Alumni News June 2018 by Shawnigan Lake School

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June 2018 The End of an Era

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After 25 years of dedicated service to Shawnigan Lake School, including 18 years as Headmaster, David Robertson moved into retirement at the end of the 201718 school year. David and his indefatigable wife Lynn were at Shawnigan's helm during an enormous period of change for the School, and it was David's dedication and drive that propelled Shawnigan forward from a position simply as a good school to that of a great one. In addition to helping the School make the transition from a singlesex to coed environment, his vision led to an ambitious reimagining, renovation and reconstruction of many facilities and buildings on campus. Meanwhile, his focus on values and his goal to cultivate care, compassion and kindness in each student made his tenure as much about the heart of Shawnigan as its face. There's no doubt that David Robertson's values, beliefs and legacy will not only be remembered here at the School, but will be continue to be carried forth by our students and graduates into the wider world for many generations to come.

5 Year Reunion in Vancouver

CENTURY A History of Shawnigan Lake School by Jay Connolly Century is the story of Shawnigan Lake School, an independent boarding school on Vancouver Island. Founded in 1916 by C. W. Lonsdale, Shawnigan has become Canada’s Boarding School. This book tracks the history of the School from its humble beginnings, through a century of challenges and triumphs, to its present position as the country’s foremost coeducational boarding high school.

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The 5yr Reunion at the Yale Town Brew Pub in Vancouver was a great event, with people even coming from Whistler and Vancouver Island to attend. It was very interesting hearing about the many different things everyone has done and achieved since leaving Shawnigan, and it was obvious that their love of the School has not faded. We look forward to continuing to follow everyone's journeys over the coming years!

Have you moved? Did you get married? Started a new career or business? Any other updates? Share Your News With Us! Email your updates and a photos to Sarah Nattrass, snattrass@shawnigan.ca, with the subject: Alumni News

Staff Thank you & Farewell's As we wrap up another school year, we are faced with saying heartfelt goodbyes to a number of beloved staff members. From our legendary Headmaster to inspiring teachers to dedicated support staff, these individuals have made unfathomable contributions to our School, and have helped make Shawnigan the special place that it is. On behalf of our entire community, we offer our sincere gratitude and best wishes to these wonderful people. David and Lynn Robertson (Retiring) Jenny Ferris – English and outdoor education (Retiring) Shawn Wright ’85 – IT systems and Academic Technology (Retiring) Jason Lam – Math and basketball Jerry Kusters – Purchasing Mike Rea – Teacher and Assistant House Director Lake's Gaynor Stroebel – Library (Retiring) Don Jane – Transportation (Retiring) Bonnie Erickson – Kitchen (Retiring) Bev Caza – Housekeeping

Alumni Updates Mia Bolton '05 (Grove's) Mia visited campus in June to speak to the Theatre Performance class about her life and job in the film industry in Vancouver. After graduating with a Bachelor Degree of Fine Arts in Los Angeles she was lucky to find a job working for ABC as a production assistant to start her career. For the past 4 years she has been working on ABC’s “Once Upon a Time” in Vancouver until the show ended this past spring. In addition to working on set, she works from home as a film editor. An independent feature she cut last year, "Genesis Code," just got a distribution deal in Canada and the US. Release date to be determined! She is currently a member of the Directors Guild of Canada and is working in the film/TV industry in Vancouver.

Maria Orlandi Vasquez '94 (Kaye's) Maria (Orlandi) Vazquez '94 recently visited the school with her (3) lovely daughters and husband, David. They took a detour from their west coast roadtrip to visit the Island to allow Maria to show off her old school. In addition to meeting up with staff Maria fondly remembers, Maureen and Jay Connolly and Rhodri Samuel, she also had a visit with fellow alums enroute including Becky (Davis) Anderson '93, Colleen (Sarsfield) Austin '95, Sue Pritchard '94 and Natalie Spenceley '93.

Alice Coates '11 (Strathcona) Alice stopped in for a visit to the School in early June. She and a friend were cycling from Washington State to Vancouver. Currently a landscape architect in Melbourne, Australia, Alice is taking a short break while considering taking a master's degree in environment and sustainability.

Laura Furness (née Johnson) '99 (Kaye's) Laura Furness has opened up her own art studio in Comox, Laura Jayne Art Studio, and is currently back on campus teaching at the Shawnigan Summer Art Camp. Her focus is on creating art in as ecofriendly a way as possible and opening children’s eyes to the possibilities of being creative and environmentally conscious at the same time. She’s looking forward to giving back with her knowledge, skills and passion for art and the environment at the very place that helped teach her those same values nearly 20 years ago! “It will feel very much like what people call ‘a fullcircle moment' for me,” Laura

shares. “Having struggled with anxiety and depression, slowly but surely I’ve been able to turn my life around. I learned the hard way that filling up everyone else’s cup and forgetting your own has major negative impacts. Now, I have tapped into the things that make me happy and part of that is sharing my passion for art and our environment to help others. My message shines through in my teaching: love yourself and do the things that make you unique, be grateful, get moving, be kind, speak your mind, believe in yourself, follow your dreams and give back when your cup is full!” You can find Laura at https://laurajayneartstudio.wordpress.com/

"Legacy Matters" The summer is an ideal time to undertake some much needed housekeeping metaphorically speaking. At Shawnigan Lake School the faculty and students have left for a much needed break in order to prepare for another busy year ahead. The school is being cleaned, repaired and generally readied for the start of a new school year in two months' time. Click here to read more