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Annual Booker's Run held at Blue & Silver Farm

Puma high fives students at the finish line.

Booker's Run is a much-loved tradition at Pickering College. On the first Monday of November, we held this annual run at Blue & Silver Farm. Every student from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 12 takes part in the race, which is named in honour of the late Keith McLaren, former PC coach, teacher and assistant Headmaster, who was know for doing everything "by the book." the book."

In the morning, there were three race divisions for the Junior School and Middle School students. In the afternoon, Alumnus Don McLaren '76, Keith's son, joined us as race starter for the Senior School races. Whether they ran all the way to the end or enjoyed a brisk walk around the farm, each student celebrated crossing the finish line with some refreshments before heading back to school. Puma was on hand for all the races to help celebrate each runner! 

Congratulations to all the top finishers and everyone who participated in Booker's Run

Students share about Sustainable Development Goals on UN Day

Students parade flags

Every year on October 24, we celebrate United Nations Day, commemorating the creation of the United Nations in 1945. As a UNESCO school, Pickering College marked this day with a Morning Meeting highlighting the Member States, the UN's sustainable development goals, and sharing how we as a school are building peace in the minds of children and young people.

Students from each division shared examples of how their classes are incorporating the sustainable development goals into their learning and how we as a school are contributing to creating peace in the world. 

The award is in recognition of educators who show a commitment to embedding critical thinking into their own practice and who have demonstrated notable success in furthering critical thinking with their students or colleagues.

Bishop was nominated for his work with his Grade 8 students in hosting an art experience in the spring that was inspired by the Native Women’s Association of Canada’s initiative Change the Bill, a call to action promoting reconciliation through art.

Students researched the legacies of the women on the recommended bills and then created their own bill designs to acknowledge the contributions of lesser-known 19th-century history makers. Staff, students, parents and guests then attended their exhibition, including Tony Van Bynen, Member of Parliament, who spoke about how currency designs are determined and encouraged students to enact change on this and other important issues.

“Ethan’s work, inspired by Change The Bill, truly impressed me,” says Joshua Armstrong, Director of Teaching and Learning at Pickering College. “His commitment to developing the students’ critical thinking skills was evident as he guided them through thoughtful discussions on social justice, diversity, and historical representation. This dedication to fostering deep analytical thinking compelled me to nominate him for recognition as an outstanding critical thinking teacher.”

“I am honoured to accept this award from the Critical Thinking Consortium,” says Bishop. “I would like to thank Josh Armstrong, my nominator, for his support as Director of Teaching and Learning and for the example he has shown in leading the Reconciliation Committee at Pickering College. I also want to thank Pickering College for providing teachers with the space and motivation to do their best work. Finally, as someone who has frequently turned to tc2.ca for inspiration, I want to say that receiving recognition from such an impactful organization is truly humbling.”

All educators (teachers, instructional coaches, consultants, school administrators, superintendents, directors, etc.) are eligible for nomination for the CLASS ACT award based on the following criteria: embedding into practice the Consortium’s approach to nurturing high-quality thinking; supporting colleagues in adopting a thinking approach using the TC² framework and TC² resources; and demonstrating notable success in nurturing high-quality thinking with students and/or colleagues.

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