Ashbury News Spring 2015
40 YEARS OF IB CELEBRATING
20
G.P. Woollcombe:
Portrait of an Educator
30
Alumni
Profiles
Arunima Choudhury, Grade 12 belts out a tune during the recent Musicals @ Ashbury performance of The Wizard of Oz. Jane Amirault, Grade 10, as Dorothy and Lukas Skardinskas, Grade 11, as the Tin Man provided company on the Yellow Brick Road.
Table of Contents
Ashbury News Spring 2015 Ashbury Editorial Board • Norman Southward • Bruce Mutch • Ray Satterthwaite • Brian Storosko • Gary Godkin • Jill Bobula • Stephanie Brooks ’07 • Annie Bergeron-Oliver ’07
News & Notes 3 From the Head of School
6
We wish to thank the many staff, students, alumni and volunteers who have contributed to this edition of Ashbury News. We are extremely grateful for your support.
John Beedell Tribute
14 Humans of Ashbury
15 17
Leveraging the Student Perspective
16
Ashbury News is published twice a year by the Advancement Office, and sent to over 4500 alumni, parents and friends.
The Ashbury Ball
18 Volunteer Profile
Ashbury News is printed on 35% recycled paper. Online magazine updates are available at ashbury.ca Please submit news, story ideas and any address changes to:
School News
12
On the front cover: Grade 12 IB students Christine Yan and Lynn Momprevil. On the back cover: Armita Dabirzadeh, Grade 6, paints in the new Creative Learning Centre.
4
Feature Articles 20 22
Ashbury College Advancement Office 362 Mariposa Avenue Ottawa, ON K1M 0T3 advancement@ashbury.ca Phone: 613.749.5954
G.P. Woollcombe: Portrait of an Educator
24 IB@40
Ashbury Alumni 28 Alumni Around & About
Design and layout by AN Design Communications Printed in Canada by Trico Group
28
30 Alumni Profiles
34
MOVING? Update your address. alumni@ashbury.ca
Ashbury Chatter
38
Connect with us on Twitter!
In Memoriam
@ashburycollege
30
2 | Ashbury News
Sasha Rudolf, Grade 12, constructs an IB science project.
From the
Head of School
graduate courses, a high level of student engagement beyond academics and a propensity for graduate studies. At Ashbury we are building on our history and we continue to evolve our IB program. In the coming years, we will be incorporating online courses to increase the choice available to IB students, and we will examine expanding the program to include a wider range of grades. At one time perceived as an “elite” program only, IB holds “access” as a new mantra. This does not however diminish the commitment needed to succeed in the IB and what vertical planning is required in course selection to meet its goals. The alignment of Ontario and IB curricula is generally strong, and the strength of choice remains an ongoing advantage for our students. Coupled with our preuniversity OSSD ( O n t a r i o Secondary School Diploma) courses, over 75 per cent of our students will graduate with at least one IB certificate, while 35–45 students completed the full IB Diploma program in recent graduating classes.
The real value of the IB is in what we are hearing from universities and IB alumni: the fact that the program develops adaptable learners who are prepared for success in university and beyond.
Our IB students radiate the sense of the spirit of the program, and its unique features that open up new doors of learning. Whatever pathway students choose at Ashbury—IB or OSSD—our focus on university preparation, enriched courses and differentiated instruction serve to challenge and support students in their learning. Peu importe le programme, nous cherchons à assurer que nos élèves reçoivent une éducation qui les encourage à penser de façon autonome et à prendre en main leur
3 | Ashbury News
T
his year we celebrate the 40th anniversary of the IB program at Ashbury College. The International Baccalaureate Organization was created in 1968 in Switzerland, with Ashbury as one of the first to the offer the Diploma Program in Canada in 1975, and the 55th school in world. Since that time we have seen the exponential growth of the IB globally with the development of three main programs: Primary Years, Middle Years and the Diploma Program. Today over 3,900 schools around the world offer at least one program and with various degrees of emphasis. IB retains a strong brand presence within the educational marketplace, and is implemented with varying degrees of emphasis by schools and within school districts. IB remains a significant reason so many students here at home and around the world choose Ashbury as the starting point for their own academic success story. However the real value of the IB is in what we are hearing from universities and IB alumni: the fact that the program develops adaptable learners who are prepared for success in university and beyond. In the following pages, you will read about the advantages of IB at Ashbury, and about the important role our dedicated faculty—who are trained in and committed to the international focus of the program—play in its success. As educators, we see that the breadth and depth of the IB program is resulting in students feeling more confident with their transition to university studies, stronger performance in under-
NEWS & NOTES
News
School
november 2014
S
everal Junior School students spent the night outside Ottawa City Hall on November 20 in an effort to stamp out youth homelessness. The Ashbury SleepOUT for Youth team surpassed their fundraising goal by almost $500— raising just shy of $2000!
V
iolinist Kerson Leong ’15 won the Young Soloist 2015 prize from Radio-Canada. The award’s jury selection committee recognized Kersin’s “great virtuosity, his poise and a true presence of soloist.” The young soloist prize consists of a scholarship of €4,000, funded by public broadcasters from France, Switzerland and Canada. Congratulations, Kerson!
4 | Ashbury News
T
he Senior School and the Admissions office hosted a Follow-a-Friend-Friday event for Grade 8 students. The morning was an opportunity to preview some of the classes offered in Grade 9 and provide a sneak peek of the Senior School experience. All current Grade 8 students were invited to bring a friend to school, and each pair of students received two movie tickets. The students sampled a selection of classes, but the special art projects in the Creative Learning Centre were a particular hit.
BATTLEFIELDS TOUR
Several of our Senior students travelled to Belgium and France in November for a battlefield tour. Stops included Ypres, Flanders Fields and Vimy Ridge, where the students looked for the names of the 72 Ashburians lost at war.
A
s part of Ashbury’s ongoing collaboration with Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education in a project called Making Caring Common, the Senior School’s students answered an online questionnaire in November. By collecting this information, Ashbury will have the opportunity to brainstorm effective responses and strengthen our ability to promote the development of our students’ ethical and social capacities, including caring, respect and responsibility for others.
A
shbury’s Wellness Committee had a very special bake sale and raised $364.30 for D.I.F.D. (Do It For Daron) in support of youth mental health. As a school this emphasized the realization that mental illness is everywhere and that there are people here
that can help. Working together, students are creating an environment where mental illness is acknowledged as a real and crippling disease.
T
he World Affairs Club hosted Ambassador Niels B oel Abrahamsen, Danish Ambassador to Canada, father of Carl (Grade 12) and Christopher (Grade 9). Ambassador Abrahamsen shared his experiences and perspectives on his most recent posting to Afghanistan. He engaged the students in a compelling discussion about the challenges (past, present and future) that face Afghanistan and shared his memorable experiences working with the people there. The club also hosted Peg Herbert, founder and director of local NGO, Help Lesotho. Peg gave a compelling presentation on the subject of Gender
NEWS & NOTES
Equity in Lesotho and in the broader global sense. She spoke to the students about the importance of focussing on one area of interest and cultivating that in a way to be able to make a concrete difference in the world. Ashbury also hosted Help Lesotho’s Possibili-tea in December, with Queen Masenate of the Kingdom of Lesotho.
december 2014
F
A
s the first snow of the year hit the capital, 59 Grade 10 Civics students, Ms. Lewicki, Mr. Lavergne and Mr. Cameron made a trip to Parliament Hill to observe Question Period. The students had the opportunity to meet with Ashbury’s local Member of
Junior School students showed their creative side in performances at the annual Music, Art and Drama (MAD) night.
Students in Grade 12 art class had a lesson in creative fabric making, thanks to a screen-printing lesson with a local artist from Spins and Needles. Students began their process by creating intricate high contrast designs using drawing, collage and/or Photoshop, which were exposed using photo emulsion and high intensity light onto a mesh screen. Students then printed and repeated their designs using a range of waterbased inks onto fabric, T-shirts, canvas bags, paper and photographic surfaces. A great hands-on learning opportunity with tangible results!
5 | Ashbury News
or the weeks leading up to Christmas, the boys of Matthews House set aside funds raised from their in-house weekly Tuck Shop. The charitable students managed to raise $300 in support of the Ottawa Food Bank. Hassan Haider ’15, Jacky Yang ’15 and Ivan Gulyy ’15 and Mr. Lavergne made a trip to the grocery store in late December to buy the required provisions and dropped them off at the food bank. The boys appreciated doing something to help outside of the Ashbury community and will look for other partnership opportunities this term.
NEWS & NOTES
Parliament (Ottawa-Vanier), Mauril Bélanger and the Sergeant-at-Arms, Kevin Vickers. Both men added their own personal touch to our ongoing discussions about democracy and the Canadian parliamentary process. The trip coincided with the completion of the students’ political platforms, campaigns, press conferences and mock elections.
S
enior School student captains Cole Rechan ’15 sand Adam Ashton ’17 led two teams at the 24hRelay at Tremblant in support of sick and special needs children. Collectively, the Ashbury crews raised more than $14,000! Thank you to the participants, donors and parents who chauffeured skiers to and from the hills.
O
6 | Ashbury News
ur Junior and Senior School students teamed up to participate in the Hour of Code—a one-hour introduction to demystifying programming and show students that anyone can learn the basics. Dwayne Smith, Ashbury’s Department Head of Business and Technology, spearheaded the event and set up a friendly challenge with Branksome Hall, an independent girls school in Toronto. He and his team of student assistants did an amazing job of introducing the concept of programming to many first-timers. It was great to see our Junior School students working collaboratively to learn how to program, and it was equally great to see how patient and helpful our Senior School students were with them.
Grade 8 student Marie-France Thompson (pictured centre) took to the stage at the National Arts Centre to perform in the Alberta Ballet’s rendition of the holiday classic, the Nutcracker. Bravo!
With Mr. Storosko away with the Grade 7s and 8s in Quebec, the rest of the Junior School had a secret out of uniform day the first Friday after the break. Luckily, Mr. Storosko wasn’t able to identify the culprits in this photographic evidence!
Junior School students once again collected for the annual Snowsuit Drive. Donations were bagged up for delivery, and several students visited local radio stations to promote the Snowsuit Fund Radiothon.
F
or the fourth year in a row, Ashbury students filled over 70 backpacks with clothes, food and personal hygiene items for delivery to young people who depend on the support of the
NEWS & NOTES
Downtown Youth Services Bureau (YSB) Drop-In. The Angels with Backpacks initiative is a partnership with Ashbury, St. Matthew’s Church and the YSB to support youth between the ages of 12 and 20 who are unstably housed, or living on the street. A youth from the YSB addressed Ashbury students at a school assembly prior to the packs being collected and transported for distribution to young people throughout our community.
january 2015
T
urkey’s ambassador to Canada, Mr. Selcuk Unal, spoke to Senior students on the role of humanitarian work in conflict zones. The ability to receive such distinguished speakers to present to our students is an incredible luxury for Ashbury, and a tremendous opportunity for our students. Mr. Unal was quite impressed with the sophistication of the questions that our students asked him.
B
usiness leadership students planned and execute the secondannual Experience Ashbury Day on January 31. The student-run event
Current and prospective students discovered the IB advantage at an information evening in January. IB students showcased the programs benefits to parents, answered questions about curriculum and demonstrated projects and coursework. The evening is an opportunity for students and staff to demonstrate the advantages of the IB program to those interested in pursuing the challenge in Grades 11 and 12. For more on Ashbury’s 40 years of IB, please see page 24.
was designed to welcome new and prospective students and introduce them to the school and its programs. Visitors participated in games and challenges designed to highlight the international makeup of the school and its House system.
February 2015
M
r. McKirdy’s two Grade 12 Chemistry classes ventured to Carleton University to get a feel for university life. The trip entailed a modified first year Chemistry lab (the Spectrophotometric Determination
of Iron), followed by a first-year Chemistry lecture, and then lunch at the student centre. One student commented on the trip: “I thought the lab was familiar because the skills required to attempt the lab, we had learned before. Therefore it was quite easy to follow instructions.”
I
n our Business Leadership classes students learned about the skilful art of negotiation from Mr. Peter Ho, former Executive Director of the Royal Canadian Mint and current parent. Through his many personal stories the students learned about the
Ashbury’s Head of School, Norman Southward, far left, and Life Skills Program Coordinator, Chapman Uko, far right, travelled to Nigeria in January to meet with prospective families and reconnect with Ashbury alumni. Seen here are a number of Ashbury’s current Nigerian students.
7 | Ashbury News
T
he year started off with travel for our Grade 7 and 8 students who experienced their French cultural experiences in Montreal, St. Donat and Quebec City. The classes enjoyed visits to the Biodome, Pointe-à-Callière, along with snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, downhill skiing, scavenger hunts, games, sledding, Wolfe and Montcalm, fiddling and dancing—all en français! Back in Ottawa, the Grades 4,5,6 students engaged in studying the insulating effects of snow, creating clay snowmen, playing Inuit games and writing performance poetry.
NEWS & NOTES
Mint and its operations, as well as techniques for resolving what seem like irreconcilable differences between two organizations. Students were also introduced to the importance of relationships and the need to cultivate them to be successful in life.
Our Junior School students spent a sunny winter afternoon searching for a snowy owl rumoured to be living in the neighbourhood. The search was a fun way to learn about local wildlife and spend some time in the brisk outdoors.
O
ur boarding students experienced a true Canadian tradition: an ice hockey game! The boys and girls travelled the Canadian Tire Centre to attend a National Hockey League game between the Ottawa Senators and the Washington Capitals. The boarders experienced some first-hand hockey drama. The evening wasn’t a success for the Sens, but the kids had a blast watching the game and enjoying a great night out to see Ottawa’s local team and experience a favourite Canadian pastime.
Ashbury e-Meets Edward Snowden By Jonathan Chow ’16
I
8 | Ashbury News
n early February, Ashbury sent a delegation of students to attend a world affairs conference hosted by Upper Canada College. We listened to
“We’re off to see the wizard…” Curtains on the Musicals @ Ashbury’s production of the Wizard of Oz rose to outstanding applause. Thanks to the countless hours of work by student performers, musicians, crew and teachers who all contributed to an impressive show. Bravo to all!
presentations from knowledgeable speakers on topics that revolved around the central theme of the conference: threats to humanity. The most notable speaker was Edward Snowden, who spoke from his home in Russia to the students in Toronto. He, along with Glenn Greenwald, spoke about his actions, digital privacy and mass surveillance. Edward Snowden released documents containing information on government surveillance programs in 2013 to Glenn Greenwald and Laura Poitras. This act was designed to inform the public on the amount of data governments were collecting on all their citizens. Previously, this collection of information was limited to possible criminals or potential threats; however,
Junior School students had fun building snowhuts on the wintry campus. The structures were so sound that Mr. Storosko spent the night in one in February. Students collected money for the Boys and Girls Club as incentive for his snowy sleepout.
NEWS & NOTES
according to Snowden, governments have enacted mass surveillance programs that are not effective and dangerous to the innocent. Snowden concluded by instructing the students to get involved by reading legislation that is passed and ensuing they know what their government is doing. The conference was an incredible experience; I really enjoyed being able to hear the opinions of different individuals!
A
Ashbury’s Green Club launched a carpooling campaign in an effort to draw attention to the carbon emissions expelled during the many drives to and from school campus. The club put together a poster, which was displayed on the CLC media wall, rather than printed, as a way to be more environmentally friendly.
for their inspiring words.
Athletics Report By Justine Jammes ’15 and Nik De Lallo ’15 Athletics Prefects
A
shbury’s athletic teams have had a highly eventful and successful winter season. With eight competitive teams on the go, student athletes from all grades were busy on the rink, on the court and in the pool. The Senior Boys Basketball Team broke records this year dominating in both their regular season and playoff
matches. On February 26 the boys defeated Omer Deslaurier in the City Finals where Noah Kirkwood was once again a huge part in the Colts success. The boys went on to compete at OFSAA at the end of February. The Ashbury College Swimming Team also had a very successful season. As a whole, the Ashbury swimmers accumulated the most points in Ottawa, naming them City Champions. Coaches Rebecca Lowe, James McKirdy, and Marci Groper coached 16 swimmers to OFSAA.
9 | Ashbury News
shbury’s Parent Speakers Evening was an interactive event designed to provide students with the opportunity to hear the professional journeys of seven Ashbury parents covering the areas of diplomatic relations, entrepreneurship, politics, medicine and academics, business, environmental policy and arts and culture. Speakers outlined their educational paths, major influences, work ethics, professional codes, and thoughts on failure and community service. Special thanks to Niels Boel Abrahamsen, Danish A m b a s s a d o r ; Ion Aimers, local restaurateur and entrepreneur; Heather Bradley, Director of Communications in the Office of the Speaker of the House of Commons; Dr. Melissa Forgie, ViceDean at the Faculty of Medicine University of Ottawa; Michael McSweeney, President, Cement Association of Canada; Jayne Watson, CEO of the National Arts Centre Foundation and Gary Zed, Market Leader in Canada for Ernst and Young
NEWS & NOTES
10 | Ashbury News
The Varsity Boys Hockey team concluded their season mid-January. Although, the season was challenging and results weren’t always favourable, the boys put up a fight until their last game. A memorable moment from their season remains Mikey Rizk’s game winning top right corner goal from the blue line. After two hard-working months of practices, the Junior Girls Volleyball Team started off their season with two tournaments. Their opponents were highly skilled allowing the team an important opportunity to practice and improve their skills. The girls kickstarted their regular season the last week of February with two games: one away game at Elmwood and one home game versus Osgoode. The team pulled out two wins and look forward to the rest of their season. As for the initially inexperienced Junior Boys Basketball Team, their season started off slow with several
consecutives losses. It was looking like a repeat of the 2013 0–10 season. However, with a strong work ethic and a passion and dedication for the sport, the Juniors ended up finishing the regular season in Tier 2 with a 4–2 record, tying with the first place team in the division. The team advanced to playoffs but unfortunately lost in their first match. Regardless, one referee remarked that the Ashbury team was
“the most improved basketball team [he] had seen all year”. Both Varsity Girls and Boys Curling Teams continue to dominate in their respective seasons. Despite losing in their most recent games, both teams remain hopeful at securing a spot in the playoffs. We hope so too! In their first playoff game versus Franco Ouest, the Senior Girls Volleyball Team lost in a nail biting five
NEWS & NOTES
U18 Rugby 7s. In February, the boys travelled to Las Vegas to compete in the Junior IRB Games. Myles Donohugh, another rugby standout, has been named to team Canada East u17 and travelled to Shawnigan Lake during the March Break for a tryout that will decide if he will represent Canada on the world stage. Not to be forgotten, Alex Auster qualified for
Senior Nationals this summer for his impressive swimming times. Congrats to all! A huge thank you goes out to all the coaches, scorekeepers and parent volunteers for their constant athletic support and hours of hard work they invested in our teams. And of course, an even bigger thank you to Mr. MacKinnon, our Director of Athletics, for all his behind-the-scenes efforts to
11 | Ashbury News
set loss. Although their season came to an abrupt end, there are many exciting moments to reflect on including Lucy Baird’s nine point ace streak and Bianca Acland’s first jump serve. In other news, a number of Ashbury students have incredible out-of-school accomplishments to be shared. Clark Hodgins, Marcus Saikaley, and Nik De Lallo were all named to Team Ontario
NEWS & NOTES
Tribute
John Beedell
J
ohn Beedell
1933–2014
wasn’t so keen. Although he dropped out of Queen’s University after his first year in the engineering program, it was there he met his future wife, Ann. They married in 1955 and moved to Sudbury, where he started work at a mining company and began running and canoeing competitively at the Sudbury canoe club. “He had such a wonderful sense of humour, and was a very positive and determined person,” says Ann. In 1956, Ann gave birth to their first child, Michael.
12 | Ashbury News
John Leslie Beedell was born on Feb. 14, 1933, in Wellington, New Zealand, the eldest of two children born to Ethel, a home-maker, and John, a marine engineer. When John was a baby, Ethel would take him down the funicular to the port to wave goodbye to his father, who would often spend weeks at a time at sea. John’s first words were “Daddy” and “boat.” When he was two, it was clear that John had a daring streak. One afternoon, he snuck out and hopped onto the funicular in search of his father. A neighbour recognized him at the dock and returned him home. Shortly after that, he was riding in the back seat of the car with his mother, when he opened the door and rolled out onto the road. His mother quickly turned around and scooped the boy back into the car, thankful he suffered only a few scrapes. In 1937, the family moved to England after John’s father got a job with an aluminum company, and his sister, Nina, was born. Not long after, his father was relocated to work at a bauxite mine in British Guyana, where the family lived in a small colonial village. John contracted malaria and his mother wanted to send him away to recover until her husband finished his contract. She went to Montreal and met with the bishop of the Anglican church, who found a family to look after John for the year. In 1941, the family reunited in Battersea, Ont., just north of Kingston, where John’s father got a new job with an aluminium manufacturer. Still as rambunctious as ever, John convinced his mother to let him attach his toboggan to the back of the car and pull him and Nina along the road. “John was always getting into something,” says Nina. John’s father wanted him to become an engineer, but he
1
NEWS & NOTES
John trained tirelessly every day with his paddling partner, Joe Derochie, and they represented Canada at the World Championships in Prague in 1958. That was also the year his second child, Jeffrey, was born. In 1960, John and Joe competed at the Summer Olympics in Rome. They were eliminated in an early round, but it was one of the best experiences of John’s life. “John had the true Olympic spirit: He just set his mind to his goal and did his best, all while carrying the load of a full-time job and raising a family,” says his sister, Nina. The following year, his youngest child, David, was born. John and his family moved to Ottawa, where he completed his teaching degree and took a job at Ashbury College, a private school. He taught science and outdoor education and filled his classroom with quirky objects, such as a Volkswagen engine and animal bones. “He was so passionate about working with young people and was adamant that they enjoyed physical exercise,” says Ann. John was also an avid skier and marathon runner—participating in more than 20 marathons around the world. “My dad encouraged all around him to get off the couch, not smoke, get outdoors and play hard,” says Jeff. Ann and John were divorced for two years before he suffered a serious brain injury in 1988. He was doing some repairs to the family cottage and fell off the roof. While he couldn’t be as active as he once was—he had to start using a cane—the silver lining was that Ann helped him recover and they became close again. “We became the best of friends. I supported him and he handled his injuries in a most admirable way,” she says. The accident forced him to retire and limited his ability to be outdoors, but he accepted the challenge. “He shook it off and found a new way to enjoy life,
from supporting the arts to volunteering,” says Jeff. In 2013, John was hit by a car and had to start using a walker. But he still zipped around town on an adult tricycle. “He lived an adventurous existence; he certainly was out there more than most,” says Jeff. On Nov. 28, 2014, John was crossing Beechwood Avenue outside of his apartment in Ottawa when he was hit by a school bus. He died on Dec. 18 due to injuries from the accident. He was 81. A service for John was held at Ashbury on January 24, 2015. John is survived by Ann Beedell and their sons, Michael (Bonnie), Jeff (Linda) and current Ashbury teacher David (Emily), his grandchildren Estan, Leslie, Jillian, Anna and William Beedell, his dear sister, Nina Overbury (Michael), his niece Jennifer, nephew Mark (Amanda), and his New Zealand relatives.
3
(This tribute originally appeared in Maclean’s in January, 2015 and is reprinted with permission.)
2
1
John leading a group of Grade 8 outdoor education students on a hike above Heney Lake in the Gatineau Hills, in 1975.
2
A Beedell family photo, with John, seated, front and centre.
3
John Beedell, right, and Joe Derochie, left, paddling for Canada in the 1960 Rome Olympics.
4
John instilled his love of the outdoors in his three sons.
13 | Ashbury News
4
NEWS & NOTES
Voices
Student
Humans of Ashbury Using social media to connect a school By Yousef Choudhri
1
14 | Ashbury News
L
ike any average teenager, I use social media. I am on social media almost all the time (except in school). Believe it or not, students have the opportunity to learn many valuable life lessons on social media. Some of these life lessons can be entertaining, sad and eye opening. One of my biggest life lessons was when I stumbled upon a Facebook page called Humans of New York. I had no idea what it was, but all I saw were these portrait pictures and a never-ending description beneath the picture. I found Humans of New York because I noticed that many of my friends liked a lot of the page’s pictures. So I clicked on an image and read what it said. The portrait was a man and his taxicab, but his story was about his migration to America from Niger. He used to be a French teacher in Niger but moved to America because of the low income. He described his life in America, the jobs he went through over 12 years, his citizenship and finally, his degree in French from Brooklyn College, which would allow him to become a professor. I have never forgotten this story and it has stuck with me ever since I read it. This story, along with many others has opened my eyes and continues to inspire me every day. Since the first story I read, I continue to follow Humans of New York. But when I was driving home one day, I thought about the mosaic of culture at Ashbury. I’ve heard a lot of stories from students, teachers and staff that are depressing, serious and hilarious. So why not show the world what it is
like to hear from the humans of Ashbury? I then thought I should start something like Humans of New York, but instead call it Humans of Ashbury College. Initially, I was certain that the idea had been taken, so I tried to get the thought out of my mind. But I simply knew that this was not possible. I did not know what to do, whom to tell and whom to trust. So I went to Mme Mitra who helped put me in front of 700 people to present my own idea. Once everyone at the school knew about the project, I set up a Facebook page that received 200 likes within the first two hours. To start the page, I interviewed as many as I could within the first week. The popularity of the page grew. Every day has a better story for the community to hear. The process of asking a human from Ashbury for his or her life story was initially harder than I imagined. I found it awkward to simply walk up to someone, and ask for a photo and inquire about that person’s greatest failure. This feeling lasted for about two weeks, before I opened up. Since then, I simply walk right up to a human, start a conversation about various subjects, and take a portrait picture. All this is done in around 20 minutes per individual. Being a Grade 11 student, I will not be able to see how long Humans of Ashbury will last after I graduate. But when I was thinking about my idea, I know that the goal of this initiative will always be to make everyone feel welcome at the school. The project has allowed me to walk up to a new person every day and learn about a life different from my own. I hope others have been inspired by the project, because everyone in the Ashbury community is approachable and all have a wonderful story to share. I also note that everyone in the Ashbury community is friendly, generous and very interesting as individuals.
1
Grade 11 student Yousef Choudhri shows the Humans of Ashbury Facebook page he helped to create.
2
Margaret Pedersen
From left to right Mr. Mutch, Ashbury’s Director of Admissions and some of this year’s student ambassadors: Duncan Lemieux, Margaret Pedersen, Jonta Kamara and Michael Rizk.
3
NEWS & NOTES
Leveraging the student perspective Ashbury’s student ambassador program provides leadership opportunities for its best on-the-ground promotions team By Margaret Pedersen
I
have had the pleasure of being an Ashbury student ambassador and I welcomed the opportunity to let others know about this program and its value to the school. Ashbury’s student ambassadors work to spread the word about the school, its advantages and benefits. The program is administered through the school’s Admissions department, which is the office responsible for student recruitment and liaison with new and prospective families. The regular student ambassador program has been running for a very long time. It was formalized in 2000 allowing more students to have the opportunity to be involved in admissions. After all, students know students. This year, a new level was added to the ambassador program: the Senior Ambassadors. According to Mr. Mutch, Ashbury’s Director of Admissions, this was a wonderful opportunity to leverage more students into leadership positions, as well as having students interact more with the admissions staff. The Senior Ambassadors help the admissions team gain more insight into how students think and what attracts new students to Ashbury. Both regular and senior Student Ambassadors have responsibilities in admissions. Regular Student Ambassadors help host prospective students, make them feel welcome and provide feedback to admissions through a survey. They also help out with events such as open houses. In addition to performing the duties that regular student ambassadors perform, Senior Student Ambassadors act as leaders and Ambassador role models. They meet once every two weeks to discuss admissions and occasionally organize events. Senior Ambassadors also keep the Ashbury Twitter feed and Instagram up to date. Personally, I hold the job of the Junior School Liaison, which means I coordinate admissions events with the Junior School, including helping with the organization of the Grade 8 transition morning and the training of Junior School Ambassadors. For this school year, the application process to become a Student Ambassador involved writing. Regular Ambassadors submitted their name, grade, number of years at Ashbury, along with a 200-word essay on why they would be a great ambassador. Senior Admission
15 | Ashbury News
2
Ambassadors were required to write a 200-word creative essay, a poem, such as a haiku, that explained their superhero-like characteristics. According to Mr. Mutch, choosing the Senior Student Ambassadors was a “…really, really, really difficult decision, since all 40 applicants were very strong contenders,” he says. “We looked for students that had held other positions of leadership at the school, and we based our choices on the written submissions. We also carried out reference checks with teachers around the school.” In fact, the applications were so strong, that Mr. Mutch decided to add a few more senior ambassador positions. Senior Student Ambassadors strongly enjoy their leadership positions. Many decided to apply for the role because of a desire to interact with new students and to help the admissions team. Sophie Slessor, Grade 10, put it this way: “I decided to become a Senior Ambassador because I thought the work with social media would be fun and interesting, and I knew I had a chance to help make Ashbury an even cooler place and perhaps even enhance it.” All Senior Ambassadors, attest to having fun along with their responsibilities. For example, Jonathan Chow, Grade 11, indicated: “I enjoy being able to attend events and meeting prospective students and parents to learn from their experiences and teach them about Ashbury.” As ambassadors we feel pride for our school. Jonta Kamara, Grade 11, stated that, “Representing the school is a wonderful experience. You feel proud of your school and you get to share all the amazing aspects about it with prospective students. It’s exciting to conduct tours and talk about all the different activities that occur within the school year at Ashbury.” This sense of pride was also echoed by Sarah Peters, Grade 12, who feels honored to be able to represent her school to future students. The role of ambassador is also educational. “Being a Senior Admissions Ambassador has been an amazing learning experience,” says Duncan Lemieux, Grade 10. “It demands that you always be happy and ready to help parents and students alike. You need to learn to step out of your comfort zone a little, since you are always surrounded by people at events, whether it is offering help or giving tours of the school or whatever else might be needed. Overall, I have not been disappointed by all the responsibilities my role entails—not even slightly. And I have been lucky to be part of such an amazing team.”
3
NEWS & NOTES
A SPARKLE CELEBRATION 2014
T
he 2014 Ashbury Ball was a tremendous success on all levels due to the hard work, creativity and enthusiasm of Crickett Lindgren and her team of Ashbury Guild volunteers. This year’s event was themed to celebrate creativity and the completion of the SPARK fundraising campaign to build the Creative Learning Centre (CLC). The sparkle theme attracted a sellout crowd of 320 parents, alumni and friends of the school. Through ticket sales, sponsorships, silent and live auctions, over
$165,000 was raised to support school priorities like scholarships, immediate teaching needs and the CLC. On behalf of the school community, we would like to thank Crickett and her team, all those who attended and purchased items, our partners, Doherty & Associates, Ernst & Young, Mark Motors and Sezlik Real Estate and our event sponsors and corporate guests for their commitment to the school and dedication to our success. See you at next year’s event, the 15th anniversary.
1
16 | Ashbury News
2 SPONSORS ALLEGRA MARKETING PRINT MAIL MARK MOTORS OF OTTAWA
PA R T N E R S
TAING JEWELLERS
DOHERTY & ASSOCIATES
DIPLOMATE AUDIOVISUAL
ERNST & YOUNG
ANNE BREAU
MARK MOTORS OF OTTAWA
MARY WILLIAMS
SEZLIK.COM
NEWS & NOTES
SAVE THE DATE
ASHBURY BALL 2015
NOVEMBER 7
3
4
5
7
1
Top row from left to right: Martin Parizeau, Lawrence Oppenheimer, Peter Engelmann, Rob Marland and Gary Peters. Bottom row from left to right: Sheryl Green, Laurie Oppenheimer, Margaux Beland, Jane Forsyth and Wanda Peters
2
Albert Lightstone and Ion Aimers show off their Ball purchase from last year
3
Guild President. Nancy Chow, Ball Chair Crickett Lindgren and Norman Southward
4
Guests enjoyed seafood from Whalesbone
5
Electrik band provided entertainment
6
Some of our Junior School artwork on auction
7
Bidding to support the students
17 | Ashbury News
6
NEWS & NOTES
Profile
Volunteer
H
ugh Penton
Anyone visiting Ashbury at the end of a school day has probably seen them at work. Hugh Penton and Roya Shams: an unlikely duo united in a quest to learn. Two or three times a week the pair meets in an empty Ashbury classroom to study literature and language. Roya is a Grade 12 student who came to Ashbury three years ago from Afghanistan. Along with learning Canadian customs and acclimatizing to the realities of being a Canadian high school student, Roya had to come to terms with mastering the English language. She has made great progress, thanks to the patient encouragement she receives from Penton. Hugh Penton taught at Ashbury for 40 years and was happily enjoying his retirement when he received a call from the school asking him to assist Roya. He accepted the challenge with quiet grace, and since then, he and Roya have met three to four times a week to practise reading, writing and to build Roya’s vocabulary.
AN: What is your favorite part of working with Mr. Penton? RS: Although I work all day long in school, I look forward to meeting him at 4 p.m. to continue working in order to help me become academically stronger and decrease my stress. AN: What one lesson (life lesson or study lesson) will you take away with you when your tutoring is over? RS: First I would love if Mr. Penton will have time to help me when I go to university. Every day studying with Mr. Penton is a blessing. I will always remember him for his kindness, patience, and for being the true meaning of a teacher.
Penton’s volunteering is the epitome of the dedication to learning that so defines the Ashbury experience. Roya will graduate this spring—an accomplishment that would not be possible without Penton’s help. Ashbury News asked Roya to describe what Mr. Penton’s efforts mean to her.
18 | Ashbury News
AN: Describe your relationship with Mr. Penton. RS: As a teacher, Mr. Penton means a lot to me because he is a tutor who is inspiring me to learn by being both demanding and encouraging. AN: Describe Mr. Penton’s teaching style. RS: Mr. Penton has a unique teaching style because he makes studying more interesting. He has his heart in teaching and it really shows. I have learned a lot from him not just academically, but also how to cope with some of the stress of life. AN: How has he helped you with your school work and otherwise? RS: I have received countless help from Mr. Penton because he always helps me with any academic problems, despite the subject matter. I feel secure about sharing my concerns with him, because he is kind enough to listen to me and advise me.
Retired Ashbury teacher, Hugh Penton volunteers his time to tutor Afghanistan-born Roya Shams, Grade 12. The pair meets several times a week to improve Roya’s English-language skills and other study habits.
F E AT U R E S
Educator
Portrait of an
Who was G.P. Woollcombe and what drove him to establish Ashbury College and build an educational legacy in Ottawa? By Stephen Woollcombe
A
s Ashbury approaches its 125th birthday, it’s appropriate to look back to its beginnings, and in particular the man who created the school and shaped its development for its first 42 years. When George Penrose Woollcombe founded Ashbury in 1891, he was just 24 years old, a young English schoolteacher and an Oxford graduate. By the time he retired as Headmaster, the school had long been recognized as one of Canada’s top private schools, an established centre of high-quality education in Ottawa. It’s a remarkable 1 story of a man driven by the foundations of his upbringing and a desire to make his mark on his adopted homeland.
English beginnings
20 | Ashbury News
George Penrose Woollcombe was born on May 21, 1867 in a rural vicarage in the village of Loudwater, county of Buckinghamshire. His father, the Reverend William P. Woollcombe, was vicar of the local parish, and was descended from a long line of clerics and scholars. The family of his mother, Henrietta Jacob, had a similar heritage. For centuries, the Woollcombes had been landed gentry in Devonshire where they lived in the family manor, Ashbury House.
The Vicarage, where George, his seven sisters and his four younger brothers grew up, was a simple three-storey red-brick house adjoining the church. This was in keeping with middleclass professionals and with the social standing of the vicar’s position in those days. There was little family wealth as such: the Woollcombes were comfortable but of modest financial means, which was a factor in George’s attitude towards money throughout his life. The house was loaned by the church to its vicar. There were three live-in servants, no electricity, one water tap in the kitchen, and one outside toilet. Life at home revolved around the church with the vicar’s work infusing all family activity. From the age of seven young George was sent to the Royal Grammar School (RGS) for all his primary and secondary schooling. The RGS was located just three miles down a country road, an easy bicycle ride from home. The RGS offered a classical curriculum for boys, with an emphasis on academic excellence as well as sports. The school, to manifest Christian charity, also provided an almshouse for local poor people. The impressions and values, the habits and the practices instilled in George at this school would give him the basic model he was later to follow as he founded and built up Ashbury College in Ottawa. George, being the oldest son, was the only one the vicar could afford to send to university. In 1895, he was accepted into Christ Church, one of the constituent colleges of Oxford. For three years he studied Greek and Latin Classics, modern history and political economy. This choice of subjects would foreshadow his future career as an educator. Britain at that time was at the height of its imperial standing and Oxford was considered to be at apex of British education. In this context George’s worldview was starting to take shape.
1867
1888
1891
1893
Born in Loudwater Vicarage, England
B.A. Oxford Moves to Canada
Founds his school
Marries Julia Acres
F E AT U R E S
Off to Canada Soon after graduating from Oxford in 1888 a fresh, confident young George P. Woollcombe sailed from Liverpool to Quebec City to take up a teaching position at Bishop’s College School (BCS) in Lennoxville, Quebec. What motivated him to make this dramatic career choice? Various factors: the excitement of adventure in the “New World”; his father’s stern views about prevailing immorality in England; but mostly he was driven by a still undefined altruistic goal, centering on educating the young. The country Woollcombe chose to begin his new life was young, vibrant and expanding. Confederation was 21 years old, the same age as he was. Sir John A Macdonald was nearing the end of his days; the Laurier era was soon to begin. Moreover Canada was part of the British Empire, so while Woollcombe understood that he was now starting the rest of his life there, in his mind it was not as if he was moving to a truly foreign country. Unlike, say, Australia, Canada had for a young Englishman many cultural ties and relative proximity. With his Oxford credentials and natural teaching ability, the young George Woollcombe was welcomed at BCS. He
was well regarded by the school’s headmaster, the other staff, his students and their parents. But he was ambitious. After two academic years, he decided to move to a new teaching job: Assistant Master at Trinity College School (TCS) in Port Hope, on the north shore of Lake Ontario. This boarding school, like BCS, was 2 similar in its school life and curriculum to 19th century English public schools, but with the challenges peculiar to rural, frontier Canada. In both schools he taught history and Latin. Again here however, he remained only a short time, just one academic year. He was soon called away to begin his life’s central work.
Establishing roots in Ottawa In the years following Confederation and its designation as the new country’s capital, Ottawa was starting to grow. However one thing it lacked was a good private school for boys, and this was of concern to several leading citizens. The
Family matters As much as G.P. Woollcombe was devoted to his school, from the beginning to the end of his days he was a family man in the most complete sense. By the time he had founded his school and established himself in Ottawa, George was ready for marriage—emotionally, professionally and financially. In August 1893 he married the beautiful Julia Acres in England and she followed him to Ottawa. They lived for a year in a handsome stone townhouse in Sandy Hill where their first child, Philip was born. Soon after, after moving to the school’s Wellington St. house, a daughter, Maithol, was born. In 1898, tragedy struck: afflicted by complications from giving birth to Phyllis, their third child, Julia died. Two years later George met and fell in love with Jessie Mickle, an Ottawa school teacher and a third generation Canadian. Jessie and George were married in June 1900, just before the move into the Argyle house. She became the beloved mother of his three young children and soon bore him two more sons, Edward in 1901 and George in 1905. Their three sons became Ashbury students. (It is little known that so did the two daughters for a while, long before Ashbury became coeducational!) For the rest of their lives, Jessie was the perfect mate for George. She was a strong, gentle and compassionate pillar of support for him in course in raising a family.
3
4
1894
1895
1898
Son Philip born. Move to Wellington Street
Daughter Maithol born
Daughter Phyllis born Wife Julia dies
21 | Ashbury News
his leadership of Ashbury, in his church work and of
F E AT U R E S
elite at that time was mainly connected with the lumber industry, government or the Anglican Church, and often with all three. So it was that, early in 1891 while he was still teaching at Port Hope, Woollcombe was approached by four or five Ottawa notables including the fathers of some boys he had taught the year before at BCS. They wanted to discuss with him starting up a private school in Ottawa, and wondered if he would be interested. He had caught their attention with his qualifications and his teaching style, characterized by direct, personal attention to each individual student. They had considered his recognized success to date as a schoolteacher, his being an Oxford graduate and having a strong Church-of-England family background. He was only 23 at the time but his youth, far from disqualifying him, may well have been seen as an advantage when combined with his obvious commitment and determination. Both the BCS and TCS headmasters had given him their strong personal recommendation. Woollcombe was fascinated and excited by this prospect. He was more than happy to make plans to that end. Could it be that his embryonic vision for a lifetime of service in education was beginning to take shape? In the following months he was introduced to other prominent Ottawa business and church leaders who were prepared to support the project with their time, influence, money and commitment. In return, Ottawa’s elite would have a good school for their sons. These gentlemen worked closely with Woollcombe to set up the nascent school. As winter turned to spring that year, interest in the project by more parents of potential students was aroused. Available student places started to be filled. In early summer Woollcombe moved to Ottawa, renting living quarters for himself at 129 Maria Street (which later became Laurier Avenue West) near the corner of Elgin Street
22 | Ashbury News
5
(where the Lord Elgin Hotel is now). For the school classroom, he and his supporters rented a room at the prestigious Victoria Chambers, perfectly located at 138 Wellington St. on the corner of O’Connor, facing the new Parliament Buildings. He engaged 6 the part-time services of a local French teacher and a teacher of writing and elocution. He himself would teach all other subjects. Then on Wednesday, September 16, 1891 at 9:30 a.m. the doors of Mr. Woollcombe’s School opened. There were 17 boys, aged between nine and 15 in the one large classroom. On that day the dream of his own school materialized and his destiny was starting to unfold.
Woollcombe’s school grows Within three years, enrollment grew to 28 students and Woollcombe needed more space. In the summer of 1894, he was offered a lease on a large old house on the corner of Wellington and Bank. He saw that it was adequate for nearly 50 boys, including space for 10 boarders so he agreed. He never wavered in his determination to have a residential school. The school immediately grew to 48 students. He was able to hire two more teachers. From his own early schooling, Woollcombe placed priority on sports and physical education as well as high academic standards. Here the boys could run around Parliament Hill across the street, and had their own small schoolyard on an empty Sparks Street lot behind the building, with a hockey rink in winter. With this move Woollcombe decided it was time to give his school a name. He chose “Ashbury House School”, after the Woollcombe family’s ancestral manor house from centuries past, thus symbolically linking his two great life commitments: his school and his family. Ashbury would stay at this location for six years. Increasingly, demand for more admission was pressing on Woollcombe. A still larger building had become a necessity. So in 1900, with the financial backing of Ashbury’s growing body of supporters, he converted his small family business to a legal corporation called Ashbury College Company Limited, purchased a fine old yellow-brick house on Argyle Avenue, and moved his school in. Enrollment immediately
1900
1901
1903
1905
Marries Jessie Mickle Move to Argyle
Son Edward born
Ordained Anglican priest
Son George born
F E AT U R E S
rose to 58 boys. Woollcombe and his own family lived in the house, along with two or three resident masters and 13 boarders. Here the school remained for 10 years, and grew steadily until once again, for the third time in 16 years, more space was needed. In 1910 Woollcombe undertook the most challenging project of his life: he purchased a 10-acre lot, which was then part of a meadow in rural Rockcliffe, oversaw the construction of a large new school building there and moved his whole school there. Over many decades up to present times Ashbury College continued to grow and change, but it never moved again.
1 GPW, front left, with some of his fellow students at Oxford.
2 GPW in 1908, shortly before Ashbury’s move to Rockcliffe Park.
3 GPW and family, circa December 1895. 4 GPW and family, circa 1903, the year he was ordained as an Anglican priest.
5 The school’s campus as it appeared in 1910. 6 GPW in 1926, seven years before he retired as Headmaster.
G.P. Woollcombe guided Ashbury’s fortunes for another 23 years, retiring in 1933. During these years, and indeed for all his 42 years as headmaster, he taught classes and stayed in touch with all the boys and the individual progress of each one, while ensuring the school’s academic standards as well as its financial survival. He lived most of his remaining life in Ottawa and died in 1951. Stephen Woollcombe is the grandson of G.P. Woollcombe. He is the son of George A. Woollcombe (Ashbury 1920), an Ashbury Alumnus (1947-57), past parent (Dharini Woollcombe ’93) and life member of the Board of Governors. For this profile and for the full biography he has drawn from old Woollcombe family records, from Ashbury’s and other archives, and from family lore, memories of other GPW descendants and former students and friends. This featured story is a prelude to a full biography, which will be published in 2016, the school’s 125th anniversary.
Values and foundation From his life story, it is clear that George P. Woollcombe
and maintained high standards of both academic
was an ambitious and determined man, but a man who
and sporting excellence, and would quote the clas-
was driven by high ideals and altruism, never by pride
sical slogan “mens sana in corpora sano”.
and selfish aims. He had a strong sense of tradition,
In short, his strong and high ambition was to instill in
and was no doubt conservative in his attitudes. From
Ashbury students a sense of duty and commitment,
his own family background and from his education
loyalty, love of learning, balance between body, mind
at Royal Grammar School he was imbued with a
and spirit, fairness, obedience, courtesy and consider-
powerful respect for authority, but even more for
ation, self-discipline, compassion.
self-discipline and a sense of duty. He was a deeply
The legacy of values he most desired to leave for his
religious man. He followed, promoted and seldom
school can best be described in his own words. In
challenged the social conventions and religious prac-
addressing Ashburians on the school’s 50th anniversary
tices of his times. But he sought in his leadership of
in 1941, he summed up the philosophy he had striven to
the school to demonstrate and teach what he saw
embody over his 42 years as Head:
stern, dignified and utterly fair disciplinarian. He was an accessible teacher and counsellor and a loyal, steadfast friend. He was a strongly committed and involved family man. As headmaster he established
1. Do your best. He then used a biblical quote “Whatever your hand findeth to do, do it with your might”, which means struggle, effort and self-sacrifice. 2. Devote your lives towards the service of others.
1910
1933
1951
Move to Rockcliffe
Retires as Headmaster
Death of GPW
23 | Ashbury News
as Christian values of gentle compassion. He was a
F E AT U R E S
Forty years ago
IB @ 40
Ashbury brought the International Baccalaureate (IB) program to its campus, establishing a high-standard advantage for students and cementing a reputation as a leader in education.
I
n the mid-1970s, Ashbury’s campus was a bustling place, full of students who were preparing for a rapidly-evolving world with an increasing internationally-focussed education. Craving challenge and balancing a desire to diversify personal growth options for students, a small group of Ashbury teachers and parents asked the International Baccalaureate (IB) Organization for approval to institute the program at the school on a trial basis. The program, which began in Switzerland and involved a central examination system available in a wide variety of languages, was gaining popularity as the decade progressed. When Ashbury qualified in 1975, it became the first school in Ontario, the second in Canada after Pearson College, and the 55th in the world to be granted IB status. With Ontario and IB credits offered side-by-side, Ashbury pioneered a new academic pathway in the first years of the program, adjusting curricula and championing the program’s merits to the Ministry of Education. In the 40 years that have followed, Ashbury has found and firmly established its IB footings. Today, the IB advantage is one of the top reasons students from across Canada and around the world choose Ashbury for their education.
1
24 | Ashbury News
What is IB? IB provides education for more than a million students in 146 countries around the world. The program continues to grow at a rate of 14 per cent a year and its excellent preparation for post-secondary study is recognized by universities worldwide. This recognition includes attractive admission packages, scholarships and advanced course placement.
IB takes a student-centred approach to learning where teachers act as coaches and mentors who guide students through studies driven by curiosity and reflection. Studentcentred learning focuses on applying what students have learned immediately, which helps build understanding. “One of the advantages is that students become very good critical thinkers,” says Marilynne Sinclair, Ashbury’s IB Coordinator. “They’re really able to build the skills necessary for success in the 21st century.” IB’s focus on acquiring languages—students are expected to take at least one second language, like French or Spanish— ensures students are equipped to thrive both in Ottawa and abroad upon graduation. Ashbury’s approach to languages takes the student-centred concept a step further, and in many cases offers international students the opportunity to take language courses in their native tongue.
2
Program evolution Sinclair came to teach at Ashbury years ago, drawn by the opportunity of working at what she calls “the leading Canadian IB school.” She left a school that was just putting the finishing touches on its IB curriculum, and says she was excited by Ashbury’s “steady and well-considered refinements” to the IB approach. In her two decades at Ashbury, Sinclair notes the most significant change she has witnessed has been the shift toward
F E AT U R E S
IB TEACHERS
IB requires a specialized faculty, which means that Ashbury teachers are constantly in professional development mode. “What makes the IB program so successful at Ashbury is the team of dedicated, skilled, caring teachers who aim high and work hard to support their students’ academic and personal growth,” says Sinclair. Ashbury teachers are part of a global faculty of teachers who earn global IB accreditation. This translates into an engaged, passionate faculty who are globally experienced and well versed in how to teach a 21st century curriculum. Ashbury’s teacher advisor program (TAG) is well suited to provide superb guidance and extra help for the requirements of the IB program.
3
international-mindedness. “This connection to the world around us is exciting for both the teacher and the student because we know it is important to have the skills to adapt to complex and changing circumstances,” she says. She has also seen changes in the approaches to teaching and learning. “Being linked to a global program with externally-assessed assignments and exams means that teachers are constantly improving their practice, and are part of a global faculty that shares best practices based on current pedagogical studies.” Perhaps the biggest changes in the IB sphere have been in the curriculum offerings. “Students can now choose from many courses to suit their individual needs and interests,” explains Sinclair. The program offers excellent choices in the arts; drama, music and the visual arts—each of which are enhanced by
“Being linked to a global program with externally assessed assignments and exams, means that teachers are constantly improving their practice, and are part of a global faculty that shares best practices based on current pedagogical studies,” says Sinclair.
the space and resources afforded in the new Creative Learning Centre. One of the new IB transdisciplinary studies, Environmental Systems and Societies, has been added, and Ashbury is the only Canadian school offering Global Politics. Sinclair adds that international students now have the option of studying IB literature in their own mother tongue, with many choosing to do so in Chinese, Japanese, German, Russian, Dutch, Persian and Korean over the last several years.
Global advantage “First-rate students from the Ottawa area who were interested in the high achievement were attracted by the IB. It was immediately appealing to diplomatic families, foreign and Canadian, and to overseas students. There was a
new strength in boarder applications, especially from internationally mobile families. With this new stimulus, the whole student body grew in quality even as the school grew in size, standard and reputation.” —A Character of Its Own: Ashbury College 1891-1991 For Ashbury’s admissions staff, who travel the world recruiting top students for the school, the IB program is a huge attraction for potential families. “The fact that Ashbury has IB status definitely differentiates us from other schools,” says Bruce Mutch, Ashbury’s Director of Admissions. “Whether we’re at home or visiting different
1 IB students work to a high standard in a variety of specialized subjects, including sciences.
2 Ashbury’s Director of
Within the wider IB structure, there is now a continuum of international education programs for three to 19 year olds. The Primary Years and the Middle Years programs evolved after the Diploma program and have recently started gathering momentum, Sinclair says. Ashbury has been monitoring that growth and comparing those programs with ours, finding that there is a lot of similarity. Adopting the other programs would not be much of a stretch for Ashbury. “In the meantime, we have a thriving Ashbury pre-IB program for Grades 9 and 10 and are starting an IB prep school this summer,” says Sinclair.
3 Each year, IB students travel to the Huntsman Marine Science Centre in New Brunswick for hands-on learning and exploration. The trip allows students to actively engage in tasks that through direct experience build understanding.
25 | Ashbury News
WHY DOES ASHBURY OFFER IB ONLY IN GRADES 11 AND 12?
Admissions, Bruce Mutch (left), says the school’s IB program is a big draw for prospective families.
NEWS & NOTES
4
countries, the program is the reason many families get in touch with us.” While other schools impose mandatory full diploma programs, Ashbury’s unique hybrid OSSD (Ontario Secondary School Diploma)/certificate program is a popular option for students. As an IB World School, Ashbury’s curriculum is immediately recognized for high standards and academic challenges. “It’s a huge attraction for international students and first-generation Canadian families,” says Mutch. “They may not know a lot about Canada, or the city of Ottawa, but they know the quality of an IB education.” Those same IB benefits that draw many students to Ashbury also help in the transi-
tion from high 2014 IB Results Ashbury College World school to university. Average Diploma Points 33.00 29.71 IB students tend to Mean Subject Grade 5.21 4.82 be comfortable Diploma Pass Rate 97% 79% writing a long research-based Alongside eventual implementapaper, are familiar with the complex worktion of primary and middle school ings of science labs and are accustomed programming, Sinclair also foresees to the realities of a university workload an increased integration of IB courses and are equipped to prioritize tasks. within the wider Ashbury curriculum. “Students who have completed the “In the near future, because we are IB program often say that they find almost there now, every student at that the academic transition to postAshbury will earn at least one IB cersecondary is smoother,” says tificate, and several of them will be Christine Tordon, Ashbury’s Director done online offering an even wider of University Admissions. “Compared choice of course offerings than any to many of their peers in university, one school could provide,” she says. they are less anxious about the expecWith so many program options and tations in class.” advances possible, one certainty is clear: Ashbury will continue to be a leading IB school with a dedicated Sinclair predicts that Ashbury’s IB teaching staff united in a vision of future is bright. She suggests that in delivering an international education the coming years, the program will become more accessible to a broader that makes a difference. range of students and will continue to grow significantly in numbers of participants, matching the growth of IB worldwide. This summer, Ashbury will launch Many students in the program experiits IB prep summer school, which ence its benefits first-hand, but for Sinclair says will attract students those unfamiliar with IB, what’s the from across Canada, due to the experience like at Ashbury? school’s enviable position in the Marilynne Sinclair is Ashbury’s IB nation’s capital, and the general growCoordinator. She has been involved with the program at Ashbury for 20 years and ing interest in IB everywhere.
IB’s future
Advantages of IB at Ashbury
IB SUCCESS IN STATISTICS
26 | Ashbury News
Ashbury College has a long tradition as an IB World School , offering a high-quality education with fully accredited IB teachers. Students choose from a wide range of IB subjects and levels and have the opportunity to develop artistic, cultural, athletic, service and leadership skills through our varied programs. They take the Theory of Knowledge course, complete the Extended Essay and engage in Creativity, Activity and Service through their final years of high school. To achieve the IB Diploma, students study six subject areas in depth, including a dual language program in English, French, Spanish or another international language. Ashbury offers IB studies in alignment with the Ontario Secondary School qualifications so our senior students can make choices suitable to their interests, abilities and university plans. Approximately 70 per cent of students complete an IB course or the Diploma program.
5
NEWS & NOTES
1. At Ashbury we believe our program should be accessible to all and with this belief we are in agreement with the IB vision of a global program dedicated to the personal and intellectual growth of students everywhere who are the global citizens of the future. 2. We back up this commitment with a full and watchful support system that, on the one hand, leaves room for the progressive blossoming of the young independent learner, and, on the other hand, monitors that progress constantly and addresses any needs or shortcomings right away with a wide range of aids, including extra help, teacher feedback, special assessment accommodations, English Language Learner classes, tutoring, summer prep programs and medical and psychological counselling. 3. At Ashbury the world is already here. Students from 49 countries fill our classrooms and further enrich the global IB curriculum with their personal experiences and perspectives. What better way to learn first hand that, as the IB mission states, “other people with their differences might also be right.”
4. At Ashbury every teacher is a language teacher and uses her curriculum to develop effective communication skills. And the strength of our languages departments expands on that. A meticulous system of testing and placement ensures that each student enrolls in language learning suitable to her ability. Students proficient in two languages earn the IB Bilingual Diploma and students choosing to acquire a new language take one of two beginner language courses; French or Spanish. 5. Enhanced learning experiences. IB learning is student centered learning and that means the student is actively engaged in tasks that through direct experience build understanding. That is why for lab work in Biology and Environmental Systems and Societies students spend a week at the world renowned Huntsman Marine Institute in New Brunswick accessing its facilities and staff in the performance of authentic experimentation. Similarly, for their extended essays, students are trained in cutting-edge research techniques by the librarians at Carleton University. This is the students’ first real taste of university studies and sets them up well for their future successes.
6
6. Ashbury College began earlier than most to arrange support for designated students during their formal tests and exams. Our system has grown alongside that of IB’s and now student accommodations are a routine part of our preparations for assessments and teachers incorporate them into their curriculum delivery. 7. Few schools provide the extensive opportunities for growth in extra curricular sports and clubs that Ashbury does. This is such an important part of the balanced education and personal growth features of the IB program that it is mandated in the Creativity, Activity, Service program (CAS). There is no shortage of choice, and CAS goals are easily within reach of every IB Ashbury student. 9. Education in the arts thrives at Ashbury and students are encouraged to continue in this very worthwhile part of their development with exciting choices in IB drama, music and visual arts in our incomparable facilities. 10. The Ashbury IB program is fully integrated with OSSD (Ontario Secondary School Diploma) and students benefit from a generous conversion scale that speaks to the universities in percentage language that captures the strength of our students’ college readiness. Universities across Canada and the continent respond with offers of transfer credits and dedicated scholarships.
4
Ashbury is the only school in Canada to offer the IB Global Politics course.
5
IB takes an international approach to education, making it an excellent fit for Ashbury’s diverse student population.
6
Marilynne Sinclair, Ashbury’s IB Coordinator, has seen the IB program evolve and grow in her 20 years at the school.
27 | Ashbury News
has seen it evolve and grow. She’s often asked by students and parents about the benefits of an IB education. She has captured the advantages here.
ASHBURY ALUMNI
1
Alumni Around & About This winter’s cold temperatures didn’t stop the Ashbury alumni community from getting together for some amazing receptions in Ottawa, Nigeria and Boston. This year’s holiday party had a great turnout, as over 70 alumni reconnected at the Clocktower Brew Pub in Ottawa this December. Others joined Head of School, Mr. Norman Southward and Life Skills Coordinator, Mr. Chapman Uko
at the family home of Nwamaka Modebe ’11 in Nigeria in January. In February, Mr. Southward also travelled to Boston and hosted a very successful evening of food and drinks at Back Bay Social Club.
If you’re interested in hosting a reception in your city, please get in touch with us at alumni@ashbury.ca
Upcoming Alumni Events April 23 April 30 May 9
London Toronto Springfest
To RSVP to any upcoming alumni event, please email Olivia Taggart at olivia.taggart@ashbury.ca
28 | Ashbury News
Be sure to like our Facebook page and check there for the most up-to-date alumni event listings. fb.me/ashburians
1
Past and future Nigerian alumni gathered at the family home of Nwamaka Modebe ’11 in Nigeria
2
Boston alumni, Brian Chen ’06 and Caroline Boulos ’07, caught up with Ross Holman at Back Bay Social Club
3
Alumni reconnecting at a successful holiday party at the Clocktower Brew Pub in Ottawa
2
ASHBURY ALUMNI
3
3
29 | Ashbury News
3
ASHBURY ALUMNI
Voices
Alumni
Andrew Leach ’94 Climate change researcher, educator and writer Profile by Stephanie Brooks ’07
When Andrew Leach ’94 wrote his IB French paper on regulating vehicle emissions, little did he know he would later go on to become an expert on climate change, oil sands and energy policy, contributing articles to Maclean’s and the Globe and Mail, and teaching as the University of Alberta’s Enbridge Professor of Energy Policy. In fact, it wasn’t until years after graduating Ashbury in 1994 and going on to earn a B.Sc. in Environmental Science and an MA in Economics from the University of Guelph, and later a PhD in Economics from Queen’s, that Andrew remembered handing in the paper. It was Malcolm Mousseau—his Ashbury teacher who assigned it—who reminded him after the two ran into each other in Ottawa while Andrew was on sabbatical. “When I told him what I was doing now, he said he wasn’t surprised at all,” Andrew recalls. “I was impressed he remembered and once he told me what it was about, I remembered the paper.” Andrew has been at the University of Alberta since 2006, where his primary research areas are climate change policy, oil sands regulation and clean energy innovation and policy. He moved to Edmonton for the role from Quebec where he held an assistant professor position at HEC Montreal. His one-year secondment to Environment Canada a couple of years ago brought him back to the nation’s capital, where he lived close to his former high school. Walking past Ashbury every day reminded him of what he treasured about his experience. “The things I remember most are the outdoor-ed trips and related things—ski trips and hockey. Those are what I most often think about, more than the classroom stuff,” Andrew explains. The size of the school population and abundant opportunities are elements he says differentiate the school and things current students should capitalize on. “If you are interested in going hut-to-hut skiing for a weekend or solo camping—take the experiences that are available to you,” suggests Andrew, who played hockey in
1
addition to other activities during his Ashbury days. “With a small school, you can play four or five different sports, not just one. Those kinds of things that the smaller environment allows you to do, take advantage of them.” Today, Andrew still makes time for the activities he was fond of in high school—running, cycling, skiing—as well as some newer ones, like caring for his two children. Andrew advises students to continue to entertain what fascinates them, both inside and outside of the classroom. His career, he says, took him from environmental science to economics, within economics from labour economics to environmental policy, to doing more work on the energy side today. “I’m lucky my job lets me switch a little bit what I work on from a day-to-day basis,” notes Andrew. “I think I’m probably better at what I do because I’m always doing what I’m interested in; not what someone else thinks I should do.” And just sometimes, you can draw that interest back to an IB final paper.
30 | Ashbury News
“The things I remember most are the outdoor-ed trips and related things—ski trips and hockey.”
ASHBURY ALUMNI
Kelly Kubrick ’89 Digital strategist and entrepreneur Profile by Stephanie Brooks ’07
with management knowledge, providing training for a range of clients on using data to understand their digital presence. Beyond being able to use her unique blend of skills every day, Kelly appreciates the fluid and evolving nature of her work. “The challenges that every group has are intriguing to me. My job remains enormously unpredictable and that’s a blast,” she adds. In order to find the path that provides such excitement, she encourages Ashburians to follow what interests them and not to feel confined to pursue specific areas. “Don’t feel funneled too early that you have to make the right call all the time,” she says. “Find the thing you love and figure out how to incorporate that, rather than picking the career you think is going to be the most lucrative.” Kelly cites her liberal arts studies as being advantageous for the communication skills she uses on a daily basis and the variety of applications the education offers. Hers just so happens to be combined with business—a mix she says has made a huge difference in “being able to live a foot in each world.” “Once you enjoy your career, my God, the directions you can end up in!”
2
1
Andrew Leach. © University of Alberta
2
Kelly Kubrick. © Couvrette/Ottawa
31 | Ashbury News
For someone whose work involves staying up to speed on the latest in digital trends and online analytics, you may not think their background was in a language subject that originated between the 8th and 11th centuries. But for Kelly Kubrick, founder and owner of Ottawabased web training company Online Authority, pursuing the variety of areas that interested her is what led her to where she is today. Kelly credits her Ashbury foundation for following such passions, which, at the time of her graduation in 1989, included English literature. After receiving great support from the faculty in the English department, specifically teachers like Nancy Jowett and Drummond Lister, she attended the University of Toronto and earned her BA in the subject. “I was fortunate in the two years I was at Ashbury that we had a phenomenal English department,” notes Kelly. “It was the department that influenced me the most.” After following that up by attending the Radcliffe Publishing Course at Harvard University in order to help secure a career in the early ’90s, she was hired by a New York digital publishing company to sell multimedia on CD-ROMs—the first blend of text and image. “It was that perfect mixture of selling an editorial product that happened to be digital—a really interesting mixture of all those skills,” she says. This experience, combined with her studies at Radcliffe, made her realize her interest in the business side of things. “It was one of those surprising life moments,” she recalls. With this in mind and at a stage when the Internet was booming, Kelly wanted a bit more stability and left the small firm, which she says was “a classic startup—slightly crazy, highly unstable, phenomenally fun but ultimately exhausting,” for a company that, at the time, had a relationship with 50 per cent of American households. Kelly was hired in Time Warner’s new media division, where she was tasked with taking publishing assets and moving them online. “We had this unbelievable playground in terms of colleagues, interests, investments and brands,” she recalls. “And the technologies were changing literally by the second. It was a great era.” Four years and an MBA from New York University later, this same work would become what she would do for organizations as an entrepreneur. She started Online Authority in 2002 and has been able to craft a business that combines her communications experience
ASHBURY ALUMNI
Chatter
Ashbury
’75
Bob J. Henderson ’75 launched his new book titled, More Trails, More Tales and spoke to students, staff, alumni and friends on December 1 at Ashbury College. More Trails/More Tales is a follow up to Every Trail has a Story. Bob is active in the outdoor education community in Ontario and Canada and travels regularly to Norway and Iceland where he is involved in teaching field-based courses. He had many a fond memory of his days at Ashbury from Grade 6 to 11. It was a great pleasure to visit the school in December and enjoy a lively tour of the new facilities from his days in the mid 1970s. Bob also had an opportunity to meet with some of his former teachers Hugh Penton, Jim Humpherys and Hugh Robertson.
the Drake cottage near Parry Sound, the Van Roijen seasonal residence on Corfu, Greece, to Spain and most recently, this past summer to Kennebunk, Maine. John and Herman are seen here sporting T-shirts provided to them by Jay Fleisher ’82.
Do you have major life event you would like to see included in the fall issue of Ashbury News? Let us know about weddings, births, new jobs or other professional accomplishments. Send a short write up and a photo to alumni@ashbury.ca
’78
32 | Ashbury News
Shawn Verhey ’78 spoke to Ashbury’s World Affairs Club in February about the restorative justice program he runs in England. Rev. Verhey runs the Sycamore Tree program, and works with prisons to take serious offenders through progressive rehabilitation and reconciliation.
Mike Beedell ’75, Ted Wilgress ’75, Bob Henderson ’75 and Peter Wilson ’75 celebrated the launch of Bob’s new book at Ashbury last fall.
’82
John Drake ’82 and Herman Van Roijen ’82 have stayed in touch since their Ashbury days. The two travel together with their families. Over the years the families have visited
’88
Don Cook ’88 is a member of the Ashbury College Alumni Association. He is married to Fiona Murray with two children Ella (8) and
Dylan (3). He has settled into life in Ottawa after being away for 18 years living in the U.S.A., Europe, and Australia. Don is a Wealth Manager with RBC Dominion Securities on Preston Street. He is offering a complementary investment Portfolio analysis to former Ashbury students and parents. His passion is still fine wine, running a business on the side selling several boutique wineries into Ottawa restaurants. He also offers a complementary wine cellar analysis as a part of his Wealth Management Process.
ASHBURY ALUMNI
’89
Dugald Seely ’89 is co-leading a major research project that will provide hard data about whether naturopathic therapies such as acupuncture, massage, exercise and nutritional therapies combined with conventional medicine can help prolong or improve the lives of cancer patients. Dugald is a naturopath and is the executive director of the Ottawa Integrative Cancer Centre (OICC) and an affiliate investigator with the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute. His co-investigator in the research project is his older brother Andrew, a thoracic surgeon at The Ottawa Hospital. The brothers received a $3.85-million grant for the project, courtesy of a Canadian foundation that wants to remain anonymous. The study will look at the use of integrative treatments for 300 esophageal, gastric and lung cancer patients who will undergo surgery. The 11-year study will take place in Ottawa, Kelowna, B.C., and Hamilton. Exactly which therapies will be offered to the patients in the clinical trials will be determined based on a consensus of which ones are the most evidence based and useful. The study has the potential to be part of a cultural shift in medical research, to recognize the value of naturopathic complements to traditional medicine.
’93
Chris Penton ’93 will be back at the helm of the Beechwood Market this summer, promoting local vendors of food and produce to the Rockcliffe and surrounding neighbourhoods. With expertise in organizing the original Vanier market and the
accessibility standards and best practices, shaping organization policies and encouraging the development of techonology that contributes to an inclusive environment. Robert has been involved with the accessibility industry for more than 15 years and is a frequent speaker and author on accessibility topics. In January CBC Books included Sum, by Andrew (Zachariah) Wells ’95, in its list of poetry books to watch for 2015. Sum, the third collection from Haligonian Wells, is “a set of prosody-driven poems that pays homage to writers Hopkins, Graves, Wislawa Szymborska and Paul Muldoon, among others”. Visitors to the Rideau Canal Skateway this winter had the opportunity to sample some tasty treats courtesy of Flapjack’s Pancake Shack’s satellite locations. The Shack, co-owned by
’95
Robert Pearson ’95 was appointed Accessibility Officer for Toronto’s Accessible Media Inc. in December. In his new role, Robert’s focus will be on influencing
Ashbury’s Chris Miedema (left) travelled to Vancouver in February and took the opportunity to visit with former Ashbury Headmaster Tam Matthews, who is currently Headmaster at West Point Grey Academy.
Ashbury wants to help you celebrate your life’s milestones! Do you have a new baby? New job? New house? Let us know about the developments in your life and we’ll send you some Ashbury swag to mark the occasion. Drop us a line at alumni@ashbury.ca with your news and contact information.
33 | Ashbury News
Doctors Dugald (left) and Andrew Seely have received a $3.85-million grant to co-lead a study on the link between naturopathic and mainstream cancer treatments. Photo courtesy Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
Preston Farmers’ Market, Chris saw potential in the former Desjardins lot at 99 Beechwood and convinced local developer Claridge Homes to establish a new market for the space in 2014. Since then, the Saturday market has been a showcase for seasonal produce, live music and children’s activities. The second season of the bustling market kicks off July 4 and runs until October 10.
ASHBURY ALUMNI
Max Anisman ’04, serves up a variety of pancake sandwiches and other breakfast fare, including the newly-launched battered bacon bites. Yum!
the award to Victoria at the ceremony in Ottawa. Also on hand to lend support and congratulations were Ashbury teachers Danielle Mitra and James Greig.
’11
Katherine Boxall ’11 launched a visual-art project designed to change the way society looks at female beauty and expression. The fourth-year arts student at Queen’s unveiled her exhibit, called Bite Your Tongue, in November. She used her oil paintings to express her frustration with the objectification of the female body and the pressure to fit into a mold. Heather McDonald ’11, valedictorian for the University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Science, achieved a perfect grade-point average and received the University Gold Medal for the highest CGPA during last fall’s convocation ceremonies. Heather’s impressive record garnered her an admission scholarship renewal each year of her three-year bachelor’s, plus scholarships for students with high GPAs. It also secured her admission to the university’s medical school.
34 | Ashbury News
Photo courtesy University of Ottawa
Samah Syed ’11 attended the 2014 International Taekwon-Do Federation World Championships in Rome in July. Samah has been doing Taekwon-Do for 17 years and is a third degree blackbelt. She brought back four medals from this years championship in the following categories: Bronze in Individual Patterns, Bronze in Team Patterns, Bronze in Team Sparring and Bronze in Special Technique. Over the course of two years, Samah attended several competitions and ranked to be part of the Canadian delegation.
’13
Victoria McIntyre ’13 received the Duke of Edinburgh Gold Medal in November. Princess Anne was on hand to present
Former Ashbury teacher Ray Anderson dropped by the campus in August—60 years to the day he first started working at the school! Mr. Anderson spent many years teaching phys ed to Ashburians, and today’s students play and learn in the Anderson gymnasium that bears his name.
Former Ashbury music teacher Alan Thomas dropped by Ashbury in February and took the opportunity to strike a chord on the chapel organ. Thomas is seen here with Ashbury Chaplin, Rev. Dr. Robert Sears.
35 | Ashbury News
ASHBURY ALUMNI
36 | Ashbury News
ASHBURY ALUMNI
ASHBURY ALUMNI
Memoriam
In
J
ohn Hooper ’46, G.M. Q.C. died January 30, 2015 in an Ottawa hospital at the age of 86. John attended Ashbury College from 1939 to 1946. The following year, he remained at Ashbury and taught Classics. He went on to obtain degrees at the University of Toronto and Osgoode Hall. He then began his legal career in Ottawa, becoming a partner with the firm of Honeywell Wotherspoon and then Lang Michener. Long-time legal counsel for Carleton University and for the Perley-Rideau Hospital, John also served as legal advisor to the Canadian Ski Marathon, skiing and cutting trails through the woods and around the lakes and streams he so loved, hiking, skiing and by canoe.
A
llan Rosenberg ’52 passed away peacefully, on Wednesday, October 8, 2014. He was the beloved father of Pamela and Mitch ’82. Allan owned the well-known and successful Gibby’s Restaurant in Old Montreal.
J
38 | Ashbury News
ack N. Hodgson ’55 died Thursday, October 30, 2014 in Seattle, Washington. Jack was born on October 17, 1938 in Washington, D.C. to Col. Jack C. Hodgson and Natalie St. Clair Hodgson. He spent most of his early years in Ottawa, where his father was stationed as the American Air Attaché to Canada. He attended Ashbury College from 1946 to 1950, where he had wonderful memories of his time in the Junior School. In particular he enjoyed the coaching of Colonel Brine and the teaching of Mrs. Brine. He continued to keep in touch with the Brines and in 1998, he began making annual donations towards the Colonel Brine award, which is presented to a Junior School student who exemplifies good citizenship. Every year, Jack would be so pleased when he would receive a thank you letter from a Junior School student. He felt strongly about the value of youth sports and continued to support many sports programs. Jack continued to keep in touch with the many friends he made while attending Ashbury College. He remembered Perdy Wijkman, Chris Nowakowski, Joe Irvin and Ned Rhodes, and many others. His career was in the field of the development and marketing of hotels and resorts.
I
ain Ewing ’61, world traveller, birdwatcher, entrepreneur and father to his beloved son Tejas, died on October 12, 2014 in Singapore, his home for the last 30 years. Born in England, Iain grew up in Ottawa and attended Ashbury College from 1957–1961 and later the University of Toronto. In 1991, he founded Ewing Communications, and trained thousands of students around the world, made many lifelong
friends, and wrote 10 books on effective communication. In later life, he faced cancer with courage, pursuing quality of life over quantity. He beat the projections again and again, seeing the Arctic, Antarctica and the Galapagos. Iain will be fondly remembered as a positive person who tried to make the world a better place and taught the values of a simple life, full of purpose, and most importantly in his mind, will be remembered as a wonderful father who always put his son first.
G
ord Smith ’82 passed away peacefully on February 8, 2015, following a well-fought battle with brain cancer. After leaving Ashbury, he graduated from Acadia University and eventually settled in Ottawa, where he married and raised his family. A quintessential “people person”, Gord enjoyed a successful career in sales and worked for Allstream for the last 21 years. His outgoing personality, sense of humour and positive attitude endeared him to many, and he truly understood the value of family, friends and faith. He maintained strong bonds with the Class of ’82, a group that figured prominently in Gordo’s Army, the name he gave to his large support network during his three-year illness. Gord was very active at Ashbury College, keeping in touch with many of his teachers, serving on the Alumni Executive and becoming President from 1995 to 1996. Gord leaves behind his “bride” Wendy, his children Tyler and Sydney, his parents Harky, long serving Director of the Foundation Board at Ashbury College, and Lee, and his brother Chris (Lydia). A memorial service for Gord took place at Ashbury on February 13, 2015. Several hundred Ashbury alumni, faculty and staff attended to remember Gord alongside his family and friends.
ASHBURY ALUMNI
his wife Ciddy, her seven grandchildren of whom she was so proud: Geordie ’94 (Tara), Sonie Skogerson (Dirk), Jamie ’98 (Heidi), Stuart ’01 (Melanie), Heather ’02, Peter ’05 and Jill ’07, Jennifer Castledine Roberts (Ciddy’s daughter), and nine greatgrandchildren. She was predeceased by her husband Donald ’39 in 2009 and sons Duncan ’68 in 1979 and Rodney, past parent, in 2007.
D
r. Hanne Mawhinney, mother of Emily Mawhinney ’99, died peacefully on January 24, 2015, after a short battle with cancer. Born in Denmark, and raised Canada, Hanne was as a professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Ottawa from 1993 until 1999. An advocate of innovative education, Hanne served on the Board of Directors of Ashbury College from 1997-2000. After immigrating to the United States in 2000, Hanne continued her work in educational policy and leadership at the University of Maryland until the time of her passing. Hanne is survived by her husband of 47 years, Jack, and daughter Emily (Craig Swanson) of Saint Paul, Minnesota; family in Alberta, British Columbia, and Denmark.
J
ohn Beedell, former Ashbury teacher, died December 18, 2014. For more on John’s life, please see pages 12–13.
39 | Ashbury News
J
oy Maclaren, past parent, died peacefully in Ottawa on November 19, 2014 at the age of 92. Joy was married to Donald ’39, Life Governor, who was honoured to have Maclaren Hall named for him. Together they created the Duncan Maclaren ’68 memorial scholarship. In 2003 Joy established the New Sun Award which is awarded annually to a Senior School student who demonstrates leadership and compassion. She enjoyed meeting the recipients of the New Sun Award and this tradition continued until her passing. Joy last visited Ashbury about a month before she died. She enjoyed meeting the new Head of School and touring the newly-opened CLC. She was delighted to take the elevator to see all three floors of CLC this past fall as she was always insistent that the school be physically accessible. Joy is survived by her son Charlie ’71, former member of the Board of Governors and former chair of the Foundation Board,
Fallen Soldier By: Brianna Nasrallah
Is to be called a hero worth all this pain? In the end there is no actual gain Is it worth the tears of my family left back at home? My body to be buried underneath a tombstone Innocent blood was indeed shed I sit here and watch as it puddles ’round the dead Each body once pierced by a gun Now blood soaked corps lay one by one There is no winner in the end We were trained, we were ready, we were thought to defend Now I lay here black and blue All I have left, is a minute or two I was courageous and I fought with pride, Forced to leave behind my young son and bride, Each country sacrificing thousands of men Hoping that history doesn’t repeat itself again Brianna Nasrallah is in Grade 8 at Ashbury. Brianna’s parents won an auction item at the 2014 Ashbury Ball for Brianna’s work to appear in the pages of Ashbury News. See page 16 for more on the Ball and page 4 for our student tour of battlefields in Belgium and France.
Ashbury College 362 Mariposa Avenue Ottawa, ON K1M 0T3 ashbury.ca
Address errors and corrections can be forwarded to alumni@ashbury.ca Returns requested Address Correction Required