May. 11th, 2012 – TEDxYMCAAcademy Details

YMCA Academy Events, TEDx

Dear Parents / Guardians and Students,

Just a reminder that tomorrow (Saturday – May 12th) is our 2nd TEDx event – The Heart and Soul of Learning Disabilities.  It takes place at the Central Y Auditorium (20 Grosvenor Street, Toronto) from 10am to 2 pm.  If you are still interested in attending but have not registered for it, please visit:  http://www.tedxymcaacademy.com

If you are unable to attend in person, the event can also be viewed live at (the streaming starts at 10am):  http://new.livestream.com/tedx/events/875960

May. 11th, 2012 – HPW3C, Preschoolers & Arctic

YMCA Academy Community, English and Humanities, Experiential Learning, Student Spotlight

The YMCA Academy HPW3C (Living and Working with children) students had another wonderful visit from the preschool group.

This week the theme was THE ARCTIC. The group worked on readings about Arctic animals, Drawings and a collage of an Arctic food chain and games like: “Simon says” and “What time is it Mr.Wolf”.

Thanks to all for another wonderful morning.

May 9th, 2012 – Teacher Appreciation Week

Don Adams Head of School

When I was in elementary school, I thought my teachers were amazing. Not only did they help me and all of my classmates every day, they did so selflessly. When I was able to catch a glimpse into their personal lives, they seemed to be exactly the same. I grew up seeing teachers as genuinely good people who put others before themselves. I appreciated my teachers every day.

I see teachers the same way today, which is probably a very good thing since I’m the Head of a school.

This week is Teacher Appreciation Week, which confuses me a bit, very much like this weekend’s Mother’s Day does. While some would argue that setting aside a week or a day for recognition is actually an honor to those being recognized, I think that genuine appreciation should be a continuous and daily thing.

In looking at social and other media this week, it seems as if people are saying the right things about Teacher Appreciation Week. But these are some of the same people who will then look at teachers through a darker lens next week, which is really a shame.

From me and all of our superb teachers here at The Academy, we wish all teachers not only a fantastic week this week but every week.

Don Adams – Head of School

May 7th, 2012 – People for Education report…

Don Adams Head of School, In the News

I would usually reserve comment on a major report that’s about to be published until the full report comes out and I’ve had a chance to digest it. But a piece from today’s Toronto Star is so disturbing that I can’t wait.

First, here’s the piece itself: http://bit.ly/KeCFCW

The title itself is depressing: ‘Caps’ mean special education students not getting help, People for Education report says. How, in 2012, are children with special needs in Ontario not only failing to be served by the public school system, but also not even receiving their PROVINCIALLY-MANDATED RIGHT TO BE TESTED?

As the Head of Toronto’s leading high school for students with learning disabilities and learning style differences, I’m very much in the middle of the fray here. When I read something in this piece like: One Ontario board told its principals there could be “no assessments for this school year since they are trying to catch up on last year’s referrals” it infuriates me and, from the comments I’ve received from people even early this morning, I’m not alone.

You need to read this article. The news only gets worse:

People for Education also found the ratio of special education teachers to students has gone up, from 22:1 in 2000 to 36:1 this year in elementary schools. In high schools, the ratio has jumped from 48:1 to the current 69:1.

69 to ONE?

I hope you’ll forgive a bit of school promotion here on behalf of The YMCA Academy.  Every one of our teachers is special-education trained, our student-to-teacher ratio is under 5:1, and we’ll keep it that way.  Each student at The Academy receives the individualized attention he or she needs and deserves.  And no mission-appropriate child is ever turned away from our school for financial reasons.  We always find a way to help and make it work for the family.

Imagine that you’re the parent of a special-needs child and you read this report.  What would your level of frustration look like?

It’s time for the province to step to the plate and do what’s right here.

May 3rd, 2012 – Satisfaction

Don Adams Head of School

According to a significant recent study, only 44% of US teachers say they’re satisfied with their job. That’s an 18 percent drop in 3 years.  This raises a question that is very interesting to me as a school principal — what IS job satisfaction for a teacher?

Well, I think I know something about that.  The first thing is respect. Teachers want to work in a caring environment. That seems overly simple but it’s true. They want to be in an environment where everyone in the school cares about the students and the community cares about their teachers.

Teachers also want to be able to express their creativity. While every school has Ministry of Education guidelines to follow and their own internal goals, teaching is truly an art form in the hands of an accomplished teacher.

I have long believed that the most important thing a school head can do is to honor the voice of their teachers, individually and collectively. A school leader’s door should be an open one. Work between the administration and teachers should be truly collaborative.

One of the most effective changes I have instituted at the YMCA Academy is what I call “Google” time — an hour or so every week during which teachers can get together to collaborate.  They are free to create whatever they wish, and I have no other expectation than that they meet to work together.  It has indeed been from this “Google” time that many of the most fertile and original ideas for our school have originated.  Just scroll down on this page to see the results of enabling the leadership and creativity of some amazing teachers!

Schools have responsibilities in developing the next generation of leaders. Part of that is creating a fertile dynamic within your faculty.

Don Adams – Head of School