Piece of the Pi

Posted on December 11, 2013 by admin

The recent release of PISA data has caused quite a stir in education circles and beyond. PISA is the acronym for the international organization that every five years tests 15-year-old students in 65 countries on core literacy and math skills (i.e., the Programme for International Student Assessment of the OECD).

The new math results were particularly interesting on many levels. For the third consecutive time, Canadian scores slipped, to the point that some experts are calling the trend a crisis for Canada. For a long time Canada was firmly among the top 10 nations in math results. We have now slipped to 13^th and some feel it’s an indicator that Canadian society may struggle in the coming decade in the competitive fields of science, engineering, and high tech research where math skills are foundational.

Although alarm bells have been ringing across Canada for the past week, here in Quebec, student results on the PISA test were actually very strong. The Quebec results placed our province well ahead of the rest of Canada, at 8^th place in the world – the only North American constituency in the top 10. Already, people are scrambling to know what’s different about the teaching of math here. There was a two-page spread in last weekend’s Globe and Mail about this issue and many are wondering what can be learned from our provincial math programme. Quite simply, it appears that teacher training in Québec mandates a lot more time on the training of math teachers than in other provinces or American states. Policy-makers from across North America and Europe are now dissecting the Quebec teacher training regime and the specifics elements of our core math curriculum.

So, kudos to our LCC math teachers. They teach a subject that can be difficult for many students. Regardless of teaching skills, confidence in mathematics requires constant practice and a lot of focus and resolve. By definition, math can be a challenge in a world full of distractions and easy access to so many digital entertainment tools. I’m impressed with our school’s math culture. Our students’ results on a host of math exams and contests are strong and our top students are among the top in the country. Clearly, our math faculty & students are truly deserving of a brand new math wing. I only hope all the space and light will further enhance our students’ quest for better understanding and achievement on the math front. —Christopher Shannon, Headmaster

Mandela’s Legacy

Posted on December 11, 2013 by admin

The topic that has dominated discourse across the globe in recent days has been the passing of Nelson Mandela at age 95. He was a true giant among personalities in the past century, and his passing has had a phenomenal global response.

Out of respect, our school flags were lowered when we learned of Mandela’s death. Canada was a major supporter of Mandela and the ANC’s (Africa National Congress) quest for racial justice. Under different Canadian prime ministers we openly renounced the policy of Apartheid. While Mandela was imprisoned, a host of diplomatic initiatives were carried out, and we boycotted all South African products in an open effort to isolate and strangle the sustainability of the white-only government. After his release from prison in 1990, the first country Mandela visited was Canada. He was also named an honourary Canadian citizen. Interestingly, Mandela was a Patron of the Round Square and a supporter of the active learning and globalism that this association of schools embodies.

For inspiration I continue to turn to the life story of Nelson Mandela and his relentless struggle against the demeaning injustices of decades of apartheid in his country. After his release from 27 years in prison and eventual rise to the top political office in South Africa, we all learned from Mandela about the incredible power of forgiveness. Once free, with the snap of a finger, Mandela could have insisted on armed revolt to overwhelm the two million white South Africans whose governments had violently subjugated the black majority for decades. Mandela did not seek revenge; instead he sought reconciliation and forgiveness as the foundation for a new South Africa‑–a multicultural country he labeled the “Rainbow nation”.

Mandela insisted on peace, telling his followers that not a drop of blood should be shed. While in prison he took the extraordinary step of learning the language of his oppressors, the white Afrikaans. Once elected president, he immediately hired a white executive assistant, and out of respect, spoke to her mostly in Afrikaans.

So many had suffered under the violence of apartheid regimes. Mandela realized he needed to find a way to heal wounds that were generations deep. Most said it was impossible. He quickly established something called the Truth and Reconciliation Commission‑–a place where former state police would confess their vicious sins after decades of conflict in the South Africa of apartheid, a word and a philosophy that literally meant “Apartness.” Those who confessed were assured in advance that they would not be imprisoned. But for Mandela, allowing the truth to emerge was better than allowing the truth to remain buried forever. This was part of the long road to healing a nation that he envisioned for his citizens. As one can imagine, it was very difficult for families to hear the stories of how the secret police conducted their vile business. But Mandela convinced his people to accept this process as the best bridge that could be built to a new multiracial, peaceful, democratic South Africa. Forgiveness personified. The chairperson of the commission, the venerable Archbishop Desmond Tutu, underscored the miracle of hope as the foundation for South Africa’s renewal process. In those early days after Mandela took power as the first black president in South Africa, Archbishop Tutu said, “I hope I’m a prisoner of hope. However dark the past, it cannot overwhelm the light of the dawn of the future.”

In addition to forgiveness and the building blocks of peace, Mandela believed that the key to a prosperous South Africa would be education. I keep a card at my desk with a quote by Mandela: “Education is the greatest engine of personal development.” It’s on card I bought in Cape Town immediately after visiting Robben Island where he was imprisoned for more than 25 years. I stood in his former cell, saw where he broke rock in the searing sun, and was inspired by his capacity to overcome such suffering and neutralize a quest for revenge in himself and his people.

To begin the official remembrance ceremonies for Mandela within South Africa, close to 100-thousand people gathered in a Soweto soccer stadium to celebrate his life. Among them were many heads of state, including four Canadian prime ministers.

Mandela has taught us all about the magical power of forgiveness and reconciliation with our opponents. Our challenge is to implement just a fraction of what Mandela modeled in life. However, if we are to truly honour Mandela, I assert it is beyond that, it is our duty. —Christopher Shannon, Headmaster

Super Grandmothers!

Posted on December 9, 2013 by admin

Grandmothers are very special. Whether it’s their capacity to laugh, support grandchildren, or see them a little more objectively than their parents, grandmas are essentially our students’ very own personal fan clubs. I have seen that special look of joy and pride in grandma’s eyes, at school science fairs, plays, the athletic sidelines and closing ceremonies. Grandma’s presence and her smile can make all the difference for a student.

Why the focus on grandmothers? It turns out that after more than 30 years of fighting the global HIV–AIDS pandemic, grandmothers have become some of the real heroes.

For a quarter century the international community’s attention has been focused each December 1st on World AIDS Day. We commemorate the millions of lives affected by the international AIDS pandemic. More than 25 million lives have been lost, most of them in Africa. Today the vast majority of the 34 million people living with AIDS are also in sub-Saharan Africa.

Despite this reality, there has been some notable progress in fighting the pandemic. In the past decade there has been a near 30% reduction in new HIV infections, and during the same period, global AIDS deaths have also fallen by 30%. At less than $1/day, anti-retroviral medications are now affordable and effective.

But some alarming trends persist. The only age group with a rise in AIDS infections is the youth cohort, the same age as our LCC students: 10-19 years old. Since 2005 there has actually been a 50% rise in youth AIDS-related deaths, usually due to ignorance, denial or cultural stigma. Sixty-three (63%) of the infections are young women who know little or nothing about preventing the disease or its treatment.

For years LCC students have financially supported the Stephen Lewis Foundation, which has done so much to raise awareness, raise funds, and help turn the tide on AIDS, especially in Africa.

In his years of work to stem the tide of AIDS, Lewis has visited many African communities profoundly affected by the disease. In most cases, he noted that the pieces were being picked up by grandmothers; old women who continue today to care for their orphaned grandchildren. Lewis sees African grandmothers as the key agents of change on the frontlines of HIV in Africa. A recent special report calls these old women the “guardians of sub-Saharan Africa.”

So earlier this fall, the Stephen Lewis Foundation brought six African grandmothers to Canada to tour several communities and explain the reality of their lives and the impact of AIDS on orphaned children.

The grandmothers need more support. Specifically, they require better housing, access to health care, food security and access to education in their local communities.

In Canada, 240 grandmother groups have been very busy helping out. Through a host of innovative activities they have raised $17 million for African grandmas. Along with the Stephen Lewis Foundation, they are sounding a clarion call-to-action to the world. They are telling us it is time to break the silence regarding neglect and negligence of grandmas. We should all recognize that these selfless women have been the key to survival of whole communities.

If there is a grandma in your family, ask what she thinks. It should be a unique conversation. —Christopher Shannon, Headmaster

The Timelessness of Hope, Pride & Possibility

Posted on November 28, 2013 by admin

Last week’s 50^th anniversary of President Kennedy’s assassination in Dallas, Texas marked a day that remains shrouded in dark mystery in modern American and world history. I spoke to our high school students about the Kennedy legacy at this week’s assembly because few had any sense of its context.

There are a lot of reasons that Kennedy and his assassination have left an indelible imprint on both American and Canadian psyches. At 43, he was the youngest president ever to be elected into office in 1960. He brought a youthful vigour to the presidency. He was also the first Catholic president; a big issue at the time because of fears that during his presidency he would be heavily influenced by the Vatican. This related especially to issues like access to birth control and the legal status of divorce.

Kennedy is also remembered for being the first “telegenic” president. An effective presenter on TV, he was perfectly suited to the short sound bites we have all become so accustomed to. Kennedy helped usher in the modern media age where it is no longer just content of the message that matters, but also how it’s presented. Today national leaders in the USA and Canada focus intensely on nationally- televised electoral debates that make or break their campaigns to win voters trust.

While in office, Kennedy actually was not successful on all fronts. However, his historical legacy has certainly been forged as one that addressed big issues. Many experts would describe his legacy as having had a focus on getting the country moving again and building optimism, hope and possibility in America and throughout the free world. In his famous inauguration speech in 1961 he made an important plea for Americans to commit to community service, stating, “ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” This lead to the creation of the American Peace Corps and a new idealism that young Americans could lead through service in the poorest countries of the developing world.

Kennedy was also a close friend to African Americans and an advocate of proposed civil rights laws that would see greater equity in America, especially in the deep south which at the time was still very segregated.

The early 60s were also dominated by the Cold War nuclear standoff between the superpowers. During the tense 13-days of the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, Kennedy came under enormous pressure. He was surrounded by hawkish military advisors who insisted he respond forcefully to the presence of missiles in Cuba. During those intense days in October, Kennedy managed to avoid a nuclear conflict and was able to convince the Russians to remove their weapons from Cuba. Historians still consider his Cold War diplomacy a significant achievement.

Kennedy also initiated major spending on the space race with the Russians which eventually led to the Americans being the first to successfully put a man on the moon and literally reach for the stars.

When Kennedy was assassinated in November1963 his work was cut short. Many Americans wondered what he could have achieved, and the shooting represented a violent collision of hope and possibility with the reality of violence and sheer evil that also exists in the world.

The official version of the assassination concluded one gunman acted alone. However, multiple conspiracy theories still abound about whether larger forces were behind the killing. These include allegations against the mafia, the Russians, archconservatives fighting against Kennedy’s proposed new equality, and civil rights laws. We will probably never know; Kennedy’s death will likely remain shrouded in mystery.

But at the 50^th anniversary ceremony last Friday in Dallas, presidential historian David McCulloch reminded the audience that Kennedy was a confident optimist who was eloquent with his words. Kennedy knew that words matter and those that come from the mouth of the president have a special capacity to inspire and change lives. Quoting from Kennedy’s famous “New Frontier” speech presented when he won the presidential nomination in 1960, McCulloch stressed that Kennedy focused on challenges not promises and appealed to the American people to focus on their pride in a world of possibilities.

Hope, pride and possibility: If those are the core of the Kennedy legacy, then we should all aspire to see that modern civic life embodies all three, whether in the USA or here in Canada. In essence, Kennedy’s message is timeless, because it is hope, pride and possibility that will carry each of our students forward as young leaders. I see them in action at school and beyond. I am proud to say that I have confidence in them as doers and in their capacity to help build a better tomorrow in Canada and globally.
—Chris Shannon, Headmaster

The Relevance of Caught in the Crossfire

Posted on October 25, 2013 by admin

LCC Reads is a vibrant student committee dedicated to promoting a love of reading and the power of ideas. Thanks to this group of students, we had a special guest in our Middle/Senior School assembly this week. Alan Gibbons is an award-winning British writer and author of this year’s LCC Reads book, Caught in the Crossfire. His presence reflected our tradition of going an extra step and bringing the author of our annual community book to school to speak to students face-to-face.

Mr. Gibbons proved to be a rare natural storyteller. His capacity to engage and enthrall a young audience was special to watch. He reinforced the magic of books and the wonder of getting lost in the meanderings and interaction of fictional characters. He also emphasized the important lessons that books and stories convey.

Mr. Gibbons’ presence at our school was rather timely. His novel “Caught in the Crossfire” is a warning that addresses the negative impact of racism in an increasingly multicultural England. In our assembly he addressed how important it is in today’s world to promote and embrace inclusion and diversity. He was emphatic in openly urging our Québec government to avoid implementing a restrictive charter of rules that would prohibit the natural sharing of important elements of personal identity.

I thank Mr. Gibbons for presenting challenges and reminding us that our peaceful society is a precious balance. He asked that we take very seriously the issues that threaten the attributes of our community built up over time. A strong society that celebrates diversity is a great Canadian strength. I hope that all of our students are now doubly motivated to protect that strength with all of their abilities and with great passion. This is clearly not a time for apathy in Quebec. —Christopher Shannon, Headmaster