Impact Report 2 0 23
GLENLYON NORFOLK SCHOOL
Community Driven You are one of
771
donors that impacted our GNS Community
Students in Grades 11 & 12 together completed
7,598 hours of service in 2022/2023
100
%
of students participated in community service
impacting more than
145
organizations in Canada
Your Impact on our GNS Community has allowed us to: CREATE THE FIRST HYDROPONIC GROWING SPACE TO BE BUILT IN A SCHOOL IN VICTORIA! The idea of growing vegetables without soil lit a spark in Grade 5 teacher Mrs. Sarah Wallace’s mind to connect this concept with her Grade 5 curriculum. Some of the food harvested from the hydroponic program is donated to Backpack Buddies, a program that seeks to bridge the weekend hunger gap by providing a weekly bag of food to children who are supported during the week by school breakfast and lunch programs across Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland. Other organizations that have benefitted from this project include the Mustard Seed and the Fairfield Gonzales Community Association.
“
The hydroponics program fits beautifully with the IB Diploma Programme and the independent assessments that students do...The kids are getting a lovely segway into service as well. It’s a meaningful service that kids can be involved in. We are extremely excited.” -Sarah Wallace Grade 5 teacher
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IMPACT REPORT
PROVIDE OUTDOOR EQUIPMENT Provide outdoor equipment to Junior School students to allow them to play large board games, like Jenga, Chess or Triple Toss outside during recess.
Community Driven STUDENT HEALTH & WELLNESS Pastoral care is an integral component of the GNS experience. This applies to caring for the physical health and safety of our students, as well as their social and emotional well-being.
INCLUSION At GNS, we work to ensure that each member of our community has a voice and the opportunity to share their personal perspective in meaningful ways.
CULTURE The culture of GNS is grounded in the values-enriched environment we provide to our students and is built on the connections made within our extended community of students, faculty, staff, parents, alumni and community partners.
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GLENLYON NORFOLK SCHOOL
Inspired Pathways Your Philanthropy has inspired: FIRST ROBOTICS PROGRAM The First Robotics Program captured the enthusiasm of students and Mr. Jon Hamlin, Director of Technology, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, decided that combining the excitement of sports competition with science and technology had potential.
GLOWFORGE LASER CUTTER A welcome addition to the Junior School’s Innovation Lab making and design space is our new Glowforge laser cutter. This tool has increased the diversity of fabrication tools and materials accessible to students and teachers. It is being utilized to cut many types of materials, from wood, cardboard, plastic, stone (the list goes on!), and has already been great support in broadening the scope of inquiry and design projects for students and teachers at The Beach. Some recent examples of inquiry projects made possible with the support of our laser cutter tool include: •
Grade 2 Salmon Life Cycle Design Project - Spring 2023 In celebration of the Grade 2 students’ participation in the restoration of Chum salmon to Bowker Creek
•
Grade 5 Bee Garden community education design project - Fall 2023
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“
First Robotics is not just a competition; it’s a community where innovation knows no bounds, and inclusion is the cornerstone,” says Jon. “Just like GNS, First Robotics fosters a diverse and accessible space where students from all backgrounds unite to shape the future. Through this shared commitment to learning and collaboration, students gain invaluable skills and experiences that open doors to boundless opportunities, setting them on a trajectory for success in an ever-evolving world.”
IMPACT REPORT
There are endless possibilities for how our new laser cutter can enable students to bring their imagined design plans to life. It also allows teachers to create their own personalized handson, manipulative materials in support of our primary and elementary years at the Junior School. We look forward to utilizing our laser cutter to support the continued creativity and innovation happening at The Beach.
Inspired Pathways UNIQUE LEARNING PATHWAYS At GNS, there is no single mould for students or predetermined idea of a graduate. Each student at GNS is given the opportunity to choose their own pathway and is supported in achieving success on their chosen journey.
TECH, INNOVATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP GNS prides itself on preparing our students for an everchanging world. To accomplish this, we will continue to follow our long-standing tradition of exploring and offering inventive learning opportunities to all our students.
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GLENLYON NORFOLK SCHOOL
Planning for a Bold Future
Your philanthropic investment has ensured a Bold Future for:
PAIGE THOMPSON, CLASS OF ‘18 Following graduation from GNS, Paige received a Bachelor of Music from the University of Victoria and is now currently pursuing a Bachelor of Education from the same institution with the goal of becoming a high school music teacher. What’s more, the school continues to play a role in her musical journey. “I’m playing in a band with a few other people from GNS who were in my graduation class, and I would not have that musical community as well if it hadn’t been for my musical experience at GNS.”
LIAM SARSFIELD, CLASS OF ‘07 One of the pivotal aspects of Liam’s journey was his access to the school’s resources, particularly the computer lab. He seized every opportunity to use the lab and hone his passion for computers and programming. It was at GNS that he delved into first-year university-level computer science. “GNS is the perfect place to do that, they will support you doing absolutely anything there, and there are very few places in life that I found where that actually is the case.”
AMANDA CHAVAL, GNS CHORAL DIRECTOR Amanda Chaval, the Choral Director, received the Advancement of Education Grant for teachers to support professional development to work on her own voice lessons that inspired a Japanese international student, Akira, to develop a passion for music and confidence as a performer.
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IMPACT REPORT
CAMPUS ADVANCEMENTS GNS has a strong foundation and continually aspires to create a safe, nurturing and inspiring space that promotes learning, collaboration and innovation for the school and the broader community. We have made advances on both campuses by improving the following areas: Middle School renewal completion — Lower Brooks was refurbished/renovated to match the work completed in Upper Brooks in 2022. Beach Drive — New roof on Rattenbury House and front turf.
Planning for a Bold Future FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY The GNS experience should be as vibrant and fulfilling as possible for our students, which requires a stable financial foundation that allows us to adopt innovation, be responsive to change and make it possible for more families to join our community.
PEMBERTON WOOD CAMPUS RENEWAL The long-term sustainability of our school relies on our facilities keeping pace with and supporting the evolution of our exceptional programs. We are committed to meeting the evolving needs of our school while growing a strong connection with the broader community and to ensuring that our students have access to the latest resources and technologies needed in preparation to thrive as leaders in a constantly evolving world.
TALENT ACQUISITION AND RETENTION As an institution that prioritizes student learning, GNS works to inspire our faculty and staff to continue to learn and grow to become the best they can be in their chosen area. We will invest in our faculty and staff by supporting them to discover professional development opportunities through which they will acquire the skills needed to fulfil the school’s mission. We will work to establish a workplace culture that prioritizes inclusivity, collaboration, innovation and compassion. By creating such a community, we aim to achieve a shared sense of success where everyone can thrive and feel empowered to achieve their full potential.
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