Message from the Chair, Selwyn House Association

BUILDING ON OUR FOUR PILLARS

June 30, 2022

As another year draws to a close, it is amazing how Selwyn House students and staff have again and again continued to adapt under extraordinary circumstances. Teachers and administrators were flexible in responding to the new curve balls in this third year of a global pandemic, and parents and students were quick to support with any new guidelines put in place.

It has been a busy year for the Selwyn House Board of Directors, marked by the foregoing of government grants by our 114-year-old institution. The Board continues to work closely with the school’s Admissions team to ensure that newly eligible students in Montreal and the broader community are aware that a Selwyn House education is now an option for them. I am pleased to confirm that enrolment has already begun to increase under this new format.

The Path Forward Campaign: Our Campaign to Open Doors and Open Minds has been launched and is showing early success. The campaign aims to minimize tuition fee increases, build our endowment fund, and boost our bursary program. Led by Mark Smith and Vince Guzzo '86, the Campaign is supported by an extraordinary group of volunteers who are forging ahead with their fundraising efforts despite challenging circumstances due to the pandemic.

The Board continues to be guided by the four pillars adopted in our recent strategic plan. The following have been useful in helping shape the Board’s work:

1. Embedding Our Philosophy 2. Evolving Our Educational Offering 3. Educating Our Community 4. Exploring Options for the Future Indeed, these pillars enhance what has long anchored Selwyn House students as they are prepared for the future: the principles of Veritas.

On behalf of the Board, I would like to extend heartfelt thanks to Headmaster Mike Downey as well as the entire faculty and staff for their resilience in dealing with the constant challenge of living with the COVID-19 pandemic. As just one example of their commitment to ensuring our boys enjoy their Selwyn House experience to the fullest, our family attended our son’s grad in June 2022. And he is part of the Class of 2020! Looking to the future, I know we are all hoping for a return to full in-person activities, from sports tournaments to academic activities and of course, all the social interactions that make the Selwyn House experience a truly special one.

Michael Avedesian ’88 Chair, Selwyn House Association Board

Read more about our Strategic Plan.

2021-2022

SHA BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Michael Avedesian ’88, Chair Courtney Beckerleg Yan Besner ’96 Randall Birks ’88 Marie-Josée Boivin Caroline Deitcher Philippe Desmarais ’03 Lloyd Feldman Nadia Giannetti Vincenzo Guzzo ’86 François Hudon Thomas Pitfield ’93 Alan Rossy ’79 Ben Spencer ’00 Jason Tsadilas ’88 Joshua Wisenthal ’99