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Tweets from Trish McNabb
- I missed out on so many different perspectives before I became a tweeter. Teach someone to tweet today! #yxj #, 19 hours ago
- RT @kevin_corbett Move Over Harvard And MIT, Stanford Has The Real “Revolution In Education” http://t.co/rrMrQz27 #yxj #elc60 ..interesting! #, 21 hours ago
- RT @EnergeticCity Energetic Learning Campus Information Night http://t.co/KckFIiZ1 #yxj #sd60 #elc60 #, 22 hours ago
- #, 2012/05/15
- RT @larryespe Energetic Learning Campus (ELC) student wins at Regional Science Fair... going to PEI! http://t.co/qKaNB5e7 #yxj #sd60 #, 2012/05/11
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Gold Medalist!
How would you like an all expenses paid trip to Charlottetown, PEI? Well, Kyle Plamondon, one of our outstanding ELC students, has earned a trip to the home of “Anne of Green Gables”! Kyle was a big winner at the Regional Science fair. In addition to the trip to Charlottetown to participate in the Canadian Wide Science Fair, he received a gold medal, 2nd place for his age group, and “The Michael Crooks Physics Award” for his work on “Refraction Action”
Refraction Action as described by Kyle: “I am measuring the sugar content in liquids using the refraction of a light beam that travels through a prism with a liquid inside. I am doing this by calculating its refraction index, known as the ratio of the change of the speed of light. This can be measured by Ni*=Sin(Ai)=Nr*Sin(AR) also known as Snell’s Law. When sugar is added between the 2 mediums, the bend changes and causes the light to refract more horizontally. This is how I can measure the amount of sugar within the liquid.”
We are honored to have Kyle represent us at the Canadian Wide Science Fair in PEI.
Good luck Kyle!!
Leadership class on their way to San Diego!
Today is the day our Leadership class starts their journey to High Tech High in San Diego!
…waiting at the airport…smiles all around! …PBL…building the Eiffel tower!
The students are traveling to High Tech High to gain a global perspective on what Project-Based Learning is about to enhance and solidify their understanding of the vision for the ELC and provide a basis for which they can begin educating our community in the academic soundness and learning potential of Project-Based Learning.
The goal of this trip for the Leadership 10 class is to gather data and artifacts to bring back to Fort St. John in order to share their learning with the community. The students have identified that the Bowes and Kearney students, their parents, and some School District 60 teachers require more information to understand the concept of Project-Based Learning and the ELC’s potential for innovation in learning. The students will be taking the information and experience that they glean at High Tech High and sharing presentations about Project-Based Learning and the ELC with the upcoming students at Bert Bowes and Dr. Kearney, parents, and the public.
The leadership class would like to thank all of our community sponsors that have so generously donated their resources to making the Leadership class trip to San Diego, CA possible!
Tervita Corp.
Booster Juice
Sci-Tech North
NPSS PAC
A.E Vennes Inc.
Fusion Oilfield Services Ltd.
Dalco Instrument and Measurement Services (2001) Ltd.
R.S. Consulting Ltd.
V.E. Brandl Ltd.
John M. Basco Muscle Therapy Inc.
Troyer Ventures Ltd.
Peace Clinic of Naturopathic Medicine Inc.
Triple C Contracting Ltd.
Energetic Services Ltd.
-Leadership 10 Class 2011-2012
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Showing off the ELC at the FSJ Trade Show!
If you’ve ever wondered what the Energetic Learning Campus is like, now is the perfect opportunity to find out!
As you wander through the Trade Show tomorrow, Saturday April 14th, drop in between 10am and 2pm to see our beautiful new school and some of our students work.
See you there!
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Early dismissal schedule for March 21 & 22nd
Early dismissal days March 21 & 22, 2012
Period 1 8:40 – 9:20
Break 9:20 – 9:30
Period 2 9:30 – 10:10
Period 3 10:10 – 10:50
Period 4 10:50 – 11:30
LUNCH 11:30 – 12:30
Period 5 12:30 – 1:15
Period 6 1:15 – 2:00
Proposed changes to the Local School Calendar for 2012 2013
Please be advised that on Monday, April 16th, 2012, there will be an opportunity to discuss the proposed school calendar for next year. Please click on the link below for more details.
ELC Leadership class ~ traveling to San Diego!
Click on the link below to view.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCWpWdKbXAI
What an amazing opportunity!
You know your CANADIAN when you go to school in a hockey rink eh!
Staff and students are loving our new ELC T-shirts! The students came up with the logo design for the front and the saying on the back. Jerrick Salinas, our Humanities teacher, sketched the front logo and Imagine That! digitized it for us.
SD60 Grade 9 information letter
Parents/Guardians of SD#60 Grade 9 students, please click on the link below to view an important information letter regarding Campus placement for the 2012-2013 Grade 10 program.
Course Calendar for North Peace Secondary
The 2012 – 2013 course calendar is now available to view online. Please click the link below.
Voices of the ELC
This seven minute video describes the background to the ELC and features interviews with staff, students and parents. Please take the time to watch!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbOsC0yIDlQ
Creating creativity
The love of science and creativity at the secondary level has declined, at least when it comes to the science fair. Over the past few years about 95% of grade 10 students DO NOT complete a science fair project. Here at the ELC 95% of our students HAVE created science fair projects! These wonderful innovative minds have posed many thought provoking questions, such as:
-Is global warming causing an increase in hurricane intensity and frequency?
-Does studying on a full stomach help you learn or process information better than on an empty stomach?
-Are adults more visually aware than teenagers?
-Do men date women like their mothers?
It is so nice to see how through staff collaboration we are able to host our own science fair and ultimately regenerate their love for science.
Fabulous feedback!
Over the past few weeks, we at the ELC, have been promoting its educational program for next year’s students. After visits to the middle schools, parent meetings, an open house and many grade 9 student tours of our facilities, we have received some amazing feedback from our future students. We asked the students to answer this question: “Why do you believe your choice of NPSS or ELC is a good fit for you?” These students are very insightful and ready for change to take place in the world of education. Please take the time to read their answers below:
ELC is a better school than NPSS for me because of various reasons. For instance, it’s a smaller school and I seem to be more motivated and do better work in a close environment. Also the 45 minute long classes are better than 80 minute long classes which make you feel gloomy, and dread the next class. With short 45 min. long classes I feel more motivated and ready for the next class. I love the idea of morning activities to get your brain going. I have personally experience an improvement in my day of homeschooling when I go outside for a half hour and ride my bike or feed the sheep. ELC really appeals to me the way it’s set up and ran. I think it will be a fun learning environment surrounded with great people that want to be there as much as I do, and activities and sports. I very much enjoy being around education and sports, put the two together and you’ve got the perfect school for me. I like the idea of project based learning because I think it will help me later on in life with almost any career choice I decide upon. I believe project based learning will be challenging and enjoyable at the same time. I have learned through homeschooling to be motivated and excited about school, and I’m very excited about attending ELC next year.
I believe that ELC is the right fit for a number of reasons as follows. I have been attending a small rural school with limited educational possibilities and I would like to expand my post-secondary opportunities by having a wider range of courses to choose from. I am very enthusiastic about sports and physical fitness. I currently play in a small rural hockey league, but I would really like to improve my skills in competitive sports with other students. For the past several years, my family and I have been pursuing alternative forms of education, we have travelled extensively collecting knowledge through life, and education through correspondence, but I have never had the opportunity to attend a school that offers the amount of education I seek as well as the “out of ordinary’ curriculum I’ve always been interested in, combining my enthusiasm for sports with my eagerness to obtain the required courses I need to get into college (s) I need to attend. I very much enjoy participating in team sports, however, I would like to improve on my leadership skills through teamwork, as I believe that is what leadership is all about. I believe ELC would offer the right courses I need to acquire all of the education and teamwork skills I seek.
I have been looking forward to attending ELC ever since it started. I was diagnosed with dyslexia in Grade 5 and I have always found hands on learning much easier than other methods. I think that project based learning is a much more effective way for me to learn and would love to try it. I am very involved in athletics and love this part of the ELC as well, especially the hockey.
These students inspire our commitment to the ELC program. I hope the public of Fort St. John are able to see what is right in front of their eyes and seize the opportunity to help change the direction of our educational future. We cannot keep reverting back to the old traditional ways. These students envision better ways to think of the future of learning institutions and we need to support them. I admire all the students, parents, teachers and administrators who continue to push for change.
Thank You
Sheldon Steele, VP ELC
Orientation Night ~ Open House
To all Parents and Guardians of School District #60 Grade 9 students.
The Energetic Learning Campus is having an Orientation night & open house on Tuesday, February 7, from 6:30pm to 7:30pm.
You will find us at 9708-93 Ave ~ West entrance of the Pomeroy Sports Centre.
Please join us to see what our exciting new school can offer your future grade 10 students!
Early Dismissal Days
Please see below, the early dismissal days schedule for Nov. 30 & Dec 1, 2011
Friday, December 2 is a Non-Instructional dayELC early dismissal days Nov. 30 & Dec 1, 2011
Time Nov. 30 Dec. 1
8:40 – 9:20 Activity Activity
9:20 – 9:30 —————-Break—————-
9:30 – 10:08 Period 1 Period 1
10:08 – 10:46 Period 2 Period 2
10:46 – 11:24 Period 3 Period 3
11:24 – 12:24 ************* Lunch *************
12:24 – 1:12 Diversified Period 4
1:12 – 2:00 Learning Period 5
A Chili Week
The chilly winter weather has come, and with it the end of the first term. Teachers have placed assessments in the hands of the students and the reality of the workload for our grade 10 students has set in. Project Based Learning expectations require a self motivated commitment to learning and the students who have bought in are very successful. It is time for the struggling students with the guidance from ELC staff to refocus and commit to the expectations here at the ELC.
As the year progresses we continue to stay positive and work towards the common goal of educational success for all. I realize even more how assessment in education needs to include real life experiences, such as social responsibility with the public and collabrative responsibility with peers.
A positive step to social responsibility came on Thursday – a snow storm day – less than half the student population made it to school. We had a chili cook-off at lunch with about 25 students participating. The staff were able to warm the hearts of the students with banock and chili. The students warmed our hearts by donating close to $100.00 to ‘Movember’ (research for prostate cancer).
Thanks staff for a great day and another terrific week!
Sheldon Steele, VP ELC
Food for thought
The ELC has come a long way in the last few weeks! We now have a PHONE, fax, photocopier, whiteboards and projector screens!
Our Humanities teacher and Science teacher spent their lunch hour the last two Wednesdays cooking for our school. Mr. Salinas made an amazing stir fry, feeding 30 students and the staff, and Mr. Hiscock made a delicious Asian chicken salad the following week. This was such a success that all the teachers are planning a ‘chilli bake off’ for next week! As you can tell our staff/student relationships are well established, now it is time to see how far we can take these students in their academics.
We have had a few visitors over the past week, and are getting more requests for school tours all the time. These visitors have reminded us of the amazing work we are implementing at the ELC. Something as small as no bells for class change that we take for granted now. Conversing with guests helps them learn the PBL model but it also allows us to reflect on all the positives. It is refreshing to know that some people truly believe in the ELC and the PBL model.
Quotes from our visitors:
“I was very impressed with what I saw and the potential both for change and for other districts learning from your experiences” Pat Dooley, SD#8
“Your open and honest answers were very refreshing and it allowed us to see the potential we can have here in Prince George. We look forward to the amazing things your students in the ELC will be doing in the very near future.” Lee Karpenko, Kelly Road Secondary
With all the ups and downs of a new building, construction, and equipment that was needing to be dealt with, we found our focus was starting to wander. Thanks to our visitors for helping us refocus on the potential of this innovative learning campus and reminding us of how fortunate we are.
I will leave you with a couple picture of the “WOK with Jerrick show” and our new school phone number!! 250-263-9855
Sheldon Steele, VP ELC
The positive ‘track’ to learning
Last week the BC Government released it’s new education plan. If you take a close look at what and where they want our education system to go, we at the Energetic Learning Campus are moving in the right direction!
http://www.bcedplan.ca/welcome.php
The following ELC projects have all incorporated the personalized learning and 21st Century skills that the government is asking us to implement. The mask project, health and movement project, super hero project, geometry home improvement project, underground rail road project, and art is the answer-what is the question project. Thank you staff and students for being leaders of our education world.
One of the keys to changing the way we educate our children is to change the public’s perception of learning. Learning that takes place outside the classroom is just as important as the math exam they take at the end of the term. Education takes place whether it is on a running track – physically figuring out velocity, or 40 teenagers on the same running track learning how to properly interact with the public.
The government is telling us that students, parents, educators, and the public will all have a part to play in the way that we educate students “what is your part?”
Lesson learned this week ~ We are all going to need to play a part to change the way we educate our children. Stay focused on the positives as we grow with project based learning.
I will leave you with the ELC spirit of Halloween!
Until next week…
Sheldon Steele, VP ELC
As the dust settles…
Last week started with an Elementary atmosphere as all the Teachers kept their Community (advisory) classes for the whole day! The teachers decided to teach all the subjects to their Comm classes. The math, humanities and science lessons were prepared by the individual teachers and shared amongst each other. Each teacher stepped out of their comfort zones to teach the students ALL their subjects for the day. The reason behind this day was to help the students move forward with their projects. The teachers have a special relationship with their Comm classes, allowing them to motivate the students in their PBL. It was a fantastic day of learning! Thanks teachers for being innovative and creative!
We have been in our school space for 12 days and as the dust settles (literally!) the staff and students are really starting to get into the ELC routine.
This campus atmosphere is calming and welcoming and is layed out more like a University Campus than your traditional high school. Not only do our students learn academics, they are also learning 21 century skills they will need later in life. As one of our TOC’s pointed out last week “enrolment at the ELC should be mandatory for all grade 10′s. They will not learn the life skills they are learning here (ELC) in a traditional high school setting.”
Lesson learned this week ~ if we can step outside our comfort zones and be flexible with our teaching style it shows students how they can also step outside their comfort zones and take a chance in their learning.
Until next week….
Sheldon Steele, VP ELC
Blog change
Please be advised we have changed our weekly blog day to Mondays!
The ELC daily timetable has been revised as follows…
Innovative Identity
Our own identity is yet to be defined. The ELC image is a mere silhouette of the high expectations we are striving to embody as a campus.
The Minister of Education has given us his encouragement and best wishes to reach the 21st Century learner. I hope his personal visit ‘official opening’ was memorable for him.
Minister George Abbott had a very in-depth conversation with some of our students (pictured below). The students impressed upon Minister Abbott that here at the Energetic Learning Campus they have great teacher/student relations, they feel trusted, and they feel cared for.
“The Energetic Learning Campus is one of the most exciting and innovative education projects this Province has seen and I congratulate the district and the community for having the vision to see this opportunity and the energy to bring it to fruition.” Education Minister George Abbott
Picture the future of education and try to fit the ELC in that silhouette. That is what we hope to achieve.
Until next week…
Sheldon Steele, VP ELC
Collective Collaboration!
Wow – what an exciting week for our students and staff at the ELC! We have finally made it to our own space – not all the construction is complete but it is beautiful!
As we begin to settle into our routines of the new space we as a collective group really appreciate what this campus and staff can provide for the future of education. The most amazing thing I have noticed about the ELC is the collaborative teamwork that our staff is modeling for the students. There is not one leader at this campus – there are 9 leaders!
The growing pains of, teaching and living in a public space has been a challenge but one we will continue to learn and grow from. We as a public have to remember that for the past 100 years we have locked our teenagers away from 8am to 3pm – Monday to Friday. No one in the public really had to interact or deal with them as a group except for the teachers. If we really want students to become respectful productive citizens then we need to teach them as a collective group. The old saying, “It takes a community to raise a child” is what we collectively need to pursue. The teachers need to keep educating the students on how to function respectfully in the public and the public will need to assist the students in the learning process. I am not suggesting that the public should become disciplinarians. I am suggesting the total opposite – they need to continue to be role models of respect, kindness and friendly neighbours.
The ELC students and parents have expressed their enthusiasm towards our campus in the following quotes:
“I wish we could stay here until we graduate”
“They really respect the teachers dedication and patience with the construction problems – my son thinks they are great.”
Our next step in the PBL process is to teach the students how to productively collaborate as a unit. This is something I know they will be able to accomplish as they have so admirably role modeled over the past month. As we take that big step towards changing the way we educate the youth – I thank the public in advance for your patience. Collectively and collaboratively we will create positive, productive and respectful citizens.
Please take the time to reflect and be thankful this weekend – I know I will
Until next week…
Sheldon Steele, VP ELC
Proof is in the Presentation!
Through the month of September the ELC students have met the learning outcomes in Math, Science, Humanities, Planning and PE. In addition to this, they have excelled in our very first Project. The Mask Project asks students the essential question of “Who am I?” At first it was difficult for students to distinguish between “What I like” vs “Who I am”. Through the critiquing process students were able to learn about themselves and their project with help from their peers.
The final assessment of Project Based Learning is not the traditional exam, but a presentation of the learning.
Proof is in the Presentation ~ as you will see in the following video!
Hope you enjoyed the presentations.
Until next week ….
Sheldon Steele VP ELC
Flying high on expectations!
This week started with disappointment as the anticipation to be in our ‘space’ was denied. This led to some disgruntled staff and students! That being said, after the initial let down, we continued on our path of learning.
At the ELC, teachers have high expectations and are not accepting unfinished or low quality work. They are trying to instil the value of critiquing and how this method of collaboration will not only help students achieve success, but also reach higher standards. If you want to get the best from someone, you must expect their best!
Positive quotes this week:
“This is an amazing concept for teaching and learning” spoken by one of our TOC’s (substitute teacher), “I have everything completed and handed in. It is a very nice feeling, one I haven’t had in a long time. A great feeling of accomplishment!” spoken by one of our students
Lesson learned this week ~ we have encountered a lot of setbacks when it comes to construction, public opinion, and educational opinions. Setting high expectations for our student population is more complicated than what we perceive. Societal roll models consistently do not meet these high expectations in life and this has made educating our youth even more difficult. As the adults and leaders of this project, we have set high expectations that will not be met unless we continue to face adversity and criticism with a smile and a positive attitude. Setting high expectations are the small steps we are taking to change how we educate the world.
Until next week….
Sheldon Steele, VP ELC