established). These include and are not inclusive; low social economic students, FNMI (First Nations, Métis and Inuit) students, and immigrants. Under this premise certain forms of knowledge are privileged and others de-valued. So what about students who do not have the right capi-tal to fit into school? Does this mean they are deficit in opportunity because they do not hold the cultural capital? How does this reflect on equitable school-ing? What do schools and educators need to do to change the cultural capital of schools to be more inclusive and equitable for all students? It is ironic that in order to frame diversity we must also frame normal. To challenge your thinking, con-sider the following questions:• What is the purpose of school?• Do you see your teaching, classroom, school and/or community benefiting some while limiting others?• Do you see school as a transformative place that offers equal opportunities to all students?• Do you see your teaching, classroom, school and/or community as accepting of multiple perspectives of knowledge?

Framing Diversity: A Different Approach

by Dr. Patricia Briscoe

V I E W P O I N T


By reflecting on the answers to these questions you are determining your framing of diversity. Is it broad or limited? Are you thinking of diversity from a new perspective? To push your thinking of diver-sity further, consider these statistics:• Approximately 43 per cent of Aboriginal people between the ages of 20 and 24 have not graduated from high school. For the Canadian population as a whole, the number of non-high school gradu-ates in the same age range is 16 per cent (retrieved from www.ammsa.com/publications/ontariobirch-bark/aboriginal-drop-out-rates-still-high#sthash.GdU9ujAM.dpuf)• Children of families with the lowest income levels are about half as likely as those in the top income level to attend university.• Having access to education greatly improves a person’s job opportunity, income, health and gen-eral quality of life. In turn, living in poverty makes it less likely that someone will complete school or to be able to access higher education. (Retrieved from www.learningandviolence.net/lrnteach/material/PovertyFactSheetsaug07.pdf) The intention of this article was to present anoth-er perspective of diversity. I hope that I have left you with more questions than answers because knowledge transfer should not be oppressive but more of an emancipatory possibility. I will however recommend a book that is comprehensive in many positions of diversity. It is Teaching for Diversity in Canadian Schools by Benedicta Egbo. In closing I leave you with a quote by Alvin Toffler “learn, unlearn and relearn and if this cycle is stopped, you are done”.

Dr. Patricia Briscoe is a Grade 6 Intensive Core French teacher at Riverwood Academy in Wing’s Point, NL. She can be reached at [email protected].

V I E W P O I N T

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References:Bourdieu, P., & Passeron, J. (1977). Reproduction in edu-cation, society and culture. London: Sage Publications.

Egbo, B. (2009). Teaching for diversity in Canadian schools. Toronto, ON: Pearson Canada Inc.

Delpit, L. (2006). Other people’s children: Cultural conflict in the classroom. New York: The New Press.

Giroux, H. (2002). Democracy, freedom and justice after September 11th: Rethinking the role of education and the politics of schooling. Teachers College Record. 104(6) 1138-1162.

Haberman, M., & Post, L. (1998). Teachers for multi-cultural schools: The power of selection. Theory into Practice, 37 (2), 96-104.

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M E D I A A W A R E N E S S

Is technology drawing us closer together, or pull-ing us apart? When it comes to TV and digital media, the answer may well be “yes” to both.

There’s no doubt that media technology has changed our lives. You could, of course, track this effect back to the printing press, which made it pos-sible for formerly public activities like storytelling to be done in private, but the mass media technologies of the 20th century such as the radio, television and the Internet changed things much more quickly, and on a much larger scale. Robert Putnam, in his 2000 book Bowling Alone, argues that those communica-tions technologies changed our society from one that was largely outward-focused, in which most people put a fair amount of their time and energy into their communities, to one more heavily focused on the individual. In that book Putnam looks at declines in many different elements of community activity, from voting to church attendance to club membership, but his signature argument is the one from which he draws his title: though at the time of writing more Americans were bowling than twenty years before, fewer of them were doing so in organized leagues. This leads Putnam to conclude that our ideas of how we spend our time have changed from a focus on the communal to on the individual. A more recent book that takes a similar view is Sherry Turkle’s Alone Together. Turkle was a pioneer in writing about how we interact with digital tech-nology, and her earlier works were more sympa-thetic than many to the idea of using digital media to communicate. By the time she came to write Alone Together, however, Turkle’s views (and perhaps tech-nology as well) had changed to the point that she now sees digital media more as an isolating influence. Unlike Putnam, she feels this is not because we are becoming more focused on ourselves but because the ways in which we communicate using digital tech-nology replace more meaningful interactions. Her key examples are the preference she records among the teenagers she interviewed for texting over voice calls and for spending time on crafting a Facebook profile rather than spending time face-to-face with their friends. But digital technology has also taken many solitary pursuits and made them more social.

A particularly interesting example of this is how the technologies that concern Turkle are changing how we use the technologies that worried Putnam, by making them a more social, communal experience. There have always been social aspects to mass media: in the early days of television a sufficiently large number of people watched the top shows that were reliable topics of “water cooler talk” the fol-lowing day. As the networks’ offerings grew, however – and, in particular, with the explosion of cable chan-nels beginning in the 1980s – people’s viewing habits grew more varied, with those sorts of communal viewing events growing fewer and farther between, and there was no longer any certainty that your fam-ily or co-workers were watching the same shows as you. Today those water cooler conversations are hap-pening again, through digital media. Not surpris-ingly, it was those shows that had the highest viewer engagement, such as Star Trek, whose fans began to find themselves online, in the prehistoric Internet of bulletin board systems. Even with the near-universal-ity of Internet use, though, until recently most of the online water cooler talk was still about those high-engagement shows. It was only the introduction of smartphones and tablets, which removed the physi-cal and logistical barriers to being online at the same time as you were watching TV, that a significant num-ber of people began talking online about the shows they were watching: today a third of Canadians consider themselves to be “social viewers”, and TV-related tweets make up a fair portion of Twitter’s total traffic. As a result, Nielsen has announced plans to supplement its ratings with data from Twitter. It’s easy to see what the TV industry gets from this: viewers are more engaged and loyal to the shows they watch, are easier to advertise to (a little under one in five smartphone users have done Internet searches about products they’ve seen advertised); and easier to promote new shows to (one in six Canadians has watched at least one TV show based on reading a tweet about it; last month The Walking Dead, one of the most talked-about shows online, was also the most-viewed show in its time slot despite being aired by cable channel AMC). But are these online

Social TV and Togetherness by Matthew Johnson

COSS WORKSHOP: FALLEN ANGELS: WHAT CAUSES CHILDREN TO BECOME VIOLENT AND HOW CAN WE PREVENT IT?October 10, 2013Sheraton Hotel, St. John’s. Featuring Dr. Kathy Seifert. Download registration form at www.nlta.nl.ca/pd_opportunities. For more information contact: Keith Adey, [email protected] or Tel: 709-489-6481.

COSS WORKSHOP: TEACHING WITH WIT AND WISDOMOctober 11, 2013Sheraton Hotel, St. John’s. Featuring international best selling author and speaker, Barbara Coloroso. Download registration form at www.nlta.nl.ca/pd_opportunities. For more information contact Keith Adey, [email protected] or Tel: 709-489-6481.

ATLANTIC CANADA CONNECTED COMMUNITIES (ACCC) WORKSHOP: ”TIERED LESSON PLANNING & DIFFERENTIATED ASSESSMENT”October 16 or 17, 2013 (St. John’s)October 18, 2013 (Corner Brook)Join national and international speaker, presenter and author, Dr. Nancy Maynes, in a full day workshop to help further your understanding of differentiation and its implications for effective classroom practice. The workshop will move the participants from theoretical understanding of differentiation concepts to the ability to use strategies such as differentiated learning through tiered lessons to differentiated assessment approaches. The focus will be on practical strategies for classroom use to create an inclusive learning environment. Registration Fee: $150 ($130 teams of 5 or more). For more information and to reserve space contact [email protected].

ASSOCIATION OF EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS NL PROVINCIAL CONFERENCEOctober 18-20, 2013Holiday Inn, St. John’s. Topics include: The Hurried Child; The Power of Play; Building a Good Foundation; and Developing Social Competence in Children. Presenters: Dr. Lilian Katz and Dr. David Elkind. For information visit www.aecenl.ca.

NL COUNSELLORS’ AND PSYCHOLOGISTS’ ASSOCIATION FALL CONFERENCE AND AGMOctober 23-25, 2013Capital Hotel, St. John’s. Theme: Finding Simplicity and Balance During Complex Times. More details to follow. For information contact Peggy Hann at [email protected].

CRISIS AND TRAUMA RESOURCE INSTITUTE WORKSHOPSOctober/November/December 2013Oct. 21, St. John’s: De-escalating Potentially Violent Situations; Nov. 18-19, St. John’s: Mindfulness Counselling Strategies – Activating Compassion and Regulation; Nov. 20, St. John’s: Anxiety – Practical Intervention Strategies; Nov. 21, Corner Brook: Anxiety – Practical Intervention Strategies; Dec. 11, St. John’s: Substance Abuse in Youth – Creating Opportunities for Change; Dec. 12, St. John’s: Addictions and Mental Illness – Working with Co-ocurring Disorders; Dec. 13, St. John’s: DSM-5 – What’s New… What’s Different. For information visit www.ctrinstitute.com.

ATLANTIC CANADA CONNECTED COMMUNITIES (ACCC) “THE DISENGAGED STUDENT” WORKSHOPNovember 4, 2013St. Teresa’s Parish Hall, St. John’s. Join ACCC as we welcome consultant, coach and author, Dr. Lois Easton who will facilitate a daylong workshop to examine why students become disengaged, how we can recognize students who are in danger of becoming disengaged, and more importantly, what we can do to not only stop disengagement from happening, but to effectively reengage learners in our school community. For more information contact [email protected].

TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION SPECIAL INTEREST COUNCIL (TESIC) BGM & CONFERENCE 2013November 7-8, 2013Holiday Inn, St. John’s. NL. Theme: Is There an App for That? At this event, TESIC will be offering a keynote (Mike Fisher) and professional learning sessions for K-12 educators in NL. These sessions will be designed to address the professional

learning needs of teachers that: teach the provincial technology education curriculum; and/or are lead teachers in their school that assist with the integration of technology for learning. Members will also be electing the TESIC council for the 2014-15 term during the luncheon. Please note: To attend you must be a member of TESIC or agree to be a member when you attend the BGM & Conference. Teachers planning to attend are advised to include it in their Professional Growth Plans.For more information contact [email protected].

Dates to RememberOctober 2013Oct 4-5 School Rep Seminar, Goose BayOct. 6-12 Education WeekOct 17 Deadline: PD Fund applicationsOct 17-18 Pre-Retirement Seminar, Corner BrookOct 18-19 School Rep Seminar, St. JohnsOct 19 Financial Information Seminar, Corner BrookOct 24-25 Pre-Retirement Seminar, Grand Falls-WindsorOct 25-26 School Rep Seminar, GanderOct 26 Financial Information Seminar, Grand Falls-WindsorOct 31 Provincial Executive Meeting

November 2013 Nov 1-2 Joint Council MeetingNov 7 Deadline: Project Overseas ApplicationsNov 7-8 Pre-Retirement Seminar,

StephenvilleNov 14-15 Pre-Retirement Seminar,

St. John’sNov 16 Financial Information Seminar,

St. John’sNov 21 Deadline: PD Fund applications Nov 21-22 Pre-Retirement Seminar,

St. John’s

December 2013 Dec 5-6 Pre-Retirement Seminar,

St. John’sDec 13-14 Provincial Executive MeetingDec 19 Deadline: PD Fund applications

education week 2013 semaine de l’Éducation october 6...

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