FAREWELL MR. DEVENISH | RUGBY SPRING TOUR | PLACE-BASED LEARNING
THE SAINT THE MAGAZINE OF ST. GEORGE’S SCHOOL | SPRING 2018
CHARACTER EDUCATION THE MOST IMPORTANT THING WE TEACH
THE SAINT THE MAGAZINE OF ST. GEORGE’S SCHOOL
ACTING MANAGING EDITORS NIK WILLIAMS-WALSHE DOMINIQUE ANDERSON SENIOR COPY EDITOR NANCY KUDRYK GRAPHIC DESIGNER BRUCE ELBEBLAWY GEORGIANS EDITOR IAN YEN ‘03 Head of Georgian Relations PRESIDENT OF THE ST. GEORGE’S OLD BOYS’ ASSOCIATION DIRK LAUDAN ‘87 PHOTOGRAPHERS Richelle Akimow Photography Bob Frid St. George’s School Archives Clement Woo Ian Yen '03
THE SAINT is published twice per year, expressly for Old Boys, parents, and friends of St. George’s School. It is also distributed to other Canadian independent schools and selected public or private institutions. Comments about any of the articles are always welcome. Address all correspondence to: Managing Editor St. George’s School 3851 West 29th Avenue, Vancouver, BC V6S 1T6 CANADA T: 604-224-1304 | F: 604-224-7066 | E: sgscommunications@stgeorges.bc.ca THE SAINT is copyright © 2018 St. George’s School, Vancouver BC Canada. Reproduction rights: We encourage you to circulate or copy this material 2017
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THE BUILDERS
On April 19th, 2018, Mr. Andrew D. Grant, Mr. Sam H. Gudewill, and Dr. Tony Mercer were inducted as Builders of St. George’s School. Board Members, faculty and staff, Georgians, family members, and the community gathered to honour these individuals who have made an extraordinary, transformational contribution over time to the building of the School. The Builders designation represents the highest award the School will confer in recognition of extraordinary support. Reflecting a genuine love of St. George’s School, this support may involve either personal effort ‘above and beyond the call of duty’ and/or financial support.
2018 BUILDERS OF ST. GEORGE’S INDUCTEES
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BUILDERS OF ST. GEORGE’S SCHOOL
HONOURED IN 2018 MR. ANDREW D. GRANT
MR. SAM H. GUDEWILL
DR. TONY MERCER
Georgian Parent (Timothy ’00, Douglas ’03); Honourary Old Boy; Board Member (1991-2003); Board Chair (1994-1996); Foundation Chair (19992001); Chair and Member of Building & Grounds Committee (1990 -2002). Major donor since 1991.
Georgian Parent (Spencer ’10); Foundation Chair (2005-2012), Board Member (2007-2012); Chair of Advancement Committee (2007-2010); Member of the Headmaster’s Council. Major donor since 2003.
Senior Master; Robinson Distinguished Service Award Recipient; past Director of Senior School, Head of Grade, and Head of Science; Outstanding Educator Awards from the University of Chicago and Stanford University; Soccer, Rugby, Field Hockey, and Golf Coach; Skydiving Aficionado and CSPA Master Course Facilitator; Photographer and World Traveller
When his eldest son joined St. George’s School in 1989, Andrew went ‘all in’ to contribute to the building of St. George’s School. As president and founding partner of PCI, and with development projects around the city, his experience proved invaluable to the School during a period of expansion. Along with his wife, Joan, he was generous with his time and energy, putting his heart into everything he did for Saints. His many realms of service to the School include stints as Foundation Chair and Board Chair and over a decade as a member of the Board of Directors. He served with the Nominating Committee and the Advancement Committee, and was involved with the Excellence in Education Campaign. However, it was as Chair of the Building and Grounds Committee he made his mark, formally serving from 1990 to 2002, and then remaining as advisor through 2010. Andrew oversaw the first master plan for the Senior and Junior Schools and then the seismic upgrade and rebuilding of the Junior School, the building of Harker Hall, new playing fields for the junior campus, the construction of the Headmaster’s Residence, two upgrades to the Senior School (including McLean Hall and the Chan Arts and Science Wing), and was instrumental in guiding the School through dealings with City Hall and the neighbours. He was also a member of the Search Committee that brought us past Headmaster, and Builder, Nigel Toy.
A tireless volunteer and supporter of St. George’s School, Sam played a key leadership role at a definitive point in the School’s history. Already familiar with the world of Canadian independent schools, as a member of the School’s two Boards he emphasized the importance of thinking big and of striving to establish St. George’s as one of the country’s pre-eminent independent schools. In particular, as Chair of the Foundation Board, he focused his attention on the importance of the School’s Endowment, pursuing the audacious goal of building an Endowment large enough to cover the entire cost of the School’s Financial Aid Program. Under Sam’s leadership, the operations of the St. George’s School Foundation were systematized and professionalized. He also worked hard to grow the Endowment from $3M to over $20M through a combination of adept financial management and ongoing fundraising. The retirement of Headmaster Nigel Toy in 2010 helped facilitate this process through the creation of an endowed fund in his name. For Sam, the overriding goal was to build the Endowment so that financial aid could be provided to deserving boys who would otherwise be unable to attend the School. Sam’s loyalty and commitment is reflected in the fact that he still serves on the Foundation’s Investment Committee, even though he stepped down from his role as Chair of the Foundation more than five years ago.
Coming to Canada from England to pursue a PhD in X-ray crystallography at the University of British Columbia, Dr. Tony Mercer then went on to complete his teacher training before finding a life-long home at St. George’s School. Having served St. George’s for more than four decades, Tony has worked with six different Headmasters, and he has held many of the key positions in the School, including Director of the Senior School (now Principal), Head of Grade, and Department Head. As Director, he led the Senior School during a period of change and growth. Among his most significant accomplishments was his focus on improving the overall quality of the School’s academic program. Tony has seen his share of changes, but he has never lost his commitment to his students and their learning, nor his passion for teaching and learning. The Senior School’s Senior Master since 2012, he truly is a master teacher who has inspired generations of Science students through his dynamic and innovative approach to teaching. As one of his former students noted, “What a journey it has been through Dr. Mercer’s teaching, from intellectual challenges along the way to continuous reminders about the importance of connecting knowledge to the real world. Dr. Mercer’s teaching sparked in me an intellectual passion for science that I can never thank him enough for.” Highlights of Dr. Mercer’s tenure also include various school trips to locations like Mount Kilimanjaro, Mount Everest, and the Galapagos Islands, as well as the annual CAIS Soccer Tournament and numerous golf tournaments. Many of our Old Boys remember his spectacular entry to the 1992 Fair – skydiving from a plane! This is Tony’s 42nd year at St. George’s, making him the longest serving faculty member in the School’s history. SPRING 2018 | 7
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ST. GEORGE’S VERY OWN DR. JOHN HUGHES RECENTLY PUBLISHED DEAD IN TANGIER, THE FIRST IN A SERIES OF MYSTERY NOVELS, NOW AVAILABLE FROM AMAZON/KINDLE.
Dr. Hughes has wanted to write a novel set in Morocco since he first visited there as a boy and explored the Spanish Foreign Legion forts (not French) and learned about the Rif War and the Spanish Civil War. After receiving a doctorate in history in the UK, writing nonfiction, and teaching in the United States and Canada, he finally wrote that novel. Dead in Tangier, the first Captain Equi mystery novel, is set in Tangier against intrigues in Spanish Morocco that ignited Spain’s civil war in 1936. Those who have heard Dr. Hughes speak at ArtsWeek or attended his lecture series are eagerly anticipating reading his story. Notes from Kirkus Review: “In his series opener, Hughes makes excellent use of place, history, and character to tell a moving story that goes deeper than crime-solving. Tangier of 1936 comes alive in his telling, with its tangle of cultures, languages, people, and neighborhoods. It’s a fine metaphor for moral ambiguity, summed up by Tangier rules, a phrase so central that it should be the book’s title. Equally well-drawn are the tale’s characters, particularly Equi, who has a complicated past that includes an English mother, an abusive father, and a wife who died 15 years previously.”
AUTHOR IN THE HOUSE
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25Years
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H O N O U RIN G
OF SERVICE
AT OUR ST. GEORGE’S DAY CELEBRATIONS EACH YEAR, EMPLOYEES WHO HAVE REACHED 25 YEARS OF SERVICE TO THE SCHOOL ARE HONOURED AT A SPECIAL ASSEMBLY AND LUNCHEON. RETIRED LONG-STANDING FACULTY AND STAFF ARE INVITED BACK TO THE SCHOOL, AND MANY STORIES AND FOND MEMORIES ARE SHARED.
FROM THE 1993 GEORGIAN: “THE ROOKIES” L TO R, BACK ROW: MS. WESSLER, MR. SHERMAN, MS. BASSETT, MR. PALMER L TO R, FRONT ROW: MR. CROMPTON, MR. MARTIN, MR. ZIFF, MR. BECOTT
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Mr. Becott was born in New Westminster but attended school in Prince George and then Brentwood College. He went to journalism school in London, Ontario, worked briefly as a reporter, then went back to the University of Western Ontario for a degree in history. With the passing of his father in 1986 he moved back to BC, and studied education at UBC. Mr. Becott learned about St. George’s through a friend in the education faculty and was immediately hired. Over the years he has participated in 46 international Model United Nations and loved every one of them. He has coached rugby, sailing, curling, skiing/snowboarding, public speaking, and MUN and loves the opportunity to make friends with both faculty and students. Mr. Becott met his partner, Eli, in Lebanon and he immigrated to Canada in 2012. They have two dogs - Zac who comes to school every day and Poco who came with Eli from Lebanon. Mr. Becott loves travelling, and his favourite trip was in 1986 – around the world, including the Soviet Union and China.
Verne Becott Martha Bassett Martha first came to St. George’s in 1991 to lead a lunchtime Japanese Club and a student tour to climb Mt. Fuji in the summer. She inaugurated the Japanese Language & Culture program that now culminates in Advanced Placement Japanese 12. Over the years, she has led student tours to Paris and Barcelona, Turkey, seven tours to Japan, and accompanied Outdoor Education cycling and kayaking trips. She inaugurated Comparative Civilizations 12 and currently teaches Japanese and Advanced Placement Art History. Her experience as a Senior School teacher has been complemented by Grade 6 guest workshops about Chinese characters, and also being a parent of Grads (Conrad ’00 and Gavin ’02). She plans to retire in 2019 after one more student tour to Japan.
Marc Crompton Mr. Crompton was born in New Westminster. He has always lived in the Lower Mainland, attending elementary school at Seaview Elementary in Port Moody, Champlain Heights Elementary in Killarney, and Killarney High School. High School is where Mr. Crompton discovered his passion for music. He studied music at UBC before getting a teaching degree, after which he began work at St. George’s as a band teacher. After 18 years teaching music, Mr. Crompton took a temporary, part-time position in the library that has since become less temporary and less part-time. While at St. George’s, Mr. Crompton has directed all of the bands, started Music AP, has taught classes on both organizational and library skills, and has inaugurated both the Maker Club and the Fusion Cohort. Mr. Crompton’s favourite thing about St. George’s is that it is a place where he has never stopped learning. He finds it inspiring that he is challenged to stretch his knowledge and abilities nearly every day. Mr. Crompton is a family man; he has been married for nearly 24 years and his daughter is now studying Musical Theatre at Sheridan College. In his sparse spare time, Mr. Crompton is a practicing amateur photographer, avid reader of books, and a Civilisation VI addict.
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Ms. Wessler was born in Vancouver, B.C. After completing a Bachelor of Arts in French and German Literature at UBC and spending a year at Law School, she decided to complete her Bachelor of Education and, later, a Masters in Education at the University of Calgary. Her first position at St. George’s School was as a full-time French teacher. While Ms. Wessler has had many memorable experiences over her 25 years, she says, “My pinnacle moment at St. George’s School was watching my son cross the stage during Prize Day. He is a lifer, and that was a moment of sheer happiness and pride for me.”
Joao Medeiros aka “Little John”
John immigrated to Canada from Azores, Portugal with his wife Maria and three young children, Sergio, Bruno and Claudia, in 1989. He joined St. George’s in 1993, first at Harker Hall and then as a custodian at both the Senior and Junior Schools. Little John is skilled in carpentry and gardening and has made many impressive renovations on his own home. John lives with his wife in North Delta, and now has two wonderful grandchildren, Adriano and Wally.
As a teacher, Ms. Wessler has taught French, German, Social Studies, and English, and she inaugurated the Film Studies program. She was also the Head of Languages and since 2011 has been the Head of University Counselling. Within the Saints community, she ran the Georgian Yearbook, and has been involved with Model UN for 17 years. She was also a House Supper organizer and teacher sponsor for the Green Machine, Film Club, Documentary Film Club, Multicultural Club, German Cultural Club, and Alley Outreach, to name just a few. In the sports field, she has been involved with softball, yoga, table tennis, trail running, and rock climbing, and, in her early years, as an assistant coach for competitive Grade 8 basketball and a Grade 8/9 soccer. She has served on many school committees that have helped keep St. George’s School innovative and continually improving. Outside of school, Ms. Wessler loves spending time with her family and friends. She loves to see new parts of the world, watch rom-coms, and laugh with her friends. She never takes herself too seriously, after all, life is short!
Christine Wessler (BOENSCH)
Stephen Ziff Stephen Ziff was born in Montréal, and grew up in Montréal, Québec City, Dundas, and Windsor. His summers were spent at a camp in upstate New York, where he developed a love of the outdoors, especially hiking and climbing. His time there led him to a degree in Geography from McGill, and then a teaching diploma from SFU. In the summer of 1992, Mr. Ziff read an ad for a teaching position at St. George’s School for a “senior socials teacher with a geography degree and experience in outdoor education”, he decided to apply, and the rest is history! In his time here, he taught Socials 9, 10 and 11, Earth Sciences, Geography 12, AP Human Geography, Outdoor Education, and SRE. Highlights of his career at St. George’s include inaugurating and coaching the Ultimate Program that spanned two decades, a magical kayaking trip with six Grade 12 students around the Broken Islands in BC, and a two-week Discovery 10 year-end trip in the Broughton Archipelago. He is an avid outdoor enthusiast, enjoying activities such as sea kayaking, backcountry skiing, mountaineering, and rock-climbing, often accompanied by his wife and two daughters. Mr. Ziff’s love for the outdoors, music, food, social justice, and his family, all reflect in his teaching, and makes the classroom experience with him a truly memorable and impactful one.
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I cannot believe how quickly the past 30 years have gone by. It seems like just yesterday that Headmaster Alan Brown telephoned me at my former school in Ontario to arrange for a job interview. At the time, St. George’s was looking for a music teacher who could also teach mathematics. As these were my two areas, I eagerly made the trip west to investigate this exciting prospect. After a tour of the new Senior School building and a hearty welcome from legendary teacher Mr. Geof Stancombe, my wife and I and our two-year-old daughter relocated to Vancouver and began a lifelong adventure at St. George’s School.
FAREWELL 30 YEARS AT ST. GEORGE’S SCHOOL BY: MARKO RNIC
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WHAT IS ST. GEORGE’S TO ME? ST. GEORGE’S IS NOT A SCHOOL WHERE STUDENTS GRUDGINGLY ARRIVE AT 8:25 AM EACH DAY AND GO THROUGH A DULL AND BORING ROUTINE. RATHER, IT IS A PLACE WHERE BOYS ARE BOTH CHALLENGED AND SUPPORTED TO MAKE THE MOST OF EVERY DAY.
The School was much smaller then, with only 400 students at the Senior School and 180 at the junior campus. The Boarding House was contained entirely on the fourth floor of the Junior School building, McLean Hall was a lovely outdoor courtyard, and there was only one school nurse for both campuses. School life was far less complex as well: AP courses had not yet been introduced, it was next to impossible for any activity to take students out of class, Mr. Tosh Ujimoto took care of all university applications by himself, and the Counselling Department simply did not exist. After seriously considering whether St. George’s should become a co-educational school, the decision was made not only to remain a ‘single-sex school’, but to grow in size. I believe it was this decision to grow that has led to the magnificent school that we have today. Over the past 30 years, the student population, the faculty, and the staff have essentially doubled in number. Along with this, our curricular and co-curricular offerings have grown by leaps and bounds. Yet, many fundamental aspects of the School have remained constant. Most importantly, our school spirit has remained vibrant, positive, and full of vigor. Those of you who know me understand that I see the world through rose-coloured glasses. That is, my viewpoint is perpetually positive and enthusiastic. And, I truly feel this is most appropriate with respect to St. George’s. Since the day I arrived, I have always noticed a wonderful joie de vivre amongst both faculty and students. During the past three decades, this delightful atmosphere and approach to life has also grown and deepened, I believe, just as much as the population has expanded. The ‘twinkle in the eye’ of many boys is just as strong today as it was in the past and may even be even stronger now. It brings me great 14 | THE SAINT
joy to see the boys laughing and smiling as they go through their daily lives, even though life today seems far more busy and stressful than I recall years ago. It is just as gratifying to see this same spirit within the faculty and staff. From my travels to other schools in Canada and the United States, I know this is a rare thing. Where some other schools suffer from a lack of caring and mediocrity, we have something here that is truly special, something that I hope will continue for many years to come. What is St. George’s to me? St. George’s is not a school where students grudgingly arrive at 8:25 am each day and go through a dull and boring routine. Rather, it is a place where boys are both challenged and supported to make the most of every day. I believe St. George’s offers a huge amount to enrich the lives of each student, encourages all to grow, develop, and experience new ways of thinking. It is much more a way of life than a school. The fabric of St. George’s lies in the people that make up this wonderful community. It is the way we celebrate the successes of our friends and colleagues just as much as it is the way we help each other through difficult times. It is the way we laugh, joke, and play just as much as it is the way that we console, support, and comfort. St. George’s is a wonderful place, and I feel so privileged to have been a part of this community. While retirement will bring many new opportunities and exciting times, I will greatly miss everyone here. Thinking of the raw energy of our remarkable students and the passion of our extraordinary teachers, I find it almost impossible to believe that I will not be here in September. I wish you the very best of what life will bring, and may our paths cross again soon.
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MARKO BROUGHT ME TO ST. GEORGE’S 25 YEARS AGO AND INITIATED A PATH THAT HAS RESULTED IN AN EXCITING AND STIMULATING CAREER. I AM TRULY GRATEFUL TO HIM FOR PROVIDING ME THE OPPORTUNITIES TO WORK WITH SOME OF THE MOST AMAZING AND TALENTED STUDENTS THAT ONE COULD EVER WISH TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH. MARC CROMPTON, HEAD OF SENIOR LEARNING COMMONS SPRING 2018 | 15
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FRÃœHLINGSB BEHIND THE SCENES WITH THE EUROPEAN BAND TOUR
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BAND-TOUR BY: DR. DEAN MARKEL
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THE EUROPEAN BAND TOUR IS A LONG-STANDING TRADITION AT ST. GEORGE’S THAT CONTINUES TO THRIVE TODAY. THIS IS DUE, IN NO SMALL PART, TO THE STRONG RELATIONSHIP CULTIVATED BY MARKO RNIC BETWEEN THE ST. GEORGE’S MUSIC DEPARTMENT AND THE AICHACH MUSIC SOCIETY (MUSIKVEREIN AICHACH) IN GERMANY. ITvirtually BEGANuninterrupted, IN 1994, when the Aichach Stadtkapelle answered the call to host a school band from Vancouver, Canada and has continued every three years, since. Fast forward to 2018 and you see the kind of relationship that can develop over 24 years.
Despite the fact that we have actually spent only 24 days in Aichach, each time we visit it feels like returning home. Our students, directors, and chaperones are each greeted with warmth and joy and given the opportunity to visit and live in a German home; perform a joint concert with the Aichach Stadkapelle; and have a “family day” where they have no other commitments. While it is a one-time chance for the students, as directors we continue to stay with the same family each trip and develop a long-term relationship. I continue to be amazed at how quickly bonds form and how strong they are. It is not unusual to see students and adults wiping tears away as we say farewell at the end of the homestay. Beyond all the musical benefits of our tour, the homestay plays an enormous role in developing character in our students—they see first-hand the beautiful friendship that exists between these two groups of people from distant lands and the shared value of music.
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WHILE THE PROSPECT OF TOURING EUROPE WITH 80 TEENAGE BOYS CERTAINLY BRINGS CHALLENGES, IT IS WONDERFUL TO SEE HOW THIS EXPERIENCE IMPACTS EACH BOY. IT IS A TRULY VALUABLE AND UNIQUE EXPERIENCE TO BE ABLE TO TRAVEL WITH ONE’S CLASSMATES AND COLLEAGUES.
This year’s European Band Tour was my third since coming to St. George’s in 2011. Knowing this would be his final tour, I was asked by Marko Rnic to take on the role of organizing the trip. In doing so, I knew I would be both removing the stress of planning and managing the many details and allowing Marko to relax and enjoy his final European Band Tour. It was an exciting, if not daunting, opportunity to take on the task of planning the tour with the goal of preserving the elemental aspects while implementing some new ideas to reflect our changing society. This year’s tour, quite by accident, was a throwback to some of the early European Band Tours. We stayed north of the Alps in Central Europe and visited Germany, Czech Republic, Austria, and Hungary—the last time the European Band Tour visited Prague was in 1994, the first year of the homestay in Aichach! During our visit, it was delightful to see the photos and memorabilia from the first tour and a much younger looking Mr. Rnic and Mr. Crompton. Since my first European Band Tour, it was clear to me that the homestay and relationships built with this small village about 45 minutes northeast of Munich are key to the success of the European Band Tour. Thus, our itinerary was planned to prioritize the homestay which would include a Saturday joint concert and Sunday “family day.” To allow for the most cultural time and least amount of bus time, an itinerary was planned that was the most direct route from
our arrival in Frankfurt to Heidelberg, Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Nuremberg, Prague, Aichach, Munich, Salzburg, Budapest, and Vienna. During our 16-day European Tour we performed four concerts, worked with a guest conductor from Jeunesses Musicales in Weikersheim, Germany; attended performances by the Prague Symphony Orchestra and the Hungarian National Ballet Company; toured cities, castles, and cathedrals throughout central Europe; visited a Concentration Camp Memorial in Austria; enjoyed the relaxation of thermal baths in Budapest; and immersed ourselves in the culture of Europe. Our route took us (mostly) from west to east, and we returned home via a connecting flight from Vienna, Austria (a first for a St. George’s European Band Tour!) While the prospect of touring Europe with 80 teenage boys certainly brings challenges, it is wonderful to see how this experience impacts each boy. It is a truly valuable and unique experience to be able to travel with one’s classmates and colleagues—to connect outside of the classroom is priceless. The homestay in Aichach was especially poignant this year, as it was a chance for everyone involved over the past 24 years to celebrate the long friendship, say farewell to Marko, and to plan for our next visit in 2021. For a more detailed account, check the European Tour blog at: www.saintsbandtour.blogspot.com
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“Hi Sir, can I talk to you about an idea?” “Hi Sebastian. Certainly, what’s the idea?” “We want to break a world record.” “OK, well, I’m going to need some more information…” “We’re going to row a million metres.” “Great, that’s a long way! And, I’m still going to need some more information…”
AND THAT’S HOW IT ALL STARTED.
1 MILLION KILOMETRES NON-STOP ON 1 ROWING ERG –
BREAKING A WORLD RECORD! BY: CHRIS BLACKMAN
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After a few more meetings and quite a bit more clarity, we identified a list of initial challenges for our shot at the Large Team Million Metres world record. First, we needed a date and we needed to be able to set-up a single erg that would be used continuously for close to 72 hours. Secondly, we needed a space that was easy to supervise and could handle 5-10 people hanging out around the erg. Thirdly, we needed to have supervisors around the clock for close to 72 hours. It all came together, and suddenly it was time for the first shift and the first pull on the erg. In the end, nearly all the boys on the Grade 10 team or older were involved, and a few Grade 9s supported the event as well. Grade 11 Sebastian Smith played a central role in pulling it all together and was helped out by Simon Liu, William Li, and Andrew Wei. Coach Duncan added, “Darius Chan and Emre Alca did a lot of the heavy lifting by physically leading the overnight teams and all the Senior coxies—Aaron Han, Aaron Qiu, and Jameson Eng—did a great job managing the logging of the event.” It was nice that the boys got to set a new World Record; however, two accomplishments from that weekend really stand out. First, it was a fantastic team-building experience for the boys and it wasn’t a coach-led initiative. The time the boys spent together, late in the night and into the early morning hours, strengthened their bond of friendship. Secondly, they supported a charity of their choosing—United World Schools—and raised over USD$12,000 that will be used to provide teacher training and resources for the Pa Bee Five School in the Mine-Koe District of Eastern Myanmar. “We recognize the opportunity that we have been given at St. George’s and understand that schooling changes lives” said Sebastian Smith. “Without our help, the kids in the Pa Bee Five School would likely never learn how to read, write, or even count. Let us give these children the opportunity to learn!” added Darren Kwan, another organizer of the event. You can now see their accomplishment, their World Record from November 23-26, 2017, on the Concept2 website: http://www.concept2.com/indoor-rowers/racing/records/ultra-distance/world/million-meters
CITY OF VANCOUVER PROCLAIMS ST. GEORGE’S ROWING DAY The City of Vancouver proclaimed January 29, 2018 “St. George’s Rowing Day,” in recognition of the Saints Rowing Team breaking the U19 Large Group Million Meters World Record on November 2326, 2017 by rowing continuously on a single erg for nearly 72 hours, beating the old record by more than 23 hours.
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ESTABLISHED IN 1980,
the Philip N. Rigg Scholarship was created in honour of Philip Rigg, a “scholar, athlete, and artist of considerable merit” who succumbed to leukemia at the age of 16. Over the years, being named a Rigg Scholar in the Visual and Performing Arts “in recognition of contributions to the creative and performing arts, citizenship, and academic achievement” has become one of the most prestigious designations at the School. At a special ceremony during ArtsWeek, the current Rigg Scholars perform, and the incoming Rigg Scholars are announced.
RIGG SCHOLARS
The process and expectations for this scholarship are different from others at the School. Grade 11 students apply within their discipline (Music, Theatre Arts, or Visual Arts) and must meet a rigorous set of criteria to demonstrate their dedication, facility, participation, and leadership. During their Grade 12 year, they will support and mentor younger students and work to promote the arts throughout the Saints community.
Kevin Tang ’18, Rigg Scholar in Visual Arts, noted, “To have impact as a mentor requires empathy, humility, and responsibility. You need to simply be present for younger students, to respect their explorations of the various mediums, and know when to offer your help. You demonstrate your work ethic, and, hopefully, inspire them with your level of skill. Being named a Rigg provided a validation of my skills that gave me a greater level of confidence and allowed me to demonstrate humility because I didn’t need to prove my expertise.” Joe Goetz ’18, Rigg Scholar in Performing Arts (Acting), talked about integrity, responsibility, and resilience. “Being named a Rigg was a transformational experience for me because it allowed me to explore the full range of acting. I defied the expectations of myself and everyone around me. The major time commitment required for theatre productions provides lots of time to simply hang out and engage with many different kinds of people, and to offer them help with acting, but also with other things like time management and study habits.” And two of our Rigg Scholars in Music, John Kim ’18 and Jack Li ‘18, both felt a responsibility to hold themselves to a higher standard than they would have otherwise. For some, The audition process was their “biggest performance to date.” Humility becomes key, because “…in the music world, your performance is never perfect; there is always room for improvement.” They viewed empathy as “…a necessary component of leadership because you deal with different levels of ability in those you are mentoring. And resilience is key when you are stepping outside of your comfort zone when performing or speaking.” SPRING 2018 | 23
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I ARRIVED AT THE JUNIOR SCHOOL ON SATURDAY, AUGUST 14, 1999.
After settling the family in the guest suite (Boiler House) I proceeded to the Junior School building for a look around. I walked straight in the building and proceeded to my office. To my surprise, nothing was secured. A quick stroll around the building and a peek in the classrooms revealed blackboards, chalk brushes, and chalk. I also noticed some new whiteboards with whiteboard markers. There were a few computers around the classrooms. There were green garbage buckets on the fourth floor. However, these were not for garbage. Having viewed the ceiling, I surmised they were for catching leaks from rainwater. The upper classrooms had single desks, but to my surprise, they were old wooden desks, which had to have been around since the 1950s. Some of them even had inkwells!
CHANGE & IMPACT SINCE 1999
REFLECTIONS FROM THE JUNIOR SCHOOL PRINCIPAL BY: GREG DEVENISH
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EDUCATION IS THE GREAT ENGINE OF PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT. IT IS THROUGH EDUCATION THAT THE DAUGHTER OF A PEASANT CAN BE A DOCTOR, THAT THE SON OF A MINEWORKER CAN BECOME THE HEAD OF THE MINE, THAT A CHILD OF FARMWORKERS CAN BECOME THE PRESIDENT OF A GREAT NATION. IT IS WHAT WE MAKE OUT OF WHAT WE HAVE, NOT WHAT WE ARE GIVEN, THAT SEPARATES ONE PERSON FROM ANOTHER. NELSON MANDELA
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Looking back over almost 20 years, there have been significant changes in terms of new learning spaces, reporting, pedagogy, counselling, administrative structures, technology, and student learning support. There is no question that during this period our Strategic Plans and our two Headmasters, Mr. Nigel Toy and Dr. Tom Matthews, have had an incredible impact in moving the School forward, both inside and outside the classroom. My purpose in this article is not to conduct a historical review of the School over the last 20 years—I will leave that to a future historian in 2030 when the School marks its centenary. I want to highlight some significant changes that have impacted St. George’s School over my time as Junior School Principal. The School does not work in isolation and, like all schools in our community, it has been impacted by world events and changes in pedagogy. I thought it prudent to highlight 10 key themes that stand out for me:
1. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIAL NETWORKING Since 2000, IT services have expanded into all areas. All students have access to computers. Today, students from Grades 3 to 7 are assigned a computer, and students in Grades 1 and 2 have tablets. At the Senior School, students bring their own devices. Students no longer rely on binders, pencils, and paper, and can now research, collaborate, and produce work online. Libraries are moving away from books to digital services. In the classroom, students are online working on Khan Academy and Google Docs. Smartboards and projectors are replacing whiteboards. The School has invested heavily in hardware, software, projectors, and professional development. Massive amounts of funding are required just to support IT. Today, we teach students not only how to use technology but also digital responsibility. This generation of students is “digitized” with hand-held devices and 24/7 access to Wikipedia, Google, Instagram, and Facebook. Schools are dealing with addiction to social media. This new world presents both new opportunities and new challenges for faculty and students. 2. RISK MANAGEMENT Over the last 20 years, the need for security protocols, including locked entrances and lockdown drills, has increased dramatically. Since 9/II and the rise of school shootings, schools have been forced to implement new protocols and security measures. Striking the right balance between security and an open, friendly campus has led to increased costs. During the day, access to the School is restricted to one entrance, and we have security personnel on site 24/7. Trips and tours are more carefully assessed, and there are more protocols in place regarding the ratio of teachers to students, types of activities, emergency procedures, and obtaining informed consent from parents, to name a few. 3. CLASSROOM PEDAGOGY There has been a dramatic shift away from rote memory, surface learning, and testing towards allowing students to delve deeper and then demonstrate their learning in a variety of ways. Students have more choice, with a greater emphasis on collaborative work with peers. There is more time for self-reflection and assessment. There are more inquiry-based projects at all levels, and the Grade 10 cohorts allow students to investigate areas of interest and deepen their learning while exploring, or finding, a passion. The teacher’s role is shifting from a disseminator of information to a facilitator. 4. PROVINCE-WIDE TESTING The Foundation Skills Assessment (FSA) is an annual province-wide assessment of academic skills for Grades 4 and 7 that has been in place since the early 2000s. It provides parents, teachers, schools, and the Ministry of Education with important information on how well students are progressing in the foundational skills of reading, writing, and numeracy. The Fraser Institute also uses this information to rank schools, and this has become a sensitive and controversial issue, pitting different constituencies against each other. SPRING 2018 | 27
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5. THE RISE OF SINGLE-SEX SCHOOLS Since 2000, there has been a greater acceptance of single-sex schools. This is particularly true for boys’ schools. In the ‘70s and ‘80s, many traditional boys’ schools went coeducational. Today, there is a reversal, and the demand for singlesex schools is increasing. Boys’ schools are back. Public schools are adapting to this need by opening single-sex schools. There has been new research into how boys learn, and organizations such as the International Boys’ Schools Coalition (IBSC) are doing much work in this area. This has influenced the delivery of education in the classroom, which programs we support, and the design of new learning and workspaces. There are now numerous books on how to raise and educate boys, such as Boy Smarts by Barry Macdonald, and Reaching Boys, Teaching Boys by Michael Reichert and Richard Hawley. 6. THE RISE OF HELICOPTER PARENTS All parents are keen to meet all the academic, recreational, emotional, and nutritional needs of their children. My parents were keen to do that in the ‘50s and ‘60s, but today it has become a 24-hour-a-day requirement. In the words of Dr. Alex Russell, “…the desire to excel at raising kids has led to the professionalization of parenting”. Play dates are organized and students are rushed from tutors to sports academies to volunteer activities. Students are overprescribed, and with the addition of cell phones, they are in contact with their parents 24 hours a day. It’s exhausting for parents, and, “It’s really no better for children to have their [parents’] fingerprints all over their lives, all of the time…Increasingly, our children live in adult-controlled worlds,” notes Dr. Russell. Schools now provide counselling for parents and arrange information evenings such as our BoyOBoy Speaker Series to educate parents about best practices in raising boys and help them find balance in their lives. 7. THE RISE OF POPULAR READING SERIES There has been a significant increase in young people’s literature, notably the explosion of literary series like John Flanagan’s Ranger’s Apprentice, Stuart Gibbs’ Spy School, and J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter Series, and a similar upsurge in graphic novels. This means young people are avidly reading books, which is very exciting. 8. HEALTH AND WELLNESS Health and wellness have gained importance in the life of schools with society’s rising awareness of mental health issues. Students are stressed, and schools now deal with everything from depression to anxiety disorders. There have been increases in counselling services for students, parents, and staff. Schools arrange for speakers to provide professional expertise in dealing with issues that affect well-being. Through our BoyOBoy Speaker Series many of these issues are being discussed and supported. For example, Dr. Shimi Kang, author of The Dolphin Way has presented on 21st century parenting, the need for a balanced life, and practical ways to achieve that. 9. DECLINE OF MEN PURSUING EDUCATIONAL CAREERS A recent article in the Vancouver Sun (April 18, 2018) indicated that male teachers make up only 25% of the public teachers employed in this province. That is certainly a decline from when I started teaching in 1974. Only 11% of public school teachers below the age of 25 are male. Even more alarming, only one out of every 10 people entering B.C.’s teaching profession is a man. The downward trend continues despite noted studies by a Stanford University education professor, Thomas Dee, and others that suggest boys generally do better in classes taught by men. UBC Professor Emeritus Marv Westwood, has found that boys need male role models. “A male teacher,” writes Mr. Westwood, “validates boys’ experience.” As a male teacher, it is disheartening to see a decline in men who want to pursue a teaching career. St. George’s has a healthy ratio of male to female teachers, and this bodes well for some years to come. The question for the School in the next decade is how to attract quality male teachers. 10. SERVICE LEARNING Schools have taken on many service programs. There are service hour requirements for diplomas and a recognition that helping others develops empathy, which in turn develops global citizens and improves society. Many schools have adopted overseas projects such as building schools and constructing wells, and more recently, have emphasized service in their local communities. The challenge for educators is to develop these programs to instill an intrinsic need to help others in our youth. There is a fine balance between giving them opportunities for service and resume padding based on reward systems. 28 | THE SAINT
SAINTS LIFE
Throughout the decades, one area that remains constant is the boys; they have not changed much over my time here. Their energy and competitive drive are still evident inside and outside the classroom. They have wonderful senses of humour and are more resilient than we give them credit for. Their need to be part of a group make friendships very important to them. They continue to take pride in their School, their wing, and their school teams. They are more empathetic today and certainly more digitized than boys of 20 years ago. Going forward, I am certainly not worried about Canada’s future. The boys of this generation are in a good place and I am very confident they will find success and contribute to the well-being of others. Despite the changes over the last 20 or even 100 years in how education is delivered, at the heart of it there is always a constant that can be best summed up simply: “Education is the great engine of personal development. It is through education that the daughter of a peasant can be a doctor, that the son of a mineworker can become the head of the mine, that a child of farmworkers can become the president of a great nation. It is what we make out of what we have, not what we are given, that separates one person from another.� Nelson Mandela SPRING 2018 | 29
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I’VE NEVER MET A PRINCIPAL MORE EXCITED BY THE WINNING GOAL THAN MR. DEVENISH. GO SAINTS!
LOUISE JONES
GARY KERN
GREG IS THE KIND OF PRINCIPAL THAT TEACHERS WANT TO WORK FOR. WHEN YOU WALK INTO HIS OFFICE, HE STOPS WHAT HE IS DOING. HIS FACE BREAKS INTO A BIG SMILE AND HE SAYS “HEY KIDDO!” TO YOU IN A WAY THAT MAKES YOU FEEL SEEN AND APPRECIATED. IN MY FIRST YEAR AT ST. GEORGE’S, I SOMETIMES STOPPED BY HIS OFFICE JUST TO HEAR A “HEY KIDDO!” AND BELIEVE THAT I COULD DO ANYTHING. I HOPE THAT ONE DAY I’M AN ADMINISTRATOR LIKE GREG.
AS TEACHERS, OUR GOAL IS TO EDUCATE OUR STUDENTS BOTH IN MIND AND HEART. DURING HIS 19 YEARS AS OUR JUNIOR SCHOOL PRINCIPAL, GREG DEVENISH HAS DONE BOTH WITH EXTRAORDINARY PASSION AND COMMITMENT. HIS LOVE OF THE SCHOOL AND ITS STUDENTS IS LEGENDARY, AND I FEEL PRIVILEGED TO HAVE WORKED ALONGSIDE HIM DURING MY TIME AT ST. GEORGE’S. DR. TOM MATTHEWS
KARYN ROBERTS
MY FAMILY AND I OFTEN SPEAK ABOU GREG DEVENISH TO PEOPLE NOT T CONNECTED TO THE SCHOOL. WE DE HIM AS THE HEART OF THE JUNIOR SCRIBE SCHOOL—A RESPECTED DISCIPLINA WITH A COMPLETE LOVE FOR THE SCRIAN AND, MORE IMPORTANTLY, A COMPLHOOL LOVE FOR EACH AND EVERY STUDEN ETE T. HE WILL BE SO VERY MISSED. TAMMY YOUNG, BECKETT (GRA DE 30 | THE SAINT
7) AND FINNIA
N (GRADE 9)
‘
GREG IS A PASSIONATE STORYTELLER A VOCAL SPECTATOR OF SPORT, WIT FOCUSED ON EVERY ASPECT OF A STU “IT’S ALL ABOUT THE BOYS”. WE WIL
NATE IO S S A P , D IN K IS E H . S TH G EN GREG HAS MANY STR BILITY TO A ’S EG R G , LY TE A N TU R FO N U . AND ENTHUSIASTIC HE CALLED . ET S S A G N O TR S A T O N IS ES REMEMBER NAM AT THE E M TI Y M F O S TH N O M IX S T S ME GEORGE FOR THE FIR HERE I SIMPLY RESPONDED SCHOOL. IT GOT TO A POINT W. WE ARE AT A BETTER PLACE INSTEAD OF CORRECTING HIM T I WILL TAKE THAT.” NOW. HE CALLS ME STEVE, BU STEPHEN ST
URGEON
R, ENTHUSIASTIC HISTORIAN, TH THE HEART OF A LION. HE IS UDENT’S LIFE IN SCHOOL AND LL MISS HIM.”
SAINTS LIFE
MR. ER D N U E B TO Y IT N TU R O P P O HAD THE I AM VERY GRATEFUL TO HAVE R SEVEN YEARS. ONE OF MY FAVOURITE GREG DEVENISH’S GUIDANCE FOWAS OUR TIME IN FRANCE, THE NETHERLANDS, MEMORIES OF MR. DEVENISH TRIP. IT WAS AN EYE-OPENING EXPERIENCE AND BELGIUM ON THE EUROPEICES MADE BY MILLIONS OF PEOPLE WHO LEARNING ABOUT THE SACRIF US DURING BOTH WORLD WARS. I WOULD WERE NOT MUCH OLDER THAN FOR HIS DEDICATION AND PASSION TO THE LIKE TO THANK MR. DEVENISH BE MISSED. SCHOOL THAT WILL CERTAINLY ARMA AN JA
FFER - GRAD
E8
MR. DEVENISH IS A PRINCIPAL EXTRAORDINAIRE. WHETHER IT’S ON THE PLAYGROUND, THE CLASSROOM, OR EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES, HE BALANCES ENCOURAGEMENT AND SUPPORT WITH FIRM DISCIPLINE. HE GETS TO KNOW EACH BOY AS A UNIQUE INDIVIDUAL AND SERVES AS A MENTOR TO ALL. HIS CHARACTER IS THE EMBODIMENT OF THE CORE VALUES TAUGHT AT THE SCHOOL. HIS COMMITMENT TO SAINTS IS UNRIVALLED AND HE WILL BE GREATLY MISSED BY THE ENTIRE SAINTS COMMUNITY. JITI GILL & HARJINDER DHALIWAL TARAN (GRADE 3)
MR. DEVENISH, YOU EXEMPLIFY THE CORE VALUES AND IDEALS OF THIS AMAZING SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY WHICH WE ARE SO THANKFUL TO BE A PART OF. AIDAN LOVED HIS PRINCIPAL’S PERIOD AND WE SELFISHLY WISH YOU COULD POSTPONE YOUR RETIREMENT UNTIL 2023. CONGRATULATIONS, AND ALL THE BEST FOR AN AMAZING RETIREMENT. DAVID HOWARD AND SUSAN LEUNG-HOWARD, AIDAN GRADE 3 SPRING 2018 | 31
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FOR ALMOST TWO DECADES Junior School Principal Greg Devenish has been leading and inspiring our young boys to become enthusiastic and motivated learners.
His caring, patient, and energetic personality, dedication to teaching, and unrivaled passion for St. George’s have positively impacted countless members of our School community. As we celebrate his retirement, we have the opportunity to honour Greg for 19 years of outstanding service and contribution to the School. Tribute Gifts made in Greg’s name will support ongoing Junior School renovations and provide opportunities to embrace dynamic new learning strategies and technologies which he has resolutely championed over his time as Principal. To make a gift please visit: www.stgeorges.bc.ca/gregdevenish or contact Tracie Watson at: twatson@stgeorges.bc.ca 604-222-5800. In the words of a Grade 7 leaving class, “Thank you for the guidance you have shown us, for the places you have taken us, for the falls you have helped us stand up from, and for the care and heart you have given us.”
THANK YOU, GREG FOR YOUR EXTRAORDINARY COMMITMENT TO THE STUDENTS OF ST. GEORGE’S SCHOOL!
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“IT’S OK TO COLOUR OUTSIDE THE LINES” THE GREAT THING ABOUT SAINTS, IS THAT IT KNOWS HOW BOYS THINK, AND THE NEW FLEXIBLE LEARNING SPACE AND PROGRAMS WILL NOT JUST TEACH STUDENTS WHAT TO LEARN, BUT HOW TO LEARN. JADEN BAINS SCHOOL CAPTAIN 2017-18
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SAINTS LIFE
INTRODUCING THE NEW GRADE 4 NEIGHBOURHOOD The Junior School will have some excitement on campus this summer as the Board has approved the renovation of the Grade 4 space into a brand new neighborhood. Through generous donations to the ONE Campaign, the current Grade 4 classrooms will be completely revitalized to create flexible learning spaces conducive to 21st century boy-centred learning, which we call a “neighborhood.” Once completed, every boy in Grades 4 to 7 will learn, experiment, and collaborate in a gradespecific neighbourhood. To maintain consistency, the aesthetic of this new space will have a similar look and feel to the Grade 5 and 6 neighbourhoods. The movable furniture and different types of seating will create a comfortable atmosphere where students feel encouraged to take risks in their learning and are able to collaborate more easily with their peers and teachers. Our faculty often remark how students become more aware of who they are as learners through being able to decide how and where they best work to achieve success. The openness and fresh feel of these dynamic spaces are designed to foster these objectives. Flexible spaces encourage exploration and deeper learning as our students develop the necessary skills to thrive in an increasingly complex and changing world and, at an early age, learn how they learn best. Students also benefit from active engagement in classrooms where they can practice creativity, critical thinking, communication, teamwork, and individual learning. Colour, lighting, and ventilation are key to creating the environmental conditions for successful learning. This is a cornerstone of all the new neighbourhoods in the Junior School. One of the central elements that allows teachers to be effective is the provision of great spaces. The ONE Campaign is driven by the fundamental belief that our students and teachers need the right tools to succeed. The focus on providing outstanding educational spaces that ensure our faculty have the ability to focus on boy-centred 21st century teaching and learning is at the very core of the School’s vision. To learn more about the ONE Campaign and how your family can become a partner in this extraordinary project to shape the future of the School, please contact the Advancement Office.
IF WE BELIEVE THAT OUR BOYS NEED TO DEVELOP MULTIPLE WAYS OF LEARNING, THEN WE MUST PROVIDE THEM WITH THE SPACES THAT SUPPORT MULTIPLE STRATEGIES OF TEACHING. GARY KERN PRINCIPAL, SENIOR SCHOOL
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Character education has always been the cornerstone of a St. George’s education. As John Harker stressed during his time as Headmaster (19331962), the overriding goal of the School is to graduate young men of good character who will go on to make a positive contribution to their families and their communities. In order to promote values such as loyalty, courage, and commitment, Harker established rugby as the School’s defining sport, and over the years, he never wavered in his conviction that character education should permeate all aspects of the School’s program, both inside and outside of the classroom. In a speech delivered to the Vancouver Rotary Club, for example, Headmaster Harker went so far as to state that the curriculum set by the Ministry of Education was only a means to an end. Much more important than the material covered in English, Science, Math, or History class was the progress a boy made in developing the moral compass that would guide him throughout his lifetime. “The most important thing we teach,” he declared, “is proscribed in no particular programme of studies—loyalty and integrity, leadership and interdependence, poise and self-control; in other words, character building is the first and principal aim of our curriculum.” More recently, through our current Strategic Plan, we have reaffirmed the primacy of character education and identified six Core Values, namely empathy, humility, integrity, resilience, respect, and responsibility. Building on Harker’s legacy, our Core Values and our Mission of “Building Fine Young Men” remind us that we have a responsibility to educate our students’ hearts as well as their minds. In our complex, rapidly changing world, this educational philosophy is more important than ever. There seems to be an acute shortage of positive role models for boys and young men, and we require a new generation of leaders, including young men of character, who will have the moral courage to do good and to help make the world a better place. I’m reminded of the feedback that our coaches received from an Air Canada cabin crew as they were returning from this year’s Rugby Tour to Argentina and Chile. Learning that the large group of young men boarding the aircraft was from St. George’s, the chief attendant said that they loved it when students from Saints were travelling with them because they are always so respectful and well behaved. “We never have to worry when St. George’s boys are on board,” she noted, “we know that it’s going to be a pleasant flight.” John Harker would have been incredibly pleased by these comments, just as I was, as they affirm our shared belief that “character building” is indeed “the most important thing we teach” here at St. George’s.
DR. TOM MATTHEWS HEADMASTER
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CHARACTER
CHARACTER EDUCATION THE MOST IMPORTANT THING WE TEACH
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JOHN BROMLEY, CLASS OF 1996,
has founded three successful charitable giving and community engagement companies. As founder and CEO of his most recent venture, CHIMP: Charitable Impact, Bromley established the first giving platform built for donors—when you deposit money into your account, you receive a tax receipt immediately. That money can then be given away to any charity of your choice or simply saved to give another day. To date, over 100,000 Canadians have used CHIMP to donate more than $380 million to charities nationwide. The Saint spoke to Bromley about the vision of his Charitable Allowance Program, its commitment to our School’s Core Values, and the importance of teaching charity.
CHARITABLE ALLOWANCE EMPOWERING STUDENTS TO CHANGE THE WORLD
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CHARACTER
Tell us about the inspiration for your vision for your Charitable Allowance Program. “Increasingly, there is nowhere to learn how to give, and as a result there are now fewer and fewer Canadians donating to charity. In direct response to this matter, we at CHIMP: Charitable Impact, are investing in the development, and empowerment of future donors through education. Imagine, for a moment, if we weren’t taught Math in school—do you think there would still be engineers? I believe the same very much applies to charity. If it’s not taught and experienced, then how is it ever fully grasped? So, how does this program work? Charitable Allowance has been providing the boys with a monthly allowance of $10 each, thanks to funding from an anonymous donor. Over the course of the year, teachers and students engage in conversations around giving. Students then use their charity allowances to learn more about, and participate in, the charitable sector. While this program’s concept is relatively simple, the complexity lies in its ‘giving away’ component. Students are taught skills to enable them to contribute to charity independently, whether they want to donate to one, two, or ten causes. They are empowered to give in a way that makes the most charitable sense to them, as evolving donors. To assist in the research of this program, CHIMP has enlisted Harvard Business School’s Dr. Ashley Whillans. And what about the program’s intent? My experience shows that when youth experience giving in a context that empowers them, they’re better able to become engaged citizens who contribute consistently and positively to society. But I think it’s important here to take a look at how the Charitable Allowance Program aligns with St. George’s Core Values and how the 250 students involved are learning how purposeful giving can impact meaningful change. Much like teaching art, we promote the idea of giving and enable students to donate in the hope that each of them will be inspired to create change their own way, on their own terms. By exposing students to charity, we provide each young person with a chance and a pathway to develop into an effective and powerful philanthropist. By asking the question “What do YOU care about changing?”, we empower students to make their own decisions about supporting the causes that matter most to them. Facilitating this seemingly simple conversation in classrooms has allowed St. George’s students to gain not just a deeper level of empathy for their surrounding community, but to really explore the notion that, while everyone wants something in the world to change, taking real action is essential to creating impact. The students have learned that the more thoughtfully they give, the more impact they will make on the world—whether they care about Kitsilano beach, the Pacific Ocean, or the fish that live there. Choosing to support a different charity than your best friends can be a demanding notion for young people to grapple with. However, the students have
shown humility in their ability to share, grow, and adjust the ways they consider charitable giving. Their intelligence and fearlessness in questioning and seeking knowledge is verification that you can, in fact, build and foster a culture of giving. An integral part of Charitable Allowance is teaching financial literacy. Instead of focusing purely on ‘how much to give to whom’, students are taught the skills needed to make informed donation decisions. Revealing the opportunity costs of charitable giving demonstrates the importance of saving and spending wisely. The intent here is to nurture prosocial development, and for students to develop, act on, and take responsibility for their allowances. It is CHIMP’s hope that over the course of the program, students will learn about different avenues for giving and feel the power that comes from creating greater impact through their own financial decisions. They are learning that effective generosity is a tool that can be used to actively impact change. How will this affect the future of our students? My experience is that Vancouverites are generous and generally conscious of the environment and the world around them. This means people already give. But are we proactive? Are we habitual in our generosity? Generally speaking, the answer is no— and this is because we weren’t taught how to give. Instead of experiencing our own charitable pathway, most of us were just asked to participate. As a result, for most people, our moments of generosity only occur as a reaction to fundraising asks. Our Charitable Allowance Program’s ultimate aim is to develop a generation of donors that not only gives, but gives often and with intent, with the agency to donate to any registered charity they wish. How can parents, and the entire St. George’s community, get involved? We see a future where every young person in Canada earns a Charitable Allowance. Share your favourite causes with your kids to inspire them to want to create change. Give together and see how easy it is to make a bigger difference to the world. CHIMP is the first giving vehicle built for donors, making it easy for families to make giving a part of everyday living. Sign up to CHIMP.net for free, deposit money into your account for when you’re inspired to give, or set up a monthly recurring donation for all your favourite Canadian charities. Join us in nurturing the future generation’s passion for creating change.
FROM OUR STUDENTS Donating money makes me feel like I’m adding worth to the world, makes me feel helpful, and makes me feel good about myself. Keaton I choose organizations that I feel are going to make a change in society and are using the money wisely. Charlie It feels like an achievement, even if it is a small one…it can still have an impact. Jason The purpose of CHIMP is to teach young people about donating money and how it is important that charities get the money that they need. As a student, I think that I learned lots about the different charities and their expenditures and revenues. Justin I feel good donating money to an organization like this because it’s a great cause and I can’t wait to see what happens in the future. Charlie
I would like to take this opportunity to thank St. George’s for having trust in our program, and for being innovative in their approach to student development. I hope our program manifests itself, alongside the likes of math, sport and science, as an important tool in shaping positive futures. As for St. George’s Junior School boys in particular, I would like to thank them for being themselves and for their willingness to grapple with this part of their humanity. I am grateful for their enthusiasm and intelligence in helping us to pilot this program, and I hope we have helped them to think, feel, and act like the fine young philanthropists they really are.
For more information, please contact our Head of Communities at hello@chimp.net SPRING 2018 | 39
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BY: WILLIAM TIWANA ’19
2018 GLOBAL STEWARDSHIP CONFERENCE
“
PERMANENT REVOLUTION
CHARACTER
De facto ‘momma’ to generations of Boarders; Honourary Georgian; Robinson Distinguished Service Award recipient; retired Pediatric Nurse Practitioner; Provincial award winner from the Registered Nurses Association of B.C. for of the Global ‘Excellence in Nursing Stewardship Conference may have Practice’ during her tenure been a watershed moment for at St. George’s School. students at St. George’s School. We realized our responsibility to MRS. NORMA J. PARKER be good stewards extends far R.N. (RETIRED) beyond the walls of our school. If Marx and Trotsky don’t mind, I’ll call it our “permanent revolution.”
THE 2018 EDITION
Let me explain why...
SPRING 2018 | 41
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OUR SECOND GLOBAL STEWARDSHIP CONFERENCE transformed the Senior School into something quite
remarkable. It became a hotbed of knowledge, information, energy, and interactive learning. There were no tests and there were no marks. Two days of conventional learning blocks were replaced by talks, seminars, and presentations given by guests, parents, Georgians, staff and faculty. Students in Grades 8-12 were asked to attend whatever piqued their interest, unless they wanted to present something themselves (and over 45 students did!). This was unfiltered, organic learning. It was intellectually stimulating, conversation starting, and an incredible amount of fun. The concept behind Global Stewardship is as simple as it is profound. Namely, that we, as “global stewards,” owe each other a duty or responsibility to impact each other’s lives in a positive way. The underlying values at play are those of selflessness, connectivity, and care. A global steward recognizes the world requires our knowledge and assistance. In stark contrast to the recent upsurge in isolationism and insularity, the moral compass of a global steward points to inclusivity, diversity, and the generosity of the human spirit. It’s a multi-dimensional, higher calling. The oft-quoted line from MK Gandhi has never been so apt, “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” With goals established, passions ignited, minds focused (and uniforms discarded!), we were ready to begin our conference. And what a way to start…our opening keynote speaker was recently retired Canadian broadcasting icon, Peter Mansbridge. There was a buzz and electricity in the air as Mr. Mansbridge addressed a packed house in the Dixon Gym. Mr. Mansbridge summed up why Global Stewardship is something we at St. George’s take so seriously and will continue to 42 | THE SAINT
advocate in the coming years. Growing up, said Mr. Mansbridge, his “community” was the block he lived on and the friends and parents who lived in those houses. Today, we students at St. George’s have the ability to connect all over the world; our community “…could just as easily be Yaletown in Vancouver or Cape Town in South Africa.” Other topics shared included Russian involvement in the 2016 US Presidential Election and the veracity of so called “fake news.” Democracy, our speaker warned, can be subverted and compromised when a popular individual claims news is fake simply because it’s not favourable. The rest of Day One was a blur of presentations from students, faculty, staff, parents, Georgians, and guests. Diverse topics included marine conservation, gun control in the US, and the Irish sport of hurling! One student observed that “education isn’t just a classroom experience. There is joy in learning about ourselves, each other, and the world we live in.” This was wryly epitomized by Jonathan Mergui’s highly popular off-campus trip, where students immersed themselves in the trendiest aspect of modern-French culture: the art of macaron making.
The start of Day Two featured our second keynote speaker, Shaun Frankson. His success story is multi-faceted: it’s a groundbreaking example of entrepreneurship meeting environmental responsibility. Students of my vintage often hear the job they will have tomorrow hasn’t been created today. Mr. Frankson is a case in point. In 2013, Mr. Frankson, along with fellow Vancouverite, David Katz, co-founded The Plastic Bank as a solution to address the problem of plastic pollution. After being snubbed by the Dragons’ Den, The Plastic Bank has gone on to partner with billiondollar companies such as IBM and Henkel to materialize their world-changing idea. The concept is simple: attack the problem at its source. As Mr. Frankson laconically explained, “If your sink is overflowing and the walls are getting soaked, the first thing you do is turn off the tap.” In other words, before cleaning our oceans, let’s stop the flow of garbage. Mr. Frankson realized that instead of viewing plastic waste as garbage or even a recyclable, it had to be defined as something far more valuable: currency. Mr. Frankson’s idea has allowed people living in plastic-ridden, impoverished communities to collect and return plastic in exchange for
CHARACTER
cash, groceries, education vouchers for their children to attend school, or even a charge of their phone. The collected plastic is converted into small pieces of Social Plastic. In an attempt to find sustainable solutions to global issues, large corporations can buy and use Social Plastic to manufacture their products. Day Two continued where Day One had left off; presentations included biophilia, mental health awareness, the impact of menstrual products, and breaking stigmas in the downtown eastside. One of the day’s many highlights included practical handson learning led by Karyn Roberts, Brian Shin, and St. George’s and Harvard grad, Alex Yang ’13. After being introduced to Alex’s work - which includes building costeffective prosthetics in Cambodia - students were given resources that mimicked his situation and were challenged to engineer their own solution to the problem. Canadian rapper, poet, and science advocate Baba Brinkman closed Day Two with his own unique keynote delivery. For those of you who just said “Baba who?” imagine Eminem meets Professor Richard Dawkins and you’re close. Based in New York, he first emerged with a one-man show called “the Rap Canterbury Tales” – a project designed to make Chaucer’s iconic, but sometimes challenging stories, more accessible to modern audiences. Mr. Brinkman soon realized that his interests were more existential and now he uses rap as a vehicle to share and advance complex scientific and evolutionary theories worldwide—from TEDx to the Edinburgh Fringe. He can even count recently deceased Professor Stephen Hawking as a fan, after opening for him at the Seattle Science Festival,
and Professor Richard Dawkins is also an admirer. The student body jumped on board the Baba train – roaring their approval as he rationalized, debated, and rapped the house down. He is a true original, a complex and creative thinker delivering his message in an unconventional way, and he closed the conference perfectly on a tidal wave of excitement and energy. (I would strongly encourage you to Google “Baba Brinkman Destruction” and watch his recent 4-minute rap video about climate change. It’s highly provocative and entertaining.) The 2018 edition of the Global Stewardship Conference at St. George’s was a resounding success. The common, unifying thread between all the issues covered was that we students—as harbingers of unparalleled technology and connectivity—are uniquely placed to affect change in our local and global communities. It differed from last year in one crucial aspect. Whereas last year was more “reactive”, this year was about becoming “proactive.” It sounds like a subtle change but it may actually be a paradigm shift. It’s realizing you’re not only obliged to help your neighbours, you’re responsible for them as well. A huge debt of gratitude is owed to the people who collaborated to organize this event. A well-deserved thank you to the following students: Chris Ma, Evan Lorant, Henry Jin, Jai Chagani, John Cicci, Nick Young, Omar Kassam, William Tiwana, Arthur Leung, Haowen Qin, Ishaan Modi, Michael Chen, Adam Cader, David Guo, Parker Ford, Ronald Wu, and Tareeq Mangalji. The following staff and faculty were a constant source of support and tireless
in their efforts: Andrew Murray, Claudia Lutes, Christina Tutsch, Heather Morris, Ian Yen, Ryan Chapman, Stephen Ziff, Tanya Peters, Phil Webster, Tracie Watson, Brian O’Connor, Norm Kaethler, Sam Johnston, Shannon Wilson, and Sarah Coates. The countless hours of collaborating, planning, and document exchanging paid off! A massive thank you to all the presenters as well. Guest presenters volunteered their time and interrupted their regular schedules to share their insights with us. Student presenters often displayed remarkable maturity in tackling the most serious issues. Moreover, an event on this scale requires a concerted school-wide effort. From security to maintenance, IT to food services, the whole school apparatus was supportive and should be applauded. The strength of our community at St. George’s—inside and outside our walls—was on full display. Finally, let’s not forget the people that gave us the green light. We have a visionary Senior Leadership Team at St. George’s and it starts at the very top with Dr. Matthews, Messrs. Kern and Johnston et al. Planning is already underway for Global Stewardship 2019. Topics we’ve addressed in our post-conference discussions include how successful we were in having a diversity of voices, political ideologies, and perspectives represented at the conference. At our school, we’re encouraged to think outside the box, not only in the way we learn but also in how we apply that knowledge. The Global Stewardship Conference perfectly encapsulates both those goals. These are heady days and we’re fortunate…it’s a good time to be a student at St. George’s. SPRING 2018 | 43
FEATURE STORY
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CHARACTER
IMAGINE GOING ON A TRIP
where archeological records date human settlement to 14,000 years ago, with many hundreds of years of oral history. Where visible geological features show the impact of the last ice age. Where new marine species are being identified regularly. Where modern cities are a few hours away. Where for thousands of years, robust and complex social, economic, and political systems supported hundreds of thousands of people and dozens of languages. And where vast and varied natural landscapes have inspired nationally-recognized artists, cutting-edge science, and world-renowned recreational adventures. It is a humbling experience, to say the least. This place is not Egypt or Rwanda, China or Peru. This place is of Coast Salish, Nuuchahnulth, and Kwakwaka’wakw descent. This place is now known as British Columbia. And from it, we have so much to learn.
PLACE-BASED LEARNING CONNECT 10 YEAR-END TRIP BY: SAM JOHNSTON AND SARAH COATES
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FEATURE STORY
IT’S TEMPTING, when we have the time and resources, to be drawn to the pyramids of Egypt, the jungles
of Rwanda, the scientific innovation and technological marvels of China, and the mysterious abandoned citadels of Peru. And visiting those places was one consideration when the Connect 10 Program was being designed three years ago. How can a cohort focused on global perspectives not “go global”? But, a two-week trip tens of thousands of kilometres away is costly—in travel time, flights, and carbon emissions. So we asked, could we ‘go global’ closer to home?
In our third iteration of the trip, recently completed in April-May 2018, we spent one week kayaking through the Broughton Archipelago and sailing in nearby Johnston Straight. Here, thousands of years of history aren’t marked with signs, plaques, or queues, but rather by a small stand of deciduous trees nestled within soaring conifers. Why are they there? Or by a 20-foot stretch of white sand beach along a coastline of large boulders. How did that happen? Or by a particularly productive area for oysters. BC Tourism tells us this land is wild, is supernatural. But elders tell us it sheltered and fed hundreds of thousands of people. Where did they go? By learning to see, and see specifically—the presence of urchins and the lack of kelp; the absence of sea stars; the shifting patterns 46 | THE SAINT
of migration; the lack of canneries and the presence of open net fish farms—we see the complexity of this place. The presence of cultures. The competing histories. The conflict. The cooperation. The complex relationship with natural resources that has seen boom and bust cycles and long-term sustainability cycles. As teachers, we call this place-based learning: learning about a place by being there and creating a personal connection to a place through first-hand experience. Our hope is that through this experience, students are better able to know the particulars of this place, the place where they currently live, regardless of citizenship or future plans, and are then able to apply that knowledge to broader explorations of places further away. What is where? Why is it there? Why care?
CHARACTER
But this learning requires guides. From whom can we learn? How is that knowledge shared? When? What can we do with it? Students are tasked with selecting and designing a research study that is inspired by an experience they had on trip. Their first step is to craft a driving question. This year’s trip inspired driving questions such as: • How does displaying and teaching indigenous language and culture impact the preservation of local culture on Vancouver Island? • How can maps create artificial boundaries to control humans’ interactions with nature? • Wild vs farmed salmon: how much are people willing to pay for ethics? • How does the tide affect the ocean community as a whole? • What effect does human-made sound have on wildlife in the B.C. southern coast? • How have changing human practices impacted human relationships and the environment? • How does the visibility of the Big/Little Dippers at Queen Charlotte Strait and Vancouver indicate the human relationship with nature at each place? • How have changed human attitudes influenced the recovery of keystone species? A subsequent step while on trip is to generate primary data— all without the aid of phones or computers. This put students in a relatively new position: how do I learn without the internet? Students were introduced to experts along the way, from the research coordinators at the Salmon Coast Field Station and the research director of the Clayoquot Biosphere Trust to an 80-yearold resident who runs a museum of collected items and is a walking encyclopedia of local history to a chef and sailing captain. They were then given time in Tofino and Ucluelet to find their own
sources of knowledge. Some students went to the commercial fishing docks and spoke with people unloading their catch. Others were referred to a local organization, and walked 40 minutes to get to their office for an hour-long conversation. Others found archives from key events 20 years ago, and spent the afternoon pouring over news clippings and legal case files. Still others went into shops and restaurants, gathered business cards, and scheduled meetings at the local municipal hall. One student remarked, “I didn’t think the person behind the counter at an adventure store would know much, but I asked him my questions, and he spoke with me for half-anhour. He was so knowledgeable.” Another spent most of his free time speaking with our bus driver, who previously had worked in the industry the student was studying. Yet another student recognized a shared language with a potential interview participant, and conducted his interview in that language, translating his notes for future use. In all walks of life, we are challenged to understand complex issues that don’t fit neatly into traditional boxes. To help solve these problems, our students need to be able to think creatively and analytically, but in equal measure, or more so, they need to work with others, with empathy and humility, to truly understand an issue. Seeking to know a place better along with the people who know it best is perhaps what is missing from policy decisions and social enterprise start-ups that seek to make things better but neglect to “know” the place and people it will affect. This is at the heart of the Connect 10 Program—to learn not only about, but along with and within. We invite you to view the students’ work, along with the work of the two previous classes of Connect 10, at: sgsconnect10.blogspot.ca. 2018 projects will be uploaded by the end of June 2018, and shared with the communities and individuals who shared their knowledge so generously with us.
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FEATURE STORY
BIG BROTHERS BUILDING EMPATHY BY: KARYN ROBERTS
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A GROUP OF GRADE 7 BOYS
are running around the field, their faces turned up to enjoy the fresh air. A few Grade 11 and 12 boys join them. Most of them are barefoot, and a Senior School boy is carrying a Grade 7 student on his back. The boys are all smiles, as they run and laugh at the same time. From the outside, it may look like a haphazard, informal event. But in the lives of the boys, it’s transformational. The Grade 7s delight in having a Senior School student take interest in their lives, befriending them, listening to their questions, and easing their anxiety about transitioning to a new school next year. The Senior School boys have the opportunity to practice leadership, build empathy, and make a positive difference in our School. This is the Big Brother program.
CHARACTER
THE BEST THING ABOUT MY BIG BROTHER IS THAT HE’S REALLY NICE. STEFAN SHOWS KINDNESS AND EMPATHY TOWARD US AND WHAT WE’RE GOING THROUGH. AND WE’RE ALSO BOTH FROM BOSTON. MATT BROWN GRADE 7
Being a Big Brother is no easy task. The Grade 11s and 12s are near the end of the road of their Senior School experience, but in this program they have to go back and remember the very beginning. What were they excited about in Grade 8? What made them feel nervous? If being a student at the Senior School is a marathon, the Big Brothers are near the finish line. Empathy, in this case, means stopping their run and intentionally making space to encourage boys who are just getting to the starting line. The Big Brothers give advice, nurture relationships, answer questions, and become friendly faces—all in anticipation of the moment these Grade 7s cross the starting line and become Grade 8s. Approaching the start of their marathon at the Senior School can be nerve-wracking, exciting, thrilling, and even scary at times. A Big Brother’s capacity to recall those feelings and communicate to their Little Brothers that, “I felt that way too! And it’s ok,” is exactly what empathy is about. The beautiful thing about empathy is that when a Big Brother (or Little Brother) hears someone’s story and has the chance to say “Hey, me too!” a bond is instantly formed. There is no formula for showing empathy, but for us it means listening, being together, and building connections. And the best part is that anyone can do it! Showing empathy doesn’t require a special skill set. One thing I always tell the Big Brothers is that mentoring is less about their ability and more about their availability. Creating space to listen isn’t a difficult skill, but it can be a difficult practice. When boys have the capacity to listen to each other’s stories and respond with empathy, kindness, and understanding, they earn the title “Band of Brothers”. And we all know that anything is possible when you have a band of brothers—even a marathon.
BIG BROTHERS A STUDENT PERSPECTIVE BY: STEFAN KRYSA ’18 I joined the Saints community in Grade 8, and I still clearly remember all the overwhelming feelings that came with finding myself in a new place full of unfamiliar faces. It felt like a massive school with endless concerns. But I learned to adjust and found my footing, as Grade 8s always do. Looking back, it was the support from new friends, and specifically role models in the older grades, that made my transition easier. Thanks to the time that my mentors then gave, the school that was once so unfamiliar began to feel like home. Last year, I joined the Big Brother program as a mentor, and I was naturally enthusiastic to get involved. Within a few short visits, I watched relationships form between the Big and Little Brothers. These moments in Grade 11 helped prepare me to be a role model in Grade 12, serving as a Big Brother for the little guys as they became Grade 8s. As a senior, it’s easy to become primarily self-involved, but those mornings served as another reminder of the impact taking a little time for others can have. And now I am here in the spring of my Grade 12 year. I found myself taking on the role of leading the Grade 7 mentorship program, and it led me to reflect on what mattered most back in the day. It was pretty simple: we need a community— having others around who were willing to just be there and listen. It’s not about having all the right answers for all their questions, but rather forming friendships that promote a supportive environment across grades. In my last few weeks of Grade 12, I’m glad I’ve had the chance to be a part of their last few weeks of Grade 7.
I LEARNED THAT THE SENIOR SCHOOL ISN’T AS SCARY AS YOU MIGHT THINK. KEEP THE BIG BROTHER PROGRAM GOING BECAUSE WE LEARN A LOT! YOU GET AN INSIDE LOOK AT WHAT THE SENIOR SCHOOL IS LIKE BEFORE YOU GO. RYAN HO GRADE 7 SPRING 2018 | 49
FEATURE STORY
“THE GREATEST GIFT YOU CAN GIVE SOMEONE IS YOUR TIME; IT CAN BRING MORE HAPPINESS THAT EVER IMAGINED.” “Understanding ourselves, and then our local community helps us grasp a better understanding of the world.” This was our focus this year in nurturing our students to become Global Citizens. And what better way than to visit a local retirement residence?
COREOUTSIDE VALUES THE CLASSROOM BY: PAT PACHCHIGAR
The Core Values are a central part of school life; however, if we strive to build Fine Young Men, it becomes our responsibility to ensure these values are part of our students wherever they go. Visits to Crofton Manor showed the students how these values are reflected in the simplest of actions.
Trips to Crofton Manor proved it doesn’t matter if you were born in 1910 or 2010, reading is an activity much loved by everyone; it is thoroughly enjoyed regardless of whether you are reading to someone or being read to. Every week, the boys would take a book or a piece of writing and responsibly share it with pride.
Students from the Primary grades visited Crofton Manor every week throughout the year. During this time they learned the art of holding a conversation through even the most “interesting” times. It is so wonderful to see young boys confidently hold out their hand to introduce themselves, and then pursue a conversation, ask questions, and share their ideas and opinions.
The residents particularly enjoyed listening to the primary boys confidently play the piano and sing songs, especially the Canadian National Anthem. The Grade 4s played wonderful tunes on their ukuleles and the Grade 5s performed a musical delight with their clarinets and trumpets.
I recall one conversation between a gentleman in his early 90s and a student in Grade 2. The student’s eyes lit up when the resident explained what it was like when he had gone to school, where the teacher wrote on the blackboard with chalk, and learning entailed sitting in rows in complete silence while the teacher taught by talking and writing on a board. It was amusing to hear how he was often punished for talking in class by writing endless lines during recess. However, the idea of not having a computer at school, or a telephone or video games seemed almost beyond belief! The student asked what they did for fun, the residents laughed and replied, “What’s that? School wasn’t fun in my day!” It took much empathy to understand what it must have been like to learn in that environment.
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A little healthy competition is always great to get both the residents and our students excited, and it was no different when playing Bingo! Each of the residents would be in a group with two students and they would work together to be the first to call out “Bingo”, and even at 86 years old, there were some that wanted to bend the rules. Witnessing this intergenerational interaction was truly amazing. The effects on the residents were profound and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive. A project that was intended to last one term was extended to all three terms, and it is now a wonderful partnership that we hope will continue for years.
CHARACTER
CORE VALUES IN ACTION: INTEGRITY: “We show Integrity when we go to Crofton Manor because we are going into their home and we have to do the right thing, especially because our teacher may not always be there to check what we are doing.” HUMILITY: “I think Humility is when we don’t brag and do not just talk about yourself. I think I show humility when I go to Crofton Manor because when I talk to them, I will ask them about their day and not just talk about myself.” RESPONSIBILITY: “When we go to Crofton Manor we have to be Responsible for ourselves; if we are supposed to read then we need to read but also giving my partner a chance to put the counter on the Bingo chart.” RESPECT: “Mrs. Pachchigar said that when we go to Crofton Manor, it is their home, so I think when we go there we show Respect by not running around, and not talking too loud because sometimes they are sleeping in their chair.” EMPATHY “I know that when I’m not feeling well, it is nice to have to have someone to talk to. So, when I go to Crofton Manor, I have a big smile and try to talk to them. That shows Empathy.” RESILIENCE “When I was reading to a man, he was listening to me and when I looked at him he had fallen asleep. But I carried on reading because I thought maybe he would still like it. I kept going and that is Resilience.”
CORE VALUES OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM
BY: MATTHEW KATZ ’19
MY GOOGLE CODE-IN EXPERIENCE For seven weeks between last November and this January, I was one of the roughly 3500 high school students competing at the Google Code-In, an international computer competition that entailed coding, research, documentation, and design. I worked with The Mifos Initiative, a nonprofit that creates financial software for use in developing countries. By the end of the competition, I completed 47 tasks; almost one a day for the duration of the event. Several weeks later, I was announced as a grand prize winner of Google Code-In. As I progressed through the competition, it became increasingly evident how our Core Values can be applied to my situation. Specifically, I discovered a peculiar usefulness of empathy. Now, one may not imagine programming as a particularly empathetic task; after all, most of my time spent on the competition was alone in one of many local coffee shops. However, I soon found that empathy is imperative when developing software. “Empathy is the ability to move beyond ourselves, to identify with others, to walk a mile in another’s shoes.” Although this statement is traditionally applied to those who we interact with in real life, I found it incredibly valuable to employ empathy for the end user. The app that I was improving, Mifos X, is used by almost 7 million users, mostly from countries in Africa and South Asia. This meant that users often required localization in multiple languages and compatibility with old hardware. I needed to truly put myself in our users’ shoes to get the job done. I am constantly surprised by how applicable St. George’s Core Values are in everyday life. This experience solidified my gratitude for the character education that we receive at Saints. SPRING 2018 | 51
FEATURE STORY
AT ST. GEORGE’S, WE AIM TO DEVELOP THE SIX CORE VALUES OF CHARACTER through our student programs. Character can be shown in many ways and places—from the classroom to the sports field, and also through service work. A priority of the Service Learning Program is to give our students opportunities to develop these core values through experiential learning. In recent years, service programs in Grades 8-10 have been developed that aim to give a meaningful opportunity to connect all students with three themes of local and global importance: literacy, food security, and the environment. BY: HEATHER MORRIS
DEVELOPING CHARACTER THROUGH
SERVICE LEARNING 52 | THE SAINT
CHARACTER
GRADE 8 – LITERACY: For the past six years, the Grade 8 class has been involved in a local project called “Reading Bear”. The Reading Bear program was developed by a UBC educator and former Saints’ parent, Joanne Roussy, and links our school with kindergarten classes in schools deemed “at risk” in order to promote literacy and a love of reading. Our students visit the schools multiple times over their Grade 8 year to read and learn with their buddy. What our students quickly learn is that the relationship between them and their buddy is reciprocal, and they have as much to gain from their time together as their little buddy does. In their own words, the Grade 8 students say that the core values developed through the program include empathy, respect, resilience, and responsibility:
I feel that empathy and respect are being developed the most, as bigger buddies have to understand that little buddies may be shy or new to the language, so you have to empathize and slowly work with them.” “The core value that I think I improved most was empathy, because I was buddied with a Syrian refugee.”
“I think I learned more about resilience because even though she kept not paying attention, I had to be resilient and persevere.”
“Probably responsibility, because you really need to take responsibility in reading to your buddy, in how you read, and in making sure we’re all on task as well.
GRADE 9 – FOOD SECURITY: Food Security refers to access to safe and nutritious food. Three times during their Grade 9 year, students explore this topic in multiple ways, from visiting farms and watching documentaries to making granola bars for the snack cupboard at their Grade 8 buddy school and running simulations of the experience of a lack of food security. Our goal in the program is for students to reflect, contribute, give back, and, potentially, develop ideas to address issues of food security. GRADE 10 – ENVIRONMENT: At the Grade 10 level, our program addresses challenges facing our Earth and the environment and looks at how we can all take responsibility for our role in the care for the Earth. Our students participate in beach clean-ups, restoration work in Pacific Spirit Park, beekeeping workshops, sustainability tours, and workshops with local organizations. These opportunities are meant to be a first exposure and entry point to these three themes. Our goal and hope is that exposure will instill an interest in some students to continue to pursue one or more of the topics at a deeper level in their senior years. Through service learning, issues gain both purpose and meaning, leading to positive choices and actions.
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FEATURE STORY
“RUGBY TOURS ARE AMAZING!”
I have heard those four words from coaches, from parents, and especially from players over the past 30 plus years. I might have heard those words literally hundreds of times since my first rugby tour, which took place in 1985. I was in Grade 11 and was the Captain of the Port Moody Blues high school team that toured to England and Wales. That rugby tour was amazing as well. Not because of the rugby though—I think we may have won only a single match. The ‘amazing’ was all the non-rugby stuff. The shared experiences, the bonds that were built, the connections made, and the life lessons learned.
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CHARACTER
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FEATURE STORY
Over the recent Spring Break, I was fortunate to join our Senior Rugby Tour to South America. We travelled via Toronto to Argentina and Chile. Our touring party included 47 boys, myself, 4 coaches and 2 athletic trainers. Over 15 days we played 8 rugby matches, visited the fantastic Los Pingüinos Rugby Club (3 hours from Buenos Aires), played at 4 different schools, took in a professional rugby match, and had a 4-day training camp at The Polo Hotel, which is a 90-minute drive from Buenos Aires. The boys were kept busy. The coaches and trainers were busy. Everyone had a schedule and all were expected to be on time and ready for the next event or activity. And, yes, it was an amazing tour. The amazing part of the tour was more than the rugby. To be clear— the rugby was great. The boys played lots of great rugby, their skills improved, and we got to see a great professional rugby match. But, the amazing parts were, in fact, more frequently found off the rugby pitch. To start the tour, the boys were challenged with dealing with a travel time to Buenos Aires of more than 20 hours and that included navigating 3 international airports and 2 lay-overs. For some, this was their first major overseas trip. Dealing with luggage, security, line-ups and airplane seats isn’t easy for everyone. For the boy travelling on a Namibian passport, there was lots of pre-tour work to be done to simply get a visa. When the dust settled and we finally came to a stop, nobody had lost a passport and we had all our bags! So, we started to get to know our new home, the Hotel Polo. We were almost the only guests and few of the staff spoke English. Smiling and modified hand signs were very successful. During one of our many training sessions a full polo match was taking place just a few metres away—you could hear and almost feel the pounding of the horses’ hooves. An amazing start! An important part of many rugby tours is billeting. After our initial four days at the Hotel Polo we were then billeted at all four stops – the boys each getting to meet three families in Argentina and one family in Chile. In some of those homes, English was not the first language; again, a great opportunity for the boys to work their way through basic communication challenges. Billeting is an amazing 56 | THE SAINT
way for the boys to experience a different home, a different family, and a different culture. For one of our boys, it was a bit more—he was able to connect with a cousin he’d never met before; he didn’t even know he had a cousin in Chile! That unknown cousin was playing for the 1st XV at Craighouse School. Amazing connections in countries on the other side of the planet. Exploring parts of both Santiago (founded in 1541) and Buenos Aires (founded in 1536) opened the boys’ eyes to the contrasts in old cities and how the modern can flourish amongst the historic. The church in the main square of Santiago is more than twice the age of Canada. Being surrounded by the ethnic and language diversity present in large South American cities as you walk the streets is a valuable learning experience. All our boys came away with a deeper understanding of the brief history we have in Vancouver (and in Canada) in comparison to the old-world cities of Buenos Aries and Santiago. An amazing opportunity for all of us. Throughout the tour, the boys were encouraged and challenged to look after themselves and their teammates. They were expected to resolve their own issues but were supported if they asked for assistance. It was easy, sometimes, to see the hints of apprehension and the hesitation in their handshakes when they met a new billet family. That is to be expected. It was also easy, sometimes, to see their quietness when we arrived at a new school or club. That too is to be expected. However, by the time we got to our last stop at Craighouse School in Santiago, it was easy to see how much more comfortable all the boys had become dealing with meeting new hosts and being a new guest to another new family. That had all changed for the better. The boys were more confident, they were less hesitant, they were less apprehensive. I believe all the non-rugby experiences on a tour add up to positive character development. Each boy will have had a different experience, with some stepping out of their comfort zones and others finding it natural to “go with the flow.” Together, the boys were on the same team and on the same tour, yet each returned with a different story and life experiences to remember. It was an amazing tour!
CHARACTER
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OLD BOYS
SPORTS
have always been a key part of student life at St. George’s. The School was founded with strong ties to rugby to help instill the values of teamwork, leadership, and resilience in its first students. Over the decades, the School’s Athletics Program has grown and evolved, bringing in activities like rowing, basketball, hockey, and soccer. Sports help to inculcate character by reinforcing the core values of the School and supports our mission of building fine young men.
OLD BOYS GIVING BACK BY: IAN YEN ‘03
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OLD BOYS
These programs would not have flourished without the support and guidance of coaches who instilled the spirit, traditions, and love of the game in our students. In the past, teachers were expected to take on coaching roles, even for sports they knew little to nothing about, and in typical St. George’s fashion, these teachers created lasting memories for their students. As the School and the alumni roll grew, the passion these teachers helped foster started to pay dividends, producing world-class athletes like Pat Palmer ’80, Dave Carter ’99, Tyler Hotson ’03, Conor Trainor ’07, and Matthew Sarmento ’09. The need for coaches grew, and the Old Boys took notice. Countless alumni have returned over years to repay the School for their experiences by stepping up and filling coaching roles. This year, Sam Turner ’16 and Jackson Au ’14 were two who came back to help continue the tradition of sport at the School. “Sport has always been a part of my life,” says Sam Turner. “Some of my earliest memories are playing hockey with future Georgians, falling all around the ice at an early age. Sport helped me grow as a person and a coach, and I am excited to see what it has in store for me next. In terms of rugby, ever since I picked up the ball for Saints in Grade 7 with David Spicer, I fell in love with the sport, and that is why I came back to coach.” Sam’s role as a coach is not an easy one. He is currently balancing his coaching duties with life as an undergraduate and UBC/Canadian National Rugby player. Jackson, former Captain of Boarding and current University of Victoria/Senior Rugby coach, has similar feelings about the impact of coaches and sport. “Sports helped me build self-esteem and pushed me out of my comfort zone by challenging me both physically and mentally. Playing rugby instilled a desire to aim high but also taught me to keep my head held high when I come up short of my goals as long as I have given everything I have to give. It prepared me to succeed while ensuring I am not defeated by failure.” Both Jackson and Sam credit their return and involvement with
Saints Rugby Program to the influences of coaches. Sam specifically praises his Senior Rugby coaches. “Mr. Hillis really showed me the dark arts of the front row and how to be aggressive in the game. Chambo (Bill Chamberlain) was a wizard when it came to lineouts, and Mike Stiles instilled a winning attitude in us. Mr. Jamieson was not only my Grade 10 coach, he was my Advisor as well. Through his coaching, he helped us channel the aggression that Mr. Hillis taught us and helped prep us with the fitness to be ready for the faster pace of the upper years.” As the Head Coach of the 2nd XV, he hopes to help mentor his players and create positive experiences for his players. “While I have learned something from every coach I had at Saints, my senior coaches helped shape who I am today. As a player, I learned many valuable lessons I have applied outside of sport. Returning as a coach, I am able to see the amount of dedication and hard work that goes into ensuring the boys get the best experience possible.” When asked why other Old Boys should think about coaching, Jackson replied, “The success of a program relies heavily on the passion of those involved with it. If you have gained something from one of the programs, you are responsible for ensuring that the next generation of Georgians receive the same privilege, to the best of your abilities.” Sam echoed Jackson comments with, “It’s an opportunity to connect back with the School and to impart some of the knowledge that they gained here. It’s also nice to reconnect with teachers and staff who taught you.” The most rewarding aspect for Sam and Jackson has been the ability to give back to the School and help mentor the next generation of Old Boys. St. George’s is always looking to reconnect with their Alumni, and coaching a sports team and mentoring students is a great way to give back. If you would like more information about reconnecting with the School in a coaching or mentor capacity, please contact Head of Georgian Relations, Ian Yen ’03 at iyen@stgeorges.bc.ca
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Adventures BY: SHANE FENNESSEY ’06
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OLD BOYS
s IN HOCKEY Ch
e l y t S e s e in
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THE IDEA
began with an image, one single picture. The visual was so stunning I thought it must be photoshopped. The bottom half was a typically Canadian scene—skaters gathered on a frozen surface adorned in hockey jerseys with sticks in hand. The top half, however, was as unexpected as it was impressive—The Great Wall of China snaking its way through the mountainside. The intersection of the two cultures’ iconography was too impactful to ignore, and thus began my journey to document the game of hockey in China.
The notion that anyone is going to give a first-time solo producer half-a-million dollars to shoot a documentary about a sport in a country that does not care about that sport is lofty...right? Yep, unfortunately that is right. So I set out to do the next best thing— raise enough money to send myself and a small crew over to China to shoot enough compelling footage to cut together a five-minute mini-documentary to pitch for full funding of the entire project. My team consisted of a Director from Halifax, a Director of Photography from Toronto, and my closest friend and fellow Saints Old Boy, Alex Kwong ’06, filling the role of Production Manager. Finding the money is the hardest part of any film job. Once the funds are secured, completing a project is simply a matter of paying the right people to do the job you want done. This is why producers are valuable. Well, that, and we also carry gear, hold doors, and buy coffee. I got to work developing a proposal that I felt was sure to touch souls, invoking my passionate desire to inform and inspire the growth of hockey in China. Through what can best be described as serendipity, I was introduced to a new Chinese-Canadian couple whose 7-year-old son had developed an immense affinity for the game of hockey. They shared my enthusiasm for the project and were thrilled to have an opportunity to help spread the game in their homeland. I had my backers! With the cheque in hand and the team in place, I reached out to all my hockey contacts in China to prepare. Undoubtedly, the two biggest boosters of the project are the Kunlun Red Star (KRS) and the Harbin Foreign Affairs Office (FAO). KRS was the first major professional hockey team in China, the result of a treaty between Russia and China signed by Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping. Harbin is a city in Northeastern China and, thanks to Russian influence, is the historical home of hockey in the country. Most of the world doesn’t realize that hockey has been played in China for over 100 years. Harbin also happens to be sister cities with Edmonton, where I currently reside and operate from. Working with the FAO and the Consulate General Offices of both China and Canada, and with an official invitation from KRS, we were able to secure our visas. 62 | THE SAINT
Before hopping overseas, our team rendezvoused in Vancouver to interview members of the UBC Thunderbirds hockey team that travelled to China in 1974 for a five-game friendly series against the Chinese National Team; the series was also documented by the National Film Board of Canada (this is incredible, Google it!) The team was coached by Canadian sports legend, Dr. Bob Hindmarch. Dr. Bob gave us an incredible account of the team’s adventure and provided exceptional insight into the interplay of Chinese culture and sport. To capture a North American perspective on hockey, we reached out to the Saints Bantam 2 team and were able to film their practice at UBC – shout out to Hudson Loh and Taylor Ma for crushing their first ever on-camera interviews! Despite all of our preparation, all of our official documentation and invitations, I was still anxious about the trip getting derailed by an ornery border guard. Thankfully, we landed and passed customs, all gear intact, with no difficulty. Our first destination was Shanghai, where KRS plays. Though the city is 25 million strong, the percentage of that number who are hockey fans begins with a decimal and has at least a few zeros in it before any other number appears. Our time in Shanghai was productive. Not only did we have full access to the KRS arena, players, and staff, the team also loaned us our very own intern. Young Tong-Lay, though shy, was eager to please and became our de facto point-man. He even delivered Gatorade and snacks when three of the four of us went down with food poisoning for 24 hours. Touching down in Harbin, we weren’t quite sure what to expect. Leading up to the trip, all I had been told was that it was a cold and quaint little town near the Russian border where they like hockey. Google told me it was a city of 10 million. In Harbin, we were treated like royalty. As distinguished diplomatic guests (seriously) we had dinners hosted in our honour. A representative from the FAO was with us at all times to assist us. The minor league team for KRS is located in Harbin; we had a chance to speak with their president, Charles Yuen, and his son, Saints Old Boy, Zach Yuen ’11. Zach and his father were both class acts, incredibly well spoken,
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and passionate about the game of hockey growing in China. Zach is a total rock star in China. He had his own cameraman following him around snapping photos, Gary Vaynerchuk style. It was great to reminisce about our days at Saints and the teachers who impacted us—Hillis and Fredeman specifically when it came to hockey. Zach was entering Grade 8 as I was departing Grade 12, so we missed each other by a year. But still, it is a comforting feeling crossing paths with someone in such an unconventional time and place, knowing you have shared history that binds you to one another. Like the two cities before it, Beijing was its own unique experience. Our investor’s friends in town took care of us. We were driven around by two young, sharp-dressed men who if you told me were highlytrained bodyguards, I would be inclined to believe you. At one point we were invited to what we were told was their boss’s antique shop for tea. While being toured through the countless precious artifacts once belonging to China’s emperors, I naively asked where all the price tags were. With a confused look from the driver/bodyguard/ curator, I was told this was his boss’s private collection. I’m not saying I was scared, but I am saying I was happy to be in the family’s good books. In Beijing, we were housed by a very generous expat behind the walls and armed guards of the Canadian Embassy. Sadly, we were not allowed to take photos on embassy grounds. So, you’ll have to just accept my word on how cool it was. The most anticipated part of the journey, however, was visiting the Great Wall of China. We left the city at 4:00 am and drove two-and-a-half hours to hike the wall’s generous incline for 45 minutes in -10oC weather, all to chase the sunrise. We sat perched on a completely uninhabited segment
of the 2300-year-old monument as the sun rose over the mountains and basked the valley below in its warm glow. Though tired and cold, we were awestruck by the sheer magnificence of our surroundings. This was the bucket list item none of us knew we had. We spent the rest of the day filming a global array of expats playing hockey on the frozen reservoir below—the same spot where the picture was taken that first caught my attention and started all this. In total, we spent 14 days chasing the elusive game of hockey around China. What you have just read illustrates only a fraction of our time there. And this trip, as a whole, represents only a small part of the entire project to come. I am refining my pitch and revising the proposal, while my post-production team sorts through and cuts together the most visually stunning and narratively compelling parts of the story. The trip was a resounding success and a tremendous learning experience. My team’s performance was remarkable, despite the challenges of unbearably cold temperatures, 14-hour days, bouts of food poisoning, and a lack of western-style toilets. I certainly was not perfect in my execution, but nothing got so sideways that we weren’t able to right the ship. Hockey is growing in China. This I am sure of. I have seen it. Despite the countless ways we are different, the love of the game transcends all cultural and geographical boundaries, and will bring us together. For all of you that have read this far, you have my immense gratitude for spending your valuable time on my words. If you wish to see the fruits of our labour, please send me an email (shane.4@gmail.com). While I cannot post any footage publicly, I would be thrilled to share with you privately.
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RISING STAR AWARD In recognition of a significant level of success before the age of 40 whilst demonstrating vision and leadership along with contribution to his community.
JAY MALINOWSKI ‘00 Jay Malinowski is a published author, visual artist, and lead singer/composer in the Juno award-winning group Bedouin Soundclash, which he formed in 2001 while attending Queen’s University. After graduating in 2004 with B.A. in Fine Arts and Art History, he had his first solo exhibition of his paintings in Toronto at Gallery Bibianne. During this time he continued touring throughout North America with his band. In the summer of 2005 the band began gaining momentum in both England and Canada with their song When the Night Feels my Song, which would eventually chart to #24 in the UK and #1 in Canada, leading to the band winning a Juno in 2006. Since then the band has toured all over the world touring with acts like No Doubt, Ben Harper, and Damian Marley. In 2016, Malinowski published his first novel Skulls & Bones through HarperCollins Canada and did an extensive book tour across Canada and England. The fictional novel was part of a larger conceptual project which included drawings, a large scale painting, and an album of songs which accompanied each chapter.
The Old Boys are proud to present this year’s recipients of The Old Boys’ Honours. With more than 5000 alumni in more than 40 countries, many Old Boys are recognized for their outstanding achievements and are celebrated for their positive contributions to society. These extraordinary men exemplify the spirit of St. George’s: honour, integrity, and commitment.
honouring
our very best 2018 OLD BOYS’ honours recipients 64 | THE SAINT
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DISTINGUISHED OLD BOY AWARD In recognition of outstanding achievement in a particular field or industry, along with dedication and service to the community.
ANDREW LOBLAW ‘87 Dr. Andrew Loblaw ’87 attended medical school at Queen’s University, Kingston in 1991. After completing his MD in 1995, Andrew pursued radiation oncology as a speciality instead of radiology. Radiation oncology combined his passion for medical biophysics, research and patient care. It was also more appealing than the prospect of sitting in a dark room reading films in isolation. Andrew, with his typical optimism, enrolled in a Masters of Science with a focus on clinical epidemiology and clinical trial research methods while doing his five-year residency training in Toronto. This also qualified him for the Royal College Clinician Investigator Program, in addition to his regular job as a physician. Since qualifying as a physician, Dr. Loblaw has devoted his career to refining radiotherapy treatments for prostate cancer and developing new treatments that culminated in the SABR protocol. His goal is to improve patient quality of life, reduce pain and suffering, and reduce the overall number of treatments for a cure, which drastically reduces remission rates and the financial burden to both the Ontario and the Canadian healthcare systems. Moreover, once widely implemented, Andrew believes the methodology can be applied to a variety of cancers afflicting men and women, potentially improving survival rates and quality of life. It would deliver enormous savings to the Canadian health care system at a time when aging baby boomers have their greatest health care needs. Andrew and his wife, Teresa, are the proud parents of two sons, Joshua and Alex. SPRING 2018 | 65
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OLD BOY LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD The Old Boy Lifetime Achievement Award - in recognition of a lifetime of outstanding achievement in a particular field or industry along with significant involvement with the St. George’s community and with advancing the mission of the School and the Old Boys.
STEPHEN ROGERS ‘61 Stephen Rogers, born in Vancouver, March 28, 1942, moved with his family to the Dominican Republic where they lived from 1948 to 1951. When he returned, he attended the Vernon Prep School until 1954. In 1954 he started at St. George’s, he left in 1961 as Head Boy. While at St. George’s, he earned his private pilot’s licence. In 1964 he joined the RCAF and attended the Central Officers School in Centralia, Ontario and trained on the De Havilland Chipmunk and later the Harvard in Penhold, Alberta.
He did not run in the 1991 election and returned to Air Canada. He qualified on the A320 and later Boeing 767. He retired from Air Canada in 2002. In 2009 Prime Minister Stephen Harper appointed him as a Member of the Transportation Appeal Tribunal of Canada where he served until March of 2018. He is currently a Director of Tessarema Resources Inc., a Brazilian mining endeavour and Summit LNG Ltd., a BC-based LNG project.
Having earned his airline transport licence, in 1966 he joined Air Canada and was a 2nd Officer, flying the Douglas DC-8. He later flew the Viscount and Boeing 747.
Stephen has four children, all three sons spent time at St. George’s; his daughter was a York House girl. His grandson is in his last year at the Junior School.
In 1975, he took a leave of absence from Air Canada to run in the Provincial Election. He was elected as a member for the constituency of Vancouver South and held that seat until 1991.
He is a member of the Sovereign Order of St. John of Jerusalem, a member of the Patrons Corp of Seaforth Highlanders of Canada, a member of the Sir John A. MacDonald Society and the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club.
During his 16 years in the Legislature, he held various positions, including Deputy Speaker, Minister of Environment (twice), Minister of Energy, Minister of Health, Deputy House Leader, Minister of Transport and Highways, Minister of Intergovernmental Relations, and Speaker of the House. In 1986 as Minister of Intergovernmental Relations, he was one of the Ministers in charge of Expo 86 and the Minister responsible for the building of BC Place. 66 | THE SAINT
He is a recipient of both the Queen’s Silver and Diamond Jubilee medal. In August 2011 at the encouragement of a fellow Georgian, Markus Franiek ‘82, he and his two younger children joined others in climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro. Stephen has visited 83 countries and all but one continent so far.
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HONOURARY OLD BOY in recognition of significant contribution to both the School and the Old Boys’ Association.
MICHAEL STATHAM Michael began his distinguished career at St. George’s Junior School in 1976. Hired by Headmaster Alan Brown ’54, he first taught Grade 4 in the “Crow’s Nest”. Over the years, he has held various teaching positions between Grades 4-7, as well as administrative roles, including English Department Head, Assistant Admissions Director and Deputy Principal of the Junior School. Michael spent 22 years at St. George’s and left an impressive legacy as a teacher, Cub Master, basketball coach and Deputy Principal. As the Cub Master he led the Cubs program, which was a precursor to the School’s Outdoor Education program. In 1977, he started the first Junior School Basketball Team. Along with Cal Tustin, he co-founded the CAIS Under-13 Basketball Tournament that continues to thrive to this day. And, to foster international studies and understanding, he started Junior School European Tours, which took students all over the globe, including Greece, Italy, the United Kingdom, France and China. In 1999, believing he had to “walk the talk” after spending many years advising students on the merits of choosing different life paths, Michael accepted a role to found a new coed prep school, Central Okanagan Academy in Kelowna, B.C. In 2004, his career and love of basketball took him to Houston, Texas where he was the Head of School at the Honor Roll School, a private, co-ed prep school. Finally, in 2013 he returned to B.C. to become the Junior School Principal at Southpointe Academy. In 2017, Michael retired from a rewarding 40 year career in education. He now resides in Kelowna and enjoys spending time with his wife Terry, his son Andrew ’99, his daughter Alia, and his beautiful grandchildren.
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SAN FRANCISCO EVENT
On March 2nd, Dr. Gordon Kruberg ’78 opened his house to 17 Old Boys from the San Francisco and Bay Area, providing a great opportunity for the Old Boys in the Northern California to reconnect.
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CANADA VS. URUGUAY RUGBY
On Saturday, January 27th, over 50 Old Boys, staff, members, and current students watched Canada take on Uruguay in the first of two World Cup Qualifying games. Unfortunately, Canada came up short against Uruguay.
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LOS ANGELES EVENT
Old Boys in the Los Angeles Area came out to The Stalking Horse to enjoy some drinks, laughs, and stories with Headmaster Tom Matthews and OBA President Dirk Laudan ’87. Old Boys from the 1980s through 2017 were in attendance.
PHOTO ALBUM >
CAREERS DAY
On Friday, March 9th, the School held its annual Careers Day for Grade 11 and 12 students. The OBA and the School would like to thank Dave Wong ’96, Josh Pape ’99, Alykhan Sunderji ’00, Mike Mackay ’04, Dan Penn ’07, Matt Lloyd ‘09, Louis¬Victor Jadavij ’11 for presenting. The University Counselling Department would also like to thank Robert Gooch’03, Stephen Hsia ’04, Adam Kebede ’03, Garth Jones ’03, and Kevin Smith ’03 for taking part in a University Panel discussion in the afternoon. 68 | THE SAINT
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NEW YORK EVENT
On May 11th, the New York OBA Chapter met at Distilled NYC for their Annual Chapter Reunion. Familiar faces from 1975 to 2016 came to enjoy some laughs and a few frosty drinks.
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LONDON EVENT
The UK Old Boys welcomed Dr. Matthews and Dr. Paul Mitchell-Banks ’78 when they landed in London for the UK Chapter Reunion. Old Boys came from all corners of England and Scotland for the evening.
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TORONTO EVENT
The Toronto Chapter came together for a Blue Jays game and a mini pub night this year. The event was full of fun for the Toronto Chapter, even though the Blue Jays fell to the Seattle Mariners.
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HONG KONG EVENT
Dr. Matthews and Joseph Fung ’99 organized a small get-together for Old Boys living in Hong Kong, and just under 20 Old Boys gathered at the Hong Kong Jockey Club to catch up and reconnect.
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VICTORIA EVENT
n March 2nd, over 15 Old Boys from Victoria and Vancouver Island gathered at the Irish O Times Pub for the Victoria Pub Night. Thanks to Bruce Jackson ‘78 for helping to rally the troops and to Greg Devenish who made the trip over to represent the School. SPRING 2018 | 69
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ANNUAL DINNER
Over 170 Old Boys attended this year’s event to honour Jay Malinowski ’00, Drew Loblaw ’87, Stephen Rogers ’61, and to welcome Michael Statham, former Junior School Deputy Principal, into the Old Boys Community. The night was full of great speeches and friends.
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SAINTS’ NOTES
1980
PAT PALMER ’80 has been inducted into the B.C. Sports Hall of Fame as part of the 1991 Rugby World Cup Canadian team, which entered the 1991 Rugby World Cup as the only undefeated team that year and achieved the highest-ever international ranking (8th) in Men’s Rugby for a Canadian team.
SAINTS’ NOTES 1967
ALAN HUDSON ’67, was inducted into the B.C. Rugby Hall of Fame as a Builder this January, and in March he was also recognized as the 2017 Match Official of the Year by Rugby Canada.
1968
ANTHONY VON MANDL ’68, was this year’s recipient of the Vancouver Magazine’s Lifetime Achievement Award for his success and innovation in the Wine and Food industries.
1972
PETER ARMSTRONG ’72, was inducted into the Business Laureates of British Columbia Hall of Fame. Mr. Armstrong was cited for his incredible entrepreneurial spirit and dedication to growing tourism and business in BC and across Canada.
1983
LEE DAVIES ‘83, recently spoke at TEDxChilliwack 2018 that took place on April 14 at G. W. Graham Theatre in Chilliwack, B.C. The theme of the event was ‘Time to Reboot’. 72 | THE SAINT
1987
DAVID CRERAR ‘87, has just published a law book, Mareva and Anton Piller Preservation Orders in Canada: A Practical Guide (Irwin Books), and his second book The Glorious Mountains of Vancouver’s North Shore: A Peakbagger’s Guide, a hiking, history, and biology guide, will be published by Rocky Mountain Books in June 2018.
1992
JEFF CRUICKSHANK ’92, will be inducted into the Ultimate Hall of Fame in San Diego in October 2018. One of the best throwers to ever play ultimate, some of his achievements in the sport include winning two UPA National Championships as a member of Furious George and winning three world titles with Team Canada. He is honoured for his legacy of one of unmatched skill, contagious passion, and an unrelenting pursuit of excellence.
1995
Civil + Structural Engineer Magazine named CLAYTON BINKLEY ’95 one of their Structural Engineering Rising Stars. The Rising Stars in Structural Engineering program features engineers working in the US who demonstrate exceptional technical capability, leadership ability, effective teaching or research, and public service benefiting the structural engineering profession, their employers, project owners, and society.
SAINTS’ NOTES
2001 The nonfiction documentary, Mary Pickford—The Muse of the Movies, produced by TOM COLDICUTT ’63, was nominated in the first-round ballot for the Television Academy 2017 Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special. Mary Pickford was featured in primetime on Turner Classic Movies in October 2016.
On January 14th, 2018 GRAEME JONES ’01 and Julie Facchin (YHS Class of 2000) welcomed their son Felix Emilio Jones. HOWARD CHIANG ‘01, a Professor at UC Davis has just published his first book, After Eunuchs: Science, Medicine, and the Transformation of Sex in Modern China, which explores how the introduction of Western biomedicine transformed understandings of gender, sexuality, and the body in Chinese contexts from the twentieth century onward.
2004
In December 2017, ADAM GOLDENBERG ’04 M.S.M. was awarded the prestigious Meritorious Service Medal (Civil Division) “to recognize individuals who have made remarkable contributions in many different fields of endeavor, who inspire others and who share a common goal of making a positive difference.”
2009. 2012. 2014
ANDREW CONROY ‘09, EDWARD ZHAO ‘12, and BRANDON De COSTA ‘14, helped coach St. George’s School to a Provincial Swimming Championship in the Boys and Overall divisions.
2016
SPENCER COOPER ’16 and SAM TURNER ’16 have been named to the Canada U20 Team Long List and travelled to their selection camp in mid-May.
MARRIAGES
THEO LIM ‘09 married Stephanie Liou on May 12, in Seattle, Washington. JEFFREY CHOI ‘09, MILTON FU ‘09, ELVIN CHANG ‘09, MATTHEW TONG ‘09, DESMOND JUNG ‘09, and DANIEL SIU ‘08 were in the wedding party, and DANIEL CHAN ‘07 and SCOTT MICHELSON ‘09 were also in attendance. Recently, Theo has been managing the design of Microsoft’s new campus in Redmond, Washington; he is now relocating to Chicago. SPRING 2018 | 73
SAINTS’ NOTES
OLD BOYS WHO HAVE PASSED… JOHN CLINTON AISENSTAT ’79 NOVEMBER 19, 1961 – JANUARY 30, 2018
John Clinton Aisenstat ’79 was born on November 19, 1961, the youngest of three boys to Hy and Barbara Aisenstat. Growing up in West Vancouver, John attended Westcot Elementary School and Brentwood College School before transferring in 1977 to St. George’s School where he graduated with the class of 1979. After high school, John went on to attend Carleton University before finishing his studies at Simon Fraser University. John was first and foremost a gentleman. His approach to life was defined by honesty, humility, and generosity. With his kind and generous spirit, he always gave more than he ever took and invariably maintained his integrity, gentle demeanour, and warm sense of humour in any situation. It was at St. George’s, where John’s love and passion for politics would take root. Having served as CoPresident of the Reach for the Top debating team and been selected to attend the Forum for Young Canadians, John would set out on a long and humbling career of political service. Following his schooling, John’s dedication to politics would take him to Ottawa where he served on the Advance Team of Prime Minister Brian Mulroney. He would then return to Vancouver to serve as Tour Director for Gordon Campbell. John remained politically involved throughout his lifetime, working and volunteering on countless local, provincial, and federal election campaigns, and is regarded by many as a mentor and one the great Advance people of our time. As an owner and Executive Vice President of Hy’s Canada, John played an active and significant role in continuing to grow and evolve the Hy’s Steakhouse chain that his parents founded in 1955. He was a passionate restaurateur and an ever-gracious host, continuing his family’s great tradition of hospitality and generosity. In this tradition, John took great pride in hosting and sponsoring the St. George’s Old Boys Businessmen’s Luncheons at Hy’s Steakhouse. John cherished welcoming friends and guests alike to his family’s restaurants, where he shared his passion for food and wine and entertained with his famous dry wit and captivating impressions. An avid reader and historian, John possessed an unfettered appetite for knowledge and learning and was known for his encyclopedic knowledge of almost any topic that would arise. Most importantly though, he loved to meet new people, hear their stories, and share a few of his own “war stories” from his years in the political trenches. On January 30, 2018, John Aisenstat passed away at age 56. He is remembered for his deep love of family, enduring friendships, disarming humour, and natural hospitality. John is survived by his two brothers, David and Neil.
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SAINTS’ NOTES
OLD BOYS WHO HAVE PASSED… GRAY BRADEN ’56
OCTOBER 17, 1935 - DECEMBER 12, 2017
Gray, beloved husband of the late Carlynn Kay Braden passed away on Tuesday, December 12, 2017 at the age of 82 years. Gray is survived by his daughter and son-in-law, Christina and Sven Stuwe; his grandson Memphis Stuwe; and his sister Mary-Lou (Ken) Lamb. Gray was predeceased by his wife of 46 years Carlynn Kay Braden. Both Gray and Carlynn were passionate teachers who loved their students. The apple of both their eyes, was their grandson, Memphis Stuwe. They will both be sorely missed. http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/calgaryherald/obituary.aspx?pid=187539420
GLENN EVANS WEATHERHEAD JULY 11, 1921 – NOVEMBER 25, 2017
He was born in Canyon B.C., the youngest of five. His father, Wilfred ran logging operations there and moved the family to Nelson soon after for better education. Glenn finished his schooling at St. George’s, Vancouver. He was an accomplished rugby player, and a member of the B.C. All-Star team that played the legendary New Zealand All Blacks. Upon graduation in 1941 he enlisted in the RCAF. He attended the University of Toronto for aircraft electrical training and McGill University for radar training. Glenn was posted to Bella Bella on the B.C. coast for two years, overseeing radar station setups and maintaining West Coast Patrol aircraft. In 1944, he was posted to Pat Bay, a naval base that subsequently became the Victoria Airport. There, on September 27, 1944, he met Grace Roberta Ferguson. Their strong, caring relationship became official on August 31, 1946 with their marriage in Victoria. Glenn worked as a logger, sawmill operator, government entomologist, scaler, and investment advisor before embracing entrepreneurship. He operated varied businesses: ready mix concrete, bookkeeping, funeral homes, mini-storage, and a flower shop where he was Grace’s backup. Glenn volunteered in the community with the Rotary Club (involved in stage one of Arrowtarian Seniors Housing), spent 10 years as Chairman of the School Board, and was an instrumental member of the steering committee that brought Selkirk College to fruition. Glenn was a member of the Masonic Lodge and volunteered at the local museum well into his 90s. Glenn is survived by his five children—David (Shenny), Brian (Teresa), Dale (Shirley), Joan (Willie) and Kerry (Gerry), 14 grandchildren, and 14 great-grandchildren. Grace predeceased Glenn on November 8, 2012 after 66 years of loving, caring time together.
LONG SERVING FACULTY AND STAFF MANUEL SANTOS CUSTODIAN 1987-2018
Mr. Manuel Santos, Senior School Custodian, was killed in a single vehicle accident near the intersection of West King Edward Avenue and Crown Street in early April. Manuel worked at St. George’s since September of 1987, and was highly regarded by our community for his kindness and professionalism.
DOREEN ASHBAUGH MATRON 1956-1984
During her 28 years as Matron, Doreen earned the affection of literally hundreds of boarders by caring for their needs in “the home away from home”. She passed away in December 2017.
LEONIS AYLES
JUNIOR SCHOOL TEACHER 1957-1981
A long-serving Grade 2 teacher, Mrs. Ayles passed away on October 17, 2017 at the age of 101. She was very kind to the young boys, and provided a gentle introduction to an otherwise intimidating school for many Grade 2 classes. She retired in 1977 and her past students remember her fondly.
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ANNUAL FUND BECAUSE EVERY BOY BENEFITS EVERY YEAR FROM THESE FUNDS. www.stgeorges.bc.ca/AnnualGiving
RETURN ALL UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO:
3851 West 29th Avenue, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V6S 1T6
40580507