This year at John Ware we have been lucky enough to receive a grant through the Ed Matters program to enrich our classroom through mindful activity.  Part of this grant has allowed our team to purchase two exercise bikes to use in the classroom, as a complement to instruction. Students use the bike multiple times throughout their day as a way to help build in movement breaks.  These help them to regulate their emotions and increase their ability to focus and sustain their attention on their activities each day.  We have students coming in the morning who will go straight to the bike, and others that build it into transitions (like class change) throughout their day.  Some of our students are tracking their distances, and some go on to have social time with a peer.  We have seen students that struggle to start their day (think head on desk!) independently use the bikes to get themselves ready for school!  It has been an awesome addition to the classroom and is incredible to see students choosing active strategies to manage their mental health!  

Andrew Bennett teaches in the mental health junior high program at John Ware.  I enjoy being outside and talking about stuff.

When I brought the idea of a mock Caldecott to my grade six students in January, my passion for picture books easily spilled over. The Caldecott Medal is awarded every year to the most distinguished American picture book. Read aboutour process, including how we came to understand the criteria used by the Caldecott committee and which books won us over at: http://langevingrade6-210.weebly.com.

The real magic happened on February 2nd, when we arrived at school ready to select our winner and eager to hear what the actual committee had decided. Following our own selection process, we watched the ALA Youth Media Awards. With the entire class huddled together on the floor, there were cheers for each honour book announced that was familiar to us. We paused the recording before the medal winner was announced and wondered if our medal book could be the actual winner. Sure enough, the cover of The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend by Dan Santat appeared on the screen. The entire class erupted,jumping up and cheering. They were ecstatic that the committee had agreed that Beekle deserved thedistinguished prize.

Students are now regularly bringing my attention to books they are reading that have won various awards, noticing the silver or gold seals on the cover. We are currently developing a mock Caldecott for the kindergarten class and have been inspired to learn art in the style of the books we examined. We certainly have found a love of picture books!


Brianne O’Sullivan (@brianne_o) strives to engage students in meaningful and authentic ways and aims to give students voice and ownership in their learning. She is a passionate learner, always wondering and seeking to grow.

A couple of keen and eager students came into the gym one afternoon as I was setting up for our Gymnastic Club eager to offer their assistance and organization with anything in the gym!  Wouldn’t you know that the last couple of weeks I was contemplating what to offer my Grade One students during their noon hour activity time.   I loved the idea of allowing them the time to engage, practice, and perform their fundamental movement skills in a fun way.  And what better way than by having other students prepare and assist others to be physically literate.  With some creativity these two PALS (Physical Activity Leadership Students) took on the creative process of organizing our Physical Literacy Activity Club!

I see our leadership students not only engaged in physical activity but get so excited about generating new ideas and sharing their creativity to assist others in our school all the while continuing on their own journeys to being physically literate!  From our Me to WE Warm Up Dancers for our Terry Fox Run, to our Equipment Managers that help with organizing our P.E. Equipment, to our PALS in Gymnastics Club for our Division One students to our PALS with our new Physical Literacy Activity Club, they have become more than PALS to me. As they share their expertise with others in our school, they are on their own journey of becoming Physically Active Literacy Students.


Jennifer Schoenberger teaches Physical Education at Olympic Heights School. 

‘They’ say that variety is the spice of life. I’m not sure who ‘they’ are but I believe it is our duty as teachers to make this a reality for our students in physical education. We never know what sport, activity or exercise might grab them. We never know what experience might shape their future. It might be a favourite game they learn in class or perhaps they see an athlete’s performance that sparks their desire to try a new sport.

This year we are expanding on the phys ed staples and giving students a crack at ‘new-to-them’ activities such as speed skating, skiing, snowboarding and inline skating. We are bringing our grade 5 and 6 students to the Tim Hortons Brier to experience Canada’s best in men’s curling. Classroom teachers are learning new fit break activities they can use in their class on a daily basis as quick energizers to spur learning.

As elementary teachers, we don’t always see the fruits of our labour immediately in our students. Ideas, learning and habits often need time to percolate.  A few years ago I had a former student receiving a school award for excellence in floor hockey. In his speech he thanked me for teaching him not only the skills of floor hockey, but for teaching him persistence and determination.

You never know what will grab your students or when it might take hold, but without variety they may never find that something that keeps them active for a lifetime.



Michael Vahaaho teaches a little bit of everything at Catherine Nichols Gunn School.  He is a sports enthusiast who has more superhero t-shirts than a grown man should. 

“Miss Atwal, watch me!”

“I did it!” 

These are just a couple of things I hear on a regular basis during Phys Ed classes at Panorama Hills School. Over the past year, Mr. Fen-Mac and I have been working to build the physical literacy of our students on a daily basis.

What is physical literacy?

PHE Canada defines a physically literate person as one who can “..move with competence and confidence in a wide variety of physical activities in multiple environments that benefit the healthy development of the whole person.”

Developing physical literacy is essential to providing children the ability to engage in physical activity later in life. By feeling confident in our ability (competence) to perform skills we are more likely to participate in new or familiar activities which keep us physically active. Our daily Phys Ed classes include building the ability of our students to maintain their balance, coordination and agility as they engage in activities which are not only fun and curricular based, but also target fundamental movements skills such as throwing, catching, running, jumping, etc.

One of our most popular Phys Ed units is gymnastics, which begins with individual and partner balances (stork stand, knee balance), incorporates new environments and equipment (balance beams, A-frame ladders) and culminates in a ‘spy school’ Mission Impossible course. In order to prepare students to be able to traverse all the obstacles we create, we began working with students on equipment such as balance beams and A-frames, which are typically saved for gymnastics units, right at the beginning of the school year. By allowing students the opportunity to build their confidence in crossing a balance beam that is on the floor during the beginning of the year, when they see one on the A-frames a foot in the air during gymnastics, they are much more likely to challenge themselves to cross the now challenging equipment. Our mission impossible course included beams, benches and A-frames that crossed under each other, were on different angles and a substantial height off the ground. Our students not only challenged themselves to cross the obstacles presented but did so using the skills and confidence they had developed earlier in the year and without any prompting or ‘hints’ from staff. I have to say it was the most enjoyable Mission Impossible I have ever been a part of.  

For more information on Physical Literacy and Fundamental Movement Skills visit:

http://www.phecanada.ca/programs/physical-literacy/what-physical-literacy/fundamental-movement-skills


Jaskirat Atwal (@_jatwal) teaches Phys Ed in a K-3 school, promotes healthy and active citizens, loves food and sleep, would do anything for coffee or chocolate! 

As we close one semester and begin to start a second, we head west towards the rocky mountains.  Taking a deep breath, we look up from our work at Robert Thirsk High School and look up to the mountains at the Shaping the Future Conference 2015.  It is an exciting time to be in emersed in implementing the principles of high school redesign.  At the same time I wonder how the work of wellness fits with the principles?  I seek to find connections between the work as too often, I have to admit, wellness seems to be a dreaded “add on”.  I feel certain that incorporating high school wellness at RTHS can’t be about me taking on more work (if for no other reason than my personal wellness can’t possibly take it!).  But how do we weave wellness into the fabric of our culture?  To what end?  What is the impact?  

The setting and speakers are inspiring.  The messages and fresh air “wellness break” walking around the paths of the village fill my soul.  The food is delicious and the company is great.  But, where are the connections to our deeper work?  I join a session titled Embedding Wellness in all Subject Areas.  Could this be it?  

In a hands on workshop I spend two fast hours engaged in rich discussions with my team and other colleagues.  We are asked to connect the Wellness Program of Studies and the competencies.  We take turns reading out a random outcome and we match the outcome with a competency. I learn about the difference between intrapersonal, interpersonal and cognitive competencies and I see the ten competencies in a new way.  I hear the word “Transdisciplinary Learning”.  Transdisciplinary learning - connections between the disciplines and BEYOND the disciplines.  And just like that, I see the connections in our work.  Focusing on comprehensive school wellness, in a transdisciplinary way, not as an “add on” will allow our staff and students to thrive in a deeper and authentic manner.  

Grounding myself in learning, unifying our vision with Inspiring Education outcome/competency based assessment solidified my sense of purpose.  We are grateful for the Wellness Grant, Nadeen Halls support and the opportunity to gain a deeper sense of the role of comprehensive school health can be woven into my work as we move forward in high school redesign. Bring on semester two...here we go! 


Jennifer Edmondson-Neily is the Learning Leader of the Success Centre, at Robert Thirsk High School.  The Success Centre at RTHS strives to wrap around students in strength-based ways to help them find success with personal development, wellness, career exploration and academic programming.

Snuggle Up and Read

“A book is a gift you can open again and again.” —Garrison Keillor

On January 27, 2015, students and staff at Royal Oak School learned that sharing a love for reading never gets old. To celebrate Family Literacy Day and receiving our Library Unlimited cards from the Calgary Public Library, Royal Oak School decided to have a “Snuggle Up and Read” event. Throughout the day, students experienced several special literacy activities that were inspired by Kid President’s #BookitForward initiative (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXFb_io55bg). Kid President asks, “What book do you think the world needs to read more? What story has inspired your life?” By taking on this initiative and sharing our favorite books with others, we hoped to continue to promote a love for reading in our students. Each grade group received a visit from our principal, Ms. Sparks, as she read them one of her favorite books. Classroom teachers also visited a different class in the school that they had never worked with before to read them one of their favorite stories. Students were also asked to bring in their favorite books and had the opportunity to read and share them with their buddy class. For example, grade 2 students shared their favorite books with their grade 4 buddy class and vice versa. To top the day off, students and staff were able to come to school wearing pajamas so we could truly “snuggle up and read”. The school wide event was a success with many favorite stories shared.  

Sarabeth Asis (@Sarawa81) is a Learning Leader and Grade 2 teacher. She is learning the ins and outs of the life of 7-year-olds as she teaches a Div. I class for the first time in her career.  

On any given day, a homeschooler may cover any one of countless topics. For us - myself (a homeschooling mother), and my daughter (a 4th-grader in the CBE’s blended program) - each day looks very different from those that came before. Some days match a pattern; in the morning we do math, then my daughter chooses a worksheet on the subject of her choice, and after lunch she might play a video game for an hour or we might go hiking or watch an educational show. However, we only have about one day like this each week.

The rest of the time, lessons are more organic. Our favourite days are spent outside. We sometimes travel to the mountains or foothills, but usually we favour Calgary parks. Here we might learn about erosion, life cycles, the seasons, sustainability, or even the government (if we talk about who is responsible for different parks). Math might happen when we talk about water levels, or the hours of sunlight today. Language arts is recalling the day in her journal.

This is the joy of homeschooling for us - we love learning, and while we work to meet Alberta Education’s objectives each year, we don’t always know what each day holds. We feel lucky to live in Calgary, where schooling options abound, including a variety of options for homeschooling. The blended program allows us to learn freely and eclectically, while offering a structured school environment six days per month - which, for now, is just enough for us!

Lindsay Ross, a work-at-home homeschooling mom, also writes, does yoga & makes killer playlists. @linsybyster https://ourunschoolingunjobinglife.wordpress.com 

The Wonder Wall

Learning through inquiry is my favorite! It’s sometimes hard to let go of always knowing which direction learning will take us, but that spark that happens when a student says, “I wonder…” is what makes the classroom so exciting! This year students are working on inquiry learning, and, as such, are encouraged to ask questions at any point in their learning. Questions are posted for all to see and any student who thinks they have an answer is welcome to write a response. The sticky note then moves to the “I think I know column”. Students are encouraged to share how they know that they know by referring to a book, an expert or a reliable web site. Some things students thought they knew at the beginning or some attempted answers turn out to be wrong. In our classroom, we develop a culture of risk-taking in learning and wrong ideas are moved to the “ideas that turned out to be wrong” column. Information and answers we are able to verify are moved to the “information I can verify” column. Our first Wonder Wall was about the life cycle of plants. We now look forward to creating a second Wonder Wall about rocks and minerals. As a teacher, I appreciate the messiness of the Wonder Wall. It’s not about every student creating a similar piece of learning and putting it on the wall; it’s about the sometimes messy business of asking questions and finding answers. I’m looking forward to taking inquiry into math next!

@evans306 teaches Grade 3 French Immersion at King George School. She loves teaching with technology and taking learning risks along with her students. She blogs at: thevalueofwonder.com