be here Surrounded by beauty, inspired to learn
everything around you is your classroom
Collingwood School is nestled on two campuses in beautiful West Vancouver, British Columbia. Where a Junior School student’s classroom view features the breathtaking English Bay, a Middle School student’s physical education class includes a sprint across the spectacular Cleveland Dam, or a Senior School student’s study break can be shared with classmates on the boulevard while the cherry blossoms are at the height of their springtime splendour. We are surrounded by the bounty of nature but what happens inside our walls is even more important. There you will see dedicated faculty teaching their students the skills imperative for success in the 21st century. You will see students partnering with teachers and peers to explore learning with enthusiasm and joy. You will see a community working diligently to learn, to grow, and to be the best that they can be.
look and learn
be a critical thinker The timeless value of four strands plus critical 21st century skills Critical thinking and problem-solving are skills essential for success in today’s world and in the future. Every student, from the youngest to the most senior, is exposed to a rich bounty of academic opportunites that consistently emphasizes and develops these skills. We stimulate intellectual curiosity through problem-solving and decision-making to help each child grow as an independent learner, no matter their stage of development. Academics are first and foremost at Collingwood School. We provide a curriculum that is relevant, current and appropriate in content in an ever-changing educational landscape. As a learning community, we have adopted a mindset of perpetual improvement. We accept the responsibility to collaborate, inquire and grow, with the ultimate purpose of improving student learning. Our committed teachers are continually fine-tuning their skills to make learning exciting and meaningful to your child.
Collingwood School is one of Canada’s most dynamic and progressive learning environments. Ours is a four-stranded approach, with a primary emphasis on Academics, plus enrichment in Arts, Athletics and Service. Our students graduate as well-balanced, inquisitive and enthusiastic young citizens, ready for the next chapter of their lives.
if . . .
We continually reaffirm our commitment to our mission to prepare young people to thrive in meaningful lives, and to refresh and renew best practices in independent school education.
If you are not a school of the future,
you will not be a school in the future - Patrick Bassett, President, National Association of Independent Schools
together
be a collaborat o r Leaders and followers needed: team players welcomed every day Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishments toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to obtain uncommon results. - Andrew Carnegie, Industrialist & Educational Philanthropist
In the dance studio two partners express themselves creatively while learning about the physics of one person lifting another into the air. On our artificial turf fields, members of the Middle School rugby team learn to support and assist each other in a tough match with a rival school. In Junior Kindergarten, our youngest students begin to learn the very basics of teamwork: developing relationships as they work and play with their new classmates, soon to be friends. It all comes down to teamwork no matter where you are at Collingwood. We understand that every member of a team is a contributor: it is the sum of the parts that counts. One of the most valued skills our students take with them is the ability to collaborate and cooperate with others. Collaboration and teamwork are integral parts of each of the four strands of education and every co-curricular and extra-curricular activity at Collingwood School. When we come together as a team we achieve uncommon results, each and every day.
Individually we are one drop, together we are an ocean - Ryunosuke Satoro, Japanese poet
b e cre at i v e Take the mundane and make it marvelous Many might think that being creative only refers to the arts, but we know it transcends all disciplines. A wide range of courses and experiences in drama, dance, music and visual art happens across many grade levels. Digital photography, sculpture, painting, art history, jazz, hip-hop, contemporary, band, orchestra, chamber choir, vocal jazz: students can dabble in or excel at the many offerings in our arts strand. But creativity is hardly confined to artistic endeavours such as these. It’s learning how to tie knots on a tall ship now and tying knots in a surgical suite in the future. It’s playing in the jazz band now and scoring major motion pictures a few years from now. It can be developing a middle school fundraiser for those less fortunate today and opening up a school for young women in a third world country tomorrow. It can be as elegant and as simple as finding a way for all your classmates to share the crayons or the most coveted toy. It’s being able to look at a problem critically and from multiple perspectives and to invent unique solutions that are sometimes visionary and sometimes just get the job done well. Creativity is one of the most useful tools in mathematics or science or athletics or art, or even just playing together at recess. Students with an overarching passion for performing arts or sports can stretch their creative capacity in our High Performance Learners program. This program allows them to pursue their passion while keeping their post-secondary possibilities their main priority. In consultation with their academic advisors and parents, these powerhouse dancers, hockey players, golfers, swimmers or figure skaters devise a customized schedule that allows them ample time for practice, but never deviates from the path of academic excellence that will serve them well in the future. We provide a multitude of opportunties and outlets for our students to flex their creative muscles, including extensive use of technology, opening more ways to view the world than ever before. Collingwood graduates are well-prepared to utilize their creative skills each and every day as an entrepreneur or editor, pathologist or parent, anaesthesiologist or artist.
creativity is the ability to see connections
where none exist - Thomas Disch, American science fiction author and poet
create connect
tell your story
b e a communic at o r Courage. Conviction. Wisdom. Clarity. Credibility. These are the components of great communication. You’ll see courage as one of our Grade 1 students stands up for the very first time to deliver a speech on the power of the peanut butter and jelly sandwich, or the otherwise shy Grade 9 boy who decides to audition for the lead in the school musical, unsure if he’ll be cast or not, but believes deep down inside he has a fighting chance. You’ll see conviction in the team of young scientists who submits their experiment to a global contest, hoping that it will be the one selected out of two thousand entries to be conducted 240 miles above the Earth on board the international space station. Wisdom is knowing your subject cold and defending your ideas effectively, and this is clearly demonstrated by students competing at a provincial or national debate, presenting to the public at the annual Science Fair, producing a drama class video about bullying, conceived and filmed in a 30 minute time constraint, or writing an essay for a variety of annual competitions. Clarity is being able to communicate seamlessly, and often silently, with your peers. And credibility is gaining the trust of your audience. We teach that one of the most critical components of being an effective communicator is to be an excellent listener. We grow great communicators on the field, the stage or in any arena where this comfort and confidence will be empowering. Today’s world includes modes of communication that are virtually instantaneous and transparent. Yet the fundamental ability to speak with others and forge a connection, to gain their confidence; to debate, deliberate and discuss; to look into the eyes of your friend, your classmate, your team mate, your audience, and knowing that you are getting through . . . well, that never goes out of style. We teach our students what great communication is all about.
The art of communication is the language of leadership
- James Hume
public speaking
& d eb at e
It starts with one minute. Only sixty seconds. This may not sound like a long time, but for a Grade 1 student, that first one minute speech is a true rite of passage. This is the beginning of their public speaking career at Collingwood.
Emily presents a monologue about a young Canadian’s experience visiting the United States
Students in all grades participate in our annual public speaking competition. The duration of speeches expands to five minutes over time, and the subject matter is completely determined by the student. Informative speeches, persuasive speeches, even dramatic monologues, from hilarious to serious, often with props and costumes, are all welcome. The best speakers advance from their classroom to a semi-final, in hopes of achieving the honour of presenting at our annual Public Speaking Assembly. Collingwood School has won more regional, provincial and Western Canada Public Speaking titles than can be listed here. We are honoured that three of our students have won the World Championships. All this accomplished through many hours of preparation before and after school, while working with experienced and enthusiastic teachers from our English department, who cumulatively have been coaching Collingwood debaters for over 22 years. Fostering the development of solid speaking skills from an early age grows students who are comfortable communicating with others. Their command of public speaking sets them apart and will benefit them not only in university but in their careers and daily lives in the future.
the teacher to student
connection
No where else is there more visible evidence of communication and collaboration than in the connection between our teachers and their students. Our teachers genuinely care about the students they are responsible for. Wearing many hats, they act not only as a teacher but a coach, a mentor, an advisor. They celebrate their students’ successes, encouraging them to strive even harder for excellence. They take to heart the struggles of the one who needs extra help and encouragement to emerge victorious. They have carefully guided young women and young men to national and provincial level championships in many sports. Our new house system ensures that no student falls through the cracks, but is always part of a smaller, caring group within the larger school community. When surveyed, scores of our alumni credit their Collingwood teachers and coaches with having a profound influence on their experience not only at school, but in their lives and career choices. To foster this kind of relationship with their students, our teachers have to continually bring their best to the classroom, the playing field or the music studio. They are cheerful, they are humble, they are committed to improving and growing their practice. They have participated in thousands of hours of professional development workshops, courses and programs - not only enriching their own professional lives but the experiences of their students. In many instances our faculty are leading the way by presenting at and helming conferences and workshops for teachers and educational leaders across North America. But they never forget to make time for their students because their success is of paramount importance. We infuse our teaching with the most relevant and effective professional practices to develop an educated mind. We also provide an intricate web of support for every child so they can flourish in a safe and nuturing environment. The teacher to student connection is apparent at every grade level and for every child: teachers give their very best and students bring theirs in return.
be compassionate Discover the source within you to help others, your community, your planet We believe that as a child grows and matures so should their vision of the world and their place within it. Learning to get along with others with fairness, and to be a contributing and kind member of their classroom, their grade or their community is the foundation that we start with and build upon. Students in all grades are engaged in various “giving back� activities. For our Junior School students this includes our Legacy Project, where children collect and recycle thousands of bottles and cans each year. With the funds raised, they then determine and donate a permanent gift to the Wentworth campus as their legacy. For our Middle Schoolers, annual initiatives include a rice raiser to feed the hungry or a vow of silence for 24 hours to raise funds for children whose civil rights are impacted. Donating items to and running soup kitchens for the homeless occur several times during the year, with faculty and staff volunteers working alongside students to serve those who need a wholesome hot meal. As students enter the Senior School, options for service opportunities expand dramatically as projects around the globe are open to them. Students may choose beach conservation tasks on a trip to Belize or digging trenches for a school foundation in Kenya. Our students returnfrom these life-changing trips with a new appreciation for the joyous spirit of those who have so much less in spite of needing so much more. Our affiliation with Round Square affords our students the opportunity to participate and interface with like-minded students from around the globe who share a commitment beyond academic excellence to personal development and responsibility. Collingwood students participate in numerous Round Square projects and play a prominent part at conferences each year including key leadership roles. Students learn to be compassionate not only for other people, but also for their planet. Cross-department collaboration yields activities such as the Capilano Watershed project for Grade 8. This project illustrates the delicate balance between humans and their fresh water supply, and connects this to the world water crisis where so many do not have access to this necessary component for life. A Collingwood student is always ready to offer a helping hand: be it assisting an injured teammate from the field or holding the lobby door open for a visitor. They build houses for those who have none. They fast for 24 hours so they can personally have a glimpse of what it feels to go hungry. Our students approach life with integrity, empathy and responsibility and they understand that giving to others is the greatest gift to themselves.
We only have what
we give - Isabel Allende, Chilean-American writer
be culturally competent The advent of the Internet and expansion of a global economy blur the lines between countries and cultures. It is highly likely that every one of our graduates will be interacting or working with a person from a different culture in university or in the workplace. It is critically important they have a solid understanding of multiculturalism and utilize competency skills to successfully navigate the landscape of the future. We are fortunate that the city we live in is culturally diverse, so our own Collingwood community is the perfect microcosm for young persons to observe, learn and practice cultural competency. We encourage our students to be culturally inquisitive and to embrace the cultural mosaic that begins at Collingwood. The broad and rich tapestry of cultures, traditions and values are celebrated at Collingwood, beginning in the classroom when students meet one another for the first time and start to forge friendships that will last a lifetime. Our students are encouraged to participate in Collingwood-sanctioned field trips to other countries, immersing themselves in and absorbing new cultural experiences as they explore their world through travel or service. An extensive exchange program with other Round Square member schools allows students to learn and live in a world different from their own. Courses such as Human Geography bring cosmopolitanism to the forefront as students assess how tastes and values, politics and economic constraints work together to form a particular cultural landscape. Students learn to view cultures not in isolation, but in comparison with others and begin to understand that these relationships are constantly changing and evolving. The atmosphere at Collingwood School consistently nurtures and supports the development of cultural competency, motivated by a collective goal of just wanting to be “real� with one another. It is from this environment that our graduates emerge: culturally self-aware, culturally sensitive and with a deeper appreciation and awareness of our world.
To the world you might be one person,
but to one person . . .
You might be the world - Ebony Mikle, Special Education teacher
india
belize
be a collingwood student We invite you to join us and become a vital addition to our learning community. Bring your earnest enthusiasm for academics, and your passion for the performing and visual arts. Bring your energy and effort for athletics and sports, and your compelling interest in learning about and giving back to your community, your country, your world. Whether you join us in Junior Kindergarten, Middle or Senior School, we will nurture you in a safe and caring environment where you will flourish. In the Junior School, your teachers will provide a holistic environment to help you transition from your home environment to the larger community of the classroom. In the Middle School, our teachers are dedicated to young people your age, ensuring a supportive environment as you begin to explore the new world of adolescence and expand your independence. As a Senior School student you will continue to define yourself and refine your direction, including pursuing academic excellence through our Advanced Placement Program, which demonstrates to university admissions counsellors that you seek higher challenges and that you can conquer them. Our robust University Guidance program will help you discover your best talents and allow you to choose the perfect post-secondary option for you, be it university or a year spent abroad in service of others. You will be well-prepared for whatever path you embark on. Your parents will find themselves part of a convivial community. Founded by a group of parents who wanted the best education for their children, Collingwood School has always included our parents as a vital, vibrant component of our community. We support our parents with our own learning series, dedicated to including them in the educational process so that they too may learn, grow and mature along with their children. As an alumni, you will join a small group of graduates pursuing varied paths as they navigate and create their meaningful lives. You will be in the company of a medical school resident in anesthetics who recently completed a run across Canada to raise awareness and funds for prostate cancer research. Or a young woman who, discovering her passion for drama, received critical acclaim for her work on the London stage and is now appearing on Broadway. You could stand beside a founding student who co-found a child aid organization which provides food, clothing, education and healthcare for hundreds of children in war-torn Iraq. Or you could admire a marathon runner, now on our Alumni Executive, who is busy raising two children who now attend Collingwood School. Look to your left or your right at any alumni event and you will see people that not only inspire you but are your peers, because of the education and experience you commonly share. Visit us and discover, define, and develop your meaningful life.
start your me an in gful
li f e here