Imprint: December 2015 Issue

IMPRINT December 2015 • Volume 15, Issue 2

Stratford Hall News & Celebrations

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IN THIS ISSUE 3

DATES FOR THE CALENDAR

3

LETTER FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL

4

LETTER FROM THE BOARD CHAIR

5

CREATIVE GIVING

6

THIS MONTH IN THE JUNIOR SCHOOL

8

MYTHBUSTING

10

PROBLEM SOLVING VS. COMPUTATION

12

GRADE 9 STUDENTS VISIT NANAIMO FOR IB ENVIRONMENTAL SUMMIT

13

2015 CARE PACKAGE INITIATIVE: ANOTHER BIG SUCCESS!

14

GRADE 1 COMMUNITY WALK: TAKING RESEARCH TO THE STREET

16

GLOCAL WEEK IN THE MYP SPOTLIGHTS MIGRATION

18

MYP GLOCAL WEEK INSTALLATION

19

GRADE 6 BOOK CLUB

20

IGIRL WORKSHOP

22

WE ARE LISTENING: THE PHILOSOPHY OF ‘ASK. ANALYZE. ACT.’

23

HOLIDAY CONCERT PHOTOS

24

THE ANNUAL GRANDPARENTS’ TEA

26

STUDENTS FROM TAMAGAWA, JAPAN VISIT VANCOUVER

27

COAT AND BLANKET DRIVE

28

WHAT’S BEEN HAPPENING AT STRATFORD HALL?

30

AUTHOR IN RESIDENCE IN THE PYP

31

PHOTOGRAPHY 9/10 ART SHOW

32

THE REMEMBRANCE DAY ASSEMBLY

33

RECETAS SALUDABLES

34

KIPEVU PROJECT UPDATE

36

GRADE 8 STUDENTS VISIT JAPAN

40

LITERACY CORNER

44

SHPA CORNER

46

GROWING OUR COMMUNITY

46

ISABC: A COMMUNITY OF LEARNERS

47

ALL ABOUT THE GALA

48

SABRES SPORTS

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IMPRINT December 2015 • Volume 15, Issue 2

Stratford Hall’s Newsletter Magazine

On the cover of this issue, Meghan O. and Alaana S. work on their laptops by the MYP Building fireplace. Photo

by Rika Wong.

DECEMBER 2015

Dates for the Calendar

Letter from the Head of School

DEC 18, 2015 • Early dismissal day DEC 19, 2015 to JAN 10, 2016 • Winter break JAN 11, 2016 • First day of school • K-7 Term 2 Clubs begin JAN 16, 2016 • K-5 entrance assessments JAN 21, 2016 • Admissions info session for prospective parents JAN 22, 2016 • Early dismissal day • SHPA Fun Friday JAN 23, 2016 • Grades 6-11 entrance assessments JAN 25, 2016 • Grade 12 mock exam: group 1 JAN 26, 2016 • Grade 12 mock exam: group 2 JAN 27, 2016 • Grade 12 study day JAN 27 to JAN 29, 2016 • Grade 10 OEE trip JAN 28, 2016 • Grade 12 mock exam: group 6 JAN 29, 2016 • Grade 12 mock exam: group 5 • Deadline for re-registration FEB 1, 2016 • Grade 12 mock exam: group 3 FEB 2, 2016 • Grade 12 study day FEB 3, 2016 • Grade 12 mock exam: group 4 FEB 4 & 5, 2016 • School closed: Pro-D day

In Constant Pursuit of Outstanding One of the wonderful challenges about working in education is that there is no end in the pursuit of the outstanding. There are always multiple next steps to improving the quality of each and every lesson or program.

Since my arrival, much of the early communication has focused on more peripheral aspects of schooling (eg. communication, fundraising, uniforms, etc.), but teaching, learning, and character development remain the core of why we are all at Stratford Hall, and it is those aspects that feature most heavily in our ‘behind the scenes’ work.

One of our major projects over the first few months of the 20152016 school year, including one of the two professional development days in November, has centered on co-creating a school-wide vision of what constitutes outstanding teaching and learning. This process began by having all teachers and senior leaders review multiple learning frameworks from around the world, including the IB Approaches to Teaching and Learning, before we selected one as a basis for our own definition of what we believe to be ‘effective’ teaching and learning. Charlotte Danielson’s Framework for Teaching became the foundation of our shared definition, and we then edited her work to ensure that it captured our beliefs as an IB school.

Many hours of discussion and debate later, the Stratford Hall Evidence of Learning rubric is now in a final draft and, over the

course of the next few months, teachers and administrators will be piloting its use in peer, informal, and formal observations.

Once we have had an opportunity to fine-tune the document so that it reflects high-quality, student-centred outcomes, we will finalize the framework as the cornerstone upon which we will build a new understanding of the expectation of classroom practice. Furthermore, the clarity that such a set of standards or guidelines provides is that it will also drive what we are looking for in the recruitment of new faculty, in shaping individual teacher growth plans; and, perhaps most importantly, in promoting the constant improvement of every teacher’s day-to-day practice.

Just as teachers use formative assessment to provide feedback to students to improve their performance, our new framework is designed to guide and shape our school’s pursuit of the best possible teaching and learning.

Through self-reflection, teachers and senior leaders working with teachers, we create a combination of support and challenge that will take our already strong teaching practices even further towards the ever-evolving goalposts of outstanding.

Sincerely,

Jason McBride Head of School

FEB 8, 2016 • School Closed: Family Day

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Letter From the Board Chair In an effort to keep up-to-date, many of the members of the Board of Governors have attended workshops and lectures in their free time on evolving trends in governance. As a result, we were inspired to invite a governance consultant to work with us and our Head of School, Jason McBride, during a Saturday back in October, focussing on best practices within an independent school.

The Board will also be holding a one-day ‘retreat’ in February to review our five-year financial projections, five-year strategic plan, and our Mission and Vision statements. Our definition of a ‘retreat’ means we will spend one full Sunday behind the closed doors of a borrowed boardroom in Vancouver!

It is my pleasure to announce the appointment of Salman Bhura as a member of the Board of Governors. Salman Bhura and his wife Rose joined the Stratford Hall community in 2013.

They have two children, aged 7 and 3. Salman is a partner at Harper Grey LLP. He obtained his B.A. (Hons) and LLB from the University of Alberta. He is a member of the Canadian Bar Association and past director of the Vancouver Bar Association.

Salman is Chair of the Banking and Real Estate practice groups at Harper Grey. He represents banks and other institutional lenders in the areas of financial restructuring and security enforcement.

In his real estate practice, Salman advises investors and corporations on risk management strategies and represents them to resolve real estate disputes.

He also practices in the areas of commercial dispute resolution and business law. Salman has served on the firm’s Strategic Planning Committee and as a

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SHAPE

their

STORY.

GIVE TODAY.

member of its mentoring program.

He is also involved with a number of volunteer initiatives including Focus Humanitarian Assistance and the University of British Columbia’s legal advice program.

At our last meeting, the Board reviewed the recommended tuition fees for the 2016-2017 school year. These recommendations were strongly made by the Audit and Finance Committee, the Director of Finance, and Mr. McBride. The Board unanimously voted in favour of the new fees and a detailed letter outlining the reasons for the new increase was sent to parents earlier this week.

At this particular meeting, the Board also committed to 100% participation towards SHAF. We want to lead by example and encourage every family to make a donation towards this vital initiative, no matter the amount of donation.

On behalf of the Board, I want to wish our entire community a wonderful winter break and a happy New Year. See you in 2016!

Bev Ginder Chair of the Board

DECEMBER 2015

“Donating your EID could be even more attractive than a cash donation since the effective cost of your donation may be lower.”

CREATIVE GIVING Education Investment Deposits (EIDs) are used to raise money for capital projects. They help the school to obtain bank financing by treating those funds as initial capital for land purchases and/or future construction.

This is a non-interest bearing deposit that is reimbursed to the family following the end of the school year of the last child in the school. Families may be interested in revising their EID strategy after reviewing the following.

There may be a compelling reason for you to donate your EID to Stratford Hall. If your donation is made in the early years of your child’s education, you may find that a donation mitigates its own cost when compared to a deposit refunded 10 to 12 years later.

The basic reasoning is that a refundable EID does not generate any interest, while a donation you

make now generates a tax refund for you in the current tax year.

If your tax refund is reinvested immediately and left to appreciate over the term of your child’s education at Stratford Hall, you may end up with an amount equal to that of a refundable Education Investment Deposit.

With the potential of little or no extra cost to you, Stratford Hall receives a significant benefit in the fact that your cash donation can be used to immediately service the debt of building expansion projects without the obligation of having to refund a deposit at some future time.

Donations of Appreciated Securities Several years ago the Conservative government eliminated capital gains tax on donations of publicly listed securities to charities. It used to be, one half of a capital gain

was subject to tax, but now, gifts of publicly-listed securities to a charitable organization are exempt from the capital gain tax.

Since Stratford Hall is a registered charity, your donation of securities to Stratford Hall qualifies for favorable tax treatment under these tax rules. In addition to the elimination of capital gains, you also receive a tax receipt for the value of securities donated.

To accommodate this kind of donation, Stratford Hall has a brokerage account at BMO Nesbitt Burns. The process is very straightforward. Stratford Hall provides you with a form to fill out which gives instructions to your broker. Your broker arranges the transfer of the specified securities and Stratford Hall’s broker sells them and transfers the funds to our bank account.

Again, with little or no extra cost to you, Stratford Hall receives a significant benefit in the fact that your donation can be used directly for building expansion projects, land purchases, and any other large capital expenses without the obligation of having to refund a deposit at some future time.

JENNIFER YEUNG ADVANCEMENT MANAGER

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This Month in the Junior School

The Opportunities of Change The year is well on its way to being one of the strongest ever at Stratford Hall. We have been able to use the rich resources available to us, many of them due to the generosity of parents, to carry on an effective program of academic and athletic excellence. And it’s only going to get better.

In our last Imprint, I wrote about the ways we as a school are reaching in, reaching up, and reaching out to ensure that our community and culture is stable, that our standards of schoolwide achievement and student progress are high, and that our

communication with our parents is efficient and effective. Our transition to a new Head of School has brought the opportunity to delve into the way we do things so that we can do them even better: to tweak, update, and sometimes completely revamp things.

Any kind of change means disruption, and the result is what we make of it. When we approach change or transition with a fixed mindset and a judgemental attitude, this disruption is chaotic, uninvited, and therefore met with resistance. A growth mindset and appreciative inquiry

allow us to see these changes as chances to learn, to ‘audit’ our programs, resources, and facilities for strengths, challenges, opportunities.

This is the same approach we want our students to have.

This kind of inquiry and critical thinking requires us to be aware of our default positions, of the places where we inevitably get stuck. We have to be willing to go to uncomfortable places and to have tough conversations.

When approached with a growth mindset, changes like the ones we’re experiencing are opportunities for a real transformational shift.

One of the aspects of school life that we’re improving is the way we collect, store, and communicate data on student progress. We’ve adopted an online platform called ManageBac, developed by IB graduates, that enables efficient curriculum planning, assessment, and reporting, while eliminating paperwork, consolidating our databases, and enhancing our communication to parents and students. Students and parents will see this most noticeably through formal reports, which can now be sent electronically as a PDF file instead of as a hard copy via our students. The format looks different, but the information we

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DECEMBER 2015

This Month in the Junior School

need to communicate to families is the same, and more intentionally aligned with the IB framework.

What we’ve found is that this new format has been an opportunity to refocus what and how we

report to parents. As we roll out the various components of the ManageBac system, we welcome your feedback; using appreciative inquiry, of course.

Features of ManageBac

The leading online learning platform for IB World Schools.

Efficient: Reports will now be sent electronically to parents.

Student/parent portals, when enabled, will allow for electronic portfolios.

Paperless: Reports will be sent as PDFs via email. No longer printed and sent home with students.

Accessible: Parents in the PYP will have the Programme of Inquiry at their fingertips. Teachers and students can build a coursework portfolio with learning goals linked to learner profile attributes allowing parents to effectively track academic progress and development over time.

As we move through the year in the Junior School, we are going to continue to have healthy discussions to assess our programs (literacy, math/ numeracy, athletics, Spanish, music), our benchmarks and data for measuring student achievement, and our communication between school and home. We have a strong culture of change already.

With that foundation, and the momentum of new leadership, we have the courage to boldly take inventory, observe and analyze existing practices, welcome new ideas, and innovate to make them happen.

GRETA BARTSCH PRINCIPAL OF THE JUNIOR SCHOOL

Enables us to: • Share coursework, photos, files, videos and websites enhancing school-to-home communication and engaging parents; • Collaboratively plan our programme of inquiry with built-in planners; • Analyze our curriculum across the continuum • Integrate assessment and reporting; and • Improve school-to-home communication with students and parents.

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Mythbusting

Separating Fact from Fiction There is a myth that I recently came across through a discussion with a group of parents: that graduates of the IB Diploma Programme at Stratford Hall will not gain the prerequisites necessary to enter university science or engineering faculties.

I must admit that this statement was a shock to me, and after I picked my jaw up off the floor, I began to ask how on Earth could we have let our parent community have become so misinformed?

Where did this myth come from, and how do we stop myths like this from fueling inaccurate conversations? Let me say, for the record, that our students are prepared for absolutely any and every university program on the planet, provided that they select the right courses in the Diploma Programme (DP). Additionally, they must demonstrate that they

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are competent in their DP subjects and earn predicted scores of no lower than 4 in order to meet increasingly competitive postsecondary admissions standards.

The majority of our graduates have done just that.

All DP students must take six courses, one from each group: 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Language A: Literature; Language B; Individuals and Society; Science; Mathematics; Fine Arts (students not wanting to take Visual Arts or Theatre Arts can take a second Group 3 or 4 class).

Students who want to take a Fine Arts course in Group 6 but who also want to keep the doors open for science and engineering programs at university can take

Physics 11 and Physics 12 in summer school.

Students who are inclined to apply for an engineering or science program can get the prerequisites necessary by taking Math *Standard or Higher Level (SL or HL), Chemistry SL or HL, and Physics SL or HL along with three other DP courses. Students who hope to enter a commerce or business faculty can do so by taking Mathematics SL or HL along with five other DP courses.

Stratford Hall graduates are entering business, commerce, science, engineering, arts, premed, and pre-law programs in universities such as McGill, The University of Toronto, Waterloo, Queens, UBC, and Bowdoin College – one of the top-rated liberal arts colleges in the USA. Most students are getting into their first choice schools.

The UBC Faculty of Science has a requirement that students must have taken all three science 11

DECEMBER 2015

Mythbusting

courses (Biology 11, Chemistry 11 and Physics 11) and one science 12 class – this requirement is only for students graduating from nonIB schools. The requirement to have all three science 11 classes is waived for IB students because the IB does not allow students to take three science classes.

We recommend that students who hope to go on to sciences in university take two science classes in the DP – most will take chemistry and physics, though biology is also an option.

Please plan on attending our Diploma Programme Information Session at 7:00 PM on Tuesday, January 19th to learn more about the fantastic opportunities the DP provides to all of our students.

Also check out a new publication put out by UBC on how much they value graduates with an IB Diploma (available here).

*It should be noted that students wishing to apply to the Faculty of Engineering at either The University of Toronto or Waterloo must take Mathematics Higher Level.

BRAD SMITH PRINCIPAL OF THE SENIOR SCHOOL

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LITERACY READING

NUMERACY COMPUTATION

Problem Solving Vs. Computation I spend a lot of time thinking, reading, and writing about math.

Given the media through which I reflect, share, and develop my own practice as a math teacher – blogs, discussions, social media – it is fitting that I increasingly return to the metaphor of math as a language. Just as written and

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spoken language are a means through which to gather and express ideas and information, math is a language for describing and discovering patterns in the world around us.

As I have come to see math as a language, I have started to look

“Math is a language for describing and discovering patterns in the world around us.” for parallels between literacy and numeracy development.

Just as reading and writing skills are developed through a broad and varied program, so too are computational skills only part of a rich math program. For example, students develop specific reading skills in class while also reading for pleasure on their own and reading with adults. Similarly, students practice specific writing and grammar conventions while also using their writing skills to express information and ideas in authentic situations.

As I consider my own high school experience, I can see that my studies in math were much narrower than my studies in English. The computational aspect of math was the focus most of the time. There was some opportunity for applying our skills in word problems, but the problems themselves were generally shallow. Moreover, they were inauthentic and highly guided. For example:

DECEMBER 2015 Juliet’s balcony is 12 feet above the ground and Romeo’s ladder is 15 feet long. How far from the base of the wall should he place the ladder?

Because the problem followed a series of exercises in which I had practiced the Pythagorean Theorem, I didn’t have to think about what math skill(s) might be useful in this context. Moreover, the problem implicitly encouraged me not to consider possible complexities that would be important if this was an authentic situation. For example, is the ground level or sloped? Can Romeo’s ladder be extended? Is it safe for Romeo to stand on the top rung of the ladder, or should he aim to have the top of his ladder extend beyond the edge of Juliet’s balcony? Is it 12 feet to the bottom of the balcony or the top

of the railing? While there is value in practicing simplified problems as a stepping-stone to more complex situations, the ability to recognize the complexities of a situation is a skill in and of itself.

As such, computation, like using the Pythagorean Theorem, is only part of mathematics. In addition to learning how to do computations, students must learn when to use them and why they are valid.

Thankfully, math at Stratford Hall is much broader than it was in my high school. Development of specific computation skills is only part of the program. Students often employ what they have learned in their other subjects, and sometimes even develop specific math skills within other disciplines. Through activities like math centres and Problem of the Week, students are placed in

People who are LITERATE:

People who are NUMERATE:

Read and write to further their knowledge of other subjects

Use math to further their knowledge of other subjects

Interpret text from a variety of different genres (e.g. poetry, technical prose, fictional prose)

Interpret numerical (algebraic), graphical, diagrammatic and written information

Select the appropriate genre/voice for their audience/purpose

Select the appropriate mathematics to model the situation

Express themselves in a variety of genres

Use numerical (algebraic), graphical, diagrammatic and written expression

Can evaluate the reliability and relevance of sources

Can evaluate the accuracy and efficiency of a solution

Deepen their skills by reading and writing for pleasure

Deepen their skills by using them for pleasure (e.g. board games, logic puzzles)

situations where they can select from among all the math tools in their arsenal. Students are also given opportunities to share and discuss their solutions so that they develop the ability to explain and justify their thinking while also being able to see the variety of ways one can approach a particular problem.

The strategies of effective literacy development also suggest possibilities for supporting numeracy development at home. We know that bedtime stories, journalling, and lively conversations are all authentic and enjoyable ways to apply and extend the literacy skills that are taught in school. In the same way, board games, puzzles, visual patterns, and discussions about numbers (like statistics in the news) are great ways to promote mathematical reasoning and communication at home.

SARAH PHILLIPS MYP COORDINATOR

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Grade 9 Students Visit Nanaimo for IB Environmental Summit were then separated into four subgroups and looked at specific issues under the three main topics. Students followed the MYP design cycle (investigate, plan, create, and evaluate) and made presentations that were presented in a Dragon’s Den style to the different schools.

On Friday, October 16th, the nine Grade 8 students that went to Japan, along with Ms. Louie and Mr. Nishi, participated in the IB Environmental Summit at the Tamagawa School campus in Nanaimo. Stratford Hall hosted the IB Summit, which included 70 students from four other IB Schools: Glenlyon Norfolk, Mulgrave, Aspengrove, and Tamagawa Academy (Japan).

The IB Summit opened with all 70 students singing along to the Learner Profile song led by Tamagawa MYP coordinator Paul Maote. After the song, each school presented a short video introducing their school through an environmentally conscious

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lens. A special thank you to Cyrus Kalafchi for taking the lead in making the Stratford Hall video. The students then had the opportunity to listen to keynote speaker Elizabeth Hand, Digital Engagement Specialist and the BC Green Games coordinator from Science World. She challenged the students with the question, “What can we do to take care of the planet?” She then went on to introduce the BC Green Games initiative and the impact that each and every student can make in their community.

The students were split into three groups: environmental protection and restoration, food and food waste, and reducing waste. They

The IB Summit was a great opportunity for Stratford Hall students to meet and collaborate with other IB students. At first all the students were a little shy, but as time went on they all realized that they had a common language, the IB, and a common goal of trying to find ways to improve the environment. The students worked very hard researching their topics, many even working through lunch, to come up with their final presentations.

As IB educators, we are always reflecting on what we do, why we do it, and how we can be better.

Talks amongst the teachers are already in progress for the 2016 IB Summit. The idea of adding in an overnight experience is in the works so that the students have more time to meet and collaborate with each other, as well as the idea of adding in a practical service component.

BOBBY NISHI AND GILLIAN LOUIE

DECEMBER 2015

2015 Care Package Initiative: Another Big Success!

I am happy to report that our 2015 Care Package Initiative has been a huge success, as we received a whopping 275 donated care packages (up from 170 last year).

A big heartfelt thank you goes out to everyone who has participated, in years current and past. This initiative would not be a success without the incredibly generous families who attend Stratford Hall.

Over the past three years we have donated close to 500 care packages. When we set this year’s goal at 175, I was slightly concerned that we wouldn’t reach our target. In hindsight, my doubts were completely unfounded. I am yet to be disappointed by the results of a Stratford Hall initiative.

I must thank the members of the Student Action Committee, led

by Margaret Ovenell, for taking on this project and making it their own. Ms. Causey and her crew of Grade 5s, 6s, and 7s have also been a big support with their promotion in the Junior School.

“Our donations will be given to individuals who would otherwise literally have nothing, and it’s not even so much about the physical items as it is for that recipient to the know that there are people out there who care.”

This year we had the opportunity to deliver the care packages directly to the New Fountain Shelter. The majority of our donations will be distributed out of this facility. Duncan, the manager of the shelter, came to tears when thanking us over and over again for the support. Paraphrasing his words: “your donations will be given to individuals who would otherwise literally have nothing, and it’s not even so much about the physical items as it is for that recipient to the know that there are people out there who care. It’s a beacon of hope, in an otherwise rock bottom world.”

RICK CAMPANELLA CAS COORDINATOR

The incredible amount of contribuions to the 2015 care package initiative.

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Grade 1 Community Walk: Taking Research to the Street Knowing where to find relevant information is a key aspect of being a curious researcher.

If we want our students to become “superhero researchers,” as we call ourselves in the younger grades, students need to start learning at an early age about where one can go to find strong and reliable sources of information. And so the conversation with our six-year-old Grade 1 students began: “Where can we find information?” “What is research?” “How do we do research?” “How do you know the information you have found is ‘good’ information?”

As our conversation began, the Grade 1 students brainstormed a wonderful list of possible sources of information: books, computers (websites), magazines, teachers, parents, etc. But when we asked them if we could go into the community to interview people to find information, most students giggled at the thought and yelled out, “Nooooo!!!!” When asked why not, one student exclaimed: “Because the experts are in the books and computers!”

Interesting, we thought.

This is how Ms. Causey, Ms. Ottahal and I introduced the idea to these students of going out into our community to further our knowledge and understanding of the central idea of their second unit of inquiry, entitled “JOBS”.

This unit inquires into: • • •

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The duties of people in the community and the tools that they use; We can use research to learn more; and How passions connect to job choice.

Once we had confirmed a group of seven businesses that were willing to have us come to interview them, the students began to prepare for their research visit. Each class was shown a slide presentation of all of the businesses and their business owner(s) and were given a brief introduction to the kind of services each business offered.

From there, Ms. Causey and Ms. Ottahal worked with each of their classes in preparing for the visit by learning and practicing how to ask “powerful research questions” that they would use when interviewing the business owners.

Once the students were ready, small groups of students set off on a sunny Wednesday afternoon down Commercial Drive and up

Commercial Street. The students were led by various teachers across the school and set off with clipboards, iPads, and questions in hand (a big thank you to Ms. Yeung, Ms. Malinowski, Ms. Mackenzie, Mr. Twaites, and Ms. Capdecoume, our library technician, for helping us out with this part). As the students set off on their way, the excitement among them was obvious. One group of little researchers chanted over and over along the way: “Here we come, hair salon! Here we come, hair salon!”

For the teachers, the biggest challenge we envisioned was being able to source seven businesses that were willing and able to take time out of their busy schedules to let six to seven little

DECEMBER 2015

BUSINESSES WE VISITED: •

The World Cycles (bike shop)

•

Second Nature Home (retail store focused on eco-friendly products)

•

Style Council (hair salon)

•

Circus Play Cafe

•

Lost Boys Studios (school of visual effects)

•

Bakery Sate

•

Ecosystem Management (a company that works to protect, restore and enhance the natural environment)

researchers into their business during the middle of the day to interview them.

In fact, this turned out to be one of several personal rewards derived from planning this community field trip. After spending a couple of weeks chatting back and forth with these people in our local businesses, I was reminded yet again of how lucky we are to be situated in this amazing community. I was also reminded of how important it is to build on relationships between schools, local artisans, and entrepreneurs, so that we may be inspired to learn and connect from each other. The trip also allowed the business owners to get to know a little more about who we are here at Stratford Hall, and about the kind of curious students that attend our school.

Ms. Causey remarked that her students were so interested in visiting the Lost Boys Visual Effects Studio, she found it difficult

to get them to leave. After learning that the owner of the Lost Boys studio had purchased the movie seats for his screening room from the theatre he used to go to as a child, where his passion for film began, a student exclaimed: “He found his passion and he kept it going and now it’s his job!” This student immediately made the connection between how his passions and interests informed his career path.

I had really hoped to plant the seed in the students that the people within these businesses are an invaluable resource. The simple idea that if you know who to ask, there can be an almost limitless amount of information waiting for you.

It was such a pleasure, as well, to receive emails from the business owners to find out how thrilled and excited they were to see our students inquiring into their business and taking a keen interest in their knowledge base.

Students learn about the use of green screens at Lost Boys Studios.

Our trip was a perfect example of a symbiotic relationship between young and old(er), where both are inspired by one another’s strengths: a child’s curiosity, excitement, and wonder at everything; an adult’s expertise, passions, and story.

Our personal perspective is that, although the effect of going on these ‘hands-on’ research walks in our community may be hard to assess immediately, we truly believe that they will have the long-term effect of broadening the students’ understanding of their community and validating the importance of research in their daily lives. In this way, they can acquire meaningful information about the world outside their classroom, and can truly connect with the passions their neighbours express in their jobs in a direct and meaningful way.

MEG PENAFIEL LEARNING SPECIALIST: LITERACY & RESEARCH

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Glocal Week in the MYP Spotlights Migration Along with Arts Week, MYP Glocal Week is one of the longeststanding traditions at Stratford Hall. Every year, MYP students explore a topic of both local and global significance through a variety of assemblies, workshops, and activities that align with the six MYP Global Contexts. This year’s theme was Migration, a timely topic that was chosen by the Grade 9 and 10 Global Connections class.

To initiate the conversation about migration, MYP students plotted the migration of their families on a large map. The next day, in a special MYP assembly, students watched a TED Talk by Taiye Selasi and considered the difference between the questions, “Where are you local?” and “Where are you from?”. The main event of Glocal Week took place on Thursday, November 26th. In lieu of their regular classes, all MYP students participated in a

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DECEMBER 2015

“The diversity of student creations, both in their content and chosen medium, is evidence of the impact that the week had.”

MYP Global Context

Glocal Week Workshop

Identities and relationships

Students explored immigration policies in the European Union.

Scientific and technical innovation

Students looked at how technological innovation has enabled migration.

Orientation in space and time

Students considered the effect of housing prices on residents of Vancouver.

Globalization and sustainability

Students explored the causes and consequences of the Syrian refugee crisis.

Fairness and development

Students learned about the working conditions of migrant farm workers.

Personal and cultural expression

Students developed mosaics to express their cultural identity.

series of workshops that were planned and delivered by this year’s Global Connections class.

MYP teachers also planned a few activities for Glocal Day: Nomads (a Stratford Hall original game) took place in the gym and gave students the opportunity to experience the push and pull factors that humans face when needing to migrate. Meanwhile, in the MYP library, students used an online tool to simulate the experience of migration.

As per tradition, Glocal Week concludes with an opportunity for students to take action in response to what they have learned. This year, students chose from a variety of media: infographics, memes, videos, visual art, spoken-word, letters to politicians, and action proposals.

The diversity of student creations, both in their content and chosen medium, is evidence of the impact that the week had.

Thanks are due to the MYP teachers and the Global Connections students for making Glocal Week 2015 such a success!

SARAH PHILLIPS MYP COORDINATOR

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MYP Glocal Week Installation As part of MYP Glocal Week, a number of teachers decided to include an interactive installation encouraging Stratford Hall community members to reflect upon their own families’ migration experiences, both local and global, by indicating places of origin for themselves, their parents, and their ancestors, before coming to the Vancouver area.

A giant, non-standard world map (Africa and Europe the farthest to the left, with the Pacific Ocean central) was placed in the library/ learning commons area. Everyone was encouraged to add colourcoded stickers indicating from where different generations of their families came. There was lots of participation, as the colourful stickers quickly populated the map, indicating origins ranging from very far away to very close to the Vancouver area.

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Space was also provided for the placement of images and text from families’ migration stories. We witnessed a buzz of discussion between students and their families in the locale of the installation as they shared their stories. Although Glocal Week is over for this year, we hope that the conversations continue.

KIRSTEN MOROZOV LEARNING SPECIALIST: LITERACY & RESEARCH

DECEMBER 2015

Grade Six Book Club Who knew that Grade 6s were such avid impressionists?

often more complex characters, and so play more interesting roles.

Although I knew they were a friendly, chatty bunch, I feared that the group wouldn’t want to discuss the assigned (actually, voluntarily taken on) book. Rather, I felt they would happily scarf down their treats and gulp their hot chocolate, but not have much to say about the assigned book itself.

But, the good guys also have their appeal. Some excellent impressions of Hermione were performed, which seemed to express both a level of admiration for her while also poking some gentle fun at her more irksome personality traits.

But my fear was unfounded – the book was, after all, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.

The students enthusiastically discussed the book’s characters, especially. Who would they want to be, for instance, if they could be one of the characters, and why?

I suspect they are big Halloween and drama fans because the more evil the character, the more appealing. I get this – imagining yourself as the baddy is so much more fun, especially as they are

After said impressions were performed, we took a brief look at one of the fascinating planning sheets J.K. Rowling created to plan out Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (http://tinyurl. com/PlanningHarryPotter).

As I don’t allow the book club groups to get too big, there have been another group of Grade 6s patiently waiting to read Harry Potter together. I can’t wait to see what it is about Harry Potter this new group most wants to

focus on, as well as witness the connections they make with the book as their conversations inevitably veer off into interesting and unexpected directions. I’ve found book club to be a great way to get to know the newest members of our MYP cohort!

KIRSTEN MOROZOV LEARNING SPECIALIST: LITERACY & RESEARCH

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iGirl Workshop What colour comes to mind when you think of girls? How should girls act? What should girls play?

Girls have often been praised for being pretty, sweet, quiet, and passive; but, fortunately, we are moving away from reinforcing these stereotypes and are encouraging girls to be confident, outspoken, and supportive of each other. I recently had the pleasure of being part of the Grade 5 iGirl workshop, a safe circle where girls could talk about their feelings and experiences. Throughout this workshop the students explored female stereotypes and learned strategies for confronting difficult situations. Finally, the girls worked to develop and feel confident with their inner iGirl.

The iGirl workshop was led by Anna Soole; who uses storytelling, drama and visual art to create an engaging and interactive experience. She began the workshop by discussing the common concept that blue is for boys and pink is for girls, and all the stereotypes and expectations that come with that idea. The girls quickly rejected this idea, standing strong in explaining that they enjoy many of the same books, games, activities, and colours as boys. It was quite refreshing to see the girls actually laugh when discussing the stereotypes of how girls should act and what games

they should play. The Grade 5 girls of Stratford Hall were very confident that they could play the same sports and video games as boys, and they could definitely like the colour blue.

The workshop then moved forward to relationships among girls. As a Grade 5 teacher and a former ‘girl’, I know how difficult girl relationships can be. Anna used storytelling to connect to the girls about friendships and “not-so-friendly-ships.” She spoke of her own experiences in middle school, focussing on the emotions that sometimes overtake

our bodies. Each emotion had a different name; for example, volcano girl, who is explosive with anger; and little girl, who is timid and scared of confrontation. All of these characters are inside us, and the girls learned different strategies for dealing with each of them. They also learned the importance of standing up to those who use words and body language to create power over someone else. Additionally, they began to understand the reasons why girls do this to each other.

Girls so often feel competitive with each other and threatened

I asked the girls what they thought about the iGirl workshop, and here are a few of their responses: “The iGirl workshop was very helpful. I feel like I know what to do if there is a problem.”

“The stories she told were very connected to what we were talking about.”

“I like the iGirl workshop because it helped me lean how to stand up to my friends.”

“I like how the presenter used characters that she made up to describe a girl’s feelings.”

“I really liked the iGirl session because it was very helpful and the presenter, Anna, was very enthusiastic.”

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DECEMBER 2015

“Through this workshop, the girls were taught to embrace each other’s talents and to praise the success of others.”

by another girl’s strengths and talents; but, through this workshop, the girls were taught to embrace each other’s talents and to praise the success of others. Even further, they were taught to acknowledge and appreciate their own personal strengths and talents, to develop a confidence that cannot be broken by anyone. Furthermore, the girls were encouraged to stop making negative self-comparisons, such as “You are so good at drawing, I can’t draw,” and, “Your hair is so pretty, I wish mine was too.” It is important to appreciate the talent and beauty of others, but not at the sacrifice of one’s self worth.

The iGirl workshop closed by teaching the girls the iGirl chant: “I know. I can. I rock. I girl!” The girls felt empowered as they chanted

the words with confidence.

Throughout the workshop I saw girls connecting through experiences, respecting each other’s feelings, and laughing and smiling together. It is so important that we continue to teach confidence and strength in girls, and encourage them to be proud of their many talents; because when they are confident, they are happy, they have self-respect, and they treat each other with respect.

As we move into the future, it is so reassuring to know that girls are receiving educational workshops that teach them to be strong and confident, and provide them with the tools and strategies for developing positive and supportive relationships.

AMANDA LEMPRIERE GRADE 5 TEACHER

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We Are Listening: The Philosophy of ‘Ask. Analyze. Act.’ The Community Development office would like to share the “Ask. Analyze. Act.” philosophy behind our recent increase in feedback solicitation and the resulting action or inaction. Over the past few months you have received several requests for feedback, whether through coffee mornings, surveys, chats around the school or specific emails, and we want to thank you for sharing your thoughts with us. Your feedback is crucial to the ongoing improvement of Stratford Hall.

Open Minds and Open Doors Those of you who have taken advantage of our Open Door policy will now know that we are all here to work towards the same goal: making Stratford Hall the best possible place for our students. We also want to assure you that your feedback is being reviewed and is informing many of our decisions as we move forward.

Some of you will agree with these decisions; some of you will not. Regardless, we ask that you trust that our decisions are based on what is best for the whole school community. As in any organization, our decisions must factor in the resources available and how they can best be utilized for the greater good.

If you have questions about why we are doing what we are doing, please ask us. We will be happy to explain how we have arrived at the decisions made. Perhaps you have an even better solution? Know that we believe change is good and evolution is necessary. For instance, we have realized that moving Imprint to bi-monthly, means our weekly message has been dominated by information, rather than celebration, and we are looking at options to address this in the New Year. Thankfully, the digital age allows us to be more flexible than ever.

Timing is Everything We also feel it is important to share our fact-finding with you so that you can see why changes are or aren’t being made. Sometimes, fact finding is as much about deciding what not to do as it is about deciding what to prioritize. When, however, collective feedback indicates that there is a need for change, we will endeavor to be mindful of when changes are instituted and relayed. Broad“Our dilemma is that we hate change and love sweeping improvements need it at the same time; what we really want is for to be introduced at a time when they will be best received and the things to remain the same but get better.” capacity to implement them and ~Sydney J. Harris adopt change is at its peak.

We are Listening Below you will find a link to a data summary of the last three surveys, along with an outline of where we are in the process of reviewing and implementing next steps. http://tinyurl.com/ask-analyze-act

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DECEMBER 2015

The PYP Holiday Concerts

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THE ANNUAL GRANDPARENTS’ TEA

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DECEMBER 2015

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Students from Tamagawa, Japan Visit Vancouver

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DECEMBER 2015

Coat and Blanket Drive As our Kindergarten students neared the end of our Reduce, Reuse, Recycle unit, they began thinking about how they might take action to make a difference in their community. Noticing that the weather was getting colder and that they always have to wear their jackets during recess, they reflected on what it might be like to be outdoors if they didn’t have warm clothing to keep them safe.

As part of our investigation, we read the story Ruby’s Hope by Hannah Taylor, another child who wanted to make a difference for those who have less. Inspired by her action, and with the help of their Grade 12 buddies, the Kindergarteners made posters to let our Stratford Hall families know they were collecting gently used coats and blankets that could be donated to those in need.

Their advertising worked! We received over 100 coats to donate to members of our Downtown Eastside community who are in need, and over 20 blankets to donate to Blanket BC, an organization started by a father and son team in Mission, BC. Thank you all for your donations and for helping us reduce waste, reuse clothing, and reach out!

TRICIA GRZYBOWSKI & DANIELLE MINICHIELLO KINDERGARTEN TEACHERS

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Is it really you? The Vancouver Canadians’ furry friend Bob Brown Bear came to visit our kindies on the last day of school!

WHAT’S BEEN HAPPENING? Student Vote While Canada’s adults were busy voting, Stratford Hall’s students were learning a thing or two about the democratic process. On October 7th, MYP students were introduced to the major party candidates in our riding and were given the opportunity to ask questions. Wes Regen of the Green Party tweeted his thanks for “brilliant questions” from the students, and Alex Millar said they were “... brilliant and tough!” [KN]

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MOGII On November 11th, students in the MYP were introduced to MOGII, a community that helps to make Stratford Hall inclusive for all. The community recognizes that Stratford Hall is home to people that are gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, straight, queer, questioning, undecided, intersex, twospirited, allies, and more.

Students participated in the ‘sweetest’ way: by decorating ‘gender-bread’ people cookies! [KN]

DECEMBER 2015

The senior girl’s volleyball team boasted some enthusiastic and colourful audience members at one of their home games recently: our version of cheerleaders!

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Author in Residence in the PYP The Grade 3 students have set off on a creative writing adventure with the talented author Ms. Kallie George, our current author in residence in the PYP. Kallie has come to share her experiences and tips as a professional author, editor, and magical creatures expert over the next six weeks with our Grade 3 students. This is a wonderful opportunity for them to directly connect with a working author. In this way, they see that authors are real people, like them, as opposed to an abstract invisible person.

On her first visit with us, Kallie George admitted to not being a very good speller... yet! This was liberating to many students, as she told them she is still working on it. She also told them that almost all really good authors do lots and lots of research before writing a story – this made me very grateful.

The story seeds have been planted and we can’t wait to read what magical story ideas these young authors come up with as we work alongside Ms. Kallie for four more weeks after the winter break! Stay tuned for story updates...

MEG PENAFIEL LEARNING SPECIALIST: LITERACY AND RESEARCH

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DECEMBER 2015

Photography 9/10 Art Show The Photography 9/10 Class recently hosted its first Art Show.

Process and Product: Started With An Object Now We’re Here was an exploration of identity, as students chose an object that best represented them and turned it into a pinhole camera.

It was a great success.

Students were able to produce photographs from cameras made out of a soccer ball, horse riding boot, soccer cleat, hockey puck, hardcover book, dance shoe container, badminton birdie case, teabag box, and a watermelon!

Guided by our Statement of Inquiry for the Unit (“Our identity is expressed through the process and product of our creations”), students were able to realize that it’s not simply what you create, but also how you create it that matters. Even if, in the end, you have to compost your camera because it’s rotting away!

GARETH JONES PHOTOGRAPHY TEACHER

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THE REMEMBRANCE DAY ASSEMBLY It has been a long-standing tradition at Stratford Hall to have our Grade 12 prefects lead our Remembrance Day assembly, accompanied by presentations from student groups extending all the way to Kindergarten.

Teachers are naturally involved behind the scenes, but on the day of the assembly, from the moment the first note is played on the bagpipes, the students are in charge. For the past two years we have been fortunate to have Lauren Rodrigues (Grade 6) and an accompanying piper lead off the assembly with the playing of Scotland the Brave and Amazing Grace. While playing, they follow two Grade 1 students and accompanying prefects up the center aisle as they bring wreaths to either side of the stage. The wreaths honour those who have lost their lives in the line of duty in service to our country.

Our Remembrance Day assembly is a solemn event. There is no clapping. Respect for those who have served our country is of the utmost importance. Prefect Hayley Oyhenart emceed the event this year, while prefect Rika Wong operated audio and visuals from behind the stage.

Images displayed on two large screens accompanied on-stage presentations throughout the duration of the assembly.

This year we utilized the children’s book, “The Forgiveness Garden”

by Lauren Thompson to present a story of two opposing communities separated by a stream. The story touched on themes of conflict, revenge, courage, and forgiveness. The intent was to connect with younger students in the audience without trivializing the tragedies of war. While prefects Delaney Ignatieff and

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Inaara Merani read the story from the podium, six Grade 4 students creatively acted out the scenes on stage. As the story unfolded and the two neighboring communities began to resolve their conflicts, a video of our Kindergarten and Grade 12 students portrayed examples of moments that represented care for others. As the story came to a close, the two neighbouring communities resolved their conflict, built a forgiveness garden, and lit a candle of peace. This signaled the Grade 1 and Grade 3 classes to come up on stage and sing the song, “Light a Candle for Peace”.

Their rendition was beautiful and powerful, and it brought a fitting closure to the story.

Two Grade 11 students then came to the stage to read poems written in English class that depicted the challenges of war. Bijhan Hirani read Trenton Sewell’s poem and Isis Sutton-Jones read Marine

Brossier’s poem. The heartrending poems set the stage for a new tradition we started last year: Everyone stood up in silence, and Bombardier Ross Bligh of the 15th Field Artillery Regiment stepped forward to play, “The Last Post” on his trumpet. This was followed with a full minute of silence, and then Mr. Bligh played “The Reveille”. As the trumpet blasts filled the room, right up to the end of “The Reveille”, not a single student broke from their silence. Continuing with tradition, prefect Kiera Lee-Pii stepped to the podium and read “In Flanders Fields”. The completion of the poem signaled the end of the assembly, at which time our bagpipers resumed their playing and each grade exited the building in single file and in complete silence.

RICK CAMPANELLA CAS COORDINATOR

DECEMBER 2015

RECETAS SALUDABLES

I would like to commend my Grade 9 Spanish class for doing an outstanding job on their summative assignment, Recetas Saludables. The students produced very original cooking videos of healthy recipes to wrap up Unit 1, focused on healthy habits and routines.

I was blown away by their technological creativity and their confidence behind the camera; they did an outstanding job! The students presented their recipes while incorporating Spanish grammatical elements, vocabulary, and lots of nutritional facts and tips. I am so proud of them!

SUSANA GAMBOA SENIOR SCHOOL SPANISH TEACHER

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Kipevu Project Update It has been like a small stone, thrown into a pool of water… the ripples still emanate outwards.

Stratford Hall students making friends at Kipevu in 2011.

A decade ago, Stratford Hall was introduced to a small school on the coast of Kenya. Hesitant at first, we were uncertain where this would lead and politely corresponded for the purpose of “getting to know each other.” Now, 10 years later, Kipevu Primary School and Stratford Hall have done what most schools do best; educate one another.

For those of you who have journeyed with us, you will well remember that the learning grew along a number of different paths. On the surface, we were engaged in a substantial development project with Kipevu in 2010 with the construction of a 750m-perimeter wall to ensure security. With this momentum, we continued to support the school through the development of a well and refurbished washrooms.

These infrastructure projects enabled Kipevu School and their community to achieve a selfsustaining capacity while at the same time improving education for the students. As Mr. Kombo, the head teacher of Kipevu, once told me, we have helped to put Kipevu

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“on the map.” Indeed, they have come from the lowest position for safety and success in this area of Mombasa and grown to a school of potential; Kipevu is now host to local education initiatives; has a large garden, fruit trees, and a water project; and student performance on the national exams has steadily improved.

This is truly an international development project of success.

For our students and the community of Stratford Hall, our learning has been equally rewarding. Five school groups and 10 teachers have visited the school, as well as our founding Head of School, Dr. McConnell, three parents, and board member Cindy Leung. Each of these individuals has returned to our community enriched and empowered to give back. In this spirit of international-mindedness, we have all learned and grown along with the unfolding story of our Kipevu project. Regular coverage in Imprint, student presentations, class discussions, and discussions with parents have certainly given us time for

Hemed Mukui showcases newly painted classrooms in November 2015.

reflection and learning.

Other avenues of learning have also occurred. During each trip, our school group resides at the Aga Khan Academy (AKAM) and uses this opportunity to compare IB experiences with their students; we have even participated on a shared service project. Our teachers have also used this opportunity to exchange ideas and learn in the larger IB context. And of course, there has always been the safari experience.

Interestingly, our connection to Kipevu has brought forth further ripples of experience.

One of the parents on our first trip, Anke Jenkins, returned a year later with her family and helped with the development of the Jipe Moyo Nursery School in the countryside of Mombasa.

A few parents have visited the school on family vacations to Kenya, and when Mr. Fayaz Manji visited the school this summer, he returned and convinced the Oyhenart family to commit to painting four classrooms of the school. Cindy Leung raised funds

DECEMBER 2015

One of the classrooms that was repainted in November 2015.

to supply bedding and mosquito nets to a local orphanage as well. Most impacting for me is that I ventured into educational entrepreneurialism and started an elementary school along with Anke and Hemed. KenCada International Academy allows me to grow professionally by applying what I know about education. The results have been encouraging, as KenCada attempts to combine best educational practices common to our countries with the emerging middle class in mind.

The ripple effect is ongoing.

Current involvement with Kipevu Primary School pertains to classroom refurbishments and education supplies. In 2014 we painted the early childhood classes and purchased numerous education items for these classes.

Then, in 2015, we painted the Grade 8 classes. The Manji’s and Oyhenart’s funds have continued in this tradition, and they painted four additional classrooms this summer (check out the Manjis’ slideshow of their trip here). It is our intention to continue with this generosity with goals of painting,

Sarah Scott playing a game with Kipevu students in 2014.

refurbishing, and restocking with learning supplies. This has truly been an amazing feat and for our school, and your support for this project is certainly appreciated by the 800 students and staff of Kipevu Primary School.

we have friendships through the common mission of educating our youth, there is still much to share and learn. To break this off would be missing the whole point of international-mindedness, so we should look to continue.

So now what?

We have come to the conclusion that Stratford Hall will maintain this relationship over the coming years. The intent is to continue the rich education that comes from such international-mindedness projects. We will continue to send letters and support Kipevu with minimal cost initiatives like painting and refurbishing. The usual Grade 11 trip to Kenya has been suspended this year due to safety concerns, and we hope to take a student group back in 2017.

To build on the momentum and knowledge of this area of Kenya, we are considering adding another education project that further develops an existing orphanage in northern Mombasa.

One view is that good development work strives for a level of sustainability. Here, the goal is to assist with a project in order to achieve a level so that it can be sustained or grow on its own accord. To be sincere, this has already been accomplished.

Kipevu has gained its footing with a stronger ability to achieve student success. A conclusion could be that our job is done.

Perhaps we might identify another development project in the area?

Another view is that we have developed a healthy relationship over these years with both Kipevu and the AKAM School, so it would be natural to nurture this connection. A core aspect of the relationship is education for us all. But, to be honest, though

And the ripples continue.

MICHAEL MCGUIRE OEE COORDINATOR

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Stratford Hall Students Visit Japan Our trip to Japan was wonderfully memorable! We were travelling with nine amazingly diverse Grade 8 students, each with their own needs, wants, expectations, and viewpoints. Having said that, they travelled beautifully as a group; they were funny, thoughtful, open minded, and willing to take risks.

When we arrived in Japan, Mr. Nishi and I were surprised to find out how comfortable and familiar we felt, having been there exactly one year prior. The streets, though narrow and busy with cars, bicycles, and pedestrians, were always orderly, with no honking of horns or flashing of lights. The markets, walkways, and side streets, although always bustling, seemed calm. The subways, though consistently jam-packed with people, always quiet and methodical. The Japanese people themselves were equally welcoming and gracious, despite our language differences. Again, this year, Mr. Nishi and I were struck by how beautifully life flows in Japan and how easy it was for us to get around and feel at ease.

As soon as we arrived in Japan, our students dove headfirst into their homestay experience, which included five days with their

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homestay families, two of which were over a weekend, and three full days at Tamagawa Academy.

With their homestay families, all of their experiences were different. They experienced both traditional and modern culture, including eating traditional food (where the presentation and experience of the meal is equally as memorable as the food itself), participating in family activities, such as trips to the onsen, and visiting local attractions such as shopping malls, temples, local school festivals, arcades, and Disney Sea. It is fair to say that our students were treated like kings and queens, and that the relationships with their homestay families were genuine and heartfelt. Evidence of this could be seen in the long goodbyes at the farewell party the Tamagawa students hosted at school, as well as the final goodbye at the school gates the next morning.

Especially touching were the final hugs between our students and their homestay families – motherly adoration from the Japanese mums, and genuine gratitude and affection from the Canadian students. Very touching indeed!

At Tamagawa, our students participated in MYP classes and

tried their hands at harvesting sweet potatoes, practicing traditional calligraphy, teaching prepositions to a younger English class, visiting Tamagawa’s own planetarium, and even teaching Ultimate to the Grade 8 class.

Both Mr. Nishi and I, as well at the Tamagawa teachers (both Japanese and foreign), commented on how the MYP students get an appreciation for how similar their shared experience of IB is, and how, despite cultural differences, the core of their learning is the same.

The students themselves soon realized this and felt immediately at ease in their new environment.

We had an amazing trip to Japan, and Mr. Nishi and I are grateful to the students for making every moment count and to the Tamagawa staff, students, and families for making us feel welcomed from the moment we landed in Japan. As a group, we were exceptionally fortunate to have had such an experience, one that will live on through our shared experiences and new appreciation of Japan.

GILLIAN LOUIE LEARNING SPECIALIST: DIFFERENTIATED LEARNING

DECEMBER 2015

After some final photos and multiple goodbyes with the Tamagawa students, teachers, and parents, we set off on our journey to Kyoto. We travelled with our Top Tour guide, Sa-Sa, who took great care of us. After two hours on the Shinkansen Bullet Train, we boarded our chartered bus and visited Nijojo Castle, which was built in the early 1600s and was home to the Imperial court. After that we went to the Kinkaku Golden Temple, and then to the Sanjusangen-do: an amazing architectural building that is home to over 1000 fullsized Kannon statues and 28 guardian deities. The attention to detail in the statues was stunning.

We finished our tour by watching the beautiful sunset over Kyoto on the patio of the Kiyomizu Terra.

We arrived at our Japanese-style hotel at 6:45 PM. The hotel was traditional, complete with tatami mats and futon beds. We ate a delicious dinner, and afterwards walked the streets of Kyoto and did some shopping. We departed Kyoto the next morning and went directly to Tokyo Disneyland, where we stayed until the fireworks at the end of the night.

Some highlights included Space Mountain, Star Tours, the parades, and the fireworks.

On our last day in Japan we did some more sightseeing before going to the airport. Unfortunately, we visited the Tokyo Skytree on a cloudy day so we were unable to see the Tokyo skyline. One of the big highlights of the day was the Tsukiji Fish Market, where we

were able to walk around to the different street vendors to buy lunch. The array of fresh sashimi and the freshly made ramen noodles was amazing: I ended up eating two full meals, as I could not pass up on trying the food.

We finished the day by visiting Asakusa, where we were able to view the Sensoji Buddhist Temple and buy any last-minute gifts at the Nakamise market. We then made our way to the airport, and after a 40-minute delay and a nine-hour flight we made our way through customs to see our families who were eagerly anticipating our arrival.

BOBBY NISHI JUNIOR SCHOOL ATHLETICS COORDINATOR

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I had a great time in Japan with my homestay. For most of the time (except for Monday-Wednesday because school was really tiring) we would be out going sightseeing, shopping, at arcades, and of course eating. The food that my homestays mother made was delicious, but eating out was almost as good. I really do feel like I’m going to miss them.

KADIN The Japan trip was the greatest trip of all time (other than missing my family and forgetting a few things at home)! One of the best experiences was going to an onsen with my homestay family. At first I felt overwhelmed and uncomfortable, but I soon calmed myself and settled in. I learned about the culture, customs, and rules of the onsen. I broke a few rules at first but my homestay family explained them for me. They really made me feel at home and part of a second family. Soon after we left Tamagawa I was heartbroken and I even felt homestay sick.

ANNIKA This Japan trip was a blast! The new experiences were a ton of fun and unforgettable. Especially the homestay! Getting to know a new family is heartwarming and it makes you feel special and awesome! I felt so happy at the end because of the experiences I had with both the kids at Tamagawa as well as with the homestay family. The feeling that people respected you and care for you is something that brightened my day a whole lot. In addition, the whole trip has been a great experience and is something I am most grateful for being a part of. Disneyland helped me get to know both Mr. Nishi and Mrs. Louie more as well as the other kids. The bonds I have made with both the students from Tamagawa and our school have grown tremendously and I am glad that I had the chance to do so.

All things happen for a reason and I think this trip was meant for us to live and grow an understanding of others, and they are crazy awesome! I LOVE Japan!

MATT Japan was amazing because of multiple new experiences. Living with my homestay family allowed me to see Japan for what it really is; a country relying on teamwork from every member of society. Staying with the homestay families also allowed us to see the resourceful neighbourhoods of Tokyo. I was constantly surprised by the use of simple yet advanced technology such as the greatly thought-out train system to having singing and dancing on the streets. What I was most surprised by were the similarities between Japan and the West. (Click here to view my slideshow of the trip!)

CYRUS I had a really fun time in Japan. The most fun part was the homestays. I really liked visiting with other kids and being with my school friends.

NICHOLAS

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DECEMBER 2015

Going to Japan was really fun and interesting because I got to learn new things and experience doing new things. Also, going to school with my homestay and taking classes was really fun. On Sunday, when I went to Disney Sea and went on a few rides; some were fun and some were not. Lastly, spending time with all the Tamagawa students and talking to them in Japanese was a fun and new experience.

VERONICA The Japan trip was pretty awesome! My homestay took me to Tokyo Tower; I really enjoyed it because inside the tower was different games, shops, and rides based on a show that I watch a lot called, ‘One Piece’. Also, I really like looking at cities from above because it looks cool. I also enjoyed spending time with my friends. I shared great experiences with my teachers too. For example, when we were at Tsukiji Fish Market Mr. Nishi walked behind Ms. Louie and then I put out my hand to high-five her. When Ms. Louie put her hand up to high-five I said, “Too high for you!” and high-fived Mr. Nishi behind her instead!

I enjoyed my homestay family a lot. They were so kind and loving to me and always had something planned for me. When I left my homestay mom, she gave me a scrapbook with a bunch of pictures of our experience together, which meant a lot to me.

ADEN This 2015 trip to Japan has been a very new experience, full of unexpected twists and turns. Every moment in a different country always feels exciting and fresh to me, but in Japan it was intensified with me being able to have fun and try new things with all of my friends. We laughed a lot together and that made us a little closer as a group. Overall Japan was an exhilarating experience. As a tip to the future Japan goers, I would say mind your time. The trip seems to be over in the blink of an eye!

ADAM The Japan trip was an amazing experience for me and I really enjoyed it. During the first day, I felt a little bit homesick but I texted my mom and quickly got over it. During the next couple days I felt kind of weird because I had to get used to all the different customs they have. For example, walking on the other side of the sidewalk, not sneezing in public, and slurping my noodles. After I got used to everything, it was smooth sailing for me except for one thing: The only difficulty I had in Japan was finding vegetarian options, in Japan they don’t consider fish to be meat and they use it in everything. Thanks to my homestay family and to the incredible Top Tour Guide, they helped me find some awesome vegetarian food. The food was absolutely amazing and I miss it already.

I really loved learning about Japanese culture and experiencing it firsthand with the Tamagawa students.

Thanks to my friends and teachers, I had an incredible time and I would definitely visit everybody again.

SAHIBA

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Literacy Corner How Do We Motivate Young Readers? What the Literature is Telling Us In her research study entitled, “What Teachers Can Learn About Reading Motivation Through Conversations with Children,” Dr. K. Edmunds demonstrates that students’ reading motivation plays a key role in learning, and that this “frequently makes the difference between learning that is temporary and superficial and learning that is permanent and internalized.”

Through conversations with 837 students of varying ages, Dr. Edmunds identifies several patterns: What Gets Students Excited About Reading Narrative Text?

Interests: “Frequent mention of personal interests indicated that children’s reading motivation was influenced by their own interests.”

Dr. Edmunds recommends that teachers and parents “provide books on many different topics that match the interests of the children.” Students can then read ‘special’ book collections, such as a particular author’s work or commonly themed works.

Judging A Book By Its Cover: “Children indicated that things such as exciting book covers, action-packed plots, and presence of humor [positively] impacted their motivation to read.”

Choice: The importance of individual choice is a common theme during Dr. Edmunds’ discussions with children. “When sharing the narrative text they were reading, 84% of the children discussed books they had selected themselves, while only 16% discussed books that were assigned by teachers. It appears the students were motivated to read when they were given the opportunity to decide.”

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DECEMBER 2015

Literacy Corner

Dr. Edmunds recommends that in order to increase children’s desire to read, allow them to self-select literature whenever possible. It is recommended that “teachers not only give children the opportunity to choose the books they would like to read, but also to allot time during the school day to read them.” At Stratford Hall, students participate in ‘iRead’, which provides this platform for sustained silent reading. This activity, according to Dr. Edmunds, “helps students in the selfdiscovery process.”

Why Should Students Read Expository Text?

Knowledge Gained: Children “placed a great deal of importance on the information they could learn from reading informational books … they were excited to share facts and knowledge learned from reading expository text.” The students feel that tangible, factbased knowledge was a fulfilling motivational factor for reading expository text.

What About Content?

“Exciting” Themes: Children report enjoying books that they identified as “funny, scary, or exciting.” This tends to be found in plot-driven YA fiction. It is important for students to decide what they want from the literature they select, whether it’s learning something new, exploring an aspect of the human condition, or simply entertainment.

Sources of Book Referrals: Though students prefer to choose their own novels, ready access to books is critical to the amount of reading done and to the achievement level of developing readers. Students discuss with Dr. Edmunds the ways in which they were exposed to literature:

School Library: When discussing narrative and expository text, “the children overwhelmingly reported that they found out about their books from the school library.

[Their] responses indicated that exposure to the school library (as well as public libraries) positively affected the children’s motivation to read because it introduced them to a variety of books.”

Teachers: Children “frequently identified their teacher as the person that introduced books to them.” The students feel that their teachers are a source of information about a variety of literature, and know the students well enough to direct them to texts that will interest the children specifically.

Family members: Dr. Edmunds concludes that “family members can greatly influence what children are currently reading and affect their reading motivation. Children reported that they found out about expository and narrative text from various family members”, and that “families that read together” create positive correlation for students with literature.

Peers: Children “most frequently” respond that they find out about books they want to read from their friends. Dr. Edmunds finds that “sharing books with one another” motivates children to read.

Things such as literacy circles and book clubs (available as one of Stratford Hall’s co-curricular activities) provide for students a safe space for sharing and discussing literature.

SARAH RIDDELL MYP TEACHER

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Literacy Corner The Conscious Parent: A book review What does it mean to be a conscious parent? Does it mean greater attention to time spent with your child? More affection? More awareness? These and other questions percolated in my mind as I watched an interview with Shefali Tsabary, the author of The Conscious Parent.

I believe teaching has informed my parenting and parenting has informed my teaching in a positive way. Parenting has certainly informed my teaching this year, as my parenting brain was at full capacity while I was on maternity leave last year.

So, with parenting and teaching parallels swimming through my mind, I decided to delve into this book with a spark of curiosity. To summarize what I have garnered from this insightful book, I have outlined the top ten insights to ponder as a parent: 1. If you want a strong connection or relationship with your child, set aside your ego and show up as the “real” you.

2. To foster the development of empathy, allow your child to experience life their way, reassuring them that they are being heard.

3. Just be there. “At the root of a child’s acting out is an emotion that was never expressed, instead becoming split off from consciousness.”

4. Discipline. When our children act out, instead of becoming either a control monster or its opposite, the emotional avoider, stop and think: “What

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“To foster the development of empathy, allow your child to experience life their way, reassuring them that they are being heard.” emotions are being roused within me right now? How am I being triggered? What from my past am I bringing to my present situation?”

5. Don’t avoid conflict – value it. When we feel personally attacked, it’s our ego taking over. Instead of taking things personally, remember that your child is only thinking of themselves, not you. Let go of things looking “perfect”.

So what if your child chooses green socks with their outfit?

They are expressing their love for green.

6. Teaching is more important than punishment. To express your ideas, you don’t have to yell and scream. Instead, say, “We both have feelings about this. Tell me yours, then I will share mine.” It is crucial that

your children know that their feelings just are as important as yours.

7. Delightful children don’t have to turn into defiant teens.

Defiance in the teenage years stems from a lack of authenticity, a lack of containment, or a lack of connection to the parents – or a combination of these.

8. Heavy-handed tactics backfire. Instead of listening, our children become scared of us. This shuts down their natural desire to be the good person they fundamentally are. Your child feels guilt because of all the reprimands, and this creates additional anxiety. When they feel this, it’s hard for them to show empathy towards others.

“Conscious discipline asks

DECEMBER 2015

Literacy Corner

Parent volunteers at a Kindergarten field trip to the Vancouver landfill.

“Just being there” is an aspect of conscious parenting.

that children follow our instructions, but also allows them the freedom to express their sentiments.”

9. Conscious parenting means for us to be present and reflective, as opposed to twitching impulsively, or reasoning instead or reacting.

10. Our children are our teachers.

“The way in which we are connected to our own inner self and live out our own purpose ultimately impacts our children more than anything.”

These and many more insightful points are outlined in this thoughtful book. I hope it offers you some food for thought.

TRICIA GRZYBOWSKI KINDERGARTEN TEACHER

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SHPA Corner As the end of year approaches and our community prepares for the holidays with anticipation and excitement, I’d like to take a moment to reflect on the wonderful individual responses to SHAF Kidz and to give thanks for the efforts of students and parents alike.

It continues to be an inspiration to see our students (with their parents’ support) express their love for their school through their own initiatives. The goal of SHAF Kidz was to empower students, to instill a desire to be active participants in community building, and to perhaps inspire them to know that they are capable of amazing things. More important than any dollar amount attained through SHAF Kidz donations, I hope our students are proud of their accomplishments and proud to be a part of a thriving and caring Stratford Hall community.

The SHPA is also so thankful for the continued support of parent volunteers – not only are you committed to your children and helping them achieve their highest potential, but are demonstrating your commitment to building a close-knit school community.

Thank you to the parents that

A bird’s eye view of the 2015 SHAF KIDZ Craft Fair.

initiated and organized this year’s holiday poinsettia fundraiser, Elaine and Steve Chan. Not only did they sell poinsettias to parents at Stratford Hall, but extended our presence on the Drive by reaching out to Commercial Drive businesses as well.

Thank you to the SHAF Kidz Craft Fair parent and staff volunteers – without your help, we could not have accomplished this highly popular and fun event! Many thanks to Shawna Soo, Rebecca

Keung, Samantha Gayfer, Raj Sablok, Emily Lew, Felice Ho, Katherine Naylor, and the many parents that helped their children at their individual craft tables. Thank you also to our own Stratford Hall staff, Alexis Malinowski and Jennifer Yeung, for your continued support!

Sincerely, Angelique Schnerch SHPA President

A big thank you to the following local businesses for being part of our community and purchasing poinsettias from our fundraiser: •

Arnva

•

CCEC Credit Union

•

Lam Lo Nishio, CPA

•

Babylon Cafe

•

The Drive Mortgage Store

•

Pharmasave

•

Bakery Sate

•

•

Recharge Nutrition Bar

•

Bandidas

Famoso Pizzeria Commercial Drive

•

Remax Metro Realty

Black Dog Video

•

Grandview Lanes

•

Royal Pacific Reality

Blue Sky Tshirts

•

High Life

•

Shoppers Drugmart

Bullock’s Eye Opener

•

Home Hardware

•

Take Thai Home

Busy Bee

•

JQ Clothing

•

Tradewind Insurance

Cafe Calabria

•

Karma Optical

• • • • •

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DECEMBER 2015

SHPA Corner

The following are some of our students’ projects and their reflections on why they are supporting Stratford Hall: What did you do: “I hosted a high tea party. I invited my family to our home. My mom and I baked cakes and made savories. I served all our guests. They gave me donations and I raised $420.”

Why are you contributing to SHAF Kidz: “I like my school because it’s educational and fun. My teachers are kind and caring. My friends are great. I raised money to make my school better.”

ADAM CHUM What did you do: “I am making mini teddy bears for SHAF Kidz craft fair and I am selling them for each for $5.00.”

Why are you contributing to SHAF Kidz: “I love my friends and our community. OEE is my favourite subject. Not only do I get to do different things with my classmates, but I also get to learn about myself and my capabilities, and help my classmates reach new goals with each OEE event.”

SIMRIT DHILLON What did you do: “For my 8th birthday, my mom and dad won the Gala prize for a Science Birthday Party with Ms. Ver. I asked all of my friends to contribute to SHAF Kidz instead of giving me birthday presents. I raised $250 for Stratford Hall. I want to support Stratford because the school is helping me to become the best person I can be.”

Why are you contributing to SHAF Kidz: “I enjoy learning from all my teachers. They are caring and supportive. I have very good friends at Stratford and I enjoy the time that I spend with them at school.”

TARA CLENDINNING

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Growing Our Community Making faces was only part of the fun for three Grade 3 families at Camp Elphinstone over Thanksgiving weekend. A highlight was winning the pumpkin drop contest, as the Stratford Hall team’s innovation outlasted all others through five rounds of vigorous drops from five metres up - well done!

We love to see families getting together outside of school for bonding trips! [KN]

Skating is a very Canadian way to be active and make friends. Kadin S. brought his Japanese homestay buddy to the rink during his time in Canada as a way to get to know each other. Great idea, Kadin! [KN]

ISABC: A Community of Learners Stratford Hall’s membership within the Independent Schools Association of British Columbia (ISABC) comes with many benefits, including our access to fantastic professional development opportunities. This year, I have the privilege of taking part in a 10-month development course focussing on leadership within the independent school setting. The course is organized and run by the executive head of the ISABC, Elizabeth Moore. As a group of 16 professionals from ISABC schools around the lower mainland and Vancouver Island, we engage in workshop-style sessions that relate to strategic planning, leadership styles, social-emotional intelligence, teacher feedback, human resource management, etc.

Different participant schools host each session, which provides us with a great opportunity to visit other independent schools, and to observe all of the interesting teaching and learning going on. Stratford Hall will have its turn to host in January!

A unique part of the program is the action research component. We are each responsible for completing an individual Reflective Enquiry project on an area of change within our own practice. To assist us with our projects, we have each been paired with a professional mentor from another ISABC school. My mentor is Carolyn Breland, Junior School Principal and Deputy Head of St. John’s IB School in Vancouver. As a group, we are in regular contact with each other, along with our individual mentors. When staff continue to grow as learners, invaluable professional bonds and connections between schools are fostered, strengthening our practice, and our school, which (most importantly) directly benefits student learning!

CASEY TURNPENNY PYP COORDINATOR

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GALA 2016

All About the Gala

An Evening of International Intrigue: Celebrating the Stratford Hall Parent Community April 9, 2016

I continue to be touched by the generous parent community that we are all a part of at Stratford Hall. As a second year parent, I am so excited to meet so many wonderful parents who donate time, ideas, energy, talent, and resources!

I would like to thank the ‘art geniuses’ Gala Sub-committee, who have been working with students to create the class art items for the silent auction: • • • •

Yujie Chen: Mom to Nico (Grade 7) and Terrence (Grade 3) Christy Liao: Mom to Laurie (Grade 7) and Zachary (Grade 9) Caitlin Springate: New mom to Stratford Hall this year; mom to Brielle (Kindergarten) and Clara (Grade 2) Janice Kwok: New mom to Stratford Hall this year; mom to Aaron (Grade 6)

I would also like to thank the Fundraising Sub-committee, who are helping us to source great silent and live auction items: • • • • • • •

Rebecca Moroz: Mom to Natasha (Grade 11) and Lucy (Grade 9) Rob Senghera: Dad to Neha (Kindergarten) Rikki Puri: Dad to Deyvin (Kindergarten) and Amisha (Grade 2) Ron Cheung: Dad to Marcus (Kindergarten) Lou Guerrero: Mom to Joshua (Grade 4) and Tia (Grade 7) Akash Sablok: Dad to Aryan (Grade 3) Dhar & Harv Dhanda: Parents to Meera (Kindergarten) and Kiran (Grade 7)

Finally, thanks to all of the parents who have bought tables and tickets to the Gala, and who have shared their enthusiasm for the theme and the event! Spectre level tables are sold out. Tickets are 75% sold.

We are looking forward to a very fun night to celebrate with our Stratford Hall parent community!

Sincerely,

Barb (Tyne & Ewan’s Mom) with Sue (Quinn’s Mom), Rosa (Sienna & Gianni’s Mom) and Maegen (Mary, Rose & Oscar’s Mom) PAGE 47

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Sabres Sports

Junior Girl’s Volleyball: A Lesson in Process Outcome It is tough to convince a group of 14- and 15-year-old athletes that you are happy with the steps they took as a team, and have them believe you as a coach, when they are at the end of four different volleyball tournaments with a combined four wins and 15 losses. It is easy to forget all the small steps taken in the process of learning to play as a team, improving skill level, and getting better as an individuals, when the loses pile up. It is easy to sink into self-doubt, develop a fixed mindset, and give up.

Luckily, this group of junior girl basketball players fully embraced the challenge set out before them to elevate their game play, both as individuals and as members of a united team. While the losses were difficult to take, and there may have been a few tears, there was always a pat on the back and a smile to reassure them that we were on the right track. It was

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evident at the end of league play that these girls were determined to focus on their process goals: communication, competition, composure, tough serving, attacking the ball, and passing.

Entering the GVISAA playoffs on a two-game win streak did wonders for the team’s confidence. Despite some early nervousness in their quarterfinal game versus Regent Christian – being up 23-14 before winning 25-23 in the first set – the team would settle down in the second set, easily winning 25-12.

In the semi-finals the team would face Meadowridge School, the defending GVISAA champions.

While the scores for each set – 21-25, 25-20, and 16-14 – give an idea of the epic match, it hardly gives a full picture. In the huddle before the second set there were some nervous glances and pensive faces. A quick reassuring talk punctuated by multiple, “I believe” high-fives would set the

DECEMBER 2015

Sabres Sports team at ease. If the huddle before the second set was characterized by nerves, the huddle before the third set was full of selfconfidence, pumped up athletes, and a “Let’s do this!” attitude. The third set was great volleyball to watch: fast, athletic teams playing attacking volleyball and rising to the occasion. Winning that game brought great joy to the team, as they knew they had achieved one of their stated outcome goals for the season in winning a medal.

The finals would see Stratford Hall playing École Jules Verne (EJV). EJV was the only team to beat Stratford Hall in the GVISAA regular season, so revenge provided an extra incentive to win. The rest of this article would be a lot more interesting if the team played another epic three-set match with each set requiring extra points to win. But this was not to be the case, as the team, rather than shrink from the pressure of playing in the championship finals, embraced it, and elevated their game to another level. Stratford Hall dominated in all facets of the game, including serving, passing, blocking, and hitting the ball. A straight sets victory by the score of 25-18, 25-14 would see the girls charging the court in celebration, tears flowing, screams of joy being bellowed, and hugs galore.

Highlighting a single individual for outstanding play throughout the day is a difficult task. Each player stepped up and helped the team when it was needed.

Emilie Brossier and Rachel Woo provided tremendous support throughout the day, helping to bring energy when it was called for and providing a calm and reassuring voice when needed. Amanda Chan

made unbelievable defensive plays and clutch serving. Jada Abbott was repeatedly called on to serve at the end of sets in very tight matches, and rose to the occasion. Kylie Brajcich was excellent in attack, using a variety of roll shots, tips, and ferocious spikes to win rallies.

Sofia Webber was a dominant force in the middle, providing strong blocking and absolutely nailing quick sets. Rose Leishman played the tournament of her life, serving bullets all day and finishing with the most recorded kills on the team. Abigail Walker proved to be the best setter at the tournament, consistently putting the ball in the correct place for her hitters, using timely dumps to keep the opponent out of rhythm, and serving aces all day.

A special congratulations goes to Abby for being named team MVP for the tournament, and winning the tournament MVP was Rose Leishman! This is a huge accomplishment for Rose, as the MVP award is voted on by all eight junior girl coaches in attendance at the tournament.

As a coach, it has been a pleasure working with such dedicated and focused athletes. I would like to express a huge thank you to each of them for all the time and effort they gave throughout the season.

I would also like to say thank you to all the parents who came out all season to support the team, provide ample snacks and hot chocolate, and be line keepers and score keep our games. Your continued support helped to create a wonderful season for all the athletes.

KYLE NYSTAD SENIOR SCHOOL ATHLETICS COORDINATOR

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Sabres Sports Achieving Athletic Success: Where Do We Go From Here?

The Senior School fall athletics season was full of unprecedented success for Stratford Hall. Not only was it the busiest fall season yet in terms of number of sports offered and athletes participating, but also in terms of results. As we move into basketball season I would like to reaffirm our commitment to the following at Stratford Hall: Mixing Grades Stratford Hall is classified as a single ‘A’ school by BC School Sports, the governing body for provincial high school sports.

For a school to be classified as ‘A’ requires that it has less than 70 female students or 70 male students in Grades 11 and 12 combined. With the smaller cohorts for each grade, fielding teams for all sports can occasionally be a challenge. To ensure that we can field teams, we often have to merge two or more grades.

This past season, our junior soccer team consisted of players from grades 8 to 10. Our senior girl’s volleyball team was made up of girls in Grades 9, 10, and 12. This basketball season, our junior boy’s team is Grade 8 and 9s, while our senior boy’s team is Grades 10 through 12.

We understand that the mixing of grades can be a scary idea, especially for Grade 8s. Through the hard work of coaches to build team identity and cohesiveness, these fears can be negated and students learn that it is to their benefit to play with older students, as it will expand their immediate peer group, improve their skill level immensely, and teach them the value of working hard if they want more playing time.

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Commitment Commitment is always a tricky balance. At Stratford Hall we aim to build teams with a foundation of commitment to attending all practices, tournaments, league games, and provincial qualifiers.

We also understand that there is life outside of Stratford Hall. While there is some flexibility, it must be understood that, in order to build a program that is competitive, students and teachers must be willing to put in the time and effort necessary to achieve this goal.

This can mean early morning practices or multiple tournaments in order to develop the skills necessary to be competitive.

Playing Time At the Senior School level, we strive to field teams that are competitive in each sport. This does not mean we promote a win-at-all-costs mentality, but rather foster an environment in which students learn that it is okay to be competitive and want to succeed. There will be games and tournaments throughout the season that allow for equal playing time. There will be important league games and playoff games where playing time is more restricted. This is a natural progression of sport. While we cannot promise equal playing time for students we can promise equity, meaning that every student is provided with access to the same opportunities to earn playing time through practice.

Coaching We now have a critical mass of teachers on staff in the Senior School that bring a wealth of experience, expertise, and passion to their respective sports.

In the last two years we have brought on staff with experience participating at the varsity level in university sports, including Brina Derksen-Bergen with volleyball at the University of British Columbia; Sarah Riddell running crosscountry at University of Victoria; Jen Ju playing basketball at Santa Barbara College, Thompson River University, and then professionally in Germany. We are also in our second year of partnering with VanCity Basketball Academy to provide coaches for our boy’s basketball teams. This season we have ex-UBC Okanagan player Josh Whang coaching the junior boy’s team. Andrew Blanco will coach the senior boy’s team.

Andrew has coached for the last five years at Delta Secondary School. During that time he has been an Assistant and Head Coach for both the junior and senior boy’s teams. Both Josh and Andrew have also coached club basketball teams with VanCity Basketball that practiced at Stratford Hall.

DECEMBER 2015

Sabres Sports

Students Academics have and always will be the first priority for our students. As our teams become more competitive and travel for more challenging tournaments, support will be required to help them balance the demands of school work with their commitment to school teams. Areas we will work on to support students even further include communicating with teachers when additional time may be required to complete assignments or exams, helping them with managing other cocurricular commitments during the season, ensuring that practice schedules allow for time to attend MYP or DP study centre times, and monitoring of grades to ensure students are maintaining eligibility. We understand that the IB is a challenging academic programme, but that it also encourages balance in a student’s life, and this is an ideal we strive to achieve. This is an important area we will continue to develop to ensure our students can perform at their best both academically and athletically.

KYLE NYSTAD SENIOR SCHOOL ATHLETICS COORDINATOR

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Sabres Sports Grade 7 Girl’s Volleyball

Grade 7 Girl’s Basketball

The Grade 7 girl’s volleyball team started off slow with three close losses to Crofton House, York House, and Southridge, but finished the season strong with three wins versus WPGA, Collingwood, and St. John’s.

Their three and three record placed them in fifth place going into the final ISEA Championship tournament.

On Saturday, November 28th, the Grade 7 girls participated in the St. John’s 7 Slam Basketball tournament. They started the tournament with a lopsided 44-3 victory against St. John’s, which put them into the semi-finals against Strathcona Community Center. Unfortunately they came up short in the second game, losing 17-7, but battled hard to win the bronze medal game, 2117, against a tough Collingwood team. The team was led by the strong offensive and defensive play of Priya Conatser and Ashanti Mackenzie, who averaged 10 and six points per game respectively over the tournament.

At the ISEA Championship tournament, the team started off with a game against the York House Tigers. The team dropped the first set, but fought back and won the next two sets.

Next up was the number one seed, Southridge Storm. The Sabres won the first set, lost the second set, and, with some amazing teamwork and great plays, squeaked out a victory in the third set to give the Storm their only loss of the season.

The Sabres lost the next two games to the WPGA Wolves, and their second matchup with the Storm (the eventual winner of the tournament), which left them with a bronze medal finish.

The team was made up of Ashanti Mackenzie, Estella Pires, Kiran Dhanda, Madoka Wowk, Nolin Lee-Pii, Priya Conatser, Tia Haughian, and Triman Ghag. I am very proud of how the girls improved throughout the season and was very impressed with their work ethic and performance. I am looking forward to coaching these girls again.

BOBBY NISHI JUNIOR SCHOOL ATHLETICS COORDINATOR

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The Grade 7 Girl’s Basketball Team.

The Grade 7 girls started their regular season on the right foot with a win against Meadowridge 22-16. The scoring leaders for the game were Tia Haughian with 10 and Estella Pires with eight points.

The team also exhibited excellent defense by Kiran Dhanda, Shreya Arcot, and Madoka Wowk, and great team play from Alia Bhimani, Palak Sharma, and Triman Ghag.

The Grade 7 Girl’s Volleyball Team.

Go Sabres go!

BOBBY NISHI JUNIOR SCHOOL ATHLETICS COORDINATOR

DECEMBER 2015

Sabres Sports Sabre’s Index In honor of Harper’s Index, I offer you Sabres Athletics Index for the Senior School fall season: 7

Number of sports offered during the fall season in the Senior School this year

5

Number of teams that qualified for GVISAA playoffs

11

Number of teachers that coached

61

Total number of practices for all teams

75

Number of Senior School students that participated on a Senior School team

4

Number of cross-country runners that qualified for BC provincial championships

4

Number of swimmers that qualified for the BC provincial championships

0

Number of Grade 12 students on the swim team

3

Number of silver medals won by Grade 11 student Bryan Yu at the BC provincial championships

3rd

Final standings for the JR boys in GVISAA playoffs, becoming the first Stratford Hall JR team to win a bronze medal

140 Estimated total number of hours put in by both the junior and senior girl’s volleyball teams 2

Number of GVISAA volleyball championships won by Stratford Hall teams

2

GVISAA tournament MVPs won

by Stratford Hall volleyball players: JR Rose Lieshman and SR Kiera Lee-Pii

2

Number of GVISAA volleyball tournament MVP awards won by graduating student Kiera Lee-Pii in her playing career

KYLE NYSTAD SENIOR SCHOOL ATHLETICS COORDINATOR

The Junior Soccer Team.

Sabres Athletics: Junior Soccer Team The Junior Sabres Soccer Team’s season ended with a bang! What a privilege it was to see players of a range of skill levels improve, marvel, and excel at the beautiful game. But it was not always easy. At times it was frustrating for many of them because they wanted, so badly, to be on the field, but there could only be eleven players at once. Ms. Browning and I hope that they will recognize that any skill in life requires hard work and patience to develop – something they have shown us they are capable of doing.

Thank you, to the teachers for working hard to keep your students caught up with courses after missing so many classes due to soccer. To the parents who came out to support the team and cheer us on in the sidelines, we thank you too!

Congratulations to Gaven Sandhu in Grade 9 for winning the team MVP, and for being such a force to be reckoned with.

Most importantly, congratulations to the entire team for fighting through a tough semi-final loss to come out with a very respectable third place finish.

SUSANNE CHOW JUNIOR SOCCER COACH

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Sabres Sports ASPIRATION AND ADVERSITY: Striving for the Perfect Moment with the Senior Girl’s Volleyball Team “Keep your hands high! Cover that spot! Go, go, go, go! I think you can get that!” It’s the Western Canadian Independent School Volleyball Championships and the Sabres are locked in a battle with St. John’s Ravenscourt from Winnipeg, Manitoba. There was energy in the air and fans were cheering. Our bench was jumping up and down and a sign emblazoned with “Stratford Hall” could just been seen peering down from the bleachers above.

“Take your time…finish strong!

Watch out for the tip!” These words were not spoken by a coach but by Avery Lee-Pii in encouragement of Abby Walker, a Grade 9 player that had to step into a starting role when Avery became injured early on in the tournament. This was not a season of players who were incapable of seeing errors and correcting them, nor was it a season of recklessness or haste.

This was a season of calculation, of players who acted more like coaches than 15-17 year olds and it was a season of the relentless pursuit of the perfect moment.

Obviously perfection is not something that can easily be attained by any one individual; however, a group, a team even, can be perfect. It takes one moment of flawlessness, one moment where the sum of the team’s efforts is far greater than any one player, and it is in this moment where potential is achieved, hard work is affirmed and the rush of adrenaline and energy is addictive.

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The Sabres Senior Girl’s volleyball team had not one perfect moment this season but many. There was the excitement of a perfect pass

by Oliana Chan off a serve coming at 70 km per hour, the thrill in seeing a surprising yet flawless 3’1 set to Thea Hoemberg, a middle attacker, and the tense moment when ball connects with hand, whipping over the net and finding open space near the three metre line. There was the long, hard-fought GVISAA semi-finals when we were losing 9-4 in the third and deciding set against Carver Christian. This triggered the determination and fire in the eyes of Simrit Sanghera when she stepped up to serve the last crucial points of the game, finishing on an ace. The final moment of perfection that day was the GVISAA gold medal and the thrilling celebration that followed a double MVP effort by Kiera and Avery Lee-Pii. Although success was evident for the team this year, it did not come easily. The adversity of injury, stress and travel resulted in many imperfect moments, ones where the tears and pain of missing a birth to provincials by one game dominated the team psyche. Yet in spite of these challenges, I learned through the selflessness and passion of our players that perfection can be found even in times of struggle.

Our final perfect moment of the season, surprisingly was not on the court but occurred after a moment of defeat and finality. In our last debrief before boarding

the ferry to head home after our wildcard provincial qualifying matches, the graduating seniors (Charlotte Buttle, Delaney Ignatieff, Inaara Merani and Kiera Lee-Pii) said goodbye to their teammates. The seniors thanked them for not just their skills but more importantly for their quality of character. In turn the younger girls expressed gratitude at the warmth and support with which they were welcomed onto the team. As a coach, this was the most perfect moment I could have hoped for. Although there is still the fire in us to achieve our provincial dream next year, this year we achieved our potential in the most intangible way of all: by demonstrating the true meaning of a supportive team.

BRINA DERKSEN-BERGEN SR GIRL’S BASKETBALL COACH

DECEMBER 2015

Sabres Sports SABRESHARKS PUT THEIR FINS UP After landing in an impressive third place at the VancouverRichmond Zone Meet, with one of the smallest teams in attendance, the Stratford Hall Sabresharks made the trek to the BC High School Provincial Swimming Championships in Kamloops with their fins up and ready to chomp the competition. Grade 9 boys Noah Kent and Devin Meng, along with Taylor Goldblatt (Grade 10), and team leader Bryan Yu (Grade 11) all qualified for the Provincial meet in individual events and as a 4x50 Medley Relay Team. Bryan, three-time winner of the Stratford Hall Golden Water Pistol for Swimmer of the Year, and Taylor, winner of last year’s Spirit Award Golden Water Pistol, were both returning Provincial Qualifiers.

All four boys swam hard/with heart (last year’s team mantra), with several personal best times and close finishes. Every swimmer advanced to the final heats in his individual events.

Noah had personal bests in the 100m breaststroke (sixth fastest time overall in finals) and 100m freestyle. Devin swam the 100m

breaststroke, 100m butterfly (fifth place overall), and 200m individual medley, earning PBs in all three events and scoring the second highest number of points for the Sabresharks. Taylor had a breakthrough meet, exceeding his goal of breaking the one minute barrier in the 100m freestyle and placing 11th overall in his event.

Our team leader Bryan became Stratford’s first ever Provincial medalist three times over! He earned silver medals in the 100m freestyle, 50m butterfly, and 100m individual medley.

Congratulations to all the boys, who proved that hard work and dedication will reap multiple rewards – I am so proud to be your shark mom. FINS UP! Chomp chomp!

ANA VER SWIM TEAM COACH

SENIOR CROSSCOUNTRY RUNNING The small-but-mighty Stratford Hall Sabres Cross-Country (XC) team had an inspiring XC Season.

Provincial qualifiers for the senior championship race were Kiera Lee-Pii and Paul Hooley, and for the junior championship race Stratford was represented by Avery Lee-Pii and Simrit Dhillon.

The morning of the Provincial Championship race arrived with heavy rainfall warnings and a cold, muddy course. Our runners rose to the occasion beautifully, with positive attitudes and fierce racing.

I was most impressed with their commitment to toughness and the support of their teammates.

Despite the frigid temperatures and steady downpour, the runners all maintained their composure and pushed hard!

Congratulations to our runners; I can’t wait to see more Sabres out next season!

SARAH RIDDELL CROSS-COUNTRY COACH

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