#PASproud Storify Dec 2014

Our pride in P.R.I.D.E.!

Thanks to Ms Armstrong for this post!

Here at PASS, our students have the opportunity to enroll in an innovative multi-credit program known as P.R.I.D.E. (Power, Respect, Integrity Determination, and Empathy). The program’s core mandate is to empower our students and increase their social and academic outcomes in meaningful ways. Students develop knowledge of key concepts, and apply their learning through experiential endeavours that are focused on exploring community leadership, social justice, national and local perspectives, and developing personal accountability.

 Our unit projects call students to investigate their place in a very diverse society and to learn about how they can work together to achieve great things in and for our communities.

In Unit One: Knowledge is Power, students learnt that understanding themselves and others is a very important aspect of leadership and builds synergy amongst a team. Students participated in a Personality Dimensions Workshop led by a certified educator, and traveled to Laserquest to engage one another in collaboration and fun!

In Unit 2: Global Toronto – Respect, we visited Kensington Market to learn about the relationship between migration and culture and how social integration can be facilitated through the creation of cultural enclaves. To get a taste of life in this unique cultural enclave students “traveled to the Caribbean” by visiting a Jamaican restaurant where they tried some new dishes.

In Unit 3: Community Outreach - Inclusive, we learnt more about leadership, and gained firsthand knowledge about issues of social justice. This was done by supporting the work of not-for-profit agency Canadian Food For Children. Students had the profound opportunity to meet CEO and Founder Andrew Simone, and man who was directly commissioned by mother Theresa herself to begin his work with the poor which catalyzed the creation and transnational mission of CFFC.
 

In Unit 4: Determination and People, we continue to examine how overcoming obstacles is key to building character and experiencing positive success. Students completed research on notable global citizens, and designed a “Biography in a Box” to showcase their work. They also took a trip to the PDSB Finlayson Centre where they participated in a High Ropes Challenge!

In Unit 5: Food For Thought, students are taken deeper into learning about the world around them. In this unit, students further considered what they can do to develop their leadership potential while becoming more socially conscious and aware global citizens. Our specific focus was on the issue of food security in Canada and around the globe. Pamphlets on the topic were created, and ideas for a food drive were generated by students to devise ways to support members of our communities.

Unit 6: Power focused on understanding how education can be used to leverage power in Canadian society. In Unit 7: Respect Through the Ages, students traveled to Medieval Times to engage in an interactive lesson on England’s Feudal System, and to complete a Smore media assignment to identify how chivalry and respect has been demonstrated across cultures and ages.

Our upcoming unit 8,9, and 10 trips and activities include a discussion on debunking stigmas surrounding youth homelessness facilitated by Mike Burnett of Youth Without Shelter, a trip to the Neuberger Holocaust Education Centre where students will learn about empathy and determination by meditating on the experiences of a Holocaust survivor, and will visit the Daily Bread Food Bank to take part in their Youth Program to support the fight against hunger.

PASS is doing great things through the perseverance of our students and the leadership of our staff!

Student Voice Leadership Retreat - Student blog

My name is Ben Guiler, on October 15-17, I went on an amazing trip to the YMCA in Cedar Glen. I got to meet people from the other Peel Alternative sites that I may not have met otherwise, and now I can now say that some of the people I met are some of my closest friends.

I also learned a lot more about the people at my school. I met all these people by doing fun activities like balancing on a telephone pole or trying to lower a hula hoop with everyone only using two fingers. We even got the chance to build fires and houses out of sticks in groups.

With all these fun activities, we learned a lot about how to be a good leader and how to take part around the school. Thanks to all this, and the people I met, I’m now one of the students planning Prom, and hopefully more fun activities for the 3 Peel Alternative sites to share.

Student Voice Leadership Retreat - a teacher's reflection

Below is a post from a teacher who participated in our Student Voice retreat to YMCA Cedar Glen. I am also always surprised by what our students can do. We shouldn't be, because at this point we should realize how great everyone can be when they are given the chance!  PAS staff and students chose to be AWESOME on the retreat and the school is very grateful for everyone's efforts leading up to, during and after the retreat.
_________________________

Well, vice principal has been on my case to write about my thoughts on the 3-day student leadership retreat last week. I must admit I was very neutral going into the retreat: I had concerns about behaviour that were based on prior field trip experiences (yes, a math teacher can have field trips!). I also thought that I would have a fair amount of "free time".

I found myself enjoying the activities (they were well thought out and run very smoothly) and getting to know students that I had never met before. I had about 8 hours to myself, which included an evening shower and a good night's rest! As the only male teacher, I had a room to myself: bonus.

The students were far more mature than I expected. More than anything else, I was impressed by their willingness to get a little out of their comfort zones, and in small groups share their own "back stories".

I started the session with an understanding that the PAS system was a valuable piece of the educational fabric. At the end of the 3 days, I was absolutely certain that the PAS system plays a critical role: I met students who would not be in good health or finishing high school without PAS!

Here's more than 8 words. I was initially going to double the word count every time, but that would have been more work.

Next: I will have to figure out HOW to post this.

Teamwork: Get the Vice Principal to post for you!

WORKING with, not just DEALING with Student Anxiety

Hello Parents, students and teachers,

We recently tweeted about an article regarding working with students who have anxiety. The blog is named Technolandy by Ian Landry. His Twitter handle is @technolandy. The blog post appears here:

http://technolandy.wordpress.com/2014/02/20/day-110-of-184-anxiety-107-a-blunt-approach-to-anxiety/



There are some great points about supporting students who are working through/with anxiety. Some of these points we have copied exactly from the blog. I strongly encourage you to read the entire post.

Ian Landy has suggested:

• Anxious students need to be at And stay on school. 
• Establish a schedule and stick with it - a target with an immediate feedback loop. 
• Being at school does not always mean being in the classroom. They may need a safe person, place or time. 
• Being in the classroom does not mean doing work. Time needs to be spent building relationships with others. 
• Eventually, we will need to push. There is a fine balancing act between providing support and enabling the anxiety. 
• Anxious kids are smart. 
• General Anxiety has ‘unclear triggers’ where the ‘starting’ point can be very difficult to identify. We won't 'grow' out of it, without help and support. 
• Schools can help with educational matters and being caring and compassionate. However, we are not thearpy. We cannot provide that kind of support. 
• Anxiety needs to be countered using Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) – often requiring a counsellor who uses this approach. We can help direct towards this type of support. 
• Stick with the thearpy/medicine plan even when it sucks. It will get better. 
• Expect ‘self-soothing’ strategies to annoy you, remember it's not about us. It's about them. 
• We have to be and remain calm when they cannot be. 
• Others will be critical, this is not a quick fix. Stick with it. 
• Communication is key. Especially between the adults. Back and forth books. Emails. Assessments. No secrets. 
• Anxiety is very different in each person – don’t ignore it & don’t think there is ‘one’ plan.

Let's work together to support our students.

Please read the the entire blog post from Ian, found at:

http://technolandy.wordpress.com/2014/02/20/day-110-of-184-anxiety-107-a-blunt-approach-to-anxiety/

Parents' Night - November 20

Come on out to the school on Thursday,  November 20 from 6-7.  Meet your child's teacher and lets talk about how we can support them at school and home.  Lets build our connections so we can all share in the amazing things your child and our student can do.

Call the school for more details. 905.278.3396

What Did I Learn today?

Let me briefly introduce myself, my name is Greg Pearson and I am the new vice principal at PAS South.  Please come into the school and have a chat with me.  If you are on twitter you can follow the school at @PAS_South or you can follow me @vptechnodork.  May this just be the beginning of our communication together.

This is a cross post that also appears on http://peel21st184.wordpress.com/.  The goal of this project is  share our stories and promote 21st Century learning. The goal is to have as many of our voices heard from students, teachers, administrators, superintendents, Educational Resource Facilitators, Early Childhood Educators, parents and any key players in our schools.

What did I learn today?

Every day that I get to work with students, I learn how incredibly resilient our students can be.  

Today, I was reminded of this as I was with my family at Canada’s Wonderland.  As my car was heading out on the Leviathan, I thought I had heard my name called.  I asked the person I was with if he had heard my name being called and he said that was just my nerves talking. 

https://www.canadaswonderland.com/images/rides/Leviathan-image-3.jpg

After my 3 minute ride we pulled back into the station and once again the announcer was talking and at the end of his announcement he said, “ and Mr. Pearson, I hope you enjoyed your ride!”  This time I know it wasn’t my nerves talking, I looked into the booth and there was a former student, smiling behind the glass at me.  We had a brief moment to catch up.  He is now training to be in the military working on jet engines.  A goal he had stated to me 4 years previous.  A remarkable accomplishment for him, as I look back and consider what this student did to get to where he is today.

My memory might be fading at this point, but here is the long and short what he had to overcome: multiple school changes, over an hour and a half bus ride to come to school, multiple suspensions, multiple issues with teachers, multiple issues with me and multiple issues within himself.

In my three years with this student, we took the time to get to know each other when times were good and we built that relationship where he still felt safe when times were not so good; when he need to be cooled down, or even sent home.  He knew he could come back and that he would be held accountable for what had happened.  We took the time to work through his mistakes together, it is what he needed, and really what all students need.  Together we created a relationship where he felt comfortable to learn from his missteps, to reflect on what had happened.  He learned to never give up, he learned that failing was okay.  Most importantly, he learned that he had someone that he could lean on and trust.  I also have to say that he taught me so much as we went through his time in high school.

This student came to believe in himself, that he could grow both academically and personally and this is what helped him overcome the obstacles life presented him.  This strength or mindset is what will see him through to his goals. He believed that he was not fixed in the die that life had cast for him.

Today, I was reminded that the amazing students we work with can:

Inspire.

Greatness.

Together.

It’s funny that I remembered all of this after a roller-coaster ride of up’s and down’s, much like life can present us with. 

Welcome to Peel Alternative School South

This will be your hub of information for all things PASS!  Come here often and check in with us.

We will be looking for guest bloggers and other information that you will find useful.