The Talon meadowridge alumni newsletter
issue 2
Apr il 1 0, 2002 April 10,
President’s message It is reaching that time again. I am finding that each year seems to take less and less time to complete. Finals, term papers, and projects appear to be endless, while the number of completion days is very limited! For many of you, this marks university graduation. Congratulations to you all! From here on the payments on the student loans begin and your job status is a little more permanent. As for the rest of us, we are still safe, protected by the library and the set timetable. For a brief time longer, we need to think only of summer jobs and classes next year. I hope that everyone is finishing up on track with their deadlines and desired grades. I know that I was elated when I handed in my sixth and final term paper this week. With only my finals ahead of me, school once again seems manageable. However, I also think that it is really important right now for all of us to reflect on current global events. Take a second and think about how lucky we really are. Be thankful for your health, your excellent education, and that you live in such an amazing country.
Don’t be a mug! - bring one Imagine what an impressive display of Alumni success we could mount if every person who came to visit us brought a mug from their university, college, or place of employment. What better time to bring a mug than to Café Night. Use it for your coffee then leave it with us. We’ll do the washing up. Don’t forget to visit your university’s spirit shop before the Alumni Dinner and Café Night on May 2nd.
Turn off CNN and put the current conflicts in perspective. Think about the each individual whose life is going to be directly changed by what is going on in Iraq. If you are going to your family’s home over the summer break, appreciate that you are all together, especially with the number of families that are currently torn apart. The summer may mark a time of travel, volunteering, work, classes, or just hanging out at your parent’s place. Whatever you choose, be safe and have a great one! For our 2001/2002 Meadowridge graduates, I hope your first year out of high school was all you expected it to be. For the current grade 12s, good luck on your exams and welcome to the Meadowridge Alumni. Congrats to everyone on there successes thus far. Keep in touch and have a great summer! B. Sprague, Alumni President (Class of ‘96)
Congratulations - it’s a library! On Saturday February 8, 2003 we held an Open House, and we opened our new library. The Open House was a great success, as hundreds of people toured the school and enjoyed the various children’s entertainers. We had people come who were curious, or who simply brought their children for the shows. We had many current families, enjoying the day, and watching as their kids had fun throughout the school. We also had about thirty serious inquiries from prospective families. In the Early Childhood wing, with its new kitchen, the teachers hardly had a break all day, as they were continually answering questions from parents who were considering the school. It was a chance for all of us to reflect on our school, and what it has come to mean to all of us. The library is certainly a beautiful and welcoming new addition; it is also a signal about our values. On entering the school, now, the first thing one sees is children learning in a warm and safe facility which inspires excellence, and which brings together all ages in a common pursuit. It is also a visible sign that our parents are serious about those values; the money for it was raised by our parents, and from our parents. As well, the staff, Board, and administration were strong supporters of fundraising efforts, and many of the volunteer efforts in building the new facilities. This was an effort by the whole community, and it shows. It is, of course, only the beginning of building a strong library program. By the end of the month, there will be twenty new computers in the library, along with a projector. We will also meet our target of allocating $60,000.00 for books and print materials this year, the first of five years of such strong purchasing to ensure that our children have access to excellent resources. The new primary shelves and story area will be completed within a few weeks, again displaying our commitment to early literacy and lifelong learning. Our strategic plan was displayed on the wall during the Open House as well. This week, it is being sent to all families. This plan was a year in the making; wide input was gathered, and focus groups were established. Any required research was done, and the whole collection of information and recommendations was provided to the Board. During a weekend retreat, the Board determined the priorities and goals for the next few years, and structured our strategic plan. Much of it is now underway, and much more detailed planning and timelines are being done to ensure success. Again, every part of the strategic plan is designed to maximize student learning; from facilities to governance to educational programs, all of our resources will be focused on this goal. In order to meet our goals, we have structured our finances carefully. In order to ensure that any fundraising is used to enhance learning, we need to balance tuition income directly with operating costs. We keep those costs low; we currently have among the lowest tuitions of any school of our type. Nevertheless, we do not want to use fundraised money to pay for the operating costs of the school. As a result, (we will be raising our tuition by 4% for the coming year). This is less of an increase than we had originally anticipated, but the growing enrolment has allowed us to achieve economies that were not possible earlier. Most of this money goes directly to teacher salary, as we match the raises given by the public system (although we still cannot match them in some benefits). As a result, we can ensure that the money we raise this year will again go directly to enhanced facilities and materials for the kids. It has been a busy, productive year for all of us at the school. With the completion of the initial renovations of our building, we are now setting out on an ambitious plan to build a school which will be a legacy for our children and our grandchildren, a school which brings out the best in our children, and which helps them develop into fine young adults. Together, we will succeed. H. Burke, Headmaster