Labour Day 2013

Labour Day weekend is upon us once again and Tuesday morning will bring with it the start of the first day of this school year.  Each year I look forward to this day when the school yard is filled with children happy to see each other and parents reconnect after a few of months of summer holidays. Teachers are surrounded by former students, lining up to share their summer stories and their new group of students eyeing them up, trying to anticipate what the new year will hold for them.

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There is laughter, lots of smiles and the odd tear as children reluctantly leave their parents’ side and join their new classmates.  There is such an incredible feeling of “fresh starts” and high expectations.  As the students file into the school and find their new classrooms, the new backpacks, pencils and markers are proudly displayed.  New shoes line the hallway and classrooms are spotless; ready for the first set of student work to be displayed and the first shavings from the pencil sharpener to float to the freshly waxed floor.

By lunchtime, new routines are in place and children have figured out which class their friends are in and are well on their way to making plans for the end of the day.   Teachers finish out their first day exhausted but proud of the work that went into all of those precious first impressions.

For me, this year’s first day of school will look very different as I find myself in a different role within our board of education. My role as a Learning Supervisor will afford me with the opportunity to assist the system on a larger scale when it comes to Literacy, French as Second Language, Native Language and English as a Second Language Instruction.  I will be blessed to work alongside a strong team of instructional leaders and support a team of 38 instructional coaches who will be working in each of our elementary schools.

Although I am thrilled about my new role and have been embraced by my new colleagues,  I know that Tuesday morning will be bittersweet. I will miss the laughter, the smiles and the reconnecting hugs.  The tears on that morning may indeed be falling from my eyes as I enter the Education Center, as opposed to the tears trailing down the cheeks of young children not wanting to leave their parents’ side.

To my colleagues who will be on school yards everywhere, embrace each and every moment of it.  For me, I will dry my eyes and embrace the learning that I will be doing as we co-construct our vision of our instructional coach team, as we listen to our Director’s Address and as we discuss professional learning plans with our coordinators.

Happy Labour Day Weekend…..

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