The Nest, Spring 2024

The Nest March 2024

Issue #2

The Nest Magazine is a thrice-yearly publication published by Bannockburn School to highlight our school community. A leading independent Montessori school, Bannockburn School is recognized throughout Toronto for its outstanding academic standards, its steadfast commitment to Montessori education, and its deep respect for the potential in every child.

We are fully accredited by the Canadian Council of Montessori Administrators (CCMA) and are a member of the Conference of Independent Schools (CIS).

Writer and Editor: Erica Fyvie

Design: Toni-Marie Miller

Contributors:

Dilhumar Altay

Esteban Becerra

Christine Bernadini

Tanya Davis

John Douglas

Ethan Elbaz

Tory Elbaz

Heather Fogarty

Faegheh Hosseini

Samira Hsu

Jian Min Hu

Goli Iravani

Esther Kang

Tammy Mak

Toni-Marie Miller

Tracy Morgan

Sue Pattni

Jacqueline Richman

Rowena Teologo

Adam Thompson

Erica Fyvie and Toni-Marie Miller would like to thank all of the contributors for their time and enthusiasm on this project.

Issue #3 will be released in June 2024.

Welcome to The Nest

Our second issue of The Nest is here! Thank you to everyone for sharing your enthusiasm for issue #1 in December. We set out to create a publication that highlights and celebrates our wonderful community at Bannockburn, and your feedback told us that you appreciated all the magazine had to offer.

For this issue, the theme is garden and nurture. Education requires a level of dedication that is different than any other field, both from the teachers and their students. Like growing plants, success is measured individually, in both big and little ways. For some of our youngest students, success is putting on their shoes by themselves. For some of our grads, success is getting into their next school of choice. For our teachers, success is building a community of learners.

Building this community takes time and patience. Like gardening, we have to figure out what we’re growing. For Bannockburn, it’s in our mission statement: we’re growing “responsible, nurturing, peaceful young people with self-esteem and respect for others.” We need to create a school in which each learning space is rooted in healthy soil. Add hydration and sunshine! Finally, recognizing that each child is an individual and we need to take care of each one, under our watch, by nurturing them in the way they need to be cared for to elicit their growth.

This caretaking extends to the building itself. In this issue, you’ll read profiles of our caretaking team who keep our school in such pristine condition, and an interview with the BPA Chairs, who nurture our community through their activities all year long. There are also conversations with some of our teachers about how they maintain their high level of care and what success looks like to them. It is all about preparing the environment, whether that is the building, the classroom, or the lessons for the children to learn and grow, just as we prepare the soil, plant the seeds, and watch the miracle of our garden bloom.

In the words of Dr. Maria Montessori, “This then is the first duty of an educator: to stir up life, but leave it free to develop.”

- Jacqueline Richman, Interim Head of School

An Interview with Heather Fogarty Administrative Assistant

Heather Fogarty’s presence at Bannockburn is unique. Her actual job, Administrative Assistant, is an important one at every school, one that demands a high level of organization and efficiency, which she does with seemingly effortless aplomb.

But her presence is something else. Since the theme of this issue is garden and nurture, one can’t help but see her presence as something akin to landscaping. Like a landscaper, she maintains a level of natural peace in the school environment. She stocks all of our essential supplies and cares for a variety of growth in different conditions. She’s at the frontline for identifying and rectifying problems. And she consults with everyone invested in the overall prosperity of each seedling.

“I see my role as being a support person to everyone at the school, everyone who walks in the door: the children, the teachers, and the parents,” is how she explains it. “My role is to do anything I can to make their day go smoother and to assist them in what they’re trying to get done.”

At any given moment, her phone is ringing with questions from a current or prospective parent, there’s someone at the front door who she assesses for entry, a teacher will need her help with a large batch of photocopying, and a child is panicking because they’ve forgotten their snowpants/lunch/mittens/hat and she has just the thing to make them feel better. It can be dizzying to witness, but apparently, for her, it’s a joyful mix of tasks.

“The children are the priority. They come first in this place,” she says with tremendous fondness.

When your priorities are so clear, everything else naturally falls into place. Heather’s priorities of her family and her work guide her toward a life filled with gratitude. She worked as an administrative assistant for technology and venture capital companies, but long held a belief that she should work in a school. Then she had her children (Charlie is in UEL at Bannockburn, graduating this year, and Sydney is in Grade 10), and she wanted to stay home with them. From there, her goal of working in a school became even more clear.

“It was always my dream job to work at a school. I looked at it as a job that I would probably be good at, one that I could bring my administrative background and experience to, and I always thought it would be really fun to work with kids. And it is! It was meant to be.”

For Heather, one of the most joyful parts of this Bannockburn garden is that she gets to share it with Charlie and has watched him bloom.

“It’s been a lovely blessing to be allowed to see my child at school every day. And to see what an incredible difference Bannockburn has made in his life. Ms. Iravani was his first teacher here and she’s so wonderful and helped him so much. It was lovely to see him come in that first year of Lower Elementary and to come out of his shell. It is such a blessing to look out of my window at recess and see him playing with his friends. Not everybody gets to do that. I’m so fortunate that I’m allowed to be a part of his day-to-day life like that and have that time with him.”

She also feels fortunate to be at her unique access point in the school. She connects with the students, their parents, their teachers, and the entire staff on a regular basis. As such, she enjoys a vantage point to assess the entire community.

“The connections I get to have here are part of why I was drawn to working at a school and what I love about coming to work every day. It’s a very joyful, upbeat environment to work in and what other work climate do you get that in?”

Heather and the students seem to have a feedback loop of warmth and fun between them.

“I remember I was helping a student with something and she said, ‘You’re so kind and it’s so kind in the office.’ But, truthfully, I feel like I connect with the kids every day. They say funny things every day and I love that because they feel comfortable and safe.”

Outside of work, she has an equal sense of joy.

“I love spending time with my family, including our little dog Willow. I appreciate spending time together outdoors, hiking or going to Mt. Tremblant. I like spending time with my daughter because she’s a lot of fun to spend time with and is such good company.”

When people look at a garden space when all the plants are working in harmony, they might wonder, “How did this happen? How did you know how to create this?”

Heather doesn’t question that because like all truly happy people, she is filled with appreciation for all that she has and has genuine curiosity for others.

“I love my relationship with the staff and parents. I love hearing about what everyone does for the holidays and March Break. I love hearing about what activities the kids take part in after school. It’s fascinating to get a glimpse into other families’ lives and how everyone works to create what they want. To be a person in a support role you have to have a specific kind of personality. I really, really love my job.”

Her definition of work success follows the same track: “If the kids here had a good day with their friends and in their class and they enjoyed working on a project, that’s a successful day.”

An Interview with Toni-Marie Miller

Communications Assistant

When you walk into any space, it can evoke a certain feeling— picture say, the feeling inside a movie theatre compared to your dentist’s office. This is all by design, literally. Design dictates so much of our lives: our homes, streets, cars, products, clothes, parks, you name it.

At Bannockburn, the person in charge of creating and maintaining its design is Toni-Marie Miller. When you walk into the main lobby, there is often a poster outlining which classroom is where (Toni). When you like a post on our social media pages (Toni), or receive the annual report (Toni), or choose a Bannockburn sweatshirt with a new logo (Toni), or read this very magazine (Toni). You get the idea. For Toni, good design equals consistent, integrated messaging.

“Growing up, I wanted to be an architect. But then my idea expanded into what parts of architecture I really like, so I started to focus on the principles of design. My high school teacher used to drill that into our heads: the principles of design.”

For those wondering, “What are the principles of design?” they are emphasis, balance and alignment, contrast, repetition, proportion, movement, and white space.

People use the words art and design interchangeably, but there is a key distinction between them: design must have a clear purpose. This is grounded by a focal point, like our big “B” for Bannockburn. The rules of balance in design help to stabilize the creativity behind it.

Toni’s purpose here is, as she puts it, “focused on any design aspect of the school,” which includes graphic design, social media, newsletters, and branding. In 2022, she helped rebrand the school logo (for which there were many iterations), in an effort to make it more modern and consistent. Modern to her equals streamlined and simplified.

“I like the more modern look and Jaci helps pull it back to the delicate balance of incorporating certain things, school wise. The school has a strong tradition to build on, too, and we always want to reflect that.”

Her purpose, in other words, is to have that balance and alignment in all of the school’s messaging. She conveys the Bannockburn brand through social media posts, newsletters, and this magazine. She also helps to create the materials distributed to prospective families at open houses and private school expos. But she’s just as interested in monitoring the backend of our online presence, like the numbers used to supply a data picture.

Her design and business acumen were developed at school. “I have a Bachelor in Technology in Graphic Communications Management from TMU, and then I have a Graduate Certificate in Advertising and Marketing from Durham College. The university degree dealt more with print and digital marketing products, whereas the certificate taught more about social media advertising.”

When asked if there’s an overall strategy for communications at the school, she explains that one word factors into all of the key messaging: community.

“We’re very community focused at Bannockburn and we want our communications strategy to reflect that. Whenever we have events that parents come to, we want them to feel that because it’s true. It helps that the classes have different age groups because the smaller communities within our larger one are so interesting.”

Success at work for Toni is when her hard work elicits a moment of understanding from the viewer. “People appreciating the look of things, even the nice feedback I’ve gotten on this magazine, that feels like success. I don’t particularly like getting attention, but I do like to see when people appreciate what I do because I’m designing for this community of people.”

Outside of work, the creative world also beckons. She notices the principles of design in everything she does. “I’ve always been into art. When I was younger, my mom was also into art. She used to do fashion design drawings. I paint on the side, mostly landscapes and florals and I’m working on getting better at portraits.

I also really like gaming, adventure and role-playing games where you either build your own character or you have a character and you build a story. And I’ve recently gotten into wooden and metal models that are flat puzzle pieces that transform into 3D figures.”

In the end, Toni is proud to help create a consistent visual style for our school. She appreciates the craft behind good design, especially when it’s for a place that is meaningful to her.

“As an outside person who didn’t know anything about Montessori, I think it’s a really cool atmosphere and I sometimes think, ‘I wish I could’ve gone to a school like this.’ All of the different things that the kids do, and all the things they’re offered are really special.”

TD2

Talking to Tammy Mak, Adam Thompson & Jian Min Hu, TD2 Teachers

How do you maintain such a caring and nurturing quality in your classroom over time?

Jian:

For me, it’s the love of children. They are at the beginning of their learning journey and it’s really learning by living in this environment. We have a detailed and planned environment so that we can lead with the Montessori principles. We are facilitators to observe their learning and scaffold.

EF:

And not to feed you answers, but I can’t help but notice the amount of love in the classroom, too.

Adam:

That’s one of the reasons I got into teaching, actually. Before we moved to Toronto, Evelyn [his daughter, in UEL at Bannockburn], was going to a Montessori school in the States. I was picking her up from her half-day program one day and a little boy in her class took off his jacket and handed it to me with his big eyes and little smile. I put the jacket on his hook and then another girl came up to me with her hat…

EF and Jian (laughing)

EF: They knew you were someone to trust.

Adam:

Yes, and I thought, “This is really nice. I could do this.”

Jian:

It is the love. The other day one of the toddler’s came over and gave me a hug and then they all came over to hug me.

EF: Contagious hugs!

Jian (laughing):

Right! It really melted my heart.

Adam:

I think for toddlers we have to establish that level of comfort, familiarity, and acceptance and support so that they feel safe and cared for—then they can go on and do the work in the classroom.

How would you describe the community in the classroom?

Adam:

I’d say fun and joyful. We try to maintain clear expectations for behaviour and their work, but when it’s appropriate, we have fun in circle time, outside, in the gym…

Jian:

When you let them play on the mats…

Adam (laughing):

We pretend to fall asleep on the big pads and then they climb all over us. Saving that silliness for structured moments is a good skill for them to learn.

Tammy Mak Jian Min Hu

Adam Thompson

Can you think of the last time a student delighted you?

[Tammy joined us a bit later because she was prepping for the students.]

Tammy:

It happens all the time. It’s part of their adaptability and how quickly they pick things up, especially language. If their first language isn’t English or they’re not talking yet, and then the next day it seems they have so much word acquisition: “Hi, bye, crackers!” It’s a new thing every day.

EF:

That speaks to the responsibility of this job, I think, and what an important foundational role you all play.

Adam:

We’re aware of it in how we have to model behaviour for them all the time because they model ours.

Jian:

I see some of the younger ones opening up to us, and once they become older they become more confident and excited about things like leading the group, which is more modelling of behaviour.

What does success at work look like?

Adam:

For me, it’s when you have a breakthrough with the students, like when they put their shoes on all by themselves or they use a material successfully all by themselves. Those moments mean a lot.

Jian:

I’m taking courses at TMU in Early Childhood Studies and when I see in our classroom something that correlates to something I’ve read in a book, I have that Aha! moment. I really enjoy those moments.

Did you all want to be teachers since you were younger? Adam, you mentioned being inspired by Evelyn’s class, but did you think about it before then?

Adam:

That really sparked it, but I’ve always enjoyed working with kids. In college, I coached track for a summer recreation league for little kids and I really enjoyed that.

Jian:

I’ve wanted to be a teacher starting from when I was 14. I visited a teacher’s school back in China and really liked it, but was encouraged by my dad to go into business. I was a financial analyst.

EF:

Fewer hugs in finance, I imagine.

Jian (laughing):

Yes. Teaching is my second career. I started with Early Childhood Education and then I did my Montessori training and now I’m at TMU.

EF:

What about you, Tammy? Did you always want to be a teacher?

Tammy:

I wanted to go into art, photography, that kind of thing, but teaching always seemed like a good, stable job. I still like to be out in nature taking photographs, though.

What makes you laugh at work?

Jian:

I think it’s funny when Mr. Thompson (Adam) calls a strawberry an apple.

Adam (laughing):

I like to misname things for the kids sometimes because it’s another way to be silly. They love to get that joke.

If you weren’t a teacher, what job do you think you’d like to be doing?

Tammy:

I think I’d like to be a conservation officer.

[Editor’s note: Conservation officers protect the safety of natural resources, including fishing and hunting, as well as preventing forest fires.]

EF:

Leave only footprints?

Tammy:

That’s it, yes.

EF:

And Jian, what about you? Would you be in finance?

Jian:

I think I would travel around and collect stories from people. Before starting at Bannockburn, I actually had about 40 stories collected from the Toronto storytelling community where lots of storytellers share their stories from different groups. The best part is when people from different parts of the world tell the same story—maybe the characters’ names change and the plot gets twisted a bit—but it’s the same story with their own voice.

EF:

That is beautiful. And Adam?

Adam:

I’d like to write children’s books. [Besides Evelyn, Adam also has a daughter in PR1, Abigail. He thinks up stories for his daughters as well as his students, one of which is displayed on the first floor outside the toddler classrooms.] And ceramics, which I used to study. I always thought it would be fun to have a studio and open it up to have kids join.

One last question: if your classroom was a garden, what would you be growing that would best represent TD2?

Jian:

I think a tomato plant because they grow so well in many conditions. They’re hardy.

Adam:

That’s good because the children are resilient and, like a tomato plant, they benefit from structure and guidance. The plant needs a trellis or something to climb up.

An Interview with Tanya Davis School Nurse

If schools are indeed like gardens, Tanya Davis would be an arborist. She is the school nurse, which means that, like an arborist who cares for trees, she examines and offers diagnoses, applies treatment, and repairs damage.

Her beginning, though, was education. She has a dedication to teaching others and an energy for life that is infectious in her company (and, yes, the word “infectious” in a profile of our nurse was intentional).

Tanya became interested in nursing when her son Isaiah (now 14), was a baby and had febrile seizures, which are very common among young children with a high fever. During his treatment, she couldn’t help but notice how helpful and essential the nurses were, and thought, “I want to do that, too.”

Returning to high school science and reviewing all the material to upgrade before applying to nursing school might have deterred a different type of person. But, she knew that combining her educational background—she has a teaching degree and an early childhood education certificate—with nursing would allow her to always have meaningful work.

And meaningful it is! Her role at Bannockburn is multifaceted. As the nurse, she assesses and treats each cut, bruise, nosebleed, stomachache, and ailment common to school children. She also maintains a crucial administrative role, which is overseeing the medical information on Operoo, our student and staff online filing system, to update medical and allergy information and absences. She routinely confirms with families that she has the correct supplies at the ready.

Also, like an arborist, she consults with others to prioritize health prevention of the entire orchard. With Isabella Foster, she manages health and safety policies, including the regular work of Child Care and Early Years Act (CCEYA) licensing. Besides the health of the individuals inside, this also establishes the health and safety of the actual building. These policies ensure that play structures

and materials are tested and deemed safe, classroom air quality is consistently monitored, and water supply is regularly certified.

For Tanya, this is how you educate yourself, by gathering as much information as possible to provide an overall picture of health. And health to her is at the forefront.

“Being healthy can come across in many different ways. It’s not weight or the shape of a body. Health is how you feel about yourself and how you take care of yourself. It’s empowering to feel comfortable in your own skin and to be happy when you see yourself in the mirror.”

She loves her role at the school, helping everyone take good care of themselves. And she knows that happy children are healthy ones.

“When I used to work in the clinic, I would see kids who were not happy. They would come in and want some sort of external change, and I always wanted them to know that health is not about that.”

As a teacher and educator, she also appreciates her time in the classroom and on specific duties.

“You’ve got to be a part of the community because that’s how you build trust. We can’t expect kids to feel comfortable getting help for something if they don’t know you. I like lunch duty for that reason, so they get to know me outside the nurse’s office. Teachers are always helping coach or with other activities, and it’s the same idea about building community. And we have such a good admin team here—Jaci, Sharon, Heather, Toni, and myself—we all work together and we all have one goal, to make this a healthy and happy space for the children.”

Many educators at Bannockburn talk about observation as a foundation of Montessori learning. The same is true for Tanya. She carefully observes the children to make sure that she’s hearing everything she needs to.

“To be a school nurse, you’ve got to love children and listen. Active listening is key. A lot of times children come to me to express what’s going on, and when they are hurt they often want to talk about how they are feeling. You have to be that approachable person. So when I help out in the classrooms, outside of the nurse’s office, I’m actively listening there, too.”

Outside of work, she loves spending time with her children. In addition to Isaiah, she’s also the mom to Alyssa, age 9. Both children participate in competitive sports (basketball for Isaiah and gymnastics for Alyssa), and Tanya encourages these healthy outlets for their development. As an educator, she’s also grateful to their teachers for looking after them, the same ways she appreciates the teachers at Bannockburn.

“This is a great community of people. I’m looking forward to adding something else next term for them, which is training staff for first aid and CPR certifications. My day isn’t long enough! I’d love to continue to teach children, adults, everyone. I always wanted to be a teacher and I love this job because I love the combination of education and nursing.”

PR2

Talking to Sue Pattni & Faegheh Hosseini, PR2 Teachers

How do you maintain such a caring and nurturing quality in your classroom over time?

Sue:

We do a lot of planning and preparation. The more prepared you are, the more smoothly things go. And unpredictable things always come up, so we handle the things that need to be tended to in the moment. We prepare a lot for lessons, but also if there’s a special craft or celebration or occasion, we put a lot of thought into the many pieces of that.

EF:

It sounds like all of that planning allows you to be in the moment?

Sue:

Exactly. Being calm helps a lot. Calm and clear expectations and routines. Over time they embrace the structure of their day and they grow in confidence.

Faegheh:

That sense of order is so important to them. We observe a lot, too, which means when we talk about expectations, it means we can have a unique set of expectations for each child.

Sue:

Keeping each child over two-three years means we can develop a strong understanding of their needs, and that’s how we can nurture each one.

How would you describe the community in the classroom?

Sue:

Lively, fun, a little competitive at times, very spirited. They’re very bright, so we have a lot of great discussions. There’s so much enthusiasm from the class leaders, the older children, that it becomes contagious.

EF:

They set the tone.

Sue:

They do. Also, these children are so eager to help without being asked. They like to help the younger children with their work, or with their shoes, or to comfort them when they’re feeling sad. They can be very kind—they can be very understanding if a younger child is acting out.

Faegheh:

What does success at work look like?

When the child does the work and feels good about it.

Sue:

Yes, and it’s the whole package. They might not have learned how to read exactly when you want, but they have learned how to tidy up really well and be responsible. When you go home at the end of the day and you’ve had some of those moments in the class, when a child has made some progress in some way, that feels like success.

Faegheh:

When a child is not participating in the beginning and then slowly does, that is very satisfying. More struggle initially makes the success meaningful in a different way.

Sue Pattni

Faegheh Hosseini

Can you recall a class parent saying something to you that was especially meaningful?

Sue:

I remember a parent saying to me after their child was in my class for only a couple of weeks, “You really understand my child.” It was very kind that they communicated that to me. They had not felt that in the child’s previous school. We’ve always been so lucky to have such supportive parents.

Faegheh:

I’m thinking of one student in particular who’s very quiet. Yesterday, his father came to pick him up and I said, “Without asking, your son offered to help in the classroom today,” and his father was so happy. We have moments like that all the time, where we get to share special things with the class parents.

Sue:

Even when they just say that their children are happy at school, that’s a good thing to know, that they go home and share that. That’s what we want first and foremost, that the children are happy here. And when the parents notice their children’s progress, that’s really meaningful, too.

Faegheh:

When we send work home, the parents very often the next day will say how proud they are of their children.

Sue:

The sense of pride that a child has in accomplishing their work is so important. We’re always striving for ways in which a child can feel really good about themselves.

Can you think of the last time a student surprised you?

Faegheh:

They surprise us all the time! Some students begin by not wanting to participate at all, and as the school year goes on they become such good readers and strong at math.

Sue:

Sometimes it’s the children who have trouble following the rules who then, in turn, will help another child having difficulty later with the same thing. It’s like a kind recognition they see in another person.

Faegheh:

And sometimes the surprise is when two children who seem irritated with each other become good friends!

If your classroom was a garden, which plant would best represent PR2?

Sue:

It’s got to be the orchid! When you get the optimal conditions, you get a beautiful flower. It takes patience and effort to create the bloom, and when you get it, it is something to celebrate.

Faegheh:

Something that brings joy.

An Interview with Dili Altay Bookkeeper

Dilhumar Altay is Bannockburn School’s bookkeeper. The name Dilhumar is an Uyghur name derived from the Persian noun for “heart.” One could make a convincing case that accounting is the heartbeat of the school. It’s difficult to maintain a student body if no one is paying the bills!

Dilhumar, or Dili, as we call her, has been at Bannockburn for six years. In the thirty years of our school’s existence, she is only the second person to hold this role. The first was Anne Hall, an adored member of Bannockburn’s community from the beginning, who died suddenly in 2018. Dili sees her own work as an extension of the strong structure that was already in place.

“This school is very well run and my responsibilities are to continue that by preparing accounting support for the school and finance committee. I maintain accounts receivables, payroll, and ensure that everyone is paid on time and correctly. I help prepare reports for the finance committee and board members so they can analyze and prepare for next year’s school budget.”

When asked about her busiest time of year, she said, “We have an audit every year, at the end of July, that’s a very busy time. And when re-enrolment starts, that’s a very busy time. It’s also a busy time when I prepare tax receipts for the parents and T4s for the employees.”

It started to become clear that there are many busy periods in the accounting life of a school. She is dedicated to ensuring that staff payroll, taxes, benefits, and RRSP contributions are always in perfect order, and this is derived in part from her scrupulous professionalism, and also in part from her deep affection for this school community.

“I like working in this environment so much. The school is amazing. I didn’t know about this school before working here, but if I had I would definitely have sent my daughter here. I love the staff here; everyone is so friendly. I feel like I’m part of the Bannockburn

family in which everyone helps each other. Jaci, Sharon, Heather … everyone is so nice.”

The yearly audit that she mentioned is because of Bannockburn’s non-profit status. A non-profit is a legal entity separate from its members and directors formed for purposes other than generating a profit to be distributed to its members, directors, or officers. This does not mean that non-profits can’t earn a profit, but if they do, they must be used to further the goals of the corporation rather than to pay dividends to members. For Dili, preparing for the yearly audit is an exercise in foresight.

“We don’t know what they’re going to ask in the audit every year, so we need to over-prepare to ensure that we have all the information they need.”

There’s also an element of providence in the budget help she provides, since the confidential data reports she creates are used to inform budget decisions for the following year. The work of accounting must be invested in both current and forward thinking.

Looking backwards, however, is also interesting.

“I am Uyghur, from the northwest part of China [Xinjiang],” she said. Her journey from Uyghur to Canada involves learning about a significant group that isn’t always mentioned in the history books. There are about 12 million Uyghurs living in Xinjiang, which is officially known as the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR). The Uyghur language is similar to Turkish. It was there that she studied civil engineering, with a specific focus on hydraulic structures.

After earning her university degree, she moved to Israel with her husband where he was getting his PhD, and they lived there for five years with their son. They came to Canada in 2004, where she had their second child, a daughter. Dili felt like she hadn’t worked in her engineering field in some time and wanted to make a change, so she went to Seneca College for a finance and accounting course. She worked in the accounting department for different companies, and then a Bannockburn board member mentioned that there was an opening here. She feels very grateful for that fortuitous encounter and enjoys the ability to work independently while also being such a part of things.

In the end, the rules of accounting tie in directly with our theme of garden and nurture.

“Financial maintenance is when everything is in balance. And when there’s a bit extra, I’d love to help find it to support wonderful supplies for the kids and the staff, who deserve it.”

LEL1

Talking to Goli Iravani & Esther Kang, LEL1 Teachers

How do you stay motivated to keep such a high level of care every day?

Esther:

Kindness is very important and creating that peaceful environment in the classroom goes very far. Maria Montessori believed that in order to have peace in the classroom, you have to have peace in yourself. The children will feel that. The Grade 3 girls gave me and Ms. Iravani each a picture today that expresses exactly that. It’s a drawing of smiley, heart-shaped characters and underneath they wrote how much they appreciate our kindness and happiness in the classroom. It melted my heart.

If you weren’t a teacher, what job would you find interesting?

Esther:

I did my degree in IT (Information Technology) at York University and thought my career would be in that. When I moved to the Canary Islands, it was there that I begun to imagine my life as a teacher, and then I returned home to get my training. I can’t imagine a better job.

How would you describe the optimal conditions for learning and how do you create that in your classroom?

Goli:

Comfortable, friendly, no competition. I don’t like to directly say, ‘This is a mistake.’ I like to frame feedback as a suggestion. When we’re checking their work, they are expecting judgment, which like any human, means they are under stress. I like to start with a positive comment, and then offer a suggestion: ‘Do you mean this?’ Or ‘Maybe you wanted to say something closer to this?’ It’s kind of fishing the words out of their mouths. Then I let them know by rephrasing it, it means I can understand their work better.

Esther:

Once students reach elementary, they’re often interested in issues of morality and justice. Understanding that and nurturing what that child is going through at that moment in their life, from 6-8-years-old, is really important. Optimal conditions at this time also mean integrating lessons about different cultures and backgrounds and understanding them. We also encourage peer interaction when they can work together on projects. They work together so cooperatively, it’s really nice to see.

Goli:

I think I’d be a good detective! I’m so into details and notice things other people don’t. My father was a judge, so I probably learned from him how to check for clues.

A great quote from Maria Montessori when I think of community is, “The greatest sign of success for a teacher is to be able to say, ‘The children are now working as if I did not exist.’” By observing them as much as we do, you learn what their needs are. We’re there to spark that interest for them.

Goli Iravani

Esther Kang

What makes you laugh at work?

Goli:

I laugh a lot in class. The kids made me a note that said, “We love when you laugh with Mrs. Kang.” For example, I made a coffee for myself and then asked Esther if she wanted one and made one for her. When I gave it to her, one of the boys said, “Whoa! That’s a nice warm drink!” So we laughed. A few days later, I handed her another coffee and he said, “Oh, your coffee maker is here again.” So funny. And then a couple of weeks later I went to Starbucks and brought her a coffee and he said, “Coffee delivery!” We could not stop laughing.

Esther:

The kids are hilarious, but so is Ms. Iravani. We have a lot of fun. One of the students asked us, “Are you two sisters?” We thought that was so sweet and so funny because we obviously don’t look alike! The student said, “Because you’re so nice to each other and laugh together.”

What did you like about grade school?

Esther:

I loved the cursive writing actually. When I heard they were taking it out of the traditional school system, I thought it was another reason why Bannockburn is so amazing because the curriculum here understands the specific learning and mechanics of writing that children need.

Goli:

My Grade One teacher, who if I saw today I would appreciate, because she managed everything in the class very well, but her favouritism I didn’t like. She created a lot of competition between the kids in the class. With my Grade Two teacher, I learned a lot of multitasking. For example, during reading comprehension lessons, she would read the story from our literature book. For the second reading, she would snap her fingers as she read certain spelling words, and we would underline or highlight that word. Then she would give us the dictée from the last week’s lesson, and would write those words in cursive on the board. While she was checking the dictées from her desk, we’d be writing those words down from the board. This was multitasking and always planning for the next lesson. It taught me about how much students like a follow-up from a lesson to learn why it was important.

What do your own children teach you?

Esther:

My children (Levi is 13 and Faith is 8), are so different from each other, but they’re both very empathetic people who have perseverance. My son is extremely mathematically minded and my daughter is really language focused. Watching them has reminded me of the importance of why observation is so important. Each person is unique and strong in one area and might need a bit of support in another.

Goli:

I am learning from my daughter (Donna, who is in university), how to make a boundary. If I say ‘I’m sorry,’ she’ll say, ‘Why? You didn’t do anything wrong.’ She said to me, ‘You know, Mom, you are filled with happiness and energy and positivity.’ It helped me to not take full responsibility for everything all the time. I realized that I had taught her that it’s okay to say no.

If your classroom was a garden plot, what would you be growing?

Esther:

Maybe sunflowers? I like the idea of their faces turning toward the sun and growing so much in a set period.

[EF note: I interviewed Esther and Goli separately and they both said a sunflower, which I found both surprising and touching.]

Goli:

A sunflower, because I believe that a teacher could be a seed and then hundreds of seeds grow from that.

Primitive habitats, courtesy of our UEL students

An Interview with John Douglas

“I keep busy.”

John Douglas, head of maintenance, says this in what feels like a massive understatement. It’s tempting to review his role and life in a series of numbers to understand more:

Eight: He’s been at Bannockburn for eight years. Even though he’s an independent contractor and not a school employee, he’s still been our reliable go-to person for maintenance issues—cleaning, structural, and mechanical.

“I’m here to solve problems. When everything is going smoothly, I’m happy. It’s just staying on top of things.”

This sometimes means that if there’s something specific or extra that needs to get done due to a spill or an accident, he’ll show up as soon as possible to pitch in. He’s also regularly at the school to do repairs, but also to oversee that everything is functioning as it should.

“For example, I came here this morning because parents were here until 6:30 last night and I wanted to make sure nothing was missed with the evening cleanup crew,” he said. “But everything was fine, so that was good. I like to ensure the teachers have no problems in their space.”

Seven: He has seven children.

Ten: The age of his youngest.

Thirties: His eldest!

If you want to see his face light up, ask him about his children.

“One’s a librarian at Durham University—she did her graduate library degree. Another one is a French teacher in the Peel region and she just got her Juris Doctor [a professional degree to practice law], so I’m invited to a dinner!”

“Another daughter got her green card to go to the States. She

became a postal worker and then she became a 911 operator. Then she joined the police academy and became a detective. This past January, she made the SWAT team.”

“Four of my kids were homeschooled and I wasn’t for homeschooling in the beginning, until the first one that was homeschooled started at West Hill in Grade 10 and got straight As. In Grade 12, he became Athlete of the Year. Now he’s teaching at the same school he went to and there’s photos of him up and the kids love him.”

“All of my kids are working hard. I’ve got some really cool kids.”

A celebratory number! John just recently celebrated a milestone birthday and took all seven kids to St. Maarten.

“We had a lot of fun out there in the islands.”

Nine: Seven bunkies + one RV + one converted school bus = John’s property up north.

“I thought about my kids and wondered, ‘What could I give them?’ So I bought the property up north. I bought seven bunkies and put their names on each one.”

He and his wife stay in the RV, but what’s this about a converted school bus? Is it just a coincidence that he’s always maintaining school property, even on vacation?

“It’s a 72-passenger bus turned cabin. It has a couch, some leather chairs, bedding, a wood-burning fireplace, a sink, and a TV. It’s great.”

One: He also has a weekend business. “I have a photo booth company (Toronto Photo Booth Company). We started the photo booth nine years ago and we thought it was interesting and did some more research and saw that in the UK they did one out of a VW bus. I drive it or haul it, because it’s a vintage vehicle, to weddings and guests love it. It’s a 1977 Westphalia and they get inside and take photos. It’s a weekend gig that’s a lot of fun.”

Two: He’s very grateful to two people specifically at Bannockburn: Sharon and Jaci.

“They’re awesome! They invite me to their luncheons and Christmas parties and I love being included. It’s the only time I get to socialize with the teachers outside of the building. Sharon and Jaci always make me feel comfortable, like I’m part of the family.”

An Interview with Rowena and Esteban

School Custodians

Before visitors to Bannockburn learn the details about the curriculum or the benefits of a Montessori education, and before they witness the good feeling in the classrooms, most comment on the cleanliness of the space. Our school is 30,000 square feet with 165 students and 35 staff. How does it stay this clean?

Enter Rowena Teologo and Esteban Becerra, who clean and care for our school everyday from 5:30AM to 2PM. They both focus on different goals for the cleaning protocol.

“My role is for the enhanced cleaning,” Rowena explains. “I clean all the touch points at the school—like all the door handles, railings, and stairs—and sanitize everything for the safety of the kids. Every day I clean the washrooms four or five times. I clean all the office spaces, kitchens, teacher lounges, and empty all the garbage cans. Every day it’s a full top-to-bottom clean. Esteban and I help each other.”

*Esteban nods and elaborates on his duties: ”Every day I arrive here at 5:30 in the morning and make sure the snow is removed and salt is down so it’s safe for all the children to come into the school. Then I focus on the first and second floors—all the carpets and classroom spaces.”

Rowena adds to his list. “He also fixes the fence and does furniture repairs, paints and does touch-ups, brings the gallon-jugs of water up from the basement, and during the summer and holidays helps to wax the floors to do a deeper clean.”

They know that their jobs play an important safety feature at the school, and not just on the inside. They also clean the outdoor play areas, wiping down the jungle gym and removing any debris like masks or garbage that floats into the space. And even though there’s clearly a No Dogs sign posted, people still walk there after hours and don’t clean up after their dogs. So, Rowena and Esteban do a check every day to make sure it’s clean for the kids.

When asked how they manage to cover such a large building each day, Rowena laughingly explains: “We’re always running here, running there, fast, fast, fast!”

Rowena’s tremendous work ethic can be credited in part, to her beginnings. She was born and raised in the Philippines on her family farm. She and her siblings were part of maintaining the farm from the time she was young.

“There was no electricity, no telephone, no cell phone. We grew rice, corn, vegetables, fruit. There are six in my family, so one of us was always helping to plant the rice and corn.”

Her son, now 34, manages the farm today, and her brother and parents still live there. (It’s worth noting that her son does this work while also having four children and working full-time as a police officer, which tells us something else about the work ethic in this family.) She has three other children who live with her here in Toronto.

Esteban was born and raised in Bogotá, which is the capital and largest city in Colombia. He went to two private schools growing up: the first was a military school and the second a religious school from which he graduated. He went on to get a teaching degree in sports education. When he first left Colombia he went to the States, but his wife came to study in Toronto, so they moved here. Their daughter, Sophia, was born in Toronto 15 months ago.

When asked what they like to do outside of work, both Rowena and Esteban hesitated for quite some time. They are both at times in their lives in which “outside of work” isn’t a fully viable concept. Rowena recently gave up a second job at the behest of her children who wanted her to have time to rest. Esteban leaves work, picks up Sophia, cares for her and cleans and cooks until his wife gets home from work. (He used to have a second job as well, before Sophia.) Then they plan the next day and do it all over again. This was communicated as a fact and with some pride. It also highlights why the recognition of their contributions to Bannockburn feels so important. As parents everywhere tell their children, “This room isn’t going to clean itself!” the same could be said for our school.

Much has been written lately about the importance of having purpose in one’s life, which is generally understood as the intention to stay focused on one’s tasks and knowing that what you do makes a difference. It’s inspiring to witness Rowena and Esteban’s purpose to support their families while making a significant difference in the Bannockburn community.

*A big thank you to Lorena Lasky, our very own art teacher, for helping to translate the Spanish for this interview.

Rowena Teologo Esteban Becerra

Bannockburn Timeline of Monthly Events

Each year Bannockburn has an array of events that the community is invited to at the school. Some events are held by the school to help parents understand the Montessori curriculum taught here each day. Other events are held by the BPA to foster community and raise funds to add extras to the school for the children’s enrichment. Some of these events are long-standing traditions, while others are apt to change from year to year. Here is a sampling of the ones that took place this year…

Jan.

Sept.

A Back-toSchool Open House to meet your teachers and see your classroom before the first day of school

The Terry Fox Run Bannockburn has been collecting Toonies for Terry for over 20 years

The Ice Cream Social!

A sweet new tradition that began in 2008

Truth and Reconciliation Day honoured by wearing orange shirts and learning about their significance

Curriculum Night where parents have an opportunity to become familiar with what their child will learn every day at school

PR & EL Open Classrooms where students’ proudly show their work to their parents

Winter Field Trips to participate in winter sports, such as skating, skiing, snowshoeing, and even dog sledding

Feb. Apr.

Our participation in *MMUN (Montessori Model United Nations) conference in New York City began in 2015

[*MMUN is a simulation of the General Assembly of the United Nations for students from Montessori schools in which they take on the role of ambassadors of Member States in order to debate current topics.

Elementary Student Conferences where students share their goals and successes with their parents

Bannockburn’s Family Skate began in 2015 as a Sunday afternoon tradition of skating and hot chocolate

The Book Sale puts books into the hands of our readers and fundraises for the Children’s Book Bank

The Spring Sale features plants and flowers, which make perfect gifts for spring holidays and Parent’s Day

Our annual Earth Day Assembly focuses on what we can do to be kind to our planet

Parent Teacher conferences for parents to learn more about their child’s progress

The Valentine’s Waffle Party, which originally began as a pancake party inspired by Pancake Tuesday

May

Parents’ Day has been celebrated at Bannockburn since the beginning: first as Mother’s Day and later as a recognition of all parents

The Grad Trip has been a school tradition for more than 20 years. It began with a trip to Ottawa, but each year students choose where to go and locations have included Calgary, St. John’s, and Montreal

Truth & Reconciliation Day

Winter Ski Trips

MMUN Trip

BPA Spring Sale

Terry Fox Run

Oct.

The Thanksgiving Sale is for flowers, pies, and other treats

Field Trips to farms to embrace the harvest, gather pumpkins, and see the animals

Nov.

Class Observations allow parents to watch their child at work in their everyday environment

Each classroom enjoys Thanksgiving Celebrations and special treats

Montessori Education Week celebrates the work of Dr. Maria Montessori Cultural Assemblies have been presented since the 1990s to showcase the cultures represented in our school and around the world

Pink Shirt Day is a celebration of diversity and a promise to create learning environments in which everyone feels safe, valued, and respected

Parent Teacher Conferences so parents can stay up-to-date on their child’s progress

Our Remembrance Day Assembly features a different theme each year—some have included the contributions of women on the home front, the role of veterans, and how service animals help during wartime

Mar.

Spring Field Trips to celebrate new life growing in spring, such as a trip to the Kortright Centre to learn about the maple syrup-making process

Jun.

The Fun Fair is the biggest event of the school year and our major fundraiser. It is filled with carnival games, bouncy castles, slides, obstacle courses, food, ice cream, and friends

Primary Play Day and Elementary Sports Day are filled with fun activities and friendly competition

The Toddler March Break Program allows the toddler students to continue their learning in a consistent manner

Dec.

The Holiday Sale began in the early 2000s to sell gifts, baked goods, and wreaths

Holiday Singa-Long where the whole school comes together to celebrate the holiday season Odyssey is an exploration of the inhabitants, history, and geography of different countries. For the Grade 5s and 6s, it is connected to the countries they are representing at MMUN (see February). With their research, the students present solutions as a delegate of that country.

Graduation is a special occasion in which we honour our outstanding Grade 6 graduating students Bannockburn Camp begins six weeks of summer fun for students of all ages

Centre Island School Trip is a special day for the whole school to enjoy a day of friends, fun, and a schoolwide picnic lunch

Colour Key:

Curriculum Based BPA Event

Special Celebration

School-Wide Event Class Trip Camps

Fall Pumpkin Farm Trips

Remembrance Day

Cultural Assembly

Montessori Education Week Odyssey

Valentine’s Waffle Party Fun Fair

Graduation

An Interview with Tracy Morgan and Christine Bernardini

Chairs of the BPA

It’s not especially original to equate a school for young children with a garden: the German word kindergarten means “children’s garden” after all. Still, the theme of this issue lends itself to so many interesting conversations about what it means to nurture a community of young people.

One distinctly heartening interview happened with Tracy Morgan and Christine Bernadini, the two chairs of Bannockburn’s Parent Association (BPA). It was such a pleasure to speak with them about why they do the work they do, what they love about Bannockburn, and what they’re hoping to leave behind.

“I think, for me, it’s the response we get from the kids, but also from the parents about how much their child enjoyed something we planned,” Tracy says. “That keeps us going.”

Christine agrees. “And part of it, too, is the feeling of giving back. Other people made such efforts to start up such great traditions, and keeping it going is important.”

This stewardship of Bannockburn traditions is no small feat. Tracy and Christine organize and run a packed calendar of seasonal events. An incomplete list includes the ice cream social in September; pizza and sub lunches throughout the year; a once-aterm burger lunch; a BPA-sponsored lunch every Friday; a fall sale for flowers, pumpkins, and pies; a multi-day holiday sale for gifts; the Valentine’s Day waffle party; a family skate; a new event in March called the BPA dance party and pizza social; a parent social; a book sale that is also a fundraiser for the Children’s Book Bank; and the showstopper that is the Fun Fair in June, for which the entire school grounds are transformed into games, food trucks, entertainment, and rides for the kids.

And these are just the events! They also hold monthly meetings in the mornings at school, and once-a-term evening meetings for parents who prefer that time slot. They write and update the community with their newsletter each Thursday, the BPA Buzz.

For parents who want to be involved, but don’t have a lot of time to offer, they recommend that you email them directly at bpa@ bannockburn.ca. There are so many big and little jobs throughout the year and everyone is welcome to contribute whatever they can.

When asked why they volunteer in such a significant way, their answers are rooted in family.

“I want to demonstrate to my children [Ben is in UEL, graduating this year, and Elliott is in LEL] that I’m engaged in their community as well,” says Tracy.

“Rachel [Christine’s daughter in LEL] thinks I work at the school,” she says with a laugh. She also has twins Valerie and Vincent in Primary.

What they’re communicating to their children, and all the children at Bannockburn, is that this matters. The learning and joy that are part of these particular years in a child’s life have tremendous foundational importance for the entire family. This place is worthy of this much time.

As well, being co-chairs of the BPA comes with a lot of fun and meaning for them both. “The book sale means that the kids in our community can go and purchase books, and after that’s finished we bring the donation of the funds we collected with the unsold books to the Children’s Book Bank. Having the opportunity to participate in this kind of service means a lot,” says Tracy.

For those who may not be familiar with the Children’s Book Bank, it’s a literacy support centre for children in high-needs neighbourhoods in Toronto. Unlike the library, children are given free books to keep, which helps with equal access and literacy rates across the socioeconomic divide.

For Christine, “it’s not an event per se, but number one is working with Tracy and Jaci. But it’s also the small things, like when a little kid comes up to us and they know our names, they feel comfortable with us—that sticks with me.”

Both Tracy and Christine are very clear that they don’t do this work alone, that they depend on subcommittees of parent volunteers for each event and leadership from Jaci Richman, Interim Head of School.

“She’s done everything. She’s been on the board, she’s had three kids attend the school, she’s been the BPA Chair, and she’s very,

Christine Bernardini Tracy Morgan

very helpful to us. Even now when she’s doing two roles at once, she’s a well of knowledge for us. We couldn’t do it if it weren’t for Jaci,” Tracy says.

As for how they define success in the organization, they agree that fundraising goals are important, but also certain intangibles exist, like the rewarding feeling of a new parent venturing out to a BPA event and being welcomed warmly into the community.

While they don’t do this volunteer work for the recognition, they are both moved by the way certain parents, teachers, and students reach out to them to convey their gratitude.

“We do this work for so many other reasons and not to be acknowledged in that way, but I have to say when we are, it’s touching,” Tracy says. “Our main goal is to have something that works for each child at the school, even if it’s just enjoying a pizza lunch.”

One of the greatest aspects of the BPA is the intention that goes into all the planning. This work demands a proactive and caring system of addressing the community-led goals.

“When the school moved, it was so imperative to emphasize community,” says Christine. “For the new people joining, we set out to make sure they knew who we were. Before school officially begins in September, there’s a day when families can come in and see the classrooms and we were there greeting them at the door, handing out stickers, chatting. The intention behind this is to say to parents, ‘You know someone here. You can come to us with whatever you need.’ From then on, we have events, but it starts there with the goal of bringing friendly faces and learning names of new members of the community.”

In the words of writer Elizabeth Andrew, “Volunteers do not necessarily have the time; they just have the heart.”

An Interview with Samira Hsu

Centre for Student Success

Samira Hsu is Bannockburn School’s Head of Student Success. Since we all have our own individual ideas of what success looks like, and the word is literally part of her job title, I was curious about how she defines it in this support role for students.

“We look for small things. For one student, it might mean that they were able to plan their week really well and they learn to prioritize,” she said.

Outside of the reading, writing, and math help that she offers to students, Samira works with them on their executive functioning skills, or, as she puts it, she “likes to teach the students how to learn.”

The gentleness and dedication evident in her response is indicative of how she approaches her role here. She sees it as a member of the child’s team along with their teachers: “We’re very intertwined about student needs. We’re communicating all the time about how the student is doing and what kind of thing I can work on.”

Then, like stones lining a garden path, she takes this information to create a personal education plan. For children who have had an assessment done, she uses the recommendations from a psychologist to understand the modifications and accommodations (academic, environmental, sensory related) that relate to instruction. In this way, like a path, she offers a clear way forward for them.

“The personal education plan is an important tool to have not just while they are at Bannockburn, but going forward. Wherever the student goes next, they can walk in with their toolkit and know what they need to perform at their optimal level. This plan is not a label, it’s a lifeline.”

The lifeline begins in the most humble of ways: by highlighting mistakes. If it seems incongruous that our Head of Student Success is adamant that the children both make and recognize mistakes, it means that our definition of success needs to be expanded.

“Something I always say to the kids is that you have to make mistakes. As soon as they make an error, they often want to erase it. Instead of that, I ask them to put one line through it. It’s twofold: one, it’s important for my planning for the next lesson, and two, I also want them to feel comfortable. I try to show them that if you don’t take risks and you don’t make mistakes, you’re actually staying at the same level.”

Mistakes and failure are fundamental to learning. Do we even remember the big successes later in life? Or do we typically remember the moments that began as mistakes and turned into achievements?

“When they’ve completed two or three terms I’ll say, ‘Look at your writing here, and then look at it here!” It’s very hard to visualize growth and progress without seeing these rites of passage.”

According to Samira, there are big and little reasons why a child might need some extra time to understand a lesson.

“Having worked in a classroom for about 20 years, you realize how much can be accomplished if students receive some one-on-one support to fill in learning gaps. Whether it’s because of a learning obstacle or that child is new to the school or they had health issues and they missed a great deal of school—I thought it would be nice to have a centre for all students to have a quiet space and receive the support they need.”

She makes it clear that the centre is for all students, with or without an assessment. “Parents are welcome to email me (css@ bannockburn.ca) and I’m happy to meet with them alone or with their child’s teacher. Sometimes it’s Jaci [Jacqueline Richman, Head of School] and I with the parents—whatever they prefer.”

After two decades of teaching and realizing her goal for student success, she did her training in Orton-Gillingham, which is a program designed to help students become proficient in language skills through structured, multi-sensory, individualized, and cumulative instruction. Dr. Orton was a cohort of Maria Montessori’s, and there is a complementary overlap of the teaching styles. Both use connected lessons of phonetic sounds with letter formation, and both value hands-on learning to help convey abstract concepts.

Part of Samira’s interest in education, specifically in working with different kinds of learners, stems from her own childhood.

“I think one of the reasons I focused on education is that as a

child I moved around a lot. English is my second language. [She was born in Iran and spoke Farsi before learning English.] I could empathize with some of the struggles that students have, whether it’s learning to speak a new language or making friends. [Her family moved to Rome when she was in the third grade, where she attended an international school. After her fourth grade, they came to Canada.] When you move around a lot, you don’t have the continuity. Also, working with kids is so much fun and always interesting.”

The continuity is something she appreciates greatly about this work. The trusting relationship she and her students build over time, often over several school years, allows for growth from a safe and happy place.

“I try to get to know my students really well. And, luckily, I get to grow alongside them.”

ALUMNI

An Interview with Ethan Elbaz

Bannockburn Class of 2014, Current Student at the University of Toronto

Ethan Elbaz, graduate of 2014/2015, generously took time out of his reading week trip to reminisce about his time at Bannockburn for this interview. Upon complimenting his name, he told me that Elbaz means “the falcon” in Arabic. If you look up characteristics of falcons, you see that they are alert, interesting company, and excellent communicators. Ethan is all of these things as I learned in our conversation about the science fair, roman numerals, and the power of curiosity.

After graduating from Grade 6, Ethan went to Bayview Glen and is currently at the University of Toronto in his third year of an engineering science degree.

“The appeal of engineering science is that you get two years where you take a lot of advanced, but also general courses. So instead of going over the theorems and applications, we basically prove everything from scratch. It’s a whole pile of extra work and then we apply it to complex scenarios and then after two years we get to choose what major we want to specialize in. I chose aerospace, so right now I’m studying aerospace engineering,” he said.

Despite his brain likely being filled with complicated aerospace engineering challenges, it’s touching how much he remembers about his days at

Bannockburn. He has a uniquely joy-filled remembrance of grade school.

“I knew I wanted to do engineering right from the very beginning. Bannockburn definitely helped to support that. I remember in Grade 5 I had a science fair. I made a dynamo from scratch. It didn’t work, but it was really neat.”

(For those who may be wondering, as I was, what a dynamo is, Ethan went on to explain:

“You know those small DC motors? Essentially, if you spin one of those in reverse, instead of using currents to make motion, it uses motion to make currents. You’re creating a moving magnetic field that goes through all of these copper wire windings and that creates the current instead of using the current to create the magnetic field that drives the rotation of the shaft.”)

He remembers some of his classmates’ science fair projects, too. “Somebody did the DNA from dragonfruit where you mix hydrogen peroxide, a little bit of soap and a bunch of other crushed up things and you can extract the DNA, so that was cool,” he smiled.

Besides the academics, he also has fond memories of some of the extracurriculars he was able to participate in: “I joined the after-school band and then played the trumpet all the way through high school. I was the lead jazz band and wind ensemble trumpet. For CISMF (Conference of Independent Schools of Ontario Music Festival), you’re put into a band and practice and then you get to play at Roy Thomson Hall,” he smiles at the memory. “I was the second trumpet for two years. And even though I loved the trumpet, I did not love singing so much, so instead of being in one of the choirs for the musical, I was one of the announcers of Emerald City when we did The Wiz. I remember my brother played Toto, the dog, and

everyone wanted that role.”

Ethan has a warm, self-effacing quality that makes some memories very funny in the retelling. “In Art, Ms. Hemblen told me I was very opinionated about other peoples’ art and I had to moderate that,” he laughs. “I remember a lot of the things we did in Art. There was a self-portrait unit, and the older students were helping the younger ones. The older boy asked me, ‘What do you want to do a self-portrait of?’ And I wanted to be original, so I said, ‘I want to do a self-portrait of the spider on my shirt!’ And he said, ‘No, it has to be of your face.’ And I wondered, ‘Why did he ask then?!’

He also provides a perfect example about why it’s a gift to be exposed to different kinds of learning and projects. The more breadth of content, the more opportunity for children to make connections to their own world.

“The skateboards! They were very cool. I still have it. We went to a workshop to explore graffiti and then they brought back materials and we made skateboards. We got to see the whole process of laminating the wood together and forming them. Actually, it’s funny— we did a very similar vacuum-forming process that I do on the design team I’m a part of right now. I do a lot of carbon fibre manufacturing and we do a similar process of vacuum lamination.”

For Ethan, he felt that his curiosity was nurtured and because he felt supported, good things happened.

“Montessori was cool because I was an active child, both physically and in terms of curiosity and I could explore things. For one year in LEL, I wrote by hand all the Roman numerals out from one to five thousand,” he laughingly shares.

“I learned how to learn,” he said. “I would tell Bannockburn grads to not lose sight of this curiosity and how to learn. You’ll be in front of a chalkboard or whiteboard or computer a lot more, but having the ability to explore the classroom is important.”

He remembers a lot about his Bannockburn classrooms, such as certain materials like the racks and tubes and the Golden Beads, as well as the class pets, the degus.

“We had four of them and I remember one of them was named Nibbles,” he laughed. “There was also a turtle and a rabbit.”

The grad trip also proved to be a highlight of his time here. “I have very fond memories of the Grade 6 trip we did. It was me, Bianca, Simone, Ms. Paul, and Ms. Tamaro. We flew to St. John’s, Newfoundland, and spent four days exploring Signal Hill, going to a science institute—I bought a vacuum boiler from the gift shop— and iceberg watching. I still have the picture book that we made of the trip. And fundraising ourselves for the trip was a really nice tradition.”

Since I caught him on a family vacation, I asked his mom, Tory, if there was anything she wanted to add about his time at Bannockburn. In what seemed like characteristic Elbaz fashion, she spoke with a lot of gratitude.

“Looking back, from a parent’s perspective,” she said, “having the freedom to participate in competitions or build the dynamo was really important. He comes by his curiosity naturally, but Bannockburn was a space that encouraged that and that was a beautiful thing.”

Ethan Elbaz (center) alongside other Bannockburn Alumni, Bianca Presenza-Long (Left) and Simone Cheng (Right)

Bannockburn

Bannockburn develops responsible, nurturing, peaceful young people with self-esteem and respect for others. Bannockburn graduates are self-motivated, intellectually curious students who love learning and who achieve academic success.