A Message for our Community

During this unprecedented time, we first and foremost want our community to know that we are here to support you in whatever way we can.

For some of you, you’ve just started your postAberdeen Hall life, for others, you are in the early stages of starting your career. Whether your university graduation was cancelled, or you’ve had to transition to working from home, the onslaught of Covid-19 was a curveball that none of us had anticipated. During this time, maintaining positive connections with your community is essential. Keep up to date with Aberdeen Hall through our emails and social media or email a favourite teacher (they’d love to hear from you!). As an Aberdeen Hall alumni you are an important part of our family, don’t hesitate to connect with us and let us know if we can help. We recognize that some members of our AHPS family are going to feel the sting of this pandemic for some time, and being mindful of that, we are postponing our planned Athletics and Wellness Centre and the Capital Campaign supporting it. Thank you to everyone who

contributed to our fundraising efforts. We are looking forward to picking up where we left off sometime in the near future, but during this time we are shifting our focus to ensuring that our community comes through this even stronger than ever before. Like many of you in university have experienced, our students have moved to an online classroom. Our teachers are remarkable and, as they do with every new opportunity, have found ways to utilize the available resources and technology to produce some truly exceptional experiences for our students. Although there are many challenges, there are also sliver linings in some of the things that are happening right now. From innovation in medicine, education, and remote-work to the global solidarity we’ve all experienced moving through the uncertainty, the potential to come out of this collectively stronger is uplifting. Here at home, many members of our Aberdeen Hall family were quick to reach out and provide whatever help they could during this time, whether it was helping the school itself, or extending assistance to other families. In this time of crisis, it moves me to see the support we are all prepared to offer each other and makes me so very proud to be part of this school. We will be sharing information on what services are being offered soon and, in the meantime, if you think you have something you or your family can offer, please contact me. We are going to get through this together, and my confidence in that has been reinforced by the words and deeds already displayed by Aberdeen Hall families. If you have any questions, please contact me at sean.ayers@aberdeenhall.com

SEAN AYERS

Director of Development

Farewell, but Not Goodbye By Christina Ullyot, Director of Admissions

Our newest alumna, Mrs. Susanne Raye, a founding member of our community

It is very difficult to accurately describe the incredible impact of Mrs. Raye on Aberdeen Hall. Director of Development, Dean of Admissions and most recently, Principal of the Junior School, are just some of the prominent hats she wore while contributing to the amazing school and community that is Aberdeen Hall over the past fourteen years.

Mrs. Raye’s experience in the UK was vast before arriving in Kelowna, BC. She received a Bachelor of Arts Honours, major in Anthropology and a minor in Tribal Art, from the University of East Anglia, UK. Following eight years in human resources and international banking, Mrs. Raye entered the field of education and earned a post-graduate certificate in Secondary Education specializing in Humanities, a diploma in Teaching Support for Special Educational Needs, and a diploma in Early Childhood Education. She worked at Blenheim High School in Epsom, Surrey in the UK for four years before immigrating with her three children (Abi, George and Lizzy) and her husband (David) to embark on an adventurous relocation to Canada. Legend has it that Mrs. Raye herself convinced the newly appointed Head of School, Chris Grieve, to hire her during his first summer at the school in 2006. Susanne advocated for a position in development to further advance a small schoolhouse of only 70 students in it’s grassroots phase on Acland Road. Together with a team of incredibly dedicated administration, parents and stakeholders, and a generous gift of 19 acres of mountainside property, the vision of Aberdeen Hall became a reality! Over the next decade, Susanne proved to be a very important ‘building’ member of the school’s administration and has seen Aberdeen Hall’s enrollment grow from 70 to over 700 students. The Aberdeen Hall milestones have been Susanne’s milestones too. From the first building being completed on Academy Way to the first graduating class of Aberdeen Hall, Susanne Raye has been a part of our story. Described by Mr Grieve as “steadfast, loyal, committed and an excellent leader,” Susanne Raye will be greatly missed next year. We know that the legacy of firsts she helped pave at Aberdeen Hall has created a stable foundation for 21st century learning that will continue to live on in the Junior School long after her departure. We look forward to wrapping up the 2019-2020 academic year by celebrating the numerous contributions of Mrs. Raye. It is apparent to everyone that had the pleasure of meeting Susanne Raye on campus that she has a heart of gold. We reached out to a few Aberdeen Hall community members to share a favourite memory of Mrs. Raye.

My favourite memory with Mrs. Raye is reading Diary of a Wimpy Kid and The Littles with her. She is nice and kind to me.

MALCOLM KUZAK Grade 3

How lucky (we) are to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.

~ Winnie the Pooh

Ashley Bryden

Middle School Principal, on Sabbatical

Mrs. Raye. It’s predictable to say, but it’s true; I have so many fond memories to look back on from my time working with her. To be honest, however, my favourite memory is one from the very first time I met her (apart from my hiring interview)! It was July of 2009, and I was excitedly awaiting the start to the school year...and the start of my new job as a Grade 7 Homeroom and Senior Math Teacher at Aberdeen Hall. Mr. Grieve had put the call out to the Aberdeen Hall community to help build the new playground structure on the lower bench, and I was heading up to the school to pitch in. Upon arrival, as I would soon learn to be very typical, I saw a wonderfully large group of enthusiastic parents, teachers and administrators who had also answered the call and were ready to dedicate their time and expertise to bring the project to life. Being completely new to the community and wanting to make a good impression, of course, I was admittedly quite nervous to jump in and join the team. Cue Mrs. Raye to the rescue! Mrs. Raye’s spidey sense for empathetic need must have been tingling, because immediately, in a way that only she can, she sidled up alongside me on the build and started chatting and cracking jokes with her spot-on dry humour. Before I even realised it, she had introduced me to half of the team and was inviting me to her farm to see the animals and meet her family. And that’s just so very “Mrs. Raye”. As naturally and seamlessly as could be, she brought me in and made me feel like a valued member of the group; something that I would see her do for countless others, children and adults alike, over the course of my time working with her. There is no shortage of fond memories that I have of her and admirable qualities that Mrs. Raye possesses, but to me, this memory from the first time I met her, when she shone her light of humour, kindness and compassion on me, is one that stands above the rest.

It is apparent to everyone that had the pleasure of meeting Susanne Raye on campus that she has a heart of gold.

Lisa White

Director Finance & Human Resources

I was asked to share my favourite memory of Mrs. Raye. Oh but where to start? I have so many favourite memories of Mrs. Raye! Her constant kind-hearted smile, the years and years of her friendly face in the Junior School turning circle when I dropped my children off for school. She always had something nice to say, no matter how cold and blustery it might have been. I have noticed that Susanne has a different word for a few words than I do (I like them quite a lot!) A parking lot is a car park, a bathing suit is a swim costume, potato chips are crisps – to name just a few. On a personal note, she freed me from my wardrobe rut! When I first started working at the school I would wear the same styles and colours day after day and I was nervous to try anything new. So, out we went one Saturday afternoon for shopping (and tea of course). I bought an animal print top that day! Then I actually wore it several times!!! From there the spell was broken and red, stripes, and florals started finding their way into my closet. It is amazing what a little encouragement from a good friend can do to set you free from your own fears. And what a very good friend Susanne is, always there, always ready to make time to listen non-judgmentally and always willing to lend a hand. Thank you Susanne for your wonderful friendship all these years. I so look forward to continuing to see you as you embark on the next chapter of your life.