May 22

The week was one of golfing, playing slowpitch, fine dining, and a pair of bus meetings.  One more bus meeting to go.  Oh yeah, and the bedding plants were all in before the rain shower we had last evening.  I went to the lake today and got the trailer set up for the summer.  Judging by Facebook, I would say the girls are having a good time in Kelowna at Mary's stagette weekend.  On Tuesday, I am making a marathon trip to Calgary and back to help move my brother, Wayne's, household items to his new home in Calgary.  Wayne just retired from Sasktel after about 35 years.

Principal's Message

Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name and they’re always glad you came…..  I know the preceding line from the sitcom Cheers refers to a local watering hole and not a school, but it should apply to every school.  As a principal, I believe it is important to know all the students’ names.  When I see the children in the hallway, going to the bus, or coming into the school in the morning, I say hello to them and I call them by their name.  I must have acquired the talent of learning names when I worked for a dairy farmer with 83 Holsteins.  Children often remark, “Mr. Kolach, do you know everyone’s name?”  The answer is: “Yes.”  Some children think I have an encyclopedic brain because I deliver birthday cards and a treat to recognize their birthdays.  The younger grades remind me of their birth date sometimes months in advance.  I have a confession to make, but keep the secret under your hat.  My administrative assistant is the one with the encyclopedic brain.

Yes, children yearn to be recognized.  They want someone to acknowledge that they are special in some way.  Children are saying, “I’m here.  Does anyone notice me?  Do you know me?  Can you see what I am able to do?  Can you see what I have done?  Can you tell me again how, in a population of billions, that I am special in some way?”  When I am teaching a class, and we are making connections to our experiences, children want to have their voices heard.  They want to be recognized.

At the end of June, I was invited to be a guest speaker at a Grade 12 graduation.  I opened with something I remembered about each student.  There were thoughts, validations, impressions, anecdotes, and a host of other remembrances that were stored in my internal hard drive.  Following my recollections, I delivered a grad speech for the centuries.  The message was one of hope, expectation, and reflection – a life altering lesson.  Several grads came and talked to me later and they didn’t discuss the finer points of my awe inspiring message.  They just expressed their pleasure that I remembered them.  Remembering them as individuals was the most meaningful recognition I could have given them.

When I was a homeroom teacher, I used to give out Student Recognition Awards weekly and over the course of a school year, every child would receive an award with a description of a positive attribute demonstrated by the child.  Honestly speaking, I never had a child without a positive attribute.  Some people accused me of tokenism believing there is nothing special about an award that everyone is going to receive by hook or crook.  My response is:  “Every child is special.  They have a purpose and it is my job to recognize that purpose.” 

Recognition builds self esteem in children, reinforces positive behaviors, and creates an atmosphere of appreciation and trust in a community. Teachers, parents, and community members all have a responsibility to recognize the special children we see each day.  We need to know their names, find out who they are, recognize their worth, listen to their stories, hopes and dreams, and encourage them to achieve their purpose.