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by Lena Miele, M.Ed, OCT, founder of Pathways to Purpose Before choosing courses or pathways, students need the learning habits that help them succeed. Across Niagara this month, schools are celebrating student talent in many different ways. Competitions are showcasing skilled trades and technology, while performances and arts festivals are highlighting the creativity of student dancers, musicians, and performers. Events like these remind us that students today have many diff

by Lena Miele, M.ed, OCT, founder of Pathways to Purpose If you recently attended a Grade 8 open house, you may have left feeling a mix of curiosity, uncertainty, and pressure — sometimes all at once. You heard words like pathways , levels , and streams . You noticed different options. And at some point, a quiet question may have crept in: What if we make the wrong choice? If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. This is a very common moment for families. Wanting to underst

By Lena Miele, M.Ed., OCT Founder, Pathways to Purpose When families start thinking about high school, many don’t realize how much of the decision happens quietly and automatically. Familiarity and past experience often guide early thinking — whether that means choosing the local high school their child is zoned for, following a sibling’s path, or relying on a parent’s own school experience. High school open houses can bring all of this to the surface at once. It can be reass

By Lena Miele, M.Ed., OCT Founder, Pathways to Purpose Once parents begin to understand teacher feedback more clearly, the next question is almost always the same: “Okay… so what do we actually do now?” For many families, this shows up at home in familiar ways. Homework stretches late into the evening. Assignments are rushed at the last minute. Stress builds as tests or exams approach, even though your teen understands the material. This is a very common experience. Many par

By Lena Miele, M.Ed., OCT Founder, Pathways to Purpose Now that we are well past parent-teacher interviews for semester one, many families are settling into the school year with more information about how their child is doing. Earlier this fall, many of you joined me for my workshop, Making the Most of Parent-Teacher Interviews , where we talked about asking helpful questions and feeling confident in the meeting. Even with that preparation, parents often tell me they still

By Lena Miele M.Ed, OCT, Founder of Pathways to Purpose Hi, I’m Lena. Welcome to my first Pathways to Purpose blog post. If you’re new here, I’m so glad you stopped by. And if you already know me, you’ll remember me as the “Jack-of-All-Trades” teacher — the one who always found her way into unique programs, new school settings, and unexpected teaching roles. My career has never been a straight line, but every turn taught me something important about students, school choices,