Imprint: June 2021 Issue

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JUN 2021 VOL 20/ISS 2

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TABLE OF CONTENTS FROM OUR LEADERS

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The Year That Was... Let’s Celebrate FROM OUR LEADERS

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Message from the Board Chair FROM OUR LEADERS

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Celebrate Our Stories, Hear Our Voices FROM OUR LEADERS

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The Year of the Sabres FROM OUR LEADERS

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We are What We Celebrate CELEBRATIONS

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Valedictorian Address SNAPSHOTS

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Class of 2021 Celebrations CELEBRATIONS

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MANAGING EDITOR Aldrich Tan Advancement Services Manager SENIOR COPY EDITOR Isabel Sankaran-Wee Director of Advancement PHOTOGRAPHS Clarence Chan Photography Aldrich Tan

Happy Trails!

CELEBRATIONS

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A Reason to Celebrate: The PYP Exhibition CELEBRATIONS

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Celebrating Sustainability CELEBRATIONS

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We Have Always Needed Stories CELEBRATIONS

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I’ve Got an IDEA! CELEBRATIONS

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Celebrating Queer Stories ENRICH

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Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

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

CELEBRATIONS

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Learning Support: Celebrating Resilience REFLECTION

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Together We Did It! REFLECTION

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Let’s Get Connected REFLECTION

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Alumni Reflections: Where are they now?

SNAPSHOTS

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School Life

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THE YEAR IN REVIEW

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In Celebrations THE YEAR IN REVIEW

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Research on Southern White Opposition to School Desgretion

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2021 - 2022 Key Dates

Imprint is published twice per year, expressly for parents, students and friends of Stratford Hall. Imprint is copyright © 2021 Stratford Hall IB World School, Vancouver BC, Canada. Please contact our office to be added to the mailing list.

IMPRINT: JUN 2021: VOLUME 20 / ISSUE 2

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THE YEAR THAT WAS...

Let’s Celebrate 2

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FROM OUR LEADERS

As this year comes to an end, I find myself reflecting on the good that happened in our own school and community. Even though, at times, it truly felt like time stood still, this year has been filled with new learning experiences and accomplishments in academics, sports and fine arts.

This school year has been quite different! We quietly persevered, strong and brave, in the midst of a global pandemic. As our leaders navigated the ongoing crisis, health care workers fought to save lives, day after day, students and staff arrived at school, prepared for another day of learning.

COVID-19 forced us to make many changes this year – we had virtual events, we could not gather for assemblies, we could not have our usual community events, and we missed our friends. But despite languishing in this situation for over a year, we still managed to make progress. We made one step forward every day by focusing on the things that were within our immediate control. Our faculty found new and creative ways to reach and teach students while our students demonstrated diligence, perseverance and resilience in working to the best of their ability, finishing the academic year strong.

Stratford Hall launched several committees into being, including Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Sustainability, Futures, and enhanced the work of two existing committees, Social/Wellness and Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI). These committees drive our school improvement efforts in several important areas, most importantly related to social justice issues and meeting the needs of tomorrow’s students by a study on trends and issues affecting the future of education. Stratford Hall has also stepped up efforts to engage alumni through the formalization of an Alumni Association as well as launching an alumni e-newsletter, Impact, and mentoring program involving alumni and current students.

At our Convocation Ceremony this year, the Class of 2021 was celebrated virtually! Friends and family from Vancouver, across the country, and around the globe, joined the livestreamed production to celebrate our graduates. Thirty-five grads, including 20 Lifers, crossed the stage to receive their high school diplomas.

For the first time, our graduates were inducted into the ranks of Stratford Hall alumni by Alumni Association Committee Chair, Allison Lee, ‘10, who provided each graduate with a pin to symbolize their membership in the community of Sabres alumni!

Congratulations again to the Class of 2021! I am proud that every single one of you has been accepted into a post-secondary program of your choosing. I close my remarks in this edition of the Imprint, and this exceptional year, by borrowing the words of this year’s valedictorian, Audrey Kamachi, who captured my hope for our graduates, and indeed all of our future graduates, in her valedictory address:

“Although over the past year, our lives have been dominated by the concept of returning to normalcy, there is something remarkably hopeful about the fact that, as the Class of 2021, we are uniquely positioned in a time of history where instead of moving backwards, to a world that we are familiar with, we can instead build towards a future that is characterized by sustainability, equity, and compassion. Rather than fantasizing about the way things once were, we can harness our passion, our perseverance, and our privilege, that distinctively unites us as Stratford Hall graduates, to become architects of a future that more accurately reflects our values.”

Dean Croy Head of School

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FROM OUR LEADERS

Message from the Board Chair will be in our past, our Board will similarly be looking to the future. It is time to take what we have learned and develop a plan that will guide us confidently forward to meet a changing world. We must embrace what we hold dear and develop the values that have made us successful.

And we must be aware of and be prepared for the changes ahead.

We need to focus on defining what makes our school what it is and what we, as a community, want it to become.

Where do we go from here?

Having just ushered our Class of 2021 through their Convocation Ceremony, I find myself thinking about the growth of our school as well. Certainly, most of our graduating students have been at Stratford Hall longer than I have and even 20 of them are lifers. Just as our graduates are starting a new chapter in their lives, I believe that Stratford Hall is also ready to move its bookmark deeper into the development of its story – especially as we have just celebrated our 20th Anniversary.

Our school has been maturing and developing its own character for the past 20 years, growing from our setbacks and learning lessons whilst celebrating our many successes along the way. In our next chapter, with hopes that the worldwide pandemic

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The Stratford Hall Board of Governors is committed to ensuring the school has a solid roadmap and foundation for continued excellence. We pledge to work together with you, the

Stratford Hall community, to ensure the school progresses in a purposeful and principled way and with a clear vision and strong framework. Our Board also pledges to be accountable and accessible to the community throughout the whole process.

Have a great summer vac(cin)ation and thanks to you all for being the fabric of Stratford Hall. I look forward to seeing you all in September – with less need for fabric on our faces.

Ron Cheung Board Chair

FROM OUR LEADERS

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ENRICH FROM OUR LEADERS

Celebrate Our Stories, Hear Our Voices BY: MEG CHAMBERLIN Senior School Principal

As we wrap the academic year of 2020 - 2021, we have much to celebrate. We arrived at school in September after a spring of online learning and following an incredible amount of preparation to ensure Stratford Hall was a safe and inviting place to be during the pandemic. We celebrated being together with the knowledge that 1.6 billion students in 190 countries have experienced a disrupted education over the past year.

Given our experience last spring, I was confident that we would all support each other as we adapted to the shifting landscape. But, I can honestly say that I’ve never been so proud of a school community for actively celebrating each other’s identities and taking action to fight for a more peaceful world by addressing biases, having challenging conversations, and carefully listening to the stories of others.

Despite the health and logistical challenges posed by the pandemic, our students and staff were dedicated to impacting our community for the better. From grappling with how to take action against climate change, to addressing anti-racism through Black Lives Matter, to raising our voices as allies alongside our BIPOC and LGBTQ2S+ friends and family, I watched our community embrace this unique and challenging year with patience, kindness, and resolve.

Stratford Hall is a special place. I am simply in awe of our community and all we have done together. Over the course of this year, I have developed an even deeper appreciation for each and every individual’s contribution to our diverse family. This summer, I wish us all time, laughter, and rest with our loved ones. As we move through this period of the pandemic, I hope that we will all continue to find joy, gratitude, and meaning as we celebrate our stories and raise our voice together.

“We are all worthy of telling our stories and having them heard. We all need to be seen and honoured in the same way that we all need to breathe.”

- Viola Davis, Actress

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FROM OUR LEADERS

The Year of the Sabres BY: MICHAEL PALMER Junior School Principal The COVID-19 disruption did not prevent the staff and students of the Junior School from finding spaces to celebrate all of the good work we have done together during the 2020 - 2021 school year. As a principal and school leader, I have been afforded the opportunity to witness the tremendous effort made by the Junior School teachers to maintain the highest standards of education in the face of ever changing restrictions. I have had the pleasure of watching our students grow and learn under the constraints of masks, plexi-glass, and distancing. While we are all eager for a break, we also know we have much to celebrate this year.

Our Junior School Student Council met every two weeks to brainstorm and plan ways to infuse spirit amongst the student body. The Council had representatives in every class from Kindergarten to Grade 5 and together they formed a cohesive and supportive group who were proud to wear the Stratford Hall Student Council pin.

The assembly program was full with student voices this year as we gathered each week to watch the assembly online via Zoom. Students from the Grade 5 News Team reported stories and events from around the school, keeping us informed and making us laugh. The Squirmy Wormy Club taught us about the importance of composting with worms. Grade 3 students taught us about Black Shirt Day and Grade 5 students encouraged all of us to think deeply about how our choices impact the environment.

School Care staff have been instrumental in keeping students actively engaged during recess and after school hours.

Every day this year, Sabres arrived smiling and eager to get into the building to see their teachers and friends.

The students have amazingly held up very well spreading their positive spirits through the classrooms and corridors.

Regardless of the challenges the pandemic has made us face, we have so much good work to celebrate.

Go Sabres!

Junior School Sabres have pushed through this year making great strides in their learning and celebrating their accomplishments at Morning Announcements and through Zoom sharing sessions. All of our teachers, resource teachers, and educational assistants have done amazing work with students this year, adapting to the changes in conditions while ensuring students’ learning experiences were engaging and relevant. And our After

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FROM OUR LEADERS

We are What We Celebrate BY: GARETH JONES Senior School Vice Principal This year, we placed an emphasis on student-led initiatives. It is critical that we always create space for students to lead. By placing the student at the centre of the experience, it maximizes their learning. We provide them the opportunity to grow. If we get in the way, we take away a chance for deep learning to take place. Whether the event, activity or project meets or exceeds their goals, is secondary to the primary importance of student experience, reflection, and awareness of progress.

At Stratford Hall we strongly believe that providing students the opportunity to lead is critical to shaping a positive, student-centred school culture.

Our Senior School Councils, the students involved, and those who lead them, are deserving of celebration this year. Being a member of a Council means that you are committed to enriching the lives of all students. It brings us great joy to see our students step up and lead initiatives for other students.

In the Action and Wellness Council this year, led by Audrey Kamachi and Kiran Dhanda, students engaged our entire community around key initiatives. The Food Drive, Care Package Drive, Kindness Week, and Mental Health Awareness Week helped empower our community to take positive action while also maintaining a sense of balance through self-care and prioritizing mental health. The council is in good 8

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hands as we get set for next year with Georgia Cooperwilliams and Harjunn Sandhu at the helm!

The Spirit Council, led by Thomas Oyhenart and Zubin Grewall, adapted to the no whole-school gatherings by still infusing school spirit into virtual spaces and cohort-specific house activities. Virtual continuum gatherings marking Halloween, Winter Break, and Spring Break brought excitement and spirit into classroom spaces. House challenges amplified school spirit while new Wolf, Orca, Eagle, and Bear shirts visibly unified our pride. Get ready for next year as Navin Howard and Jaya Chauhan build off the success of this year!

The Innovation and Academics Council, led by Sarah Stanford and Kaden Leung, took a significant step forward in highlighting its area of passion within our community.

Design challenges engaged our students’ love for innovation and a new video tutorial system for PYP students displayed our students’ love for academics. With Moneek Rawan and Jonah Leibu leading this crew next year, the future is even brighter!

The Athletics Council, led by Tyler Gunasekera and Madoka Wowk, took advantage of the opportunities presented to them this year by doubling-down on their commitment to athletic excellence within the school. Our Intramural program reached new heights engaging all students in cohort competitions and the peer coaching

program strengthened abilities and opportunities for all ages. The Athlete of the Month feature further promoted Athletics by honouring the achievements of individual athletes.

Jakob Ma and Sarah Robbins have big shoes to fill for next year, but they’re more than up to the challenge!

The Arts Council, led by Aysha Majeed and Bali Chu-Mehrer, elevated the arts at Stratford Hall like no other students have in the past. The newly launched ROAR Zine built off of the successes of the aptly named “Quaranzine” from the previous Spring. The ROAR Zine is an excellent display of student voice and student expression that will be a staple of our community for many years to come. Arts Week at Stratford Hall is a long standing tradition and the Arts Council was up to the task!

They infused the arts throughout the week culminating in a Variety Show for the ages. Jenny Lieu and Adam Cross are ready to carry the torch into next year with gusto and grace.

If we are what we celebrate, then this offers a further glimpse into who we are as a school. Seeing our students thrive in leading our community in these ways brings us great joy and celebrating them is the highlight of our profession. We are a school that prioritizes student engagement, creates space for student passion, and is diligent about putting the students in the spotlight. We are what we celebrate.

CELEBRATIONS

Valedictorian Address BY: AUDREY KAMACHI, ‘21 Valedictorian / Founders Award Recipient For the first half of my life, I did not talk. And to those of you who have only known me for my second half, this may come as a surprise. However, those of you who were in Ms. Moriarty’s Grade 3 class may remember this shy, silent girl who struggled to introduce her name on the first day of school in September 2011. This girl would have never envisioned a future where she could enthusiastically raise her hand in class, let alone deliver the valedictorian address at her convocation.

In fact, my silence was the reason why I joined Stratford Hall in the first place. After being constantly questioned at my old school whether I was physically unable to talk or I was just severely shy, my mom thought that the small class sizes and tight-knit community that Stratford Hall had to offer would serve me well.

Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on who you are, my mom was right. Eventually, I did find my voice and I attribute this to the friends, teachers and community members here at Stratford Hall who collectively fostered an environment where I was not afraid to raise my hand and get the answer wrong.

step of an experiment or painting, to the coaches who stayed after school to help us perfect our throwing form, or simply, those who believed in us before we believed in ourselves, thank you.

In addition to passionate, another characteristic of the Class of 2021 is undoubtedly perseverance. Completing one of the hardest high school curriculums that the world has to offer is no easy task, especially when coupled with the uncertainty and isolation of a global pandemic. In March of 2020, it felt like everything that was familiar, everything that was comfortable, was flipped upside down as we watched quintessential elements of the high school experience, such as parties, sports tournaments, and university campus tours disappear. There was a common feeling of discouragement and disorientation cast upon our grade when the passions that used to guide our everyday lives were put on hold indefinitely. Nevertheless, we adapted,

However, my experience at Stratford Hall is far from unique. Although it may not have been quite as literal as my experience, over the course of the past 13 years, each member of the Class of 2021 has found their own distinctive voice. This voice may have been discovered in the science lab, on the sports field, in the music room, on the theatre stage, through the arts, or while standing up for social justice issues. Ultimately, it is our wide range of voices that have shaped our graduating class into a diverse, talented and passionate group of students who inquire, take risks, and advocate for what they believe in.

So, on behalf of the Class of 2021, thank you to all of those who have supported our journeys in discovering our voices and in pursuing our passions. From the teachers who sacrificed their lunches so that we could complete the final

Audrey Kamachi receiving the Founders Award from Mrs. Cindy Leung and Mrs. Elaine Lee.

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CELEBRATIONS

Beyond the educational disparities that were exacerbated by the pandemic, our last two years of high school shed light on so many other imperfections within our current way of life. From the climate strikes that erupted across the globe, illuminating the severity of our current environmental crisis, to the Black Lives Matter protests that highlighted the ways in which systemic racism continues to manifest in the day-to-day lives of so many, it is clear that change is not a choice, but a necessity. And as teenagers who still have a lifetime of uncertainty ahead of us, it is easy to look at these societal flaws and feel overwhelmed, hopeless, and angry. How is it fair that our generation is the one that will have to endure the apocalyptic conditions left behind by decades of climate inaction or that we are the ones that must confront the racial supremacy that has plagued our nation from its inception?

learning things, like how to take exams or workout while wearing a mask and that foaming hand sanitizer is infinitely superior to gel, while simultaneously unlearning other things, like sharing water bottles and greeting others with handshakes. By now, it is safe to say that our grade has perfected the elbow high five.

However, just as celebrating here today is a testament to our perseverance, it is also symbolic of our privilege. In the anomalous year of 2021, the United Nations estimates that the education of 800 million children was severely disrupted by the pandemic, which is more than half of the world’s student population. We can not take for granted the fact that we did not miss a single day of Grade 12 classes, while on average, students across the globe lost two-thirds of their academic school year this year. On this note, I would like to thank every staff member who made the return to campus possible, especially those whose jobs were infused with an unprecedented level of importance, such as the cleaning crew who worked tirelessly to sanitize our classrooms and the IT department who accommodated the influx of online school events.

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However, I do not intend to conclude this speech on a despondent note. Although over the past year, our lives have been dominated by the concept of returning to normalcy, there is something remarkably hopeful about the fact that, as the Class of 2021, we are uniquely positioned in a time of history where instead of moving backwards, to a world that we are familiar with, we can instead build towards a future that is characterized by sustainability, equity, and compassion. Rather than fantasizing about the way things once were, we can capitalize upon the three attributes that commonly unite us as Stratford Hall graduates, passion, perseverance and privilege, to become the architects of a future that more accurately reflects our values. As today marks the beginning of 35 different postsecondary journeys, to 15 different institutions, situated in four different countries, I would like to thank the Stratford Hall community for not only fostering an environment where discovering our voices was possible, but also for supporting us in our future endeavours so that we can continue to confidently and unapologetically use our voices to achieve this more just world, for ourselves and for others.

Thank you.

SNAPSHOTS

Class of 2021 Celebrations

Kiran Dhanda receiving the Dave Sangha Award for Leadership and Community Service from Kadin Sangha, ‘20.

Lauren Brown receiving the Spirit Award from Mr. Williams.

Basil Rohlfs receiving the Award for Academic Independence from Ms. Shepard.

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SNAPSHOTS

Claire Haussmann receiving the Perseverance Award from Mr. Sandhu.

Aysha Majeed receiving the Head of School Award from Mr. Croy.

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Emma Yip receiving the Award for Academic Excellence from Ms. Chamberlin.

SNAPSHOTS

Tyler Gunasekera receiving the Award for Leadership in Athletics from Mr. Jones.

Arabella (Bali) Chu-Mehrer receiving the Award for Leadership in Arts from Ms. Hawkes.

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SNAPSHOTS

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SNAPSHOTS

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CELEBRATIONS

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CELEBRATIONS

Happy Trails!

BY: MARK PULFER Middle Years Programme Coordinator The late Sir Ken Robinson challenges school to facilitate young people in finding their element. What is their element? It is that which one is destined to do. You know people who are in their element because their work is not work, they love what they do to such a degree that they can’t imagine a life without it. Sir Ken claims that, unfortunately, schools often stand in the way of student passions. He challenges schools to consider how they may be in the way of students discovering their true interests in life.

Arabella Chu-Mehrer, better known to our community as Bali is a student who has found her element. I clearly remember the day that Bali stopped me in the hall on the 2nd floor of the MYP and gave me her elevator pitch about why she wanted, no, needed to do a personal elective to support her passion.

I told her that she was going to need to essentially build her own Design course and that this course was going to need to meet x, y and z Ministry of Education and IB MYP objectives. No problem. She went away and created a proposal for her course that would be the envy of many teachers! That year was one of the most enjoyable educational experiences that I have had as an educator as Bali would regularly share with me the wonderful ideas around the photo creation that she wished to do. I remember meeting up with her in the DP foyer for some reason and her telling me, in that understated Bali way, about the plethora of ideas that she had. I also remember marking her work and considering the irony that I was assessing her on work that I couldn’t even dream of replicating myself!

Bali’s engagement with photography started with Instagram. She would take photos of her friends and she had a natural talent for it and so her friends started asking her to take photos for their Instagram profiles. She started doing impromptu photoshoots for people in the neighbourhood charging them 10 dollars for the privilege.

Photographs by Bali Chu-Mehrer, ‘21

That prompted her to take a course in photography at Arts Umbrella which catalysed her interest in this discipline.

Mr. Jones also suggested that she enter the Capture Photography Festival where her work was so highly regarded that it ended up on a Skytrain station in town!

Back at Stratford Hall, the Design elective was only one piece of the jigsaw puzzle. Another piece was Bali’s personal project where she designed an exquisite vegan cookbook where she carefully designed the photos of all of the food. This was a departure for Bali because up to that point her focus had been on portraiture, but she did a brilliant job. She then took that passion for photography and the Arts and gave back to the community through her work as a Prefect on the Arts Council. I remember Mr. Jones being concerned about the planning for Arts Week and Bali quietly stating, “We’ve got this, Jones.” And she and the team did have it. They put on an Arts Week that has become the bar for other such initiatives by clubs and councils.

This is not to say that we offer a perfect Ken Robinson style education; we did get in the way of Bali’s passion at times.

I interviewed Bali for this article and she spoke about how the demands of some of her academic courses did stand in the way of the development of her passion. However, I do believe that, on balance, we were able to get ‘out of Bali’s way’ and facilitate Bali’s passion to a sufficient degree that she has been able to develop her extraordinary talent.

One of the best moments that I have had at our school was when Bali again stopped me in the hall and let me know (again in that understated manner) that she had been accepted to Parsons School of Design in New York City. As I write this article Bali has completed her DP exams and is volunteering as an assistant instructor at Arts Umbrella and is working on many, many photoshoots. I am excited to see where you go, Arabella Chu-Mehrer. You have shown us what it can mean to have more than a traditional education. You are one to watch. Happy Trails!

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CELEBRATIONS

A Reason to Celebrate: The PYP Exhibition BY: AMANDA LEMPRIERE PYP Coordinator

“What stands out most to me in this unique year is their resilience. Each person has shown up every day with a smile under their mask, a desire to challenge themselves, and a fire for making the world a better place. The Grade 5s must be so proud of themselves persevering through a year-long inquiry project and of showcasing an incredible set of skills acquired throughout their time in the PYP. Well done, 5M and 5H. Congratulations!”

- Danielle Minichiello, Grade 5 Teacher

Every year, our Grade 5 students embark on an unit of inquiry within their program called Exhibition. During this unit, they develop and investigate their own central idea and lines of inquiry. This year, the Grade 5 students started this process in September when they were first introduced to the UN Sustainable Goals. They have spent the whole academic school year digging deep into all the goals and eventually choosing one that most resonates with them.

Through the research process, they have not only gained knowledge and an understanding of very complex issues, they have also practiced and further developed their research skills. When reflecting on the process and growth, Ming Trebilcock in Grade 5 stated, “I grew in my research skills because I used to when I researched just write everything down and didn’t take into consideration what was important, but now I can do that and I just take the most important stuff from what I research.” These are skills that will benefit them as they continue on their educational journey into the Middle Years Programme, the Diploma Programme and beyond.

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In addition to their deep dive research, students also embarked on action projects to spread awareness and make a difference in our world. This is a key component of the exhibition as we want our students to see themselves as change-makers and active agents of our world. This is where we witnessed great pride in every Grade 5 student as they achieved goals that might have felt out of reach at the beginning of the year. This year saw a variety of projects, including a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, healthy living challenges, a petition to ban single-use plastic in the Primary Years Programme (PYP) building, and a beach clean-up day at Trout Lake. This is a group of students who demonstrated a strong passion to help others and help our planet. It has been a pleasure to observe the creativity and dedication through these projects.

They have been working on their projects for nearly the entire school year. With successes and challenges, they have continued to be dedicated learners, displaying great character and skill. They have demonstrated perseverance and resilience throughout the year and their commitment to their inquiry is a reason to celebrate!

“As students reach the end of the exhibition and the PYP journey, they should all know how proud we are of them, how happy we are to have met them, and how amazed we are at their individualities, personalities, and strengths. They should celebrate their accomplishments, their hard work, their struggles, and their successes. Their efforts have left an impression on the Stratford Hall community that will not soon be forgotten. The legacy they leave will continue to inspire others for years to come!

Congratulations Grade 5!”

- Jordan Hannah, Grade 5 Teacher

CELEBRATING SUSTAINABILITY

LISA BLACHUT, GARETH JONES, DAVE KNIGHT, KATIE LACEY, KRISTINE SOO Sustainability Committee

This year, Stratford Hall took a step forward in its efforts to become a sustainable school. The Sustainability Committee, launched in November, aims to bring and promote positive change to our school’s environmental impact. This year, we sought to identify tangible and measurable actions that we could implement immediately.

We wanted to show that Stratford Hall was serious about becoming a school that behaves sustainably.

Our first action was waste management. We worked with Green Chair Recycling to complete two campus waste audits - one in December and one recently in May. With the feedback from the results we made changes to improve our waste diversion. Improved placement and signage of bins, a whiteboard marker and pen recycling program, separate paper towel disposal in washrooms, and a “good on one side” printer paper saving initiative were put in place to improve our waste management. As a result of these actions, we made significant progress! Our school wide waste diversion (amount of material that is not going to the landfill) was 42% in December 2020 and 83.9% in May 2021.

Our energy usage is an important area to have eyes on from a sustainability perspective. We have made strides in identifying our consumption and implementing targeted ways to reduce our energy usage. Turning lights and projectors off has been an improved routine on our campus.

Changing how we get to school is an important step towards becoming a sustainable school. Bike to School Week in September/October saw 118 daily rides, which equates to a decrease of 7.83kg to our carbon footprint.

With the generous support from the Stratford Hall Parent Association (SHPA), bike storage was secured behind the middle building to accommodate more bikes. Bike to School Week in June saw an increase in ridership with a total of 151 trips, which is the equivalent carbon savings of 8.92 kg.

Promoting sustainable lunches was another goal that we identified as a need in our community. We saw improvements in the lunch packaging that students were bringing to school each day. In addition, our regular lunch catering providers continue to improve their zero waste options.

Sustainability at Stratford Hall is reason to celebrate.

We are excited to build upon our initiatives from this year.

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CELEBRATIONS

We Have Always Needed Stories

We celebrate the young authors who wrote their own books.

BY: MEG PENAFIEL PYP Teacher Librarian

Stories help us remember and imagine.

Stories help us escape and help us forget.

Stories help us solve problems and try on solutions.

Stories help us understand others.

Stories help us find ourselves.

Stories help us feel less alone.

Stories enrich our lives.

Stories reflect our humanity.

This year, all over the world, and here at Stratford Hall it feels that we have needed stories more than ever. This year in our red building on Commercial Drive, we celebrate and appreciate a large collection of new and diverse books that were purchased for our classroom libraries.

As a staff we made a conscious effort to ensure that diversity, equity, inclusion and representation was thought about in all we do. And because many of us believe that one of the most powerful teaching tools we have in our buildings is a book, a story, we worked together all year to build and improve our classroom library collections so that they can better serve as mirrors, windows and sliding glass doors for our young readers.

As educators we have always carefully and thoughtfully selected the books we have in our libraries. This year more than ever we worked even harder and more collaboratively to ensure that our students see themselves in the books they read. With the belief that books have the power to change how people see the world and others within it we place great value and importance in the books they are exposed to.

There is so much to celebrate...

We celebrate diverse authors and illustrators who deserve to be celebrated and seen.

We celebrate the readers who love to read, those who would spend hours behind the pages of a books if left to their own devices.

We celebrate the cozy corners where readers escape, connect and grow with each page.

We celebrate the young readers who raised their voice when they found something in the books they read that was hurtful and disrespectful to others.

We celebrate the readers who fought for their rights to read what they value as “good” literature.

We celebrate the readers who take care of our library.

We celebrate the readers who plan reading events for other readers.

We celebrate the families who read with their children and share their book recommendations with us.

We have a lot to celebrate. So... let’s raise a book to celebrate our readers of all ages at Stratford Hall!

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CELEBRATIONS

I’ve Got an IDEA! BY: ANDREA RYAN IDEA Lab Coordinator What we celebrate is what we value. So this is what we celebrate in the IDEA Lab and our design classes...

their way (#grade4personalpassions, #creativecraftclub, #grade2roboticsclub, #MYPIdeaLabClub).

Making Mistakes

Working on a Team

We fail fast and fail often. We develop grit and perseverance. We prototype and test and refine, and then we do it all over again when our prototype fails! We get used to the feeling of something not working. Sometimes we can debug and fix things and make it work, but sometimes it just doesn’t and we learn, instead, to live with the frustration and disappointment. And then we learn how to pivot and try something new (#FailFastFailOften, #Debugging, #Prototyping, #ComputationalThinking).

We practice co-operating and working well on a team. We are learning that we can accomplish great things when we work together (#Grade4MuffinRedesign). The best teams are diverse in knowledge, skill, and experiences and we celebrate what each person brings to their team. We know that working together is not always easy and that there are tools and strategies we can practice to help us work better together (#Grade2HaveWeGotAHackForYou, #teamwork).

Making Connections We practice combining ideas to come up with something new. We mash things up and see things in new ways. We play improv games (#improvgames) and use creativity hacks (#creativityhacks, #ideamatrix, #scamper). And in a time when we feel most isolated, we also celebrate the connections between people. There is a community of makers and creators. We come together to build and create and play (#grade3gameboarddesign).

In the IDEA Lab, we celebrate and value what we believe will best serve our students; that creativity can be learned, that mistakes are fuel for growth, that students should drive their own learning and that there is value in play. We hope you take a moment to celebrate with us. Check out our Instagram (@SH_IDEALab) for more photos!

Playing We tinker and play. We make things and then throw them over the roof (#Iandaneggdropchallenge). We add layers of silly sound effects in our podcasts (#grade5podcasts) and make our teachers ride a kitty kat (#greenscreentech).

Kids Taking the Lead We love it when the grownups take the back seat and the kids take over. Kids are naturally inquisitive and the most important thing we can sometimes do is get out of

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CELEBRATIONS

Celebrating Queer Stories BY: HOLLY FITCH & BRI TURNER Learning Support Specialist | Library Technician

“I was one of those children who would spend hours reading under my covers when I was supposed to be asleep. I was fascinated by the potential to learn and to inhabit worlds and minds so different from my own. Ultimately, it’s no surprise that I’ve dedicated my career to sharing that opportunity with others—the characters and writers of my youth played no small part in shaping my worldview and expanding my perspective. With that in mind, even after all these years, I still remember the first times I ever saw queer stories and queer representation in books. Tiny throwaway lines that indicated a tertiary character was gay, or a casual reference to the fact that it was socially acceptable to be queer in the world on the page... these moments have stuck with me for decades because it was so powerful to have that part of my identity represented in the medium I treasured. Representation in story matters, and not just for those who are represented; we learn empathy through story. We find insight through story. We gain acceptance through story.”

- Bri

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Over the last few months, the celebration of queer stories has played an integral role in the Stratford Hall GSAs (Gender and Sexuality Alliances). As staff leadership, we aspire to cultivate spaces where students feel welcome and accepted across the school, and a major part of that is creating opportunities for students to share their own stories with their peers. We facilitate this through “coming out” stories and group discussion, but a constant theme among our students has been the desire to hear stories from diverse perspectives beyond the walls of Stratford Hall. Luckily, we’ve had several wonderful opportunities to bring these perspectives into the GSAs since the kickoff of 2021.

In January, we launched a Junior School GSA (aka Skittles or Rainbow Club) for our Grade 3 - 5 students. We established this club as a safe space for all students and staff involved by creating an essential agreement, sharing our pronouns and names, engaging in discussions about gender stereotypes, and preparing to teach others in the school about “No Name Calling” week. This culminated in a whole school activity for the Primary Years Programme (PYP) where students were asked to respond to prompts about kindness, empathy, and identity on sticky notes. We took their responses and created a “Garden of Kindness” in the PYP library.

In March, we held an event that featured a guest speaker: drag performer Ginger Snap. She read Morris Micklewhite and the Tangerine Dress to our students and talked about her quest for self-discovery and her involvement in the drag community. Afterward, students had the opportunity to ask questions about drag, identity, and her personal experiences. The feedback we received from the students who participated in this event was overwhelmingly positive. A Grade 3 student commented that she felt inspired, and was compelled to reflect on her own experiences and channel that into being more inclusive and accepting.

CELEBRATIONS

Meanwhile, our senior GSA attended an ISABC GSA Meetup where they had the opportunity to hear from presenter Gabe Calderón (they/them) who discussed two-spirit identities across indigenous cultures, intersections of indigeneity and queerness, and their personal journey of identity and acceptance. Afterwards, our students connected with 105 GSA members from 12 other participating ISABC schools in staff-led breakout groups on allyship, internalized homophobia, and coming out.

Another initiative has been the incorporation of a “Little Queer Library” segment of every GSA meeting. Here, students have the opportunity to take out a selection of books from the library, share their favourite LGBTQ2S+ literature, and engage directly with library staff to ensure that the collection is representative of student interests and identities. We even had a read-aloud from two Grade 6 students of the picture book Neither by Airlie Anderson, which touches on the subject of non-binary identities.

More recently, one of the Stratford Hall GSA’s founding members, Jotham Chow, ‘15 visited over Zoom for a Q&A about the origins of creating a safe space for LGBTQ2S+ students in our school community and involvement in queer activism as part of life after graduation. It was remarkable to have the opportunity to reflect on how far Stratford Hall has come.

In an effort to provide support and professional development for our families and staff, we also organized

seminars and workshops held over Zoom. Steve Mulligan led a fantastic webinar, which reviewed terminology and concepts, introduced research, and provided important tips and strategies to help families feel open and comfortable when having these conversations with their children. This well-attended webinar culminated in a Q&A portion which indicated that families are eager for resources and ways in which to support our students. Steve worked to create the term SOGI (Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity) which is now widely used across BC in school by teachers, administrators, and families to ensure student and staff rights are protected. He currently works for the Vancouver School Board as a teacher.

Two of our most significant achievements this year were the creation and unveiling of the Stratford Hall Pride logo and the Pride staircase art installation.

The creation of this art project blends individuality and diversity. In its entirety, the stairs mirror a rotated Progress Pride flag, developed by graphic designer Daniel Quasar in 2018. However, with a closer look, one can notice that each square is a photograph, which also contains its own story.

This piece was made to represent our incredible queer Sabres at Sratford Hall and the wider school community, whether members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community or supportive allies. Every single individual in our school community and our collective effort in creating this project allows Stratford Hall to thrive as a genuinely inclusive and safer space for everyone to be themselves.

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CELEBRATIONS

“I like that she was very open-minded to all the questions and showed risk-taking. She shows people who she actually is and who she wants to be.”

- Grade 4 student feedback on Ginger Snap

This piece of art is more complex than one may notice at first glance. Each colour included in the Pride flag has a distinct significance, which was decided in the original design. Red represents life and culture, orange represents healing from the past and present, yellow represents sunlight and balance, green represents nature and being natural, blue represents harmony and peace, and purple represents spirit. The light blue, light pink, and white colours represent trans pride, which is interpreted as “being yourself” for this art project. Likewise, black represents diversity while brown represents inclusion. In each colour, Grade 9 and 10 Photography students took either new photographs or chose their own previously taken photographs based on these distinct themes. The subject in each photograph symbolizes one of these distinct themes and the corresponding colour is evidently filtered over to form the massive Pride flag.

Around the staircase, viewers can find QR codes that lead to each student’s individual artist statement in the form of an audio recording. Although the original Pride flag was created, it received criticism for its lack of explicit inclusion of trans people as well as queer Black, Indigenous, and brown people, among other queer people of colour. For this reason, the triangle to the left of the flag (angled upward from the perspective of the bottom of the staircase) represents inclusion, diversity, and the recognition that further progress is still necessary.

Within the triangle are three symbols. The transgender pride flag (light blue, light pink, and white) itself is there, which represents the trans, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming community. The colour black is there, which represents the queer BIPOC community. Lastly, the colour brown represents every other possible orientation and gender since brown is a mix of all colours. Moreover, these additions to the flag acknowledge the challenges and importance of intersectionality while paying homage to the important trans women of colour, who initialy fought for queer rights before, during, and after the famous Stonewall Riot in June 1969, which involved marginalized queer people spontaneously resisting police brutality and

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arrest for breaking transphobic/homophobic laws that prohibited being queer in public.

From its genesis as an exciting thought to its ultimate creation as a masterpiece on display, this project unfolded over the course of two terms, ending on Wednesday, March 10, 2021. The process consisted of solidifying a proposal to Stratford Hall’s administration, making specific calculations for the ensemble of photographs based on the staircase’s structure, designing the colour layout on Photoshop, designing a unit for the photography class titled “Photographic Vexillology: Creating and Responding to the Symbolism of the Pride Flag”, printing out long strips of the photographs in the IDEA Lab, and carefully placing the physical project onto the staircase during class time.

These serve as emblems of our collective school culture as a safe and welcoming place where all stories are celebrated.

This project came to life thanks to the help of: Alegria Rohlfs (she/her) who developed the original idea, design, and artist statement; Mr. Quinn Casey (they/them) who crafted a Photography unit to execute the project; Ms. Andrea Ryan (she/ her) who supported the engineering of the project; Mr. Skipper (he/him) who supported everyone’s efforts, the Grade 9 and 10 Photography class who created all 181 photographs, and the GSA who raised the community’s spirit during the project’s development. A tremendous thank you goes out to the Stratford Hall community for engaging with this work of art and learning more about Pride.

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Diversity, Equity & Inclusion SUKH SANDHU, DENISE BRABBAN, QUINN CASEY, MEG CHAMBERLIN, MARIAH CHAN, HAZEL CHEE, LOBAT FATEH, RIMI HANS, JULIA JACHIMOWICZ, GWEN PERKINS, KIRAN SHOKER DEI Committee Members This year we launched a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) committee to address systemic issues facing underrepresented groups. A number of hard-working staff members joined the committee to brainstorm ideas and implement initiatives aimed at mindset shifts, behaviours and practices. As a team, we want to provide resources and learning opportunities for all members of our school community.

The committee supported school-based initiatives such as:

DEI committee agreed upon three goals to guide us on our journey to a more equitable and inclusive community.

• •

• • • • •

Black History Month (February) International Women’s Day (March 8) Autism Awareness Month (April) Asian, South Asian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month (May) Get Real Anti-Racism workshop during the May 20th assembly National Indigenous History Month (June) IB Learner Profile posters celebrating DEI in school buildings

Here are the three goals: Voices Heard, People Seen • •

Celebrate our stories, hear our voice Creating a safer space for all to share their experience

Student Education and Leadership •

Diversity and intersectionality - curricular and cocurricular

This September, we are excited to launch the DEI student ambassador program. Two students from every grade (Kindergarten - Grade 12) will take the lead on implementing DEI programs and initiatives. In addition, we will be supporting our staff with professional development and workshops. There is a lot of work to be done, but a good foundation has been built. Forward we go.

Addressing Racism •

Work towards an actively anti-racist community by addressing issues of race relation conflict and inclusion through restorative practices

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CELEBRATIONS

Learning Support: Celebrating Resilience BY: GILLIAN LOUIE, HOLLY FITCH & SUKH SANDHU Learning Support Specialists Prior to the pandemic, the word “resilience” was being used quite a bit in the world of K-12 education. How do we develop resilience in our students? Many discussions and debates were held to figure out the best approaches and strategies. Then our world got turned upside down as we entered a pandemic. As vaccinations increase, we are slowly emerging to realize what we have all endured and accomplished over the past 15 months.

Our Learning Support team is incredibly proud of the Stratford Hall community. We have seen our students adapt to online learning and in-person instruction with COVID-19 protocols. Teachers have repeatedly shown tremendous skill, creativity, and dedication. Parents have been

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supportive of their children and the work being done by school staff during these challenging times. Administrators and school staff have been the glue to keep everything moving forward at the school.

Furthermore, our team has seen amazing growth from students with learning disabilities. During non-pandemic times, students with learning disabilities have to deal with challenges. Over the past 15 months, we have seen our students work through many issues and display incredible resilience in the face of many uncertainties. The Learning Support team would like to wish the entire community a safe and joyous summer vacation.

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Together We Did It! BY: MYRIAM DUMONT President, Stratford Hall Parent Association

What a year! As the school year comes to an end, we can look back on this year and know that we will most likely never have another one like it.

The Stratford Hall Parent Association (SHPA) Executives and our parent community, like the rest of the world, mourned the way things were before.

We all longed for the little and big things that we couldn’t do over the past year that helped make our school the amazing place it is. We found other ways to connect but for many, they just were not the same.

We missed our gala, our night market and the Welcome Back BBQ. Most of all, we missed each other. We are especially aware of how difficult this was for our new families.

As I reflect on the past year, I like to think of the small things that we were able to accomplish. The SHPA

Executives were able to support a few different initiatives that we felt were important. We wanted to show all staff members that make our school the amazing place that it is how grateful we were for everything. We celebrated them with a few catered lunches as well as a few “coffee/tea on us” treats. The SHPA collaborated with the school to purchase the new bike rack located in the alley. We felt that supporting a project that encourages students and staff to bike to school was important as it is in line with the school’s commitment to environmental justice. Library book bags were purchased for Kindergarten to Grade 2 students. This initiative will help our library collection stay in great shape and ensure that the books our students are reading last longer. House shirts were also purchased for all students and staff.

Such a joy seeing everyone wearing their house shirt throughout the year during Spirit Days and other special events.

our Welcome Back BBQ and will also be adding in some new ones.

On behalf of SHPA, I would like to say a huge thank you to all the staff at Stratford Hall who have worked tirelessly to ensure that our children had a safe place where they could learn and continue to grow. We know at times it was challenging and yet you continued to make the school a fun and active place where students were excited, challenged and motivated to learn.

I look forward to seeing everyone in September and wish you all a relaxing and enjoyable summer break. We did it!

With the optimistic view that things will be back to normal in September, SHPA Executives are busy planning for the upcoming year and overjoyed to get back to in-person events and community building. We are looking forward to getting together again and making connections with new and old Stratford Hall families. We will continue with our regular events like

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Let’s Get Connected BY: ALLISON LEE, ’10 Chair, Stratford Hall Alumni Association challenge. I am grateful for their hard work and commitment to the alumni community. One of our largest initiatives has been the success of our Instagram (@stratford_hall_alumni).

In the past year as Chair of the Stratford Hall Alumni Association Committee, I have had the fortunate opportunity to both reconnect with alumni and meet new ones.

I’ve enjoyed learning about their accomplishments, entrepreneurial endeavours, exciting milestones and adversity faced as every single one of them has applied what they learned at Stratford Hall to their current ventures. One thing I can say for sure is our young alumni community is incredibly accomplished and our international network is constantly growing.

It has been challenging finding ways to reconnect the community in the midst of a pandemic, but I am fortunate to volunteer alongside such a dedicated team of committee members who have risen up to the

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On our feed, we have been sharing alumni stories of what they have been up to since Stratford Hall, school community news to ensure we all remain connected, and staff reflections to reminisce on old memories. I invite you to share in the endeavours, accomplishments and immensely valuable resources of this international community by connecting with those you may have lost touch with by following us on

Instagram. We would also love to hear from you, so please share your own updates with us.

I encourage you to get involved by joining our committee to help shape the future of our community and the resources we can share with one another. Feel free to email us at alumni@stratfordhall.ca. Lastly, I am incredibly proud of our alumni and I’m excited share their stories in the exciting endeavours the committee has planned! I’m looking forward to this next chapter of an alumni network greatly reflecting the supportive Stratford community we graduated from.

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Alumni Reflections: Where are they now? than I know what to do with. While practicing my craft, I have also been building and learning to create my own online store to sell my handmade dolls. By the end of May 2020, the Crochetbbys online store on Tokopedia (an Indonesian e-commerce) was up and running. I was selling my handmade creations and materials required to make your own dolls. Creating an online store, much less selling my own work, was unthinkable for me, as I would never feel satisfied with the things I create. I decided to be a risk-taker and take a leap of faith for this venture. The worst thing that could possibly happen is having no orders and my home being filled with more of my creations!

Olivia Paramitha, ‘19 After graduating from Stratford Hall in 2019, I’ve been studying Cognitive Science and Philosophy at the University of Toronto, majoring in both fields, and applying for a Minor in Computer Science. As an international student from Jakarta, Indonesia coming in Grade 11, I was focused on studying hard and doing my best to get into a good university, not caring about making new friends. That was completely different after I felt the warm, welcoming presence of the community of students and staff at Stratford Hall. In my two years, I learned to live life more than I normally did, balancing my academics with time for friends and family, and of course, time for myself too.

Stratford Hall was the place where I rediscovered my creative side. As part of the IB programme and the school’s emphasis on a balanced academic-creative lifestyle, I took up more creative expressions such as knitting, origami, and bullet journaling. My favourite was crocheting during the summer of 2019. I decided to take up this craft after a marathon of sweater-knitting, as one does during quarantine in a global pandemic. I bought myself a set of crochet hooks, picked up some yarn and made my first amigurumi doll. I must admit the bunny I made looked nothing like a bunny, or an animal for that matter, but it didn’t discourage me from making a lot more amigurumi

Hobbies aside, I’ve decided to focus on artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), particularly for health care and the field of medicine. Everyone has dreams about discovering the latest technology and science of the future, but I dream about helping people live their lives the way they do now. I was inspired after watching a brilliant talk

by Vivienne Ming on machine learning that helps improve the lives of people by creating a system to predict a manic episode two weeks in advance for bipolar disorder and detect human expressions in real time for children with autism. My gut told me this is what I wanted to do. I’ve always had a close connection with health care, from dreaming to be a surgeon, to giving up that dream for immunology, and later again for cognitive science, I finally realised that I simply don’t want to help people one at a time, but rather to create a system that can help a whole community at once. I want to work on a system with AI and ML that can simplify living so that everyone can live life to the fullest and not worry about things that abled people don’t.

I still have years of knowledge and experience waiting for me until the day I can achieve that dream, but until then, I will continue my pursuit of knowledge, taking in everything I can and putting it to good use as no knowledge ever goes to waste.

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Andrew Jang, ‘20 I just completed my first year at the UBC Sauder School of Business. They say “time flies when you’re having fun.”

Although I wouldn’t exactly characterize the past year as being “fun,” it has been incredibly eventful and the time has gone by at supersonic speed. Due to the ongoing pandemic, the Class of 2020 never had the opportunity to formally celebrate our graduation last May. Last summer, we eagerly looked forward to experiencing post-secondary adventures but were soon disappointed to learn that all classes would be online.

I made the best of the situation last fall and filled my schedule with a number of different clubs and volunteer positions. Through the recommendation of another Stratford Hall alumni, I joined Ascend UBC, a Pan-Asian Business Club focused on enhancing the presence, visibility, and influence of current and future visibly diverse business leaders in the corporate workforce. Leveraging my expertise gained from serving as a MYP student ambassador, I volunteered as a campus ambassador, presenting the Sauder School of Business to prospective high school students. Lastly, in the past few months I was a part of the UBC Tax Assistance Clinic, helping students prepare their T1 tax returns for filing. It was fulfilling to be able to use my knowledge and skills I had just learned to help others in a practical way. This coming school year, I am honoured and excited to be taking on my new roles as CoPresident of Ascend UBC and Corporate Relations Manager of the Commerce Undergraduate Society.

My first year of university was not what I had imagined.

I had expected to be able to explore the sprawling 400 hectares of UBC and get to know many, many new faces from different faculties. Instead, Sauder students were placed in cohorts of 30 people. Nonetheless, I’ve enjoyed getting to know them online. They were from as close as the Lower Mainland and as far away as Hong Kong and

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India. Despite the less than ideal circumstances, I got to learn about others’ diverse backgrounds and cultures, and their unique high school experiences. We shared about why we wanted to pursue a business degree and talked about what helped us decide to attend UBC. During the pandemic, there has been a great deal of time to think and reminisce. As I look back on my 13 years at Stratford Hall, I reflect on the many experiences and lessons I had that shaped me into who I am today. My parents would always say, “School is a dress rehearsal for life.

Work hard and learn from every mistake and each setback to continually improve yourself.” The academic coursework last year was much more manageable than I anticipated.

As my teachers and parents had continuously implied, the IB programme had trained me well to learn, analyze, synthesize, and integrate the concepts into solving real life problems. The importance of time management and organization were already familiar from the DP coursework.

Model United Nations, Physics Olympics and service to the community. The experiences and skills I gained through progressively responsible leadership roles gave me a clear advantage in my coursework, clubs’ committee work and volunteering over the past year. I was particularly surprised by how many more opportunities I had had through my past IB work to develop my communication and leadership abilities. Through reflecting upon my past year, I’ve come to realize more and more just how well Stratford Hall prepared me, not just academically but through community service activities and leadership experiences, to seamlessly and successfully transition to post-secondary life and service.

Now, I’m looking forward to attending classes on campus in September and truly being able to live the full experience of university life.

I also came to realize how fortunate I was to get the support and guidance I did from my teachers for everything from my learning to service initiatives.

From coming up with the new and used toy drive in Kindergarten, organizing used book drives for the local library in Grade 2 and collecting new socks for Grade 4s at a neighbouring school, to initiating the Sip Soup and Score! Lunch fundraiser to raise $10,000 for a new MYP scoreboard, the school’s support helped me learn to give back to my community. I don’t believe I would have had the opportunity to engage in these valuable lessons if I didn’t attend Stratford Hall.

From the MYP to the DP, the years and years of group work, oral presentations, collaborative teaching, mentoring younger students, public speaking and leading committees sharpened my communication and built up my confidence.

I will always be grateful for the teachers who shared with us their valuable time and passion for public speaking,

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Brian Li Han Wong, ‘12 I cannot believe it has now been nine years since I finished my IB exams and graduated from Stratford Hall. Since then, I have gone on to complete an Honours Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Science with a Minor in Music at the University of Ottawa and a Master’s degree in Epidemiology from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and I am concluding my PhD studies in Cardiovascular Science at University College London.

My strong passion for global public health and youth engagement in policy, advocacy, and diplomacy has led me to attend and organise international conferences; establish a UK-based non-profit organization which provides global health training for students and young professionals worldwide; run a university summer programme on “Infectious Diseases & Global Citizenship”; guest lecture in several European universities; undertake collaborations with multidisciplinary teams of researchers and publish papers in peer-reviewed journals; as well as take part in high-level meetings, such as the World Health Assembly and the WHO Executive Board Meeting, where I have hosted side events and delivered statements to the international community on behalf of large civil society organizations. It has also sparked an interest in organizational governance – I sit on the Board of Trustees for UK Model WHO and Students for Global Health and am a Steering Committee Member for the Digital Health Section of the European Public Health Association (EUPHA) and the newly established WHO Youth Council.

While the past year has been one of the most challenging to date, it has also presented numerous opportunities for growth, learning, and professional development.

Last May, I joined the Association of Schools of Public Health in the European Region (ASPHER) Task Force on COVID-19. As lead of the Public Health Erosion and

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Vaccination subgroups, I have coordinated teams of students, early career researchers, and senior public health practitioners to develop analyses and organisational statements on the COVID-19 response and recovery.

In October, I started my first civil service role as a surveillance epidemiologist with Public Health England’s Immunisation and Countermeasures Division. It was an incredible experience being at the heart of national disease surveillance efforts. Specifically, I was involved in supporting the work on COVID-19 surveillance, which included project managing various operations and conducting fieldwork in care homes, schools, universities, and vaccination centres across the country.

In November, I took on a consultancy role working for The Lancet and Financial Times Commission “Governing Health Futures 2030: Growing up in a digital world”, which is exploring the convergence of digital health, artificial intelligence (AI), and other frontier technologies to support the achievement of universal health coverage (UHC) by 2030. As Youth Officer, I am responsible for: ensuring the representation and amplification of youth voices; conducting external stakeholder consultations; managing partnerships; undertaking policy, research, and advocacy activities; hosting and planning events at and around conferences and high-level meetings; and leading on various youth-led/focused policy and research outputs.

In December, I commenced postgraduate diplomatic training as part of the European Academy of Diplomacy’s Academy of Young Diplomats programme, from which I will obtain an Executive Diploma in the Art of Diplomacy this summer. I also began advanced training in clinical research and methodology as part of Harvard Medical School’s Global Clinical Scholars Research Training Program,

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which I expect to complete in Q4 2021.

I look fondly upon my time at Stratford Hall and experiences in the IB Diploma Programme. Not only did it teach me a lot about discipline and resilience in the face of challenges, it also instilled a lifelong love of learning and fostered a mindset of global citizenship; these are ethoses I endeavour to embody on a daily basis.

Sending my best wishes to the entire Stratford Hall community from across the pond and I hope to visit again sometime in the near future!

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Hayley Oyhenart, ‘16 After graduating from Stratford Hall in 2016, I moved to London, Ontario to attend Western University. While being extremely confused as to what my future held, I pursued studies in a wide variety of areas including Criminology, Media Studies, and Women’s Studies before I settled on specializing in Sociology. While completing my undergraduate degree, I was searching for work experiences to contextualize what I had learned in the classroom and completed two placements through the Federal Work Experience Program (FSWEP). The experiences I gained through FSWEP solidified my interest in joining the Federal Public Service, and also pushed me to pursue further education in my area of interest.

In June of 2020 I graduated from Western University in Sociology and was accepted to pursue a Master of Arts at the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs at Carleton University. Since September 2020, I have been specializing in Security and Defence Policy and have been educated by some of Canada’s leading scholars in international affairs. As part of my master’s degree, I have had the privilege to be selected for a co-op position with Global Affairs Canada. This month I began working with the Anti-Crime Capacity Building Program to improve the capacity of beneficiary states, government entities and international organizations to deal with transnational crime. The mandate of the anti-crime program is global, but focuses on the Americas, mainly Central America, the Caribbean and Mexico.

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SNAPSHOTS

School Life

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SNAPSHOTS

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SNAPSHOTS

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SNAPSHOTS

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Stratford Hall is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion. We value each other’s identity and well-being. Together, we learn and grow by embracing and respecting multiple perspectives, experiences, and cultures.

Our differences are our strengths.

The Pride flag was originally designed in 1978 by Gilbert Baker. It consists of six horizontal lines representing life (red), healing (orange), sunlight (yellow), nature (green), harmony/peace (blue), and spirit (violet). In 2018, Daniel Quasar added on the half size stripes representing trans folks (light blue, light pink and white), and marginalized People of Color (brown, black). The arrow points to the right to show forward movement, while being along the left edge shows that progress still needs to be made.

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THE YEAR IN REVIEW

2020 - 2021

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THE YEAR IN REVIEW

In Celebrations English This poem is to recognize, celebrate, and uphold the voices of SHlamFest! writers, as well as the content creators and editors of Sabres Roar, Stratford Hall’s fine arts zine. Thank you to Aysha Majeed, Bali Chu-Mehrer, Lauren Brown (Grade 12), Madi Quennec, Grace Young, and Kristen Chan (Grade 10) for projecting the voices of your peers so that they may be heard as equals.

celebration of Voice; hear your stories. a story is born from the heart; a seedling nurtured and cradled with care and nervousness for when a story is born it must be heard. it must cry out as it bursts from the heart into the world. its words must find themselves in all the shadowed spaces and gleaming windows; in the quake of grief and the dissonance of syndrome, in the war trench hem that separates shame from children, in a sucker punch lemon burst that’s cradled in the utterance of a prayer. it must unfurl its guttural crycalligraphy ink that pools like blood in the atrium that nourishes new story. to bleed is no comfortable thing; the audience squirms, smoothing their trousers as if to brush off your words because if they were to hold them, they might also bleed. but bleeding is no invisible act; to spill your ink upon this world, to cry your story is the most brave thing you can do. to hear it, to hold it, to nurture it, is to feel Life.

A True Celebration.

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Languages Just before the winter break, our French 9-12 students had a chance to practise their writing skills by sending holiday cards to the residents of Résidence Le Vertical, a senior’s home in Montréal, Québec. The students participated in this project in a very enthusiastic way and were genuinely excited to use their French knowledge to make some “real” Francophone people happier during a particularly isolated holiday season. In January, teachers and students who participated in this heartfelt project were very touched to receive a thank you letter on behalf of all the residents. The letter was accompanied by a colourful heart-shaped image created by one of the residents. We hope our students will have similar opportunities to create meaningful connections with Francophone people and, by doing so, nurture their motivation to improve their French language skills and expand the community!

- Cristina Uroni, French Teacher

Since the 1990s in Canada, Asian Heritage Month is celebrated in May. It is an opportunity to learn and celebrate the contributions of Canadians of Asian descent to the growth and prosperity of Canada.

At Stratford Hall, we pride ourselves with the international experiences our students are exposed to. Normally, students from different grades would pack their bags and spend their November break or spring break in another part of the world. However, this year, we had to put our international travelling boots on hold and wait for better times. Despite the challenges of the pandemic, our French 11 students had a chance to experience a small international exchange in May! They participated in COIL (Collaborative Online International Learning) which allows students to collaborate virtually via Zoom with their peers from different countries through activities facilitated by their teachers. Our French 11 class was paired up virtually with another class learning French at the UDEM Prepa in Monterrey, Mexico. Students had the chance to get to know each other and discuss in breakout rooms on one of our class topics (Migration) in French. Although we only had one class together, this experience gave us an opportunity to start exploring the idea of virtual class exchange which could have a valuable impact on language learning and international mindedness. We are excited to see what part of the world our next virtual exchange will take us to!

- Dragana Radmanovic, French and Spanish Teacher

This year, we celebrated along with CN Lee, Jenny Lieu (Grade 11) ,Odessa Lee (Grade 10), Caleb Jang (Grade 9), and Hannah You (Grade 8) who introduced the language and culture of their hometowns, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Korea and China. On June 14, students celebrated the Dragon Boat Festival by making lovely paper boats, an Asian tradition.

- Jingjing Li, Chinese Teacher

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Science

Celebrating Curiosity in Science BY: CATHERINE DANIEL If you asked Diploma students to talk about their individual investigations for internal assessment, the word “celebration” would probably not be front of mind. They might tell you that it’s hard to come up with a research question that often, despite the best laid plans, there are setbacks or the need to start over again. Finding time for lab work with a busy schedule is challenging. Transferring existing knowledge from journal articles can be confusing.

Data processing and analysis vary by science subject and require technical expertise with software as well as big picture thinking for interpretation and evaluation.

As a teacher, I’m energized by their progress. I see their curiosity and creativity, as well as how far they have come in applying their understanding of the scientific method.

While we celebrate the Science Fair with more fanfare, through SMASH (Science & Math at Stratford Hall) in the MYP, the sense of accomplishment with individual investigations in the DP is just as tangible.

Jenny is propagating succulents to better understand root development.

This term, Grade 11 students have been working hard at their individual investigations in both biology and chemistry. They should be very proud of their achievements. For me, it’s meaningful to be involved in building stronger reasoning skills and in recognizing science as a force for positive change.

Navin is culturing algae to explore its role in the health of our oceans.

Students took part in panels on Zoom for StemCellTalks through Let’s Talk Science.

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Humanities

Game-based Learning “For the Win” BY: LISA BACHUT & GLADYS KONG During their recent summative assessment in Humanities, Grade 8 students have exercised their critical and creative skills by creating a series of different games related to the Feudal societies of Europe and Japan during the Middle Ages.

Their task was to apply what they have learned about one of these societies and create a game that was realistic, engaging and fun. What they have produced went above and beyond our expectations. For a week, the students could be seen rolling dice, purchasing property, feeding their armies, trading cards, dodging pool noodle “swords”, chasing errant knights, solving murder mysteries and navigating their way through an escape room.

The photos here speak for themselves!

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

“…brainstorming ideas and successfully combin[ing] it with [feudal] Japanese culture…” [The project] helped me remember a lot of terms used…[and] to see my peers try out the game I created.”

- Hannah You “I was intrigued to learn more about Japanese feudalism and their culture. Someday, I hope to visit Japan myself to hopefully experience the history and the culture I have learned about…”

- Lucas Venugopal “…how fun it was. I really enjoy learning about feudalism and I really liked making my game, because it didn’t feel that much like work to me… something I could do in my [free time] for fun.”

- Evan Morozov “This project allowed me personally to develop my ATL self-management skills as I had to make my own schedule and follow it through… [Also] I was able to further… my ATL thinking skills which allowed for me to comprehend and future analyze the content… and applying it to the game I developed.”

- Rhea Sunderji “Learning through playing and making games is a new concept which helped keep this unit very interesting.

When compared to the traditional learning of taking notes and sitting in class, I prefer the learn, create, and play style of teaching.”

- Niksten Chu “Overall, this unit was definitely exciting and unique because we got to experience the element of creating a game as well as learning a lot about history. My favourite memory about this unit was when we played Japanese Mafia, because there was a lot of humour and fun experience involved in that game.”

- Hallie Young

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Business

Taking Advantage of the Dip: Top 5 Stocks to Buy in June BY: SABRE TANK After a strong year, markets across the world seem to be leveling out; and Sabre Tank, Stratford Hall’s Business and Investing Club, is here to help you decide what stocks you should invest in. Thanks to leader, Brad Zhang (Grade 12), club members have learned a variety of important financial information including what the stock market is, types of stocks, and various investing strategies. If you’re looking for a deal, here are our recommendations to take advantage of the dip.

STEEL OF A DEAL The prospects of large companies in the mining sector generally improve along with global economic growth.

The next few years should bring about a vaccine-fueled recovery and an increase in global financial conditions, meaning that investing in large mining companies such as Wheaton Precious Metals Corp (TSE: WPM) can aid your portfolio upward trajectory. Precious metals are safe and valuable during uncertain times because they are a good store of value. We also recommend Schnitzer Steel Industries, Inc (NASDAQ: SCHN), a steel manufacturer

located in Oregon. This stock is expected to outperform the market in the next three months because their business earnings have been outperforming their competitors.

BE A RISK-TAKER In order to invest in stocks with long term potential for growth, Sabre Tank recommends investing in a few bluechip stocks which are large, well-established companies with great reputations. Our first recommendation is Adobe Inc (NASDAQ: ADBE) because it has high levels of profitability and high recurring revenues. In 2019 it had a net income of US$2.95 billion, total assets of US$20.76 billion, and total equity of $US10.53 billion. Next, we recommend buying Tesla Inc (NASDAQ: TSLA) because it is an investment that will likely go up in the long term. The downside to both Adobe Inc and Tesla stocks are that they do not pay dividends and they are both expensive per share.

DON’T LOOK FOR THE NEEDLE, BUY THE HAYSTACK Investing in an exchange traded fund (ETF) can be a great way to minimize fees and have a diverse collection of stocks. ARK Innovation ETF (NYSEARCA: ARKK) is an ETF of different emerging tech stocks that have potential to greatly impact the world in the future. Since the fund hit a high in February, the stock price has fallen nearly 30% so it has the potential to rebound. Because ARK ETFs have new and unproven technologies, it has a high potential for both growth and risk.

Sabre Tank thinks these five stocks are undervalued, but more importantly, are long term investments for people who want to keep their money in the stock market for years to come. Keep in mind that this article is just the opinion of Sabre Tank club members, and we encourage everyone to think critically about investing and make decisions that help you become smarter, happier, and richer.

Let us know if you think these are a buy!

Contact Sabre Tank at rebecca.holgate@stratfordhall.ca or jackie.taylor@stratfordhall.ca.

* Please always consult with your financial advisor before making financial decisions.

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Creativity, Activity and Service (CAS)

Celebrating Intergenerational Relationships with Seniors at the Lakeview Care Home BY: CAITLIN SHEPARD Stratford Hall has had a connection with Lakeview Seniors Home for several years and some of our families have even had grandparents residing there over the years.

Noting the close connection, it was not something we wanted to give up during the pandemic. In fact, the pandemic made it more important than ever to do what we could to maintain and foster that relationship.

Therefore, last fall, we started an intergenerational program between our Grade 11 students and the residents of Lakeview online via Zoom. As you can imagine, working with seniors on iPads via Zoom was fraught with some technical challenges, but we continued to persevere and settle into this unique way of interacting.

This year, our students have started to focus their conversations towards learning about the things that were most meaningful to the seniors in order for them to create visual posters to be displayed in their rooms.

It’s been a privilege to watch these relationships develop between our students and the Lakeview seniors. Our students light up when they talk to the elders, infusing their days with some brightness each time they meet. During the pandemic, the Lakeview seniors have been extremely isolated, sometimes confined to their rooms, with no human contact, for weeks at a time during outbreaks. It’s probably hard for us to imagine how much these connections mean to the elders.

There will be more opportunities for students to work with the residents of Lakeview in the coming years and I highly recommend students to take this opportunity if given the chance.

Here are some student reflections on the experience:

“I learned a lot about Michael’s experiences and travels from when he was young, as well as how he takes care of himself now. He really enjoys Indian meditation to help with his MS and enjoys gardening. Michael spoke a lot about enjoying life and finding knowledge through practical experiences. He always reminded us to make sure we are putting our focus onto things that we truly enjoy.“ - Moneek Rawan

“Out of this experience I learned quite a bit. I learned a lot of skills and traits such as being patient and using communication. Being patient was important since Irene had some difficulty with memory, therefore it was important to be patient with her and supportive.

We had to learn how to use our time effectively and communicate to the best of our ability. It was just really rewarding to see how a different generation lives and her different perspectives on life.“ - Jaya Chauhan

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Mathematics This year, Grade 6 and 7 students have been working hard inside and outside of the classroom on different mathematical skills using the online platform IXL. IXL provides students with an active learning experience that fits into any classroom. Adaptive, personalized content keeps students engaged while real-time analytics deliver the insights teachers need to tailor to individual student learning, and inspire teaching strategies.

The IXL competition for Grade 6 and 7 has been ongoing since September 2020, and five winners from each grade are announced via the “IXL Hall of Fame” every two weeks based on the time they spent on IXL, as well as the total number of questions answered. As of May 26, students have answered a total of 355,000 questions on IXL, spent 1,210 hours on IXL, became proficient in 3,979 skills, and mastered 2,943 skills! Way to go Grade 6 and 7!

- Steph Torrisi Over the course of the year, our MYP and DP students have been engaging in the University of Waterloo contests. These contests inspire students to get excited about math and computer science. 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.

This year Stratford Hall students have produced some incredible results.

In Term 1, all MYP students participated in the Beaver Computing Challenge competition. This competition challenges logical and critical thinking and introduces computer science to students. Several students scored full marks in this contest. This is an outstanding achievement.

In Term 2, the Math contests got underway. Several Stratford Hall students received a distinction based on their performance. The ability to be both critical and creative in problem solving is the key to success in these competitions. All students are to be highly commended for their performance and willingness to take part.

- Denise Brabban

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MATH SCOREBOARD BEAVER COMPUTING CONTEST GRADE 6 (100%) Matthew Allawigan Keira Jamal Livia Reynolds Chereen Ting

GRADE 7 Evan Morozov (100%) Aaron McCurley Anthony Norden Nghi Truong

GRADE 8 Kaniel Jacob-Cross Jason Tam

MATH CONTESTS (DISTINCTION) GRADE 9 (PASCAL) GRADE 10 (CAYLEY) Rohan Singh Alykahn Rajan Jason Tam Maahika Gupta Kai Schmidt Miles Wong

GRADE 11 (FERMAT) Charlene Lian Angela Li Adam Cross

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Athletics COVID-19 prevented us from having the 16th Annual Stratford Hall Track Meet last school year, but we would not let it stop us again. We did not go to Swangard Stadium for the track meet, but we made the best of the situation by transforming Clark Park into our track for two days. Athletes from Kindergarten to Grade 7 participated in cohorts and competed in the 60m and 200m dash, discus, shot put, and standing long jump. It was great to see the focus, effort, and competitive fire as our young athletes ran, jumped and threw.

It is Stratford Hall’s tradition to have Grade 6 and 7 students plan, prepare and lead through the stations. They stepped up and did a great job of organizing and accurately measuring the athletes. Some very thoughtful Grade 2 students made them some cookies with words of gratitude for their amazing efforts.

- Bobby Nishi

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GO SABRES! 60m Dash (Kindergarten - Grade 5) | 100m Dash (Grade 6 - 7) KINDERGARTEN

GRADE 1

GRADE 2

GRADE 3

1

Vincent Ma

Freddie Berlin

Eli Williams

Evan Chen

2

Kehlani Postrehovsky

Udham Kahlon

Rajan Puri

Sahvin Khera

3

Simran Sandhu

Elisa Chu

Livanag Zhao

Ewan Carson

4

Caleb Au

Zoe Shen

Sofia de la Parra

Carter Henderson

5

Audrey Wu

James Wei

Xavier Nagra

Emryn Lau

200m Dash (Kindergarten - Grade 3. Grade 6 - 7) | 175m Dash (Grade 4 - 5) KINDERGARTEN

GRADE 1

GRADE 2

GRADE 3

1

Caleb Au

Udham Kahlon

Kaysan Ahamed

Evan Chen

2

Vincent Ma

Freddie Berlin

Xavier Nagra

Ewan Carson

3

Kayden Chahal

Mason Wang

Areez Jamal

Drake Kuo

4

Audrey Wu

Patrick Liu

Branko Duric

Carter Henderson

5

Gus Kaltio

Zoe Shen

Makenzie Wong

Sahvin Khera

KINDERGARTEN

GRADE 1

GRADE 2

GRADE 3

1

Emet Bluman

Freddie Berlin

Branko Duric

Janice Wu

2

Michael Wang

Tristan Zhang

Tyler Wai

Ewan Carson

3

Evie Brown

Udham Kahlon

Josier Telio

Zachary Burkes

4

Gus Kaltio

Roniv Birdi

Austin Jiang

Jonathan Wulff

5

Louis de la Parra

Mason Wang

Marcus Lai

Sahvin Khera

KINDERGARTEN

GRADE 1

GRADE 2

GRADE 3

1

Michael Wang

Shaan Phandal

Areez Jamal

Ewan Carson

2

Cameron Macdonald

Benjamin Heywood

Leelu Barraclough

Zachary Burkes

3

Louis de la Parra

Udham Kahlon

Branko Duric

Drake Kuo

4

Isaac Chow

Kirpa Sandhu

Wilson Dai

Tyson Vu

5

Audrey Wu

Matthew Zhang

Quincy Seto

Bennett Wharf

Discus

Shot Put

Standing Long Jump

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KINDERGARTEN

GRADE 1

GRADE 2

GRADE 3

1

Emet Bluman

Roniv Birdi

Kaysan Ahamed

Shaan Bhura

2

Kehlani Postrehovsky

Patrick Liu

Chase Sun

Evan Chen

3

Gus Kaltio

Zoe Shen

Christoph Zhou

Ewan Carson

4

Sheryl Chai

William Guo

Eli Williams

Sophie Wai

5

Ben Berengel

Hannah Hong

Syra Saran

Janice Wu

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GRADE 4

GRADE 5

GRADE 6

GRADE 7

1

Marcus Do

William Zhao

Josh Gravistin

Clare Aitken

2

Sophia Liu

MingTrebilcock

Desmond Pang

Prisha Bhattad

3

Dilan Verma

Brielle Tsai

Dhavin Dhillon

Faraaz Karim

4

Aliyan Sunderji

Jayden Ahamed

Jacob Au

Liyana Ahvazi

5

Jacob Tran

Matthew Wang

Nhân Veldhuis

Sonja Hadjipavlou

GRADE 4

GRADE 5

GRADE 6

GRADE 7

1

Jacob Au

William Zhao

Josh Gravistin

Liyana Ahvazi

2

Ash Soo

Matthew Wang

Desmond Pang

James Trebilcock

3

Isaac Anand

Brielle Tsai

Dhavin Dhillon

Aniyit Saran

4

Aliyan Sunderji

Nico Yau

George Callaghan

Anthony Norden

5

Marcus Do

Sophia Low

Liam Chan

Chloe Wong

GRADE 4

GRADE 5

GRADE 6

GRADE 7

1

Isaac Anand

Levi Schmitz

Desmond Pang

Faraaz Karim

2

Scott Nann

William Zhao

Jonathan Coleman

James Trebilcock

3

Aliyan Sunderji

Shaan Gill

Lukas Bell-Buchner

Liyana Ahvazi

4

Yifeng Luo

Sienna Chu

Liam Chan

Hudson Schmitz

5

Curtis Fu

Benjamin Winstanley

Jayin Verma

Matthew Nann

GRADE 4

GRADE 5

GRADE 6

GRADE 7

1

Isaac Anand

William Zhao

Nhân Veldhuis

Faraaz Karim

2

Scott Nann

Benjamin Winstanley

Desmond Pang

Aniyit Saran

3

Aliyan Sunderji

Nico Yau

Jonathan Coleman

James Trebilcock

4

Yifeng Luo

Lucas Wu

George Callaghan

Anthony Norden

5

Liam Au

Sierra Williams

Josh Gravistin

Minjun Kang

GRADE 4

GRADE 5

GRADE 6

GRADE 7

1

Alice Hynes

Nico Yau

Senna Szigeti

Eric Lu

2

Isaac Anand

Matthew Wang

Josh Gravistin

Aitken, Clare

3

Ash Soo

Brielle Tsai

Jayin Verma

James Trebilcock

4

Ella Ramsay

Colin Cameron

Nhân Veldhuis

Anthony Norden

5

Scott Nann

Sierra Williams

Dhavin Dhillon

Liza Kim

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Research on Southern White Opposition to School Desgregation BY: AUDREY KAMACHI, ‘21

Students in Diploma Programme History study topics in the 20th century, and have significant leeway in choosing their major research paper, the Historical Investigation.

Audrey approached her study of the course with a deeply ingrained sense of social justice. She applied this passion in her contributions to our Remembrance Day Ceremony, discussing her family’s interment in WWII, and in the paper presented here. During the COVID-19 crisis, social justice has been painfully and necessarily highlighted as the pandemic has enunciated racial divisions in North America. In this context, she wrote an exemplary piece examining the reasons for the racist backlash against school desegregation in 1954. I share this with you to demonstrate just one of the ways that IB students can approach their studies with confidence, excellence and integrity.

- Chris Brogan, Individuals & Societies Department Head

Although Brown v. Board of Education was a watershed of the US civil rights movement, overturning the “separatebut-equal” doctrine by ruling school segregation unconstitutional, many Southerners declared it a “day of catastrophe - a Black Monday - a day something like Pearl Harbour” (Rabby 201). Historians dispute why Brown inspired such massive Southern white resistance, especially in comparison to other areas, like public transportation and the military, which desegregated relatively peacefully. In his 1954 speech, Senator Eastland insisted discontent with federal intervention and the specter of interracial mixing and communism fuelled opposition. More convincing, however, is historian Patterson’s argument that lower-class, rural whites opposed Brown to suppress Black suffrage and preserve white supremacy.

To many Southerners, Brown was a matter of states’ rights versus federal government intervention; thus, opposing Brown was “a cause that resonated deeply in a Southern political consciousness [because] the Civil War and Reconstruction remained seminal events’’ (Klarman 102).

This sentiment is evident in Eastland’s speech, declaring:

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“racial segregation was the correct, self-evident truth which arose from the chaos and confusion of the Reconstruction period. [...] Free men have the right to send their children to schools of their own choosing, free from governmental interference” (Eastland 92-93). Correspondingly, Historian Klarman argues the cause of the Confederacy prevailed as a powerful battle cry for Southerners to “rally around the white supremacist banner” of resistance to desegregation (Klarman 98). For example, the 1956 Southern Manifesto, which proclaimed Brown “an abuse of judicial power that trespassed upon states’ rights” and urged resistance by all “lawful means,” was signed by 19 of the 22 Southern Senators (“The Southern”). Furthermore, in the 1957 Little Rock Crisis, Arkansas Governor Faubus resisted federal intervention by dispatching the National Guard to prevent the admission of Black students to Central High School, transforming him into a regional hero, winning four additional terms as Governor. This argument is convincing: just as many Southerners supported state, but not federal, anti-lynching legislation in the 1920s and 1930s, Southern liberals favoured local initiatives to ameliorate Jim Crow,

Photograph by John T. Bledsoe (Source: Wikipedia)

THE YEAR IN REVIEW

warning federal intervention would cause more harm than good.

Brown demanded desegregation occur in a uniquely sensitive area of life, childhood education, where Southerners proved most resistant; Eastland explained: “It is these social institutions that Southern people, in my judgement, will not permit the Supreme Court to tamper” (Eastland 93). Demagogues exacerbated parental opposition by raising the specter of interracial mixing, citing statistics revealing increased out-of-wedlock pregnancies among Black women and stereotypes about sexually aggressive Black men. Alabama Senator Givhan purported the NAACP’s goal was “to open the bedroom doors of our White women to Negro men” (Patterson 87).

White supremacists feared for the purity of the white race; the Daily News editorialized: “white and Negro children in the same schools will lead to miscegenation.

Miscegenation leads to mixed marriages and mixed marriages lead to mongrelization of the human race” (“Bloodstains on White”). Distinctively, children were the centerpiece of Brown, making it unsurprising school desegregation inspired more resistance than less sensitive areas, like transportation and the military.

Brown must be understood within its Cold War context; with McCarthyism in effect, the US was perceived to be under internal and external threat in 1954. Anything

challenging the status quo was often labeled communistinspired; accordingly, in Eastland’s worldview, civil rights and communism were inextricably linked, declaring: “the decision of the Supreme Court in the school desegregation case was based on the writings and teachings of procommunist agitators and other enemies of the American form of government” (Mannino 205). Asch argues “[Eastland’s] fight against Communism was a fight for white supremacy - much of his hatred for Communism grew from his concerns about its potential effect on black Americans;” however, Eastland was not alone, a Tuskegee resident explained one either opposed Brown or was “a n*****loving communist” and The Citizens’ Council newspaper insisted communist agitators were behind NAACP desegregation efforts. To evaluate Eastland’s speech, as a staunch Cold Warrior and white supremacist, it has the positive quality of disclosing the extreme side of opposition to Brown; however, detractors argue his perspective is incomplete as it fails to represent all Southern whites.

Alternatively, the Southern population was not homogenous; Patterson argues: “Eastland surely did not speak for all Whites. The notion that ‘the white South’ was uniformly racist was a flawed, often self-gratifying northern notion” (Patterson 88). Instead, one’s demographic largely determined their reaction towards Brown. Fascinatingly, upper-class whites, living in urban areas among low Black populations, were more accommodating; they

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were economically and socially unthreatened by Brown because their children would attend schools without Blacks regardless. Conversely, lower-class whites, living in rural areas among high Black populations, remained immovably defiant; separate-but-not-equal education offered them consolation, including less job competition and a sense of status. At a deeper level, Patterson explains Brown sparked anxieties about Blacks getting “uppity,” creating “doubts about the durability of white supremacy - and therefore about their ability in the long run to maintain their social and economic superiority over people of colour” (Patterson 88). Accordingly, in 1958, in Norfolk, Virginia, “lower-class whites voted by a nine-to-one margin in favor of school closures over desegregation, while upper-class whites divided equally on the issue” (Klarman 99). Indeed, both the 1957 Little Rock and 1960 New Orleans school crises were exacerbated by plans demanding only lower-class whites attend desegregated schools.

Patterson’s argument is convincing: even if extreme opposition mainly comprised lower-class, rural whites, it is essential to grasp this demographic’s disproportionate electoral strength. Although Patterson neglects this crucial element, when the Electoral College was created in 1787, the Three-Fifths Compromise counted disenfranchised slaves as three-fifths of a person when determining the southern states’ total population (Bodenner). Significantly, this established an electoral system where representatives were appointed according to total, rather than voting, population. Generations later, separate-but-not-equal education kept Southern Blacks politically powerless; in 1950, 45% of Southern Blacks received less than four years of formal education (Salvatore et al.). Consequently, the greatest barrier to Black suffrage, literacy tests, prevailed; in the mid-1950s, only 20% of Southern Blacks were registered voters, reaching as low as 5% in Eastland’s state of Mississippi (Sanders 71-72; Scott-Baumann and Clements 83). Essentially, this allowed rural whites to cast votes for their disenfranchised Black neighbours, meaning desegregated, equal education threatened their disproportionate electoral strength, thereby motivating resistance. Klarman argues Brown “awakened [rural] whites to the imminent threat posed to their white supremacist world view, and they moved quickly to reassert their traditional dominance over Southern politics,” validating

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Patterson’s argument (Klarman 101). Brown’s threat proved extraordinarily powerful: rather than desegregating, Virginia Governor Almond closed Norfolk, Charlottesville, and Warren County schools, halting public education altogether from 1958-1959.

The crux of Patterson’s argument is the overwhelming electoral strength of rural whites, often the most committed to white supremacy, made the political South appear significantly more opposed to Brown than the Southerners themselves by electing racial extremists, like Eastland, into government. Crucially, these politicians were victorious in evading Brown because the ruling provided no date desegregation had to be achieved, effectively leaving the ambiguous instruction to their discretion.

Encapsulating the repercussions of this, the Richmond News editorialized: “When the Court proposes that its social revolution be imposed upon the South ‘as soon as practical,’ there are those of us who would respond that ‘as soon as practical’ means never at all” (Richmond News Leader).

Benefitting from hindsight, politicians patently exploited Brown’s lack of teeth: by 1964, only 1.2% of Black children attended desegregated schools in the eleven Southern states (Rosenberg 52).

Significantly, opposition to Brown was not an issue of continuity, but rather, change, becoming a turning point in the South’s commitment to the preservation of Jim Crow.

Eastland insisted discontent with federal intervention and the specter of interracial mixing and communism fuelled opposition; however, his argument conceals the underbelly that many were, in actuality, inspired to suppress Black suffrage and preserve white supremacy, a construct deeply intertwined in the social fabrics of the South. As Patterson convincingly argues, at the forefront of this resistance were rural whites who exercised disproportionate electoral strength, ensuring segregationists, like Eastland, exploited the ruling’s ambiguity.

KEY DATES

* Subject to Change

2021 - 2022 Key Dates 2021

September

Tuesday 7 Wednesday 8

Senior School New Student Orientation, 10:30am School Opens - First day of school for all students

October

Friday 8 Monday 11 Wednesday 20 Thursday 21 Friday 22

Teacher Pro-D Day (No school for students) 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 school for students)

November

2022

Friday 5 Monday 15

December

Friday 17

January

Monday 10

February

Thursday 3 Friday 4 Thursday 17 Friday 18 Monday 21 Thursday 24 Friday 25

Last day of class before Winter Break, Early Dismissal, 12:00pm WINTER BREAK: MONDAY, DEC 20 - FRIDAY, JAN 7 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) Teacher Pro-D Day (No school for students) ISABC Pro-D Day (No school for students) 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 28

Last day of class before Spring Break (full day) SPRING BREAK: MONDAY, MAR 14 - FRIDAY, MAR 25 Classes resume after Spring Break

April

Friday 15 Monday 18 Friday 29

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

May

Friday 20 Monday 23 Saturday 28 Sunday 29

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

June

Friday 24

March

Friday 11

Last day of class before Midterm Break (Full day) MIDTERM BREAK: MONDAY, NOV 8 - FRIDAY, NOV 12 Classes resume after Midterm Break

Closing Assembly, 11:00am-12:00pm (noon dismissal)

IMPRINT: JUN 2021: VOLUME 20 / ISSUE 2

55

Congratulations 2021 Graduates We couldn’t be more proud of you!

You are our Sabres Superheroes! #sabrespride 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 the class that is truly ready to be change-makers.

You are our Superheroes!

Congratulations Class of 2021.

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.

The Class of 2021 Brayden Barker*

Aysha Majeed*

Lauren Brown

Mattia Manganini

Arabella (Bali) Chu-Mehrer*

Thomas Oyhenart*

Kurt Coleman

Estella Pires*

Priya Conatser*

Zakir Raza*

Kiran Dhanda*

Nicholas Rochette-Cavén*

Zubin Grewall*

Basil Rohlfs

Tyler Gunasekera

Maxwell Rowley*

Christina (Tia) Haughian*

Jennifer Sinka

Claire Haussmann

Sarah Stanford*

Nicholas (Nico) Horng*

Byron Tang

Xindi Hu

Jack Wilkie

Audrey Kamachi

Cailey Wong

Marjorie Lee*

Madoka Wowk*

Kaden Leung*

Laurie Yeh*

Milton Leung

Emma Yip*

Siyu Li

Yi Fan (Brad) Zhang

Ashanti Mackenzie* * Lifer

OUR MISSION Stratford Hall educates students to the highest global standards through the programmes of the International Baccalaureate. Excellence and confidence are developed through a challenging academic curriculum with further emphasis on creativity, action and service. We foster a strong pluralistic community built on integrity and respect.

OUR VISION Stratford Hall strives to be a global leader in the International Baccalaureate community. Our students will gain a deep understanding of the world around them, and they will act on their connections to the outside community.

They will excel to the best of their abilities, and graduates will be equipped to achieve their chosen goals. This is accomplished by acquiring and retaining the best teachers, and by a commitment to a balanced and enriched curriculum. The success of Stratford Hall is deeply rooted in the establishment of a supportive, knowledgeable and committed community.

STAY CONNECTED www.stratfordhall.ca

@StratfordHallSchool

@Stratford_Hall

@Stratford_Hall