ABOUT US
My name is Leroy Slanzi and I have been an Educator in British Columbia for the past 21 years. I started my career working in a Foundational Skills Program working with our most vulnerable learners.
After completing a Masters Degree in Special Education. I went on to become a Special Education Teacher, again working with vulnerable learners. Since then I have worked as a Vice Principal / Principal in an Elementary School, Middle School and a High School.
My most proud accomplishment was leading Merritt Central Elementary School in becoming the first Play Is The Way Lighthouse School in Canada. I feel proud and privileged to be able to introduce the PLAY IS THE WAY® program, as a licensed PITW representative, to schools and teachers throughout North America and beyond!
I first encountered the program through colleagues who attended a Play Is The Way workshop and at the time we were knee deep in the growth mindset philosophy. These two amazing educators felt that Play Is The Way was the perfect program to develop and effectively invoke change in our school culture and they were not wrong. It transformed our whole school, leading us out of a behavior management philosophy, to one that focused on BEHAVIOUR EDUCATION.
We began using the program with our students immediately and we recognized the immense potential PLAY IS THE WAY® has in helping empower children, teachers, and parents. Within months we developed a sound school plan that encompassed the Play Is The Way philosophy. Soon after that our school was transforming in to a place that embraced tolerance, acceptance, kindness and was incredibly inclusive. Thank you PITW !!
Play Is The Way was developed in Western Australia by Wilson McCaskill, PLAY IS THE WAY® comes to Canada with a well earned reputation as a whole school social & emotional learning program.
Leroy Slanzi
I would be happy to answer any questions about the program. Please don't hesitate to contact me: [email protected]
After completing a Masters Degree in Special Education. I went on to become a Special Education Teacher, again working with vulnerable learners. Since then I have worked as a Vice Principal / Principal in an Elementary School, Middle School and a High School.
My most proud accomplishment was leading Merritt Central Elementary School in becoming the first Play Is The Way Lighthouse School in Canada. I feel proud and privileged to be able to introduce the PLAY IS THE WAY® program, as a licensed PITW representative, to schools and teachers throughout North America and beyond!
I first encountered the program through colleagues who attended a Play Is The Way workshop and at the time we were knee deep in the growth mindset philosophy. These two amazing educators felt that Play Is The Way was the perfect program to develop and effectively invoke change in our school culture and they were not wrong. It transformed our whole school, leading us out of a behavior management philosophy, to one that focused on BEHAVIOUR EDUCATION.
We began using the program with our students immediately and we recognized the immense potential PLAY IS THE WAY® has in helping empower children, teachers, and parents. Within months we developed a sound school plan that encompassed the Play Is The Way philosophy. Soon after that our school was transforming in to a place that embraced tolerance, acceptance, kindness and was incredibly inclusive. Thank you PITW !!
Play Is The Way was developed in Western Australia by Wilson McCaskill, PLAY IS THE WAY® comes to Canada with a well earned reputation as a whole school social & emotional learning program.
Leroy Slanzi
I would be happy to answer any questions about the program. Please don't hesitate to contact me: [email protected]
Where it all began
Responding to the constant demand from Australian primary schools for a sustainable whole school approach to social and emotional development, Wilson McCaskill took his popular and effective games based program Play Is The Way® (formerly known as The Game Factory) out of his home state of Western Australia and invited schools across the country to try it and assess its effectiveness.
“I have been delighted to continually and consistently report on the effectiveness of The Game Factory program as an ongoing means of improving positive social behavior across entire school populations. In addition, I have found that levels of social phobia and separation anxiety have been very low in schools employing this program. Overall the program has been found to be an excellent and sustainable means of increasing classroom cohesion and consequently overall student wellbeing.” - Dr Helen Street – Social Psychologist, 2004
The results spoke for themselves and Play Is The Way® is now a valued and consistent education practice of many schools throughout Australia, New Zealand and Canada.
The theoretical underpinning of the Play Is The Way® methodology can be found in educational research which highlights the central role of social skills and values in determining educational outcomes.
Our constant objective is to give research practical application. Play Is The Way® is a hands-on way to teach and learn personal and social competencies.
“Personal and social competency is the set of abilities that relate to students’ identity in the world, both as individuals and as members of their community and society. Personal and social competency encompasses the abilities students need to thrive as individuals, to understand and care about themselves and others, and to find and achieve their purposes in the world.” - British Columbia Curriculum
Play Is The Way® methodology is the result of extensive practical experience with children in a wide range of schools and teaching environments. This experience confirms that effective life and learning behavior is best discovered, learnt and embedded by “doing.”
“I have been delighted to continually and consistently report on the effectiveness of The Game Factory program as an ongoing means of improving positive social behavior across entire school populations. In addition, I have found that levels of social phobia and separation anxiety have been very low in schools employing this program. Overall the program has been found to be an excellent and sustainable means of increasing classroom cohesion and consequently overall student wellbeing.” - Dr Helen Street – Social Psychologist, 2004
The results spoke for themselves and Play Is The Way® is now a valued and consistent education practice of many schools throughout Australia, New Zealand and Canada.
The theoretical underpinning of the Play Is The Way® methodology can be found in educational research which highlights the central role of social skills and values in determining educational outcomes.
Our constant objective is to give research practical application. Play Is The Way® is a hands-on way to teach and learn personal and social competencies.
“Personal and social competency is the set of abilities that relate to students’ identity in the world, both as individuals and as members of their community and society. Personal and social competency encompasses the abilities students need to thrive as individuals, to understand and care about themselves and others, and to find and achieve their purposes in the world.” - British Columbia Curriculum
Play Is The Way® methodology is the result of extensive practical experience with children in a wide range of schools and teaching environments. This experience confirms that effective life and learning behavior is best discovered, learnt and embedded by “doing.”