A Remarkable Time of Year

Welcome back, colleagues. 

I have spent this week working, but my tasks have been worlds away from the work I have done over the past 20 years. I am much more familiar with what you are all doing. You left your offices in June and July with plans for the year ahead, and have returned to your buildings with the deepest hope that everything will still work. As new students enroll, or word comes of families who may have moved, you are doing the math to see if the plans you made will still be feasible. I know the feeling of needing just one more student in a grade. As exciting as a new school year can be, it can be stressful.

This is also a very remarkable time of year.

There is an optimism that accompanies every school opening. It is the optimism of new beginnings, renewed relationships, and fresh opportunities to make a difference.

We are privileged to lead schools in one of the most beautiful places in the world. From coastal communities to mountain valleys, from urban to rural, we live in a province blessed with extraordinary natural beauty, strong communities, and a world class public education system. It is important to pause and reflect on what we have.

Watching the news of recent events in Nepal has prompted in me a great deal of empathy for those affected, and gratitude for what we have here.

Over the past week, Nepal has endured devastating glacier-triggered flooding that has claimed more than a thousand lives and left thousands more missing. Amid that tragedy emerged the story of Rajendra Dawadi, principal of Tribhuvan Trishuli Secondary School in the Trishuli Valley. After receiving warnings that floodwaters were rapidly approaching, Dawadi made an immediate decision to evacuate his school, directing approximately 900 students and staff to higher ground. Minutes later, the school was swept away by floodwaters. His decision is credited with saving hundreds of lives.

What strikes me most about his story is not only the heroism. It is the reality that his actions reflected the work of school leadership.

A Principal received incomplete information. Time was limited. The risks were unclear. There was no opportunity to convene a committee, review a policy manual, or seek multiple levels of approval. He assessed the situation, relied on his experience, and made a decision.

Leadership often comes down to moments like that.

Thankfully, most of our decisions do not involve life-and-death circumstances. Yet every day, Principals and Vice-Principals make hundreds of judgments that shape the experiences of students, staff, and families. We make decisions about student well-being, staffing, safety, inclusion, learning supports, resource allocation, and community relationships. Many decisions are small. Some are significant. All require thoughtful consideration and a willingness to act.

The school year ahead will undoubtedly present situations where there is no perfect answer and no certainty. There will be moments when the best available information is incomplete. There will be competing priorities, multiple perspectives, and difficult choices. Making these decisions and choices is the essence of school leadership.

This is also why professional learning matters.

Strong leaders are not simply born with good judgment. Judgment is developed through experience, reflection, mentorship, and learning alongside others. Every BCPVPA workshop, network meeting, conference, mentorship conversation, and leadership learning opportunity helps strengthen our capacity to make sound decisions when our communities depend on us.

As you prepare your schools for opening day and have mindful plans for others in your school, I encourage you to plan for and invest in your own leadership growth as well. Explore the professional learning opportunities available through the BCPVPA. Connect with colleagues. Share your experiences. Pause and reflect. Learn from others who understand the unique challenges and rewards of school leadership.

September is here, and you are ready to go. I wish you a successful opening and a rewarding year ahead.

Sid Jawanda
President, BCPVPA

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