Strategic Plan Update - December 2019 by Hillfield Strathallan College

TOWARDS 20/20

STRATEGIC PLAN UPDATE DECEMBER 2019

CONTENTS EIGHT DIRECTIONS.....................................4 CELEBRATING OUR COMMUNITY..............5 DIRECTION 1 ...............................................6 Personalized Authentic Learning DIRECTION 2 .............................................12 Global and Local Connectedness DIRECTION 3 .............................................16 Entrepreneurial Spirit DIRECTION 4 .............................................18 Resilience and Wellness DIRECTION 5 .............................................20 Strong HSC Community Connections and Engagement DIRECTION 6 .............................................24 Strategic Partnerships and Collaboration DIRECTION 7 .............................................28 Collaborative and Innovative Faculty and Staff DIRECTION 8 .............................................30 Financial Sustainability and Accessibility

EIGHT DIRECTIONS 2

Global and Local Connectedness

Entrepreneurial Spirit

5 Strong HSC Community Connections and Engagement

4 Personalized Authentic Learning

Joyful and Engaged Students

All supported by... 7 Strategic Partnerships and Collaboration

Resilience and Wellness

Collaborative and Innovative Faculty and Staff

STRATEGIES

ANNUAL OVER SIX YEARS

ACTIVITIES ONGOING

8 Financial Sustainability and Accessibility

CELEBRATING OUR COMMUNITY As we wrap up the Towards 20/20 strategic plan, it’s time to take a moment to reflect on the incredible strides that we have made over the past four years. Each activity and initiative has helped to build our community, create opportunities, and foster a sense of joy and purpose that we witness in each of our students as they travel through their years at HSC. This final look at the exciting projects that have taken place on our campus celebrates the strategies and objectives of our Towards 20/20 strategic plan.

DIRECTION 1 PERSONALIZED AUTHENTIC LEARNING

Throughout the four schools, personalized learning initiatives were created, explored and enjoyed. For example, the Montessori School utilizes personalized learning each day within its programming, allowing students to exercise choice when it comes to their work. The program’s foundational core was recently highlighted through the creation of the Montessori Ahead by a Century video, as well as a re-creation of the famous Montessori Glass Classroom, which allowed students to engage in personalized and selfdirected learning.

In the Junior School, students were able to follow their interests and direct their learning through a number of project-based learning (PBL) initiatives. Following the success of the “mouse library,” Grade 3 students learned about Ontario as they planned a trip for their bear friends and, most recently, the Grade 2 students learned about plant life and botany in their Collaborating with Plants project.

The Middle School saw restructuring of the Grade 5 and 6 program, allowing for more collaboration and interdisciplinary teaching to create opportunities to explore project-based learning.

In the Senior School, the creation of the H-Pod course brought a new level of selfdirected learning to light, with students being able to select a humanities subject and, in conjunction with faculty, create their own units and projects. The addition of a co-operative education program, alongside a number of new courses (in person and online), has also allowed for a more succinct shift to personalized authentic learning.

In the past year we also saw the creation of Sphero City, a joint venture between the Montessori students and the Launch Pad. Across the College, Flex Time was modified to allow for further explorative learning, and the creation of the Experts Program at HSC allowed our faculty to dive deep into their own personalized authentic learning experiences.

In creating an environment where students are encouraged to be bold and creative in their thinking and problem solving, students and faculty across the College collaborated to submit funding proposals for their passion projects. Since its creation in 2015, the David Tutty Joy and Innovation Fund has realized 38 projects, giving our students new opportunities to help direct their learning and invest in their potential as innovative leaders. Project highlights include the following:

SUITS AND BOOTS This Junior School initiative stemmed from the need to find a way for students to benefit from learning and playing outside, even when the weather is wet. The application saw the purchase of 75 rain suits for children aged 16 months to five years. NATURAL EMPATHY This Montessori School application focused on preserving the exposed root system of a tree on our campus through the creation of a structure around the tree and its roots that acts as protection—and also serves as a place to sit and rest. PICNIC TABLE PROJECT Math came to life through this Middle School project. Grade 7 students learned the practical importance of math when they improved HSC’s outdoor spaces through research, purchasing of supplies and the construction of four picnic tables. DESIGNWERX This Senior School initiative brought a student-run graphic design firm to life, allowing students to harness their skills in a professional platform. HONOURABLE MENTIONS HSC students are benefitting from the creation of a Makerspace and Launch Pad as well as the Dremel Digilab Laser Cutter.

As we emphasized personalized authentic learning, we also maximized our assessment and recognition processes and placed a strong emphasis on formative assessment feedback for Early Education through Grade 6. Across the four schools, the theme of student choice was widely seen.

College-wide timetabling initiatives were revised this year, and with the help of the Academic, Innovation and Instructional Team (AIIT), the level of communication across the four schools increased. In making changes to Flex Time, coordinating timetables and sharing teaching spaces, faculty are able to create a more integrated, collaborative and interdisciplinary approach to teaching. These changes strive to create a sense of continuity across the four schools and across individual subject areas.

DIRECTION 2 GLOBAL AND LOCAL CONNECTEDNESS

In the Fall 2019 edition of Independent School Magazine, published by the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), Clare Sisisky wrote an article entitled, Greater Good, which articulated ways in which schools include their Global Studies students in their communities that contribute to the growth and development of all students. The article, The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development articulates numerous global competencies that our students must develop.

These include understanding multiple perspectives and collaboration across differences, which are a couple of the key benefits that we have seen development with the evolution of the Global Studies program. Under the direction of Mr. Eric Bailey, we have been developing not only a program of academic instruction but also a series of opportunities to engage all students in cultural diversity. Part of this work is an exploration of cultural, educational and economic opportunities for exchanges and internships in other parts of the world including India, Hong Kong and China. This work and these opportunities are being developed in conjunction with our current students who are keen to keep this connection with HSC going long after they graduate.

Across the four schools, global and local partnerships are thriving. Ranging in mandate, each organization or community that we connect with encourages learning opportunities and allows our students, faculty and staff to give back to a community outside of HSC. Listed below are some of the organizations with which we have partnered:

Raven spoke to our Early Education classes

ME TO WE Students attend Me to We each year, and a Me to We day is held. GLASSCO FOUNDATION Senior School students take part in making a difference in children’s issues in Canada and overseas. FIRST NATIONS COMMUNITY HSC has created strong partnerships with local First Nations communities. Our interactions include attending Mohawk College to learn about the Wampum Belt; inviting Raven, who is Chippewa First Nations, to speak to the Early Education classes; and donating scholastic books to students at an elementary school in Ohsweken. HAMILTON POLICE SERVICE In partnership with the Hamilton Police Service, HSC students, faculty and staff have collected food for Hamilton’s food banks at the Cram-a-Cruiser event for four years in a row. BEST BUDDIES HSC students have created one-to-one friendships and engagement opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. ADELAIDE HOODLESS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL Through food drives and toy drives, HSC celebrates the holidays by giving back to the community.

The Diversity Prefect, created for the 2019–20 academic year, was an idea that stemmed from understanding that the HSC community is made up of a diverse group of students, faculty and staff. This new prefect, along with a Diversity Committee, will lead in the acknowledgement, celebration and engagement of the members of diverse cultures at HSC.

DIRECTION 3 ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT

Students have many opportunities to show their sense of entrepreneurial spirit. Whether through the studentrun businesses (Designwerx and Panwerx), a showcase of student designers in Fashion Wish, the student fashion show, or the creation of a Makerspace where students can let their imagination run wild, HSC is helping students to reach their full potential. In the Senior School, Middle School and Junior School, students have the ability to showcase their work through events such as the Trojan Trials, the App Fair, the Small Business Fair and Trojan Tank.

DIRECTION 4 RESILIENCE AND WELLNESS

Throughout the course of this strategic plan, the College has undergone a process designed to increase the social, emotional and physical wellbeing of our students. We are heading into our third year of a new nutrition and food services program, with positive reviews and a high level of satisfaction from students, parents, and faculty and staff. We have continued to review and enhance our health services, and we are working on more integrated and accessible health information systems.

The athletic therapy program and concussion management program have continued to grow and have been tailored to the needs of our students. In addition, throughout the course of this strategic plan, our College saw the creation of the Middle School and Early Education Health Services Office. In understanding that health doesn’t just mean physical health, our wellness and resiliency framework formed. This useful tool is incorporated into daily school planning, allowing for the creation of a wellness/ resiliency “passport” or report card. The introduction of Wellness Week and the Wellness Prefect also tie in with the idea of creating a balanced health and wellness program, as does the integration of wellness activities into the daily student experience.

DIRECTION 5 STRONG HSC COMMUNITY AND ENGAGEMENT

In an effort to continually improve HSC’s connections and engagement with our community, the Advancement and Communications Department publishes a yearly annual report to donors and an alumni magazine. Both publications give the reader a glimpse into life at HSC, current initiatives, and the incredible work that our young learners are accomplishing. Each year, the annual report is distributed to approximately 1,300 people, and the HSC Review is received by roughly 4,400 people.

The creation of a formal volunteer program has helped to increase connections with the entire HSC community, including alumni, parents of alumni, and current parents. In addition to creating a level of engagement at our events, these connections have also helped connect our alumni to our current students, through a number of on-campus events and activities. In the Senior School, a Grade 10 class was given a Dragon’s Den–style business challenge that required students to pitch an investment idea to a group of alumni judges (the “Dragons”), along with entrepreneurs within the community. Students are also encouraged to create connections with alumni through an online platform where they are able to seek career advice, submit résumés for critique, and participate in mock interviews. A strong sense of community has also been created through the development of a growing scholarships and bursaries program as well

as a curated stewardship program consisting of regular reporting to donors, the creation of a thank-you campaign, and an open line of communication with donors and potential donors. The following scholarships and bursaries have been established throughout the course of this strategic plan:

Grade 10 Dragon’s Den–style business challenge

MORGAN FAMILY SCHOLARSHIP Established in 2017, this opportunity covers the cost of annual tuition, starting from the day the student enters Grade 9 through to graduation, and assists with the purchase of books, uniforms and additional school expenses. This scholarship is renewable each year that the student is enrolled at HSC, following an annual review each February by the Scholarship Committee. Each year, a new student entering Grade 9 is selected as an incoming recipient. BRETT FD SAMPSON SENIOR SCHOOL MEMORIAL AWARD In 2016 this award was established in honour of the spirit and legacy of the late Brett Sampson. Each year since its inception, $1,500 has been provided by the Townsend family to an outstanding student (or students) with an entrepreneurial spirit who is pursuing post-secondary studies in leadership, creativity and commitment. Successful recipients must demonstrate strength in team-building skills, be good listeners, exercise patience, and show respect to their colleagues. They must also be community leaders, understanding the importance of giving back to the community.

MANBERT/SERNIUK FAMILY SCHOLARSHIP Established in 2019, this scholarship celebrates one student annually entering Grades 5 to 9 and is valued at $1,000. The purpose of this scholarship is to ensure that academic, athletic and leadership potential is recognized and celebrated for one incoming student to the community annually. This scholarship is available to a student who embodies the College’s mission, vision and values, most notably through outstanding academic, athletic and leadership potential and ability. CONSTANCE OWEN SCHOLARSHIP Created in 2018, this scholarship is awarded to a student pursuing a career in nursing, health and wellness, life sciences or a personal support worker program. The recipient is ideally someone who has not always been in the spotlight but who has a quiet sense of leadership and understands the importance of supporting colleagues and giving back.

DIRECTION 6 STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS AND COLLABORATION

In an effort to continuously evolve our strategic partnerships, we have spent the duration of this strategic plan cultivating relationships and avenues of collaboration. We wrapped up our third annual PBL Conference in partnership with the PBL Canada Institute (in collaboration with PBL Works), and in its last year, our newly formed relationship with Grant Lichtman was cultivated. In addition to being our keynote speaker at the PBL Conference, Grant will be working with the AIIT to drive transformation in our academic programming.

In the spring of 2019, we hosted Cohort 21 and welcomed a group of CAIS educators to the College. Cohort 21 allows faculty and administrators to come together and create plans for how to improve the educational and learning outcomes at their schools. The idea of collaborating with other like-minded educators was also seen through the CAIS accelerator process. Over the past two years, HSC has had two teams participate in this goal-creating process. Each year a team has attended a multi-day conference with a change project in mind. During the first year our team focused on the challenge of developing online learning opportunities, and the team this year is working with outdoor learning spaces. The conference works with educators to apply change management tools to the project, and in the year following the conference, the teams work with their assigned mentors (assigned through the CAIS accelerator conference) and receive guidance in the implementation of their project.

Our partnerships have also occurred at the student level, with our schools collaborating with and attending the Me to We conference, educational and exploration trips through World Challenge, and our partnership with Alive Outdoors in the scheduling of our E-Week and Camp Trillium trips in the spring. We have worked to expand our partnership with Dana Hospitality, and in addition to overhauling the nutrition and lunch program, we have upgraded our internal catering program. This change brought forth the creation and delivery of an enhanced catering project that allows us to hold events with up to 250 people. These changes allow for a more efficient service, help us to have more control over our event catering, and allow us to leverage our new facilities more efficiently.

E-Week

Junior School visits Mohawk’s Wampum Belt

Our partnerships also extend to our education partnerships, where we have connections with McMaster University, Brock University and Redeemer College. A number of our staff

completed an Indigenous Studies course through Mohawk College, and the Junior School takes annual trips to visit Mohawk’s Wampum Belt.

DIRECTION 7 COLLABORATIVE AND INNOVATIVE FACULTY AND STAFF

HSC faculty aren’t just teaching students. Through the development of our experts or “innovation leaders” program, a number of our faculty regularly deliver professional development for external and internal audiences. Along with these experts, the collaborations across the College (including the educational technology leadership team and “whole school connected”) have created a continuous, collaborative environment for learning. Organizational review and structure ensure that there is optimal structure to support and encourage innovation in both our staff and students, and continuous evaluation and assessment of the College’s culture helps to ensure that we are staying true to our mission.

We have encouraged and enabled connections beyond the parameters of our campus to enhance student learning, which can be seen through our examples of personalized authentic learning and in our strategic partnerships and collaborations. Our relationships with organizations such as the PBL Canada Institute (and PBL Works), Mohawk College, Brock University, those involved with Cohort 21 and the CAIS accelerator allow us to create a team of educators and administrators who are well prepared to help guide our students so that they are able to learn with joy and live with purpose.

DIRECTION 8 FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY AND ACCESSIBILITY

Throughout the course of this strategic plan, the College has regularly assessed our enrolment plans and initiatives to ensure continued admission of mission appropriate students. These assessments include the collection of analytical data and inquiry of our domestic and international markets, as well as a comprehensive review of our early education program, most specifically related to our youngest student group. Through this analysis we remain best positioned to plan for programmatic enhancements in all facets of the College. In keeping with our focus on admissions and marketing efforts, through a partnership with Metric Marketing, a brand and visual identity book was designed to support the launch of a refreshed marketing campaign and platforms.

This partnership ensures that our branding and marketing initiatives remain competitive within our various markets. The College maintains continued focus on the development and retention of financial reserves that ensure the continued success for our students and our community. To further support our financial sustainability, changes to the annual budgeting process were approved and proposed. The new process changes the timing of annual approvals and maximizes availability of information in the short and long term. This change in information flow supports timely College decision-making and an increased level of transparency. In addition, a multi-year master operating budget has also been developed to support proposed changes to program and a continuous focus on campus facility planning.

Grads Who Inspire Me 2019

Junior School Heritage Day

Montessori School Garden Harvest

Personalized Authentic Learning

Global and Local Connectedness

Entrepreneurial Spirit

Playground Project

Reslience and Wellness

Strong HSC Community Connections and Engagement

Strategic partnerships and Collaboration

Collaborative and Innovative Faculty and Staff

Financial Sustainability and Accessibility

Senior School Musical – Guys and Dolls

Remembrance Day

Middle School Fenton Trench Digging

A Year in Review 2019

JOYFUL AND ENGAGED STUDENTS

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Hillfield Strathallan College | 299 Fennell Avenue West, Hamilton, ON L9C 1G3 | P. 905-389-1367 | F. 905-389-6366 | www.hsc.on.ca