The Open Office

My name is Brian Harrison and I am a husband and proud father to 3 great teenagers. When I’m not enjoying life on the slopes, the golf course or reading by the fire, I work as an elementary school principal at Park Avenue Public School in the York Region District School Board. The Open Office is one of the places where I record my thoughts and reflections.

I believe that public education is the most important service we offer to children and families and is an essential component of a democratic society. Because of this, I believe that it is important for 21st Century educators to:

Document: our public schools are busy places filled with adults and children who learn and grow every day in many important ways~a big part of my job is to capture and document these important events (the large and the small) on a regular basis. Why? Because public schools are places we learn to…

Share: Families share their children with us and I believe they have the right to be involved in the learning and growth of their children in as many different ways as they can. I’m proud of the work we do in our public schools and am happy to share it with our community; through face to face events at the school or communication through newsletters and social media. Families want to share in the learning of their children; why? Because public schools are places we learn to…

Connect: Universal public education is the foundation of our democracy. In public schools children learn to value diversity, think critically, ask good questions and find their voices. The 21st century challenges each of us to connect and collaborate; students, families and educators. We are all members of a global community; by connecting; we grow our networks and build relationships with students, families and colleagues near and far.