CAIS in Point

At the recent CAIS Heads and Chairs Conference in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, BCE President and CEO Michael Sabia challenged our schools as follows: We need to test ourselves against the very best elements of the best programs, from the best schools, from around the world. Because that’s your competition. That’s Canada’s competition - for research, innovation and jobs. And that must be your standard. Not easy. And not helped by provincial secondary school curriculums which, by their very nature aim at a lower common denominator. His remarks sparked a lively debate among the Heads about how we view our schools, programmes, and the capabilities of our graduates. A casual survey of our collective websites reveals that more than seventy-five percent of our schools cite “excellence” in some form as one of the key attributes of their graduates. The question is: How do we define it? Sabia would argue that it is not good enough to rate ourselves against the “lowest common denominator” expectations of our various provincial curricula. Nor, he says, should we merely use each other as benchmarks. If our graduates are to be active and successful members of an increasingly interconnected global culture and economy, then surely we should be looking farther afield for our comparators. Having said that, maybe comparisons are not what we should be looking for. It’s easy to dismiss as either an oversimplification, or as a lopsided playing field to either compare ourselves to our wealthy American counterparts or even to highly successful third world institutions whose student populations represent the tips of an extremely large and highly competitive icebergs. In a small market like ours, we should be more self-critical based upon projected global trends and future skills and attributes needed by our grads than to merely try replicate what is happening elsewhere. There is no question, the current Ministry expectations go nowhere near far enough to ensure that our students are receiving the value added programme that we committed to providing. There is also no question that in virtually all of our schools, the combination of academics, co-curricular expectations, and values-based school cultures provide a wonderful, all-around school experience for our students. But, is this excellence? Jim Collins, in his monograph “Good to Great and the Social Sectors”, applies his hedgehog concept to not-for-profit institutions like our schools. His intersecting Venn diagram identifies three components: Passion (understanding what your school stands for - its core values - and why it exists - its mission or core purpose); Resource Engine (understanding what best drives your resource engine, broken into three parts – time, money, and brand); and, Best at (understanding what your school can uniquely contribute to the people that it touches – students, employees, parents – better than any other school on the planet). We spend a lot of time talking and thinking about those first two attributes. Every school can articulate its core values and mission and gives those characteristics prominent play on its website, school publications, and admissions discussions. By the same token, every school understands the need to not only ensure a sustainable revenue stream, but the importance of hiring and retaining the right people, and providing facilities and resources to enhance the learning process for their students. On the third issue however, the critical one according to both Collins and Sabia, we are surprisingly mute. As you read this brief essay, stop and take a moment to reflect on your school. Can you list three things that are truly exceptional about it? If you can create such a short list, how would you rank those three in terms of making a unique contribution to the lives of your students, faculty/staff, parents or community? Finally, take your number one choice, the thing that you feel that your school does better than anything else. Now, ask yourself this question: by external measures, how great is our number one attribute? Are we the best in this area in our province? nationally? globally? Is the one thing that we do best, truly excellent? Are there other schools in other cities, or provinces, or countries, or continents that do our “best”, even better? This is the real challenge. Meadowridge School in Maple Ridge, B.C. is working hard to make itself a “destination” school. That is, in Michelin Green Guide parlance, a school that is “worth a journey” to attend. Every one of our schools has the potential: the students; the resources; and, the personnel to be a destination school. What Michael Sabia calls “the first challenge for independent schools” is that of “creating environments of global excellence, preparing your students for a very different world and attracting the very best to your schools.”  He states that this is not just an opportunity, but a “responsibility” that we owe to both our students, and our country. So, in the next “Green Guide” for touring the independent school world – will you be a one star “interesting” or a three star “worth a journey”? That’s your challenge for 2008!   Dr. Jim Christopher, Executive Director, CAIS

CAIS Web Updates

If you haven't already visited our redesigned website take some time to visit us at www.cais.ca. In early January 2008 the new CAIS School Directory will be available on line, making CAIS school information easy to access and print. The new e-format will be organized by region, and alphabetically by school.

Schools now have the opportunity to showcase six photos on line and update their text on a regular basis. This will keep information accurate, fresh and current!

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SHOWCAIS Magazine

Last month, at the 2007 CAIS Heads and Board Chairs Conference, Adrian Hoad-Reddick, Academic Director, St. John’s – Kilmarnock School, introduced SHOWCAIS magazine. SHOWCAIS is a national publication devoted to showcasing writing, illustrations and photography by CAIS students.

In order to prepare for the 2008 launch of this exciting magazine, and read about its benefits, please view the attached letter and visit www.bookhooks.com/survey.cfm to register your school’s interest in SHOWCAIS.

If you have any questions please contact Adrian directly at ahoad@sjkschool.org

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showcais_letter.pdf

iQUEST

The transition from school to a rewarding career is not always a simple journey. Are you a student, or do you know of one who:

• Is trying to figure out what career options are right for you and what’s the best way to get there?
• Plans to attend a post-secondary institution but isn’t sure which one to attend or what field of study to choose?
• Intends to work after high school but has no specific career or job direction?
• Is thinking about dropping out of high school, but doesn’t have any career or job plans?

Young people face a sometimes-baffling number of choices. They also need to know which path is best for them; university, college, vocational, apprenticeship or on-the-job training. These options only exist, however, if young people are aware of them.

iQuest is a two-day interactive workshop that helps students make informed educational and career choices. iQuest helps students:

• Discover what possibilities exist in the working world
• Identify work personalities and interests
• Map their education and career path
• Plan for the future with the right resources

To read more visit: http://www.goiquest.com/

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Excergaming

TV, video games and obesity; the link between the three has been discussed and measured for many years. Parental and school concern revolving around the much examined, and socially relevant, topic is nothing new. So, it’s refreshing to have some positive health news about our youth’s seemingly consistent devotion to computer games. Excergaming is a relatively new trend that gets kids up and at em’ while they are “gaming”. So, what exactly is excergaming? The definition for Excergaming outlined on Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exergaming is listed below:

“Exergaming (formed from "exercise" and "gaming") is a term used for video games that also provide exercise. Exergames have one element of exercise and one element of gaming. The "gaming" aspect is a short form for video gaming. "Exergames" sub divide into two main implementations, those with a game specifically designed to use an exercise input device and those implementations using a genre of, or a generic game.

Games fit in to the category of entertainment, and similarly Exergames are a category of Exertainment (formed from "exercise" and "entertainment"). Exertainment includes one aspect of innovation or entertainment to an exercise work out.”

Excergaming is not a recent invention, what is new is the affordability and mainstream accessibility of the products available on the market. In the past it was mostly high end athletes who enjoyed a virtual tour through the Alps, rainforest, jungle safari, etc… while they cycled, rowed or climbed. The physical activity powered a large TV screen and various speeds, or physical output adjusted the views. The average consumer could not afford such systems for their homes, even most gyms were leery to invest in the expensive equipment. Atari and Nintento had various programs in the 1980’s but it’s only been in the last few years that excergaming participation has been feasible for most people, and not just teenagers. Recently Fisher Price introduced a bike for toddlers that connects to the TV and plays video, or games.

The accessibility is good news for some families. It’s been hard to drag some kids away from their computer games. Gaming has long been accepted by peers as “cool” and it appeals to social and anti-social types. It can be as social as you want it to be. Some kids like to be alone and anonymous behind the screen, others are in groups, and many are alone but linked with others around the world that they “play” with.

The excergaming trend may be especially hopeful for some overweight youth who are embarrassed to exercise in front of their peers, they can have an interactive experience in the privacy of their home, and with the support of their family and close friends.

One U.S. - Mom based newsletter Musiccitymoms http://www.musiccitymoms.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071112/MOMS02/71109094  details the use of various excergaming activities at the local YMCA’s and within the state public school system.  Dance Dance Revolution (DDR) and Sportwall, two popular games, can burn as many calories as a mild walk, or a strenuous run depending on the game setting. Is there something for everyone? Are the very valid postive aspects of excergaming just feeding the appeal of staying indoors tied to a computer? As the phenemenon expands so will the interactive games and types of sports represented, but what about the families who like to explore nature together outside, encourage sports with friends, or enjoy a friendly competitive bike, ski, swimming or running race? They still have to battle the sometimes hypnotic appeal of techno wizardary with their youngster.

As long as excergaming complements a somewhat regular regime of outside activity, it seems like a plausible way to get kids off the couch while still feeling computer connected. Even the children who don’t get involved in traditional sports or exercise, are being enticed to move, and subsequently increase their fitness level. It’s better than nothing. The troubling part is, that for some kids nothing is/was their norm. Maybe that’s the problem with introducing a form of excergaming to the preschool crowd, it may just become their first choice of physical activity and eclipse the many benefits of outside, traditional or team sports. Schools and parents have the difficult responsibility of keeping a balance of computer life, physical activity, solo play, teamwork, learning and fun. Is there a computer game that tackles all that, and what should the grand prize be?

Lindsay Ireland, CAIS

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Happy Holidays!

CAIS wishes everyone safe, healthy and happy holidays!

Merry Christmas

Joyeux Noel

Mo’Adim Lesimkha

Feliz Navidad

Nollaig Shona Dhuit

Saint Dan Fai Lok

All the best for 2008!

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