The Road to Community School Status and Beyond

Please take a look at the Prezi that was created for our staff meeting. This is a brief lesson on what a community school is and what our overarching goals have been for the pilot at Byrne over the past 3 years. The questions at the end are meant to generate thought about our next steps and the focus or overarching goals that we will pursue over the next year.

When you scan the questions are there a few that catch your eye as most important? I look forward to hearing your thoughts in the months to come.

The Magic of Community Programming

We are so proud of our students’ leadership successes! They have an article glowing about their deeds in the Burnaby Now! Link to the Burnaby Now article. The magic of community programming is what happens a few years down the line…when kids that once partook in programming are now leading that programming and acting as shining examples of healthy members of a community!

BASES Thrift Store Gets Good Press

Byrne Creek is very proud to be connected with this social venture initiative.

Take a look at why here.

WORLD MEET BASES

The Southeast Burnaby community is culturally rich and diverse with more than 67 countries represented. Our goal is to provide funding to the six schools in that community for programs and activities for at-risk children and families, such as breakfast programs, after-school programs, summer camp, music, sports, and arts programs. Canada will be a better place when children and families who are underserved receive opportunities that are assumed by most Canadians.

The BASES team has been busy this summer! It received Charity Status and started to work on opening their Social Entrepreneur Branch. Thanks to many dedicated community minded folk….the Thrift Store is scheduled to open October 15, 2013. Read more about BASES Thrift Store here.

This thrift store will provide revenue for school programs as well as a wonderful place to gain work experience for many students and adults in our community.

 

Our Garden is Growing!

Please take a look at our Garden Pilot Project at Byrne. Our little demonstration garden is growing and we are excited about all the possibilities that this garden holds. This will be a club. for credit course for students…as well as when expanded an opportunity to grow and share food with our families and greater community.

Take a look and let us know if you would like to get involved! Click here to a link the Healthy HEART Community Garden webpage.

Vision on Action: The ASCD Whole Child Award-A Retrospective

We presented as a part of the Whole Child Virtual Conference May 8, 2013. It was an interesting discussion about what is working well in the schools that have won this award and a chance to share our what we have all learned throughout this journey. Take a look at our virtual conference titled: Vision in Action: The ASCD Whole Child Award—A Retrospective.

Byrne Creek and the ASCD Whole Child Award

It has almost been a year since Byrne Creek found out that we won the ASCD’s 2012 Vision in Action: Whole Child Award.

We have had a fantastic year with many opportunities to share best practice and learn from others all over North America doing similar work helping to build healthier communities.

Talk a look at the ASCD movie that was released to feature the work done at  Byrne Creek!

A Friend From Philidelphia Came For a Visit

This is a blog written about Byrne Creek last year after a team from Byrne went to accept the ASCD Whole Child: Vision in Action award in Philadelphia. Check it out. The author Diana Laufenberg offered our team a tour of her school the Science Learning Academy, which is a project based learning charter school in Philadelphia that holds inquiry based learning at it’s heart. Today Diana came to Byrne Creek for a visit.

Diana’s visit was a rare and welcome opportunity to reflect, share best practice, talk, think, share and observe our school in action through the eyes of a guest educator. This sort of opportunity is powerful. I wish that all of our Byrne Creek teachers could have had the opportunity to tour the school with Diana today!

It allowed me the chance to pause for a few hours and reflect on what we are doing very well at Byrne Creek (building attachment and strong relationship throughout our system and adapting our programs to meet the needs of our diverse learners) and to dream ahead to what is possible in the future for Byrne Creek and the educational system in BC in general. Thank you for stopping by Dianna! We hope to see you again soon.

Byrne Creek Blogging Extraordinaires!

The ASCD Whole Child Blog features several blogs from our Byrne Creek Community over the past month. Take a look at this blog by Ms. Erickson and Ms. Lauzon, There May Not Be an App for That.…and then scroll down and see what other Byrne Creek blogs that you can fund! They are all fantastic! For example, how about reading this blog from our LEO Club called The Byrne Creek LEO Club: Leadership, Experience, and Opportunity?

The Whole Child Blog Features the Poem, “I am Byrne Creek.”

Have you read the “I am Byrne Creek” Poem yet? What are you waiting for?