Walnut Grove Staff Chronicles

It was a pleasure for me to sit down with Victoria and hear her story. This is a person who is solidly grounded in her understanding of herself and is poised to become a solid and valuable member of the Walnut Grove community. I know that I was talking to the future of WGSS.

Victoria talks about her love of nature, the lessons it can teach us, the example of calm and the challenge that it brings. Very much one to recognize the teaching that we can garner from the First Nations, Victoria has great respect for her surroundings.

Learn about her active life style, her global adventures and her hopes for her teaching career.

Victoria! You say you are blessed to be here...equally WGSS is blessed to have you!

In this episode, rather than interviewing a teacher from our school, I read a blog I wrote for the Teach Better Team. I'm sharing it as a word of encouragement and maybe a touch of "I needed that". I hope you have a wonderful summer and here's a few thoughts to kick it off.

Science 360 Episode 54 - Burning Bright, Not Out
https://open.spotify.com/episode/4Ua8IGz2INiLStxp6EwBPJ?si=1eb7c518951e4eaa
Earthy Chats Episode 13
https://open.spotify.com/episode/6f8I4ehCN6Q0aZRWmotrm2?si=85c74ac841ae4d7e
Teach Better Team
https://www.teachbetter.com/blog/

If you love languages and travel, and down-to-Earth teaching that relates real life to the real world, then you would love to be in the company and classes of Adrienne Stubbings.

Adrienne may have taken a straight line route to teaching but her experiences in the school of life has left her with wisdom and compassion for the well-being of her students. By getting out to just about every continent in the world, Adrienne brings a perspective on life here in lower mainland BC that comes when you "walk a mile" in someone else's shoes.

I really like her philosophy on education. Relationships first, followed by a healthy dose of relatability, served with a heaping scoop of reality. Ms. Stubbings doesn't just teach her students about what it will be like in the real world, because she knows that this IS their real world. It's that sort of teaching that is the reason Adrienne has such an impact on the school. She's travelled to a lot of places, but I, for one, am glad she travelled to Walnut Grove.

One of the things that I have noticed in speaking with staff members is the strength and willingness to take on the hard things in life. Not only take them on but beat them! And Jenny Kim is no exception.

If you haven't heard her story, then I think you will notice that she is naturally gifted academically, has a playful, fun side that needs to be expressed and exudes a humility that is too admirable. Jenny is one of the newer teachers at Walnut Grove but has made a lasting impression by her contributions both scholastically, teaching AP Chemistry, and socially. If you see the artistic Periodic table being assembled in the science hallway...that's Jenny. If you played golf in the library...that's Jenny. If you see this smiling, bundle of energy with blinged out fingernails and wearing Uggs...that's Jenny!

Sam McGough was born and raised in the UK and therefore has a very different education experience than what we find in Canada. Much more stringent, streaming based on standardized tests starting as young as 10 years old, being segregated in class based on your scores.

Yet as much as it is different, the fact is that some of the greatest minds and some of the greatest universities are British. So there must be something to that! But listening to Sam's story sheds some light on the effect of such a system on an individual. And it does have lasting repercussions.

But now as a Walnut Grove science teacher, Mrs. McGough is thriving and enjoying the educational freedom that the Canadian system allows. This is a story of resilience, overcoming adversity and thriving regardless of the circumstances. You are privileged to have this fine lady as your teacher. Glad you made it to Canada, Mrs. McGough!

Mr. Vince Rahn is a deep, deep thinker. And you will find that his greatest sense is that thought without a human connection is meaningless. Anybody who quotes Aristotle in the first minute of an interview is bound to speak some truth right?! If you have ever worked with Mr. Rahn, you'll know that he talks with wisdom, insight and clarity with a perspective that comes from noticing the world around him and the people therein. Each time I talk to him, I come away with a sense of introspection and then I find myself dropping in soon after to see what else I can pick up. I had a lot of requests for this interview, so sit back, relax and enjoy some of the philosopher's wisdom.

If you've been around the game of hockey as much as I have, you would definitely know all the stereotypes. Brash, abusive, aggressive...hockey is tough game right? But then you meet Jamie Fiset and you have to ask why the hockey community puts up with those stereotypes Because Mr. Fiset is the real deal, coaching the highest level of players in the province, but doing so with a thoughtful plan, a calm and understanding disposition as well as a great knowledge of the game. Now running a high performance program like that doesn't land in just anyone's lap, nor does it happen to someone who is disorganized. And you can't forget that he does all that while still being a full time teacher at WGSS. Mr. Fiset is insightful, leads a life of example, expects nothing that he doesn't earn, and loves to be busy. In this episode he sheds some great light on that famous quote by Wayne Gretzky: "you miss 100% of the shots you don't take". So start shooting kids! They'll start to go in eventually.

This is a fun episode as we hear about how Marzia and her family immigrated to Canada from Italy and they had nothing when they arrived. But they carved out a life here in the lower mainland of BC. We discuss some of her incredible adventures on her world travels, some poignant moments she shared with some of her mentors and we reminisce a bit about times at Walnut Grove. You'll have a couple of laughs and you'll likely be shocked at some of the things we discuss, but what else would you expect from the inimitable Madam Bottoni?!

The more I interview the teachers of Walnut Grove, the more I have come to realize that they each bring something so unique and valuable. What makes a school special? Is it the special academic offerings? Maybe. Is it the test score ranking? Not likely. It's the people that work there, like Steve Wilson, who take their life experiences, their highs and their lows, and use them to guide and mentor the students. And why do they do that? Because like Steve, they just want to help others live their best life. Listen to this one right to the end!

In this interview, Paul does a great job of describing why Walnut Grove Secondary School is the way it is. I love the way he name drops and uses these other WG greats to show how the school culture has developed. We talk about how that legacy will have to pass on to the younger generation of teachers. Paul's great lesson in this interview is that as you go through life, you develop friend groups that become a permanent connection and add meaning, depth and richness to your experience.