Via Vita Academy
  • Home
  • About Our School
    • Our Mission, Vision, Philosophy & Core Values
    • Grades K-9 Curriculum >
      • Inquiry-Based Themed Learning
      • Multigrade Teaching
      • Language, Math & Theme
      • Physical Education
      • Arts Education
      • Life Skills Education
      • Family Involvement & Communication
    • Pre-Kindergarten
    • International Students
    • Location
    • Calendar & Schedule
    • Enrolment & Fees
    • Staff >
      • Job Openings
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Testimonials >
      • Parent Testimonials
      • Student Testimonials
    • Support Our School
  • Summer Programs
    • Job Openings
  • Blog
  • Contact Us

Building Visions, Together

1/20/2019

0 Comments

 
Our VVA staff is truly something special. Up until the years of VVA, we had never worked with such diverse, supportive, and passionate group of educators who truly take risks together, share and reflect together to build such a positive work and learning space. Another dream conquered - a work environment that feels like home! Every day we see new layers of ourselves appear because we feel so supported and apart of an amazing team. Thank you VVA staff. Truly, thank you. 

An extra special thank you to Mr. Ryan for writing this beautiful post, describing a very special day for all us of at VVA, the day we decided upon our Vision Statement. A couple year's into operating, and we still hadn't narrowed down our vision statement enough to confidently share it with the world, that is until this wonderful summer's afternoon. It was a day none of us have forgotten, and often long to create again. The wonderful mix of mindful reflection, nature at it's finest, and clear and confident minds that came together that day has truly left a beautiful mark on all of us. 
Picture
Now that it’s January, I thought I might share a flashback to this one day that our teaching team shared back in August, when things were warmer, and our vision for this school first officially took shape...


Mid-August arrives, and the Via Vita Teaching Team gathers to envision how our year of learning together is going to look...

...But before we can start, there is a major list of tedious to-do’s to be done; rooms need rearranging, schedules need straightening, forms need filling, protocols need punctuation, new staff need to be shown the ropes, plus-this-plus-that and then some, among a bunch of other one-last-little-items.  Phew. The first days of our first week back have us feeling a bit hectic, straight outta the gate.

Then comes a surprise: we’re invited to spend a day together out of the school, well removed from our list of to-do’s.  There’s this place, on a lake, away from the whirring, clunking sounds of the city. A place surrounded by trees, whose leaves will be gently rustled by the crisp winds of late summer.  A place where the year ahead might be more comfortably envisioned.

Also we’ll be fed dinner.  

Away we go.

Upon arrival, everything that was promised comes to life.  We are alone on the lake, where all but the Judas Trees are still green with the vivacity of August’s bittersweet ending. We set up shop in a wide oval on the deck, and for that day’s first hour, we do little but breathe this place in together, and exhale the last few days away.  This place. This is where we’ll truly begin our year.

Working comes easily.  We have a list of to-do’s for this day, too, but here, getting things done flows as readily as the lake lightly rippled by the breeze.  So we explore things that might’ve been harder somewhere else--our personal strengths and struggles, how we can be more mindful in our learnings and teachings, and how to move forward as a new team, together.  These talks are challenging, but they are beautiful, and as we share, our vision of the year ahead becomes ever more clear.

There is one item left on our list, but the day is young, so we stop to eat and laugh. Above us, clouds waver indecisively about whether to rain, while late summer sunbeams promise to keep things warm regardless.  After several helpings of delicious food, we’re feeling ready to take on that last to-do: make a statement about the school, one that encapsulates, in one line, what it is we’ll be ever-envisioning for our school as we learn, teach, play, and work alongside our students.

Our team is in full swing; we’re especially pumped about this line, and it shows in our approach; in pursuit of something simple, true, and achievable, we take to willfully weaving our ideal pursuit. Somehow, what we envision has to fit into this one clear-cut sentence.  It sounds heavy, it sounds intimidating, and yet for us, melding likeable minds lakeside, under the shifting summer sky, the day’s last to-do is done not long after we’ve begun:

Our vision is a culture empowered by community, compassion and wonder.

We’re finished, but, because we’re feeling pretty great about our day, we decide to keep it going.  So into the lake we finally go. Some dive straight in, while some dip toes. Some swim to the raft, and some soon after leap off in a rush after spotting spiders.  While we’re laughing and treading water together, The sky finally makes up its mind, and we watch as the wind pushes a warm rainfall across the lake toward us. And we stay put, and keep treading water, and laughing together.

Written by,
Mr. Ryan
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Picture

    Welcome to Our Blog

    Each post is written by a supportive member of Via Vita Academy, be it a teacher, parent, student, community member, who is invested in the topic of education.  Take a read and comment below!  

    Archives

    February 2022
    November 2021
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    September 2019
    April 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    September 2018
    August 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    October 2017
    September 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015

    Categories

    All
    Arts
    Bullying
    Collaboration
    Communication
    Community
    Creativity
    Critical Thinking
    Enhanced Learning
    Free Play
    Healthy
    Inquiry Based Learning
    Inquiry-Based Learning
    Learning
    Life Skills
    Literacy
    Mindfulness
    Multigrade
    Nova Scotia Teachers Strike
    Outdoor Education
    Parents
    Peer Learning
    Physical Activity
    Pre K
    Pre-K
    Recipes
    Small Classes
    Small School
    Students
    Support
    Teachers
    Teaching
    Thank You

    RSS Feed

Let Us give you a tour of our school!  Contact Us Today!


phone

902-865-1085

Email

info@viavitaacademy.ca
  • Home
  • About Our School
    • Our Mission, Vision, Philosophy & Core Values
    • Grades K-9 Curriculum >
      • Inquiry-Based Themed Learning
      • Multigrade Teaching
      • Language, Math & Theme
      • Physical Education
      • Arts Education
      • Life Skills Education
      • Family Involvement & Communication
    • Pre-Kindergarten
    • International Students
    • Location
    • Calendar & Schedule
    • Enrolment & Fees
    • Staff >
      • Job Openings
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Testimonials >
      • Parent Testimonials
      • Student Testimonials
    • Support Our School
  • Summer Programs
    • Job Openings
  • Blog
  • Contact Us