ONE COLLEGE. FOUR SCHOOLS.
BOUNDLESS POSSIBILITIES
OCTOBER 2023
H I L L F I E L D S T R AT H A L L A N C O L L E G E
S T R AT E G I C P L A N U P DAT E
So much has been done since our last update to advance HSC’s Strategic Plan. From the addition of new roles at the College to the expansion of student experiential learning opportunities in all four schools, progress continues to improve on an already incredible educational environment. The energy, dedication and creativity of the faculty, staff and community partners helping us realize our goals is truly incredible to witness and I am so proud to share this glimpse into all their hard work. Marc Ayotte, Head of College
CONTENTS Our Strategic Plan..................................................................................1 Theme 1: Personalized Learning.........................................................3 Theme 2: Purposeful and Sustainable Learning Environments...5 Theme 3: Resilience and Wellbeing...................................................7 Theme 4: A Whole College, Inclusive and Connected.....................9 Goal 1: Enhance the Learning Experience...................................11 Goal 2: Reimagining Time and Space.........................................13 Goal 3: Diverse, Inclusive, Equitable, Lifelong Community......15
PERSONALIZED LEARNING Enhanced student engagement through authentic and experiential opportunities.
PERSONALIZED LEARNING
PURPOSEFUL AND SUSTAINABLE LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS All of our learning environments enhance the College experience in purposeful and sustainable ways.
strategic Goal: Enhance the Learning Experience
RESILIENCE AND WELLBEING The development and nourishment of the whole child with attention to the wellbeing of our entire community will be our daily focus.
A WHOLE COLLEGE– INCLUSIVE AND CONNECTED A locally and globally connected community offering a seamless educational experience from 18 months to 18 years that fosters a sense of belonging.
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A WHOLE COLLEGE– INCLUSIVE AND CONNECTED
PURPOSEFUL AND SUSTAINABLE LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS
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Joyful Engaged Inclusive
G
strategic Goal: reimagining time and space
Community G
RESILIENCE AND WELLBEING
strategic Goal: Diverse, Inclusive, Equitable Lifelong Community HSC STRATEGIC PLAN
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THEME ONE: PERSONALIZED LEARNING Enhanced student engagement through authentic and experiential opportunities.
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A key aspect of our Strategic Plan is to give our students opportunities to find, engage, and seek solutions for real-world problems and engage in authentic and experiential learning opportunities. We are proud to have a reputation as a leader in project-based learning (PBL), and our innovative faculty continues to build this reputation by designing engaging projects for our students. In addition, this Strategic Plan aims to develop, deliver, and support interdisciplinary and crossgrade collaboration and learning. Opportunities for faculty to connect across the four schools through peer observations, action research
projects, or grade-level and department meetings enable these cross-grade and cross-discipline conversations. We have begun the process of creating a College-wide curriculum continuum, which will serve to enhance these opportunities. In addition, PBL, cross-disciplinary, and cross-grade learning reinforce the HSC ideals, particularly community, determination, and individuality. The CAIS visiting committee recently commended our faculty’s efforts to facilitate learning experiences that support student engagement and their commitment to employing a range of studentcentred pedagogical approaches.
Grade 8s teaching French to Montessori students
Grade 9 Integrated Arts PBL assignment
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Recent Highlights: »
In Grade 5, a body systems unit included engaging presentations from physicians in the HSC community.
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In Grade 9, an integrated arts course applied PBL to design a purposeful outdoor arts space.
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A multi-disciplinary PBL experience in Senior School combined students from Elev8, in partnership with the hospitality and tourism as well as the sports and entertainment classes, to organize a coffee house that raised funds to purchase hot food containers for Gore Park Outreach. Jeffrey Ng, the coordinator of Gore Park Outreach, was invited to speak at the event to share his journey from the initial idea to its current state.
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A cross-grade collaboration between French students from Grade 8 and Montessori French classes offered a wonderful opportunity for the Grade 8 students to review French vocabulary, practice their oral speaking skills, and be leaders. For the Montessori students, it was a chance to get some one-on-one support and connect with an older student.
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In Junior School, faculty took part in an action research project investigating early literacy (in response to the Ontario Ministry of Education revised English curriculum and the Right to Read report).
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Grade 4 Reachers worked with Senior School students in design tech classes to design posters that exemplified the REACH traits for Junior School students. Reachers worked all year to represent the Junior School in community outreach opportunities and visited younger students to teach about character development. We have an eager group of new Reachers ready to take on the leadership role this year.
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The introduction of a student self-assessment rubric model in Montessori based on the lifecycle of a tree saw deep resonance among students.
Guest Speaker, Jeffrey Ng from Gore Park Outreach
Elev8 Thanksgiving Apple Crumble Fundraiser
Montessori: Learning through the lifecycle of a tree HSC STRATEGIC PLAN
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THEME ONE: PERSONALIZED LEARNING
We are thrilled to welcome Sheryl Murray, Chair of Experiential Learning, to the HSC community to enhance and strengthen this area of the College. She has a wealth of experience and will provide program leadership and strategy development to enhance the overall ability to build experiential learning capacity across the College in line with the four pillars of the Strategic Plan. Sheryl is excited to build on last year’s successful cooperative learning student experiences. Last year we had three students participate in cooperative learning. This year, we have expanded the program to eight students. We’ve highlighted some of our past cooperative education student experiences with quotes about their participation in the program.
HSC provides an environment that is rich in a variety of experiential learning opportunities, and I cannot wait to cultivate more ways for students to expand their horizons, and learn through firsthand experiences. Providing opportunities and encouraging active participation from students often results in deep reflection and critical analysis of concepts mirrored in classroom lessons. Witnessing the moment when a student ignites with enthusiasm and understanding during an active learning moment is among the most fulfilling aspects of my role. – Sheryl Murray, Chair of Experiential Learning
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Click here for an interview with Sheryl Murray, Chair of Experiential Learning
During my co-op placement at TEAD - Equestrian Association For The Disabled, I had the opportunity to improve my teamwork skills by working with other volunteers, staff, and disabled riders. Through this experience, I learned how to communicate effectively with others, listen actively, and respect different opinions. By collaborating with others, I was able to share my ideas and expertise while also learning from others’ experiences. I have become more aware of my own abilities to adapt to new environments, communicate effectively, and work as part of a team. This experience has helped me grow both personally and professionally, and it has given me a clearer sense of my values, strengths, and aspirations. – Emma Kemper ’23
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THEME ONE: PERSONALIZED LEARNING
There are many positive takeaways from my co-op experience, the first being the chance to apply the information I learned in Introduction to Kinesiology last year. I was given the opportunity to work at the sport med clinic, and I have learned a lot about myself, and this field of medicine. There was a constant flow of patients at the clinic with a variety of injuries, which gave me the opportunity to think about the muscles, bones, tendons, and ligaments that could be affected by the injury and treatment. In addition to furthering my learning, I was fortunate to work alongside physiotherapists, and assist them in making hot packs, setting up patients on the GameReady, performing ultrasounds and electrotherapy, and demonstrating exercises. I would highly recommend co-op to other students, as this experience helped me decide what university I would like to go to, and what I would like to do with the rest of my life. – Kathleen Hartwick ’23
Co-Op Surgical Placement 7
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Montessori Garden Harvest
Some of our recent highlights include exploring ways that less formal experiential learning opportunities could be designed for our younger students.
Recent highlights: »
In Junior School, a reimagining of the Ontario science curriculum through Kaci Rae Christopher’s Garden Curriculum saw PK children plant, harvest and share their bounty with the kitchen through the garden to table project. The children had the opportunity to taste the delicious food they harvested cooked by the kitchen staff.
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A partnership with Mohawk College and Green Ventures saw Middle School students expand on the Miyawaki forest to enhance campus biodiversity.
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In Grade 2, students were introduced to the Nutritower – a gardening tool that helped students address the fact that foods cannot be grown outdoors all year round.
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Montessori students planted, cared for, and harvested the Montessori garden which produces food to donate to Gore Park Outreach.
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Montessori curricular alignment of indoor and outdoor curriculum connects the concepts of learning as a mirror to the lifecycle of a tree with the hands-on learning of botany in the Montessori gardens.
This past September, a redesigned Senior School E-week allowed our students to step outside the traditional classroom setting and engage in hands-on learning experiences beyond textbooks and lectures. The design was made through the lens of the strategic plan to align the opportunities offered at each grade level and allow for more choice and personalization for students from year to year. Depending on their grade, students got to choose from more than eight different trip experiences including trips to Iceland, BC, Washington, NYC and more. Among the experiences was seeing the impact of climate change on the temperate rainforests of BC; learning about Indigenous cultures and how they live with the land; the historical treatment of minorities in the salmon canning industry in BC; learning about the Holocaust and 9/11 through NYC museum visits; completing challenge-by-choice camp activities; participating in a forensic science lab, a planetarium visit, a squid dissection workshop, and attending musicals on Broadway. The feedback we received from students, faculty, and parents about the trips was excellent.
E-Week in NYC HSC STRATEGIC PLAN
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The activities were amazing and we got to do some pretty incredible stuff. The walks were great as well because we got to see so many things that we wouldn’t normally see in Hamilton like crabs, the ocean and seals. – Grade 10 student, BC trip
THEME ONE: PERSONALIZED LEARNING
I stepped out of my comfort zone and tried things I wouldn’t have done back home which made me feel fulfilled. I also enjoyed making new friends and spending time with them. Grade 9 student, Onondaga trip The trip was unique, and unlike anything I’ve experienced before. Just the ability to be able to travel to Iceland with the school immediately rates the trip very highly. Grade 12 student, Iceland trip The trips were engaging and educational, the opportunities seemed unique and the experiences felt exclusive and worth the time and money. Grade 11 student, science modules The content of the trip was more focused on allowing us to explore what interested us, which I found refreshing from previous E-weeks. Grade 11 student, NYC trip Trip was almost perfectly balanced, there was the perfect blend of learning (a little more than our liking, which should be pushed) and fun/free time. Grade 10 student, Washington trip
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E-Week in BC
E-Week in Washington
How would you rate your E-Week experience? Senior School Student Survey Results 1= Lowest 5= Highest
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E-Week Arts and Technology module
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THEME TWO: PURPOSEFUL AND SUSTAINABLE LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS All of our learning environments enhance the College experience in purposeful and sustainable ways.
As we endeavor to meet the goals in this strategic plan, we will design learning environments that will enhance the College experience in purposeful and sustainable ways. We know that all spaces on campus are potential learning spaces and sources of creativity and inspiration. Over the summer, we have updated the Virtue-Fitzgerald Centre for the Arts, the Sensorial Garden, Grade 8 science lab, Middle School breakout spaces, and the blacktop. We are proud of the commendation HSC recently received from the CAIS Peer Review Team for our creative and innovative learning spaces, which align with the education program. As we prepare for the launch of phase one of the Campus Master Plan, the Middle School Faculty took part in a visioning exercise last spring to determine the needs and wants of a new Middle
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School. The goal was to come up with a wish list for a redesigned school that would meet the needs of HSC’s learners while remaining flexible to accommodate current and evolving pedagogies. Key concepts from the session included flexible, accessible, welcoming, the outdoors and technology. As we recognize the critical importance of our environment and the existential challenges of the global climate crisis, HSC is prioritizing environmental sustainability in our physical campus and operations decisions. The CAIS Peer Review Team recently commended HSC for making a concerted effort to ensure that its facilities, both the infrastructure and the external grounds, are designed intentionally to support and advance its mission.
Recent Highlights: »
Ongoing PD with Mohawk regarding sustainability
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Energy audit
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New BAS in Montessori reducing GHG
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Converting culinary arts to electric appliances to reduce GHG
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Natural Pod furniture expansion to JK
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Green Roof
Natural Pod Furniture in JK
Miyawaki Forest Planting
HSC Green Roof
As we work towards making HSC a leader in Canadian education for practicing, learning, and teaching environmental sustainability, we are thrilled to co-host the Growing the REgeneration Unconference in April 2024. Growing the REgeneration is designed for leaders working or learning in K-12 schools, including students, teachers, administrators, facilities managers, board members, and parents.
Growing the REgeneration: April 2024 Unconference HSC STRATEGIC PLAN
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THEME THREE: RESILIENCE AND WELLBEING The development and nourishment of the whole child with attention to the wellbeing of our entire community will be our daily focus.
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We are developing practices to amplify wellbeing and embed it into our school structures and daily routines. We strive to develop a community where students are physically active every day, demonstrate gratitude, are engaged in learning, are mindful and present, and are actively open to caring for others and themselves. Our focus on the HSC ideals enables students to grow into well-rounded leaders who can act with the best interests of themselves and others in mind. In addition, the CAIS Peer Review Team recently commended the School for its intentionality
towards active movement in all grades. Recent enhancements to our outdoor facilities, including two GagaBall courts, tether ball and sport lines on the blacktop further enable purposeful movement at recess time.
Repurposed Middle School Blacktop
New Game Lines painted in the Early Ed. Gym
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Universal Design for Learning (UDL) can support holistic wellbeing in the learning environment and gives teachers tools to create personalized learning environments responsive to various learners. By centering on the needs of all learners, UDL supports diversity in the classroom, a
key determinant of student wellbeing. Gina Ranger, Nick Timms and our Learning Services teams supported our faculty with professional development in the area of UDL last school year. This year, a group of faculty from all four schools will continue this training through Novak Education’s Virtual Learning Institute on Meeting the Needs of All Learners Through UDL. Recently, we welcomed Julie Pearce, a registered social worker, to our Health Services team. The hiring of Julie allows us to expand our support of student wellbeing. Julie Pearce will take the lead on supporting students in Grades 9 through 12, while Gina Ranger will focus on the students in Grades 8 and below.
Ongoing work to foster a learning environment where everyone feels safe included a recent audit to identify any potential vulnerabilities to the security and safety of staff, students and visitors on campus. Outcomes of the review included hiring new daytime security staff as well as the installation of an additional sidewalk along the Early Education parking lot. HSC also engaged an on campus traffic study to facilitate further improvements to the flow of traffic in and around the College. Mandatory PD also ensures that HSC’s child safeguarding information is shared with faculty and staff in a consistent and easily accessible manner, reinforcing HSC’s commitment to a safe and secure learning environment.
Welcome, Julie Pearce, Registered Social Worker
New Sidewalks in the Early Ed. Parking Lot HSC STRATEGIC PLAN
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THEME FOUR: A WHOLE COLLEGE – INCLUSIVE AND CONNECTED A locally and globally connected community offering a seamless educational experience from 18 months to 18 years that fosters a sense of belonging. We endeavor for all stakeholders to have a sense of belonging to the HSC community, where all members are accepted and celebrated, not only for what brings them together but also for what makes them unique. As part of our community-building efforts, we intentionally created opportunities last spring to bring together students across the four schools. Our Middle School Prefect, Kathleen Hartwick, designed a “Taste of Senior School” event in which Grade 8 students were welcomed to the Senior School, met a buddy, and got excited about the challenges and opportunities in their new school. In addition, Senior School students acted as reading buddies for students in the Junior and Montessori Schools. This not only gave the older
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students a leadership role but also allowed the younger students to connect with someone else at the College. HSC offers a seamless educational experience for students from 18 months to 18 years. This experience’s key aspect is fostering a sense of belonging among our entire community, including students, staff, faculty, parents, and alumni. One of the ways that we build our community is through our College events, including alumni reunions, Parents’ Guild events and various fundraising initiatives. In the spring, Homecoming 2023 was a huge success welcoming over 1,200 students, parents, alumni, family and friends to our campus. The big day went off without a hitch and delivered on the fun with a jam-packed day
of athletic games, kids activities, delicious food and a student-led market where proceeds went to charity. Following the day’s activities, a special reunion dinner was held on campus to honour members of HSC classes ending in ‘3 and ‘8, along with alumni from the classes of ’20 and ’21 who could not celebrate their graduations during the pandemic. For the past six months, we have worked with Taliesin Ho-Devine, an Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion co-ordinator, to perform an audit of our policies and programs and help guide and move forward strategic directions in ensuring
that HSC is a diverse, inclusive, equitable, lifelong community. The introduction of HSC’s “College Commitment” is one example of this work. The decision to reserve the College Prayer for more formal and traditional gatherings and instead use the commitment at weekly Chapel reinforces HSC’s efforts to create a welcoming and inclusive learning environment. Our faculty and staff are committed to achieving our goals in this area of the strategic plan through ongoing professional development opportunities, curriculum revisions, and book clubs. The CAIS Peer Review Team recently commended the School for its recent focus on DEI.
College Commitment At Hillfield Strathallan College, we value one another as equals, and we honour the humanity of each individual in our community. We believe that by lifting each other up, we give our community more opportunities to grow and flourish. Homecoming 2023
We nurture an atmosphere of mutual respect and kindness, to ensure that our College is a safe and inclusive environment for everyone on our campus at all times. We conduct ourselves with integrity, both academically and in our relationships with one another. We understand that making mistakes is part of the learning process and that it is our actions after our mistakes that define us. We show determination to learn with joy and live with purpose, in order that we may continue to grow as individuals and as a community, and make a positive difference in the wider world.
Spring Reunion Dinner HSC STRATEGIC PLAN
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GOAL ONE: ENHANCE THE LEARNING EXPERIENCE We aim to make wellbeing a critical part of all we do and be at the forefront of all decisions—striking a balance of academic rigour and wellbeing. In response to this goal and the needs of our students, the Middle School has launched the Second Step® social-emotional learning (SEL) program, an evidence-based program that promotes self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making. Weekly home form SEL lessons have enabled a consistent, ongoing, and integrated SEL curriculum focused on developing skills, strategies, and attitudes that will set them up for success today and in the future. In addition, the Middle School faculty are focusing on their SEL and completing the Second Step professional development program for educators. To enhance the learning experience for students and continue to offer a world-class level of education, we support and empower our faculty to grow as a community of professional educators who commit to career-long personal and professional growth. Our faculty participated in fantastic professional learning opportunities this past spring and summer. 17
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GOAL
Highlights include: »
Six faculty members took part one of the Antiblack racism Additional Qualification course
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Faculty member Eric Bailey taught part one of the ESL Additional Qualification course. This course was attended by five faculty members from across the College
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Critical Friends Group Training from the National School Reform Faculty for the Curriculum Coordinators, Grade Level Leaders, and Instructional Chairs.
We are also continuing to revise our faculty growth and evaluation model and have seen great engagement in this process to date. Last year, faculty chose to work on Action Research projects, observe their peers, write a reflective journal on their progress towards their professional goals, or be coached by another faculty member. The CAIS Peer Review Team commended HSC for promoting faculty professional development that reflects the mission, values, and goals of the school.
Gore Park Community Outreach
As we engage more deeply with our local community, we will create programs and events that invite the community to participate in the life and resources at HSC. In turn, we will create opportunities for HSC and our stakeholders to become more active as leaders in the region’s civic life. Many community members, including faculty, staff, students, and parents, have volunteered their time to help with the Gore Park Community Outreach. Elev8, a student-led service club, has fully supported this organization through fundraising efforts and their regular attendance on Saturdays, helping to unload items, set up and tear down the area, and distribute hot meals and non-perishable items. The students are also very interested in providing awareness about Gore Park to our community and exploring ways to encourage others to participate. In addition, HSC’s Empowerment Squared, another student-led service club, supported the organization’s March Break camp in the Ubuntu Athletic Centre. More than 25 student participants aged eight to 13 joined five volunteer coaches from HSC to help run sports programming for underserved and newcomer communities in Hamilton.
Gore Park Community Outreach
National School Reform Critical Friends Group training
October Food Drive HSC STRATEGIC PLAN
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GOAL TWO: REIMAGINING TIME AND SPACE Our goal is to reexamine our schedule to empower student learning and enable coordination across schools. Our College-wide timetable committee has spent the year examining the current HSC timetable and researching the timetables of other schools to allow for more flexibility, better alignment across schools, and more purposeful collaborative time. To better support crossdisciplinary PBL in the Middle School, the Grade 6 team is piloting a block schedule model in which large chunks of time are devoted to multiple classes learning together. In preparation for the first phase of the campus Master Plan, the Middle School faculty have begun reimagining their current teaching spaces. We are also working to increase the collaborative spaces used by students, faculty, and staff. Two new breakout spaces were created in the Heaven building to provide more flexibility to faculty and students. We are excited to see how these spaces will be used to enhance the learning experience.
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GOAL
In addition, HSC is reviewing the use of Smartboards, classroom hardware, and teaching technologies. We have currently replaced the Smartboards in a few classrooms with televisions and wireless connections, which can cast student work and allow teachers the opportunity to move around the room as they are teaching. To exemplify environmental sustainability in our practice, design, and use of spaces, we have installed a green roof on the Michael G. DeGroote Senior School. The green roof will not only offset our carbon footprint but will also serve as a learning opportunity for our students. In addition, this spring, we planted the first part of a Miyawaki forest on the east side of the campus between HSC and Mohawk College. In early October, in partnership with Mohawk College and Green Venture, this forest was expanded with a total of 275 trees of varying species planted.
Middle School Collaborative Spaces
HSC Green Roof
Boosted Wireless Connections
Mohawk College and Green Ventures Partnership
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GOAL THREE: DIVERSE, INCLUSIVE, EQUITABLE, LIFELONG COMMUNITY Our College—like our community, region and nation—is increasingly diverse. We recognize, celebrate, and honour our diversity. As we strive to integrate pluralism into the everyday curriculum in all four schools, our work in creating a pluralism scope and sequence across all the College continues. We aim to have each community member feel a lifelong personal connection to the College and feel supported, included, and appreciated for their contributions. More recently, faculty and staff were invited to take part in a series of equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) professional development sessions with EDI coordinator Taliesin Ho-Devine. Topics included Managing Resistance to EDI, Using Inclusive Language, Implicit Bias and Microaggressions and Anti-Black Racism. In this training, participants sought to build confidence and comfort in discussing the importance of EDI work through talking points and language; built on the ability to use inclusive and respectful language; gained a greater understanding of concepts such as race, racism, anti-Black racism
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GOAL
and how they can unconsciously manifest in general relations; and gained a better definition of what microaggressions are and how implicit biases impact our everyday lives. Among the other initiatives in action across the College are: »
Diversity Prefect initiatives
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HR/Admissions diversity tracking and utilization initiatives
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Ongoing strategic committee to review annual action plan and survey initiatives to seek community understanding for goals
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ISAA teaching Indigenous Governance in Civics
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Exceptional student leadership from the Black Students’ Association as they continue leading work in EDI with students
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Affinity groups continue to expand across Middle and Senior Schools
As our schools become more diverse in their student and parent bodies, so must our school leadership teams represent multiple perspectives and groups in our schools. CAIS launched its NextGen Leaders program this past summer to support leadership growth for Canadian Independent Schools, particularly for leaders who are currently underrepresented in senior leadership roles. HSC is proud to have had two participants accepted into this program, Zahra Valani, Executive Director of Constituency Relations, and Erica Otaguro, Vice Principal of the Montessori School. Pride Flag Raising Ceremony
Tamilore Awobodu, 2023-2024 Diversity Prefect
Orange Shirt Day
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STRATEGIC PLAN
STRATEGIC PLAN COMMITTEE
Hillfield Strathallan College
Marc Ayotte Head of College
HILLFIELD STRATHALLAN COLLEGE
299 Fennell Avenue West Hamilton, ON L9C 1G3
905-389-1367 strategy@hsc.on.ca www.hsc.on.ca
Zahra Valani Co-Chair – Executive Director of Constituency Relations Carrie Annable '97 Co-Chair – Chair, Academic Strategy Liz Davidson Director of Finance Danielle Hourigan '82 Principal, Montessori School Eleonor Kerr Director of HR and Operations Jason Caruana Deputy Head of College Linda Watson Director of Technology, Innovation and Integration