On Stage

1978 The Pirates of Penzance

Penzance in 1979. A tradition that started with faculty and staff only, the SAP now brings former students, current and past faculty and staff, as well as anyone connected to HSC’s community, together every four years or so to celebrate the community-building power of the arts.

Hammond produced this year’s SAP musical, Young Frankenstein, and brought a full circle perspective to the show. “The first one I was a part of was Guys and Dolls in my graduating year, directed by Mr. Wylie, and they made an exception to include students as part of the pit band. ” Hammond sees a direct correlation between the arts curriculum and the productions put on by community members. “Support for these stage shows brings increased attention to our arts programming as a whole and helps lift the profile of the projects that our students are creating.”

Together with fellow faculty member Brandon Vedelago ’98, who directed this year’s SAP, Hammond reminisced about the evolution of arts at HSC through the lens of this cherished tradition. “Those of us who have been lucky enough to experience the arts program at HSC have a strong affinity for it,” says Hammond. So much so that some community members are willing to travel great lengths to show up for the SAP. “We had a cast member in the last SAP who would fly in every week to be here for rehearsals,” Vedelago says. It’s a voluntary commitment, and anyone with a connection to HSC can join the cast and crew. “We’ve had retired staff, parents of alumni and new families show up and it’s amazing to watch lifelong friendships form across such a wide range of community groups.”

Shared anecdotes from over the years include many impressive dance numbers, a few unintentional wardrobe malfunctions and a real drink or two during a bar scene to alleviate nerves. By Hammond’s account, the list of people who have been instrumental to arts programming at HSC is long. For fear of leaving anyone out, she suggests looking back at the cast and crew list from past SAP productions to get an idea of just how dedicated HSC’s arts enthusiasts are. “Many members of this year’s SAP have been involved from the start—that’s an over 40-year commitment.” Dedication like that is what makes the College a place people keep coming back to.

Annals of Generosity

HSC philanthropy over the years

As the College embarks on a historic campaign to transform its campus, here’s a look back at just a few of the philanthropic initiatives that have had a major impact on our community.

Giving To Hsc

HSC formalized its philanthropic and fundraising endeavours with the creation of a dedicated Advancement Team in 2005. The largest single donor was the late Michael G. DeGroote, whose lifetime contributions to HSC totalled over $19.5 million (see page 50).

Giving By Hsc

HSC’s long-time relationship with the United Way charity started in 1970 with the introduction of Grub Days and Dress-Up Days to raise money.

With support from donors, HSC students are able to apply to receive one of 12 scholarships to put towards tuition costs.

For more than 15 years, students have met with newcomers to Canada as part of HSC’s English Conversation Circle.

Since the inception of The David Tutty Joy and Innovation Fund, more than $400,000 has been invested in over 65 projects that give HSC students new opportunities to explore their potential as innovative leaders.

Over $26,000 was donated to Empowerment Squared in 2021 to support programming for newcomer families

Annual student-led fundraisers have brought in hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations over the last decade for Neighbour to Neighbour, St. Matthews House, Adelaide Hoodless Public School, McMaster Children’s Hospital and the Canadian Cancer Society.

The College introduced the Alumni Awards of Distinction in 2005 as a way to honour alumni who exemplify HSC’s values.

In 2010, the HSC community rallied together to raise over $32,000 in a single day for Haiti earthquake relief.

Back to Basics

Teaching tech skills with a hands-on approach in HSC’s Montessori School

IN THE 1946 LONDON LECTURES, considered the first training course given by Dr. Maria Montessori on her method of education, she spoke on the importance of children’s hands as an instrument of intelligence. “The child gives us a beautiful lesson—that in order to form and maintain our intelligence, we must use our hands.” When researching the integration of information technology in classrooms, Montessori Principal Danielle Hourigan ’82 along with VicePrincipal Erica Otaguro ’07 set out to expand on Dr. Montessori’s philosophy by asking the question, how does a hands-on approach to learning coincide with our modern digital age? What they discovered was more than a happy coincidence.

“Though Dr. Montessori could not have conceived of technology at the time, her understanding of how children learn through experiential and sensory-based learning applies seamlessly to digital literacy,” says Otaguro. Knowing the negative impact of screen time for young learners, she sought to understand the best approach to integrating technology in ways that supported healthy development and age- and stage-appropriate milestones.

Otaguro was pleased to discover that the solution was simple: follow the Montessori method. “With a firm foundation in sequencing, spatial awareness, categorizing, classifying and comparison, the Montessori approach nurtures the logical and reasoning skills that students need for their eventual use of technology,” she says.

Hourigan wasn’t surprised by the natural correlation between Montessori’s hands-on learning and digital literacy. “Our students learn the skills of computing before they’ve even held a device,” she says when describing the school’s approach to technology. “Montessori materials have built-in self-correction characteristics, so when a child is using the materials and they make a mistake, the materials give them authentic feedback so they can go back and find ways to correct. This process mirrors coding and programming.”

While HSC’s CASA classes (ages 3-5) do not have technology, the materials used by the youngest students cultivate critical thinking skills to develop patience, multi-step processing, creativity, and problem-solving—work habits that prove vital when navigating a tech-first world.

As a precursor to computer coding, M5 students are given unplugged coding materials that may represent robots or cards and grids with which they execute the various coding instructions. The school introduces technology as a learning tool in M6, offering a bank of communal computers in each classroom.

Hourigan points out that the students are trusted to use top-of-the-line equipment, and explains that the addition of this tool is always purposeful and meaningful. “It’s amazing to see the unique ways that students use technology for project-specific exploration and research, with each child finding a personalized way to present and celebrate their learning with others.”

From day one, students are informed of the responsibilities that come with using technology, including safe browsing, smart sourcing, information sharing and data privacy. “Every year we add a layer of depth to our conversation about digital citizenship,” Otaguro says. “This ensures that when students are old enough for a personal device, they know how to use it safely and responsibly.”

It is only in the spring of their final year of Montessori that students are invited to incorporate their own personal device into their learning tools in preparation for their Middle School career. Hourigan describes this moment as a major milestone, though she’s aware that many of the children already own a device of one kind or another before graduation. “The reality is that our students are digital natives, so our primary goal is to empower them with the problem-solving and critical-thinking skills that will ensure they’re adaptable to the pace of an ever-changing world.” As the Montessori method has done for more than 100 years.