THE CUFFER NEWSLETTER

November/December 2002    Volume 8, Number 2

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A Message from the President

Christmas is just around the corner and one third of the school year is already behind us. So far it has been a very busy year and many positive things, both academically and socially, are taking place within our schools and education system.

Last month I was invited to participate in a radio forum hosted by CBC entitled "Learning Curves." The theme of the event was the question "Is our province making the grade when it comes to educating our children?"

So many times we are faced with questions regarding the quality of education in our province and we are continually bombarded with information on how to improve it. National newspapers regularly report a confusing torrent of numbers on how each province's education system stacks up against another and quite often those that do not achieve well on standardized tests are subjected to public scorn.

We should always endeavor to improve teaching and curriculum, and it makes sense to do some testing, but we must bear in mind that in the midst of all the controversy, changes and debate stand our children. Their future hinges on the choices we make for them today.

So much goes into making education (in any province) a success and much of it cannot be measured by scientific study. School spirit, good work ethic, positive attitude, and the ability to shine in the fine arts, choir or school sports are just a few of the areas that contribute to a well rounded, happy and successful student. While they may not be testable they are an important component to encouraging and enhancing the learning process and often have the strongest impact on a student.

We must not forget that the root of the word "educate" means "to draw out" and not "to pound in."

Recently I came across the compelling poem, "The Labeled Child" written by Karen Morrow Durica a teacher in Littleton, Colorado, USA. It sums up my thoughts and the realistic expectations we should set in the educating of our children.

Denise Pike

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	The Labeled Child by Karen Morrow Durica
	I pray for the labeled child; That child who is gifted and talented. No longer can she be lazy and idle So much more is expected Of those as gifted and talented as she		I pray for the labeled child; That child who is emotionally handicapped. That child who rebels Because she should rebel.
	I pray for the labeled child; That child who is learning disabled. No longer will the world expect brilliance No longer will someone tell him to reach for the stars Because that is where greatness is found.		The child who acts out Because there is nowhere else For the hurt and anxiety and fear to go. The child who is diagnosed "sick," When perhaps her actions are the one true sign of sanity In the demented world in which she is forced to live.
	I pray for the labeled child; That is dyslexic. Reading--oh, the joy of reading! Will always be hard for her to find. no matter that she can recite--no sing-- Mary Had a Little Lamb, She won't be able to read it, At least not without difficulty. She will learn that all her friends Who laugh and cry and wonder about books Can do so because they are not dyslexic.		I pray for the child of no label. In a system which marks so many special, This child neither shines nor demands. For this child life has been neither harsh nor generous This is one who "makes" the teacher's day Because there are so many children who need real attention.
	I pray for the labeled child; That child who is A.D.D. An unorganized bubble of hyperactivity No longer will someone say "You can do this; Oh it may be hard, but it is within you to do this." A dose of medicine now replaces the need for that inner effort And eliminates the possible victory		I pray most of all for some magic day When the tests, the labels, and the names Will disappear--will be forgotten. When each child enters a classroom Will be an apprentice of learning. When each classroom will be safe place To discover--on your own-- What will be struggles of your life, And the victories. When the feeble and the bright, The gregarious and the shy Will find their place In the great adventure of education. When the only label that will be attached to anyone is LEARNER.
	Karen Morrow Durica teaches at Carl Sandburg Elementary School, Littleton, Colorado, USA.

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Thank you to those members who have already paid their membership fees!

Thank you to Districts #2 and #5 for paying the fees for all their councils!

Prime Minister’s Awards for Teaching Excellence

For most of us, at least one teacher stands out in our memories -- someone who encouraged, enabled and inspired us to do our very best. Teachers play a tremendous role, not only in the academic achievement of students, but in the attitudes and abilities they carry with them beyond the classroom. The Prime Minister's Awards for Teaching Excellence honour outstanding elementary and secondary school teachers in all disciplines who best equip their students to meet the challenges of our changing society and knowledge-based economy.

The 2001-2002 Recipients in Newfoundland and Labrador are:

Carl Goulding, Mount Pearl Sr. High and Mount Pearl Intermediate Schools; Certificate of Excellence.

Valerie Pike, Prince of Wales Collegiate, St. John’s; Certificate of Excellence.

Stella Greenslade, Mount Pearl Sr. High; Certificate of Achievement.

Paul Matthews, Booth Memorial H..S., St. John’s; Certificate of Achievement.

Carolyn Morgan, Bishops College, St. John’s; Certificate of Achievement.

Gary Parsons, Herdman Collegiate, Corner Brook; Certificate of Achievement.

Michelle Stead, Topsail Elementary School; Certificate of Achievement.

Professor Rennie Gaulton at Memorial University who is also a Past President of the Newfoundland and Labrador Home & School Federation sits on the regional selection committee for the Prime Minister’s Awards. He states that there are only a few nominations from this province each year despite the great work done by our teachers. He is encouraging more people to nominate more teachers from the province for this prestigious award. Nominators may be any person or group with direct knowledge of the nominee's contribution. The nomination form is available on the Internet at www.schoolnet.ca/pma .

Follow-up to Forum on Bullying

To assist school districts with further collaborative planning at the regional level, the Department of Education held follow-up sessions to the provincial bullying forum. The key educators from each school district who are responsible for moving safe and caring schools initiatives forward attended these sessions. The sessions were held in Corner Brook on October 28 and St. John’s on October 30. All school districts were represented at the sessions.

Learning Curves: Education in Atlantic Canada–Is It Making the Grade?

As part of the Learning Curves series, CBC Radio held an Education Forum/Debate in St. John’s on Tuesday, October 29. The event was moderated by Jim Brown of CBC Radio, and a panel consisting of Harold Press from the Department of Education, Winston Carter of the NLTA, Myrle Vokey of the NLSBA and Denise Pike of the NLFSC. Members of the Memorial University Debating Club also participated in the debate. The Forum was carried live on CBC Radio and broadcast on Rogers Cable TV the following Sunday evening.

School Planning Councils:
Challenges

by Helen Raham
Excepted from Education Analyst
Reprinted with permission

There are a number of common obstacles to school council effectiveness. Some players are sceptical that parents possess the necessary skills, can set aside personal agendas for the larger good, or are willing to devote the time to participate. Without adequate training and support, fledgling councils may experience confusion over their mandate or become mired in conflict and non-substantive issues.

Their success is greatly impacted by the degree of acceptance from principals and teachers and the authority granted by school boards. Although their power to vote in council decisions varies from province to province, principals have a critical role to play in providing information and building collaborative processes for developing and monitoring constructive action plans. The early response of teacher unions is often negative, for sharing power means disclosure of results and engaging the entire school community in discussions about successful teaching and learning. Collective agreements and district policies frequently conflict with the council’s ability to carry out its intended role. Where staffing and resources are dictated by contracts and central office, there is little meaningful role for councils despite legislation empowering them to make site-specific recommendations in these areas to improve performance.

The council’s composition and terms of office also influence its effectiveness. Teachers should not be under-represented if they are to have confidence in the council’s leadership. Including students and community members

will add valuable perspectives to improvement plans. Two-year terms of office offer a better return on the investment in training and building working relationships.

Operational issues are the most common challenge reported by neophyte school councils. These include interpreting the Act, learning how to exercise their powers, understanding budgets and procedural matters, and developing consensus-building processes. Other problems cited are recruitment, relationships with the parent body, and lack of teacher support in the early stages.

Choose Your Leaders

The 2003 Annual General Meeting will see the election of officers for the Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of School Councils. Start thinking now about who you would like to nominate for a position on the Board of Directors. Any member may nominate another member for a position on the provincial Board. These are all volunteer positions for a 2 year term.

Only members of councils in good standing in the Federation may be elected as Officers. The Elected Officers are:

President

1^st Vice President

2^nd Vice President

Secretary

Watch for more information on nominations, nomination forms, etc., in the next issue of The Cuffer.

Quarter of Children at Risk: Study

Huge study’s findings confront the stereotype: New Brunswick professor finds behavioral and learning problems cut across class lines
Heather Sokoloff, National Post, Thursday, October 10/02, reprinted with permission

More than a quarter of Canada’s 4.4 million children have behavioral and learning problems that put them in danger of dropping out of school, researchers say.

The majority of the 1.25 million “vulnerable” children are not living in poor families, concludes a major federal survey of 20,000 Canadian children to be released in Ottawa next week.

Douglas Willms, the lead researcher, said he was surprised to find that three other factors–parenting style, how a family functions, and whether a mother is depressed–are the strongest predictors of which children will get a good start in life.

“These results confront the stereotype that the majority of children who have problems at school or display behavioral problems are from poor families. It is simply not the case,” said Dr. Willms, director of the Canadian Research Institute for Social Policy at the University of New Brunswick.

“Childhood vulnerability cuts across income levels.”

mathematics ability, tendency toward violent behavior and emotional health.

The researchers believe such children are at greater risk of dropping out of school, being unemployed, suffering from emotional problems and demonstrating aggressive behavior.

Celebrating an anniversary?

Is your home and school association celebrating an anniversary? Do you have someone who has been a volunteer for quite some time? Are there things happening in your school community that you would like to let others know about. If so, send us the details and we will put it in upcoming issues of The Cuffer.

Put Grand Falls-Windsor,
May 2-4, 2003 on your Calendar!!

Plans for the 2003 NLFSC Annual General Meeting continue. It’s not too late to suggest a topic of discussion but it will be soon. Please contact us as soon as possible if you have an idea!

Attention School Council Chairs
in Districts #2 and #5

Even though your district has paid your membership fees, we still need you to complete your membership application form to confirm contact information. You can fax the form to us at 709-739-4833.

Creating Learning Organizations

As mentioned in the highlights, Denise attended the Creating Learning Organizations Conference held at the Fairmont Hotel, St. John’s. This was a two-day conference sponsored by the Program Specialist Special Interest Council (PSSIC) of NLTA and District #5. The PSSIC represents all district program staff in the province.

The conference began on Tuesday evening, October 1, 2002 with a keynote by David Bouchard, popular Canadian writer and author of children's books.

The workshop on Wednesday, October 2, 2002 was conducted by Dr. Rick DuFour. Dr.DuFour is co-author of Professional Learning Communities at Work and Superintendent of a large school district in Illinois.

The session was designed to build participants' capacity for making a difference in the lives of children by deepening their understanding and use of Professional Learning Community concepts. It explored strategies to transform a school into a learning community. Dr. DuFour emphasized that a school’s capacity to function as a learning community is one of the most critical factors in significant school improvement.

This conference was followed by a two-day invitational symposium on professional development sponsored by the newly created Professional Development Alliance (PDA). The PDA is made up of school districts, Memorial University, NLTA, and the Department of Education. The symposium brought together over 100 key educational leaders, including teachers, to further develop a new model for professional development of educators. This is a very positive and encouraging development. The NLFSC encourages the PDA to continue this new spirit of collaboration among the key education agencies to bring the best possible professional development to our educators.

Teaching Kids to Read: At Home
from Reading Rockets

A parent is a child's first reading teacher. Families play an important role in laying the foundations for children to become readers. Sharing books with children is the most important step they can take, but there are other ways in which families can help young children get ready to read.

What parents do or don’t do in the preschool years has a lasting impact on children’s reading ability. Learn some facts about the importance and need for literacy experiences in the first three years, in preschool, and in the primary grades.

Even in infancy, children’s experiences contribute to later reading success. Families can provide language and literacy activities for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and primary grade children.  

Parents who limit television, choose child care that is literacy- rich, and read and talk to their children often can help their children become readers. 

For more on this topic, visit www.readingrockets.org

“A good teacher remembers what it was like to be taught by their favourite teacher.”

            Robert McLain

Highlights of the Year to Date

The NLFSC has been actively engaged in communications with member councils, conferences, meetings, and forums.

Some of the topics of e-mails and telephone calls from the membership so far this school year have dealt with:

– overcrowding of classrooms due to the reduction in number of teacher allocations in a school
--school council’s role in monitoring school closeout and relocation of students
--replacement of secretaries and maintenance workers when they are off sick
- the math program in grade 7
– the math program at level 3
– enrichment programs in high schools

We have been involved in various meetings, conferences and forums. Here are highlights of a few:

--School Council Training Planning Sessions with the Avalon West School District.
-- Creating Learning Organizations: How to transform your school into a learning community, The Fairmont Newfoundland, St. John’s, October 1 and 2.
---CBC Learning Curves, Education in Atlantic Canada–Is it Making the Grade? Forum, Tuesday, October 29, CBC Television Building, St. John’s.
–The Planning Committee of the “Learning to Like Learning Forum” scheduled for the Salvation Army Citadel, St. John’s, on November 28^th. This forum is being organized to address the issue of youth drop-outs in the area served by the Capital Coast Development Alliance.
---Faculty of Education, Memorial University of Newfoundland, “Reading in an Age of Information”, Dr. John Willinsky, Professor of Language and Literacy Education, University of British Columbia, November 7.
--Presentation of a Brief to The Study Group on Hours of Work headed by Dr. Phil Warren at the hearings in Bay Roberts on October 25

Denise represents the Federation at many events including press conferences that are held by the Department of Education. Some of the recent ones include: the Press Conference on the CRT’s, grade 3 and the Press Conference on Early Childhood Education.

School Council Training Modules

In response to a survey conducted last year, Education Newfoundland has developed several School Council Training Presentations. The titles of the five presentations are: Getting Started; School Councils–Purpose Function Roles; A Sample Communication Plan; Promoting Parental Involvement; and, Communication Strategies.

These presentations are available on the web at www.educationnewfoundland.net under School Council Training Presentations. For those who do not have the Internet capability to download the presentations, they are available on a floppy disk or compact disk from Education Newfoundland.

For a limited time, and depending on demand, onsite delivery of these presentations will be provided should a council request it. Please refer to the letter from Education Newfoundland which you received recently to get complete details on how to access these modules.

A Note From History!

Concluding their year in office were President Lloyd Horlick; 1^st VP John Murphy; 2^nd VP Tina Stewart; Secretary Anna Martin, and Treasurer Dulcie Feltham.

The following guests were present: Dr. Noel Murphy, Mayor, Corner Brook; Ms Lynn Verge, Minister of Education; Dr. C. Brown, Dept. Ed.; Dr. F. Buffett, MUN; and Mr. Robert Parsons, Dept. Ed.

Two concerns of the Federation that year were nutrition in schools and bus safety.

From the NLFSC Archives

Resolutions for The AGM

The deadline for the submission of resolutions to be considered at the upcoming AGM is January 29, 2003. Fax, mail, or e-mail your resolutions to us by the deadline to allow time for revision and distribution to all NLFSC members with the February AGM mailing. If you miss the deadline, resolutions may be presented from the floor if a 2/3 majority agree they can be considered.

Tips on preparing, writing, and presenting your resolutions are available from the office. If you would like a copy, just call us at 1-877-739-4830.

“Education is what survives when what has been learned has been forgotten.”
B.F. Skinner

Safety and the Big Yellow Bus
from Parenthood.com

Riding the school bus can be a new and exciting experience for many children. In most cases, it’s the first time children have travelled on their own, away from the watchful eyes of their parents. That’s good, because it helps children gain a sense of independence as they learn to act safely and responsibly. To make the trip as safe as possible, learn about school bus safety–and teach your children too.

Remember to make sure that your child wears the right gear for walking to and from bus stops in bad weather. But to make sure that the clothing your child wears won’t get caught anywhere on the bus:

• Have children wear outer garments that have no drawstrings, toggles, straps, sashes, or belts that hang loosely.
• Avoid loose-fitting coats and capes, and oversize or baggy clothing. Purchase backpacks that fit snugly against your child’s body.

If your child is new to riding the bus, or if you’re not sure he/she knows the safety rules, discuss the rules with them. Teach them how to get to and from the bus stop as well as on and off the bus; also explain what’’s expected of them as they ride the bus.

For more on this topic, visit the web site at www.parenthood.com

 Thank you NLTA for printing this newsletter!

Teacher/Staff Appreciation Week Supplies

National Teacher Staff Appreciation Week is February 9-14, 2003.

Why not order some promotional items made specifically for Teacher/Staff Appreciation Week? Items such as pens, fridge magnets, posters, highlighters, balloons and certificates are available. See the enclosed for details on how to order.

Place your order now to ensure that you have the best choice of supplies if you plan to celebrate in that week. We would like to receive your order here at the Federation office by December 15.

Even if you don’t plan to acknowledge your teacher and staff in T/SA week, please order your supplies anyway because there is no guarantee that items will be available after the middle of January.

School Planning Councils: Supports Needed
by Helen Raham,

Effective training for school councils represents a significant financial commitment on the part of governments. Surveys of Newfoundland, Alberta, Ontario and Quebec councils strongly identify the need for orientation and on-going training to develop the necessary skills in collaborative priority-setting, decision making, team building and conflict resolution.

Nova Scotia points to the need for templates and guidelines for school improvement plans and school accountability reports and for trained regional support teams for councils.

Boards must develop a plan for implementing, training, and resourcing school councils. District administrators must reinforce their rights and responsibilities by delegating all appropriate authority to the site level, and nurturing their development beyond the difficult start-up phase. Officials must provide them with accurate performance and demographic data upon which to base their decisions. The councils will also need to gather and exchange information among themselves.

At the site level, roles and processes must be clarified. Council efforts should focus on school improvement, establishing good processes, involving all stakeholder groups, developing benchmarks for measuring progress, and communicating progress annually.

KinderStart

KinderStart is a transition to school program developed by the Department of Education’’s Early Childhood Development-Kindergarten Working Group in 2002. It consists of a series of eight one-hour orientation sessions for children and their parents/caregivers in the year prior to Kindergarten entry.

A KinderStart program guide has been provided to schools throughout the province along with activity resources for Kindergarten classrooms. During the first KinderStart session, children and their parents/caregivers will be provided with an activity resource bag and suggestions for home activities.

For more on this program, visit the web site of the Department of Education at www.gov.nf.ca/edu/literacy/kinderstart/main.htm.

Food and Nutrition

From the Kids Eat Smart Foundation web site: www.kidseatsmart.ca

Quarter of Children at Risk: Study

Although poverty is not a strong predictor of vulnerability, Dr. Willms found poor children are more likely to be vulnerable than their middle-class and affluent counterparts.

In the lowest quartile of family income, 37% of children were vulnerable; in the second-lowers quartile, 28.6"; in the second-highest, 25.4%; in the highest, 24.2%.

Dr Willms used the data to form a series of policy recommendations aimed at eliminating childhood vulnerability.

“We don’t consider vulnerability a lifelong condition, but rather a marker that these children are susceptible to poor outcomes, such as employment or poor mental health, in the long tern unless there is a concerted effort to intervene.”

Provinces must improve public schools, the most important universal system for achieving equality, through testing programs to ensure accountability and increased teacher training, especially in mathematics specialization, said Dr. Willms, who holds a federally funded Canada Research Chair in education and conducts research for the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.

He also suggested that provinces improve early childhood development by improving daycare quality and numbers. About 40% of Canadian four and five year olds spend part of their week in some type of care arrangement while their parents work outside the home. Most are looked after by extended family members, while only 12% attend licensed daycare.

“It’s harder to identify which children are vulnerable when they are younger, so the emphasis needs to be on universal programs that are really directed at improving children’s language skills and giving them the best possible start for school.”

Parenting classes are another way to bolster young children’s chances of getting a good start. Where such classes exist, they are usually for parents of infants. But parents of older children could use support to learn to handle teenage outburst and aggressive behaviour.

The researchers found children perform better in school when their parents monitor their behavior, are responsive to their needs, and encourage independence. “Both positive and negative factors are found in rich and poor families alike, and in single and two parent families,” said Dr. Willms.

“The effects of good parenting far outweigh the effects associated with living in a low-income family.”

hsokoloff@nationalpost.com
Copyright 2002 National Post
Reprinted with permission.

School Planning Councils: Benefits
by Helen Raham

By ensuring the right of all school communities to be consulted in the progress of their school, site councils offer potential advantage which should translate into student achievement gains:

• Generating constructive solutions and support for action plans by including all partners in the information about student performance an obstacles to progress;
• Leveraging the daily efforts of teachers and principals through all-partner support for the annual improvement plan developed through the school council; and,
• Prompting corrective action where expectations have been persistently low for some schools and groups of students.

When we have hard evidence that school councils are improving student achievement, the move to democratize educational decision -making will be deemed a success.

Excerpted from Education Analyst
Reprinted with permission

New President of NLSBA

Congratulations to Vi Parsons on being elected President of the Newfoundland and Labrador School Boards Association. Best wishes for a successful term!

AGM Reports

The Minutes of the Annual General Meeting 2002 and the Annual General Report are on the NLFSC web site. If you do not have access to the Internet, please request a copy from the office.

An Update on the Math Problem

At the time of writing, the telephone calls and e-mails continue to come in regarding the problems with the mathematics curriculum.

Some of the comments we have received to date include:

• our students in Math 3204 are finding the course difficult. We have established extra classes after school.
• in the grade 7 program students are not given a clearly identifiable body of knowledge from which to work.
• the new grade 7 text is too wordy.
• this is a major province wide concern!
• the book does not give sufficient examples.
• overwhelmed with the amount of material.
• teachers have not been given enough in-service.
• book does not have a comprehensive chapter review.

We will be meeting with the Department of Education officials soon to discuss this issue and we will keep you informed of the outcome of the meeting.

‘The young do not know enough to be prudent, and therefore they attempt the impossible--and achieve it. ‘
- Pearl Buck

Resources

Government Services for Children

Our children are our future. They deserve every opportunity to lead happy, healthy and productive lives. If you’re a parent or other caregiver, the Government of Canada offers many services that can help. The list of services are compiled into a guide which is available upon request.

A copy of the booklet “Services for Children: Guide to Government of Canada Services for Children and their Families” is available from the Division of Childhood and Adolescence, Health Canada; by calling 1 800 O-Canada; or by visiting the web site at www.hc-sc.gc.ca/childhood-youth.

Children’s Literature

Trying to find a good Canadian book for the child in your life? Call 1-877-896-9481 to request a copy of Read Up On It: The Magic of Books, the National Library of Canada’s annual guide to Canadian children’s literature, or look it up at www.nlc-bnc.ca/ruoi

Curriculum Services

At Curriculum Services Canada you will find links to all government authorized and approved learning resources for every province and territory www.curriculum.org.

Upcoming Events

Canadian Children’s Book Week

Canadian Children’s Book Week, November 2-9, 2002, is the single most important bilingual national event celebrating Canadian children's books and the importance of reading. Every November, thousands of children and adults participate in activities held in every province and territory across the country. Hundreds of schools, public libraries, bookstores and community centres host events as part of this major literary festival.

Universal Children’s Day

Universal Children's Day, November 20, 2002, was designated by the United Nations General Assembly. First observed in 1953, it is a time to honor children by special ceremonies and festivals and to make children's needs known to governments.

International Human Rights Day

International Human Rights Day is Tuesday, December 10, 2002. The theme is “Human Rights - Get it Right!”

For your information, enclosed is a copy of the booklet “Convention on the Rights of the Child”. Additional copies are available by contacting by e-mail: Rights-Droits@pch.gc.ca.

The Fun of Reading

International Forum on Canadian Children’s Literature, June 26-29th, 2003, Ottawa, Canada. For more information, contact (613) 992-2501 or visit the web site at www.nlc-bnc.ca/forum.

The Cuffer is a benefit of membership in the Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of School Councils. Annual membership dues are based on school enrolment.

The views expressed or implied in this publication are not necessarily official positions of the Federation. The mention of any program, organization, resource, product, person, place, or school does not constitute an endorsement by the NLFSC.
Editor: Hazel Hickey.

The Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of School Councils
Box 23140, St. John's, NL A1B 4J9 Tel: 1-877-739-4830 Fax: 834-7301
Email: nlfsc@stemnet.ca Website: http://www.nlfsc.ca/