Imprint: October 2016 Issue

IMPRINT October 2016 • Volume 16, Issue 1

Stratford Hall News & Celebrations

IN THIS ISSUE 3

LETTER FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL LETTER

4

FROM THE BOARD

5

GIFTING SECURITIES TO #SAVECLARKPARK

6

OPENING DAY CEREMONY

7

WORKING TO #SAVECLARKPARK

8

#SAVECLARKPARK

9

MESSAGE FROM SHPA

10

LIFE OF A PRINCIPAL

12

ACADEMIC HONESTY

14

MATHEMATICAL MINDSETS

16

DEVELOPING CRITICAL LITERACY SKILLS

18

BUILDING CAPACITIES AS QUESTIONERS

20

INTERNATIONAL MINDEDNESS IN THE DP

22

DESIGN TIME IN THE PYP

24

MYP FALL RETREAT

25

TAMAGAWA RETREAT

27

YUKON SKY 2016

31

TRY REWORDIFY

32

A TRIP TO RENNIE GALLERY

33

JUNIOR SCHOOL ATHLETICS

34

WHAT'S BEEN GOING AT STRATFORD HALL

36

SENIOR GIRLS VOLLEYBALL

38

STRATFORD'S 17TH ANNUAL TERRY FOX RUN

39

"OUR TEAM": SENIOR BOYS SOCCER

40

CELEBRATIONS!

42

#CLEAN UP CREW

46

#UNSELFIES

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Dates for the Calendar November 1 • Giving Tuesday • Service Afternoon November 3 • Thank You Thursday • Japan Trip 8 & 9 November 7-11 • Midterm Break: School Closed November 14-25 • DP Assessment Weeks November 21-25 • MYP Glocal Week December 6 • PYP Winter Concerts

October 2016

THE POWER OF YET After accepting the offer to become the second Head of School at Stratford Hall, I had nearly a full year to prepare my opening day assembly speech.

During those 12 months, I thought, re-thought and then thought some more about the two or three key messages I would focus on so that the community would know who I am and what I believe. Trying to distill what is essential to becoming a great human being is not easy to do, and although I changed the speech dozens of times between the beginning of the process, and when I finally gave it, the one element that remained consistent throughout, was the importance of having a growth mindset.

Carol Dweck is considered a pioneer in the fields of fostering motivation, achievement, and success. Her seminal book, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, is one that I would encourage all students and parents to read. In it, she explores the idea that it is not so much our innate intelligence or talents that bring us success in life and determine our future, but whether we approach the myriad opportunities and challenges in front of us with a fixed or growth mindset. Her work has had a profound impact on my own use of language when working with students and adults alike, as well as with my own children. One of the simplest ways that we can encourage a growth mindset with ourselves and others is to add one small, powerful word into our vocabulary as frequently as

brain processes something it currently cannot do. This takes it from a negative to a positive by allowing for the possibility that one day, whether next week or 10 years from now, you will be able to do it.

It is easy to see how this applies in the classroom or during homework by looking at the difference between “I can’t do my seven timestables” and “I can’t do my seven timestables, yet”. The first being a fixed mindset where overcoming the challenge is all but hopeless and the second having a growth mindset where with a little time, effort, and support, the person will get there. Small change in language, big difference in hope. possible; that word is “yet”.

Think for a moment about something you have always wanted to learn, but just haven’t had or made the time to actually pursue. Alternatively, think about something you have or are trying, but just haven’t mastered.

Whether it is to learn Spanish, play guitar or ride a horse, consider the impact of the following two sentences on your own self-belief about learning that very skill: • •

I can’t speak Spanish / play guitar / ride a horse.

I can’t speak Spanish / play guitar / ride a horse yet.

The two sentences are nearly identical, but the inclusion of those three little letters makes the second sentence that much more hopeful, simply by implying that the skill is possible in some future state. The inclusion of that small bit of hope changes the way the

Carol Dweck’s Ted talk is a great introduction to the impact that fostering a growth mindset, with and in your child can have. The 10 minutes it takes to watch it may very well change the next sentence you say to your child afterwards. From praising wisely (focusing on process, effort or improvement instead of attainment, grades, or scores) to a very brief primer on what is happening in the brain when we struggle with something difficult.

My hope is that this 10-minute video leads to further thinking, watching, and reading because if you are like me, you aren’t the best parent you can be … yet.

Jason McBride Head of School

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LETTER FROM THE BOARD strategy, and dialogue occurs.

Decisions are made only after we first and foremost ask ourselves: “What impact will this have on students?” Ultimately, the students are our priority and everything we do at Stratford Hall is aimed at giving them the best educational experience we can provide.

On behalf of the Board of Governors, welcome back to the 2016-2017 school year! We hope that everyone had an enjoyable and relaxing summer holiday.

The Board would especially like to extend a warm welcome to students, parents and staff that are new to the Stratford Hall community this year.

At last year’s opening assembly, Mr. McBride introduced us to a simple three letter word, YET. Although I was initially intrigued by the context in which Mr. McBride used the word, I never gave it much further thought until I read, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck. It was fascinating that such a simple word could have so much power. Dr. Dweck’s research indicated that individuals who embraced the power of yet, were willing to meet challenges and go beyond their current learning as opposed to individuals who thought in terms of can’t, won’t or don’t. Who could imagine that

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simply adding the word yet to our thought process could instill a greater level of confidence in one’s ability and create greater persistence?

As we move forward with implementing our five-year strategic plan, it can sometimes be overwhelming to realize how much work is ahead of the Board, and in turn, the school. However, I consciously remember to add the word yet whenever I even begin to think, “we don’t have that or we can’t do that”. I deliberately make an effort to think of challenges or changes as opportunities.

Often over the last year, those opportunities have boiled down to the same question: Are we ready to change this now or are we not there yet?

The answer is never black or white. Each time there is a process, procedure, schedule, program, or initiative the school is looking to revise, a tremendous amount of review, re-review,

I also want to take this opportunity to thank all our volunteers in advance for their time and effort at various school events throughout the year. Our parent volunteers play an integral role in the success of these events, which provide opportunities for us to gather as a community. If you haven’t looked at the volunteer opportunities available for parents yet, I encourage you to reach out to the Community Development Office, Rob Sanghera, our new Gala Chair or Angelique Schnerch and Ray Cher, our SHPA leaders.

I am certain they welcome any assistance!

On behalf of the entire Board, we wish you and your children a wonderful school year. We are committed to offering all of our students a quality education and the opportunity to experience success. The board would also like to thank the staff who do so much to support the school and students. Their contributions cannot be underestimated in making Stratford Hall such a successful school!

Beverly Ginder Chair, Board of Governors

October 2016

GIFTING SECURITIES TO #SAVECLARKPARK BY: SUSAN CHRISTIE, STRATFORD HALL BOARD OF GOVENORS Picture this: children playing, happy neighbours, a beautiful greenspace, a super-fun play structure, tax savings – wait a minute – how did tax savings get in there?

When considering your gift to Clark Park please do not forget gifts of securities. These make particular sense if you have a security that has appreciated significantly (remember this next time your financial advisor suggests triggering a capital gain or if you have low ACB stock from an employee share purchase plan or options). The stock is donated to the school and a charitable receipt for the full amount is issued to you. In addition, no capital tax is paid on the appreciated value.

For example, please consider an investor in the 46% tax bracket who donates $10,000 worth of a security with an adjusted cost base of $4,000: SHARES TO CHARITY

SELL SHARE/ DONATES CASH

DONATES

Amount of donation

$10,000

$10,000

Adjusted cost base of shares

$4,000

$4,000

Capital Gain

$6,000

$6,000

Taxable Portion of Gain at 50% Inclusion

$3000

N/A

Taxable Portion of Gain at 46%

$1,380

$0

Tax Benefit of gift at 46%

$4,600

$4,600

By gifting, instead of selling and sending, the proceeds in the same donation yields an extra $1,380 in tax benefit.

If you are interested in making such a gift, please contact Jennifer Yeung, Manager of Advancement, as she can help initiate the process.

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OPENING DAY CEREMONY

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October 2016

WORKING TO #SAVECLARKPARK

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#SAVECLARKPARK BY: JENNIFER YEUNG, MANAGER OF ADVANCEMENT initiatives we are committed to maintaining (i.e. the IDEA Lab teacher and supplies, guest speakers, bursaries, etc.). The Parks Board estimates that to build a new structure similar in ilk to the one currently in Clark Park would cost $250,000 - $275,000.

While this seems like a hefty price tag, playgrounds like Trout Lake would cost $450,000 to build today; Terra Nova in Richmond cost $1 million and smaller parks like, Hastings-Mills, were recently updated for $250,000.

In 1889, Mr. E.J. Clark was the first person to donate, what was first known as Buffalo Park, to the newly formed Parks Commission. In 1911, the Parks Board renamed the park after its donor, calling it Clark Park.

This is the second oldest park in Vancouver after Stanley Park.

The 4.28 hectare piece of land is a rare gem on the Vancouver East side and one which we feel is important to take care of.

This spring, the Parks Board sent a survey to all the surrounding neighbours indicating that the play structure on the east side of Clark Park was to be decommissioned due to its age, and at this time, no other structure would replace it.

When Stratford Hall was informed of the Parks Board’s plans, we entered into talks with them, forming a partnership to help raise the funds necessary to build a new play structure.

After all, if ever there was a project our whole school could get behind that aligned with our mission, the IB programme, Learner Profile, and show our commitment to our

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neighbourhood, this is one of those projects. The Parks Board will build, maintain and ensure the safety of the structure, while still respecting our input into overall design.

In a day and age where the amount of “screen time” is a new concern, having children go outside to play has never been more important in their overall development. A playground holds many memories for all of us, especially when we were young. We learned to challenge ourselves physically and mentally as we swung, climbed, jumped and learned how to share our space. No matter what age we may be, we have all benefitted from playing on a playground at some point.

This year, the Stratford Hall Annual Fund (SHAF) is focused on helping revitalize the playground to continue to bring smiles and joy to this century old park. Our goal is $350,000, with seventy cents of every dollar raised going towards the new playground, fifteen cents towards our Endowment Fund and fifteen cents to other SHAF

What we are asking of our students and community is to help us build a new playground for, not only our current students, but for our future students who deserve an opportunity to challenge their senses and physical capabilities. We want to be active in our community and show them the goodness that our IB programme strives to instill in all of our children at Stratford Hall by giving back to our proud East Van roots. This project is a good step forward and we challenge all our students to reach 100% participation and show their compassion for their second home. #saveclarkpark!

If you would like to make a donation, please visit saveclarkpark.com or contact Ms. Yeung or Ms. Gayfer for more information. Donations of $25 or more are eligible for a tax receipt.

October 2016

A MESSAGE FROM SHPA BY: ANGELIQUE SCHNERCH, SHPA PRESIDENT The start to the Stratford Hall school year has been both inspiring and heartwarming. I’m experiencing this year through the wondrous eyes of my daughter as a new Kindergarten student. In terms of the bigger picture, for the Stratford Hall Parent Association (SHPA), our primary goal for the year is simply to facilitate building connections between students and their families through the community events we help to organize at the school. Secondly, we also endeavor to sponsor “fun”draising initiatives that empower our students, fueling a lifelong desire to be philanthropic and to directly enhance their experience at school.

This year, we are so fortunate to expand on our SHPA team by ushering in two new parents, Ray Cher Yang (daughter Gemma in Grade 2) and Kelly Tsai (sons Jacob in Grade 2 and Liam in Kindergarten), who will serve as co-chairs and future president(s) of SHPA. Our hope is to continue building on our team, to welcome fresh ideas for community building activities within our school, and to extend outward to the vibrant Commercial Drive neighbourhood. In the weeks ahead, we will be sending an open invitation to join us at our first SHPA meeting to discuss volunteer opportunities (both great and small) for the upcoming school year.

Here’s a short recapitulation of our activities thus far and a look at what’s to come:

"Devote yourself to your community around you and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning."

-Mitch Albom

Our first SHPA event in partnership with our amazing Community Development team was the Welcome Back Picnic! We were blessed with fair weather and enthusiastic families that embraced the “house colours” theme! Congratulations to the BLUE team who had the most families proudly wearing their house colours at the picnic! Special awards went to Kaya Voyce’s (Grade 1) family for the “most creative costumes”, to Liam (Kindergarten) & Jacob (Grade 2) Au’s family for the “best picnic setting” and to Kayla (Grade 4) & Sophia (Kindergarten) Liu’s family for the “most colourful family”!

Many thanks to the following parent volunteers for helping with teachers’ lunches, set-up and clean-up; your time, heart to serve and energy are always so appreciated!

Kristen Callaghan, Lisa Shillington (who baked a plethora of amazing treats for our wonderful SH staff), Tina Xi, Tamara Little, Janice Kwok, Jenny Tong Chan, Lori James, Ron Cheung, Ray Cher Yang and Lisa Liu. Special thanks is owed to our SH Community Development team for their effort and time in organizing and executing the Welcome Back with us. Thank you Samantha Gayfer, Jennifer Yeung, Kelsey Hayre and Paulina Lam for your continued support!

Looking ahead, November 25th marks the first FUN FRIDAY of the school year. There will be fun times to “spare” as we gear up for an afternoon of bowling at Grandview Lanes. For those new to Stratford Hall, the SHPA hosts an afternoon filled with a fun activity for students and their parents alike, during the early dismissal teacher’s planning afternoon.

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LIFE OF A PRINCIPAL BY: GRETA BARTSCH, JUNIOR SCHOOL PRINCIPAL “You have to go to the principal’s office??! You’re gonna get in trouble…!” That was the line I heard when I was a student in elementary school. Going to the principal’s office was not usually seen as a good thing.

That’s not how it works at Stratford Hall. Here, the principal’s office is where students can go to get out of trouble. If you make a mistake – if you’ve gotten yourself into trouble and need help fixing it – the principal is one of the best people to go to. The office is not a place to be avoided, but a place where students (and parents and teachers) problem-solve, talk through issues, get to know each other, and correct mistakes.

I’m so glad our students know this. Several times a week I have students join me to propose action ideas, voice concerns, start clubs, or work out problems. They know that my office is not a scary place to be, and last Spring, one student in particular experienced this in a special way.

Ben Frketich, then in Grade 5, got to be “principal for the day.”

He shook hands with me at the front door, greeted the student body in assembly, joined in on our administrative meeting, conducted a fire drill, and weighed in on a few educational matters. In preparation, I brainstormed what the day could be like for Ben, and as I did, it made me think about what exactly I do all day. There’s a ton of variety to this job and a threepage job description to go with it, but a lot of it can be summarized in one phrase: decision-making.

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Each day, leaders make dozens of decisions – both small and big – that may have a minor or major impact on teachers and students, affecting one person or an entire community. A great deal of my time is spent first on deciding what to prioritize: what’s important versus what is urgent.

Ben experienced this first hand as he attended an administrative meeting with Mr. McBride, Mr. Smith (former principal of the Senior School), and myself, along with three of his “colleagues.” We had a limited time to cover two agenda items: 1) Student voice from the culture survey: a discussion about what issues students feel are the most pressing, as we look towards the next five years 2) Student safety: review the emergency fire drill protocols prior to the fire drill later that same day.

Which is more important?

Which is more urgent? How does one decide?

Setting appropriate priorities and successful decision making go hand in hand, and the more stakeholders that are involved,

the more divergent the opinions about priorities can be … unless we begin with a common vision.

The Stratford Hall community invested a considerable amount of time last year refining that vision and developing our next strategic plan. In an environment where everything seems important and urgent, prioritizing can be daunting. Now that our strategic plan is in place, our decisionmaking can be even more focused. What the stakeholder surveys, that led to the strategic plan, revealed reassured me that we are actually already on a common path. We know we want to deepen our links to the broader community, improve parent-teacher communication and make learning visible so that we can celebrate it. We want to maintain our appreciation of teachers and ensure that excellence continues. We want to make effective transitions between programmes, achieve high academic standards and balance them with strong athletic and creative arts programs.

Making learning visible to parents, via students and teachers, has already begun. We’ve already

October 2016 taken steps to streamline communication to parents using online platforms for reports and curriculum maps. But even before formal reports, parents want to know what goes on in classrooms more regularly, and teachers want to be able to share this easily. We’re thrilled to welcome our new Director of Technology and e-Learning, Dion Norman.

His work with teachers so far has been to observe and guide our use of digital tools to make learning visible. His inquiry approach has already inspired us to make our workflow more efficient and we’re excited to embrace the platforms that will make information about student progress more accessible.

Another priority this year is to align ourselves with the new BC Ministry curriculum.

Those of us who have been in the IB for any length of time sometimes forget that academic rigor is already built into our programme. Our inquiry approach, grounded in concept-based thinking, will finally be reflected in the new BC Ministry curriculum.

We do not need to “add on” to our existing curriculum so much as strengthen and deepen what we already do in areas like visual arts and design thinking. The amazing resources generously donated by parents at the Gala are greatly appreciated by students and teachers alike who are thirsty to continue to play, make, innovate and create. The proposed renovation of the I.D.E.A Lab (formerly, Exploratorium) and injection of all sorts of engineering and creative materials into our units of study will only broaden our academic program. Design thinking and inquiry-by-doing have always been embedded in

educational program.

Our new strategic plan affirms what we are already doing well and charts a course for improvement.

That said, we are very appreciative of all the students, parents and staff who weighed in. My day with Principal Ben reminded me of the importance of voice.

Ben, like so many others, had such good things to say - his input is extremely valuable.

It’s important to let students be decision-makers, to let them weigh priorities and live with the consequences of their choices instead of always shielding them from disappointment. It helps them understand when adults have to make tough choices. Our process of ratifying our strategic plan modeled this well. the IB, but setting some tangible goals and giving access to more resources will further enrich our students’ experiences.

In athletics, when we look at how far the school has come in just a very short amount of time, it’s impressive. You only have to read the constant flood of celebrations in Weekly Messages and Imprint to track our students’ progress.

Our Junior School Athletics Coordinator, Bobby Nishi, with Kyle Nystad in the Senior School, along with our PE teachers, Mr. Twaites (filling Ms. Contant’s maternity leave), Mr. McKay, and Mr. Lloyd, will continue their work in ensuring our program is robust: not only competitive, but with a focus on the physical literacies of motivation and confidence, physical competence, knowledge and understanding, and engagement in physical activities for life. It’s another example of how the IB programme is much richer and diverse than any other

The skill of being able to make wise decisions, often quickly, is one that I am also happily still developing, and one I believe is critical for this generation. I want “good decision-makers” to be one of the accolades given to our students who are critical and creative thinkers, able to communicate effectively and empathetically with those around them.

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ACADEMIC HONESTY BY: SARAH PHILLIPS, MYP COORDINATOR & KRISTEN MOROZOV, MYP/DP TEACHER-LIBRARIAN

As an IB school, our program is designed to cultivate the attributes of the Learner Profile.

All of our programs, curriculum and policies are developed with the goal of nurturing students’ capacities for caring, inquiring, thinking, communicating and reflecting, while also developing their knowledge, courage, balance, open-mindedness and principled behaviour.

Though the school’s Academic Honesty Policy may not seem like the most inspiring tool for helping students to become thinkers, communicators, and inquirers who are open-minded and principled, it nonetheless supports the development of those admirable traits.

As Inquirers, our students are taught to seek information and ideas from multiple sources.

Because they are Open-minded, they also learn to seek a range of points-of-view. As Thinkers, they develop the ability to synthesize

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ideas and information, and add their own thoughts. Being Communicators, they express their ideas in their own words.

Finally, as Principled students, they acknowledge the work of others.

There are many resources and tools employed to support students as they develop these skills. First and foremost, students are explicitly taught how to conduct research, including paraphrasing, analyzing, and citing sources properly. This includes appropriate use of media, such as music and images that might be used in presentation or videos. Digital tools like research databases, citation managers (such as Noodletools), and Google search filters are used throughout the curriculum so students become familiar with the techniques and strategies for conducting research, and documenting their sources.

Students are also informed of the Academic Honesty Policy and the expectations delineated in it.

In the MYP and DP, students sign a declaration confirming that they understand the policy. As always, students are encouraged to seek clarification if they are unsure of expectations.

Classroom teachers work with students to determine what kind of help is acceptable within the context of each task, and our teacher-librarians can help students locate and document information sources appropriately.

As teaching and learning evolve in response to the development of new technology and skills, we continue to revise our Academic Honesty Policy to meet the needs of our community. The emerging ubiquity of wi-fi enabled devices is a good example. Students may not bring phones into exams, even if they turn off the communication

October 2016

functions. Similarly, products like apple watches are also not allowed into exams, regardless of whether the communication functions are enabled.

There are also elements of the policy of which teachers, students and parents need to be reminded. Many students forget that collusion, the sharing of one’s work with another student, is a form of academic misconduct.

A student who allows a classmate to copy their work is engaging in collusion. Similarly, accepting a significant amount of help from a parent, tutor, older sibling or friend also constitutes academic misconduct. For example, asking someone to comment on the clarity or flow of a piece of writing is acceptable, but having someone edit an assignment to improve the clarity or flow of the writing is not.

In order for a community to uphold shared values effectively, there must be consequences when community members fall short of the shared standard.

As in all cases of discipline, the goal is for students to learn from their mistake so that they can do better in the future; however, if a pattern of unacceptable behaviour emerges, the consequences become more severe and could culminate in expulsion.

The increasing severity of the discipline reflects that which is to be found within broader society, but appropriate to the development level of our students. Universities employ similar measures, but with far less room for error and forgiveness, as it is expected that their students are sophisticated and educated enough to know

better. With the proliferation of documentation on the Internet, we are increasingly seeing people working at high levels in both academia and the corporate world losing credibility or even their jobs when their academic dishonesty, even that from early on in their careers, is uncovered by someone in the media.

We do not; however, only teach academic honesty to students to help them avoid public censure.

We do so because their work will be better respected when it is clear they have built their own ideas and arguments on the basis of credible research and evidence.

We also do so to foster in them a sense of fair play and integrity, and to encourage them to celebrate the benefits of sharing knowledge and ideas.

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MATHEMATICAL MINDSETS BY: SARAH PHILLIPS, MYP COORDINATOR I have borrowed the title of this article from ​an excellent book

by Dr. Jo Boaler​. A researcher from Stanford University, Dr. Boaler draws compelling connections between her work in mathematics education and the work of Carol Dweck, another Stanford researcher, who studies the growth mindset. Dweck draws an important distinction between a growth mindset and a fixed mindset. Those with a fixed mindset believe that their intelligence is innate and cannot be expanded, whereas those with a growth mindset believe that they can increase their intelligence through effort.

A growth mindset is essential for learning in mathematics. Research has shown that students with a fixed mindset tend to avoid challenging work. Interestingly, this tendency is particularly pronounced in high-achieving students, likely because an inability to solve a challenging problem is a threat to their self-concept as a s​ mart person.

Conversely, students with a growth mindset see challenging problems as an opportunity to extend their skills and develop their intelligence.

There are many elements of the math program at Stratford Hall that are designed to cultivate growth mindsets in general, and specifically in students’ approach to learning math. As thinkers, our students focus more on processes than products. In other words, our goal is for students to understand how to solve a problem, or why algorithm works rather than learning it by rote or simply replicating what they have seen demonstrated by the teacher.

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While this is more challenging than following a procedure demonstrated by the teacher, it normalizes the effort required to reach a deeper understanding.

An important part of reaching this depth of understanding is for students and teachers to reflect on mistakes. Mistakes, like challenging work, are essential to learning. Teachers and students, alike, learn more about a student’s thinking when they make a mistake than when they get the right answer. For example, consider the work of these two students: Student A 22=4 23=6

Both students answered the first question correctly; however, the error that Student A made in the second question reveals a significant misunderstanding that was concealed in their answer to the first question.

When students make mistakes, they are able to re-evaluate their thinking and teachers are able to adjust their instruction to address misconceptions.

Another way we help students to develop a growth mindset in math is the use of unfamiliar problems.

In order to reach the highest level of achievement for criterion A (​knowing and understanding) in MYP math, students must solve problems that are challenging and unfamiliar. By making such problems a regular feature of our math program, students expect the unexpected and develop courage and resiliency

when faced with challenging, unfamiliar problems. Rather than responding with, “​I don’t know how to do this, I’m not as smart as I thought I was, students who expect the unexpected are more likely to respond with s​ omething like, I don’t know how to solve this problem yet”. Such courage and resolve will help students to extend their understanding and abilities.

A willingness to tackle challenging work also contributes to a culture of effort and persistence. By attempting challenging work, students learn that math is complex and Student B requires a variety of 2 2 =4 strategies.

23=8 In such a learning environment, students learn that any progress requires effort.

Because of the importance of exposing students to appropriately challenging work in math, we have recently introduced ​Math Pathways to our Senior School. In this initiative, students in Grades 9 and 10 are placed in a class with other students who learn at a similar pace. This better enables teachers to tailor their instruction to ensure that ​ all students are adequately challenged and supported. While the M ​ ath Pathways supports the development of growth mindsets, growth mindsets are also critical to the success of students in Math Pathways. As the diagram to the right illustrates, a student’s placement in Grade 9 does not limit their choices in the Diploma Programme or in their post-

October 2016 secondary studies. As such, this is not about one class being smarter than another. Rather, it’s about helping students to select the best route to achieve their goals. By identifying a path that is neither too easy nor too difficult, neither too fast nor too slow, students will be well-situated to succeed on their journey.

There are many ways for families to help children develop a growth mindset. One subtle but significant habit is to focus on using growth mindset language.

For example, ask “​​What can you learn from that mistake?” rather than “​Why did you get that one wrong?”. This is also important when talking about your own experience with math.

Statements like “​I was never any good at math when I was in school” reinforce the idea that intelligence is a fixed trait and that students have little

control over their ability to learn.

Thinking beyond classroom walls, games and puzzles are great tools for developing math reasoning alongside persistence. Students expect to play a game several times before being able to “level up” or consistently beat their opponents. Even if the content of the game is not particularly scholarly, the goal-directed persistence of gaming can be a powerful thing when applied to learning. Finally, another excellent resource is a free online course from Stanford called, H ​ ow to Learn Math​. Geared towards middle school and high school students, it provides concrete strategies for approaching their studies in math and explains the neurological and psychological bases for those suggestions.

Students can begin the course any time and work through it at their own pace.

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YOUNG ADULT LITERATURE: DEVELOPING CRITICAL LITERACY SKILLS BY: SARAH RIDDELL, DP/MYP ENGLISH TEACHER, LEARNING SPECIALIST: LITERACY

In Grade 8 English, my students have just embarked on our first novel study of the year.

We’re reading Suzanne Collins’ extremely popular novel, The Hunger Games. This series has exploded in mainstream media since its first publication in 2008.

There are movies. There are fan fiction websites devoted to the characters. There are even Katniss Everdeen action figures. So, how do we muddle through all this and foster critical literacy analysis in our students?

Recent studies suggest that contemporary young adult literature offers a unique insight into societal conflicts for adolescent readers. Because much of this literature features teenage PAGE 16

protagonists, adolescent readers relate personally to them and are equipped to explore alongside them. Thomas Bean, a professor of Curriculum and Instruction at University of Nevada, Las Vegas, writes in his book, Developing Student’s Critical Literacy: Exploring Identify Construction in Young Adult Fiction, that “teen characters are usually perceptive, sensitive, intelligent, mature and independent” and that “young adult novels provide a roadmap of all sorts for adolescents coping with [personal] issues in real life.”

Even though young adult novels are intended for readers between the ages of 12 and 20, they do not shy away from complex questions.

In The Hunger Games, questions of identity, gender, power and

society arise within the novel’s first five chapters. A student told me today that he “doesn’t like Katniss”, the series’ protagonist, but that he has respect for her, because she is resourceful under extremely difficult circumstances.

We discussed why Katniss may not be a particularly likable character as he alluded to society’s power structure within the novel and that she could be considered a victim of her circumstances. These conversations foster what are referred to as "critical literacy skills" in current research. In 1998, Morgan identified critical literacy as “problematizing cultures and knowledges in the text - putting them up for grabs; critical debate, for weighing ,

October 2016

judging and critiquing.” The idea behind this is that young people may use literature to help develop their personal belief systems and ideas about society and its functions.

Utilizing YA literature provides an accessible platform for students to do this. Because young adults are the intended audience, the content feels accessible to them, which in turn allows them to go beyond comprehension into analysis.

English teachers use a variety of methods to foster critical literacy skills in our students.

In her article, “Succeeding against the odds in English,” Judith Langer found that the

most successful instruction in the English classroom was characterized by lessons in which “texts were deconstructed and discussed, student collaboration occurred often, and connections across various texts and media were important components.” At Stratford Hall, we are so lucky to have incredible students that actively participate in class discussion, excitedly collaborate with one another, and are comfortable working with a variety of texts and media to create meaningful connections. I am continually impressed with both their openness and positive attitude toward learning.

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BUILDING CAPACITY AS QUESTIONERS BY: CASEY TURNPENNY, PYP COORDINATOR A few years ago, I was observing Senora Meg Peñafiel leading a fantastic lesson on design thinking with my Grade 4 students.

She started by sitting with the students in a circle, and putting out eight pairs of glasses. Each pair was completely different; an oversized pair, a tiny pair, some with colourful lenses (like orange and blue), some with adornments hanging off of them.

Behind her, on the Smartboard, details of our unit of inquiry at the time, entitled “Water” were posted. She modelled different glasses while reading details about the unit. Each time she put on a new pair of glasses, the way in which she saw the information changed. She prompted the students to think: had the information itself changed, or had the way she was viewing the information changed? This segued into a great conversation about the key concept questions, and the way in which the different lenses through which we analyze a topic can change what we think, know, or understand about the information.

A key feature of the IB Primary Years Programme is the emphasis placed on the way in which students engage conceptually with the topics covered during the Units of Inquiry. In the PYP, they are called Key Concepts:

"The Key concepts, also expressed as key questions, help teachers and students to consider ways of thinking and learning about the world, and act as a provocation to extend and deepen student inquiry."

Making the PYP Happen, a Curriculum Framework, 16 The Eight Key Concepts

Concept

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Question

Form

What is it like?

Function

How does it work?

Causation

Why it is like it is?

Connection

How is it connected to other things?

Change

How is it changing?

Perspective

What are the points of view?

Reflection

How do we know?

Responsibility

What is our responsibility?

Each unit of inquiry focuses specifically on at least three key concepts, which are intentionally planned out in the curriculum maps created each year. June marks the month of our annual Programme of Inquiry review, and part of that process is ensuring that we see a balance of key concepts covered in all of the six units horizontally per grade, but also vertically, across the grades.

For example, during our first PYP Units of Inquiry this year, these are the key concepts that have been focused on: Grade Kindergarten

Key Concept Causation, Connection, Responsibility

1

Form, Function, Connection, Causation

2

Function, Responsibility, Reflection

3

Form, Causation, Reflection

4

Causation, Connection, Responsibility, Reflection

5

Function, Connection, Responsibility

To help support learners in their application of the key concepts, teachers make a point of modelling a specific question asking that this takes the form of a key concept question. This could happen at any point during the day, such as: class meetings, circles, calendar time, read alouds or math. Key concepts are also posted around the classroom. Eventually, student questions are posted and often grouped by type of question, based on the key concepts.

The next time you are making a visit to your child(ren)’s classroom in the PYP, I challenge you to take a moment to find where the key concepts are posted, and look for examples of student questions; even better, perhaps add your own!

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"OTHER PEOPLE, WITH THEIR DIFFERENCES, CAN ALSO BE RIGHT": TAKING STEPS TOWARDS INTERNATIONAL MINDEDNESS IN THE DP BY: STEFANIA IACCHELLI, DP COORDINATOR what International Mindedness is. In polling students during the DP retreat this year, I often heard responses like, “learning about other peoples’ culture”, “being well-travelled and knowing how people in other countries live”, “knowing and being able to express oneself in other languages”. To truly understand International Mindedness, we must look to the IB Mission statement.

International Mindedness is a buzz word in the Diploma Programme. It is one of the larger set of cross-disciplinary attitudes/skills, such as the learner profile and ATL skills, which are meant to be integrated across all subject areas. It is an incredibly important part of the learning framework of the DP, but can sometimes be lofty and challenging to integrate in a meaningful way in our classes. I was fortunate to attend a fullday workshop on International Mindedness at the IB Americas conference this past July in Toronto in an effort to enhance my own understanding of the concept. It gave me the opportunity to, in collaboration with other IB teachers and leaders, reflect on the meaning of International Mindedness and come up with strategies on how to foster IM in our school communities.

What is International Mindedness? I feel that there are a lot of misconceptions around PAGE 20

"The International Baccalaureate aims to develop inquiring, knowledge and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect. To this end the organization works with schools, governments and international organizations to develop challenging programmes of international education and rigorous assessment. These programmes encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right."

The students were right that learning other languages, traveling, and cultural awareness are good ways to develop intercultural understanding and respect. However, it is the last part of the mission statement that truly reveals the essence of IM: that “other people, with their differences, can also be right.” So … what this means is that International Mindedness, doesn’t necessarily have to do with internationalism at all. It has to do with being minded about the perspective of others.

Before we can understand the perspective of others, we first have to understand who we are.

Only until you know who you are and what you believe and understand about the world, can you begin to recognize where differences lie between you and others.

I made a goal of trying to unpack this question with the DP students at the retreat earlier this school year. Only until we have a better understanding of who we are, can we really start exploring IM more effectively in our classes. As a first step,

the students engaged in an art project that I adopted from the IB workshop. Students had to reflect on the “things they stand on” in their lives; the things that stabilize and ground them. They then represented these elements on painted rocks. The takeaway is an understanding that we all “stand on” and value different things in life. Understanding what other people around you stand on, and recognizing that they are different from your own, will aid you in your interpersonal relationships, your communication and your abilities to think critically, yet empathetically.

You can now find these rocks scattered in the rock beds lining

the DP building. The intention is that as we walk by them we can all be reminded about the values that differentiate us all, and to keep those differences in mind in our daily interactions with each other. The knowledge that students (and the community) gain from this understanding of our differences can then be channeled into classroom and life learning in a variety of different meaningful ways. I look forward to reporting on how we continue to unpack International Mindedness in the DP, particularly how the understanding of IM is translated in the classroom.

Keep an eye out for updates in future issues of Imprint.

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DESIGN TIME IN THE PYP BY: ANDREA RYAN & MEG PENAFIEL, LEARNING SPECIALIST Children love learning through making, and at Stratford Hall these days, that’s exactly what they’re doing!

Over the past few weeks, resources have arrived, stocking the I.D.E.A. Lab (Innovation, Design and Engineering for All) with all the tools and materials students need to build and make things, real stuff, with interesting gadgets and design supplies. Classes are taking turns in the lab and lunchtime clubs have begun.

We know that students love challenges and the feeling they get when they figure out something on their own that took a little work to get there.

We believe this is why the PYP students are loving their Design Time classes each week. I think it would be safe to say that from watching students in class and hearing them talk about their Design Time challenges, they truly do love learning through making.

Students appear to be engaged, excited and passionate about their learning. We hear students say “Yes! Design Time today!”

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One empirical way of gathering data about student learning and engagement is when we hear from parents that their child(ren) actually talked about what they did at school at the dinner table.

This is an excellent sign - a sign that we need to do more of this kind of learning. For educators, this feels good too; without engagement and interest it’s pretty difficult for learning to occur and actually stay with them long after the class is over.

listen, and respect the ideas of others and build on them.

Students need us to ask questions, to guide, to provoke their thinking, to challenge them and to point them in a certain direction when they get stuck, all while making sure not to lecture or talk too much!

They need us to get out of the way so their learning can begin.

To be honest, this can be one of the most challenging aspects for us.

We are always checking in to make sure that true and deep learning is taking place. Ms. Ryan and I collect data each class by taking notes of the conversations we hear between students, taking photos of their projects and filming the students speak about what they have designed, built and created. We encourage them to talk about what worked, what didn’t, and what they modified to improve their original design. Students are learning to prototype, to play, to remix their inventions based on their playtime learnings, and to share. Most importantly they are learning how to work with others,

They also need us to possess in depth knowledge of the curriculum that enables us to design and craft challenges that weave in a multitude of skills (both academic and applied).

In doing so, the concepts that we know they need to learn are the concepts that will provide them with the tools they need to have the conversations we want them to have. The best part of this process has been that we are able to do all of this without them even knowing that is our intention. Learning is ‘disguised’ as play, like spinach that is secretly being added to a smoothie. The learning and

the teaching is hidden amongst the play and creativity in which they engage.

Lucky for us teachers, the benefits of active learning, or learning by doing, are well documented. Enabling explorative play within the real world stimulates independent discovery, and in so doing, facilitates both the acquisition of information about, and experience with, the environment. Our approach during Design Time emphasizes empathy, play, inquiry collaboration and iterative prototyping. For students, it provides opportunities to tackle real-world challenges in hands-on ways. One of our goals for Design Time classes is to use invention as a way to engage students, to allow them to use their knowledge and imagination to create things that are relevant.

Grade 3 Design Time Challenge: Create a Solar Powered Oven (that can make smores)!

Grade 4 Design Challenge: Create a Water Filtration Device

Ultimately what we’re trying to do is create problem finders and problem solvers, to improve their reasoning skills, and to guide them in becoming independent thinkers who can come up with creative solutions to complex problems.

We’re excited for the next phase.

Stay tuned to for more updates about what the students will be designing and creating next!

Grade 5 Design Time Challenge: Create a Healthy Granola Snack that Tastes Good & is Good for You!

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MYP FALL RETREAT BY: CARMEN STEPHEN-PATEL, GRADE 7 TEACHER I love the ceremony of the first day at Stratford Hall. The excited students, parents, and teachers; all happy to be together again after a long, full summer. All eyes directed to the front of the room as students rush forward to shake their new teacher’s hand. And this year, the added nostalgic walk from the ICC, where my career with Stratford Hall began, to our new home in the, blue building.

After that first initial handshake, our task over the first few days at school is to form meaningful connections with our new students, because we don’t really know them YET. An essential part of those first few days of school doesn’t take place at school. Rather, it begins at a fall retreat, a Stratford Hall tradition. Teachers dig out their sleeping bags, thermo-rests, and tents for the last time before stowing them away until Spring camp. We say goodbye to our families at home and board big yellow buses to go bond with our new family, our Stratford family.

For three days, we eat together, sleep together, and play together.

This year, I laughed with students about their prehistoric iPads (really just slate tablets they found on the beach). We sang campfire songs and ate smores. We paddled in canoes and kayaks. I forced them to eat their vegetables and saved them from the earwigs that had crawled into their tent when they left the door unzipped. We talked about how to be a good leader and the importance of being kind to each other.

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After we shared our last meal, and Mr. Nishi had said his last remarks on what a great camp it had been, he then asked the homeroom teachers if they had anything to add. I simply told the Grade 7s that the purpose of camp had been fulfilled. I liked them before, but now I like them even more!

Camp is exhausting. When we return your children to you, we know that they are really tired - so are we. However, it is always so worth it. I now understand the students more completely.

This year, I describe the Grade 7s as wonderful and loud, in that particular order. Without camp, it would take me much more time to appreciate the wonderful and diverse makeup of this group.

October 2016

GRADE 6 & 7 TAMAGAWA RETREAT BY: BOBBY NISHI, JUNIOR SCHOOL ATHLETICS COORDINATOR

For the past two years, all Grade 6 and 7 students start the year with a retreat to Tamagawa Academy, Nanaimo campus. The Nanaimo campus is a privately owned retreat centre located on a stunning 84 acres of land, which includes a lake, dining hall, lodges, and a seminar room.

Tamagawa Academy’s main school is a Junior School in Tokyo, Japan, and is also where our Grade 8 and 9 students have an opportunity to attend as part our International trips programme.

• learn about healthy lifestyle choices by enhancing our physical literacy in an outdoor environmental setting.

The goals of the trip are for all students to:

Meanwhile, Grade 7 students returned to Tamagawa and graduated to sleeping in tents and were led by Mr. Lin, Mrs. Stephen-Patel, Mr. Nishi, and Mr. Norman. An additional focus of the Grade 7 retreat was to build on the students’ leadership skills.

Every student had to put together a proposal and go through formal interviews to get their chosen position. Some examples of leadership positions include:

• set a positive tone for the year by creating Essential Agreements; • continue developing friendships and classroom communities through the Learner Profile; • highlight the IB MYP and develop a transition throughout Grade 6 and 7; and

This year, the Grade 6 students were led by Mr. Skipper, Ms. Dholakia, Sra. Gomez, and Ms. Phillips. The students stayed in lodges and participated in outdoor games and team building activities. In addition, students participated in classroom sessions that introduced the students to the MYP.

student ambassador, assembly leader, library club, coaching/ refereeing/score keeping for school teams, organizing school dances, and much more.

Students also participated in outdoor team building activities, which included hiking the Cable Bay trail and canoeing on Holden Lake to find a geocache.

Overall the students and teachers had a great time and came back as a stronger, more cohesive group. I think Mrs. Stephen Patel said it best when she ended camp by saying to the students, “I liked you before, but I like you even more now”.

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HERE'S WHAT WE DID...

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October 2016

YUKON SKY 2016 BY: CHRIS BROGAN, MYP/DP TEACHER Experiential Education program.

Through his efforts, and Jeff Willis’ leadership at Fireside Adventures, Mary Mackenzie and I were able to join an amazing group of Stratford Hall students at the Vancouver airport—both of us as excited as the kids (though maybe not as excited as the parents as they sped away for nine days of freedom). The support for this trip was overwhelming and on behalf of those on the trip, I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to everyone who made it possible. This was the trip of a lifetime.

"I’ve stood in some mightymouthed hollow That’s plumb-full of hush to the brim; I’ve watched the big, husky sun wallow In crimson and gold, and grow dim, Till the moon set the pearly peaks gleaming, And the stars tumbled out, neck and crop; And I’ve thought that I surely was dreaming, With the peace o’ the world piled on top."

--Robert Service, 1907 On Friday, August 19, 2016 we set out for Whitehorse to begin our voyage down the Yukon River—Stratford Hall’s first Yukon Sky Canoe Trip. This trip was the realization of Michael McGuire’s vision for an outstanding Canadian wilderness experience, and an extension of our Outdoor

Flying from Vancouver that evening, the daylight tracked our progress north, late into the night, refusing to set as we neared the land of the midnight sun; we were leaving the Canada that most of us know, headed for adventure on a historic river.

Our first night was hardly a wilderness experience.

Whitehorse is a busy capital city, and after some settling in and repacking, we enjoyed the natural hot-springs at our hostel—Yukon luxury at its finest. This northern territory continued to impress as we drove the next morning from Whitehorse to Carmacks, our trailers heavy with food, canoes, and camping gear; autumn comes early in the north and the mountains along the YT-2 N highway were splashed with yellows and reds. The vast wilderness along the road was briefly interrupted that day by a van packed full with excited teenagers, blaring Tragically Hip songs to announce our arrival.

Once we reached Carmacks, we loaded our canoes, slipped into

the current of the Yukon River, and began paddling to a rhythm that has been followed for centuries.

The Yukon River is the third largest river in North America.

A historical trade-route for Northwest Aboriginals, including the Tutchone and the Han, gained its prominence in modern times during the 1896 Klondike Gold Rush, which saw the birth of Dawson City—our terminus—420km and 6 days from Carmacks. It’s a big river that braids around islands and flows past mountains dotted with Dall Sheep, marshes where Yukon Moose watch paddlers from the shore, and shorelines where mother Black Bears guide cubs searching for berries and Arctic Grayling. With a current that averages 5km per hour, we sometimes paddled as much as 90km in a day. It is big country on the Yukon River, and the fresh air and massive horizons make the Yukon sky as memorable as the river itself. Waking students up at 3AM to watch the Northern Lights was nothing short of magical.

This was a fantastic trip and our students had a wonderful time, but it was also an important experience. The opportunity crystallized, for me, as it became our responsibility to protect these spaces; they are as fragile as they are majestic. After the Five Finger Rapids, the river veers west and away from the highway and civilization, before turning north again where the White River joins the Yukon and you can hear its silt skimming across the hull of a canoe, like a whispered invitation to be quiet and listen; PAGE 27

and yet there are reminders, even as the wilderness deepens, of our collective presence on the river.

The moss-laden remnants of gold miners’ cabins still stand where tributaries meet the Yukon River, and Fort Selkirk’s 19th century store-rooms, church, and school house endure as monuments to the history of the fur trade and colonization. We saw mining companies’ helicopters, and logging barges hauling heavy machinery; just as significantly, there were long stretches on the river when our group of students were the only human presence in sight—making us feel both very powerful and small, all at once.

The feeling of being in nature, away from day-to-day city life, grants the perspective and clarity that I hope our students will remember, now that we have returned to our urban home, and resumed life at Stratford Hall.

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My wish is that students take with them the Spell of the Yukon, and that it continues to matter in the choices they make as ecologically thoughtful citizens.

As we floated reluctantly to Dawson City, on the final day of our trip, our students reflected on what they would take with them and what they would leave behind. We weren’t ready for the trip to be done—not quite yet. We rafted up, each hand holding another canoe, laid back in the northern sun, and shared our version of the Yukon River with each other as we drifted back towards modern life and the start of a new school year.

Here are some of our students’ thoughts and memories. Much of what they shared had to do with overcoming challenges, which is what “the power of yet” is all about.

October 2016

SHARING OUR EXPERIENCE Dear Stratford Hal

l,

I really enjoyed th e Yukon trip becaus e it was a great chance to be closer to nature. Being ab le to see the amazing North ern Lights, the fres h air, and free animals is an oppo rtunity of a lifetim e. The memories that I created with my friends and teac hers will remain with me fo rever. Distancing m yself from the modern world and connecting with na ture for 10 days felt new and refreshing to me.

This was the time that I could re ally take in the beau ty of nature without any extern al interference. W hen I was in the Yukon, I liked to lay down on the ca noe and relax while I watched th e blue sky and clou ds pass me by. I felt like I had beco me part of the sky - flowing freely, without any worrie s.

Sincerely, Irene Chang, Grade

12 student

Stratford Hall 3000 Commercial Dr Vancouver, B.C. Canada V5N 4E2

Take a look at where we went!

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The Yukon trip was not what I had expe trips you think of ea cted it to be, at to describe these trisy beginner camping, challenging all. When you think of school This past summer, ps. This was not the case on this triis not a term you would use Yukon River. I am a six Stratford Hall students embarked p - it was quite the opposite. venturesome natu very adventurous person and was firon a long journey down the know, I was in for are. A 10-day canoe expedition soundest intrigued by this trip by its long paddle! d like so much fun!

Little did I Every day we padd led nearly 100 km, padd we would all make ling 420km dling). Some days fun of each other’s “power face” (thin total. It came to a point when I wa known as sleepy fa s so tired that I started paddling e face you made while padwi ce! My favourite pa as we paddled, it wa rt about being on th my eyes closed. I was then s the water was singin th e on e th in g that was able to the third day one bo g songs m right. That night th at got separated as they accidentaotivate me, besides trail mix. On e lly had no tents, which rest of us set up camp early, but wh went river left instead of river squashed up unde made set up super easy! Sleeping at we didn’t realize was that we the guilds woke us r the same make-shift tarp shelter. Inwas super cozy, all 8 of us were you’d normally see up to see the northern lights. It wa the middle of the night one of s a magical experie almost greenish gloin pictures. There were bolts of light nc w. that illuminated th e, not what e sky in an Towards the end of were asked to take the trip, as we floated down the riv activity which enta part in an activity called ‘Rock, Stick er nearing Dawson City we would stick with yoiled telling the group about somethi and Leaf ”. This was a reflection for me was getting u and something you would leave beng that rocked, something that this trip, I had nevethe opportunity to partake in a big hind. Something that rocked ex r been on such a lo the friends and mem ng expedition. Whapedition such as this. Before or t stuck wi ies th at I made. The one attitude. If there is thing that I left behith me were all on e th in g th at nd was my poor th positive attitude, be e Yukon taught me Stratford Hall goals. When you th cause when you think negatively, yoit was that you have to keep a Take us for exampl ink positively there is a sense of de u probably won’t reach your 30 00 Commercial Dr have made it past e if we didn’t stay positive and try totermination that follows you.

Vancouver, B.C. halfway! paddle we probab ly would not Canada V5N 4E2 Jennah, Grade 12 student

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October 2016

TRY REWORDIFY!

BY SUKH SANDHU AND GILLIAN LOUIE, LEARNING SUPPORT SPECIALISTS Hello Stratford Hall Community!

Our names are Sukh Sandhu and Gillian Louie, and we are the Learning Specialists of Differentiation at Stratford Hall. We hope you have all enjoyed a smooth start to the school year.

Periodically, we would like to share strategies, tips and tools to enhance student learning. This month, Rewordify, tops our list as a very useful tool to boost learning. http://www.rewordify.com Rewordify is a free website application. It allows students to copy difficult text and paste it into a field that will simplify the text. The simplified portions of the text are then highlighted, so users can compare the simplified and original passages for meaning and understanding. Rewordify builds understanding within context, making it a valuable tool. We hope you find it useful.

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A TRIP TO RENNIE GALLERY

BY CHRISTINE GIESBRECHT, VISUAL ARTS AND TOK TEACHER DP art students visited the Rennie Gallery on Pender Street during the last week in September.

The group exhibition included 23 internationally acclaimed artist-photographers including Cindy Sherman and Mike Kelley.

It examined "the act of seeing and how photography impacts perception".

We began by exploring the concept of "manipulation" and how it can have a positive or a negative connotation depending on how the term is used. Our tour guide pointed out how photos can be manipulated for political and commercial reasons, and we saw several early examples of this from when photography was still a relatively new medium.

The contemporary works of art we viewed examined a variety of forms of manipulation which

are used to disrupt what we perceive as the truth or to make us see things in a new way.

The tour was tailored for the DP curriculum, allowing students to explore the curation of the show, noticing how the placement

of pieces can affect their meaning, as well as enhance their impact on the audience.

Students also delved into several aspects required for their external assessment, such as analyzing the significance of the materials used and how what a piece of art is made of can be a clue to its conceptual meaning. The link between the cultural context of the work and the idea behind it were also dissected.

Students then participated in a workshop in which they had the opportunity to manipulate found photographs using a variety of media. Back in the classroom, we are looking forward to linking what we learned to our own art practice.

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October 2016

GO SABRES GO!

BY BOBBY NISHI , JUNIOR SCHOOL ATHLETICS AND LEADERSHIP COORDINATOR

The Junior School Athletics programme is off to a good start. This term, we are offering separate volleyball teams for Grade 5, 6, and 7 girls as well as separate soccer teams for Grades 5, 6, and 7. In addition, we offer Grade 3-7 cross country running. The teams have been busy practicing, now parlaying those skills into season games.

One highlight of the season so far was the Grade 7 girls volleyball team which competed in the St. John’s “Dig It” volleyball tournament on September 23-24. The team finished pool play with wins over St. John’s and Khalsa School and a loss to WPGA. This placed the team into the medal round on the Saturday where they unfortunately lost a close match against York House.

However, they did manage to battle hard and defeat Crofton House, coming home with a bronze medal! The team was led by strong play from team MVP, Nolin L., and complemented by Dylan U., Sarah R., Avery M., Sara B., Diya P., Nisha V., Sahara M., and Alaana S.

The Grade 6 girls volleyball team played their first few games on September 29. The team defeated Collingwood in both games, and won one and lost one against WPGA. Their coaches, Ms. Debreuil and Ms. Naka, really enjoyed the team’s super positive and respectful attitude, regardless of a win or loss.

Grade 6 boys lost their game opener to Mulgrave. That said, the team looks forward to the competitive, yet fun season ahead. Meanwhile, the Grade 5 boys played in a mini tournament defeating both Urban Academy and Southpointe, while drawing against Brockton.

The Grade 7 boys soccer team began their season with a tough 5-4 loss to Meadowridge; however, bounced back to defeat Collingwood 5-1. The

Well done to all teams. We are all looking forward to a strong and exciting season.

Go Sabres!

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WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON AT STRATFORD

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October 2016

PAGE 35

GO SABRES GO!

BY KYLE NYSTAD, SENIOR SCHOOL ATHLETICS COORDINATOR Back in 2010, a very young and inexperienced, Stratford Hall senior girls volleyball team attended the Western Canadian Independent Schools Volleyball Championships for the first time.

Also attending the tournament, were well established and historic independent schools, such as St. John’s-Ravencour from Winnipeg, Crofton House from Vancouver, Notre Dame from Saskatchewan and the tournament hosts StrathconaTweedsmuir School in Calgary.

Facing such renowned volleyball company, I wish I could tell you this was a story of a plucky underdog team that everyone counted out rising to the occasion and achieving shocking victory. Alas this was not the case. From the very first point of the tournament to the very end we were thoroughly outplayed in every aspect of the game.

While our opponents were jump serving, running back row attacks and doing speed sets to

PAGE 36

the leftside hitters, we tried to ensure we were in the correct rotation. We may have even finished the tournament having serve received more volleyballs using our face then we had spikes for kills!

While the experience was humbling to say the least it served to open the team’s eyes to the heights at which volleyball could be played at the high school level. It also motivated our coaches to help our athletes reach those heights with the Stratford Hall volleyball program. After that initial foray to WCISVC, Stratford Hall took a four-year hiatus from the tournament. During this time, the process of building a volleyball program that would support success at a higher level began. Our first athletes began to play club volleyball, and attend summer camps. The coaches would attend clinics put on by VolleyballBC in Vancouver

and Gold Medal Squared in Seattle, seeking to deepen their technical understanding.

In 2014, Stratford Hall would make a return to WCISVC hosted by Notre Dame School in Wilcox Saskatchewan. Although the outcomes of the games were no different, the quality of volleyball played by Stratford Hall was significantly better.

Last year the team traveled to St. Michael’s University School in Victoria seeking that first elusive win at WCISVC. While there were many highly contested matches and close sets that first victory remained out of reach. Nevertheless, our athletes once again demonstrated that all the hard work and time put into practice was paying off with a much more competitive and confident Stratford Hall team taking the floor.

October 2016 While part of attending WCISVC is the opportunity to compete against schools that regularly attend their respective provincial championships, this is not the sole reason for attending. WCISVC is unique tournament with regards to the opportunities it presents the athletes as they interact with other teams and celebrate participating in volleyball.

Fast-forward to this year. Our team traveled to Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School, located just outside of Calgary, in Okatoks, Alberta.

Strathcona-Tweedsmuir is the founding school of the tournament and the 2016 edition of WCISVC marks the 45th year for this competition. Six years later, Stratford Hall returned to the place where we first started participating in WCISVC. In 2010 a very nervous and unprepared team made the journey. This year, Stratford Hall sent its most skilled and deepest team yet under the guidance of Ms. Derksen-Bergen and Mr. Nystad. While the nerves were still there, the self-confidence, belief and progression in skill was definitely evident.

The team sat huddled in a corner of the gym for the last game debrief after a very long and exhausting Westerns volleyball tournament. Emotions were running high and the tears are flowing freely as each team member and coach went around the circle talking about their favourite moment from the 2016 edition of WCISVC. This seems to be an annual tradition that we started back at Notre Dame in 2014. We play volleyball until we can’t stand up; we cheer and support each other until our voices wear out; our arms are tired from hugging; we ride the giant roller coaster of emotions that is girls volleyball; and at the end, we are sad that it is all over, cherishing the shared memories and moments of the experience.

At the opening ceremonies, the Athletic Director at Strathcona-Tweedsmuir, Ken Z., spoke about this year’s tournament and the stories that would be written over the course of the next four days. He spoke about how an underdog team- that no one expects to win- could potentially rise to the occasion and achieve great success. Given the depth of the field, this seemed like an unlikely outcome.

After four days of intense volleyball action, there stood the Stratford Hall Sabres playing in the WCISVC semifinals! The road to the semis was not an easy one. In the tournament opening game, we played the home team, Strathcona-Tweedsmuir Spartans. There we saw our girls play a nervous volleyball game, causing them to lose. Following the game, the girls talked about the importance of playing with confidence and belief in, not only in their own abilities, but that of their teammates. As the tournament progressed, so did our level of play as we found ourselves in the quarterfinals against the Spartans, again. It was a different Sabres team that took the court this time - brimming with confidence, and the belief that they could beat StrathconaTweedsmuir. Just like we had all tournament, the Sabres got better and better as the game progressed. After an epic 3 set match, Stratford Hall emerged the victor!

Despite battling hard, the Sabres came up short in both their semifinals match versus York House and the bronze medal match versus Crofton House to finish fourth overall. However, we did bring home some hardware! Kylie B. received a honourable mention for best passer; Avery L. become the first Stratford Hall athlete to win an award being recognized as the best server of the tournament; and the team was awarded the spirit trophy! This is the best finish ever. Congratulations girls!

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STRATFORD HALL'S 17TH ANNUAL TERRY FOX RUN!

BY RICK CAMPANELLA, HEAD OF STUDENT AFFAIRS & MATH TEACHER

On September 29th, 2016, Stratford Hall hosted its 17th annual Terry Fox Run at Trout Lake. The Terry Fox Run is our school’s longest standing tradition. That inaugural run occurred in the first month of Stratford Hall’s existence, and as tradition dictates, it started with a singing of our rendition of “This Land is Your Land”.

The Terry Fox Run is also our first continuum buddy event of the year. Each grade in the senior school is partnered for the year with a junior school buddy class, the strongest of these connections between Kindergarten and Grade 12.

After each grade joined up with their buddy class, they walked to Trout Lake together where they were greeted by our Grade 12 prefects. The Prefects did a fabulous job energizing the audience, and emceeing the introductory speeches by Mr. McBride and Mr. Nishi. Then it was off to the races. Over the course of 30 minutes, students and staff

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put forth their best effort and ran for Terry! The picture above shows the top runner of each grade (and staff). We would like to thank and congratulate the parent volunteers, as well as the athletics department, for planning and executing yet another successful run!

Students were asked to bring a "Twoonie for Terry" with all proceeds being donated to the Terry Fox Foundation. The Terry Fox Foundation has raised over $100,000,000 for cancer research in Terry's name. As a whole, Stratford Hall was able to raise $971.95! Well done Sabres!

We look forward to another exhilarating run next year.

"OUR TEAM"

October 2016

BY: THE SENIOR BOYS SOCCER TEAM & COACH GARETH The senior soccer season is well underway And about our great team I could go on all day There’s Pritum, who always helps his teammates while wearing a grin, He even made Tolu cardboard guards for his shins!

There’s Parris and Arjun, the towering brothers on ‘D’ And Joben being Joben, making not two Gills, but three!

We’ve got Amir the Hamm’r with his thunderous boot And it seems like Luca could score every time he doth shoot!

Cookie, our senior rookie, is dependable and gritty, While towards our opponents, BP, shows no pity Now we can’t forget Sandhu! He’s got the ball on a string!

While Aven practically runs over everyone, and everything!

Kragl is discerning between throw-ins and free-throws And I think last game Aidan (accidentally) broke a striker’s nose!

Janika, the super soccer Sangha, helps us keep our shape While Connor flies through the midfield, is he wearing a cape?

Gorzhiy, game after game, is starting to impress.

While Jonah, attacking, is hard to supPress!

Our memory of Dante’s goal celly will forever last, While Jeevan’s still playing - his arm in a cast!

Zhang, Khaled, Rohan, Olivia, Joe, forever I could go on!

I’m sorry I couldn’t come up with a witty line about you, Bijhan.

What a great team, but we’re missing one, you know...

That’s why this season is dedicated to our friend Gio!

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CELEBRATIONS! ARTS, ATHLETICS, ACADEMICS, & OTHER FUN STUFF

We are proud to announce that the Stratford Hall community had raised over $235,000 for our #saveclarkpark campaign. Thank you to all who have donated their time and money. Let's push for more, Stratford!

Congratulations to our Grade 10 students who will be graduating from the MYP to the DP this spring. A pinning ceremony was held for them earlier this month.

Congratulations to Stratford’s, Omera K., a Kindergarten student, on winning an award for the top Tots and Tykes Team for most money raised for the World Partnership Walk. She raised $1605. Great job, Omera!

Stratford staff member, Naomi White, recently took part in an Interior Design Show at the Vancouver Convention Centre.

Naomi, in collaboration with an industrial designer and the company, Real Cedar, designed the textiles on the seat pads.

For the first time in Stratford Hall history, the Senior Boys soccer team has qualified for the Single 'A' Soccer Provincials. Good luck, Sabres!

Stratford Hall would like to acknowledge, kindie student, Ishan, and his family for holding a samosa stand to help raise money for our #saveclarkpark campaign.

Way to go, Ishan!

Grade 1 student, Meera D., has raised $1500 for our #saveclarkpark campaign through her social media appeal. Great job, Meera!

Stratford Hall would like to thank Grade 1 student, Grace B., for her brilliant and successful idea of holding a bake sale to help our #saveclarkpark campaign. The Bake sale raised $2343.10! Well done, Grace!

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On a typical morning here at Stratford Hall, our students are welcomed with smiles and handshakes to start off their day of learning. This Friday, a group of students decided (quite on their own initiative) to spread their own welcome to staff and students on this rainy morning. The Middle School was filled with notes of KINDNESS and INCLUSIVITY to unite us in our community of celebrated diversity.

Grade 3 student, Devan R. has taken all of the money from his piggy bank to make a very generous donation to our #saveclarkpark campaign.

Thanks Devan!

October 2016

Stratford Hall is proud to announce that we have acquired our very own pilot! Derek M. received his Private Pilot License after a 7 week intensive program, that was fully funded by a scholarship from the Air Cadets Program. Derek continues to fly today out of Boundry Bay. See you in the sky Derek!

Congratulations to Stratford's own competitive swimmer, Kayla L. who placed third in the Simon Fraser Region, qualifying her for her first provincial meet! Kayla participated in the 100 metre freestyle and 50 metre butterfly.

In addition, Kayla's freestyle relay team placed second in the region!

Stratfordwould like to acknowledge Arman K. for his generous donation of $252.10 to our #saveclarkpark campaign.

Arman did so by empyting his entire piggy bank! Thanks Arman!

Stratford Hall's little Kindie, Raeya, held a lemonade stand to raise funds for #saveclarkpark. Raeya's entrepreneurial spirit helped raise $750!

Congratulations to Ariana Debreuill and Gareth Jones on winning our staff photo contest!

Look out for next month's!

Our Senior Girls volleyball team placed 4th at the Western Canadian Independent School Volleyball Championships.

This is the best finish ever.

Congratulations girls!

Stratford Hall would like to acknowledge, Grade 3 student, Nimrit K., who, for her birthday, asked her friends to donate to our #saveclarkpark campaign.

Through this, she was able to raise $175! Way to go, Nimrit!

Over 100 Stratford Students from Grades 3-11 participated in the Caribou Math Contest. Grade 9 student, Nathan L., placed 27th out of over 1000 students worldwide in the Grade 9-10 contest.

While Thomas W. scored in the top 50 contestants world-wide in the Grade 5 and 6 contest!

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IMPRINT

#CleanUpCrew

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October 2016

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IMPRINT

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October 2016

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IMPRINT

#UNSELFIES

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October 2016

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3000 Commercial Drive, Vancouver, B.C. Canada V5N 4E2 Tel. (604) 436-0608 Fax. (604) 436-0616