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.