Principal’s Address

Grade 12 Graduation Ceremony

May 28, 2014

Honoured guests, fellow principals, faculty, parents, special guests, students of Rundle Academy and the graduates of 2014.  I am honoured to deliver today’s principal’s address.

Through this meandering tale, I hope to help answer the question, “How will you, the Graduating Class of 2014,  find success in the next chapters of your life?”  To illuminate a path to a successful and fulfilled life, I hope to evoke the spirit of science and nature of sport, of technology and of the arts.  We will consider the lives of ants, the number 99, an empty chair and the most successful band of all time.

However, before we get too serious, let me digress.  I thought that before I try to share words of wisdom about how to be successful, I should first figure out what our senior students would define as ‘success.’

To this end, late last week I had the opportunity to sit with some Grade 12 Rundle Academy students.  I had one simple question for them to answer.

I asked them to finish this sentence:  “When I grow up, I want to be…..”

Nicolaj, Cole, Ally and Bryce went with those established careers that we all know and many of us aspire to.  They responded with ‘an actor,’ ‘a police officer,’ ‘a firefighter’ and ‘a businesswoman.’  One very creative and unique response came from Paul, Paul stated he wanted to do ‘paul o tics’.  Love it!

Matt and Maryn, on the other hand, went with the unconventional - yet highly evolved.  They said, ‘wise’ and ‘happy.’

One last insightful, ‘anonymous’ graduate who wishes not to be named said (initials LR), when I grow up,

I want to be… eeeee, um… eeeee, um…. I don’t know’.

This answer, I really love, because really, who does know what they ever want to be.  It can all be a little scary!

To help round out our exploration of options for the future, I consulted many sources for future careers.  Among the top jobs in the future, reported by these sources, are:

Rewilder, Simplicity Designer, Robot Therapist, Vertical Farmer, and Smart Dust Programmers.

I suppose the point I am trying to make, as cliche as it may sound, is that whether you are preparing for the known known (a doctor or dentist) or the unknown known (wealthiness or happiness) or the unknown unknown (a robot therapist or smart dust programmer) - we all need guiding principles to work within.

So, for you, the Graduates of 2014 - here are four key elements I’ve learned while at the Academy that will hopefully transfer to your success “when you grow up.”

Key Element #1.
Recently I was inspired by a book by Stephen James Joyce titled, “Teaching an anthill to fetch.”  Without belaboring the point.  The author conducts an insightful exploration of ant colonies and what we can learn from them.   In essence, he shares that because Ants work together, they are able to overcome insurmountable odds.  Essentially, it’s collaborative intelligence that allows them to organize and to move seemingly insurmountable mountains.   Sound familiar?  Graduates of Rundle Academy, you have worked together with your teachers and each other to Move Mountains.  Do not forget how valuable this collaboration has been.

While we have a moment, students, why don’t we show our Academy staff, the best staff on the planet, how much we appreciate them and their hard work, dedication and never ending support of the students of the Academy!

Key Element #1 - whether you become a researcher or a rewilder, you will always be stronger if you work with others.

Key Element #2.
To illuminate this point, I first need to take you back to the year was 1979 when a 18 year old, 160 lbs rookie was trying to break into the NHL.  The player in question had a confidence that people couldn’t quite understand;  this was because they didn’t understand his preparation or his frame of mind.  He had spent his first 18 years gritting it out on backyard practice rinks and training his mind to think differently.  That player’s, as unpopular as this might be to say in Calgary, was my childhood idol and his name is Wayne Gretzky and he changed the game forever.  Over his 20 year NHL career, he literally broke nearly every record that existed.  Notably he scored 215 points in one regular season.  Early in his career he was anointed ‘the Great One’ and upon his retirement he was inducted into the hall of fame immediately following his last game. Graduates, all these stats about the Great One, might leave you asking - okay - Gretzky was great - but what does that have to do with me and my big day?

Which brings me to a recent Globe and Mail interview of a top Google executive titled “habits of highly successful people.”  The executives closing comments of her article on how to be successful in today’s day and age.  She states, “I’m the last person to use a sports analogy, but Wayne Gretzky said, ‘Skate to where the puck is going,’  and I don’t think there is better professional advice.  We spend so much time thinking about the past and not enough imagining about what the future is going to look like.”

Graduates, you don’t need to be skilled in hockey like Conner or Miraan to understand Key Element Number 2.  In the future you will need to not skate to where the puck is, but to where it is going.  Rundle Academy has always succeeded, much like the Great One,  by being ahead of the curve, and you too, will be successful if you follow this model.  Each of you is blessed with a creative and divergent mind.  You are the thinkers our world will need to solve the problems we do not yet know exist.

Key Element #3.
As each of you leaves Rundle, you will undoubtedly be leaving an ‘empty chair.’  This metaphorical image originates with Steve Bezos, the founder and CEO of Amazon.com.  Mr. Bezos insists that during each meeting he attends, there is one empty chair in the room.  This empty chair represents the customer which Amazon is attempting to serve.  With your graduation, you too will be leaving an empty chair at Rundle Academy.

Each of you has left a distinct mark on our program and your memory will live on in the minds of our faculty and in the pictures and on the awards in our hallways.  You each have been a key element of our success and us too of yours.  As you go on and leave us, I encourage you to remember where you have come from.  Let there be an ‘empty chair’ that reminds you of your times at Rundle Academy.

Furthermore, please take a second to remember to thank your parents for making your education a priority.  Because invariably there was a time in your life when you doubted yourself and wondered if you could do it, your parents may have entertained that thought but never once allowed it to be reality.  They have always believed in you and through their own journey, they found Rundle Academy and knew we could help you learn to, once more, believe in yourselves.  I am certain there will be an empty chair in their homes when you leave.

Please join me know as we thank them for supporting your past and for continuing to support your ambitions as you move forward.

Graduates, your key element #3 is to Remember Where You Have Come From and those who have supported you.  Those people will be your support network moving forward.

Key Element #4. 
As the Beatles put it so well - all you need is love.  This principle is as simple as:  Doing what you love.  Love what you do.  Cherish those who you surround yourself with.

As Confucius said: Choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life.

To conclude.  As we move into an ever changing world, remember to:
- Work Together
- Think Ahead
- Never Forget Where You Came From
- All You Need Is Love

If you do those things, you will all invariably be happy and wise no matter what you ‘job’ up doing!

Congratulations Graduates of 2014!

Jason B. Rogers

Moves Mountains Breakfast

Principal's Message

May 1, 2014

When considering how to close this morning's event, I thought it would be appropriate to answer the question, "How do you move a mountain?"  Knowing this mountain is not made of rock - but of individual challenges in learning.

The simple answer is, it takes a community.... and in this case that community includes parents, board members, staff and students.

Then I thought - if it were that simple, everybody would be moving mountains everywhere, all the time, and we all know that is just not the case.

So, I suppose the real question is - "What is so special about our community that allows kids to move those mountains?"

To answer this question, I had no choice but to consult the history books and see what other shave told us about Moving Mountains.

I quickly found that this idea is so powerful that it was first recorded in the best selling book of all time, The Bible.  In Corinthians, Chapter 12, Verse 2 it is stated: "If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can Move Mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing."  Students, I think we've found our first secret ingredient, Love.  Let's take a moment and thank the parents for the unconditional love they have always displayed.

Shortly after discovering the Bible quote, I came across a quote from another prophet, Celine Dion.  She proclaims, "With a little faith, just a little trust, if you believe in love you can Move Mountains."  We can thank Mrs. Dion for our next two ingredients: Faith and Trust.  All the success celebrated here today would not be possible without a trusting board and a group of teachers and support staff that show endless faith in each student's potential.

To get our last secret ingredient, I decided it might be best to consult a doctor... Dr. Seuss.  In his seminal work, "Oh the Places You'll Go," the good doctor says:  "So be sure when you step, step with care and remember that life's a great balancing act.  And will you succeed?  Yes!  You will, indeed!  (98 and 3/4% guaranteed) kid, you'll move mountains."  

Ah ha!  From the doctor we get our final secret ingredient, balance.  The students who sit here with us today have found balance in their academic and extra-curricular lives.  They have persevered, performed, competed, and led - all the while finding a life balance that has helped them move their own mountains - for that, students, congratulations.

So to answer the question, "What is so special about our community that allows our students to move those mountains?"  We can say that it is a community that exudes love, faith, trust and balance.  

To close, I believe the staff, students, board members, and parents here at Rundle Academy - more than any aforementioned authors- truly understand what it takes to move a mountain!

I believe that we - through academics, the arts, athletics, leadership, post secondary and life beyond have the potential to take the 'dis' out of learning disability and to show the world what it takes to Move a Mountain. 

Thank you to the parents, teachers, organizing committee and most of all the students - who continue to motivate and inspire us with their day to day actions.

Sincerely,

Jason B. Rogers

A Classic Tale of Mistaken Identity:

How I Ended Up At An IT Leaders Conference

It all started a number of years ago when I was invited to be a member of a Canadian Accredited Independent Schools (CAIS) Accreditation Team.  If you don't know about this process, to contextualize this post  let me first give you a little background.  Each school within CAIS undergoes an accreditation process on a regular basis.  An integral part of this process is a school visit/evaluation by a team of professionals who are assembled from across the country.  As stated earlier, I was a member of one of these teams in 2013 and was invited to visit St. Mildred's-Lightbourn School in Oakville, Ontario.  Prior to departing for the visit, my understanding was that I was asked to join the group because of my background in school leadership, leader development and pedagogy.  Upon arriving in Toronto I travelled to the host school and met the other members of the team.  When I received my nametag I noticed that everything was correct, except for one thing, my title.  It read:

Jason Rogers

Principal of Technology

Quickly, as not to mislead anybody, I disclosed that I was in fact a Principal of Rundle Academy and even though I knew a little about technology, I certainly was not a principal of technology.  In fact, to this day I have never heard of anybody who actually has had this role.  Thankfully the group was dynamic, flexible and understanding and we each used our talents over the course of the next 4 days to give this school some great feedback on all aspects of their program.  We finished the accreditation visit and I actively participated in the areas of school leadership, pedagogy and some technology.  By the end of our visit my teammates saw clearly I was not a Principal of informational technology, I was a Principal of a school who had some background in technology.  Never the less, in the CAIS community this title had some legs and before I could get out ahead of it, it got out ahead of me.

Before I knew it, I received a call from the Heads of Technology at Bishop Strachan School and Upper Canada College asking if I would be willing to help organize a national 'IT Leaders Conference.'  This time, I had the benefit of knowing where they were coming from and what their misconceptions might be.  To avoid any further confusion I disclosed that I was a school principal, not a principal of IT.  At first, they were confused.  As this confusion passed they, and I, saw the possibilities that came with having a Principal of school involved in the planning of an IT Leaders conference.  Over the course of the next 18 months a team of 6 of us went on to plan Canada's first IT Leaders Conference for Independent Schools.  In attendance were 100 of Canada's top technology minds and, as result of this confusion, a few school leaders as well!

As I took in the conference, I found I was asking myself, "Should the school leader have a seat at these types of conferences?"  My answer each and every time is a resounding “yes.”  What I learned over my time is that technology leaders are agreeing that it is not about the 'technology,' it's about 'how technology can support and improve teaching and student learning.'  One keynote at the conference, Dr. Ruben R. Puentedura presented on a model that artfully demonstrated the connection between content, pedagogy and technology (see model below).  What was most remarkable about the entire presentation to the IT Leaders of Canada was that was not about technology, it was about teaching and learning.  

As Dr. Puentedura ended the conference he stated, "The higher we climb on the SAMR ladder (a hierarchical model for learning- see model below), the less and less important technology becomes."  Maybe the most remarkable part of this statement is that 1) he said it to technology experts who often believe technology can solve all world problems and 2) the technology leaders overwhelmingly  endorsed his comment and support his approach.  

    

When I think about our larger school community, it is easy to transpose the above diagrams onto overall school success.  

"We need to use technology, not for technology sake but for sake of teaching and learning."

If we agree on this statement, a leadership conference that has only technologists and technology leaders would work in isolation, that specialized group would not have the cross pollination of divers opinions and therefore would be considering technology in isolation.

To resolve this conflict I think we need to continue to approach learning with a design thinking model in mind. Design thinking is the kind of thinking which happens best when a group of people with diverse backgrounds comes together to solve mutually beneficial problems.  Then, when the idea of design thinking is transposed onto educational technology, it is would be easy to see the importance of education and technology leaders,coming together to improve the overall learning of our students.

As incoming Headmaster of Rundle College, it is my hope that I will never be mistaken for the Headmaster of Technology. However if this mistake is made, I will embrace it and know that it is an invitation that might lead to future, unforeseen, opportunities.  

To avoid future confusion, perhaps we can all agree on:

Jason B. Rogers

Headmaster of Rundle College

Leader of Learning Teams

Puddle Jumping

This past weekend I had the chance to visit my brother, Garett, his wife and their young son in Vancouver.  They are a young working family that would qualify as being middle income.  They rent a small two bedroom apartment on the 25th floor of a downtown highrise.  My nephew Toby, is a busy little 3 year old and his mother Carolyn, is starting to consider what school to enroll him in as he approaches his kindergarten year.  As so often happens when people are aware that you are involved in education, our conversation turned to the topic of ‘what should I do with Toby in the coming years?’.  Carolyn knows that I am well versed in information around independent education, so she had several questions:  “What do private schools cost in Alberta?”, “Do they teach the same curriculum as public schools?”, “What is the admissions process like?” It was easy to see that she was clearly thinking of this option for Toby.  It was about half way through the barrage of questions that she said something profound,

“I just believe that private schools will provide the safest environment for Toby to learn and to become his best self.” 

For obvious reasons, these words resonated with me and reminded me of the vision of Rundle College. 

Later that afternoon I went out for a walk with Toby.  It was just Toby and I, walking down an empty sidewalk.  It had just stopped raining and there were puddles strewn about.  Toby, being a curious little man, he was drawn to most every puddle on the sidewalk and on the street. 

I knew that Toby’s parents were not big fans of him playing in water and getting too wet, so as his uncle I had a decision to make.  Do I let him safely explore his creative and playful impulses or do I restrict him entirely?  It was in that moment, that I decided it was best to let him learn and play, within parameters.  He could jump in the small puddle that were on the sidewalk.  After explaining the guidelines to Toby, we took a second and quickly defined small puddles and made sure we both understood what was the sidewalk and what was not.  We walked down one street after another and indulged our fun loving creative selves, together jumping in one small puddle after another.

After the excitement of the day was over and Toby was in bed I was back at our Bed and Breakfast, I reflected on the day with my Sarah.  We were talking about Carolyn’s decision and about the walk I had with Toby. It was in this moment that it occurred to me that I had just experienced the essence of what makes Rundle College so special.  There were three points that were clearly illuminated in my short time with Carolyn, Garett and Toby. 

First, Rundle College is affordable to most middle class families.  My brother’s family currently pays around $1200 a month in child care.  They certainly have to make sacrifices to make this happen, but they have made the necessary cutbacks and are making ends meet.  In British Columbia independent schools do not receive government grants and as result, they are roughly twice as expensive as Rundle College.  In short, my brother’s family cannot afford private school in BC whereas they could afford it in Alberta as a middle income family.  The second learning came in Carolyn’s statement about why she wants Toby to attend an independent school, “Because I want him to be safe.”  Carolyn is certainly thinking about the impact of other children on Toby but in the coming years she will realize that safety extends well beyond the immediate student to student interactions.  Safety is about having a great place to learn, empathetic teachers who are skilled at their craft and people working together to create a culture where students choose to be kind to each other.  Finally, Rundle College is about taking chances within parameters.  Much like Toby’s puddle jumping experience, at Rundle College we create an environment that acknowledges the individual learner and their excitement about learning.  We provide a well rounded environment where students can excel in any number of areas outside of their core curricular.  Students can choose debate, football, drama, technology, track or music.  More than anything, students are encouraged to take chances in a safe environment.  They are encouraged to jump in the academic and extracurricular puddles that surround them!

Who knew that puddle jumping could illuminate much of what Rundle College is all about?  Those puddles really brings to the forefront that at Rundle College, we are blessed to have a program that is affordable, safe and individualized.

Jason B. Rogers