As I said a few weeks ago in a column focusing on Coach Rob Stevenson, good things are happening at John Barsby Secondary, really good things.

Not only is the Barsby athletic program turning out excellent athletes, it's also developing young people who have the self confidence and self esteem needed to set solid goals and then work hard to achieve them.

Chef Bruce Chandler is having similar success with his Cafeteria Training program and, perhaps most important of all, Shelley Beleznay, who heads the English Department, is leading a school-wide literacy program that is paying huge dividends - Although enrolment in the school is going down, the number of books being taken out of the library is growing steadily.

Shelley's general literacy program started three years ago in all English classes and then last year, the school adopted the School-Wide Write and Smart Learning programs.

The School-Wide Write program sees all Grade 8 students and English students in Grades 9 to 11 sitting down at the same time and writing on the same topic. Then over twenty department heads and other teachers spend a full day or more evaluating the results and identifying individual strengths and weaknesses so that plans for improvement can be developed.

In addition, teachers in a variety of subjects have adopted the Smart Learning program, a commitment which Shelley says is " ... risky, difficult and a lot of hard work."

In short teachers have to reach their standard provincial learning objectives while, at the same time, incorporating the Smart Learning approach.

This means that instead of asking students to read a chapter and take notes, as teachers tended to do when you and I were in school, they read the assignment with their students, chunk it down, help them visualize the content, identify the key ideas, ask the "big question," and end with a period of reflection.

Given this approach students are more involved, more creative ... and much more successful.

Shelley took the Smart Learning approach when she worked with her students to write the stories about Ray Macdonald that you'll see surrounding this column.

Her students wrote for only ten minutes at a time and then turned their work in to be evaluated. In her evaluation instead of pointing out the faults (Didn't your teacher do that?) she drew attention to the strengths in their work, and followed that by engaging the class in a general discussion on language and strong writing skills. Given that input, her students worked for another ten minutes to improve their story before being reevaluated. And so they continued until they reached a satisfactory result.

I think you'll agree that the results are more than satisfactory, especially when you realize that a year or so ago, these students thought of themselves as anything but successful students, writers or learners.

Like most Neighbourhood Heroes Shelley is quick to spread the accolades around, "This isn't an ordinary school," she enthused. "We have an extraordinary staff who have made a commitment to make sure our kids have doors opened for them."

She went on to give special credit to the administrators at the school as well, who she says do everything possible to help teachers reach their goals.

The people of Harewood can be proud of all of their schools, not only John Barsby Secondary but also Georgia Avenue Elementary, Fairview Elementary, and NDSS. They can also be proud of their community as a whole - Led by the Harewood Community Association and all of their school PACs, great things are happening there.

As one example be sure to read the accompanying stories about Ray MacDonald written by Shelley Beleznay's students.

Casey Spencer

Ray McDonald of John Barsby Secondary School is the most inspirational man I have ever met. He saves lives, not like Superman or any other fictional character - he's real.

Ray walks, talks - oh, he talks - but most important of all, he feels. That's what makes him so special; his ability to feel and understand how hard life can get for teens.

Ray listens to kids with respect and gives an honest opinion in return, without judgment. He goes out of his way and above the necessary to help anyone who needs it.

I am writing about Ray McDonald so that everyone can know how important he is to so many kids and valued by all. Ray's persistent commitment to save troubled youth can only come from a kind heart.

Ray even saved my life once and many of my friends. He gave me a solution and helped me reach it. Every time I tripped he helped me up and kept me motivated.

I think there will be a special place in heaven for this man for all the selfless acts of kindness he delivers. And he will always hold a place in the heart of those he has reached.

Jenny Cote

My hero, as well as many others, is, yes, the one and only Raymond McDonald from John Barsby Secondary School. No, he is not Superman, nor does he shoot webs from his wrist; however, he has in fact saved many lives, including my own.

One summer night I was out at a party, having a great time, dancing and laughing; everything was awesome. It was getting late, so my friend and I started to head home. This was when it hit me. It turned out that someone had spiked my drink. I could no longer walk or even talk. I became paralyzed. My friend, being only half my size, wasn't really capable of getting me all that far. I lay down on a patch of grass on the side of the road in a daze, wondering what was going on. My friend decided to call Ray to ask what she should do. She woke him up, but he immediately came and picked us up and took me to the hospital. I honestly think that if it weren't for Ray I would have been dead in some ditch.

When I first came to high school I didn't care about anything. Now I am graduating and I know that if it weren't for Ray filling in as the father figure in my life, I would have never made it this far. I would like to thank him for all the times he opened my eyes. I think he probably knows me better than I know myself. His one-of-a-kind personality, humor and experience have changed things for the better in hundreds of lives, not just my life.

Brendon Marley

We have a true hero at John Barsby. His name is Ray McDonald and, no, he is not an actual superhero with powers. I see him as a hero because of what he does for the kids here.

He is a man with many great stories about his past as a kid growing up in the States. His stories have changed the way I look at things now. For example, he told me how his younger brother landed himself in jail because of his attitude and disrespect toward others. When Ray told me that story it hit me that if five years from now I am still acting toward others the way I do now, I too will end up just like his brother.

Ray has come into my life and impacted it so much that it makes me feel like he's my second father. When my father and I had problems Ray jumped in between us and took me under his wing for two or three weeks.

I am very fortunate to have such a leader in my life, aleader who will do anything for me and treat me so much like one of his own.

Jessica Wright

Who is a hero? Anybody can be, including your best friend or the newspaper boy. A hero is a perceptive helpful person who is an inspiration to the people he touches.

Just a few months ago I had a personal problem and needed to be rescued. That's when Ray McDonald became my hero. I came to Ray at a time of desperation and he came through for me. He listened to everything I said and made his best effort to understand my story. Being so wise and perceptive, he gave me his view of my situation. Not only did he understand what I was going through, he also helped me look at everything from a different perspective. If it wasn't for Ray, I would probably have been so unmotivated that I would have stayed in a state of depression.

My life has been improved to such an extreme that I am now inspired to help others the way Ray helped me. He is my - and all of John Barsby's - hero.

Bryce

What is a hero? Is it a person who runs into burning buildings for a living or someone who drives around trying to catch bad guys or someone who takes a bullet for you? Not necessarily, you can be considered a hero from one act of kindness. It could be something as small as helping an elderly lady down some steps to carrying a wounded friend to save his life.

What the hero in my life did is not even as spectacular as someone who has carried a wounded friend. In fact, all he did was say a few words. At John Barsby Secondary, Ray McDonald has helped a lot of people, me included. I don't think he even knows what he did for me.

Skipping school was leading me down the wrong path and I was seriously thinking of not even bothering with school any more. But he caught my attention by a thread with a tune I couldn't ignore:

"You messed up man! Let's talk!"

I needed something like that, his jolt of reality opening my eyes to a broader horizon and I began to see what I was doing to myself by not caring about anything and I also began to see that my actions could and would affect those around me. So now I have a better, more productive outlook on life, an outlook that will help me make better choices.

This story may not have been a great drama filled with action, but I believe Ray McDonald saved my life from one that would have seen me working in dull, repetitive, going-nowhere jobs to a life where I will always be trying to make something of myself.

Mike Chhim

Who's the one that makes you feel happy and excited. Who encourages you to do more? Who do you trust and admire? Who do you at least look up to?

If I were asked any of those questions, my answer would be Ray McDonald. Why? It's because all the things I have been through are thing he has experienced already. He knows how to deal with all kinds of situations no matter how bad they may be.

He has a unique way of solving problems. Say it is a big fight that someone just had. He would try to make the two people friends again by using humor. He has his own kind of magic.

If I were to ask anyone in the school if they knew him, I'm sure at least 95% of the students at John Barsby would say yes. Ray is friendly to everyone. Whenever I see him, I always go to talk to him because for some reason its fun talking to him.

Whether it's a good situation or bad, he's the one that people go to for help. He's always here to help out on anything. He sticks up for you no matter how tough and rough your problems might be.

Ray McDonald is someone I look up to as a good friend and as someone who is always there when I need him. Ray is my hero.

Tara Perrin

What makes a hero? Simply this in my opinion: a trustworthy, loving and caring person who helps people on their own time even when they don't have to. Ray McDonald from John Barsby is one of these people. He is a hero to everyone in this school.

When it comes to dealing with kids troubles and problems, he is very persistent. He always listens to what they have to say and does his best to make sure they make the right decisions.

When I was having trouble at home with my parents, I went to Ray for help because I had no one else to talk to. We sat down and figured out a way to help me. The next day Ray came to my house to fix the situation. However, my parents wanted nothing to do with him or to listen to what he had to say. But Ray was persistent and determined to make my parents understand what was going on and how they could help me deal with it. As a result of this, my parents and I communicate more now. We talk about what's going on in my life rather than keeping it all bottled up inside.

I would like to thank Ray for all of the great advice and encouragement he has given me throughout the years. I feel that it has helped me to be a better person and helped me to understand people better. I think if it weren't for him, I would not be in school right now and about to graduate. I would like to thank him for that. He is definitely a hero.

Elaine Large

Anyone can be a hero to someone. The hero I'm going to write about is Ray MacDonald. Whenever I had school or family problems he helped me find a solution. He loves to see us all succeed; therefore, he goes out of his way to help us.

He never turns his back on anyone and we never have to worry about anything being told to anyone else unless we ask him to do so. He tries to joke around when he knows we're upset. Students, staff and parents know that they can go to him if they need him.

When we haven't eaten anything healthy, we ask him for food and he doesn't ask any questions. If anyone needs some good advice we go to him and he never turns us down. When we need a ride, we always ask him first but he always asks us in return where we want to go, when we need to be there, and why we have to go to our destination.

Ray always gives good advice no matter what the issue is about. One person really can make a big difference in many lives.