Current Student Perspective

BOARD OF GOVERNORS CHAIR'S MESSAGE

The challenge now is to seize the opportunities on offer. I could not be more excited.” “

Ihave now completed almost a year as Chair of Shawnigan Lake School’s Board of Governors. Ironically, this exciting opportunity has coincided with an annus horribilis for many in our local community and around the world. 2020 is a year that has wrought ravages of health, the loneliness of isolation, disruption of education, loss of income and the pain of racism upon many individuals and communities across the globe. However, it has also been a year where I have seen, experienced, and been inspired by Shawnigan magic in action.

The first aspect of this unique magic was the herculean efforts of our staff to create normalcy in learning under very challenging circumstances. The SOUL (Shawnigan Online Unique Learning) platform helped our educators to reach out to their students around the world, transcending time zones, and send the Shawnigan experience out to student homes across Canada, the U.S., China, Germany, Mexico, and many other countries.

Secondly, the response to the Founder’s Fund appeal was incredible. Many parents, alumni and staff stepped up to the plate, giving with a level of generosity which, when combined with the matching program from the Board, raised a total of $441,657 to bring students in need home to Shawnigan this fall. The promise given was that no student would be unable to return for financial reasons stemming from the pandemic, and this promise has been kept.

Thirdly, the tireless efforts of the Project Restart team cannot go unmentioned. Sacrificing their summers and time with their own families, the team worked every day to carefully plan for a new academic year, balancing the need for safety and new operating protocols with the need for Shawnigan students and staff to come together once again on campus, and, in doing so, successfully retaining as much normality and Shawnigan spirit as is possible.

There is no doubt that this annus horribilis has also been an accelerant for our Project Future strategic planning ambitions. It has challenged us to double down on our values, to push boundaries in pedagogy, and to dream big while holding on to Shawnigan’s guiding principles of Conversation, Compassion, Community and Courage. The challenge now is to seize the opportunities on offer. I could not be more excited.

Fiona Macfarlane Board of Governors, Chair