Imprint: March 2016 Issue

IMPRINT March 2016 • Volume 15, Issue 3

Stratford Hall News & Celebrations

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IN THIS ISSUE 3

LETTER FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL

5

LETTER FROM THE BOARD

8

INTERMISSION FROM WORK

10

FISA’S 50TH ANNIVERSARY

11

THE MYP AND DP STUDY CENTRES

12

HIGH SCORES VS. HIGH STANDARDS

13

100 DAYS OF SCHOOL

14

AN ODE TO MY TIE

15

PROGRESS AT KIPEVU PRIMARY SCHOOL

16

OUTDOOR EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION

18

THE MAKINGS OF A GREAT EDUCATION

21

FALL MATH CONTEST RESULTS

22

SHAF: AN EYE ON INNOVATION

24

WHAT’S BEEN HAPPENING AT STRATFORD HALL?

26

OUTSTANDING IN THE FIELD

28

WINTERLUDE: OEE 10 EXPEDITION #2

30

CREATING BY DESIGN: À LA GRADE 5

32

GOOD IMPRESSIONS

33

KEEPING UP WITH THE STAFF

34

THE MOUSE THAT ROARED

36

WHAT IS UP WITH THE WOBBLE STOOLS?

37

ALL ABOUT GALA

38

CELEBRATIONS

39

STAFF & STUDENTS FACE OFF

40

SABRES SPORTS

IMPRINT March 2016 • Volume 15, Issue 3

Stratford Hall News & Celebrations

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On the cover of this issue, Henry R. gets a little seven-on-one assistance from his teachers in the DP Study Centre.

MARCH 2015

Dates for the Calendar MARCH 9 • Grade 12 student luncheon #4 MARCH 10 • Junior School musical theatre showcase • Admissions info session for prospective parents

Letter from the Head of School Knowing Where We Are and Choosing Where We Want To Go: Shaping the Mission, Vision and Strategic Priorities for the Road Ahead

MARCH 11 • Early dismissal day MARCH 14 to 28 • Spring break – school closed MARCH 30 • Grade 5 parent info night regarding the MYP MARCH 31 • PYP report cards ready in ManageBac APRIL 6 • Junior School speakers’ showcase APRIL 9 • The Gala APRIL 12 • MYP and DP international trips info night • Grade 10 Personal Project presentations APRIL 14 • Junior School track meet • Admissions info session for prospective parents APRIL 18 to 22 • PYP and MYP Arts Week APRIL 20 & 21 • MYP student-led conferences APRIL 22 • Early dismissal day • SHPA Fun Friday APRIL 27 • Grade 12 student luncheon #5

In any new leadership role, it takes time to understand the people, collective culture, current state of affairs, previous goals, and – perhaps most importantly – the underlying desires around who we wish to be. I appreciate the time this community has given me to piece together these various facets, and allow me to make meaningful contributions to the five-year strategic plan.

Taking the time to understand our culture and getting to know the students, parents, faculty and staff is a process that has been enjoyable and rewarding over the past eight months – what a wonderful group of human beings to work alongside. As a Head of School, my understanding of our educational and financial positions is based on talking to the right people about the right things, understanding our previous goals – mainly from the previous strategic

plan – and analysing our data to gather a picture of how and why we are here today. Our Mission and Vision is the expression of what we do every day to reach our aspirational future state, and needs to be reviewed annually. As such, the Mission and Vision will also play a role in this year’s priorities.

As we roll up our sleeves to chart the course for the next five years, we will be seeking input from a number of our community members; in fact, we have already begun.

The Culture and Climate survey sent out a few weeks ago has provided a wealth of insight into the community and its feelings about Stratford Hall. A similar survey will be rolled out for students and staff in the coming weeks to triangulate the parents’ thoughts and wishes.

We are also planning to host focus groups in the near future that give us an opportunity to re-visit our Vision and Mission and see if it is (continued on page 4)

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still aligned with what we are delivering and where we are heading. In an ideal world, this review would happen in advance of the strategic plan, but in our case they will be happening concurrently. This allows us to ultimately be more efficient with your time and the collection of your feedback, so that our Vision, Mission, and strategic plan work together in concert. Look for details from me and the Community Development office further into the school year for how you can get involved.

We are hopeful that this process will come together by early- to mid-June and we will be ready to share the entire Board-approved plan with the wider community. At the same time as we publish the strategic priorities, we will also be sharing some of the details from our updated five-year financial forecast, including the next three years of expected tuition levels so that families are able to budget accordingly. It is crucial to remember that without a robust community of giving to support school initiatives, we are less able to mitigate potential

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increases in tuition, so please support our fundraising initiatives where possible!

During this planning journey, we encourage our entire community to get involved so that the final product represents a wide cross-section of the community’s shared ideals and collective vision for Stratford Hall.

Having been through the strategic planning process previously, I cannot emphasize enough the value of having a collaborative, transparent pronouncement of where we are heading. We welcome you to join us on that journey.

Sincerely,

JASON MCBRIDE HEAD OF SCHOOL

MARCH 2016

Letter From the Board

AIYAZ ALIBHAI CHAIR OF THE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE OF THE STRATFORD HALL BOARD As Chair of the Governance Committee of the Stratford Hall School Board, I write to share some reflections on the governance and operation of the Board of Governors and Stratford Hall. The founders of Stratford Hall School were committed to the development of a School that prepared students to understand, contribute to, and succeed in a rapidly changing society, and make the world a better place.

This ideal is reflected in the School’s Mission Statement which reads: Stratford Hall educates students to the highest global standards, through the programs 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.

The School’s Vision Statement reads: 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.

From its inception, Stratford Hall School was structured as a not-for-profit and charitable society for the delivery of the three International Baccalaureate programmes (PYP, MYP and DP).

Various models for governance of not-for-profit schools exist.

The parents’ cooperative model, where parents elect the Board directly and approve the budget, is a model that naturally and typically focuses primarily on the short term, and is biased towards parental opinion. This model is inclined on too many occasions toward a crisis posture that undermines school leadership and board governance. It is not a model favoured by the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS). Another approach comprises a corporate model approach where the Board (continued on page 6)

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members are not involved directly with the school. This approach is not completely responsive to the educational needs of the students.

Further, it is also inclined toward a crisis posture between the school leadership and board. This approach is also not favoured as a good governance model for Schools.

The favoured approach is based on the Policy Governance, or Carver Model, and it was developed as an antidote to the ills of constituent-driven boards or corporate-driven distant boards.

It is the approach favoured by the NAIS and the Canadian Accredited Independent School organization. Under this approach, the Board is responsible for determining the purpose of the School as set out in its Mission and Vision Statements; the Head of School, representing the administration, is responsible for developing and implementing the educational, teaching and learning objectives. The strength of this approach is based on the principle that governance is most effective when focused on the long term and strategic, not the operational.

The NAIS advocates a selfperpetuating board where the Board chooses itself and its successors and is focused largely on the strategic future of the school. In this model, the Board sees itself as having only one employee to hire, evaluate, and fire (the Head of School), and it scrupulously and thankfully redirects all constituent complaints to the proper place – teachers, then division principals, then the Head of School. The Board then supports the Head of School in his role. This approach frees the Board to focus on the larger issues of institutional stability and growth. This model is used by

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over 90% of the schools who are members of NAIS. At Stratford Hall, the Board comprises a mixture of parental and non-parental members who bring the necessary connection, insight, diversity of experience and competencies required by the Board at various points in time.

The purpose of the Board is not to run the school for board members’ and parents’ children, but rather to create an even better school for the broader school community

and their children’s children. As such, the parental board members sacrifice the right to advocate for their children in favour of advocating for the long-term interest of the entire student and school community; not something that is easy to do.

Under British Columbia law, directors are under a statutory obligation to supervise and oversee the affairs and management of the School. A director or governor’s duty is owed to the School. This duty is grounded in basic principles

of good faith, stewardship and accountability. Directors respond by closely monitoring (not managing) the activities of the organization they serve, by critically evaluating their exposure to liability as a result of the School’s activities and financial condition. Good governance requires the Board to monitor and oversee the affairs of the School but not manage them in a day-today sense. The fundamental work of the Board comprises approving the Mission, Vision and strategic

direction of the School; monitoring the School’s performance; overseeing the financial affairs and long-term sustainability of the School; assessing the School’s risks; communication with the School community on the strategic direction of the School and budgets; and selecting and supervising the Head of School.

As such, the Mission and Vision Statements are paramount at the School. This is the commitment by the School to its constituencies.

Responsibility for the day-to-day management of the School is delegated to the Head of School,

MARCH 2016

Did You Know? Tuesday, March 8th is International Women’s Day. Visit http://www.internationalwomensday.com to see how you can take action.

who is responsible to, and reports back to, the Board. The Head of School is selected for his professional skills, experience and competence to deliver the Mission and Vision of the School. Studies confirm that effective Schools have the Head of Schools charged with the responsibility for both administration and instructional leadership of the School.

At Stratford Hall, Board service requires a significant commitment to the school and its welfare, observance of the highest ethical standards and principles of fiscal integrity, and a readiness to explore challenges that are informed by a collaborative spirit and a shared commitment to the School’s Mission. The Board strives to maintain a balance of members from the school community and independent members from outside the parental community. At various points in its growth, the Board has determined the competencies it required and sought the assistance of persons with such competencies that were involved with the School and who were committed to its Mission and Vision.

Currently the Board comprises 10 members, including the Head of School who is an ex-offico, nonvoting member. With respect to the nine current board members, the Board has six parental members and three non-parental members. Excluding the Head of School, the Board has four women and five men. Stratford Hall has a strong commitment to meritocracy

and empowerment of women.

Since its inception, the Board has had three women as Chairs of the Board (Elaine Lee, Cindy Leung and now Beverly Ginder). This is a notable achievement, in and of itself, and worthy of celebration.

The Board currently has three standing committees to assist in its functions: the Audit and Finance committee, the Governance committee and the Head of School relations committee. The Audit and Finance committee assists the Board to ensure that the School operates in a financially prudent manner with appropriate controls, checks and balances to safeguard assets and manage financial risks. The Governance committee assists the Board to create and maintain a healthy governance culture that reflects current governance standards and good practices.

The Head of School Relations committee assists the Board in the review and evaluation of the Head of School. Special committees, or ad hoc committees, of the Board are established from time-to-time to consider particular issues of concern to the Board. Committees of the Board allow members to share responsibility and to devote the necessary resources to a particular issue or area. It allows the Board to become familiar with persons who wish to serve on the Board. Typically, the Board fills vacancies on the Board by working with and exposure to such voluntary members who are committed to the Mission and Vision and the long-term strategic direction of the School.

The Board intends to fill subsequent vacancies with non-parental members with the appropriate skills needed by the Board and, eventually, an alum student. This would bring the necessary balance and diversity of skills and experiences to the Board for its strategic objectives.

Alec Ross in his book, “The Industries of the Future”, writes about the pace of transformation of industries and jobs in the world, and challenges to the established order. He notes that for students entering primary education, 65% of the jobs of their future do not have job titles today. The major skill sets required for success are likely to be competency in the sciences fused with a strong liberal arts and humanities education to develop skills for communication, collaboration and persuasion.

Further, such education should be complemented by cultural intelligence and competency in multiple languages. The IB programmes are ideally placed to do just that.

Our children will grow up and inherit a world that looks much different from our own. The Stratford Hall School Board is committed to ensuring that the graduates of the School will be successful at their post-secondary endeavors; live principled lives; be curious and life-long learners; engage in local and global issues for the betterment of all; and demonstrate balance in their lives.

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INTERMISSION FROM WORK

school (n.1) “place of instruction,” Old English scol, from Latin schola from Greek: “intermission of work, leisure for learning.”

I recently read in a newspaper that the word ‘school’ comes from the ancient Greek word for ‘free time.’

This is very interesting in and of itself, but what makes it even more intriguing is that I read it in the most recent issue of the Grade 5 Gazette – in fact, it’s the first line on the front page of the publication created, edited, and printed solely by students in their own ‘free time’.

That Grade 5 students are looking up Ancient Greek word origins is reassuring. That a group of passionate Grade 5 students wrote articles and published this newspaper completely on their own time, then hand-delivered it to teachers and students around the school, stops me in my tracks.

To think that school was once an intermission from work – a way to break from the hard realities of daily living – reminds me what the heart of education should

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be about, and what authentic learning does: igniting innovation.

Education is the opposite of fear, Col. Chris Hadfield so eloquently put it in his presentation to independent school teachers at our recent FISA convention.

School, education, learning – these should free our minds from the narrow understandings that hamper us, and open the world’s opportunities to us.

We know we have done our job as educators and parents when we see students like these Grade 5s, or those who visit our Exploratorium, take their learning ‘outside’ and extend it on their own. I love that they hunted me down to ask permission to get together at lunchtime to write (but I loved it more that they had actually already started!). The work they do in their classes with their teachers is sparking ideas, and they want to continue it outside of the schedule.

This was recently highlighted a second time when a teacher showed me a poem that a student had written based on her viewing of the Elgin marbles (relics from the Parthenon) during her recent visit to the British Museum. The family had been on holiday in the first few weeks of school in September, travelling to Turkey and the UK. I remember her mom emailing me in the summer, worried that her daughter would miss some key learning and wondering what they could do to stay on top of things. But what a wonderful chance to make connections beyond the classroom. The classroom would be here when they returned.

“School” could return to its first meaning: leisure for learning.

I asked this Grade 2 student, who likes to write poems in her free time, to tell me about her visit and the poetry. Her mom had recently read her the Keats poem ‘On seeing the Elgin Marbles,’ then

MARCH 2016

On Seeing the Elgin Marbles as a Child At first sight These headless, armless wonders are not much.

Take a closer look to see Helios, chariot sparkling wet, arising from the deep blue ocean depths, even as Selene’s horses panting tired pulled the moon into the sea.

Open your eyes to what’s left: all the years experienced.

As if these statues know all which happened in between.

SIMONE B.

suggested she respond to Keats’ poem by writing her own. There was some scribing and scribbling and looking up words in a thesaurus, and you can read the wonderful result.

In class, we intentionally teach students to make connections, and the Grade 2 class was practicing this a lot last term. Here we see a wonderful example of a connection taught and nurtured by teachers and parents transferred to personal experience, extending outside the classroom (plus, I, personally, as an English literature/history buff, appreciate the reference to Keats and the connection to Ancient Greece – a plug for liberal arts education!).

Yes, we will keep our amazing units of inquiry and criteria-based courses because they are necessary.

To be the best school, we need these to structure learning and organize our flow so that children can focus and be free to explore within them. There are critical skills to be taught, profound concepts to be introduced, and fundamental content to be explored.

But we also know that real learning is waiting to happen – is already happening – outside of our scheduled blocks and busy after school programs.

I invite you to wonder with me about where we can continue to create spaces and time for wonder, for leisure for learning.

GRETA BARTSCH PRINCIPAL OF THE JUNIOR SCHOOL

Interview with the poet What part do you like most about what you wrote?

That it’s a mix of facts and poetic words. And that I tried new words, like “even as” instead of “meanwhile.”

Have you written poems before?

Well, yes. I had already started another book of poems that I’ve been working on off the top of my head. This was the first time I tried to make it a story and work it more.

Where do you keep your poems?

In a little book, nothing special.

Do you think you’ll write more poems?

Probably. (Smile)

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FISA’s 50th Anniversary This year marks the 50th anniversary of the creation of the Federation of Independent Schools Association. FISA is the regulatory body that ensures families around the province of BC have access to the schools of their choice. It ensures the independence of schools, strengthens freedom of choice for parents and students, and improves access to independent schools for all, regardless of economic status. Under FISA, all independent schools must belong to one of five local associations in order to receive funding from the provincial government. Those associations are the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI), the Associate Member Group (AMG), Catholic Independent Schools Inter-Society Committee (CIS), Society of Christian Schools in BC (SCSBC), and of course our own Independent Schools Association of BC (ISABC). In short, without FISA, your freedom to choose from a wide range of independent schools in BC would be limited or even non-existent.

February 4th and 5th marked the 50th anniversary of FISA, and 5000 independent school educators from around the province gathered at the Vancouver Convention Centre for two days of professional development. Keynote speakers included Daniel Pink, bestselling author of “A Whole New Mind,” “Drive,” and, most recently, “To Sell is Human;” Charles Fadel, founder and chairman of The Center for Curriculum Redesign; and Colonel Chris Hadfield, astronaut, author, and musician: the first Canadian to walk in space and to be named Commander of the International Space Station.

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Daniel Pink opened the conference asking pointed questions, stating that the most important skill children can learn is that of selfadvocacy. He asked us to consider how schools and educators are helping them to do this? Pink encouraged teachers and school administrators to “decatastrophize failure.”

Failure is a necessary and inevitable part of everyone’s life, but it is what we do with failure – how we respond – that makes us who we are and who we will become.

Students must learn problem-finding instead of just looking for solutions to problems, and engage themselves in what he called “interrogative self-talk,” moving from “I can do this,” to asking: “can I do this?”

Colonel Chris Hadfield concluded the conference on Friday afternoon, and what an incredible conclusion it was!

Colonel Hadfield illustrated a fascinating glimpse into the life of an astronaut with countless memorable quotes and photographs from space. He described the dangers of space travel and what it is like to sit in a rocket ship with 80 million horsepower rumbling beneath you counting down to the moment you are thrust into space. His take: you want things to fail early in the process and fail big—long before that final countdown begins.

“When those rockets light up you know you’re going somewhere – hopefully it’s up,” stated Hadfield, adding that early success can actually breed failure and a false

sense of security. The topic of managing and responding to failure came up a number of times during the conference, and how failure often leads to success – something that I have spoken to students about frequently over the years in assemblies.

Towards the end of his hourlong talk, which included his own rendition of David Bowie’s “Space Oddity,” Chris Hadfield stated that “life is the inevitable consequence of the thousands of small things that you chose to do next. What will you do next?” What will our students do next? “There is genius everywhere and we have to enable it.” What an amazing encouragement to end a fantastic conference from a man who has circled the planet over 2500 times in space.

BRAD SMITH PRINCIPAL OF THE SENIOR SCHOOL

MARCH 2016

The MYP and DP Study Centres Both the MYP and DP Study Centres are up and running! Students are encouraged to attend for a quiet study space and extra help from teachers. This is a great way for students to learn organization and time management skills, and to complete assignments at school before moving on to co-curricular activities or time to relax at home in the evenings.

The DP Study Centre is available Monday to Thursday after school in Club Ed, and the MYP Study Centre is available Mondays and Thursdays after school and Wednesdays and Fridays before school. Everyone is welcome to attend!

SARAH RIDDELL MYP TEACHER

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High Scores vs. High Standards Would you prefer that your child achieve high scores or high standards? If you are having a hard time deciding, it is probably because the two might seem interchangeable; however, the difference, albeit subtle, is nevertheless significant.

There is a lot of pressure to achieve high scores. From the perspective of parents and students, good results are required to get into summer programs and university programs, and to earn specific credentials, awards, and scholarships. For schools, good results across the student body contribute to high rankings and a good reputation. These are all good things, if (and only if) the high scores reflect high standards.

Unfortunately, when high scores are prioritized over high standards, the high scores can reflect lowered standards and can become a barrier to learning.

In my high school experience, high scores were more important than high standards. My classmates and I would complain if a test was too hard and would argue with the teacher to get part-marks added to our tests. Grades were treated like a currency and we acted like misers, hoarding every cent we could. At the time I thought those habits indicated a commitment to excellence, but I now see that I was more interested in earning than learning. If I had really been committed to high standards, I would have welcomed challenging questions that pushed me to use my knowledge and skills in new ways. Instead of trying to extort extra marks after each test, I would have considered the feedback I got in order to find

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ways to improve subsequent work.

Rather than seeing my teachers as adversaries who withheld marks, I would have seen them as allies who were pushing me to improve and extend my abilities.

Another grim reality is that high scores can be achieved without reaching high standards. If achieving a high score is the only goal, there are lots of ways – honest and dishonest – to get there; however, students who are determined to reach high standards have nothing to gain by cheating. The only way to reach a high standard is through persistent effort to refine the necessary skills.

The structure of assessment in IB programmes, and at Stratford Hall, prioritizes high standards.

Rather than lowering expectations so that students can achieve high scores, the objectives define a high standard, requiring creativity, sophistication, and an ability to transfer knowledge and skills into unfamiliar situations. Because the standards are set so high, our focus is on improvement rather than perfection. Students are given challenging tasks, are encouraged to take risks, and are supported in continuous improvement. Even our highestachieving students are given opportunities to extend their understanding and skills.

Consequently, all students develop a growth-mindset and the ability to apply feedback to make improvements in their work.

Thankfully, post-secondary institutions are increasingly prioritizing high standards over high scores, in part because of the reputation of IB students.

The Diploma Programme exams

require a level of sophistication that is respected around the world.

Moreover, studies have found that IB students are more successful in university. This points to another benefit of high standards compared to high scores: While high scores might grant access to certain opportunities, the ability to make steady progress towards high standards will help students to make the most of those opportunities.

There are insidious ways that we, both parents and teachers, inadvertently emphasize high scores over high standards, especially at report card time.

Here are some strategies for helping our students stay focused on high standards: ●

Rather than focusing on the report card in isolation, consider any changes since the last report card (or student-led conference), looking for evidence of improvement.

●

The comments are more informative than the grades, so read them carefully, paying particular attention to goals and strategies for improvement.

●

Help your child to set goals that refer to standards, rather than scores. For example, instead of “my goal is to get a 6 in English”, aim for something like, “my goal is to include a wider range of vocabulary in my writing.”

SARAH PHILLIPS MYP COORDINATOR

MARCH 2016

1OO DAYS OF SCHOOL!

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An Ode to My Tie An ode to my tie The silky oppressor of my neck The striped burglar of my freedom Oh why do you clench so tight?

Stopping the flow to my brain Your attempts to break me have all fallen short Oh how did it come to this?

The endless fights You never meant to hurt me (and you never really did) but still the endless battle wages thrashing like a rabbit in a snare fighting to escape getting tighter the longer I wait Wait, it’s not you – it’s me, my plea is just that you stay far away from me We just aren’t working out Go tie the knot with someone else OSCAR LEISHMAN GRADE 11 STUDENT

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MARCH 2016

Kipevu Corner

Progress at Kipevu Primary School On a recent trip to Kenya, I made it a priority to visit Kipevu, but was unfortunately unable to make a proper visit to the school; however Hemed Mukui, the coordinator for our work there, provided me with great news.

KCPE Scores 260 250 240 230 220

At the end of each school year, the Grade 8 class must write the KCPE national exams. These exams are significant as they determine a student’s future secondary school placement. If students do not do well, then they do not even have the choice of a secondary education!

Understandably, the stakes are high for both the students and the school to prepare well for these exams. The validity and true purpose of these exams are always in question as this is reflected in the yearly results: Average national scores have always been below 250 out of 500. This year the national average was 249 out of 500.

Kipevu Primary School is situated

210 200 190 2007

2008

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Kipevu

in one of the least advantaged areas of Mombasa. In this slum area we had to build a wall around the school grounds to secure the safety of students and teachers.

When Stratford Hall arrived on the scene in 2007, the KCPE scores were barely over 200. Once the wall was completed, these scores jumped to 216-218. The previous year (2014) the score was 222. It became evident that the wall was helping. This past year (2015), the score reached 238. These are significant increases in such

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National Average

a short period. The students who wrote these exams in 2015 were actually in Grade 5 when the wall was completed.

On behalf of Kipevu Primary School, Hemed Mukui thanks the entire Stratford Hall community for making such a difference, and continuing to do so, in the lives of Kipevu children.

MICHAEL MCGUIRE SENIOR SCHOOL OEE COORDINATOR

Hemed Mukui, Our Man on the Ground Hemed Mukui is our project manager for Kipevu school in Mombasa. He is a man of integrity and a partner in my school venture in Mombasa. Before he got into the school business, he was a safari operator and has continued to do this, now with his own safari company.

He has led our school trips on safari while in Kenya, and has also guided Stratford Hall parents and staff.

If you are interested in visiting Kenya and going on safari, I recommend visiting Hemed’s website: http://mykenyasafari.com/

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OUTDOOR EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION

When it comes to outdoor education, our students are the most fortunate in the province, possibly the country. It is safe to say that no other school offers the variety and depth of outdoor experiences across the range of grades that Stratford Hall does.

Outdoor Experiential Education begins in Grade 4 and develops through the grades until the final year in Grade 10. Ms. Blachut begins this course in the PYP starting once or twice a month. The intent here is to introduce our students to outdoor activities and teach them about the soft skills, such as wearing appropriate clothing and interpersonal communication. The activities include dragon boating, snowshoeing, indoor climbing, and skating, and the focus is to simply get them on skates, or snowshoes, or cross-country skis, often for the very first time.

Success is measured by the amount of laughter and smiles.

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In the MYP, Mr. Nishi and I continue with OEE 6 and 7. Here, it becomes more intentional as we build on those positive experiences in the PYP and focus on developing familiarity and skills with the outdoor activities. Mr. McGuire then continues in Grades 8 to 10 and includes similar activities so that a student’s confidence and competency

further develops. In the Grade 9 year, the focus is on certification in these activities. Students have the opportunity for gaining certification in CANSAIL 1, wilderness first aid, belaying (climbing), food safety, and ocean kayaking level 1. It’s rather a nice way to complete the official part of the OEE program at Stratford Hall.

MARCH 2016 But we don’t stop there. In Grade 10 the students are usually more mature, physically and mentally, and are ready for a challenge. The OEE program offers students the ultimate summative experience by taking them on four extended outdoor expeditions. Spread across the year, the OEE program takes Grade 10s on the following: • • • •

A four-day hiking trip to the Stein Valley near Lytton, BC. It’s a gold rush trail in a pristine wilderness.

A three-day winter excursion to Manning Park, where we snowshoe and/or cross-country ski.

A four-day climbing trip to Skaha Expeditions near Pentiction. Real climbing on real mountains!

A three-day rafting trip along the Thompson River or other expeditions.

The skills and confidence that our students express during these final expeditions is remarkable. The ultimate wish for our students is that they continue pursuing these activities on their own, long after they have left our school.

In all our programming, our teachers are always mindful of the safety of the students under our care. Risk management is our top priority and staff are certified in first aid and have developed safety protocols either in-house or in compliance with other ISABC school standards or national recommendations. Often, hired guides are employed when doing many of the more technical activities, such as sailing, climbing, and kayaking.

In addition, we link the terms of assessment for the OEE program in the upper MYP classes with Physical Education. Thus, the mark for Criterion D: Assessment of Reflection and Performance, is derived predominately from OEE. Why we do all this will be the subject of a future Imprint article. But, if you have ever done any of these activities on a glorious autumn day or a soft winter morning on the mountains, you will probably already know.

MICHAEL MCGUIRE SENIOR SCHOOL OEE COORDINATOR

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THE MAKINGS OF A GREAT EDUCATION Independent schools in every city across the country rely on the symbiotic relationship between tuition, government grants, donations, and fundraising.

Without these contributions, independent schools would simply cease to exist. There are a few schools whose legacy dates back almost a century and who benefit from buildings that have long been paid off; however, even these schools need to renovate and evolve their programs in order to meet the changing needs of their students.

A prime example of this is a local independent school’s current $40 million capital campaign – ‘One’.

‘One’ has raised $15 million from its community (in just 18 months) towards achieving its goal of adding two additional buildings in the Senior School and refurbishing areas of the Junior School. This is not being done for expansion, simply “to implement a truly boy-centered approach to teaching and learning.” Another school in the Independent School Association of British Columbia (ISABC), more similar to our own, is in the midst of a $10 million capital campaign to add a new Arts and Science Centre to its facility. While yet another recently raised over $31 million dollars for the creation of a new Senior School building. At a local girl’s school, a three-year campaign to raise $20 million for campus additions is only halfway through and has raised $24 million. It is this depth of fundraising that allows schools to improve their facilities and programming beyond their annual tuition increases: the main purpose of which is to cover salary increases and inflation.

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While human nature sees us naturally drawn into making comparisons like these; are they justified? As the tuition gap between our school and others erodes, we find ourselves – as a Board, as a faculty and as parents – grappling for the most articulate explanation. If you attempt a comparative analysis, how do you factor into a school’s tuition figure the expectation that you will help to also raise funds for buildings and school infrastructure? How do you best illustrate the extent to which robust endowment funds, developed over a long period of time, shape a bottom line or fill the gap left by their absence? How do you compare schools that are mortgage free to those that are

still paying off debts incurred to build initial facilities?

Perhaps the more compelling question is how do you monetize the intangibles, the things that generally have greater impact on a family’s school choice? What is a student’s happiness worth? A parent’s feeling of connection? A cohort of kind peers? A safe place to explore, grow, challenge, take risks, fail, succeed and create?

What’s the price tag on a faculty that feels like family?

We don’t have those answers, but we can tell you that this is an area in which Stratford Hall is already exceptional. In reviewing our progress towards attaining

Startford Hall Expenditures Building Improvments 1%

Reserve 3%

Books & Equipment 1%

Administration 8%

Facilities 21%

Salaries & Benefits 58%

IB Programming 8%

MARCH 2016

the school’s vision and mission at our recent Governance meeting, we are all in agreement that there is still work to be done. Some would argue there is always work to be done; perfection is unattainable. Perfect or not, it is clear from our recent Culture and Climate survey that Stratford Hall has reached a tipping point and the shape of its future is in our hands.

From an Audit and Finance perspective, the numbers present an air-tight argument for the need to further support our school finances if we are to achieve our Vision and Mission. As illustrated below, the expense of educating one Stratford Hall student currently outweighs the income generated by that student (using weighted averages), making additional revenue streams necessary. For independent schools like ours, that revenue is traditionally generated by a community of committed donors. Stratford Hall is fortunate enough to have the support

“How do you monetize the intangibles that impact a family’s school choice? What is a student’s happiness worth? A parent’s feeling of connection?

A cohort of kind peers? A safe place to explore, grow, challenge, take risks, fail, succeed and create? What’s the price tag on faculty who feel like family?”

(continued on page 20)

Cost of Education Vs Income Sources $25,000

$20,000

$15,000

$10,000

$5,000

$0 Cost

Tuition

Cost

Tuition

Tuition + Grants

Grants

Tuition + Grants + Programs

Programs

Tuition + Grants + Programs + Fundraising

Fundraising PAGE 19

IMPRINT (continued from Great Education page 19)

of dedicated families over the past 15 years. Their commitment to the Stratford Hall Vision has helped the school evolve from its modest beginnings in the Italian Cultural Centre to the purposeful buildings we occupy today; and we are forever grateful. The question now is: “Are we done?” If we use our Vision as our benchmark, then the answer is “no”. There is still much to accomplish and our job as the Board Audit and Finance Committee is to help the school navigate that journey in a fiscally sound manner.

Galas, annual funds, parent association initiatives, endowments, EID donations, capital campaigns, and alumni programs are frequently employed fundraising tactics used by independent schools around the world to advance schools toward their mission. Our challenge is to find the right combination of these for Stratford Hall. A common thread we saw woven through the Culture and Climate survey is that the community feels it is being asked too often to support the school and that we risk becoming an unaffordable option to some of our most dedicated families.

This is a disheartening and disconcertingly familiar refrain in Vancouver as the city becomes more and more unaffordable. The reality is that, as a result, we all have less to give.

In light of that reality, the Board supports the Advancement Office’s decision to suspend the proposed call campaign for the Annual Fund, while we ratify the strategic direction. The Annual Fund will still be promoted and we have an exciting goal you can read about on page 22. However, we want to take this opportunity to reaffirm that we recognize we have a community of hard-working parents with mostly dual-income

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THE COST OF EDUCATING A CHILD AT STRATFORD HALL Salaries and Benefits Facilities IB Programme Costs Administration Reserve Books and Equipment Building Improvements Total Cost Average tuition and fees Shortfall Shortfall covered by: Government Grants Other Revenue Initiatives (Summer Programs, Childcare etc.)

Balance

$12,095 58.0% $4,440 21.3% $1,720 8.3% $1,640 7.9% $ 545 2.6% $200 1.0% $200 1.0% $20,840 100.0% $17,805 85.4% $3,035 14.6% $2,795

13.4%

$240

1.2%

$0

Note: Actual tuition, fees and expenses vary by grade.

The figures above represent weighted averages.

households. This pluralism is part of what makes Stratford Hall unique; it also makes fundraising more polarizing. We do not want to cause our parents undue stress; however, we must also accept that we are an independent school and as such we must fundraise in order to evolve. Whether it is $5, $1,500, or $50,000, every dollar counts and helps shape the story of Stratford Hall’s students.

What’s even more important is that your support indicates your will for the school to evolve and your commitment to helping us deliver the best possible program within our means.

A detailed breakdown of the 2015/2016 income and expenditures has been illustrated above. If you have further questions after reading this article, we strongly encourage you to connect directly with any of the Board Members, Jason McBride, or Dave Dirks for clarification.

CHRIS NICOLLS, CINDY LEUNG, & SHAMSH KASSAM MEMBERS OF THE AUDIT AND FINANCE COMMITTEE, STRATFORD HALL BOARD OF GOVERNORS

MARCH 2016

Fall Math Contest Results The Stratford Hall mathletes have been busy this term, competing in both math and computing contests from the Canadian Mathematical Society and the Centre for Education in Mathematics and Computing at the University of Waterloo. We are off to a great start, both in terms of participation and performance.

The first contest of the year was the Canadian Open Mathematics Challenge. Designed to challenge the most mathematically-minded high school students in Canada, it is a gruelling 2.5-hour open-response contest. This year Kurtis L. (Grade 8), Nathan L. (Grade 8) and Joe L. (Grade 10) accepted the challenge and performed admirably. A special mention goes to Kurtis for scoring in the top half of all competitors and earning the Performance with Honours distinction.

In November, Stratford Hall entered students into the Beaver Computing Challenge for the first time. The contest requires students to solve 15 logic puzzles in 45 minutes. The Sabres were so keen to participate that some of our Grade 8 students competed while traveling in Japan, and several Grade 6 students participated even though the contest is designed for students in Grades 7 and 8. Special mention goes to Aya O. (Grade 7), Nathan L. (Grade 8), Milton L. (Grade 7) and Kaden L. (Grade 7) for earning certificates of distinction.

The most recent contest was the Canadian Intermediate Mathematics Contest, a two-hour, open-response contest designed for students in Grades 9 and 10. Four students from Grade 8 participated, along with two especially brave Grade 6 students. Kurtis L. (Grade 8), Nathan L. (Grade 8), Evan W. (Grade 8), Ryan Z. (Grade 8), Moneek R. (Grade 6), and Alaana S. (Grade 6) distinguished themselves by accepting a daunting challenge, working hard to prepare and maintain a positive attitude throughout the long and difficult series of math problems. Their attitude and persistence will take them a long way!

There are more contests coming up! Students who are interested in participating are encouraged to contact me at sarah.phillips@stratfordhall.ca for more information. While most students prepare for math contests independently, they are always welcome to attend the MYP Study Centre to collaborate with other students and to get extra help from teachers.

UPCOMING CONTESTS April 7 April 12 April 13 May 11

Canadian Team Mathematics Contest Euclid (Grade 12) Contest Fryer (Grade 9), Galois (Grade 10) and Hypatia (Grade 11) Contests Gauss (Grades 7 and 8) Contests

Note: Students who are younger than the target audience are also eligible to participate. Please see Ms. Phillips for more information about how to find a suitable challenge.

SARAH PHILLIPS MYP COORDINATOR

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SHAF: An Eye on Innovation

Imagine a place where a shoebox, an egg carton and a toilet paper roll become a pirate ship that sails the seven seas. Imagine a place where an illustration of the heart can be printed into a 3-D reality.

Imagine a place where a child can design, build, program, and test their very own robot. Imagine a place where a child’s story comes to life using stop-motion animation?

or the Exploratorium – a place where students can test the limits of their imagination. Stratford Hall utilizes in-class design challenges, design technology courses, coding courses and the Exploratorium to help students bring STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) skills to life through hands-on activities. But like anything, we can always do more, we can always do better.

The place you are imagining is Stratford Hall. And it’s not the Stratford Hall of the future, it’s the Stratford Hall of today – the here and now.

In this case, doing more and doing better isn’t just a desire, it is a necessity. Take for example how the Vice-Chair of Stratford Hall’s Board of Governance, Aiyaz Alibhai, paraphrases author Alec Ross’ sentiment on the evolution of education:

Each day the students of Stratford Hall have access to amazing spaces that nurture creativity, imagination and innovation. For some it is a box of seemingly random bits and pieces in the back of the classroom. For others, it is a course dedicated to coding.

For many, it happens in their Design Technology course, for others it happens in the library

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“Alec Ross writes about the pace of transformation of industries and jobs in the world, noting that for students entering primary education, 65% of the jobs of their future do not have job titles today. The major skill sets required for success are likely to

be competency in the sciences fused with a strong liberal arts and humanities education to develop skills for communication, collaboration and persuasion.

Further, such education should be complemented by cultural intelligence and competency in multiple languages.”

There is a careful balance to be struck in creating the foundation for such an education: between learning academic skills and having time to create, inquire and pursue a student’s own interests and passions. This awareness and global movement towards student-centered education is driving an increasing number of schools world-wide to adopt the IB programme as the best model for education at the beginning of the 21st century. In reviewing the Stratford Hall Annual Fund (SHAF) and its goals, the SHAF Advisory Committee – which comprises parents, students and faculty – has agreed to focus a large portion of SHAF funds raised

MARCH 2016 this year towards Innovation at Stratford Hall. The long-term vision is to create a maker-space or a Centre for Innovation in the DP building that focuses on three main areas to enrich our current curriculum.

These areas are: • Fabrication: The ability to use technology to create customized products that allow students to design and build real-life objects (laser cutters, magnets, 3D printers, sewing machines, woodworking tools, etc.)

• Physical Computing: The ability to create machines that interact with the environment (LEGO robotics, Arduino, Raspberry pi, etc.)

• Programming: The key to manipulating the digital world is understanding how computers are controlled by precise instruction (Logo, Scratch, Turtle Art, Snap!, Enchanting, Java, etc.)1 The creative process is always enhanced by a creative space, so while the short-term SHAF goal for our Centre of Innovation is to purchase the tools that can be used right away in our classrooms, the long-term goal is to create a dedicated space for inspiration to take root and be nurtured into innovation.

Let’s imagine for a moment what the macro view of the Centre for Innovation could look like.

INNOVATION HAPPENS HERE Close your eyes and imagine entering a space that looks unlike anything else at Stratford Hall. It is part office, part playground, part tech lab, part production studio.

You enter the space through the 1 Invent to Learn, by Sylvia Libow Martinez and Gary Stager, 2013

Ideation Lab – a place where the walls and tables are whiteboards for capturing the creative thinking process. The room itself is a literal playground – wobble stools, playdough, blocks, maybe a Lego wall or two. This is where flexible seating and a light-hearted environment allow ideas that may otherwise be tossed aside to come to light, gather momentum and develop into a reality.

Perhaps, instead, you have a story to tell already so you enter into the Story Lab. Here you find a soundproof space with seating for a group of students, a small stage for performing, puppets and costumes. It is a quiet space to share, read and reflect on stories.

A place where students who are inspired by stories can set off to make, create and innovate.

Once their story is in hand, students may choose to venture into the Recording Lab – where green screens, filming, editing and recording equipment live in soundproof areas and together bring our students’ stories to life.

It’s also important to recognize that the way we tell stories is changing and our Centre for Innovation must address this.

Storytelling is no longer the sole purview of people, books and film; but now exists in myriad ways in the digital world. For those who choose to express themselves digitally there is the Multimedia Lab – a computerrich environment where robust systems and advanced software and accessories provide digital resources to augment innovation and drive digital projects from the ground up. This is where we animate, we build robots, code games and websites, develop apps; where we move the digital world forward.

Centre small “hubs” for group conversation and contemplation, a Carpentry Corner, a Culinary Lab, and a Reference Lab filled with materials dedicated to the creative process.

Can you picture it yet? We can, and we are excited about moving the process forward, but we need your help. This is not a small endeavor and we believe it will require SHAF’s focus for at least the next two to three years.

Phase 1: This year, our goal is to raise the funds to purchase as many of the materials and as much of the equipment as possible to equip the eventual space. We are starting with materials because even without the space, they can be put to work enhancing the classroom experience immediately.

Phase 2: Phase two would be to raise funds for the development of the physical space.

Phase 3: Phase three will raise funds to provide seed money to fund the human resources required to ensure Stratford Hall’s Centre for Innovation is being utilized to enhance the K-12 curriculum at every opportunity.

It is an ambitious project but we have ambitious students and parents, who certainly want to provide their children with the best education they can access. We are certain, that together we can make this Centre for Innovation a reality. To do so, we need you to support the Stratford Hall Annual Fund by making a gift within your means. Helps us Shape Their Story by allowing the students of Stratford Hall to create their own.

SAMANTHA GAYFER DIRECTOR OF ADVANCEMENT AND COMMUNICATIONS

Imagine interspersed within this

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WHAT’S BEEN HAPPENING AT STRATFORD HALL?

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MARCH 2016

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Outstanding in the Field At 7:00 AM on Sunday, February 21st, a group of 32 students and five teachers embarked on a journey on ferries and logging roads en route to the Bamfield Marine Science Centre. The Centre is located at the tip of a piece of land, in between Grappler and Bamfield Inlet, just south of Uclulet. This is the first time that Stratford Hall has conducted the Group 4 Project at Bamfield, and it was a resounding success.

The Group 4 subjects (Experimental Sciences) at Stratford Hall include Chemistry, Biology, and Physics. As part of the internal assessment, students must complete a 10-hour collaborative investigation on a topic in science or technology.

The aim of the project is for students to gain an appreciation of the interdisciplinary nature of the sciences, and allow concepts

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and perceptions from across disciplines to be applied to scientific questions. The emphasis of the project is on the scientific process, rather than the product.

This year’s theme was “Outstanding in the field,” a play on words to inspire students to ask outstanding questions, develop an outstanding method, and, most importantly, to be

MARCH 2016 questions and methods in order to conduct a scientific investigation on the third day of the trip.

The residential aspect of the experience enhanced the spirit of collaboration, as much of the brainstorming took place over meals and in the dorms.

The Class of 2017 was truly outstanding in the field. They were excellent ambassadors of the school, both in their scientific work and in their interactions with each other, their teachers, and the Bamfield staff. One of the kitchen staff remarked that this group was the best school group he had seen in a long time. They demonstrated considerable care for each other, which was evident in their work and their social time. outstanding contributors to their group work.

Bamfield was the perfect location to inspire outstanding science and outstanding collaboration.

With access to ocean, inter-tidal, estuary, and forest environments, students could explore how chemical, physical, and biotic factors interact in a variety of ways. During our first 36 hours

on-site, the Bamfield staff facilitated a range of lab and field experiences that established a foundation for the students’ investigations. Students learned how to perform plankton tows, primary productivity experiments, temperature and salinity measurements, and dissolved oxygen titrations. Equipped with those skills, they then worked in groups to develop their research

Posters summarizing each of the Group 4 investigations will be on display during the SMASH Fair, which takes place on Friday, March 4th from 2:00 to 3:30 PM. Displays will be left up so that they can also be viewed after school.

STEFANIA IACCHELLI & SARAH PHILLIPS DP COORDINATOR & MYP COORDINATOR

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WINTERLUDE OEE 10 Expedition No.2 It is quite something to grow up in the Lower Mainland and have your only experience of snow be seeing it on our majestic North Shore Mountains. And then, as a student of Stratford Hall, a part of your curriculum is to go up to these mountains once a week and participate in snowshoeing or cross-country skiing. In OEE each year, this is what we believe completes a student’s education; spending time in the outdoors and really learning about yourself, your place in our community, and the benefits of being in the mountains.

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The expedition-based OEE 10 program does just that! All of the knowledge gained from Grades 4 to 9, all of the tramping about the North Shore Mountains is put to a final test (a summative), by setting off to Manning Provincial Park for a three-day expedition in the snow.

What comes to mind and is frequently expressed by students are comments such as “we will freeze” or “I’m going to be hungry, cold, lonely, and not prepared.” Although there may be glimpses of these elements,

the students actually come out of the expedition with a renewed sense of awareness that they have really learned something over all those years. Part of what they have learned is the basics, such as proper clothing, layering for maximizing body temperature during outdoor activities, the importance of a good meal, and the necessity of bringing a good lunch, snacks, water, and extra clothing. But more importantly, what they learn on this expedition is not only that they can actually survive such winter conditions, but that they can push their physical

MARCH 2016

and mental limits, and rely on their friendships and their own inner strength to succeed. The fears they once had are alleviated through outdoor education.

As much as we strive to prepare our students for academic success, we are equally dedicated to developing an individual’s confidence, strength of spirit, and participation in the community through our OEE program.

Even though the snows turned to a soggy rain and the students’ food preparation skills still require some fine-tuning, the goals set were achieved. Everyone trekked 20 km in the snow and lived to tell the tale to their families.

Congratulations to everyone, but honorable mention must go to Emily Xu, Sofia Xu, Irene Chang, and Yanyu Zhou, who have never even seen snow and were up on

skates, skis, and snowshoes by midday. Experience is truly the best teacher!

Expedition No. 3 is a full-on rock climbing experience in the rock bluffs of Skaha Provincial Park near Penticton, taking place April 26-29th. Stay tuned!

MICHAEL MCGUIRE OEE COORDINATOR

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Creating by Design: à la Grade 5 There is one comment that a Grade 4 student included in her final reflection of her Design Time classes last year that has stayed with me ever since.

This one student eloquently and reflectively suggested the following: “Could you provide us with mini research lessons when we need them and not if we need them.” I have taken this feedback to heart and think about this often when planning my lessons. So, this year, when I wanted to speak with students about the Design Thinking process before they began our simple machines unit, I decided to wait to see if they indeed needed any guidance in this area.

During the Grade 5 Unit of Inquiry titled Simple Machines, we moved our weekly Learning Connections classes from their classroom in the PYP to the Exploratorium.

Each week when students arrived, sketchbooks in hand, they were provided with simple engineering challenges that were meant to bring engineering to life and to offer them ways to explore thinking like engineers. One example of a challenge that was given to the students was to see if they could design and build a device that would carry a pingpong ball from the top of a zipline to the bottom in four seconds or less! The goals of this learning were communicated to students right off the bat: to learn science concepts and increase their understanding of simple machines and engineering by making and creating their own designs and models. The third goal I had in mind, however, was not shared.

I wanted to see what design thinking processes these students would demonstrate on their own.

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From my time guiding and observing students during our lunch hour sessions in the Exploratorium and spending time creating and making with my own two children, I know that children (all people, really), get immense joy and satisfaction out of building and creating things. So much so that researchers have identified something called the IKEA Effect, in which people who make things value their creations, even flawed creations, more than the same things created perfectly by experts. It wasn’t a surprise to see in the beginning that the engagement level of the students appeared high. Several students, who normally would have looked around the room to find their best buddy to partner up with, just jumped right in with whoever was standing next to them. There was a buzz in the room and everyone was on task and appeared excited with the learning. I noticed that when students behaved as designers, they:

● ●

As we observed and took note of what we saw the students doing and saying with their partners, Ms. Lempriere, Mr. Ritchie, and I began to notice the different conversations happening: ●

●

●

● ●

do not come to us to find out if they were right or wrong, they simply tested their design themselves – taking ownership of their learning;

come to us to show off their work, not just ask us if the work is good; and are interested in others’ successes and like to see how others are designing things differently.

Some partner groups shared the construction equally and in other groups there was one student who led the construction.

Most students jumped right into the making, and did not spend much time designing or investigating the materials.

When brainstorming, some students had trouble collaborating when they disagreed with the ideas of their partner.

Some were not sure what to do once their first attempt did not work or said they were finished.

These are all challenges that we,

MARCH 2016

as adults, face when collaborating at work or at home. The need for the mini lesson on design thinking was apparent. The MYP has a design cycle that serves as a tool used by IB students to help them create and evaluate solutions in response to challenges. The MYP version is quite detailed and I did not think it suited the particular needs of the Grade 5 classes. So here lay the next design challenge for the Grade 5 students: Based on their experience in the Exploratorium, create a framework for other students to use that would help them take on design challenges. The students were given hexagonal shapes and were asked to flowchart out all the steps of the design thinking process.

What they came up with is below.

I love how their final frameworks are all very similar, yet no two are completely alike. I observed how they all naturally included a cycle of iteration; tweaking and changing things until things worked. When I showed them design thinking cycles that schools

like The Stanford School of Design had created, they were pretty proud of themselves for how similar theirs were, and; in fact, several thought theirs were better!

Now that students have become familiar with the design thinking process and the collaboration and brainstorming skills that go along with it, I would like to step away from presenting the challenges to the students and have them take ownership of their learning by being the ones who find the problems and turn them into challenges. As many educators are saying right now, we need to teach our children to be more than problem solvers, we need them to be problem finders! I see a great benefit in empowering children to use their minds and anything that they can get their hands on to solve a problem. I believe in the power of this process to enable students to learn how to become confident and creative problemsolvers, act as purposeful makers, take ownership of their learning, and make mindful choices.

I’m excited to see more integration of design projects into the classroom in order to build inquiry skills, foster creativity, and develop problem-solving skills. We can do a lot to support students with learning of curricular content through engagement of real work and cross-curricular challenges.

The hope I have for these design cycles is that they serve as loose guidelines to suggest the iterative, forward-progress nature of the work, and the tinkering mindset that goes along with this process of making.

In the education community there has been an increased emphasis on the importance of creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, and communication. All of these skills are inherent to design, and design-based learning can foster these competencies while emphasizing creativity and innovation in our students.

MEG PENAFIEL LEARNING SPECIALIST: LITERACY AND RESEARCH

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Good Impressions We are pleased to share this letter that Mr. McBride recently received from a parent. Jeanne is a mother from China whose sons, Branden and Jonathan, have made extended cultural visits to Stratford Hall. Jonathan recently ended his month-long stay with us, and we were thrilled to receive these fond words of praise from his mother shortly before he returned home. We thank all of the parents, students, and teachers that helped welcome Jonathan and make his time here truly special.

Dearest Mr. McBride, A month has flown by so quickly. Thursday will be Jonathan’s last day at Stratford Hall. I wanted to write to say a special thank you to all the staff, faculty, and students at Stratford for allowing our family to be a part of your wonderful learning community again.

Five years ago, Branden, my elder son, had an amazing experience in the DP Building; this time, Jonathan had the privilege of learning in the MYP Building. Everything has been very smooth and efficient, from the time we first spoke to Elaine [Lee, founder of Stratford Hall] in Hong Kong and made contact with school administration, to it finally becoming a reality.

I was telling Elaine over lunch yesterday how I love the community spirit and warmth that is shared by everyone at Stratford Hall. Jonathan and I were chatting about what is different about Stratford from all the other schools he has attended in Hong Kong and China over the years, and he told me that no other school has gone out of their way to make him feel so welcome.

From the assembly on the first day, the welcome speech by a fellow student in Cantonese, to the patience and efforts made by all the teachers.

Jonathan’s school in China is a specialist academy focusing on the preservation of ancient Chinese arts and wisdom. The opportunity at Stratford Hall has given Jonathan the opportunity to balance classical with modern learning experiences, Eastern culture meeting Western, and learning how to adjust from a structured to a more relaxed, self-directed learning environment.

I love the fact that everyone at Stratford Hall is a part of a committed learning community, where everyone knows everyone and everybody cares. The size of the school is perfect, and over the years of watching the school grow, it is so nice to see the passion and commitment still as strong as it was a few years back. One can only imagine the countless challenges that have popped up along the way.

I have been actively involved in education for over 15 years; I have visited many schools, and looked at many different curriculums. I have heard so many buzz words and promises; Stratford Hall stands out as a school that is really down-to-earth and focused on delivering their promise.

Education is the most important investment for humanity’s future. In today’s modern world, where productivity and return on investments are key to successful operations, it is rare to find a school where the community stands firm in their beliefs and is so committed to the students. I salute the founders and everyone at Stratford Hall for having the determination to turn the vision of this school into a reality. The school shines with your passion.

I hope it would be possible for us to do something like this again next year, and perhaps with a few more students.

Sincerely,

Jeanne

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MARCH 2016

KEEPING UP WITH THE STAFF Our school community is constantly growing, and we understand that sometimes it’s difficult to keep track of all the new staff members. There have been many new positions added in the past year, so we’ve put together this handy guide for you to keep track of who is who. In future issues of Imprint, we will give you a more thorough picture of who these people are and where they’ve come from in special features on new staff.

Name: Fraser Allen Joined: 2015 Role: PYP Resource Teacher

Name: Emily Browning Joined: 2015 Role: Senior School Resource Teacher

Name: Susanne Chow Joined: 2015 Role: Learning Specialist, Visual Arts

Name: Samantha Gayfer Joined: 2015 Role: Director of Advancement and Communications

Name: Gareth Jones Joined: 2015 Role: Humanities, Photography

Name: Jennifer Ju Joined: 2015 Role: ASC Assistant

Name: Mary McKenzie Joined: 2015 Role: PYP Resource Teacher

Name: Sara Ridley Joined: 2015 Role: ASC Assistant

Name: Mike Twaites Joined: 2015 Role: PYP Resource Teacher

Name: Christina Uroni Joined: 2015 Role: Languages

Name: Tish Vanstone Joined: 2015 Role: DP Receptionist

Name: Naomi White Joined: 2015 Role: ASC Assistant

New staff members who are not pictured include: Name: Kailee Deacon Joined: 2016 Role: PYP Resource Teacher

Name: Lauren Davies Joined: 2015 Role: ASC Assistant

Name: Anja Radakovic Joined: 2015 Role: Senior School Resource Teacher

Name: Mitch Tharp Joined: 2015 Role: Facilities & Transportation Manager

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The Mouse That Roared

A new take on an old classic, by Stratford Hall Senior School students The Mouse That Roared is a 1955 Cold War satirical novel by Irish American writer Leonard Wibberley, which launched a series of satirical books about an imaginary country in Europe called the Duchy of Grand Fenwick. Wibberley went beyond the merely comic, using the premise to make still quoted commentaries about modern politics and world situations, including the nuclear arms race, nuclear weapons in general, and the politics of the United States.

In a bid to support performing arts at Stratford Hall, some key members of the DP front office donned their bartending aprons and sold $20 glasses of grape juice to the play’s adoring fans. We would like to thank all those who imbibed in our Welch’s and raised $1,138.15 for Stratford Hall performing arts. Cheers! Salut! Sláinte!

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Originally viewed as a play to examine the relationship between the USA and the Soviet Union, and the threat of the atomic bomb, the play has been updated to talk about a new threat to our world – the overuse of technology.

We are constantly reminded of its presence and are surrounded by its grasp on society. We no longer fear a nuclear war; but tremble at the thought of forgetting our cellphone at home. We have replaced feeling positively healthy with a self-esteem selfie; a photo of our fam with the Instagram; and a regular face-to-face chat with a 20-second Snapchat. Have we gone so far forward

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that we have forgotten to enjoy the present and savour the past?

Since September, it has been a pleasure working with the 36 students in our play from Grade 8 to Grade 11.

Their enthusiasm and love for the stage is inspiring. In addition, I would like to thank Chris Brogan, who this year decided to test the waters and take on the production side of things. He has been a fantastic addition to the team as he has managed a group of backstage crew in creating phenomenal set pieces, acquired bizarre and wondrous props, and aimed high to attempt the impossible (like a flying plane across the stage!).

PETER SKIPPER DIRECTOR

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WHAT IS WITH THE WOBBLE STOOLS? As many of you will have noticed there has been a slight change in the furniture in the Junior School. Thanks to the incredible generosity of the Kassam family, Keung family, Rochette family, Quennec family, and Sicherman family, the Kindergarten to Grade 7 classrooms are now furnished with up to five wobble stools each. These slim blue chairs have replaced the regular chairs and are available to all students.

As those of us who have had the opportunity to use them will attest, the first thing you notice is how, with even the smallest amount of movement, you become very aware of how lazy we have all become in standard chairs! The instability of the stools provides postural stability by strengthening the core muscles. The slight rocking motion also provides enough subtle movement for the nervous system that it can be calming for the body and the brain, and help with focus and concentration. Although wobble stools provide similar benefits to sitting on an exercise ball, these stools are relatively narrow, making them appropriate for spaces in all three buildings.

It has been interesting to watch the students adapt to these stools. Students as young as the kindies are far more in tune with their own bodies than we give them credit for.

Over the past few weeks we have seen students quietly choose to use these stools over regular chairs. When asked why, they will often make comments such as, “It is more comfortable for me” or “My body likes to move all the time” or “They make me a better listener” or “They are cool!”

For students who might struggle to focus, who have poor posture, or whose handwriting and pencil grip is a challenge, even slight instability forces the body to engage the core, which is so often the cause of many of these difficulties. Although I am not sure how many of our students would be able to articulate this, their bodies know, and while the wobble stools are certainly not a ‘fix-all’, they do provide the students with the opportunity to engage the body and mind in a relatively unobtrusive way. The fact that we now have at least five available in each classroom ensures that those students who really benefit from using them can do so on a daily basis, rather than waiting for the rotation of only one stool through the class roster, as was the case before these generous donations.

So often, upon reflections, we realize that we are asking more of our students than we would perhaps ask of ourselves. With the addition of the wobble stools in the Junior School, the expectation of consistent engagement is made easier for many of our students, and thus begins true self-awareness and selfadvocacy. Thank you again to our generous parents!

GILLIAN LOUIE IEP COORDINATOR

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GALA 2016 Getting Ready For a Fantastic Night Out Do you have your tickets to the Gala yet?! Visit www.shannualgala.com to purchase tickets and to book a night at the Marriott Pinnacle Downtown. Tickets are nearly sold out!

In case you have not had a chance to visit the website, here are some highlights and updates:

Howard Blank, a Vancouver icon from Point Blank Entertainment, is the auctioneer. Stratford’s Own ceramic art pieces are being fired now! Class photos will be snapped in March, and the teachers are busy planning their priceless student experiences for auction.

Music will be provided by March Hare. Jason McBride, Head of School, is the MC. We’ve compiled costume ideas for parents that fit the James Bond dress code. Visit the gala blog for great ideas, or follow this link for a visual guide to the most iconic Bond girl outfits: http://www. biggroup.co.uk/en/blog/2015/oct/the-most-iconic-bond-girl-outfits

The Stratford Hall Annual Fund Advisory Committee, together with the Community Development

office have been dreaming and innovating which of Q’s lab tools will be added to the school with your help. For an idea of how they will be used, check out page 22!

Sue Wells is still accepting advertisements for the brochure, and auction donations under the travel, experiences, and libations categories.

Maegen Leishman will soon be getting in touch with those Gala attendees who have offered their time on the day/night of the Gala. Stay tuned!

For all other questions please contact Barb Womersley at gala@stratfordhall.ca BARB WOMERSLEY GALA CHAIR

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Celebrations

You know you’re poised for greatness when your ringette team includes THREE Stratford Hall students! Grade 8 students Kurtis L., Nathan L., and Grace O. represented Zone 4 at the BC Winter Games from February 25th to 28th in Penticton. We’re not surprised that having all those Sabres on one team helped them win silver! Keep up the good work!

We are thrilled to announce the arrival of Ms. Moriarty’s third child, Ciara! Little Ciara arrived in the world on Valentine’s Day, weighing in at a healthy eight pounds.

Her two older brothers – including Stratford Hall student Tristan H. – are very excited to have a sister of their own. Ciara has already made a trip to Stratford Hall, and we are pleased to report that she is absolutely adorable. Congratulations to the whole family!

Have you been to the Vancouver Public Library Foundation’s website? You should check it out (http://vplf.ca) to see Ben J. from Grade 3! Ben donated his birthday money last year to the Vancouver Public Library and was honoured with a feature on their website. That’s our kind of modelling!

Our amazing debaters strike again! Congratulations to Margaret O. and Trenton S., who won the Provincial Debate Championships in late February. We are so proud!

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Recognize any of these faces?

That’s our very own Harrison L., flanked by Canadian legend Chris Hadfield and mythbusting scientist Adam Savage!

Hadfield tweeted this photo to his followers after performing with Harrison and Savage on stage at the NinjaTED event, led by musician Amanda Palmer. Harrison showcased his world-renowned yoyo skills at the show, where he performed simultaneously with Hadfield, Savage, Palmer, and many others. The NinjaTED event was put on in association with TED 2016. So cool!

We couldn’t have been more proud when The Province selected our own Inaara M. for their Difference Makers feature!

MARCH 2016

Staff&

Students

FACE OFF

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Sabres Basketball Wrap Up In an attempt to ensure full teams this season for basketball, Stratford Hall made the decision to offer a Junior Boys Team made up of Grades 8-9, and a Senior Boys Team made up of players in Grades 10-12. This is common practice for single A schools that struggle with having enough student athletes to field a team. In some respects this worked out well, as it allowed the school to offer all boys in Grades 8-12 an opportunity to participate in basketball. With that said, the numbers that we were hoping to get out for basketball were still small, and at times both the Junior and Senior Boys Teams struggled to field full rosters for league games, often participating with six or seven players at a game. The challenges of commitment that both teams faced made it difficult and frustrating for coaches, players in attendance, and parents that attended every game.

For the second year in a row, key player absences for the Junior Boys ISAA Championships took away any chance at success. Moving forward, it is important that students and parents understand that Stratford Hall considers participation in ISAA tournaments a requirement for athletes on a team.

Junior Boys

The Junior Boys Team entered this season with cautious optimism. With a new coach, Josh Whang from VanCity Basketball Academy, and playing in the junior division without any Grade 10s, the team knew they would face challenges to continue the success they achieved last year. A favourable early season schedule saw the boys rack up two blowout wins before their first real test against a strong team from Deer Lake School. Despite facing a team that started a 6’3” center, the Sabres would battle hard throughout the game before Deer Lake’s superior size advantage led them to a 76-51 victory. This would be the story of the season as an undersized and younger Sabres team battled hard against schools led by taller and stronger Grade 10 players.

At the conclusion of the GVISAA regular season, the Sabres earned the fourth seed in the East Division and a home playoff game versus Ecole Jules Verne.

The game would see the Sabres get off to a slow start in the first half as they struggled to cope with Jules Verne’s size in the paint. After what must have been a spirited and rousing halftime

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speech from Coach Blanco, a pumped up Sabres team took the court in the second half and put on a great display of grit, determination, and character as they slowly chipped away at the lead. As the score grew closer in the later stages of the fourth quarter, so did the intensity, with players diving everywhere for loose balls, epic battles for rebounds, and dramatic baskets.

This set the stage for Filip K. to be the hero of the game with a

last-second shot to seal a 33-32 come-from-behind victory. This would set up a quarter final game versus King David. Unfortunately for the team, there would be no heroics on the day and the Sabres would bow out of the playoffs in a 55-18 defeat. Despite this loss the boys should be proud of the effort and fight they demonstrated all season playing against teams that regularly featured older students.

This experience will only make them better for next season!

MARCH 2016

Senior Boys

The season got off to a promising start with a second place finish at the Tier 2 ISA Championships in early December. With a full squad attending the tournament, the Sabres only loss in the round robin tournament came versus eventual champions Glennlyon-Norfolk by two points. A tough opening season home game versus the perennially strong King David finished in a 63-38 defeat. The team would then take down Pattison High School 69-59 in a closely fought and spirited match to enter the winter break.

The return from a three week winter break and the almost immediate beginning of IB mock exams severely hampered the momentum built up in December. A lack of practice time and a tough schedule in January and February saw the team go two and three, with notable comeback wins versus Pacific Torah Institute and Lions Gate Christian. A depleted Stratford Hall team entered the St. George’s Varsity 2 Invite. With only six players for the Friday game and five for the two Saturday games, wins were difficult to come by. Despite these challenges, the Senior Boys qualified for the GVISAA playoffs as the fourth seed in the West Division. In their opening round playoff game they would face a deep Meadowridge team. After keeping the game close in the first quarter, Meadowridge’s superior depth and strong shooting would see them land a 96-55 victory.

Junior Girls

At the beginning of the season, 24 Grade 8 to 10 students indicated a keen interest in playing basketball for Stratford Hall. After tryouts and team meetings we were excited to be able to offer so many girls an opportunity to play on two teams: the Junior A Team, coached by Mr. Smith and Ms. Ju, and the Junior B Team, coached by Ms. DerksenBergen. Unfortunately, by the time the GVISAA playoffs began in early February, that number would be down to 16. In particular, Ms. DerksenBergen and the Junior B Team really struggled towards the end of the season attending many games with only five or six players. It is imperative that parents understand the time commitment our coaches put in and that students make every effort possible to honour their commitment to the team.

KYLE NYSTAD SENIOR SCHOOL ATHLETICS COORDINATOR

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The Junior Girls Basketball Team WIN GVISAA GOLD ON THEIR HOME COURT

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MARCH 2016 On Tuesday, February 23rd the Grades 9-10 Girls Basketball Team lined up at centre court of the MYP gym for tipoff in the GVISAA championship game versus West Point Grey Academy. At stake was not only the GVISAA championship but also a monumental winning streak. The team had cruised through the 2015/2016 regular season, with a record of seven wins and zero losses. Mulgrave School was the only real challenge during the regular season, as the Sabres squeaked out a narrow one-point victory. A blow out win versus Mulgrave in the GVISAA semifinals would see their winning streak reach eight in a row. But the streak dates still further back to the 2014/2015 season, where, as a team comprised of only Grade 9s, they finished with a perfect record of nine wins and zero losses in GVISAA play to capture Stratford Hall’s first basketball championship trophy and banner.

There is a superstition in baseball that when a pitcher is throwing a no-hitter you never talk about it for fear of jinxing the attempt. So it was a bit of a surprise when Mr. Smith stood up in assembly the week prior to the GVISAA championships and encouraged the school to come out and cheer on the Sabres as they attempted to win back-to-back titles. Mr. Smith is, after all, a fanatical baseball fan and die-hard Boston Red Sox supporter, so he would understand the potential faux pas of talking about the undefeated streak.

This is where the team found itself at tipoff of the championship game, with the knowledge that a loss in the finals would end a two-season, sixteen-game winning streak and deny them the opportunity to win back-to-back GVISAA championship banners. No pressure! But this team had a secret weapon: new coach Jen Ju. Having an ex-professional basketball player on the bench brought a new level of sophistication to the offensive and defensive systems Mr. Smith had previously installed. Ms. Ju also brought a heightened sense of expectation for what these girls could do on the basketball court. While the pressure of expectations may have entered the players’ minds, they also had a strong sense of confidence instilled by both Mr. Smith and Ms. Ju. West Point Grey Academy would be a unique challenge in that they were the first team the Sabres faced all season that could match up well (in both skill and stature). Early nervousness and tight shooting would keep first quarter scoring down and see the Sabres with a 9-5 lead. The second quarter was all about intense Sabres defense, as Mr. Smith consistently subbed in fresh legs and used full court pressure to go into the half up 19-9, having limited WPGA to four second quarter points. Leading the defensive charge was a fired up Victoria F., diving all over the court for loose balls, earning multiple jump balls and several steals. At halftime the stat line would show a complete team effort as five different Sabres produced baskets, led by Avery L.P. and her seven points.

The third quarter would see a much faster pace as the teams traded baskets on back and forth fast breaks.

This was the ideal situation for point guard Safeena S. to shine in the spotlight, as she scored six of the Sabres’ 10 third quarter points on an array of twisting fast break layups off of steals. The quarter would end with the score 29-17 in favour of the Sabres. Only one more quarter to go to achieve perfection! The fourth quarter followed the same pattern as the third, with both teams playing fast paced and trading buckets. As the final buzzer sounded, the team charged onto the court to celebrate a 37-24 victory!

During the awards ceremony Oliana C. was recognized for her outstanding play on the day and awarded the tournament MVP. Safeena S. earned team MVP honours for her contribution throughout the season. There were outstanding contributions from several other Sabres throughout the tournament and season, including Avery L.P., who dominated in the paint, Nanaki T. for playing bulldog defense, Simran K. for chipping in timely baskets, and Abigail W., who came off the bench in the semifinals versus Mulgrave and hit her first three shots. A huge congratulations to coaches Mr. Smith and Ms. Ju and all the athletes on a fantastic finish to a great season! Let’s go Sabres!

KYLE NYSTAD SENIOR SCHOOL ATHLETICS COORDINATOR

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Sabreshark swimmers at the ISEA swim meet at UBC

SABRESHARKS MAKE A SPLASH THIS SEASON

Congratulations to the Junior School Swim Team! We completed our season by attending the ISEA Swimming Championships at UBC. In addition to weekly practices at the Renfrew Pool, Stratford Hall swimmers participated in the annual Swim Jamboree in Victoria, and the Southpointe Invitational Relay Meet at Watermania. This year we had our largest swim team ever, with many first-time members.

The coaches were very proud of all the swimmers, as they continually demonstrated sportsmanship, dedication, and courage. We would like to thank our many student coaches, who showed leadership and were role models for the younger team members. We sincerely hope swimmers will consider joining the team again next year and we look forward to building our team in the years to come. Go, Sabres, go!

CANDICE BIRCH, LINDSAY CAUSEY, MIKE TWAITES, AND FRASER ALLEN SWIM TEAM COACHES

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MARCH 2016

Grade 7 Girls Win Gold at ISEA Basketball Championships The Grade 7 girls made Stratford Hall history, as they became the first girls team to win an ISEA championship. The girls join the 2012-13 Grade 7 boys as the only other Sabres team to win an ISEA championship.

The girls finished their regular season undefeated with a record of 6 wins and no losses and went into the final tournament ranked number one. Their first game was against St John’s which they won easily 25-7. Next up was a matchup with the host school Meadowridge which they also won 30-10. This set them up for a tough matchup with Southpointe Academy, who they narrowly defeated in the regular season 18-15. The game was once again a defensive battle and the score was an uncharacteristically low 2-0 after the first quarter. After some minor adjustments and some good full court defensive pressure the girls took an 8-4 lead into halftime and wound up winning the final 15-7.

The team is commended for their hard work and dedication to improvement throughout the season. The team consisted of Alia B., Ashanti M., Estella P., Kiran D., Madoka W., Palak S., Priya C., Shreya A., Tia H., and Triman G. BOBBY NISHI JUNIOR SCHOOL ATHLETICS COORDINATOR

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Sabres Sports

Grade 5 Girls Basketball Season Three words to describe the Grade 5 girls basketball season: Enthusiasm, confidence, and growth.

As coaches, we had the privilege of working with this dynamic and supportive team. The girls always came to practice with a positive attitude, which they maintained throughout all their games. They cheered words of encouragement for their teammates and displayed great sportsmanship. These girls worked hard through practices, listening to their coaches and supportive Grade 7 assistant coaches.

Although we started out with a few stumbles, the girls quickly found their confidence and ended the season with a bang! They have developed strong skills, which they will bring with them as they move forward next year to the Grade 6 team. We wish them all the luck in the next steps of their journey as Basketball Sabres!

AMANDA LEMPRIERE AND ANDREA VALDIRI GRADE 5 GIRLS BASKETBALL COACHES

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MARCH 2016

Sabres Sports

GRADE 5 BOYS POST-PLAYDAY INTERVIEW

What a great year for the first season these boys have played basketball together. They grew quickly in their individual skills and were cohesive as a team that played with a lot of heart and smarts. They are really into the game and carried on having fun and encouraging each other on and off the bench.

Alykhan: l can not believe the season is over. It feels like it just started.

Kaniel: The season has been great and it has been fun to play with my friends.

Brayden: I feel that throughout the season we kept on improving.

Grade 6 Girls’ Basketball The Grade 6 girls ended their season at the Grade 6 ISEA Basketball Playday on February 18th. We had two teams entered in the tournament. The girls played well in all three games of the tournament. They had some wins and some losses, but overall it was a great effort by all the girls to end the season.

Throughout the season, all games were well played and the girls showed great improvement in skills and game sense. The girls show great potential as they move towards Grade 7 basketball next year. They should be commended for their hard work and dedication to the team.

SARAH HART GRADE 6 GIRLS BASKETBALL COACH

Wesley: I feel that throughout the season we learned how to work together better.

Spencer: I feel that throughout the term I was more of a defender and tried to block the shots of the other team.

Luke: I feel like I’ve gotten a lot better throughout the year and now I feel really good.

Ethan: I have learned a lot of skills in this basketball season.

Kabir: I learned how to shoot better.

Aleem: It was a great experience and it was fun playing with my friends.

Aditya and Simon were important members of our team, but were unable to make the playday. All 12 of these boys have worked hard and have been very committed to the team. It’s been a successful season and they are looking forward to more next year.

DAVE RITCHIE GRADE 5 BOYS BASKETBALL COACH

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Support the Stratford Hall Centre for Innovation by giving a gift at stratfordhall.ca Gifts can also be made by cheque or in person through the Advancement Office.

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