FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK
What Makes Crescent Unique? In the marketing arena the million-dollar question is always some variance on the theme: what makes your product unique, why should people invest in what you are selling rather than what the competitor is offering, and what is your hook? Great questions. And the answer in reference to Crescent School? Well, we are a school, so excellence in academics has to be there. A fit mind needs a fit body, so we must offer a superior athletics programme. Don’t forget the arts to feed the imagination and develop the creative psyche. Throw in leadership, service and outreach, and a safe environment– you’ll have a darn good school. But will it be the best?
on the cover Photo by Paul Parsons (P ’07 ) Blake Parsons ‘07 was named to the 2009 Canadian Under 23 National Rowing Team. In July, Blake travelled to Racice, Czech Republic to compete for Canada at the World Rowing Championships. Story on page 31.
EDITOR: Sue Gillan (P ‘02), Director of Communications and Marketing COPY EDITOR: Laura Pink CONTRIBUTORS: Angela Barbieri Neil Campbell (P ‘94) Stephanie Lang Laura Pink PHOTOGRAPHERS: Betty Ann Armstrong Angela Barbieri Sue Gillan (P ‘02) D’Arcy Glionna Stephanie Lang Lindsay Watt Harriet Wynne-Jones Sean Zaffino Many members of our Crescent Family DESIGN : Chris Simeon, September Creative Communications and Harmony Printing Ltd.
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Past and Present is published twice a year for the entire Crescent Family and friends by The Communications and Marketing Department Crescent School 2365 Bayview Avenue Toronto, ON M2L 1A2 Phone: 416-449-2556 Fax: 416-449-7950 Email: sgillan@crescentschool.org Website: www.crescentschool.org
Take a look at the marketing material from other independent schools across Canada – their advertisements, their websites, their viewbooks. There’s probably not one that doesn’t guarantee all of the above. So how can Crescent stand out? It won’t be by offering something unique – if it’s worth doing in a good school, someone will have thought of it already. As Colin Lowndes, Deputy Head and Head of Upper School, once glibly pointed out, if we had the absolute best Knitting Club in the universe at Crescent School, it likely wouldn’t cause a line-up at the door. We can – and indeed we do – strive to be the best at everything we do. But we do a lot. If we wanted to be the best academic school, we could choose our students based solely on brain power; if we wanted to be the best school for athletes, we could admit some hockey or soccer superstars. But take a look at our mission: Men of Character from Boys of Promise. It’s all about character, first and foremost. That’s what we promise, and living up to that promise should be what we do best. Everything we do at Crescent is in support of fulfilling the mission and living by our core values: respect, responsibility, honesty and compassion. Are we successful? Our alumni will tell – over time; the journey doesn’t end with graduation from Crescent. Our critics tell us we are well on the way.
From a parent in our recent survey: “. . . all the parents we have met really buy-in and support the Mission and Values. That the Mission and Values are real and that the school and its parents cohesively try to meet the high standards that we have set for ourselves in these areas makes the difference. Other schools might say it and some are getting “good press” for trying to copy it, but by what we hear on the parent grapevine, no other school community has come close to doing it to the degree that Crescent has.”
From the Canadian Educational Standards Institute (CESI) in their 2009 accreditation report: “. . . we were struck by the school’s genuine commitment to its Mission of developing “Men of Character from Boys of Promise,” as well as to its Core Values of Respect, Responsibility, Honesty and Compassion . . . . The Visiting Committee’s commendations focus on . . . Crescent School’s clarity of Mission, resulting in a nurturing, “boy friendly” environment.” Our Mission is aspirational and unique. Its success may not be easily measured in the longterm, but if we are fully committed to living this honourable mission in our programmes, our interactions with students, parents, staff and the community, in everything that we do and for which we stand, we may well have found that unique and wonderful why-factor that differentiates Crescent School from all others.
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