Conference #17: Private Elementary Schools: Meeting the Challenge

Keynote Session: Whole Child Education (9:00-10:00)

This session focuses on a comprehensive approach to teaching the whole child (Grades K-6). It includes a description of whole teaching that contains a broad range of teaching/learning strategies, and discussion of the whole curriculum which involves a connected curriculum, and links all this to the whole school that is one of genuine community.

Keynote Speaker: Professor Jack Miller (University of Toronto - OISE)
John (Jack) Miller has been working in the field of holistic education for over 30 years. He is the author/editor of more than a dozen books on holistic learning and contemplative practices in education which include Education and the Soul, The Holistic Curriculum, and Educating for Wisdom and Compassion. His writing has been translated into eight languages. The Holistic Curriculum has provided the framework for the curriculum at the Whole Child School in Toronto where Jack has served on the Advisory Board. Professor Miller has worked extensively with holistic educators in Japan and Korea for the past decade and has been visiting professor at two universities in Japan. Jack was one of 25 scholars invited to a UNESCO conference on cultural diversity and transversal values held in Kyoto and Tokyo in 2007. He teaches courses on holistic education and spirituality in education at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto where he is a professor.

Workshop 1: School Improvement Planning
All schools want their students to succeed. But schools can only make a lasting difference when they focus on specific goals and strategies for change. In this workshop, we will focus on various ways to engage a school staff and community in the school improvement planning process. From the vision of the school, to specific data collection techniques that can be used to work with staff, this workshop will help administrators create a positive environment for learning that will lead to improved student achievement.

Facilitator - Debbie Stern
Debbie Stern is a Principal with the Toronto District School Board, currently on a secondment with the Ministry of Education at the Education Statistics and Analysis Branch. While at the Board, Debbie worked at both the elementary and middle-school level in various school placements. Ms. Stern has also been a leader at the system level, involved in the MISA project with the development and implementation of system-wide workshops on data interpretation and analysis for school based leaders.

Facilitator - Karen Thomas
Karen Thomas has been teaching for 19 years and has experience teaching in the primary, junior and intermediate divisions. Karen has her Specialist in Mathematics and has presented numerous workshops for school staff and has also presented at a local math conference. She has many years of experience assisting beginning and experienced teachers develop effective math programs. Karen’s workshops are informative and engaging.

Facilitator - Denise Lafontaine
Denise is currently a principal in Fort Hope, Ontario. Denise’s experience includes teaching in elementary, secondary, post-secondary and adult education settings. She has developed several curriculum documents for adult learners and the ESL sector. She has taught in an IB school in China and has developed and implemented an English teacher-training programme in the Czech Republic. Much of her career has involved working with New Immigrants to Canada and First Nation’s groups.

Facilitator: Alfred Abouchar
Mr. Alfred Abouchar had the conviction that his dream of creating a thriving private school could be achieved, and the energy and vision to get it done. Mr. Abouchar is a highly educated individual and a well-known figure in education. He has for many years been actively involved in both French and English-language education in Ontario, has held positions of high-level responsibility with the Ministry of Education, and has assumed diverse and complex roles in the academic field.

In his role of director of La Citadelle, Mr. Abouchar has demonstrated a keen sense of integrity in managing human and material resources and has applied superior organizational qualities in all of his endeavors. His expertise in the domain of pedagogy, his capacity to actively and efficiently use professional resources, his ability to institute an innovative working climate and instill new ways of teaching, are among his many administrative and educational talents.

Mr. Abouchar's leadership, creative dynamism, intellectual strength and integrity, has enabled him to successfully carry out his role as headmaster of his school. His wealth of experience and excellent communication skills make him an ideal resource for those wishing to learn from his current successes and inspiring goals for the future of education, both in his own school and for all Ontario students.

Plenary Session: 3:00– 4:00
This end note session will allow participants to bring questions and issues of concern to an expert panel of our facilitators. An opportunity to share ideas and thoughts with like-professionals will serve as an exciting and valuable conclusion to a full day of learning. The Plenary Session will be facilitated by Mr. Jim Sebastian, formerly a Coordinator of Private Schools in Ontario for the Ontario Ministry of Education.

Facilitator – Jim Sebastian
Jim Sebastian completed his M.Ed. in Curriculum and Administration at the University of Toronto. He has 35 years of experience as an educator and administrator, and has an extensive background in Canadian-based education and training programs at the high-school and post-secondary levels. Jim worked as an Education Officer for the Ontario Ministry of Education from 1989 until 2005. He is currently involved in many educational projects in Canada and abroad, including directing and consulting to schools in China and Bangladesh.

$295.00 (plus $14.75 GST) Includes Lunch!