MESSAGE FROM THE EFMA PRESIDENT Archie Stogianos

A very warm welcome to the latest edition of OPS Talk. Another exciting EFMA conference is around the corner. All exhibitor spots are sold out, we have a great line up of courses and sessions, delegates are signing up daily and many first-time members are attending the 57th EFMA Conference this year; it will be another action-packed event. This year’s theme, “Honouring the Past, Treasuring the Present, Shaping the Future”, ties in with our strategic goals and daily operations.

Each year our association gets more ambitious. This is a good thing as it means our members are more active and participating in our zone meetings and workshops. The workshops offered this year will provide great learning opportunities for our new members as well as our seasoned colleagues. One of my takeaways from the workshop are that the millennials are not going to change – you must change.

As we begin another cycle this year, we traditionally take stock of the past to imagine and plan for a better future for our school and students. While I was preparing this message, the usual things were going through my mind: How do we reconcile new goals with old structures? How do we reconfigure the spaces, the people, the time, and the technologies to create powerful learning environments?

Thinking about the future of our buildings requires imagination and rigor. Schools really haven’t changed much physically for the better part of a century. Some schools have experimented with an open-plan design, however, long corridors with conventional classrooms off each side are still largely the order of the day. Some of the new schools combine the standard classroom design with added collaboration areas within the school.

We must ensure we include students, teachers, administration, and parents at the early stages of planning. We all have our own ideas and ways of looking at issues; collaboration amongst all stakeholders will bring together different ideas, roles, and team members to create a universal design that works well with everyone involved.

I have had the pleasure of working with an amazing Executive this year. Everyone took time out from their busy work schedules and family time to make sure everything was executed smoothly. Thank you for all your commitment and hard work this year. n

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