Of Ice and Warmth

The rain keeps coming and the trees become more like icicle stalagmites shimmering in the light as the layers of ice grow thicker and thicker. Each branch seems like a crystal wand, making crackling sounds in the wind, and forcing light to dance all around it. This is the beauty of an ice storm, but the beauty evolves quickly to an after-thought when the thunderous crash of falling limbs (almost always at night) signals destruction, and the darkness of power outages forewarns danger.

Ice storms can be scary – especially in cities where we are used to controlling our environment. We are used to comforts like heat, electricity and transportation being as certain as the rising and setting of the sun. Over the last few days, however, millions of people in Southern Ontario experienced a great ice storm, and hundreds of thousands remain without these aspects of daily life that we usually take for granted.

It would appear that Appleby got off lightly. We lost power for much of Sunday, and the related brown-outs caused some mechanical issues. But other than some inconvenience, a few broken tree limbs, and the cancellation of some hockey rentals, all is well on campus.

The same cannot be said for much of the GTA. My mother and brother’s homes had their power wires torn down, and my brother’s van ended up with a large branch through its front window. Many streets were shut down strewn with tree parts and wires.

All this mayhem creates worry, hardship and discomfort. But at the same time, it is the catalyst for wonderful things – for servant leadership, for kindness, and for communities coming together.

I am reminded of the couple who just returned home from the hospital with their three-day-old son, only to lose heat and power, and their street being impassable, moving to their living room and cooking in their fireplace. After four days, they had to drain the water system, but by that time mum and baby were able to bunk with relatives. Over the week, all the people on their street came together. The elderly regularly checked on by neighbours; the family with a gas cooked and shared hot meals with those who didn’t; the lady with an old, non-electric, heating system invited others to sleep over; and everyone chipped in to clear sidewalks and roads, and repair homes. People who lived in immediate proximity to each other for years but never even talked, were suddenly working together as caring and committed teammates. The dynamic was wonderful and long-lasting – a remarkable community-builder.

Of course, it is too soon for this to be a story from the Toronto 2013 ice storm, although I suspect that there are many like it. This story is taken from 16 years ago less two weeks. It was from the great ice storm that hit Eastern Ontario and Western Quebec. And while my son Jack can’t remember the first week of his life on Albert Street in Kingston, his parents will never forget the experience – the beauty, the sounds,  the fear, and most importantly, the sense of togetherness with everyone on the street.

If perchance you have the misfortune of being negatively affected by the 2013 ice storm, I wish for you the good fortune of experiencing the same sense of community and giving that we did 16 years ago.

Wishing you all a very happy Christmas and holiday season.

The View from Lantau and Nostalgia for Home ... Kind Of

I love travelling to other countries – the more exotic, the better. Although there also come times when I miss home and can’t wait to get back.

My colleague Rebecca Llewellyn and I just spent the last 10 days in Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong. I’ve been to these cities many times over the last 15 years, feel very comfortable here, and developed many friendships and close relationships. Despite that, on each trip I still find myself learning new things and appreciating different aspects of Chinese history, culture and its remarkable evolution. (More on this to come.)

On this trip, in addition to discussions about Appleby, current student experiences and alumni recollections, there were three notable subjects of conversation: 1) the idea of how to best prepare students for the future, especially with respect to character; 2) the situation in North Korea including the execution of Kim Jong-un’s uncle; and 3) the death of Nelson Mandela, whose funeral and mourning period were all over the airwaves here in Hong Kong. My next few posts will include a bit on these subjects and my reflections on the similarities and differences between Western and Chinese attitudes on these subjects.

As we sit here in the spectacular Hong Kong airport, Rebecca and I are full great expectations for getting home, seeing family, and starting the countdown to Christmas. This time of year tends to amplify the drive to get home. I was particularly happy to hear word of the recent blizzard, but sorry to miss it.

I often wonder what people here think of Canada, knowing what little play we get in this part of the world. And perhaps unsurprisingly as I write this, I am watching a remarkable pair of stories: Dennis Rodman regarding his potential return to Pyongyang, and some jaw-dropping Rob Ford dance clips with accompanying narration by a Montrealer next to us extolling our good fortune to have Mayor Ford on the job. They say that you never fully understand your country until you see it from the outside. In the words of my daughter … OMG! There is a definite limit to nostalgia for home.

Remembrance Day Chapel Address - What Does it Mean to Hold High the Torch?

November 11 is a special day, an important day, a solemn day for many countries in the world including Canada, for Appleby College, and for me personally. Both my grandfathers served in the First World War, and my father served in the Second World War. In fact he was one of about two dozen first cousins, men and women, who served.

I have undertaken a great deal of research on the meaning of Remembrance Day from an Appleby perspective with the help of our Archivist Tracey Krause and alumnus  Curran Egan, who shared with me one of his recent papers as he works towards his PhD in history.

And while I have read and seen so much about the accomplishments of Appleby students and alumni in education and sports, in the arts and the professions, in public service and in business, I have come to the realization that Appleby’s war record, in particular but not limited to the two World Wars, is not only among the most remarkable Appleby stories over our 102 years, I don’t have any doubt that it is by far the most impressive.

While indications of this record is all around us on the campus – this chapel was created as a memorial to the Appleby men who died in First World War, that stained glass window on the north wall lists their names, and the Memorial Classroom Building where my office is located and you take many of your classes was built as a memorial to the Appleby dead in the Second World War – I don’t think that we have a very deep understanding of what that record actually was.

So let me share some of the details of that impressive legacy starting with the Great War, the First World War. And let me begin with this plaque over here on the south wall, which is a memorial to Aubrey de Vere Arnold Turquant. “Turk” as he was known as a student was a Prefect, sports star, band a beloved student leader. He left Appleby two months after his 18^th birthday and enlisted. Unlike almost all his peers, he didn’t go through officers training in order to get overseas faster. And once there, he turned down a promotion to sergeant, because he wanted to be what he described in a letter to John Guest, his Appleby Headmaster, “one of the lucky ones” – he wanted to get to the front as soon as he could.

Close to that infamous town Ypres, he was wounded twice. On both occasions, he insisted that he get patched up to return to the battle. On June 13, 1916 an artillery shell landed close to him and he disappeared into the mud of Ypres – his body never found.

He was the first of Appleby’s war dead, and it hit the community hard. Indeed, because of the extent of the outpouring of sadness, only those who knew him well were allowed to contribute to the commemoration.

Right before he died, Turquand likely received this, the very first publication of The Argus from March, 1916. You know The Argus as the school yearbook, but when it was created, its purpose was to connect the campus community with those Appleby men who were overseas. It was a blend of stories about school goings-on as well letters from the Appleby men in the war. This first issue included a letter from Vernon de Butts Harcourt Powell, after whom Powell’s House was named. The fraternity and connection to Appleby was important to our boys serving overseas. It allowed them to feel a part of the life of the school, to feel a sense of sustaining friendships, and to nourish their souls. Appleby was an important factor in their morale

A later issue talked about a reunion on June 30, 1916 between Powell, his colleague Tom Colley, after whom Colley House is named, and their student Don Macdonald. They talked about old times, and they “forgot the guns, the dust and the next day.” And the next day that was ebbing referred to was July 1, 1916, the start of the Battle of the Somme, one of the bloodiest conflicts in history, which lasted over 141 days.

On that first day there were between 75,000 and 100,000 casualties. The action that has always stuck in my thoughts was the conflict at Beaumont Hamel. At that time, Newfoundland was still a British colony, not yet part of Canada, with a tiny population. That morning the Newfoundland Regiment of about 800 including 22 officers went “over the top”. They were essentially an entire generation of the men in the colony. The next day, only 68 (none of whom were officers) were available for roll call. And all of that happened in less than 30 minutes that morning. Over the period of the entire Battle of the Somme, there were 1 million casualties for only 12 km of progress.

And that level of devastation was not unique to the Somme. Time and time and time again it was repeated, in places like Ypres, Cambrai, Verdun, Passchendaele, Arras, and Vimy.

These young men did not go off to war as would have been understood by anyone at the time. They went off to what can only be described as a highly efficient, ruthless, industrialized slaughter with horrendous stories. Stories of men not being able to move forward because the mound of dead and wounded bodies before them grew too large. Of soldiers being splattered with the flesh of their friends who were next to them just moments before them. Of men slipping off duck (walking) boards into massive, mud filled craters and simply disappearing, never to be found again.

Even if someone was one of the lucky ones who was not a physical casualty – those who were not killed or wounded by bullets or shells – quite certainly disease, drowning, battling rats and other vermin fat from feasting on corpses, and being in the middle of the sights, sounds and smells of sheer brutality, misery, carnage and loss would have had a profound impact on them, both at that time and throughout their lives.

So this was the reality of the Great War. It was a reality for that generation that is literally unimaginable for those of us sitting here today in this chapel.

In 1914 at the outbreak of the war, Appleby was only three years old. Our enrolment was about 60 students, from very young students to matriculation. Quite remarkably, over the following four years, 27 Appleby boys and 6 staff (the majority of the teachers) for a total of 33 signed up and served. Nine were killed, five were badly wounded and two ended up as prisoners of war.

From what we can garner from the records, which are not perfect , it is conceivable that every single Appleby alumnus left the school and enlisted to fight. If not all, it was certainly close to it.

And of our entire alumni population, 1/3 of our Old Boys were killed or badly wounded in the First World War. I want you to look around this chapel and think of the graduates of the last few years. Young people who were sitting next to us such a short time ago. Try to imagine one third of those face perishing in this terrible way, and their futures – the 60 years of what was to come – vanishing in a second. All of our alumni enlisting and one third ending up as casualties – those are stunning, stunning numbers.

Depending on where you start counting, the Second World War was taking place only 20 years after the end of the First World War, so it was very much fresh and seared in the minds of the citizens of combatant countries, including Canadians. But unlike the First World War, which was mainly focused on Europe, the Second World War truly devastated almost every region of the globe

Sixty to eighty million humans (4% of the world’s population) were killed. Shockingly, the majority of these were civilians. Horrendous battles in every corner of the globe, the atom bombs, the blitz and fire bombing, the Holocaust. No conflict in the history of our planet has come close to the destruction on either an absolute or relative basis, before or since.

At Appleby in 1939, the start of the European part of the war, enrolment was 85 students. We estimate that there were somewhere around 450 alumni

Of the 450, who would have ranged in ages from 17 to their mid-40s, fully 327 alumni and seven faculty members served. And you also have to remember that some of the 450 men would have been too old or medically unable to enlist. Six were also veterans of the First World War. Of the 327 who served, 20 were killed, 19 more wounded and 19 were prisoners of war.

Three hundred and twenty-seven is nothing less than a staggering number. It was about 3/4s of the entire alumni population. To put that in today’s terms proportionally with our current school and alumni populations, there would be 4000 alumni serving. Nine out of every ten members of graduating classes would be signing up. Appleby men served in almost every theatre of combat – from Italy to the North Atlantic, from the Pacific to Dieppe, from the Battle of Britain to D-Day, from Dunkirk to the march through Europe.

While many were motivated in part out of a sense of adventure, at the core of this number is a deep and abiding sense of duty, of responsibility and of service beyond self. And like Canadians in both of these wars, a scan of the roles, ranks and honors shows that Appleby men punched well about their weight class.

Appleby’s military story certainly did not end in 1945. Graduates have gone on to continue this proud tradition; fighting in conflicts and serving as peacekeepers in locations around the world, including the Korean War, the Gulf Wars, and Afghanistan, among others.

Most of you recognize the name John McRae. Lt. Col. Dr. John McRae was born and raised quite close to here in Guelph. He wrote this most famous poem while commanding a field hospital in the First World War right after he heard that his former student had just been killed:

In Flanders Fields

 

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved, and were loved, and now we lie

In Flanders fields.

 

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands, we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.

Let me close with a question - what does it mean? The end to that haunting poem, “We throw the torch; be yours to hold it high. If ye break faith with us who die, we shall not sleep”. What does that mean to us today?

There are many things that “holding high the torch” could mean. Let me suggest there are three 3 that we should as a community, but also as individuals, should consider:

1.     Remember.

We can honour these men that served, and especially those who never returned, simply by remembering.  Not just on Remembrance Day, but when you look at the windows or tablets, or enter this chapel, or the Memorial Classroom Building, take a moment to think about their service and their sacrifices.

2.     Revel in our diversity, and take power from our mix of students.

 

From time-to-time I have wondered how it feels to be a student here from a country that fought against Canadians in one of the wars. Most recently, I was meeting with a Chinese family and found out that both of the Appleby student’s grandfathers fought in the Korean War with the Chinese against the UN Forces. I am sure that the student’s family has the same feelings about service and sacrifice as a Canadian family.

It also made me think about notions of allies and enemies, and how they are constantly changing. 200 years ago, the US and Canada were each other’s most significant enemies. Now we are closest of friends. For hundreds of years prior to the 20^th Century, the French and the English were mortal enemies. Germany is once again the leader in Europe and assisting many other members of the EU. Indeed all of the Axis powers in both World Wars are counted among Canada’s friends and allies today. And that is a great thing.

 

Developing understanding and the ability for people of different backgrounds and perspectives to work and live together is something that we do well here at Appleby today. And this understanding is one of the most important foundations for building a just world and a world of peace.

 

I would suggest that part of “holding high the torch” should relate to how we, throughout our lives, should be compelled to advocate for just societies. We must be willing to engage in complex international issues. We should be willing participants in those difficult debates about the concept of liberal intervention in places like Kosova, Rwanda, Somalia, Cambodia, Afghanistan, and Syria. We must be willing to wrestle with questions of when and how to intervene, and when not to; about the roles of economic pressure, diplomacy, and force, where necessary. “Holding high the torch” bring with it the duty to protect the vulnerable of our world.

3.     Courage, Bravery and Service

Do you ever think how you would handle a difficult situation? Would you go into a burning building to rescue someone or do something else that requires immense courage, either physical or psychological? I wonder about that.

Today, more often than not, service above self is an easy decision – there is no real cost. But there are still times when it is a dangerous decision; a decision that requires courage. In those times, I want you to realize that you are part of a greater continuum of Appleby men and women who have made the courageous decisions.

 

Take inspiration from those listed on these plaques and do them proud in how you live your life

So, take inspiration from these alumni, take power from our diversity in advocating for a just world, and simply remember these remarkable stories of service and sacrifice.

 

The Changing Nature of Remembrance

Last Thursday, we held our annual chapel services in tribute to Remembrance Day – in my opinion, one of the most powerful and solemn services in the year. I was honoured that Canon Lennox agreed that I would make the address this year. (The next post is my address from the services.)

As I reflect on the services, it is striking how the nature of Remembrance Day has changed profoundly and continues to change in ways almost all of which are entirely positive.

At the second service, we were once again honoured to have four alumni as special guests:

Curran Egan ’08 – a member of the Alumni Association Executive who spoke last year at the same service and who currently serves as a Lieutenant and Assistant Adjutant in the Royal Regiment of Canada while working towards his PhD in German history at McMaster.

Mike Rickards ‘88 – one of our great class volunteers and ambassador for Appleby, he served in the Royal Canadian Navy Reserves on a series of ships, including on active duty in both the Gulf War and Afghanistan.

Craig Kingsley ’76 – who has been in the Royal Canadian Navy for approximately 30 years, and currently serves at the joint task force center in Toronto. Lt. Kingsley has served on 3 ships, including on active duty in both Gulf Wars, and having received Chief of Defence Staff’s commendation

Tom Holden ’41 – Head Prefect and Head of Powell’s House (1940-41) - Served as a Lieutenant in the Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve (RCNVR) during the second world war an active duty in minesweepers. I was delighted that Tom rejoined us from last year.

 

A couple of changes that are most striking for me compared to what I remember as a child in the 1970s are the nature of veterans who are present and the degree of respect shown.

It seems that military service has shifted back into a position of respect. The 1960s and 70s had a distinctive shift away from honoring veterans in Canada, perhaps mirroring to some extent the US and the divisive nature of the war in Vietnam. While I remember going to military Remembrance Day Services, the ones at schools were fairly low key. And there were very few alumni who would consider a career in the Armed Forces. This seems to have changed in a major way. School services tend to be more creative and engaging for both the studnets and veterans. There are also significant numbers of grads who are at least considering careers of military service either in the regular forces or the reserves. Most importantly, I see a sincere and generous sense of respect by our students and society in general towards those who serve currently as well as veterans

I was delighted that Tom Holden joined us again this year, but note that he represents an ever decreasing cohort, Second World War veterans. In my youth, church and military services would include many veterans from both the First and Second World Wars. It is interesting that at our service last week, veterans of the Gulf Wars outnumbered those from WWII, the youngest of whom would be in their late eighties. It suggests that time is running out to have these veteran share their stories. It behooves schools to do what we can to allow our students to benefit from the experiences of what has been called “the greatest generation.”

The All Rounder

Over my years as a student, I was somewhere between a mediocre to an average athlete. But I wanted very hard to be successful at sports, I could be persistent, and I could work hard. By the end of my high school years, I was okay and had the good fortune of playing on a couple of great first (now called varsity) teams, in part I suspect, due to the generosity of the coaches.

One of those teams was cricket - a super sport that combines, at its best, great skills, hand-eye coordination, psychological games and strategy - all encapsulated within a tradition of refinement, manners and sportsmanship. (I am sure that my view of the sport is anachronistic, but that is the way it seemed at the time. It is apparently the fastest growing sport in the Greater Toronto Area.)

One of the popular descriptors used in cricket is that of “The All Rounder”. In cricket you were usually categorized as one of three things: 1) a bowler (a pitcher in baseball terms;) 2) a batter; or 3) an all-rounder.

You could always look at the all-rounders in one of two ways.  Either they were fairly good at everything – fielding, batting, and sometimes even filling in as a bowler – so they were a valuable commodity as the core of the team. The alternate view was that they weren’t good enough at any one thing to get labeled as a specialist, so they were filler. I subscribe to the former, more optimistic interpretation.

As we finish of the first half of the fall term (the first reporting period), we celebrate our students’ achievements in service, the arts and sports. It’s been a great season and the last few last weeks provided many examples of a remarkable range of talents and highlights, including three varsity teams winning championships – Girls Field Hockey, Boys Golf, and Boys Soccer.  But on the subject of all-rounders, I saw a couple of amazing things on Friday.

At our regular Friday chapel services, the school was treated to a stunning one-two punch from two of our Grade 12 students, Andreas and Catherine. They first performed a beautiful cello duet as the anthem in the service before delivering an eloquent tag-team homily.

Any time you have to perform in front of the entire school population, it is a highly stressful, all-encompassing experience. I can only imagine what having to do a complex musical performance followed by a speech – in back-to-back services – must have been like.

But what really knocked my socks off was that evening, which featured two memorable Appleby community events – the Dignitas Coffee House and Appleby Rocks. The Coffee House is a fundraiser for Dignitas, an organization  that battles HIV/AIDS in Africa and supports many, most notably children, who are affected by this epidemic. The event featured students and alumni performing a variety of numbers from different genres, including some of their own compositions, in a classic coffeehouse setting. One of the most popular performances was by Andreas as he wowed the audience with a magic show. This isn’t the first time I have seen him perform magic and each time he spellbinds the audience.

After the coffeehouse, Appleby Rocks took the stage in Willis Hall and once again took the audience on an entertaining ride through rock, pop and R&B. The core of Appleby Rocks are Grade 12 students whose musical talent is awe-inspiring. There is no doubt that a few of them could easily pursue music professionally is they chose to. My wife, our two sons and I enjoyed the show immensely, especially Sympathy for the Devil and Ray Charles’ Georgia.  And yes, you are correct if you guessed that Catherine was one of the vocalists at Appleby Rocks.

Andreas and Catherine had a remarkable day on Friday. And to top it all off, they are both very strong students academically, and Andreas is Appleby’s strongest cross-country runner.

In a time where there is a constant pressure to specialize and become among the best at just one thing, it is refreshing to see students like Catherine and Andreas who are not only able live the ideal of breadth of experience, but do it at a very high level. I suspect that their abilities to juggle these multiple interests and excel at them will stand them in very good stead throughout their lives. They are two of many examples of Appleby all-rounders of whom I am very proud.   

The Fruits of Absence and The Legacy of Hahn

October is one of those months when I am away from campus for a fair length of time. It is something that I regret. One of the most compelling reasons my colleagues and I are in education to be around students and feel the energy of school life – there is always lots going on, a sense of optimism, creativity and the belief in the possible, intertwined with the odd bout of high teenage drama, numerous great victories (like chapel speeches, acts of kindness, and personal bests in many endeavours,) as well as a healthy dollop of the unexpected. I miss it when I am away.

In October, I’ve been on three trips: up to Appleby’s McLaughlin Campus on Rabbitnose Island in the northern reach of Lake Temagami with some of our Grade 9 students; to the Round Square International Conference with about 650 other students, heads and faculty members (including four from Appleby) from about 100 schools from around the globe; and at the annual meeting of Canadian independent school heads and chairs, this year in Vancouver and Shawnigan Lake on Vancouver Island.

While I hate being away, each of these visits has challenged me to think a bit differently, and they provided me great food for thought. Over the next week, I will be sharing some of these concepts and some thoughts about what it means for Appleby.

Let me start Round Square. Round Square is a fascinating organization that has been around since 1966. The first meeting was actually billed as “The Hahn Schools Conference” and held as part of the celebration of Kurt Hahn on his 80^th birthday. The organization was subsequently re-named Round Square after the round courtyardin which the attendees assembled at Gordonstoun School in Scotland. (Gordonstoun was founded by Hahn and has been a school of choice for many British royals including Princes Philip, Charles, Andrew and Edward – although not all of them look back warmly on their times there.)

Who was Kurt Hahn and why was there so much fuss about his birthday? Kahn was unquestionably one of the great figures of the 20^th Century, especially in education. In some ways, he was well ahead of his time, but his thinking and beliefs are reflected in the philosophies of thousands of schools, camps and other organizations and have impacted millions of people both during his life, and even moreso after he died in 1974. He founded or inspired the founding of many institutions including: the Atlantic College, (the first United World College) and the UWC system, the Duke of Edinburgh's Award, Gordonstoun, Outward Bound, Schule Schloss Salem (Salem School), the Atlantic Challenge, the Kurt Hahn Trust, and Round Square.

While I knew of Hahn, my knowledge was very superficial. Over the last few weeks I’ve been reading a lot about him and speaking to some people who knew him personally. Let me share a few of his seminal conclusions, with the proviso that you should consider them in the context of the times in which they were penned:

The Seven Laws of Salem created circa 1930

1.  Give children the opportunity for self-discovery.
   [Give them a chance to discover themselves.]
2. Make the children meet with triumph and defeat.
   [See to it that they experience both success and defeat.]
3. Give the children the opportunity of self-effacement in the common cause.
   [See to it that they have the chance to forget themselves in the pursuit of a common cause.]
4. Provide periods of silence.
   [See to it that there are periods of silence.]
5. Train the imagination.
   [Train the imagination, the ability to participate and plan.]
6. Make games important but not predominant.
   [Take sports and games seriously, but only as part of the whole.]
7. Free the sons of the wealthy and powerful from the enervating sense of privilege.
   [Free them of the rich and influential parents and from the paralysing influence of wealth and privilege.]

The Six Declined of Modern Youth (although I’m not certain, these also appear to have been written pre- the Second World War):

1. The Decline of Fitness due to modern methods of locomotion [moving about];
2. Decline of Initiative and Enterprise due to the widespread disease of spectatoritis (excessive indulgence in forms of amusement in which one is a passive spectator rather than an active participant0;
3. Decline of Memory and Imagination due to the confused restlessness of modern life;
4. Decline of Skill and Care due to the weakened tradition of craftsmanship;
5. Decline of Self-discipline due to the ever-present availability of stimulants and tranquilizers;

And worst of all:

6. Decline of Compassion due to the unseemly haste with which modern life is conducted or as William Temple called “spiritual death”.

And the Four Antidotes  to These Declines

1.     Physical Fitness - exercising the body and keeping free from cigarettes, alcohol, and drugs;

2.     Expedition - exploring the world by sea and land under difficult conditions, alone or in groups;

3.     Project Work - planning and executing an enterprise in research, art, or construction; and, most important,

4.     Social Service - helping the injured, sick, old, and handicapped in hospitals, homes, and rescue stations.

You can easily see how Hahn has influenced Appleby in so many ways … from our Northward Bound Program at the McLaughlin Campus in Temagami, to our passionate focus on sports, arts and service, to our significant involvement in Round Square and other global programs … and the list goes on.

On the cusp of the next strategic planning process, it is important to ask ourselves what are the declines that should concern us today? And what are the modern version of the antidotes and the Laws of Salem that make the most sense for Appleby over the next 10 years? How have they changed, if at all?

And in this week when the chapel theme at Appleby is gratitude, it is important to remember the impact and gifts that Kurt Hahn gave us.

Underdog Success - Boys Brings Home Soccer Gold from Down East

Last week, while waiting at the airport, I picked up a copy of Malcolm Gladwell's most recent book David & Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits and the Battling of Giants. Just as I have with his others, I really like this book. He tells a good story, but more importantly, he asks interesting questions and makes arguments that inject a little extra elasticity into the brain. Gladwell makes you think in different ways and challenge assumptions - one of the critical skills we talk about for our graduates.

Speaking of underdogs, I must admit being surprised at receiving some incredible news on Saturday. I was at the Westin Bayshore Hotel in Vancouver with almost all of the Heads and Board Chairs from the major independent schools in Canada. We were there for the annual conference of CAIS schools. Having just finished hearing from Canadian Olympic gold and silver medal-winning triathlete Simon Whitfield about the power of "getting the work done" and "doing the hard yards", I received an e-mail informing me that our varsity boys soccer team had just won the national championship title at the CAIS tournament in Halifax. You can imagine that I was immediately beaming with pride while also trying to figure out how, at a meeting of schools heads, one can most appropriately "win with class". (We all have teams we like to see lose, not so much because of the players or coaches, but because their fans who are so obnoxious when they win.)

Needless to say, I am tremendously proud of the boys and their coaches for the victory.

In David & Goliath, Gladwell takes on the assumption that the outcome of the epic biblical battle was so unexpected as to have been an act of God. Indeed, he outlines numerous other examples of underdogs whose victories - in sports, medicine, social justice, war, etc. - were equally shocking to anyone in the know because the odds were so stacked against them. But Gladwell goes on to analyze each of these cases and paints a compelling argument that these outcomes could have reasonably been expected.

In the case of David and Goliath, the military strategy of the day included three key elements: heavy infantry (of which Goliath was a prototype), cavalry, and projectile warriors (archers and slingers like David). And like the game rock - paper - scissors, each was effective in its own way against one of the others. Slingers were particularly effective against heavy infantry. (Think also Henry V and Agincourt.) So, while in a one-on-one battle between heavy infantrymen, David would have been like a baby seal taking on a polar bear, in a longer range setting, a heavily armoured, slow moving soldier would have no chance against an expert slinger.

Gladwell's core message is that underdogs can reverse the tables on the favourites by changing the nature of the competition ... by creatively using assets that may not be the traditional hallmarks of great champions. If you are over matched, there is no point trying to take on your opponents in the traditional way. Rather, it is time to be a creative problem-solver and lever the advantages you have in a non-traditional manner. He gives a great range of examples, including the use of the full-court press in basketball.

Our soccer team is a tremendous group but, truth be told, they were not among the favourites going into the national tournament. However, one enduring lesson of sports from high school to many levels above, is that the combination of hustle and great team chemistry can usually overcome even a significant skill deficit. While the Appleby squad may not be one of the top skill teams in the nation, they are still a strong side.What I love most is that our boys came together with a work ethic across a full game and a strong interpersonal connection throughout the team that led them to this wonderful achievement.

Congratulations Varsity Boys Soccer. All of Appleby is tremendously proud of you!. I have also posted some photos from the tournament in my slide show on this blog.

Book Reviews

I have repeatedly bragged about how much better my wife Alison is than me on many fronts … counter-intuitively, and much to her chagrin. To add to this list, she is a voracious reader – much more dedicated, interested and proficient than me. It amazes me how I will doze off in bed after only two of three pages of a book, while she manages to plow through a whole book on a weekly basis.
 

I tend to be more or less oriented to different media on a seasonal basis. During much of the year, I prefer radio and podcasts, as well as online articles. (I won’t even pretend to address my unhealthy on-again off-again relationship with tv.)However, during vacation at the cottage (both summer and winter,) I enjoy print media. I get back to reading the Globe on a daily basis (a missing treat during most the year,) and manage to get through a variety of books. Some of them are fluffy and fun, while others are more stimulating and challenging.

Last summer, I was able to read a few books:

·        True Stories of the Mafia – so I got my dose of real crime “cotton candy”

·         Into The Silence: The Great War, Mallory and the Conquest of Everest – a terrific, if a bit lengthy, read about the quest in the early 1920s by the remnants of the British Empire generation that was devastated in the First World War for what was at the time the almost mythical, unmapped Everest and isolated Tibet

·        Stop Stealing Dreams – a manifesto about education and what needs to be fixed by Seth Godin

·        Newton and the Counterfeiter – which could be fiction, but it’s not, as it tells the story of Sir Isaac Newton – one of the greatest scientific minds ever – and his post academic detective career as the head of the Royal Mint – there is hope for all of us yet.

I also dabbled in a number of other books over the summer – reading a chapter here and there or scanning various parts:

·        Don’t forget your Cape: What Pre-Schoolers Teach us about Leadership & Life

·        The One World Schoolhouse – by Khan Academy founder and one of education’s current sweethearts, Sal Khan

·        With Love And Prayers – A Headmaster Speaks to the Next Generation – by Tony Jarvis, one of the legendary “old school” Headmasters – he was at the helm of Roxbury Latin for a quarter of a century

·        Rework – Given to me by a friend, this is a contrarian take on what makes good places to work and people organization

·        Seven Secrets of the Savvy School Leader by well-known “soft-side” educational culture expert Robert Evans

One of the wonderful traditions of the Appleby College Parents Association (ACPA) has been its sponsorship (purchase) of books for the faculty to read over the summer. Last year, they bought everyone a copy of Creating Innovators by Tony Wagner. (Please see my Oct ’12 post on the subject.) This year, faculty were given the option to select one of four books that were being offered:   

·         World Peace and Other 4th Grade Achievements

·         Make Just One Change: Teach Students to Ask Their Own Questions

·         The Student Leadership Challenge

·         How Children Succeed: Grit Curiosity and the Hidden Power of Character

I dabbled with three of these and read one (or at least listened to it) “cover to cover.” Each deals with a different area of interest with respect to education, and each poses some engaging and provocative questions. While all speak in their own ways to educators, the first and fourth are likely to be of interest to parents and others interested in young people today.

How Children Succeed: Grit Curiosity and the Hidden Power of Character by UTS alumnus and New York-based writer Paul Tough is the book that read fully. I was enthralled by the points that Tough was reporting on, and believe they must be conceptual cornerstones to what great schools are focused on in the years ahead. I will be posting additional thoughts on this subject and on the book in the months ahead,  but in the meantime, I would encourage all parents and educators, as well as students themselves ,to pick up a copy. It will change the way you look at the future of education and parenting.

Questions About Our Future

In the upcoming issue of Appleby This Week (the weekly e-newsletter for parents,) I make the following comments about our longer term strategy development process as well as three specific foci for this year. A similar note will be circulated to alumni and friends a bit later. I thought that I would give you, my blog readers, an early taste of some of our exciting plans for the year ...

 

Heading off to the Round Square International Conference, I look back with pride on what I have seen of our students over the last couple of weeks during two trips to Temagami, a well-attended, if somewhat wet, Homecoming, a series of successful sports fixtures, great chapel addresses, and having helped celebrate academic success at Optimates dinners. As I look back at these events, I am reminded that quality in schools is a function of great people and a deliberate, thoughtful commitment to improvement. Appleby has become well known nationally for innovation and program quality, and we plan to build upon that tradition as we undertake a series of initiatives this year.

Later this academic year, we will be outlining a process for developing the next strategic plan for Appleby. We will take our time to do this well, and the process will include significant consultation with the community. As well, later this year, we will be undertaking a number of constituency surveys to understand the views of the Appleby community, and how well we are meeting expectations of the key stakeholder groups.

While we develop the longer term roadmap for our future, we will also be looking at three specific areas starting this year: athletics, spirituality, mental health and wellness.

Athletics is a key component of the Appleby experience as it develops physical fitness, athletic skills, school pride, teamwork and a sense of fair play. A comprehensive review of the program and breadth of activities offered is being launched. As part of the review, a survey will be distributed to Appleby parents and a series of community consultations will also be held in the coming weeks. Marg Hagey, Assistant Head of School – Co-Curriculars, will be leading this review.

As many of you know, Reverend Canon Robert Lennox has announced his retirement at the end of this school year after 25 years of valued service as Appleby’s Chaplain. In preparation for the search to find Canon Lennox’s successor, and in order to ensure that we are clear about what we are looking for in this important role, we will be reviewing our approach to the moral and spiritual formation of our students and the role of the chapel program in community life at Appleby. Tom Karcz, Assistant Head – Community Life, will be leading this review.  

Finally, there is an emerging and improved understanding in the education sector and society more broadly of the importance of mental, emotional, social and psychological well-being of young people. (You may have seen some of my posts on this subject in my blog.) While we already do much in this area, later in 2013/14, we will start a dialogue about this subject and how we can best support students in ways that address specific needs, as well promoting happiness, resiliency and coping skills. Tom Karcz will also be leading this process.

Additional details regarding these reviews will be shared in future issues of Appleby This Week. We will also be soliciting feedback and input from the Appleby community in the weeks and months ahead and I strongly encourage and welcome your participation.

Thank you for your support.

End of Summer?

A few months ago, I read a provocative article from the NY Times about the school year and what makes sense if one was starting with a “clean sheet.”

It is in synch with a piece by ISM (independent School Management Inc. – a well-regarded, US-based firm that provides advice, research and consulting focused on independent school management) from a couple of years ago that challenges the traditional idea of the North American school year. ISM suggests that the notion of a 9 ½ month school year (minus Christmas and March Break – another month) will eventually go the way of the Dodo bird.

Increasingly, I see many examples of students who are pursuing summer academic/educational endeavors – local summer programs (summer school is no longer the bastion of only those who are trying to recover missed credits;) overseas/travel-based academic programs for credits; international service trips; second language programs; intensive athletic training; etc. There are even traditional summer camps that are able to offer high school credits. There aren’t too many kids I know who hang out at home “un-programmed” for two months, and most who do are due to issues of cost and affordability.

On the other hand, I grew up in a classic Canadian summer mode – spending lots of time at camps and some at the cottage. There is something very primal in the Canadian psyche about camps – the camaraderie, connection with nature, multiple activities, independence, growing up. Many friends  look back on their camp experiences as being some of the most joyous of their lives, and I certainly have some visceral connections to tripping, sailing, fishing and Georgian Bay because of my years there. Camp is a lot like boarding, but with an extra dose of fun instead of work. Many of the benefits are very similar.

At Appleby, summer is very busy. We have a very successful ESL program, a summer academy, and a very popular series of day camps for all ages. We are pushing our capacity even when many Appleby students and families assume that it is “quiet time” at 540 Lakeshore Road. Not to mention that this is also when major facility work takes place, and when we also bring in conferences

So, like most interesting issues, there is no clear right or wrong answer. As the stakes for excellence in education continue to rise, there are lots of questions to consider. In particular - Should we be providing more full Appleby programs (with Appleby faculty, the full experience, etc.) in non-traditional times (most notably summer) on either a voluntary or mandatory basis?

As always, I appreciate any comments and thoughts you have on this issue … ivannostrand@appleby.on.ca

The List is Out!

For the last fifteen years, I have looked forward to seeing “the list” as it is released for the start of the academic year. “What list?” you might ask. It is the Mindset list, released annually by Beloit College to describe their incoming classes. This year’s list outlines the outlook and context that this year’s entering university class (last year’s Grade 12s) has. Previous lists do the same for each college entering class, starting in 2002. (As a sidebar, if you asked me, I had the impression that they have been coming out for much longer – perhaps for 25 or 30 years – but likely that says more about my mindset than any reality.)

I don’t think that the lists are of much interest to the classes that they profile, nor to students younger than them (e.g. current Appleby students,) but older generations are often fascinated by these younger generations’ realities. Here are a few examples from the list for the (university) class of 2017:

1.     Eminem and LL Cool J could show up at parents’ weekend.

2.     They are the sharing generation, having shown tendencies to share everything, including possessions, no matter how personal.

3.       GM means food that is Genetically Modified.

4.      As they started to crawl, so did the news across the bottom of the television screen.

5.      “Dude” has never had a negative tone.

6.     As their parents held them as infants, they may have wondered whether it was the baby or Windows 95 that had them more excited.

7.     As kids they may well have seen Chicken Run but probably never got chicken pox.

8.     Having a chat has seldom involved talking.

9.     Gaga has never been baby talk.

10.   They could always get rid of their outdated toys on eBay.

11.   They have known only two presidents.

12.   Their TV screens keep getting smaller as their parents’ screens grow ever larger.

13.   PayPal has replaced a pen pal as a best friend on line.

14.   Rites of passage have more to do with having their own cell phone and Skype accounts than with getting a driver’s license and car.

Many of these resonate with me as a parent, and some do in my reality as an educator. For instance #2 about sharing – we have lots of challenges with students regularly exchanging clothing, like we live in a communal clothing bank, which makes issues of missing/lost/stolen articles, at best, somewhat ambiguous. Although there is something to be said for underlying values on this one.

I am also struck by #14 – how getting a driver’s license is often met with ambivalence compared to the unbridled anticipation mixed with anxiety of potentially failing the test when I was growing up.

In some ways, the first list from Beloit for the class of 2002 (i.e. published in 1998) is just as interesting. Here are some of the realties for that group (Appleby’s class of 1998 +/-) back when they graduated:

1. They have no meaningful recollection of the Reagan era, and did not know he had ever been shot.
2. They were prepubescent when the Persian Gulf War was waged.
3. Black Monday 1987 is as significant to them as the Great Depression.
4. There has only been one Pope. They can only remember one other president.
5. They were 11 when the Soviet Union broke apart, and do not remember the Cold War.
6. Their lifetime has always included AIDS.
7. They never had a polio shot, and likely, do not know what it is.
8. Bottle caps have not always been screw off, but have always been plastic. They have no idea what a pull top can looks like.
9. Atari pre-dates them, as do vinyl albums.
10. They have likely never played Pac Man, and have never heard of "Pong."
11. There have always been red M&Ms, and blue ones are not new. What do you mean there used to be beige ones?
12. The compact disc was introduced when they were one year old.
13. They have always had an answering machine.
14. Most have never seen a TV set with only 13 channels, nor have they seen a black & white TV.
15. They have always had cable.
16. They cannot fathom what it was like not having a remote control.
17. "The Tonight Show" has always been with Jay Leno.
18. Popcorn has always been cooked in the microwave.
19. They never took a swim and thought about Jaws.
20. They have no idea that Americans were ever held hostage in Iran.
21. They can't imagine what hard contact lenses are.
22. They never heard the terms "Where's the Beef?", "I'd walk a mile for a Camel" or "De plane, de plane!"
23. Michael Jackson has always been white.
24. Kansas, Boston, Chicago, America, and Alabama are all places—not music groups.
25. McDonald's never came in Styrofoam containers.

It is interesting to note that this cohort is now 33 and many have their own children. Some might even have students starting in Appleby this year or in the next few.

So what does it all mean? On one level, I find these both entertaining and a sober reminder of my own aging. But they also make me think about the notions of adaptability and flexibility.

I was lucky to know three of my four grandparents. I had the very good fortune of growing up within 100 metres of their homes, so we were close. Three of them were born in the last 2 decades of the 19^th Century and my maternal grandmother, whom I knew the best, was born in 1901. When she was dying over a period of many months, I tried to spend lots of time with her and ask her about her life and her experiences growing up in the same house she ended up dying in. It is located in central Toronto (Yonge and St. Clair, for those who are familiar with the city) but when she was growing up, it was forests and farmers’ fields, and she got around in a horse-drawn carriage.

In our conversations, what struck me most was the remarkable change that she saw over her life: She lived during the Boer War, World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Cold War, the War in Vietnam; the Russian Revolution, the re-drawing of the World map through the treaty of Versailles, the creation of the League of Nations and later the United Nations; the Chinese Revolution, the fall of the Berlin Wall and the reunification of Germany; the time of horse-drawn carriages to space shuttles; the introduction of women’s suffrage to women’s liberation to post-feminism; the transformation of medical science; 12 Prime Ministers (Laurier to Mulroney), 9 popes, and 5 monarchs. As profound as these world events were, however, I began to understand that the changes in day-to-day living and social interactions – notions of morality, religion, communities, diversity, travel, communication, etc. – were just as significant.

What amazed me the most was how well my grandmother adapted to the changes over her 90 years, and how at peace she was with the changed world in which she lived. Many of the foundational assumption under which she grew up were flipped on their ear … and some many times over.

Futurists tell us that my generation will live through ten times the change that my grandmother did, and current students ten times the change that my generation will experience. It is difficult to comprehend the implication of these projections, even if they are only half right.

There are two very clear implications. The first is a challenge to parents and educators – to understand where students today are coming from. What are their motivators, values, and realities … our own version of the Beloit list? Because influencing attitudes and behavior must stem from understanding of what drives the people we are trying to influence. And knowing that the half-life of change is getting shorter and shorter, the importance of this understanding is amplified. This places a huge imperative on ongoing professional development and challenging ourselves constantly to differentiate between what is the same about our contexts and what is different.

The second implication is the imperative for young people to develop traits of flexibility, adaptability, problem-solving, and perseverance. One could easily make an argument that this set of skills may be the most important ones with which to equip students when thinking about life-long success. They are very much intertwined with empathy and risk-taking. And Charles Swindoll’s quote (which I discussed  in the start of year address) sums up the core challenge in dealing with this change: “I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it.”

Throughout this year, I will post thoughts on what we are doing now and what we are considering doing in the future here at Appleby to address these essential aspects of “performance character.”