SMLS 2021-2022 Annual Report

22 Annual Report

SMLS Board of Governors 2021-22

Annual Report St. Mildred’s-Lightbourn School

Gary Skene Chair Nancy Richards Head of School

Bishop Susan BellSister Heather Broadwell

James BrownIan Gallagher Chair of Risk Management

Claire GilliesColin Hanson Chair of Finance

Victoria Hughes ‘01 Marguerite Jackson Lisa Matthews Vice Chair Sister Michael Trott

Ijeoma Ugwunze

Chair of Advancement

Chris Wong

Maggie Zhu

Table of Contents

A Message from Gary Skene, Board Chair and Nancy Richards, Head of School

The SMLS Annual Report 2021-22 highlights the school’s educational activities from the last academic year and the ways in which those activities support the unique value of an SMLS education for girls. The report reflects the many ways SMLS uses personalization as an education tool in service of the school’s mission, vision and values; the school’s future-focused strategic work; its ongoing commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion; and the incredible drive of a school community in the third year of a global pandemic.

Students at the Centre

In the throes of the COVID-19 pandemic, SMLS continued to bring unique and innovative approaches to student learning. Accessibility to 3D printers and kinder robots in the Junior School; a new MakerSpace with state-of-the-art technology, tools and specialized furniture in the Middle School, an expanded ability to personalize learning with in-class technology such as new RevTouch screens throughout the Middle and Senior School classrooms; and the introduction of new approaches and tools for learning, derived from our pandemic experiences, into the classrooms are just some of the ways we have expanded our ability to provide deep, 21st century learning options at SMLS in the past year.

A Successful CAIS Peer Review

In November 2021, SMLS welcomed a CAIS Visiting Committee to the school (virtually) for a peer review as part of our accreditation process. The follow-up report made note of SMLS’s many accomplishments:

“From the flawless coordination of the virtual visit schedule to the careful attention to detail paid by the Head of School and her team, to the informative and fun “live” tour with running commentary by the students along with the warm welcome offered the Visiting Committee by teachers, staff and students—everything about this visit demonstrated that SMLS is a school that models resilience, innovation and excellence in all it does. The Internal Evaluation Report was carefully drafted for the 2020 scheduled visit that was canceled due to the COVID-19 worldwide pandemic. The report was revised to address any significant changes resulting from the pandemic and the consequent School closures. The information provided was a thoughtful self-study that recognized the challenges the School faced prior to the Head of School joining in 2016 and documented the impressive growth that has ensued while identifying areas still in need of support. It reveals a community boldly tackling challenges and committed to ongoing school improvement as it works to nurture, inspire and develop the students in its care. SMLS is faced with a future of opportunities. Diligent oversight by the Board of Directors combined with visionary leadership by the Head of School and her team has the School well-placed to explore a number of strategic directions in the years ahead. Such a blessing of riches requires careful choices to be made, and the School is encouraged to apply the same critical lens to future decisions that have guided it so well to this point in time.”

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

With an ongoing commitment to fostering and supporting diversity, equity and inclusion in our school community, the past year saw our Faculty and Staff continue to build on their specialized training from previous years by adopting an innovative framework, called “Voices in Dialogue,” that created practical opportunities to put the lessons into real-life practice.

The Voices in Dialogue format was designed to help create agency within our school and provided every member of our staff and faculty with the freedom and choice to engage, to be curious, to share and reflect together, to stretch beyond their everyday, and to celebrate one another’s differences as we commit to being accountable for our own work in embracing and ensuring social justice both at SMLS and in our lives.

Further, the 2021-2022 school year theme of Justice supported classroom dialogue pertaining to diversity, equity and inclusion and a number of faculty-led and student-led Chapel Talks dealt with issues of racism, social justice and awareness of diversity within our local and global communities. Several Chapels were dedicated to celebrating the diverse cultures within our school community.

As a school, there has been progress in a number of areas such as gender expression, identity and sexual orientation, multiculturalism, and Indigenous awareness, with much work still to be done.

Strategic Planning and Goal Setting

Over the 2021-22 school year, our School engaged in extensive community consultations to support the development of a new SMLS strategic plan. As the SMLS Board of Governors and Senior Leadership Team considered strategic priorities to strengthen the school’s unique value proposition and to support the application of 21st Century educational principles, extensive work, throughout the year, went into informing the innovation, strategic goals and priorities that will only continue to enhance the academic excellence that is quintessential to an SMLS experience.

Retiring and New Board Members

The Board would like to thank Ms. Marguerite Jackson and Mr. Christopher Wong who stepped down from their positions on the SMLS Board of Governors this year. We are so grateful for generously sharing their time and expertise with the school and for their dedication to serving the students.

We were pleased to welcome Claire Gillies and Maggie Zhu, two SMLS parents, to the Board of Governors. Their bios, as well as a full overview of the role of the Board of Governors, and Board and committee mandates, can be found on SMLS’s website.

Thank you to our SMLS Community

The stand-out achievement of the 2021-22 academic year was the resilience demonstrated by the entire community in managing through a long, demanding pandemic and ultimately transitioning back into more traditional school activities. Together, we emerged from a very challenging time with newfound strength and a better-than-ever appreciation for the specialness of our community.

The 2021-22 Annual Report allows us to reflect on unwavering commitment to academic excellence and to developing girls who can challenge and change the world.

Sincerely,

Nancy Richards, M. Ed Head of School Gary Skene Chair, Board of Governors

“SMLS is a school that models resilience, innovation and excellence.”

Our Mission

To develop courageous girls who challenge and change the world.

Strategic Pillars

The unique value of an SMLS education is captured by our Superior, Differentiated and Personalized approach to academic excellence.

Superior

• Academic excellence and innovation

• Social/emotional wellbeing and physical development

• Student leadership development

Differentiated

Globally recognized Signature Programs

• Global Citizenship

• Professional Internship

• Robotics and STEM

• Active Healthy Living

• Art and Design

Personalized

• Unique understanding of how girls learn

• Personalized choice

• Personalized connection

SMLS Academic 2021-2022 Initiatives

Status Report

Initiative

CAIS Accreditation Visit: Standard 3 (November 7-10, 2021)

Academic External Benchmarking: Grade 9 Math and OSSLT to be written in 2021-22. EQAO canceled due to the pandemic

SMLS Professional Faculty Growth and Evaluation Policy - implementation plan for 2021-2022 academic year

Preparation of a full and enhanced online learning experience, if required with pandemic

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion training for all faculty and staff DEI Task Force to formalize this priority on our SMLS strategic roadmap

Completed

Status

OSSLT Completed. Grade 9 EQAO not available

Completed

Completed and implemented in Jan, 2022

Completed

St. Mildred’s-Lightbourn School

Summary of Faculty Professional Development

Faculty and Divisional Academic Professional Development Faculty Professional Development 2021-22 When Details

Anima Leadership Workshop August, 2021 Identity and Power - Uncovering Power, Privilege, and Systemic Barriers. Aligned with our strategic priority of DEIB across the school, this ½ day facilitated workshop was for our full faculty and staff.

Deeper Learning and 21st Century Competencies

Managing Stress, Anxiety, and Teaching Under COVID-19

August, 2021 Jay McTighe joined us for two full-day virtual workshops on the topic of Deeper Learning, 21st Century Competencies and shared discussion on classroom indicators of those competencies in action.

November, 2021

Presented by author and speaker Lisa Damour, this workshop was focused on how to support the girls in their learning and managing their emotions, stress and anxiety. How do we support students to develop agency in their learning, to develop resiliency and self-efficacy. How can teachers support the social-emotional and academic needs of our students during these unprecedented times?

Profile of a Graduate March, 2022 Based on our work with Jay McTighe, this whole-school workshop was designed to bring our full teaching faculty together to review sample graduate profiles from other independent girls schools across North America and to begin developing the SMLS Profile of a Graduate.

Learning Principles June, 2022 Full Faculty Professional Development session for the purpose of identifying and articulating shared Learning Principles that are aligned across our three divisions.

Teaching and Learning Carousel

June, 2022 Faculty from across the three divisions joined together for a 3-session carousel (total of 18 workshops) to share best practice here at SMLS on topics such as Thinking Routines, 3-D Printing, Virtual Science Labs, The Power of Language, RevTouch Interactive Screens.

Individual Academic Professional Development

Faculty Professional Development 2021-22 When Details

Ontario Music Educators Association November, 2021 Con Fuoco Workshop (OMEA & CMIEC Conference and Workshop) - Music education focus, multiple priorities including new PBL teaching ideas, current research practices, and new resources.

AIM Winter Institute February, 2022 Fostering the rapid development of oral language skills in French.

Mental Health in Children January, 2022 Developing a better understanding of mental health issues of young children and how to identify stressors.

Mathematical Mindsets and Teaching Math for Teachers

February, 2022 Created by Jo Boaler, these courses are aimed at developing further mathematical understandings. The courses provide new pedagogical strategies, questions to promote understanding, questions to ask students and looking at math with a new lens. The courses also focus on growth mindset, understanding that mistakes help us grow, ways to promote mathematical problem solving and investigation, designing and choosing the right task for our students and how to differentiate.

Indigenous CanadaUniversity of Alberta December, 2021 Exploring the key issues facing Indigenous peoples today from a historical and critical perspective highlighting national and local Indigenous-settler relations.

DEIB In the English and Modern Language Classroom

October, 2021 Continued integration and valuing of DEI in the secondary English, Social Science, and Modern language classrooms.

Debating and Public Speaking October, 2021 Continued integration of the oral communication strand in the English classroom and support for proposed future Public Speaking course or co-curricular.

The Reading and Writing Project November, 2021 PD focused around different areas of language skills for students. I attended a spelling session, poetry and mindfulness, Google Docs as notebooks, goal setting, reading and writing about social studies and a special education IEP focus.

Quantum Mechanics in The High School Classroom

Making Math Moments Virtual Summit - Math Education Focus

December, 2021

This Physics PD session provides educators with strategies for teaching quantum theory in their classes, along with the tools to do it.

November, 2021

Teaching strategies for math education: making lessons student centered, teacher moves to keep student thinking going, embracing/reframing mistakes and celebrating what’s correct in student thinking, gradual reveal of information to create curiosity.

St. Mildred’s-Lightbourn School

Individual Academic Professional Development

Faculty Professional Development 2021-22 When Details

Phonological Awareness November, 2021 Virtual module for grade 2 phonological awareness. Individualization strategies to address learning gaps between students in the class.

Computational Thinking and Coding November, 2021 PD to support the introduction of the KIBO robotics equipment in JS1.

Teachers College Reading and Writing Project October, 2021 Interactive/shared writing techniques, workshop techniques, gratitude for students and how to help students find their voice through writing. Relates to character education through the virtues project.

Teaching Indigenous Literature: CITE December, 2021 Will provide pedagogical practices and expertise, by an Indigenous Professor from McMaster University, regarding how to integrate Indigenous authors and texts into our curricula (in age appropriate ways).

NAEA National Convention March, 2022 Focused on engaging with other arts educators to share ideas, lessons, experiences, approaches, and strategies through seminars and workshops, to strengthen and further enhance an overall high quality visual arts program.

Learning without Tears March, 2022 Supporting literacy program in pre-school for a new faculty member.

Teaching alphabet and literacy skills February, 2022 Teaching literacy skills in age-appropriate ways.

Certificate in School Management and Leadership February, 2022 Strategy & Innovation - case-based teachings, the structures and models to utilize when approaching, designing, executing, and monitoring innovative and strategic initiatives.

Indigenous Canada in the Elementary Classroom April, 2022 To provide the learner with a basic understanding and insight into Indigenous history and contemporary issues that will inform study of Early Canadian Societies in the Junior School.

Reggio Emilia and STEMinfused Learning Environments

March, 2022 This webinar provided great inspiration for STEM activities for preschoolers to implement in the classroom.

Individual Academic Professional Development

Faculty Professional Development 2021-22 When Details

Nature-Based Pedagogy for ECE Programs April, 2022 A Guide to Nature-Based Pedagogy for Early Childhood Programs.

Exploring the Benefits and Audiences of Pedagogical Documentation

March, 2022 Classroom strategies for documenting student learning in early childhood education.

New Teacher Institute March, 2022 Offered by the Reading and Writing Project - this PD focuses on the challenges of being a new teacher providing tips and tricks for assessment and tools for both writing and reading programs.

Additional QualificationReading Part 1 April, 2022 How to teach students reading strategies, organizing routines for reading, learning about assessment and implementation, planning to scaffold students toward independence in skills, choosing texts that are culturally responsive and relevant.

French Second LanguageAIM June, 2022 PD to support delivery of the AIM program in our Junior School French classes.

SMLS 2022 Graduating Class University and College Destinations

Ontario

• McMaster University

• University of Toronto

• Trent University

• University of Waterloo

• Queen’s University

• Toronto Metropolitan University

• Western University

• University of Guelph

• Sheridan College

• OCAD University

Out of Province

• McGill University (QC)

• Dalhousie University (NS)

• University of British Columbia (BC)

• Concordia University (QC)

International

• University of Texas (USA)

• University of Pennsylvania (USA)

• University of Michigan (USA)

• University of York (UK)

• Parsons School of Design (USA)

• Parsons: The New School (FRANCE)

• New York University (USA)

• University of Warwick (UK)

• Carnegie Mellon University (USA)

• Griffith University (AUSTRALIA)

• Lynn University (USA)

SMLS Graduating Class Programs of Study

Program of Study

Number of Graduating Students

Arts/ Liberal Arts 6 1 6 3 7 6 3 5 Business, Finance, Management, Marketing and Commerce 14 8 6 2 6 5 5 4

Biological/Biomedical/Life Sciences 5 4 5 1 9 4 6 6 Communication, Journalism, Media - 1 2 1 1 3 1 -

Concurrent Education - 1 - - 1 - 1 -

Criminology/Law/Social Justice 1 2 3 1 - 1Engineering/Architecture/Computer Science 6 3 11 7 7 5 5 6

GAP Year 1 1 1

General Science 2 4 4 4 2 3 3 10

Health Sciences/Dentistry/Medicine/ Nursing 7 7 4 2 4 4 9 6 Kinesiology, Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies - 1 4 - - 1 1 1 Mathematics - 1 2 - - 1 2 Psychology 2 - 1 1 3 2 3 2 Social Sciences 3 3 3 1 2 5 3 Visual and Performing and Fine Arts 3 3 7 1 1 1 3 2

Total Number of Students 50 40 60 24 41 37 48 45

SMLS Honour Roll

SENIOR SCHOOL

Academic Enrichment Opportunities

Participation in the Centre for Education in Mathematics and Computing (CEMC) competitions hosted by the University of Waterloo has remained consistent in our Senior School. Participation reflects individualized opportunities for personalization at SMLS, where students have the opportunity to pursue their individual interest in mathematics and apply their understanding and knowledge in unique, fun ways.

CEMC Mathematics Competitions

Marker 2021-22 2020-21 2019-20 2018-19

Students participating in the Grade 9 Pascal Math Contest 27 (35%) 22 (29%) 37 (40%) 29 (36%)

Grade 9 Pascal Award Winners (top 25% of students writing)

Students participating in the Grade 10 Cayley Math Contest

Grade 10 Cayley Award Winners (top 25% of students writing)

Students participating in the Grade 11 Fermat Math Contest

Students participating in the Grade 12 Euclid Math Contest

Students participating in the Fryer, Galois, Hypatia Mathematics Contests

* Students participating in Grade 12 Canadian Senior Mathematics Contest (November)

5 4 5 3

14 18 20 9

3 4 4 3

18 21 12 10

6 3 Cancelled for 2019-20 3

SS9 (Fryer) - 8 SS10 (Galois) - 7 SS11 (Hypatia) - 9

SS9 (Fryer) - 4 SS10 (Galois) - 10 SS11 (Hypatia) - 5

Cancelled for 2019-20

SS9 (Fryer) - 4 SS10 (Galois) - 8 SS11 (Hypatia) - 9

5 6 7 4

MIDDLE SCHOOL

Academic Enrichment Opportunities

Throughout the 2021-22 school year, Middle School students continued to participate in academic enrichment activities, contests, and challenges focused on areas of learning outside the Provincial curriculum and facilitated by some of our partner institutions and programs. Enrichment experiences included Computing and Design Thinking Challenges as well as Mathematics competitions and Arts initiatives. A few of these are highlighted below.

CEMC Beaver Computing Challenge

A total of 123 Middle School students participated in the University of Waterloo Centre for Education in Mathematics and Computing (CEMC) Beaver Computing Challenge (BCC) in November 2021 (39 MS6, 84 MS7/8). The BCC is designed to introduce computer science and computational thinking. This was the fourth year of participation for SMLS and we continue to enjoy very positive results.

• Of the 33 students who participated (27% of all of our SMLS girls who wrote), 33 earned distinctions, a classification that is awarded to the top 25% of ALL contestants.

• A total of seven SMLS students achieved Honour Roll status and will be recognized on Waterloo’s CEMC website. Marker

MS Students participating in the Beaver Computing Challenge

Beaver Computing Challenge Honour Roll (scoring 90% or higher, recognized on Waterloo’s CEMC website)

7 32 12

33 42 35 32

Mathematica Centrum

Mathematica Centrum designs annual contests that challenge and promote problem solving skills. All Middle School students participated in the contests in April: MS6 Pythagoras, MS7 Euler and MS8 LaGrange.

University of Waterloo CEMC Gauss Mathematics Contest

The Gauss Mathematics Contests are designed for MS7 and MS8 students and provides an opportunity for students to practice their mathematical problem solving ability. Students in MS6 who are interested in the challenge of writing the MS7 contest are invited to participate. All MS7 and MS8 students participated in May along with a group of enthusiastic MS6 students (total of 93 students). Twelve students who wrote the MS7 contest placed in the top 25% of all students who participated. Twelve MS8 students placed in the top 25% of all students participating.

Marker

Number MS6/MS7 Students participating in the MS7 Gauss Mathematics Contest

2021-22 2020-21 2019-20 2018-19

46 55 N/A 66

MS6/MS7 Gauss Contest top 25% of students writing 12 15 N/A 17

Students participating in the MS8 Gauss Mathematics Contest

47 42 N/A 40

MS8 Gauss Contest top 25% of students writing 12 11 N/A 10

Lowell Milken Centre for Unsung Heroes International Art Effect Competition

This competition is a natural extension of the project-based learning work completed by students in MS8 for their Reach Ahead Grade 9 Integrated Arts course and offers students personalized options for their final product. Many students elected to conduct research on figures related to STEAM and STEM fields and this is reflected in their creative process and choice of materials. Students submitted research-based artwork and an impact paper about an important person in history who demonstrated extraordinary courage and compassion, making an impact on history, yet was an unsung hero. Ten MS8 students submitted entries into this competition and one student was selected as a finalist. The student was featured on the Lowell Milken Centre website and received an Award of Excellence from the Centre for her work.

Academic Enrichment Opportunities

Junior School students in JS3 through to JS5 had opportunities to participate in Mathematica and Math League competitions to provide enrichment, challenge and promote problem solving skills. All Junior School students were also invited to participate in the Forest of Reading Program through the Ontario Library Association to encourage and foster a love of reading. “Children who read for fun have higher literacy scores, have more success in science and math, and are more socially and civically engaged.” (Reading for Joy, P4E, 2011)

Enhanced Use of Educational Technology

SMLS provides access to a broad range of technologies that supports the above collaborative and innovative teaching and learning environment from preschool through to graduation, through purposeful and coordinated use of digital devices and cloud-based tools for collaboration to provide rigorous, relevant, and engaging learning experiences for our students. Over the last two and a half years, our school’s collective capacity for creating, sharing and learning through online and digital platforms has advanced tremendously.

Highlights

include:

Junior School Middle School Senior School School Wide

Raz Reading (JK to JS3) Nearpod

Rev Touch Screens in all SS classes Destiny (library catalog)

Mathletics (JS3-5) Lego Mindstorm EV3 Kits Labster Virtual Simulations for Science Britannica online (English & French)

IXL - Math & English (JS1-5) Solar suitcases (MS6) Vernier Probes (Bio, Chem, Physics) World Book online (English, French & Spanish)

Type to Learn Kahoot

Document Cameras Britannica Image Quest

Epic Quizlet Virtual Reality - Oculus Rift NFB online XtraMath FlipGrid iMovie Toronto Star online

Seesaw (PK-JS2) Explore LearningGIZMOs Notability Software - to assist with remote learning (high potential it will be used moving forward)

Nearpod PHET Simulations FlipGrid, Kami, Screencastify

Code.org Quizziz PHeT Simulations (SS9-GY)

Document Cameras Desmos Explore Learning - Gizmos

Scratch Jr. (JS1-JS2) Piktochart Kahoot

Scratch (JS5) HP Reveal Desmos (Math)

iMovie (JS3) Type to Learn Noodletools

Tinkercad (JS2) IXL - Math & English Piktochart

Rev Touch Screens in all JS1-JS5 classrooms Ozaria/CodeCombat HP Reveal

MathUp (PK - JS5) iMovie Adobe Creative Cloud Suite (Photoshop, After Effects)

Google Suite Gamemaker Studio 2

iMovie Noodletools Tinkercad ScreenCastify

St. Mildred’s-Lightbourn School

EBSCO databases (Novelist, Explora, Science Reference Centre, Canadian Literary Centre,Canadian Points of View, etc.)

Global Citizenship Signature Program

Partnerships

Our world-renowned Global Citizenship program remains one of the few programs among CAIS schools that offers international experiences for students in JS5-MS8. This unique and innovative program is designed to extend and enhance the Ontario Curriculum in personalized and meaningful ways that connect our students with the world beyond the walls of our school.

While the COVID-19 pandemic prevented SMLS from travelling internationally for Global Citizenship experiences, our team was able to leverage our partnerships with Round Square to provide students with virtual international opportunities including:

• Virtual Round Square International Conference (four-day experience)

• Virtual Student Conversational Classes with Round Square schools in France and Spain for SS9 and SS10

• She’s the First led Round Square Conversation with other Round Square schools

Through these experiences our girls understand that they are global citizens and thus have civic rights and responsibilities for the whole world’s wellbeing.

Off-site

activities for Senior, Middle and Junior School students during 2021-2022

In the midst of the pandemic, our Global Citizenship team partnered with Alive Outdoors to run several day experiences at Trails Youth Initiatives in the fall. The Global Citizenship team facilitated a day experience for the JS5 students at Bronte Creek Provincial Park in the fall. In the spring, we returned to overnight experiences with the first being 24 SS10 students traveled to the Canadian Ecology Centre in Mattawa, Ontario for a Wellness retreat for the IDEALS block experience. In early May, MS7/8 and SS9 students participated in a four-day experience with ALIVE Outdoors at Cedar Ridge Camp in McArthur’s Mills.

Activity

Senior Day Trips 8 1 31 45 46

Middle School Day Trips 3 1 12 14 18

Junior School Day Trips 1 0 7 8 10

Senior School Overnight Trips 2 0 11 12 16

Middle School Overnight Trips 1 0 2 9 7

Junior School Overnight Trips 0 0 2 4 4

Number of Students involved in International Trips 0 0 43 110 112

Number of Countries visited 0 0 4 9 14

St. Mildred’s-Lightbourn School

Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award

The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award is an internationally recognized program for young people, building their skills to equip them for life and work. By creating opportunities for young people to develop skills, get physically active, service learning and experience adventure, the Award can play a critical role in their development. At SMLS, girls participate at all levels of the Duke of Edinburgh award, and the bronze level is a requirement for graduation. We celebrate the number of Gold award winners as this is a testament to their determination to achieve this challenging level.

In 2021-22, SMLS still successfully navigated the pandemic to support SS9 Students in completing their Bronze award. SS9 students were provided with the opportunity to meet all of the requirements of the Bronze Adventurous Journey award through a Day Trip at Trails Youth Initiatives with SMLS Global Citizenship staff and Alive Outdoors and the integration of orienteering into SS9 Health and Physical Education classes.

Senior School

Middle School (Junior Duke Program)

All Middle School students work toward the Junior Duke Award, which is unique to SMLS, focusing on many of the skills of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award program such as developing the physical, mental, and spiritual aspects of the whole girl.

This year, 25 students in MS6 (64%) received the Earth Award; 26 MS7 students (67%) received the Moon Award (67%); and 32 MS8 students (64%) received the Star Award.

Junior School (MILLIE 100 Program)

Our JS3, JS4 and JS5 students work towards earning the Millie 100 award, based on developing life skills, participating in near and far adventures, and a variety of character building opportunities.

Date Number of Recipients in 2021-22

June 2022 31 (66%)

June 2021 22 (65%)

June 2020 23 (61%)

June 2019 26 (59%)

June 2018 34 (92%)

St. Mildred’s-Lightbourn School

Professional Internship Signature Program

Our unique Professional Internship Program provides every grade 11 Millie with the opportunity to explore personal career interests in a customized, OSSD credited and immersive 4-week work placement across a wide range of specialized industries. In 2021-22, we were pleased to offer in-person experiences for our students once again with 43 SS11 students completing their placements and earning their Ministry of Ontario co-op credit. The Professional Internship is a significant differentiator for SMLS, showcasing our students and our school in the local community, and engaging our Alumnae in support of this program.

• Abaton Integrative Medicine

• Amico Affiliates

• Art Gallery of Burlington

• B+H Architects

• Clearpoint Neuro

• Darling Home for Kids

• Dell-Core Edge Protection

• Dr. Sandeep Sharma

• Ernst & Young

• Framework Venture Partners

• Glou Beauty

• Halton Environmental Network

• HPA Program

• iQuanti

• Kaeja d’Dance

• Lighthouse for Grieving Children and Families

• McMaster Children’s HospitalChildlife

• McMaster Physical Activity Centre of Excellence (PACE)

• Miix Analytics

• Millenium Group

• Neuchatel Junior College

• OakPark Vet

• Oakville Animal Clinic

• Orvosi Medical Management

• Pivot Sports Medicine

• Romet Limited

• Shared Services West

• Sheddon Physiotherapy Clinic

• SMLS Communications

• SMLS JK

• Spadafora & Murphy LLP

• Stifel Canada

• Stone’s Throw Design

• The Kit

• The Pearle Hotel Burlington

• University Health Network- Dr. Eubanks

• Vertical City

• Virox Technologies

• West Oak Animal Hospital

• West Oak Public School

• Wolfe Co. Apparel

We are grateful to the following companies for their valuable support:

Real World Learning Professional Internship Placements

STEM and Robotics Signature Program

All girls from JS1 to MS7 experience FIRST Lego League Robotics using technology and problem solving as part of either their science curriculum and/or co-curricular opportunity.

In 2021-2022, 11 additional KIBO robots were purchased for grade one students, allowing students to have a better hands-on experience as they work to develop their coding, computational thinking and engineering design skills. In late spring 2022, Dash robots were purchased for SK students and Mini Sphero were also purchased for JS2 students to continue skill development in critical thinking, creativity, coding and computational thinking.

Our renowned robotics team, SWAT 771, had a very successful season. They participated in in-person District Event robot competitions in Humber College (Toronto) and University of Waterloo (Waterloo) as well as the FIRST Ontario Provincial Championship (Mississauga). At the Humber College District Event, the team won the Gracious Professionalism Award at the Humber College District Event. SWAT also nominated two team members, Zoe J and Sena Y, for the Dean’s List Award, both of whom won the award at the district level and became Dean’s List Semi-Finalists. SWAT also submitted for the Chairman’s Award, the most prestigious award in FIRST, and gave a virtual presentation to the judges.

Active Healthy Living Signature Program

In our enhanced Athletics and Active Healthy Living programs, students have the opportunity to participate in physical fitness, competitive sport, creative expression and spiritual reflection at their various stages of development. Each girl is challenged to be her best self with access to Spartan Athletic Teams, new and innovative fitness offerings, increased professional coaching, and community enriched programs, such as our signature Wellness Wednesdays, to focus on each student’s well-being during their time at SMLS, and beyond.

In 2021-22, we welcomed the return of our Fall, Winter and Spring sports teams. While the seasons were modified to have fewer contacts and less travel, we ran multiple teams across the three sports seasons, and MS7-SS12 students were able to participate in CISAA Athletic Competitions.

With modified CISAA tournament championships and limited practices, SMLS Spartan teams achieved the following notable top finishes:

• 2nd place finish in U20 CISAA Volleyball

• Junior Girls Cross Country Team Compete at OFSAA

• Three top three finishes for the Spartan Swim Team and multiple students qualified for OFSAA Swimming Championships (which were cancelled due to pandemic)

• 4th place finish in Alpine Ski OFSAA Division

While the CISAA did not run formal Athletic seasons for JS4-MS6 students in the Fall or Winter, SMLS ran Athletic Skill Development Teams for JS4-MS6 in Basketball, Soccer, Cross Country, Volleyball and Badminton. In the Spring, JS4 and JS5 students were able to compete in Spring CISAA competitions in Softball and Track and Field.

Wellness Wednesdays: Flexible Opportunities, Choice and Individual, Physical Activity

With the limitations on physical activity and cohorts during the 2021-22 school year, SMLS ran a modified Wellness Wednesday program in the Middle and Senior Schools. Activities included group fitness indoors and outdoors, run walk club, outdoor floor hockey, soccer, Mindfulness & Meditation and Yoga.

Arts & Design Signature Program

The Arts continue to be integral to SMLS’s academic programming, allowing our girls to develop an ability to express themselves artistically and to have opportunities to display their artwork and to perform and share their talents. Creativity has been identified as an essential competency for success in the 21st century and our Arts programs provide opportunities for student creativity to flourish.

During the 2021-22 school year, learners continued to be engaged in a variety of arts activities aimed at fostering creative growth, innovation, and Studio Habits of Mind.

Visual Arts

Students grew an increasing awareness of the integral role that the arts play in wellbeing as learning activities provided students with the chance to connect their work to their personal feelings, and engage in activities aimed at cultivating mindfulness.

The Junior School girls worked on visual arts projects exploring the elements of art and the principles of design, with each grade learning key foundational skills. Learners were provided with robust art kits in response to pandemic protocols, allowing them to exercise responsibility and organization of specialized art materials, and explore different media through direct teaching lessons, inquiry based projects, and individual exploration.

Learners also explored digital platforms such as Google Draw. Additionally, Little You, a 3D printing program and Pixton - an animation program were introduced in JS4 and JS55, providing students with the opportunity to use their imaginations and link learning cross -curricularly. The individual art kits allowed students to have a seamless art experience while at home during remote learning and teachers provided virtual instruction and leveraged technology such as document cameras, slide presentations and sharing, and the creation of instructional videos.

Class lessons were held in students’ homeroom classrooms, offering students rich experiences using a variety of artist grade materials. Curricular links to artists from the past and present were intentional in lessons, representing artists of diverse backgrounds. Visual Art displays were showcased around the school to highlight the learners’ growing skills and talents, while sharing with the school community diverse and in-depth art awareness and appreciation through the creative art process and finished pieces.

Music and Performing Arts

Highlights of the music program included singing in class, and preparing for two concerts through the year. In JK and SK, students were able to use percussion instruments, and enjoyed learning new songs. JS1 and JS2 enjoyed using boomwhackers, and singing for a variety of performances, while JS3 and JS4 classes played recorders. JS5 classes began their exploration of the ukulele while learning about chords, accompaniment and performance.

Artwork was regularly shared within the building and a Google Site, with art from each grade, was shared with students and families in December. A culmination of learning was celebrated with a year end whole school Visual Art Show, displayed at the school in the Spring, in conjunction with the JS, MS and SS Music and Drama Productions.

Arts & Design Signature Program

During the 2021-22 school year, students continued to engage in creative expression through the arts. Students continued to develop their understanding of the creative process and arts activities focused on using creativity as a superpower in order to ignite the imagination, engage in research, and participate in project-based learning.

Visual Arts

Students were provided with art kits containing artist grade materials and worked on a variety of lessons using traditional art tools. Foundational skills focusing on the Elements of Art and the Principles of Design continued to be a focus, and students also had the opportunity to use digital art tools such as Google Draw and Pixton.

In all classes, links to art history and a range of artists representing diverse groups was a regular focus. In addition to creating art, students engaged in conversations relating to art analysis and critique. Using the Harvard created framework, The Studio Habits of Mind (SHoM), students focused on the following themes while creating and analyzing work: Understanding the Art World, Stretching and Exploring, Observation, Envisioning, Developing Craft, Expression, and Engaging and Persisting.

Lessons were often linked to the Virtues Project and students applied their understanding of character when self-reflecting, conducting research on artists or individuals connected to art projects. At the MS8 level, Project-Based Learning and the Virtues Project played an integral role in student project work. A highlight of the program was the Unsung Hero Project, an integrated project in which students researched an unsung hero and used both visual art and drama to tell their story. Approximately ten students entered their work into an international contest affiliated with the Centre for Unsung Heroes in the United States. One MS8 student received an Award of Excellence in the Art Effect Competition.

Drama

Middle school students participated in drama classes throughout the school year as part of their timetable. Classes were held in a variety of places including the theatre, homeroom classes, and outside when applicable. Activities ranged from independent work, project based learning tasks, and collaborative creations. Diversity and social justice themes were often explored in dramatic work.

Students had the opportunity to participate in the co-curricular one act play, The Internet is Distracting– OH LOOK A KITTEN, by Ian McWethy. The cast rehearsed for 11 weeks in masks in the St. Mildred’s-Lightbourn Three Sisters Theatre. Later on during production rehearsals, a technical and makeup crew joined the team to help with lights, sound, set changes and make-up for the actors. In June, the Middle School community enjoyed a live production of the play in the Three Sisters Theatre with positive reviews. In addition, the MS parent and guardian had the option to watch a recorded performance in the theatre of the show that was streamed by the platform called Broadway on Demand.

Music

Highlights of the middle school music program included an extra-curricular strings ensemble and a Spring Concert performance in person with a live audience. MS6 performed as a vocal ensemble at the Remembrance Day assembly, as well as the traditional Lessons and Carols service. They played band instruments in class and used a technology-based program called Breezin’ Thru Theory. MS7 continued with their theory to include piano keyboard elements and performed “Furioso” as a band at the Spring Arts Night. They learned about composition and composed a piece for their instrument. MS8 enjoyed learning about Rock n’ Roll and used GarageBand to compose their own songs. They performed as a Grade band at both the Lessons and Carols service and the Spring Concert.

Arts & Design Signature Program

With the return to in-person learning, the Senior School Arts & Design Signature Program continued to focus on the broadening and application of skills in Drama, Music, and Visual Arts. Digital forms of artistic and creative expression were emphasized once again, during the 2021-22 school year.

Visual Arts

Technology was at the forefront of the learning experience. As a complement to traditional approaches for expression, using mediums such as drawing, painting, and sculpture, various tools and programs were utilized to enhance the learning experience. Coupled with Google Suite Jamboard software, devices such as a largescreen interactive RevTouch display and a WIFI-enabled iPevo document camera became invaluable tools in the classroom, leading to increased transparency as students were able to share progress, ideas, and feedback more frequently and with greater ease.

Music

In Music classes, students used instruments to collaborate in live performances, while solidifying their understanding of music theory and musical scores. Students also advanced their expertise in several areas of the music curriculum by providing access to the comprehensive learning management system MusicFirst. Students were able to use their laptops, along with this powerful integrated software, to engage in music notation, ear training, sight reading and recording. In addition, students explored new and alternative means of composing using the digital audio workstation, GarageBand. There were also several collaborative creations whereby students used software to combine audio tracks of their instrumental playing to mimic group performances. These were often a highlight during special assemblies throughout the year. Students were able to put together a final live performance on their instruments to showcase their musical performance skills.

Drama

Throughout the 2021-22 school year, students were able to hone their ability to put on performances for a wide variety of audiences and for a range of purposes. This was accomplished through both Senior School Drama classes as well as last year’s Senior School Production of Alice In Wonderland. Classes allowed students to utilize the lighting and sound systems in the theatre to augment their performances and learn how to affect the mood of a scene through the use of these technologies in both their own original as well as adapted works. The Senior School Production was a celebration of artistic talents for students throughout the Senior School, whether they were enrolled in Drama classes or not.

Financial Results

For the Year Ended June 30, 2022

The summary financial information set out below is derived from the 2022 fiscal year audited Financial Statements of St. Mildred’s-Lightbourn School (“SMLS” or “the School”). The SMLS 2022 audited Financial Statements are available on request from the School.

For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2022, total revenues exceeded total expenditures resulting in a surplus of $0.5 million. The total surplus includes a $1.2 million surplus from regular school operations resulting mainly from actual enrolment being higher than the budgeted target. During the fiscal year the school qualified for and received $0.5 million in funding from the Canadian Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) which mitigated the loss of revenue from after school programs and refunds for ancillary services provided to families for government mandated school closures. The fiscal results are also impacted by an unrealized loss on the school’s investments of $1.2 million. The Board of Governors specifically sets surplus funds aside as internally restricted funds representing operating and capital reserves to facilitate the near term operating needs of the school as well as to facilitate future planning and growth. As an independent school, this is critical to the long-term strength and sustainability of the school. Internally restricted net assets are not available for other purposes without approval of the Board of Governors.

Total capital expenditures for fiscal 2022 were $0.7 million reflecting ongoing investment in the school’s facilities and infrastructure.

Liquidity and Outlook

As at June 30, 2022 the School held (i) operating cash and cash equivalents of $16.5 million, comprising $6.9 million for working capital requirements and prepaid fees for the 2022-2023 school year, $1.7 million in the reserve for facility renewal, $7.5 million reserved for Strategic Initiatives and $0.4 million in reserve for donor restricted operating purposes, and (ii) $7.7 million of internally restricted reserves and endowment reserves. The endowment reserves are used to fund academic prizes and financial aid.

The School’s operating cash is invested in guaranteed investment certificates with Canadian chartered banks and Canadian government

treasury bills. The restricted reserves and endowment reserves are managed by the school’s third party investment manager and is invested in a mix of fixed income and equity investments as per the School’s Statement of Investment Policies and Procedures.

The School’s financial objectives are to (i) maintain competitive tuition fees and rates, (ii) enhance our programs and services, (iii) ensure the school has sufficient financial reserves to respond to unexpected situations and to fund future strategic initiatives and (iv) grow our endowment and foundation accounts in a sustainable manner.