Another school year has started, and it is always an exciting time of the year. Parents get to see their kids re-engage in routine (and wake up before noon), staff engage again and get to do what they enjoy, and activities start in earnest both at school and in the community. This excitement often brings also brings the hope of a fresh start for students wanting to achieve their goals in the 2022.23 school year.
I recently finished the book Atomic Habits, which guides the reader through small changes that can have a big impact. Throughout the school year, I will share in this space some learnings to help as we all try to stay on target with our goals.
The first overarching theme is the concept of incremental improvement. Sometimes, we want to see major changes in our lives, so we start a new diet, take up a new activity, try to quit a pesky habit that we can't shake, etc... Often, this fails because we try to do too much, too soon. In my life, I've given up working out at different times because I was literally too sore to complete my workout. I'm sure some of you have similar stories.
The chart below shows the power of incremental gains, showing what 1% better every day could look like.
I shared this graph with all of our staff in individual meetings last June and encouraged them to think about improving by 1% each day and building the structures and habits to support this growth. I would encourage each of you, as you start a new school year in your home, to think about what structures and systems you have in place to support the goals your child has for the 2022.23 school year.
We're excited to see our students grow this year and look forward to working together to achieve our goals.
Have a great weekend,
Ryan Reed
Principal | Bert Church High School
The University of Calgary is once again offering a free learn-to-code club. For more details, see the promotion below!
BCHS staff and students are excited to see the planned Indigenous Reconciliation Garden take shape. Last Saturday, a group of staff members cleared over 3 tonnes of sod from the front of the school to prepare the area for planting. The goal is to have the garden's planting completed by Sep 17th. It has been awesome to see examples of community partners donating their time and resources to see this project happen.
Our classes started in full swing this week, and Sports Performance was getting right into it. Ms. MacEachen had the students complete agility tests in the gym. Ms. Wilson's PE class was getting active with Rock/Paper/Scissors Fitness. Looking good, kids!
