VP Blog

Many years ago, when Heritage Academy was much smaller, they had a creative idea.  They would have ‘Pet Day’ where students would come in for the day and bring their dog, cat or other animal.  As the school has grown, the tradition has continued, and I for one love it. [...]

The educator’s personal learning network has always been very important.  As John Dewy said, “Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.”  As society evolves, as should education, and as do good educators.  Good educators have always used their personal learning networks (PLN) to develop as teachers.  They talk [...]

The OSSLT is around the corner, and grade 10 students across the province will be writing this test next Thursday.  As the Vice-Principal of a school for students with learning disabilities, who are primarily dyslexic, this test produces a great amount of anxiety.  Standardized tests like these, with very high [...]

When educators reflect on how to support students, especially students with learning disabilities a major misstep is to look at the learning challenges in a vacuum without taking the entire person into account. One of the goals at Heritage Academy is to provide a well rounded and varied approach to [...]

When the end of the year comes around, it always brings a time of reflection. I find the school year moves ahead so fast, that it can almost seem surreal how much things change in just 10 months. I find this to be most true when it comes to the [...]

It’s happening quietly, but let me tell you, it is happening. Ottawa is currently going through a school garden revolution, as the number of gardens as well as their productivity and activity increase. With organisations like Growing Up Organic and Nutrients for Life in Ottawa supporting the growth of these [...]

The recommended amount of physical activity for a young person is 60 minutes of “moderate-to vigorous” activity a day.  According to the information on www.participaction.com only 7% of young people get this recommended amount of exercise.   We know that regular physical exercise is directly related to academic performance, and important [...]

The week is over and the Potato Project has been successfully launched.  I wanted to take a minute to reflect on this project, as it has been quite the whirlwind for us here at Heritage Academy.   As a school for students with dyslexia, ADD/ADHD and a variety of other [...]

We have been lucky enough to connect with Shiahan Bill Gatchell of 100% Martial Arts in Ottawa.  He has run a very successful program and is going to be providing a regular twice a week class for our students here at the school.  We are very excited about this for [...]

It is the night before the literacy test in Ontario (the OSSLT), as the administrator in charge of the logistics of the event at my school and I have put the revised touches on the accommodations, room assignments, and logistical instructions for tomorrow. I then took a minute to look [...]