Greetings colleagues,

 

I left this past weekend’s Compass Leadership Academy feeling physically and mentally exhausted but professionally energized by our newest colleagues and the collective experience we generated. There is something special about bringing school leaders together and making time for the questions and conversations that can be difficult to fit into a regular school day.

On the first day, we had a room full of new and new-to-role leaders, each bringing experience, curiosity, and a willingness to learn. Taking on a leadership role means discovering how much there is to know, often while everyone around you assumes you already have the answers. Compass provided time to explore those responsibilities together and begin building a network of colleagues from around the province to call upon as new questions arise.

Compass Leadership Academy 2026 

For so many of us, Foundations for New School Leaders (previously Short Course) was our first introduction to the learning community and connections that that BCPVPA provides. For Compass, we utilized the strength of the table groups and a proven facilitator model that allows for those deep connections to your colleagues and to the learning.

Our second day brought together new leaders working in rural and remote settings. These colleagues serve communities with distinct assets and circumstances, and their professional learning needs to reflect that. The time dedicated to deep discussion of their contexts was an important part of the weekend. It also reinforced why our Association must continue to listen to and learn from members in every part of the province.

I want to take a minute to thank our amazing BCPVPA staff. You have a staff dedicated to ensuring that all facets of your leadership are promoted and supported. The Compass Leadership Academy is the most recent example of the entire staff contributing to ensure that our members’ learning needs were met and that their experience was memorable. The secret sauce of the BCPVPA is our ability to connect our amazing leaders, both to each other – participants and facilitators – and to our Association. Last weekend, I know that more than a hundred of our newest leaders left feeling connected, supported, and more confident in their ability to lead through the complexities we face in our roles. Thank you to our members who joined our Board of Directors as table facilitators at Compass, and made a difference for those leaders in their learning.

I also want to thank your Board of Directors. Their commitment extended from approving the plan to participating as facilitators. Sharing their considerable experience, listening to our newest colleagues, and learning alongside them demonstrated the kind of association we strive to be. Thank you, as well, to every participant for investing your time and contributing to the learning.

Compass Leadership Academy Rural and Remote Leader Panel

That spirit carries into this week as we approach Friday’s provincial non-instructional day. Professional learning happens throughout the year, but this is the one day when we know educational leaders across BC will put the spotlight on their own learning and the learning of their staff.

As Principals and Vice-Principals, we spend considerable time creating the conditions for others to learn. Friday is an opportunity to make room for our own questions, examine our practice, and consider what we might do differently. Being a learning leader means being vulnerable at times and being able to say, “I am still working on this.”

While Compass has barely finished, we are already preparing to welcome colleagues from around the province to our Connecting Leaders Conference this weekend.

On Friday, Dr. Robyne Hanley-Dafoe will explore everyday resiliency and how we can work and live well. Her focus offers a timely opportunity to consider how we sustain ourselves while supporting the people we lead. On Saturday, Dr. Sean Lessard will invite us to reflect on presence and trust in our work with youth, and on our responsibilities as advocates and allies. Both speakers offer valuable perspectives on how we care for ourselves, build relationships, and serve our school communities.

Connecting Leaders is just one piece of a much larger picture of professional learning across BC this Friday. Principals and Vice-Principals will gather at conferences, participate in district learning, collaborate in schools, and pursue questions connected to their own communities.

Whether your learning takes you to Vancouver for Connecting Leaders, to retreats in Whistler like our colleagues in Richmond and Burnaby, or even just down the hall in your school or district office, I hope you get the chance to connect with colleagues and enjoy the day.

Thank you for being learning leaders.

Have a great weekend.

Sid Jawanda
President, BCPVPA

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