CAIS in Point

This is the beginning of the “selling” season. Even though school has just started, admissions departments across the country are ramping up to begin to fill seats and beds for next year. One challenge, for all of our schools, is branding. How do you distinguish yourself from all of the other schooling choices that are being offered to students and their parents? Last week I had the opportunity to listen to Bruce Turkel speak. He focused on building brand value. In essence, his message was about creating a distinctive and sought after “brand” that would give your school a competitive advantage in the marketplace. It was interesting stuff, and it might have had an even greater impact on me if it hadn’t been for an extended conversation that I had had the day before. Traveling to the meeting, I joined up with Jefferson Burnett from NAIS. Over the course of our drive from the airport and then a long and animated lunch, Jeff told me about a book that he had been reading called Blue Ocean Strategy. Armed with the title, and a general idea of what it was about, I tracked it down at a local bookstore and plunged in. In no time I was hooked. The thesis is pretty simple. Rather than engaging in head to head competition in the search for sustained and financially stable growth, fighting for competitive advantage, battling over market share, and struggling to differentiate yourself, the authors suggest another route that makes all of your competition irrelevant. Instead of competing in the bloody “red ocean” of rival schools fighting over a limited market of students, they advocate creating new “blue oceans” of uncontested market space. It is an interesting concept. Over the past few years, we have seen a significant increase in competitive marketing among our schools. Conventional wisdom has dictated that if you want to find mission appropriate students, with affluent parents who are committed to independent schooling, where better to look than the population of neighbouring non-public schools? Consequently we have seen marketing campaigns that extol the virtues of not merely a specific school, or the advantages of independent over public schooling, but rather an emphasis on different methods of delivery (co-ed vs. single gender; boarding vs. day; IB vs. AP; etc.). In our desire to carve out a larger share of the current student pool we have generally ignored the over 90% of the available student population who don’t attend independent schools at all. That is not to say that there are not very effective campaigns aimed at pre-schoolers or attempts to lure exceptional students away from publicly funded alternatives but, for the most part, we have in our heads a profile of whom we believe our clientele to be and we aim our sights on them. When I was listening to Bruce Turkel last week, he encouraged schools to engage potential customers to determine what they wanted and then offer it. An alternative approach would be to understand what is missing from the available options and then educate your potential customers about what they didn’t even know they were missing! I was reminded of the surveying that was done by QAIS a number of years ago at one of their school fairs. Parents of students who were potential enrolees in our schools were asked what they were looking for an independent school. The priority answers won’t surprise you: rigorous academics; high quality teaching; small classes; good discipline; etc. What was interesting was that when the same question was asked of parents of current students in our schools, the list was very different. They appreciated: the values of the school; the individual attention paid to their child; the wide array of extra-curricular and co-curricular offerings; and, the excellent home/school communications. As long as we try to market our schools by current public perceptions of what makes a good school, we will continue to be caught in the potential conundrum of branding ourselves with one set of strengths, while delivering another. In addition, we will also run the danger of continuing to offer variations on the same theme from one school to the next. Interestingly, two of our schools which closed their doors over the past few years fell victim to this trap. Even though they were successfully offering a unique model of education, with solid enrolments and appreciative parents, they “listened” to the marketplace and changed both their programmes and their profiles in an attempt to become even bigger and more successful. The result was disastrous in both cases. They build up huge deficits, lost their focus and eventually lost their core clientele. A “Blue Ocean Strategy” takes an entirely different tact. Rather than “buying” to conventional wisdom of the marketplace, or “selling” the virtues of our current product to our typical target market, it suggests that we mine the untapped potential of “non-customers”. In order to do this, there are some interesting key questions to ask: Where are fee-paying families going for their educational experience if they are not coming to us? What aspects of public education (aside from price point) are attractive enough to keep affluent families from considering the independent option? How can we redefine the “school experience” to make it radically different from what is currently being offered elsewhere? Within our own membership there are a handful of schools that have taken a Blue Ocean approach; Greenwood in Toronto and Stratford Hall in Vancouver are two that come immediately to mind. In those two schools and others across the country, a deliberate attempt has been made to offer a philosophical alternative to the “traditional” school model. In both cases their early successes have been impressive. In the long term, what all innovators have to contend with is imitation and an eventually diluting of their new brand. A true, Blue Ocean approach keeps innovators always looking for the next stretch, and their competitors playing catch up. A great model for continuous school improvement. Dr. Jim Christopher, Executive Director

The Education Show (TES)

The 2nd annual Education Show is being held from November 12 – 13, 2008 at the Toronto Congress Centre. TES is Canada’s only National level trade event. Their mission is to support Education organizations desire to provide high quality education for every student across Canada. This will be facilitated by providing educational professionals the opportunity to learn about the latest products, services and innovative ideas from the industries leading companies and professionals.

In addition to the trade show floor (which is complimentary), they offer workshops for attendees. Educators will have the opportunity to leave many of these workshops with certification. For example: one workshop is for WHIMS training. For a small fee, attendees who participate in this 3 hour workshop will become certified.

A new addition to TES this year is a complimentary Teacher’s Appreciation Night on November 12, from 4 p.m. – 8 p.m. The evening will include food, beverages, gift bags and many give-a-ways for both the individual teacher and their classroom. Teachers will have access to the many exhibitors on the tradeshow floor as well as a seminar from Toronto Police Services – “Teacher Safety, how to Protect Yourself.”

Please see the attached a flyer for further information or visit www.theeducationshow.com to register.

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TES_flyer.pdf

CASLT Brings Teachers New Teaching Resources and Excellent PD Opportunities

Canadian Association of Second Language Teachers (CASLT)
has some exciting new projects to share this school year!  This fall, teachers will want to download a copy of Variations Francophones, the new CASLT video resource showcasing the diversity of francophone culture in Canada.  And many language teachers will not want to miss the special national conference this spring: Languages Without Borders! 

Variations Francophones
Thanks to a special partnership between CASLT, TV5 Québec-Canada, and the Organizing Committee of the XIIth World Congress of the Fédération international des professeurs de français (held in Quebec city this past summer), French teachers now have a pedagogical kit to get their students to reflect on the variety of ways one can be  Francophone or Francophile in Canada. Variations francophones is a series of documentary television vignettes featuring interesting Canadian French speakers along with accompanying pedagogical materials for class discussion. The television vignettes and teaching materials take students on a cross-country tour into francophone culture, discovering Canadians who choose to live in French and who contribute to its growth and vitality. The resource aims to increase student awareness and appreciation of the many different facets French life can take in Canada as well as inspire and motivate more young people to pursue their French language education.

The teachers who participate in CASLT workshops or in CASLT Chez-Vous professional development days throughout the fall will receive a free hard copy of the kit. Check the web site for the listings of PD and events to see if you are able to attend a CASLT workshop at your provincial language teaching association’s conference.

Don't forget: all teachers can download a FREE electronic copy of Variations francophones from the CASLT Web site at www.caslt.org.

Languages Without Borders:
Language Without Borders is a national conference for second language educators that will be held in Edmonton, Alberta on May 21- 23, 2009. Hosted by the CASLT and the Institute for Innovation in Second Language Education at Edmonton Public Schools, the conference will be an exciting opportunity for second language educators to connect with colleagues from across Canada and around the world. Conference participants will be able to explore new frontiers in language and culture education. Focus will be on all the many different languages being taught in Canada and abroad.

Online registration! Throughout the fall, CASLT will be soliciting applications for presenters, exhibitors and participants. Information and registration forms are available on the CASLT website at www.caslt.org. Click on the Language Without Borders banner.

Help spread the word! CASLT are seeking participants from across Canada and abroad. Languages Without Borders is a wonderful opportunity to network and improve communications within the education communities.  For more information please contact:

Nathalie Landry
Communications and Project Support Officer /Agente des communications et de soutien aux projets
Canadian Association of Second Language Teachers (CASLT)
Association canadienne des professeurs de langues secondes (ACPLS)
Tel./Tél.: 1-877-727-0994 x2 / 613.727-0994 x2
e-mail /Courriel : educ@caslt.org

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conference_ad_2009.pdf

The Aussie X - An Australian Sport Program

Who are the AUSSIE X?

An Australian/Canadian Sporting Organization which provides a unique Australian Sporting experience to Canadians.

What do the AUSSIE X do?

The Aussie X has developed a series of highly structured, fun and educational based Australian sporting clinics. Experienced instructors come to your school or camp fully equipped with the knowledge and training to teach the action packed sports of Australia – Australian Rules Football aka Footy, Netball and Cricket.

Benefits of the AUSSIE X?

• All participants start at level playing field
• Unique and challenging motor skills
• Rules and game play like no other sport
• Physical activity in a fun and non-threatening environment
• Teachers/leaders and kids learn together
• Not just a sports clinic, learn about the fun Australian culture
• Fun, fun, and more fun!

Aussie X is a sporting experience like no other. Kids will learn how to kick a drop punt, take awesome catches out of the air (takin’ a speckie!) as well as handpass and bounce the oddly shaped ball. Active and engaged from start to finish, your kids won’t stop talking about ‘Footy’ for months to come. Suitable for students of all age groups.

To find out more visit: www.theaussiex.com or e-mail info@theaussiex.com

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Footy_Flyer_Generic_A_180808.pdf

Glassman Tools for Tolerance

Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies work to improve Canadian society by combating hate and anti-Semitism and supporting projects which promote tolerance, justice and human rights. Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center invite educators to apply for the Glassman Tools for Tolerance workshops generously funded by the not-for-profit organization. 

Since May 2006, over 1,000 Canadian community leaders, front-line professionals (primarily educators and police) and students have taken part in Tools for Tolerance® workshops.  Customized training is facilitated at the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles and the New York Tolerance Center.  Participants enrich their understanding about the Holocaust while being further sensitized to issues of justice and civic responsibility.  This program ties directly into character education and conflict resolution programs which are being developed nation-wide.

The workshops are well-received by educators throughout Canada and, as such, the Centre is promoting the workshops to more educators within the country.  Information regarding the Tools for Tolerance programs can be viewed at www.fswc.ca under the Tools for Tolerance link.

If you wish to discuss the Tools program in greater detail, please contact Susan Kendal, Director at: skendal@fswc.ca

902 - 5075 Yonge Street, Toronto, Ontario, M2N 6C6

Tel: 416-864-9735 ext. 32  --  Fax: 416-864-1083

Toll free:  1-866-864-9735

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Vancouver 2010 Education Information

In September 2007, VANOC launched /EDU, an online interactive learning environment where students, teachers and the public can learn more about Vancouver 2010, the Olympic and Paralympic Movements, and the three pillars of sport, culture and sustainability.

Every issue of /EDU contains a lead story; resources developed by teachers and non-profit organizations across Canada, including the Canadian Olympic Committee, the Canadian Paralympic Committee, Canadian museums, environmental groups and arts and culture organizations; and, interactive programs connected to a wide range of school curricula and student interests as well as to the 2010 Winter Games.

Vancouver 2010.com/EDU connects schools to schools, teachers to teachers and students to students — and all to Vancouver 2010.

Connecting Schools: Schools from across Canada can showcase their projects related to sport, culture and sustainability, Vancouver 2010 and the Olympic and Paralympic Movements on /EDU.

Connecting Teachers: Teachers can share ideas, tips and resources in the bilingual online forum. This dynamic space connects teachers to each other as well as to a variety of resources and educational experts.

Connecting Students: The /EDU students’ section is about bringing students together and helping them be the best they can be. Inspirational interviews with athletes, artists and others with personal stories of drive, passion and commitment for sport, culture and sustainability will offer ideas of how to achieve personal goals.

Stay tuned for more information on how to get your school involved in the upcoming Paralympic School Week! To find out more, visit vancouver2010.com/EDU.

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Brain Food

You are what you eat. That statement is not new, but sometimes it’s useful to get a reminder about the benefits of certain foods just to keep us on track and cognisant of what we, and our children are eating.

C-Health http://chealth.canoe.ca/channel_section_details.asp?text_id=4239&channel_id=11&relation_id=27878 lists a very brief but well thought out summary of the benefits of certain foods for our brain. Being in the world of education, “brain food” should hold a certain appeal for many of us for a variety of reasons. As adults, parents, and educators we often focus on what we should be doing to optimize the aptitude of our youth. This is a legitimate concern, but not the only reason to investigate the advantages of some foods. We should not take away from the focus on the health of ourselves. We need brain food too! We’re the ones that have to keep up with our children, students, and leaders of tomorrow.

Our body is a complex system, so there are no easy food maps to follow; everyone is different, but research does suggest that moods, behaviours and memory can be affected by various foods.

Fish oils have long been suggested to improve memory, and recommended for people with a family history of dementia. Also, we know foods high in fat can lead to obesity, but they are also linked with aggressive behaviour and depression. The C - Health article succinctly lists the benefits of antioxidants, B vitamins, iron and vitamin E, and some foods that contain these advantageous properties.

At various times throughout their lives, it can be difficult to get our kids to eat a balanced diet. School cafeterias can try and supply healthy choices, and for the children who eat at home, parents might attempt to stock the house with snacks and foods that have nutritional value. The habits that young people pick up in their early years often set the stage for their choices in later life. Fatty and processed foods can be a difficult habit to break once the body has become used to their taste and content.

After reading the brief article in C-Health it may inspire some of us to make a few new choices at the grocery store, and try to incorporate some fresh choices to sustain the interest of our kids and ourselves in foods that can possibly positively affect our brain, and overall health.

Lindsay Ireland, CAIS

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