Imprint: June 2022 Issue

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JUN 2022 VOL 21/ISS 2

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

FROM OUR LEADERS

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The Year That Was... Let’s Celebrate GRATITUDE

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Thank You Mr. Croy FROM OUR LEADERS

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So That’s What You Look Like!

FROM OUR LEADERS

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Celebrating Reconnection!

FROM OUR LEADERS

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Junior School Celebrations FROM OUR LEADERS

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Just Say Circle

MANAGING EDITOR Aldrich Tan Advancement Services Manager SENIOR COPY EDITOR Isabel Sankaran-Wee Director of Advancement PHOTOGRAPHS Clarence Chan Photography Ron Cheung Jennifer Gunasekera Wayne Hsu Aldrich Tan

CELEBRATIONS

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Valedictorian Address CELEBRATIONS

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Embracing Uncertainties SNAPSHOTS

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Class of 2022 Celebrations CELEBRATIONS

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What a Year!

CELEBRATIONS

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Message from the Alumni Association CLASS NOTES

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Stratford Hall 3000 Commercial Drive Vancouver, BC Canada V5N 4E2 T: 604 436 0608 E: advancement@stratfordhall.ca www.stratfordhall.ca

#SabresPride: Where are They Now? SNAPSHOTS

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School Life SNAPSHOTS

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Service & Spirit THE YEAR IN REVIEW

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In Celebrations CELEBRATIONS

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Message of Gratitude at the Donor Reception KEY DATES

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2022 - 2023 Key Dates

Imprint is published twice per year, expressly for parents, students and friends of Stratford Hall. Imprint is copyright © 2022 Stratford Hall IB World School, Vancouver BC, Canada. Please contact our office to be added to the mailing list.

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Navin Howard receiving the Head of School Award

THE YEAR THAT WAS...

Let’s Celebrate 2

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FROM OUR LEADERS

In my final Imprint article at Stratford Hall, I celebrate the remarkable Stratford Hall students. This year, we were again inspired by the successes of our students in so many different arenas.

Whether it was learning to read in the younger grades, the completion of the PYP Exhibition in Grade 5, the completion of the Personal Project in Grade 10, or completing the DP in your final year of secondary school; our students have persevered, and accomplished, a great deal.

This year our students re-engaged with each other through listening to each other’s stories in assemblies, homeroom classes and advisories as we participated in this year’s theme, Celebrate our Diversity, Raise our Voice.

Our students demonstrated selfawareness, maturity and courage as they shared their stories and showed empathy and understanding towards others.

Our students continued to amaze us through their involvement in school life and their accomplishments. This year we were inspired by councils and clubs that continued to challenge students and expand their horizons through activities such as Spelling Bee, Jam Bar, Desire to Lead, Junior School Student Council, Intramurals, and so much more! Students also participated in debate, public speaking, Model UN, SMASH, Ski & Snowboard Club, further enriching student life. Kudos to our Grade 9 team for winning a silver medal at the 2022 Greater Vancouver Regional Science Fair and to our senior debaters for earning a trip to Nationals this year!

School spirit and our students’ care for their community was evidenced through student-led events and service-learning activities which supported Queen Alexandra, New Fountain Shelter, and BC Children’s Hospital Jeans Day among others.

In Athletics, the mighty Sabres competed fearlessly, earning medals, banners and tournament titles, but more importantly, competing with pride, teamwork, and in the spirit of fair play. Highlights include our Sabres placing first in Grade 8 Girls Volleyball, seventh in Senior Soccer Provincials, and a spring term which featured our Grades 6-7 Ultimate teams placing first and second at the ISEA Championships, and our Junior Ultimate team winning a Provincial Championship!

Residence, Haisla Collins, which has been installed in the MYP Gym for all to enjoy.

Finally, this year we were able to once again celebrate our graduating class, in person, and it was remarkable for the Class of 2022, and for all of us as well. Our graduates - a wellrounded, dynamic group of students - were committed to excellence in the classroom, and devoted to developing the school community through their leadership of clubs and councils outside of the classroom. To date they have earned over $300,000 worth of scholarships. We celebrated the Grad Class with full festivities: a Grade 12 Farewell Assembly on their last day of classes (with fitting tributes from the Kindergarten Buddies), Convocation at Chan Centre (UBC), and the Grad Banquet at the Fairmont Pacific Rim. It was a remarkable end to the year for a graduating class that completed their full DP experience during a global pandemic.

I celebrate our Stratford Hall students for their accomplishments this year!

Dean Croy Head of School

Dazzling displays and performances in the arts showcased the thoughtful and talented work of our students, in Arts Week and throughout the year, perhaps most visibly through the mural, Where the Realms Meet, created under the tutelage of Artist in

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GRATITUDE

Thank You Mr. Croy

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GRATITUDE

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FROM OUR LEADERS

So That’s What You Look Like!

As we slowly and cautiously remove our masks, I can’t help but notice people smiling at each other once again. It’s exciting to discover what the new families to our school look like behind the mask or to find new friendships with families we didn’t know existed before the restrictions prevented us from being our normal, social community. I enjoyed seeing the ear-to-ear grins and proud tears at Commencement when the Graduates did their walk across the stage (sans Bouncy Castle). I remember feeling confused when I saw parents standing outside of the PYP looking overly eager to go in for their threeway conferences until I realized that they had never ever set foot in our school before. We are finally revealing ourselves to each other again and moving forward together.

It would be no coincidence that we are doing the same at the Board level as well. In the past year we have hunkered down to dig deep into where the school has been in the recent and distant past and we have started making plans on how to get us confidently into the future. We have shown a vision of our Campus Master Plan. We have had a chance to say farewell to our outgoing Head of School, Mr. Croy, and we have had a glimpse of our incoming head, Mr. Kassissieh. We are now working on a Bridge Strategic Plan with a strong, principled foundation that will help

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guide us over the next 12-18 months while our new Head settles into the school. Then together, we will focus on a long-term strategic plan that will take us well into the future. We will continue to reveal our progress and seek input along the way.

I encourage our entire community to continue to reengage as safely as possible so we can springboard back to our old selves. Please stay connected or reconnect with other families and staff and remind everyone about how thankful we are for each other. In the fall, consider getting more involved with the school by volunteering your time in the classroom, at SHPA or on a Board committee. In the meantime, stay in touch over the summer and we look forward to seeing your big Stratford Hall Smiles once again in September.

Ron Cheung Board Chair

FROM OUR LEADERS

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ENRICH FROM OUR LEADERS

Celebrating Reconnection!

BY: MEG CHAMBERLIN Senior School Principal This year has been an exciting one of renewal. After two long years of limitations, we reconnected and reenvisioned school life as the pandemic constraints lifted this spring.

This meant the return to so many of the activities and programmes that make Stratford Hall a wonderful and enriching place to be: interschool sports, cross-cohort spirit activities, in-person service opportunities, continuum connections with our PYP buddies, and of course welcoming guest speakers, alumni, and other community members back to enhance life on campus. Furthermore, we were thrilled to be able to celebrate in person with our graduating class of 2022 at our first student dinner and dance since 2019!

One of the most wonderful results of this opening has been the ability for our students to once again engage in overnight camps to celebrate their growth and progress as a grade at the end of the school year. Stratford Hall believes strongly in the powerful impact of experiential education and students have greatly missed these overnight opportunities over the past couple of years. This May and June, the Senior School camps included white water rafting on the Cheakamus River; canoeing on Pitt Lake; kayaking from Deep Cove; exploring new ropes courses; as well as hiking, camping, group games, and wilderness cooking.

These adventures support our students in developing their understanding of and connection to the lands and waters we enjoy, while also supporting leadership development, risk-taking, and open-mindedness. Here’s to many more wonderful adventures ahead!

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FROM OUR LEADERS

Junior School Celebrations BY: MICHAEL PALMER Junior School Principal Reflecting on the 2021-2022 school year, I am reminded of the challenges we have overcome as a community this year. Everyone in the Stratford Hall community of parents, students, and teachers has been eager to “return to normal” after nearly two years of restrictions and constraints imposed on us by COVID-19, and everyone was ready to celebrate the return to school in September 2021.

Throughout the year, continuum connection days provided Junior School students with the opportunity to get to know their Senior School buddies. Halloween was a day to celebrate student connections while carving pumpkins, reading spooky books, and participating in a Halloween costume dance off. A few days later, students from Kindergarten to Grade 12 connected again with their buddies while cleaning up litter around the school and on Commercial Drive. Continuum connection days have been wonderful opportunities for our Junior School students to build their school spirit and to take action in the local community.

abundantly clear during this year’s SLC that there was much for our students to celebrate.

For the past two years, the PYP Exhibition has been staged online in PYP schools around the world. This year, our Grade 5 teachers, JoAnna Takeda and Ian Fryer, and our PYP Coordinators, Amanda Lempriere and Jordan Hannah, pulled out all the stops to lead a rich learning experience for our Grade 5 students. The PYP Exhibition process is year long as students carefully inquire, ideate, research, plan, collaborate, build, and document their learning journey. By late May, the vibe in the Grade 5 classrooms shifted toward more nervous energy as students put the final touches on their research projects and exhibits. The mood lightened on June 3 as parents came to witness their hard work. Across the school, everyone was talking about the incredibly successful PYP Exhibition.

Sabres Junior School Athletics relaunched after a nearly two-year hiatus. Students participated in soccer, crosscountry, volleyball, basketball, swimming, track and field, and ultimate frisbee celebrating victories, draws, and losses all with a high level of team spirit and collaboration. A significant highlight for the Junior School was the track and field event at Swangard Stadium on April 14. This day was made all the more amazing as parents joined in cheering on from the field and stands.

Asian Heritage Month and Pride Week provided opportunities for our students to celebrate the diversity that makes Stratford Hall a great community. In the month of May, the Junior School celebrated students of Asian heritage and highlighted Canadians of Asian ancestry during Junior School assemblies. This month of recognition closed with students of Asian ancestry wearing an accessory or cultural clothing to celebrate their heritage.

In June, Junior School students connected again with their continuum buddy during Pride celebrations which included a sticker making contest, rainbow cookies, and a “Dress as your Authentic Self” day.

In April, for the first time at Stratford Hall, parents, students, and teachers came together during studentled conferences (SLC) to celebrate the learning journeys of our PYP students. The classrooms and hallways were filled with the beaming smiles of parents as they were escorted around classrooms and hallways. Students shared their learning experiences and proudly showed off their accomplishments this year. Celebrating learning is a cornerstone of the school experience and it was

Finally, I look forward to celebrating the last day of school and ringing the symbolic bell to mark the end of the year and the beginning of a much deserved rest. I will see you once again in September when we gather at the front doors of the Junior School to welcome our new and returning students. I am certain we will all continue to celebrate our community, our diversity, and honour the voices of our students and teachers, as we strive to make Stratford Hall a welcoming and fun place to learn and grow.

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FROM OUR LEADERS

Just Say Circle BY: GARETH JONES Senior School Vice Principal What comes to mind when you say the word circle. Try it out. Just say “circle”. Do you hear a noun? A ring, a hoop, a figure whose periphery is everywhere equidistant from its centre point? Perhaps you hear a verb? To encompass, to round, to circumnavigate. Maybe you think of an idiom such as Shakespeare’s King Lear who spoke “The wheel is come full circle” in reference to the mythical Goddess of Fortune, Fortuna, who turned a great Wheel of Fortune. Or how about a way of connecting with others, of fostering relationships, safe spaces, and community. To “circle up” is to come together, to draw attention to the other, to share stories, to listen and be heard. Say the word again.

Circle.

At Stratford Hall, when we say the word circle we think of the restorative practice of being together in this shape and form. It is how we connect in Advisories and Homerooms to demonstrate a commitment to, as the International Institute of Restorative Practices puts it, “give people an opportunity to speak and listen to one another in an atmosphere of safety, decorum and equality”.1 When we “circle up” we prioritise community in a format that promotes it. It is a daily practice that helps set rhythms in our school. When we say ‘circle’, that’s what comes to mind.

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Talking circles originate from indigenous cultures and many continue the tradition to this day. In practice, a “circle keeper” will bring up agreed-upon topics in a way that provides everyone a chance to share. Dialogue is supported by individuals honouring who can speak when. A talking piece is often used to symbolise who can hold space and when they can hold it. For example, in New Zealand, some classrooms use a Māori carved talking piece.2 A piece of significance establishes value and communicates the value of gathering in a circle. Further speaking to this symbolism, Evans and Vaandering note, “the circle, which has no beginning or end, symbolically illustrates that all present are valued as significant and that insights shared are held respectfully within that space.”3 This is by no means a simple task.

In fact, it is intricately complex.

Building trust over time takes time.

And effort. It’s difficult, good work.

But in our world of supporting kids, preteens, teenagers, and young adults, it’s the way to go. Part of my role is to support Senior School Faculty Advisors to “earn the right to be heard” in the lives of our students.

We know this is earned, not freely given, and our Advisors do a fantastic job becoming and being people of priority in the lives of their advisees.

Circles are a way to get there, remain

FROM OUR LEADERS

there, and sustain relationships for a positive community.

Costello, Wachtel and Wachtel sum it up well. “As great teachers know, teaching is much more than conveying facts and information alone. There is a significant interpersonal dimension to teaching”.4 I am very proud that all of our teachers lean-in to this dynamic and leverage it to meet our students where they are. While I am not in every circle, the ripple effect of these relationship-first spaces is experienced in my day to day work.

When I “circle-up” with students, I know they are familiar with the format and are comfortable with it regardless of whether the purpose is proactive or responsive. Circles shape community.

This is something to celebrate.

As a community we must commit ourselves to meeting in circles, perhaps now more than ever. We live in an age of increasing isolation, division, and polarisation, which can make even the family dinner table a contested space. How we listen, share, listen, share, listen and share with each other will prepare us to defend ourselves against these pressures. I like the words of Dylan Marron, who spoke recently on the podcast from the Centre for Humane Technology entitled “Your Undivided Attention”. Dylan concluded the interview with this take, saying, “We

have a lot of tools at our disposal to mitigate awkwardness. We have a lot of tools to distance ourselves. There is an app I can log on to and get food in 15 minutes. The tech industry has created it so that I don’t actually have to interact with someone. And so I think it is understandable that people are reticent to connect to one another because I don’t think we’re given strong enough tools to connect with each other. But conversation and connection is this thing that is understandably scary and once you rip the bandaid off it’s just not as terrifying.” For us, the circle is a tool strong enough to establish, strengthen and build connections with each other. It is critical and we depend on it.

Together, let’s celebrate the progress we have made. And together, let’s remain consistent, building out better practices, and becoming more connected. We still have so much to talk about.

__________________________ Staff, IIRP. “5.2. Circles: Defining Restorative: Restorative Practices.”

IIRP, https://www.iirp.edu/definingrestorative/5-2-circles.

1

Brummer, Joe, and Margaret Thorsborne. Building a TraumaInformed Restorative School: Skills and Approaches for Improving Culture and Behavior. Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2021.

2

Evans, Katherine, and Vaandering, Dorothy. Little Book of Restorative Justice in Education: Fostering Responsibility, Healing, and Hope in Schools. Good Books, 2016.

3

Costello, Bob, et al. Restorative Circles in Schools: A Practical Guide for Educators. International Institute for Restorative Practices, 2019.

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CELEBRATIONS

Valedictorian Address BY: ADAM CROSS, ‘22 Valedictorian / Founders Award Recipient Good afternoon Stratford Hall families, friends, staff, and last but not least, graduates-soon-to-be-alumni. My name is Adam Cross, and I have the honour of representing this outstanding, extraordinary group of graduates as Valedictorian. On behalf of the graduates, I want to thank you all sincerely for being here with us on this monumental day of our lives.

Before I begin, I would like to take a moment to appreciate the commitment that our teachers have made to us over these past couple of years. I would like to personally apologize to all of our teachers for the stress we have inflicted upon you as a result of the chaotic classes and missed deadlines. Sorry, Mr. Brogan, for the nearly one-year overdue History IA. The patience and the tolerance that you have had with us is quite admirable. Teachers, your hard work to keep us on track and learning at the rapid pace required for the Diploma Programme is greatly appreciated and does not go unnoticed, and you will forever hold places in our hearts. I would also like to highlight all of the staff that have supported us along our journeys outside of the classrooms. This includes administration, IT, and maintenance. Without these people, I do not know how the school would run properly, and we would not have the opportunity to be here today.

My fellow classmates, today, we are no longer students, but rather graduates. That is, as long as we pass those Spanish exams. Gone are the days of Mr. Jones taking our hoodies.

Not going to lie, being able to wear a hoodie freely is probably the most exciting part about graduation for me.

Today is a day of celebration, but how do we celebrate two years of incredible dedication and perseverance in one day, let alone an hour and a half? It is hard to truly appreciate the challenges, the struggles, the intensity, and the hard work that this class has exhibited over the past two years. Not only have the last two years been hectic with the Diploma Programme, but it has also been hectic with the pandemic. The pandemic has challenged all of us,

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on top of the challenge that is the Diploma Programme.

Notwithstanding, the amount of determination and rigor displayed by this class was exemplary. Every single one of these graduates rose to the challenge and faced it headon, which reflects on the characters of these graduates.

Despite the stress of the final IB exams, I took comfort in knowing that all of my classmates had my back. For example, when I lost my calculator charger one day before our math examinations, a classmate came through for me almost immediately by loaning me their charger. Or on a larger scale, whenever someone needed help with their CAS project or a council meeting, ten students would all volunteer their time and effort to help this person in need.

CELEBRATIONS

We worked collectively to ensure that everyone made it to the finish line. The support I have seen from the people in this class is unfaltering, and I knew that I always had someone to turn to when times got rough.

To quote Sun Tzu, author of The Art of War, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” Graduates, this has been a challenging one thousand miles. But we have walked those one thousand miles, and we will walk many thousands more. The smiles I have seen on my classmates’ faces are unwavering regardless of the stress we have felt. Share your positivity and your smiles with others the way you have shared your positivity with our class. As Buddha once said, “Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.”

It is hard to believe that nearly 13 years ago, on September 8, 2009, 12 of us stepped foot in the Italian Cultural Centre for the very first day of Kindergarten at Stratford Hall. To me, it is remarkable seeing how these people have grown in the past 13 years. To this day, we will never know the identity of the mysterious homework-toilet-flusher of fifth grade. Imagine how believable it must have sounded to the teacher when I said my homework was literally flushed down the toilet. Nor will we know the mischievous classmate who hid Jamal’s laptop at the aquarium on a field trip in Grade 6. After that venture I am sure I have the entirety of the aquarium layout memorized forever from all the searching we did.

Graduates, it has been a journey and a pleasure watching you grow into the people you are now. Each and every one of us has changed over the course of high school as our identities and personalities took shape. I am proud of each and every one of you for the people you are. I am proud of the compassion, the empathy, the perseverance, the respectfulness, and the togetherness that we, as a class, have culminated. But above all, graduates, I am proud that we are celebrating this monumental day together, and I am proud to call you my family. Thank you.

Adam Cross receiving the Founders Award from Mrs. Cindy Leung and Mrs. Elaine Lee.

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CELEBRATIONS

Embracing Uncertainties BY: DR. BENEDICT HUNG DP Coordinator Perhaps one of the greatest challenges in life is to embrace uncertainties and learn to adapt quickly. This has definitely been a learning experience for our Class of 2022 graduates. They began their IB Diploma Programme journey two years ago in September 2020, when all of us were trying to understand the impact of the pandemic in our lives. Adaptations were made to their Diploma Programme while they had already begun the journey. The students were forced to be more creative than ever to overcome the physical challenges and limitations presented by the pandemic.

Yet, the uncertainty has brought the Class of 2022 closer together. They support each other in meeting deadlines after deadlines, completing independent academic research papers, formulating and articulating knowledge questions, extending their knowledge through research, experiments, labs, debates, and presentations, and challenging themselves to be more creative and compassionate. The Class of 2022 walked alongside each other from the first day of their Diploma Programme. They celebrated and encouraged each other to be better than who they were before. Their growth in the programme and themselves as individuals is the greatest testimony that uncertainties and challenges can always be overcome as a united front.

The completion of the IB Diploma Programme is not the end of their journey.

I am sure the Class of 2022 will continue to be a united group supporting and celebrating with each other in years to come. Congratulations to the Class of 2022.

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SNAPSHOTS

Class of 2022 Celebrations

Georgia Cooperwilliams receiving the Dave Sangha Award for Leadership and Community Service from Ms. Beverly Ginder.

Jonah Leibu receiving the Award for Academic Independence from Ms. Stephen-Patel.

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SNAPSHOTS

Claudia Dar receiving the Perseverance Award from Mr. Sandhu.

Thanh Lieu receiving the Spirit Award from Mr. Jones.

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Alaana Shamji receiving the Award for Academic Excellence from Dr. Hung.

SNAPSHOTS

Sarah Robbins receiving the Award for Leadership in Athletics from Ms. Derksen-Bergen.

Madison May receiving the Award for Leadership in Arts from Ms. Shepard.

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SNAPSHOTS

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SNAPSHOTS

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CELEBRATIONS

What a Year!

BY: MYRIAM DUMONT President, Stratford Hall Parent Association We also supported the Parent Learning Series sessions throughout the year with various professionals for our parent community. Some of the highlights were Dr. Shimi Kang, an award-winning psychiatrist and bestselling author. We also invited Angela Ma Brown, a well known local educator who spoke about how to raise anti-racist children.

As the year comes to an end, I like to reflect on the past year while still looking forward to the possibilities for the next.

As a parent association that is strongly committed to upholding values rooted in social justice, we felt this year in particular was an important one to show our community that we are committed to upholding the calls to action by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and standing with the Indigenous communities across Canada. We ensured that every student and staff member at Stratford Hall was given an orange shirt to recognize the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation as a small gesture of solidarity and will continue to prioritize this in years to come.

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Our SHPA Executives also prioritize recognizing all the hard work and dedication that the Stratford Hall staff puts in everyday for our children. We celebrated World Teacher Day on October 5 by providing staff with a delicious lunch catered by Salmon n’ Bannock. In December, we sent some baked goods to teachers and staff from our local coffee shop, Flourist, and in April, as the end of the year was approaching, we asked Tayybeh, a local Syrian catering company, to provide lunch.

In May, we hosted a thank you coffee morning for our Grade representatives. Grade representatives are incredibly important to our community and we know how hard they work. Thank you for everything you have done this year for our students and staff. Stratford Hall would not be the same without you.

This year, the SHPA Executives were excited to be able to host events that we had not been able to for

over two years. We hosted the Winter Fair in November and the End of the Year Carnival in June at the Croatian Cultural Centre and the feedback we received from parents was glowing. It was clear that people had really missed being together and connecting in ways that we hadn’t been able to for so long. We are excited about the possibilities that next year brings knowing now that we are likely going to be able to continue gathering and having fun!

Our hope is that we will be able to continue planning events like these ones and reconnecting once again.

Lastly, I want to thank the SHPA Executives. They are a small group of busy parents who worked hard to make events like the Winter Fair and End of the Year Carnival happen. I cannot begin to count the number of hours they put in and the late night meetings we had. If you are interested in joining us next year please reach out!

Wishing everyone a summer of fun and relaxation.

CELEBRATIONS

Message from the Alumni Association To the Graduates of 2022, You did it. You just completed one of the most rigorous academic programs in the world. As the Chair of the Stratford Hall Alumni Association, I would like to officially welcome you all to our community.

The act of graduating and the feeling of beginning a new chapter in your life often comes with a fun mix of excitement and anxiety. Currently in the middle of the alumni association’s inaugural year of the Alumni Mentorship Program, a piece of advice I recently shared is to not be afraid of “changing your plan.” As an individual who has changed her career three times since graduating from university, there is no such thing as the “right” or “only” path. There is simply a plethora of learning experiences that help you make your next decision.

Lastly, take care to remember that anything in life (whether it be a project, the completion of a university degree, or the pursuit of an ambitious career goal) is a marathon, not a sprint. Revel in the “process” and every single challenge you may encounter. Fulfillment comes from the adversity you faced along the journey, not the end destination.

I invite you to share in the endeavours, accomplishments and immensely valuable resources of our international community by following our alumni Instagram account (@stratford_hall_alumni). Our supportive community of like-minded individuals looks forward to connecting with all of our new graduates!

Allison Lee, ‘10 Chair, Stratford Hall Alumni Association

congratulations Allison and Jordan were married on June 11, 2022.

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CLASS NOTES

#SabresPride Where are they now?

Geffen Semach, ‘10 A Stratford graduate for over a decade, Geffen has since lived in Halifax, London, and Toronto, and is now settled down back in Vancouver. Continuing her education journey at Dalhousie and Columbia after Stratford Hall, Geffen made the leap across the pond to pursue her career in publishing. Spending two years in the UK and building a life from scratch, she valued her living abroad experiences in a city that had so much culture and artistic experiences to offer. Creating a home-away-from-home, she met “so many like-minded people, many who’ve turned into lifelong friends.”

From the UK, Geffen moved to Toronto for half a year until COVID-19 hit and she decided to come back to Vancouver. Since then, she’s been enjoying her remote work as a Publishing Coordinator, Audiobooks for Penguin Random House Canada. Her days are spent acquiring and editing books to be made into audio, and she is pivotal in building the company’s young audiobooks program.

Extremely lucky to love her job, if you ever had the pleasure of knowing Geffen during her Stratford Hall days, she was always with a book in hand often caught chatting about her latest read.

Though spending most of her career in audiobooks and claiming to love reading physical books and listening equally, she will always favour print as she loves being able to turn a page. However, Geffen does enjoy many features of the audiobooks that are large part of her work. They are readily available, lack supply chain issues and a multitude of audiobooks can be stored in the palm of your hand.

She also appreciates how a great narrator and production team can add to a book in unexpected ways - from voices and narration to the addition of materials and sounds that simply don’t exist in physical books. Definite win for this voracious reader.

When this bookworm isn’t reading, Geffen enjoys spending time at art galleries, exercising her brain with crossword puzzles, running outdoors, and editing a literary magazine.

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CLASS NOTES

Katherine McGuire, ‘14 Katherine McGuire graduated from Stratford Hall in 2014, and has since been fulfilling her lifelong dream of becoming a doctor. Currently a fourth-year student at University of Ottawa’s Medical School, she is completing her degree bilingually! Throughout her university experience, Katherine has had the opportunity to embark on health research within the 2SLGBTQ+ community, as well as kids with arthritis. Along the way she has developed long-lasting friendships, while spending time exploring Montreal and Toronto.

For Katherine, one of her proudest achievements was being selected for a podium presentation at the Canadian Rheumatology conference in 2020 where she shared her research amongst members of the Rheumatology community. Additionally, being able to actively pursue her dream of practicing medicine, is something that Katherine is incredibly proud of. Outside of school and being “oncall”, Katherine tries to lead a balanced life where she can engage herself with different outdoor trips, and adventures.

She loves spending time with her friends and family, and this is something that motivates her in maintaining a strong work-life balance.

When reflecting on her favorite past times at Stratford Hall, Katherine recalls OEE trips, ultimate frisbee tournaments, and science classes with Mrs. Iacchelli and Mrs. Daniels.

Katherine was always actively involved in her school community, and this is something she continues during her university experience.

With her utmost determination, optimism, and hard work, Katherine has been able to accomplish her goals, and there is no doubt that she will continue to check more off the list - way to go Katherine!

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SNAPSHOTS

School Life

Mr. Pulfer is this year’s recipient of the Loran Teachers Building Leaders Award. The award was presented to him at the June 16 assembly by Stratford Hall alum, Margaret Ovenell, ‘17.

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SNAPSHOTS

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Our 2022 - 2023 Prefects

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Service & Spirit

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SNAPSHOTS

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SNAPSHOTS

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THE YEAR IN REVIEW

2021 - 2022

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In Celebrations English One of the great texts that we study in Grade 11 at Stratford Hall is Te-Nehisi Coates’ Between the World and Me. The book is written as an open letter to the author’s teenage son, and in it, he writes “I would have you be a conscious citizen of this beautiful and terrible world.” We feel like this has become our informal mission statement in the English department this year. Across nearly 40 units from Grade 6 to Grade 12, we have studied and told stories that bring this quote to life.

There is a lot packed into this short quote. First, there is the idea of beauty. As English teachers, we tried to bring out both the beauty of the world and the beauty of written language. In Grade 8, students looked for the beauty in Shakespeare’s language as they studied A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and in Grade 10, students explored the beautiful poetry of the Romantics, like Byron, Keats and Wordsworth. We also looked at texts that told simple but beautiful stories of family loyalty, as in Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis or Angie Thomas’ The Hate You Give. Through these stories and many more, we tried to show students how stories can transform objects and experiences, big or small, into something worth celebrating.

As Coates shows us in his work, there is a great deal that is “terrible” about the world as well. As a department, we think that English class can be a constructive space to explore the dark side of the human experience. Thanks to our librarian, Kirsten Morozov, the Grade 6 and 7 students were lucky to host David Robertson, the author of The Barren Grounds, which mixes fantasy, dystopia and traditional indigenous stories to explore themes of environmental decline and reconciliation. In Grade 11, we hosted UN refugee worker Asala Daoud and educator Nadia Abdallah to better understand the work of Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish. In Grade 12, we hosted professor James Holstun to critique the portrayal of the Lebanese civil war in Wajdi Mouawad’s Scorched. In nearly everything

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we have studied, we leaned into the challenging, the uncomfortable and the controversial.

Finally, the third part of the Coates quote contains the notion of the “conscious citizen” -- an aware member of a political community who has voice and agency. In Grade 6, students were taught how to write their own memoir, showing them that their personal stories matter. In Grade 9, students used the conventions of performance poetry to speak out on issues of injustice. In DP Literature, students linked works of literature to real-world political and social issues in the “Individual Oral” assessment. In every grade, we tried to give students the tools to speak out and act on issues that matter to them. Next year, this will be particularly poignant as we launch the Indigenous-Focused Grad Requirement.

To conclude, we would like to thank the Stratford Hall parent community for trusting us with your kids. It is always a pleasure to work with these talented young people as they share their thoughts and insights on “this terrible and beautiful world.”

- Skipper, Carmen Stephen-Patel, Brina Derksen-Bergen, Kirsten Morozov, Jackie Taylor, Kiran Shoker, Caitlin Shepard and Phil Brownhill

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Biology & Geography

Learning Beyond the Traditional Laboratory BY: GLADYS KONG Oftentimes when we think of a science class we envision laboratories, safety glasses, and white lab coats. As a department we strive to provide many of the traditional laboratory hands-on experiences within our classes, and the majority of the time that is the case. Be that as it may, at Stratford Hall, all Grade 11 students had the opportunity to conduct field work at Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre, a world-class research facility specializing in coastal and marine research.

As part of the IB Diploma Programme, all students engaged in the Group 4 project that is collaborative and multidisciplinary in nature, ultimately fostering an appreciation for all the sciences be it biology, chemistry and/or physics. In groups, students developed their own research question, designed their methodology and carried out their investigation. At the end of the week, they presented their work in front of their peers. In addition to the science Group 4 projects, students were also engaged in geography field work along the beaches surrounded by the temperate rainforest biome and the open ocean. The geography students then incorporated the fieldwork data within the Internal Assessment (IA) that is part of their course requirement.

This unique experience provided students with a chance to work at a well equipped field station and to learn field and sampling techniques unique to physical geography and marine science. Above all, it was an opportunity for students to learn in a unique environment, connect with one another, and gain an appreciation for breathtaking nature.

Some students have shared their thoughts on what was memorable about this for them:

“…ability to learn about marine biology…” “…It was a really great experience and I loved it!” “…it’s a very special place, and… will live in my memories for a long time.”

“The view, the fresh air, the quiet. …spending time with my class and escaping the world for a few days.” “…hanging out with everybody in the evenings. … we’ve all become closer as a group.”

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Languages

Tapas Experience at La Bodega

American Sign Language (ASL)

After an intense work period, students were taken to a long-standing Spanish family-owned restaurant to try authentic tapas and test out their spoken language skills.

The aim was to highlight that language experiences and application can occur authentically on our doorstep.

During our Senior School mini-term in February for our language acquisition sessions, we were fortunate to enlist the help of Mr. Roger Chan from BC Provincial Family Services. Mr. Chan was born deaf. He came to school on Pink Shirt Day to acquaint some of our MYP students with deaf culture and identity as well as teach us the basics of American sign language. Students found the experience to be formative and enlightening.

Shopping in Mandarin The Grade 10 Mandarin class went on a field trip based on the ‘experience topic’ (shopping in a Chinese supermarket).

Students were really excited and experienced taking public transportation while practicing Mandarin with each other.

They used different food department vocabulary that they had learned in Chinese class to describe the food they saw, enjoying the “Chinese bun”-baozi and bubble tea.

After coming back, they wrote a journal entry about their experience to practice their writing skills. They loved it so much and look forward to going to different Chinese places in the future again.

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French Club For the first time, we had a French club at Stratford Hall: the “Français Ouais!” club. Throughout Term 1 and Term 2, 15 Grade 6 to 12 students met every Wednesday at lunch to practice French in a fun way and explore the cultural diversity of the Francophone world. Activities included discovering French books in the MYP library, playing board games, listening to French music, watching Francophone films, playing interactive games to review vocabulary, and enjoying pastries in a local French bakery. Overall, students of every grade and level enjoyed this new club and we wish to make it a new tradition at Stratford Hall!

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Mother Tongue Day Celebrations What is a mother tongue? It is the language we learn at birth, the language we first hear from our parents, and the first language we use to socially engage with everyone around us.

Why is it important to maintain our mother tongue?

It is a way to preserve our culture and a way for us to communicate with our relatives who might not speak English. In addition, speaking another language helps improve our memory as well as thinking skills.

International Mother Tongue Day is celebrated worldwide on February 21, and this year we had a vast number of activities throughout the School to celebrate the multitude of languages that are spoken in our community. Students were encouraged to fill out surveys indicating what their mother tongue is. Grade 9 and 10 students prepared informative posters about the various languages which were posted around the three buildings. During the MYP and DP community block, students had a chance to meet Geena Haiyupis, who is a residential school survivor from Port Alberni. She shared her experiences and the cultural identity impact her mother tongue had on her life. On February 28, students were encouraged to wear name tags on which they wrote how to say “Hello” in their own language, read books in their own language, talk to peers who speak the same language, and watch videos about the importance of mother tongue, as well as watch some of our Stratford Hall staff introduce themselves in their mother tongues.

Grade 6 and 9 Penpal Connections At Stratford Hall, we teach students not only to be strong communicators in a second language, but also how to use the language to establish connections with other cultures.

At the start of the year, Grade 6 Spanish students wrote letters to penpals in Spain. While their penpals’ response took a few months to arrive in Canada, all our students thought that the wait was worth it. In addition, our Grade 9 Spanish students have had monthly Zoom conferences with penpals from Escuela Nacional Preparatoria. Students in both grades have found these connections culturally enriching and a motivation to continue their language learning journey.

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Extended Essay

World Studies

Celebrating and Recognizing the Extended Essay Effort: Grad 2022

Max Biermann Research question (Biology and Geography): How have socioeconomic factors influenced COVID-19 prevalence in essential services in British Columbia, Canada and to what extent can these factors be mitigated?

BY: KIRSTEN MOROZOV Our graduating class has much to celebrate, and I would like to highlight a very challenging Diploma Core component that all full Diploma Programme students, and some Courses students, tackle - the Extended Essay.

As per the IB Extended Essay Guide: The Extended Essay is an independent in-depth study of a focused topic in a Diploma Programme subject.

It is intended to promote academic research and writing skills, providing students with an opportunity to engage in personal research on a topic of their own choice, under the guidance of a supervisor. This leads to a major piece (of approximately 3,500 to 4,000 words) of formally presented and structured writing.

The Extended Essay, in combination with the Theory of Knowledge grade, can contribute up to three additional points to a student’s total Diploma Programme score.

DP students seek out fascinating topics and explore them through the rigorous academic criteria set for them by the IB. Anecdotal feedback from our alumni and studies conducted by several universities make clear the benefit of taking on the EE as preparation for post-secondary studies.

I believe this is not only because the EE affords students the opportunity to hone skills developed through their time in the IB at Stratford Hall, but also because they must practice key mindsets such as perseverance, resilience in the face of setbacks, and intellectual curiosity.

If you know any of the following graduates, please consider congratulating them on their completion of the EE as well as chatting with them about their EE topics, though perhaps wait awhile to do the latter as they are likely needing some recovery time. :-)

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Amrita Dhillon Research question (Geography and Environmental Systems and Societies): As marine plastics and marine pollution are anthropogenic issues harming the green sea turtle species, how are the human policies in popular turtle nesting sites such as Guinea Bissau, West Africa, and Raine Island, Australia, supporting the species and which recovery plan is more efficient?

Jakob Ma Research question (Economics and Geography): How do pro-natalist policies implemented by the Japanese government impact Japan’s economy?

Gigi Zhou Research question (Economics and Business Management): To what extent does the central counterparty clearing house achieve its original purpose of reducing systematic risk in the over the counter derivative market?

Geography Amanda Cheung Research question: To what extent is the rapid increase of Vancouver’s Indigenous homeless population a result of colonialism, expensive living, and in-migration from rural areas?

Claudia Dar Research question: To what extent do cargo and fishing vessels impact Bottlenose Dolphins along the coast of Florida?

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Leena Dhaliwal Research question: Has Singapore effectively deployed e-waste recycling locations based on current population centers and future settlement patterns?

Jonah Leibu Research question: How does Alan Moore use literary techniques to criticize superheroic fantasies in Watchmen?

Aksel Naylor Research question: How are sustainable urban technologies and techniques applied within Metro Vancouver and how do they work towards the Metro 2040 goals proposed by the Metro Vancouver Council?

Mia Lesjak Research question: Why and how does Toni Morrison’s Beloved and Jesmyn Ward’s Sing, Unburied, Sing use the motif of ghosts in order to portray the lasting negative effects of slavery and racism towards Black Americans?

Eli Press Research question: To what extent did the geography of Sochi help strengthen the sustainability of tourism following the 2014 Winter Olympic games?

Jenny Lieu Research question: How do the authors of The Sympathizer and The Things They Carried portray the psychological repercussions of soldiers and refugees in the Vietnam War?

Harjunn Sandhu Research question: To what extent has gentrification in Vancouver’s Chinatown contributed to a network of migrational shifts and a loss of culture and heritage?

Sahara Majeed Research question: How does Frank Herbert use world building in Dune to establish it as Orientalist literature?

Matthias Zelleke Research question: How did Cyclone Winston affect the quality of life across Fiji’s provinces, measured by the resultant change in access to safe water and sanitation, and how did the subsequent impact on health correlate with the level of urbanization by province?

English (Language A) Georgia Cooperwilliams Research question: How are the effects of childhood trauma presented through Terese Marie Mailhot’s relationships in her memoir, Heartberries?

Simrit Dhillon Research question: How does J. D. Salinger explore the effect of isolation through different literary devices?

Moneek Rawan Research question: How does Eudora Welty provide a commentary on femininity in The Golden Apples?

Sarah Robbins Research question: What does Naomi Alderman reveal about the nature of power in her novel The Power?

Alaan Shamji Research question: How does Margaret Atwood shift the perspective of her audience through the use of characterization in The Handmaid’s Tale and The Testaments?

Anisha Singh Research question: How does Alice Walker explore themes of second-wave feminism through character development in The Color Purple?

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History Denby Carswell Research question: To what extent can we call Hitler a weak dictator as the head of the Third Reich from 1933-1945?

Andrew Corston-Oliver Research question: Did internal or external factors play a more significant role in the fall of the Black Panther Party in the United States from 1966-1982?

Adam Cross Research question: To what extent did the Fair Labor Standards Act and the Second World War work together to solve problems resulting from the Great Depression and thereafter incite economic growth in the United States of America?

Jamal Pascal Research question: To what extent did Herbert Hoover’s responses to the problems of the Great Depression in the USA help or hinder economic recovery?

Business Management Simon Le Research question: To what extent is Netflix, Inc’s success attributed to its corporate culture and Reed Hastings’s leadership style?

Avery Mann Research question: What are the ethical issues Uber is facing and what tactics can they use to mitigate these problems in order to improve their reputation?

Spencer McGregor Research question: To what extent have micro financing institutions played a role in the development and growth of women in the workforce in India?

Ethan Petersen Research question: To what extent does Uber Technologies Inc, use ethics as a guiding principle in their growth strategies?

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Shaan Walker Research question: What is the impact of the Vancouver Canucks’ downtown arena on Vancouver-based businesses compared to the impact of the Ottawa Senators’ suburban arena on Ottawa-based businesses?

Biology Jaya Chauhan Research question: To what extent does a solution of broccoli sprouts (Brassica oleracea var. Italica) have an effect on the growth of mung beans (Vigna radiata) exposed to 254nm Ultraviolet-C light as measured by the length of the embryo root in cm?

Navin Howard Research question: What is the effect of pH (6.0 - 10.0) on the growth and the physiology of Nannochloropsis (Japanese Chlorella) as determined by the population growth through the absorbance at 470nm and its accumulation of polyunsaturated fatty acids by percent alcohol produced from a hydration reaction?

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Mathematics This has been an incredibly busy year for our MYP and DP students involved in contests run by both the University of Waterloo and the Mathematical Association of America. These contests inspire students to be risk-takers in challenging their understanding of the known and the unknown in their mathematical knowledge.

Math and computing contests are about far more than competition – students from around the world come together to grow and develop their reasoning and problem-solving skills through critical and creative problem-solving. All students are to be highly commended for their performance and willingness to take Congratulations to all our top performers!

part.

A special congratulations to our Grade 12 students who took part in the Euclid competition – a grueling 2.5 hour paper tackling novel problems with creativity and all of the knowledge students have gained in high school mathematics.

- Denise Brabban, Head of Mathematics

MATH SCOREBOARD BEAVER COMPUTING CONTEST GRADE 7/8 Mahee Patel Megan Winstanley Sonja Hadjipavlou

GRADE 9/10 (100%) Aidan An Rohan Singh Aurora Wells

WATERLOO MATH CONTESTS GRADE 7 (GAUSS) Chereen Ting Joshua Gravistin Jacob Au Keira Jamal GRADE 10 (CAYLEY) Taryn Wong Miles Wong Tristan Andersen Williams

GRADE 8 (GAUSS) Bobby Yang Eric Lu Summer Qi

GRADE 11 (FERMAT) Justin Zheng Ryan Lu

GRADE 9 (PASCAL) Aurora Wells Gavin Tang Lucas Der

GRADE 9 (FRYER) Isabel Li Lucas Venugopal Bobby Yang (Grade 8)

GRADE 11 (HYPATIA) Justin Zheng Ryan Lu

GRADE 12 (EUCLID) Adam Cross Matthias Zelleke Sahara Majeed

AMC (AMERICAN MATHEMATICS COMPETITION) AMC 10 Hannah You (Grade 9) Cayla Gao (Grade 9) Lucas Venugopal (Grade 9)

AMC 12 Matthias Zelleke Ryan Lu (Grade 11) Carol Xing (Grade 11)

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Individuals & Societies

Beyond Traditional BY: CHRIS BROGAN, REBECCA HOLGATE & LISA BLACHUT Our Grade 6 - 12 students are getting more out of our classes by getting out of the classroom. Individuals & Societies, in the Middle Years Programme and Diploma Programme, includes a wide range of topics that we often understand as Social Studies or Humanities. We tackle the big topics about society and the world, today and in the past: geography, history, civics, business, human rights, government, media, climate crisis, identity, truth and reconciliation, LGBTQ2+, technology... Any list that we make here is inevitably incomplete, but if it’s about who we are as individuals and as societies, we probably tackle it head-on and in-depth. One challenge, however, is that although our classrooms are sometimes a microcosm of the world around us, most of what we’re studying is happening (or has happened) outside our physical space.

We have excellent and varied texts to help students access the wider world, but those can only take you so far. With that in mind, our vibrant and dedicated I&S teachers committed to getting out of the classroom as much as possible this year, to provide educational experiences that go beyond the traditional books and documentaries–to engage directly with our local communities. Here, you’ll read a selection of teachers’ reflections about a few of our favourite field trips from 2021 - 2022.

In our December mini-term, Grade 10 students traveled to Grouse Mountain for the Hiwus Feasthouse Cultural Program. We had a gorgeous blue-sky powder day up on the mountain, with lots of time for snowshoeing and a guided nature tour with Grouse Mountain’s rangers. We were also honoured to hear from a Skwxwú7mesh Elder, who shared traditional stories about the passing down of knowledge related to basket-

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weaving. He also relayed his personal stories about his family’s experiences in residential schools. Students got to participate in dances and songs, and were invited to create their own artistic pieces. It was a moving, humbling and rich experience for everyone involved. Our students were engaging directly with the work of truth and reconciliation that is a call to action for all Canadians.

Our Grade 12 students went on two historical walkingtours with Forbidden Vancouver. We learned about the secrets of Stanley Park, including the history of colonization, the building of the seawall and the harrowing tales of Deadman’s Island.

They also got a taste of life in prohibition-era Vancouver, investigating speakeasies, the history of gangsters, and reliving the tremendous growth of Vancouver’s Golden Age. At the end of two years of study in DP History, students unanimously agreed that these trips were their favourite part of the year and the piece they will remember most. My favourite moment was hearing our students ask insightful and informed questions of our tour guide, who was continually surprised at how interested they were in our city’s history. I was really proud of them.

All in all, it was a five-star experience.

This spring, the Grade 12 Business Management class took a trip to Steveston to visit the Gulf of Georgia Cannery National Historic Site. The Cannery features not only a salmon canning line, but also an original herring reduction plant that was in operation until 1979.

The salmon canning line was definitely the highlight of the

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visit as they were able to turn on several of the machines. As cans of sockeye went through butchering to cooking to delivery, we learned the stories of the people that worked there.

After the tour of the canning line, we got to explore the massive machines that turned herring into many products including animal feed and fish oil. The field trip was a great start to our Operations Management unit, where students learned about different methods of production, such as mass and batch production, and how factors like quality control, location planning, and sustainability can shape the way a business operates.

In April, the Grade 9 students visited the site of St. Mary’s Residential School in Mission.

This school operated, at two separate locations, from 1863 - 1986. We were met there by Thelma Florence, a survivor, who generously shared her story with the students about her time at the school and her experience growing up within the horrors of that system. After her talk, Thelma shared bannock with us all, and the students had some time to explore the grounds and old foundations of the older school site. It was a memorable and emotional learning experience, one that many students reflected on as a highlight of their year in Humanities.

In May, to celebrate Asian Heritage Month, we went on two local field trips (enjoying our proximity to downtown and easy transit access with the SkyTrain!). The first trip was a walking tour of historic Chinatown and a guided tour of the Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden. We explored Shanghai Alley and saw some of the earliest buildings that were established by Chinese immigrants to Canada, many staying after their role in building the Canadian Pacific Railway. We learned stories of discrimination and prejudice that these people faced, but also the resilience and strength of the community that still flourishes to this day.

We also visited the Komagata Maru monument in Coal Harbour. This site commemorates the ship that arrived in Vancouver in 1914, carrying 376 Sikh, Hindu and Muslim passengers from India. Due to the racist immigration policies of the time, these passengers were not permitted entry into Canada and were forced to wait for two months aboard the ship, eventually returning back home on another long journey across the Pacific Ocean.

We were so excited to have the opportunity to explore our community through an expanded focus on placebased learning. Individuals & Societies students are looking forward to more great activities in June for PRIDE and for National Indigenous Peoples Day. There is so much history and culture in the Greater Vancouver Area, and we hope that you are newly inspired to expand your perspective by getting out there. Never stop exploring!

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Athletics / PHE / OEE Throughout this year, as I reflect on the previous years of stillness and introspection brought on by the pandemic, I am often reminded of the Christina Aguilera song, Reflection. She sings, “Who is that girl I see/Staring straight back at me?/When will my reflection show/Who I am inside?”

(Zippel, Wilder, 1998). Like a character staring at their own reflection in a placid pool, we too have had a chance to look at who we are and what we do in Athletics and in the PHE and OEE department at Stratford Hall. After so many months of stillness, we know who we are and have come back with a splash.

7x GVISAA Senior Ultimate Champions

We are getting stronger and more confident in PHE class.

We can run and play tag without using a pool noodle to keep our distance anymore. We can play invasive sports like basketball, soccer, and ball hockey. We don’t have to be divided by a net anymore. We also can choose to wear or not wear a mask. This allows us to breathe more easily, lift heavier weights in the fitness centre, and break hex bar deadlift PRs. In our accessible games unit, we don’t need to sanitize the entire wheelchair before sharing it with our friends. Needless to say, we are relieved and happy to be back to a more normal PHE class. It feels so good!

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We are back to hosting tournaments and winning them.

Our Grade 6 and 7 Ultimate team won gold at the 2022 ISEA tournament. We also hosted a 24 team ultimate tournament and were thrilled to be able to participate in our own Swangard Stadium Track and Field Meet and compete against other schools at the UBC and ISEA Track and Field meets. Our Senior Ultimate Team also won the GVISAA tournament for the 7th straight year.

Grade 6/7 Ultimate team won Gold in the ISEA Ultimate Championship

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It is only in still waters that we can see our reflection. Now that we know who we are and what we value, we are ready to make some new ripples and see how far they travel.

Thank you to all of the parents, guardians, coaches, bus drivers, administrators, student athletes, and teachers who have made this year one to celebrate. We can’t wait to see what else we can accomplish and are excited to see you in the fall after a restful summer!

- Brina Derksen-Bergen, Head of PHE

Grade 4 trip to Camp Sasamat

OEE trips have returned with a celebratory splash in the reflecting pool. We dove in with the Grade 4 trip to Camp Sasamat at the end of May and resumed the usual celebratory Grade 10 OEE trips, cycling, and rock climbing to our heart’s content. A little bit of rain and a rattlesnake spotting couldn’t dampen our spirits.

We also acknowledge that we are a reflection of the people who made us and have guided us for the past 13 years. We will be saying goodbye and good luck to our beloved PHE teacher, Senior School Athletic Director, and multisport coach, Kyle Nystad at the end of this year. I learned from Mr. Nystad that high fives can create magical bonds, that you can’t improve your forehand without risking it in a game, and that team dinners are essential and should always occur with phones stacked neatly in the middle of the table. Mostly, I have learned that the energy you give, mirrors the energy you receive; perhaps a nod once again to the importance of reflection. We will miss you Mr. Nystad, but are comforted knowing that we see so much of you in us. You will always be reflected in what we do in Athletics, Ultimate, Strength and Speed, and PHE here at Stratford Hall.

Grade 6 Ultimate team won Silver in the ISEA Ultimate Championship

BC Ultimate Junior Tier II Provincial Champions

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Design & IDEA Lab

What We Celebrated in Design Classes and the IDEA Lab BY: ANDREA RYAN & MEG PEÑAFIEL

What we celebrate is different.

We celebrate all Kindegarten to Grade12 students who come into the space for design classes, clubs, passion projects, and curricular connections. Who better to highlight what we celebrate than the students themselves.

We celebrate personal projects and trying new things, providing students with more agency and opportunities to explore their passions and interests.

“I celebrate the scratch project I worked on as my personal project in design class where I created a video game called “Under the Sea.” It was my first time creating a video game and I used trial and error to make my game cooler.“

Innovation, Design, Engineering, Arts

- Isaiah Popatia, Grade 3

“IDEA Lab is really fun because you get to work on almost any project you want like our electric go-cart.“ - Olivia Heywood, Grade 6

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We celebrate jumping into the learning pit and making mistakes. It is through our mistakes that we learn perseverance and other ways of doing things.

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Innovation, Design, Engineering, Arts

“In Design, we encourage people to do something hard so they improve and learn from those mistakes.“

- Kaysan Ahamed, Grade 3

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“In Design classes, we celebrate ALL of the students and ALL of the learning AND all the mistakes we do!“

- Olivia Huang, Grade 3

“We celebrate hard work. We celebrate being messy and then cleaning up after. We celebrate having access to our own computers and technology.

We have lots of time to work on what we want to. We have freedom to explore what we want.“

- Nathan Ryan, Grade 5

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r k “We value creativity, freedom with projects, and working collaboratively. “

- Olivia Huang, Grade 3

“We celebrate designing and making things. We celebrate paper engineering. We also celebrate doodling and doing prototypes. We celebrate creativity by learning how to do crafts.“

5 We celebrate prototyping as a way of communicating ideas and Innovation, Design, Engineering, Arts getting feedback. We learn what works and what doesn’t.

- Gus Kaltio, Grade 1

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We celebrate practicing the skills we need to collaborate and being a Innovation, Design, Engineering, Arts part of a community of makers.

“Students have had the opportunity to undertake projects that they are passionate about. From working with the laser cutter to sewing clothing, students had an amazing time in this club and look forward to continuing and starting projects next school year.“

- Aly Rajan, Grade 11

We celebrate cool resources and tools that help us turn our ideas into Innovation, Design, Engineering, Arts reality and extend our thinking.

We celebrate playfulness and wild ideas and bringing our imagination to life.

Innovation, Design, Engineering, Arts

“We value creativity so we can expand our ideas. We love that we get to take on big projects like making our own skateboards.“

“We celebrate paper and all the things we design with it! My favourite part about design and what I want to celebrate is stop motion and claymation.“ - Praachi Ohata, Grade 1

- Lauren Blue & Kallie Yu, Grade 6 “I celebrate the technology, tools and resources available for me to be able to do a lot of my projects. I like that the space is big and I have lots of room to work. I love cooking and I got to work with my friends to make delicious ramen.“ - Zohya Kassam, Grade 9

“I think it’s important that we celebrate doodling and I wish we did more doodling.“ - Ziba Forooghian, Grade 1 “We celebrate cardboard construction because you can make anything that you could imagine if you try.“ - Freddie Berlin, Grade 2 “We celebrate horses! Joke.“ - Poppy Kaltio, Grade 1

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CELEBRATIONS

Message of Gratitude at the Donor Reception BY: BENJAMIN JUNG & ZOHYA KASSAM Grade 9, Student Ambassadors learned collaboration skills through this project because different students were working on the mural at different times, which taught them to be flexible, ultimately contributing to their collaboration skills. The mural will soon be on display in the MYP Gym for the community to see. In addition, Haisla also worked with PYP students to create a button blanket that is currently on display in the PYP foyer.

Please raise your hand if you know where your donations to the annual fund went this year?

Today we are going to talk about how your donations continue to enhance the outcome of a better education and learning space for students.

We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your donations that continue to support our education.

Firstly, your generous donations have allowed us to bring in an artist in residence, Haisla Collins. Haisla is an Indigenous artist who helped students to paint a mural called Where the Realms Meet. This project allowed Junior and Senior School students to collaborate. This was a rare opportunity for both PYP and MYP visual arts classes to work together with such a talented artist such as Haisla Collins. Your children

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Secondly, your generous donations have provided the PYP building with outdoor innovative learning spaces.

For example, there is more seating, work and play tables as well as a new play shed. We have recently been up there, and everything looks amazing!

Every week, we see the PYP students enjoying themselves on the roof with their new space, and we are very jealous. Furthermore, the outdoor learning space allows students to look forward to going outside, as I see them jostling to get outside to be first to their favorite toys.

In addition to the PYP outdoor learning space, we also have a refurbished climbing wall in the DP building. This will be completed over the summer and I look forward to scaling the new and improved climbing wall come September.

Lastly, contributions to the Annual Fund also allowed for upgrades in the weight room in the MYP Gym. Your

contributions enabled the School to purchase new Sabres branded weights, install rubberized flooring, and a wall wrap to show Sabres pride.

These upgrades made the weight room safer with the new rubber floor surrounding the entire mezzanine and allowed more students to use the weight room at the same time.

The equipment is being used often by students in PE classes, faculty, and also students who are a part of the strength and conditioning program led by Mr. Nystad. As a student in the strength and conditioning program, I can confidently say that the equipment is being put in good use through the program as well as through PE classes. This equipment has allowed your children to stay fit and to be physically stronger, even in the difficult times we are currently in.

To conclude, we’d like to express our gratitude for your continued support of the Annual Fund. Thank you for making a difference in students’ lives.

After all, Stratford Hall is about making a difference.

Your contributions are greatly appreciated and we thank you for continuing to assist us in creating wonderful memories at Stratford Hall.

We hope you will continue to support the Annual Fund to enhance the lives and memories of all students at Stratford Hall.

CELEBRATIONS

The Advancement team: Adele Armstrong, Jennifer Gunasekera, Isabel Sankaran-Wee and Aldrich Tan (L-R)

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$147,000

$10,000

PYP Outdoor Learning Space

Sabres Pride Wall

$27,000

Artist in Residence

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to Stratford Hall has enabled us to go beyond We are extremely grateful for your generosity.

It ma es a difference for Stratford Hall today and in the future.

$3,000

Art Room Refurbishment

$25,000 Composter

$14,000 School Spirit

$20,000

Queen Alexandra Elementary

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$80,000

IDEA Lab Digital Media

KEY DATES

* Subject to Change

2022 - 2023 Key Dates Tuesday 6 Wednesday 7

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Friday 7 Monday 10 Wednesday 19 Thursday 20 Friday 21

Teacher Pro-D Day (No classes) Thanksgiving Day (School closed) K-12 Parent-Teacher-Student Conferences, 4:00-8:00pm K-12 Parent-Teacher-Student Conferences, all day (No classes) BC Pro-D Day (No classes)

Friday 4

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Monday 14 Friday 16

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Friday 30

Senior School New Student Orientation, 9:30am School Opens - First day of school for all students Opening Assembly, 8:30-9:30am National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (School closed)

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Monday 9 Thursday 2 Friday 3 Friday 17 Monday 20 Thursday 23 Friday 24

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Last day of class before Winter Break, Early Dismissal, 12:00pm WINTER BREAK: MONDAY, DEC 19 - FRIDAY, JAN 6 Classes resume after Winter Break Junior School 3-way Conferences (Goal Setting), 4:00-7:00pm Junior School 3-way Conferences (Goal Setting), All Day (No Junior School classes) ISABC Pro-D Day (No classes) Family Day (School closed) Senior School Parent-Teacher-Student Conferences, 4:00-8:00pm Senior School Parent-Teacher-Student Conferences, All Day (No Senior School classes)

Monday 27

Last day of class before Spring Break (full day) SPRING BREAK: MONDAY, MAR 13 - FRIDAY, MAR 24 Classes resume after Spring Break

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Friday 7 Monday 10 Friday 28

Good Friday (School closed) Easter Monday (School closed) Junior School Student-Led Conferences (At school by appointment)

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Friday 19 Monday 22 Saturday 27 Sunday 28

Early Dismissal, Kindergarten - Grade 12, 12:00pm Victoria Day (School closed) Graduation Convocation Graduation Dinner and Dance

Friday 23

Closing Assembly, 10:00-11:00am (noon dismissal)

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Friday 10

Last day of class before Midterm Break (Full day) MIDTERM BREAK: MONDAY, NOV 7 - FRIDAY, NOV 11 Classes resume after Midterm Break

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Congratulations 2022 Graduates We can’t be more proud of you!

No matter what the world throws at us, your years of hard work, the memories made, the relationships built, the all-nighters pulled, the problems set, the hours and hours of labs conducted, the late-night essays completed, the big wins won, the tough losses taken, the extracurriculars you poured your heart and soul into, and the friends who became family, no one—and nothing—can take that away.

You are Ready to Change the World!

You are our Future Leaders!

Congratulations Class of 2022.

Reach for the stars. Follow your dreams. Now and always.

We are so proud of you and wish you the very best that life has to offer.

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