Welcome to another exciting year in the Bulkley Valley! Besides the usual sensational work done in our facilities over the summer by our maintenance department, there is much to be excited about as we kick off a new year.
The excitement started early when we were visited by Dr. Stuart Shanker on August 22. 140 guests from across the Northwest joined Dr. Shanker in a conversation about the critical importance of self-regulation in student success.
By now, many of you will have seen the Marshmallow Test (See YouTube clip)
Dr. Shanker's work builds the bridge that helps us understand why kids do what they do, and, critically, what we as educators can do to help students strenghten their ability to self-regulate. Educators often inately recognize the need to help children self-regulate. Now the science makes the connection as to why it is increasingly critical for kids to understand "how their engine runs" (See figure). Moreover, this work takes on even greater significance when we understand that a child's ability to self-regulate can be improved.
In the Bulkley Valley, two of our schools (Lake Kathlyn and Silverthorne) will be working closely with Dr. Shanker and his MEHRI Team (Milton & Ethlel Harris Research Initiative) from York University. The MEHRI Team will be providing training for our school and district staff on Thursday, Spetember 20th as we embark on the first wave of this project.
We are excited at the many exciting possibilities that are emerging in education across SD#54, but in the scope of education and the foundational pieces we work with, at the core we need to ensure our students are "Calm, Alert, and Learning" (Shanker, 2012).
Getting the engine just right matters.
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