Spirit Magazine - Spring 2023

SOUTHRIDGE SCHOOL

SPRING 2023

��irit

Stories ce�e�ra�i�g

our remarkable school community

SPRING 2023

Editor

Erin Labbé

Director, Communications and Marketing

Writers

Darren Jones

Erin Labbé

Parveen Loodu

Laura Moore, Class of 2002

Marissa May

Alyssa Slobodian

Photography

Tyler Garnham

Design

Indalma Creative

Matea Collins, Grade 11 – Colouring Contest

Southridge acknowledges that we teach and learn on the unceded native Coast Salish territories of the Kwantlen, Katzie, Tsawwassen, and Semiahmoo First Nations.

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GAME CHANGERS: SOUTHRIDGE ALUMNI REFLECT ON THEIR YEARS AS STUDENT ATHLETES

A FULL CIRCLE MOMENT WITH A SOUTHRIDGE FOUNDING TEACHER

MAKERS OF CHANGE

LEARNING, GROWING, AND TAKING ACTION TOGETHER TOWARDS TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION

GOOD FRIENDS ARE GOOD FOR US

SPRING COLOURING CONTEST

IT'S PICNIC SEASON! YOUR ESSENTIALS FOR THE PERFECT PICNIC

ALUMNI REFLECTION: CHASING THE RUSH OF LIVE PRODUCTION

STUDENT REFLECTIONS: OUTDOOR EDUCATION

FINISHING STRONG! OUR WAY FORWARD: THE CAMPAIGN FOR SOUTHRIDGE

SOUTHRIDGE ALUMNI

REFLECT ON THEIR YEARS AS STUDENT ATHLETES

BY MARISSA MAY ALUMNI RELATIONS COORDINATOR

At Southridge, we believe students develop important character, leadership, and personal and practical skills through participation in athletics. Our various recreational activities and competitive teams allow students to develop a deeper connection with the school by fostering a sense of spirit.

We believe that participation in athletics assists students to develop an appreciation for the importance of lifelong physical activity and well-being. Here, we catch up with some alumni who reflect on their time as Southridge athletes and who share with us how participation in school sports helped shape their lives and influence their personal and professional pursuits.

Walking into the Senior School gymnasium these days looks a lot different than it did when alumna KRISTIN HAZZARD (formerly Leuszler) graduated in 2000. There are awards present and banners hanging on the walls – proof of how far the Southridge athletics program has come since she became a student here in 1998.

Kristin already had a passion for competitive sport when she joined Southridge, having just recently helped her former school win the 1997 provincial

championships for volleyball. As a new member of our school community, Kristin was determined to build the athletics program into something BIG. In her first years, the school’s athletics program could be described as fledgling – they didn’t even have enough interested female students to form a volleyball team! Kristin was determined to help change that.

Kristin was named the female athletic steward because of her competitive nature and leadership abilities. Building a group of strong female athletes was extremely important to Kristin, but it did take some convincing to get players to join the teams.

“I had to convince my friend who was 'terrified of sports' to join the volleyball team,” muses Kristin. “It was the only way we could get enough bodies on the court to have an actual team.”

Kristin’s determination and athletic ability helped grow the athletics program at Southridge and she takes great pride in that. The Southridge girls basketball team won their first basketball tournament during Kristin’s time on the team, and Kristin held the title at Southridge for most points, rebounds, and assists for several years after she graduated. To this day, Kristin is still considered one of the top female athletes Southridge has ever seen.

Beyond our athletes, a staple in the growth of our athletics program over the years at Southridge has been the amazing community of coaches, who are truly invested in our student athletes. In the early years of Southridge athletics, Kristin recalls the incredible guidance from people like Mr. James Porpaczy.

Kris�in Hazzar�

CLASS OF 2000

�ame C�an�e�s: �ame C�an�e�s:

“Mr. Porpaczy inspired me to become a coach and mentor,” recalls Kristin. “During my Grade 11 and 12 years, there was no coach for the Grade 8 girls volleyball team, so I stepped up and took on that role with pride.”

Since leaving Southridge, Kristin has gone on to build a career in leading teams as an executive coach and speaker. She credits her years as a Southridge athlete and everything she learned during that time for the path she has taken in her professional life.

Other alumni athletes are equally as eager to attribute their personal success beyond high school to lessons and values learned while playing sports for Southridge.

MAYA KOBYLANSKI, Class of 2020, recalls, “Southridge athletics prioritize being a good person before having an overly competitive mindset,” she says. “I learned a lot about teamwork and perseverance during my time as a Southridge athlete. The values we were taught as students in the classroom translated to the field.”

Support from coaches and how seriously they take their roles as coaches is another theme that stands out when Southridge alumni reflect on their years as student athletes. And beyond the serious side of coaching, our alumni also attribute their coaches for creating a fun and lighthearted sports and team experience.

“Mr. Chiarenza was one of my favourite coaches,” says Maya. “He was my basketball coach and fostered my love for athletics. Coaches can be the make-or-break reason why you stay with sports. I think it’s important to keep sports fun and my Southridge coaches did a really good job at that.”

“Having coaches at Southridge like Ms. Rodriguez-Lang and Ms. Beer, who were fun, weren’t too intense, and had a nice attitude made me want to continue swimming at the University level,” recalls KATHERINE TOY, Class of 2018. “I remember other swim coaches wouldn’t celebrate the team wins, but I would look over and see our coaches jumping up and down,” she says.

Maya Koby�anski CLASS OF 2020

Ka��erine Toy CLASS OF 2018

TESSA MACDOUGALL, Class of 2006, recalls the beginning of her soccer journey and her need at that time for opportunities to learn, gain experience, and develop her skills. “Southridge coaches take the time to get to know their students, and truly “let every spirit soar” both on and off the field,” she says. “Their support in allowing students to chase their dreams and guiding them to reach their full potential is unmatched.”

Tessa shares the story of her soccer coach, Mr. Stinger, who truly saw her potential. He reached out to her about playing above her age group with girls who were older, bigger, and much more experienced. “At that point, I hadn’t really considered that I might have the talent to really grow in the sport and play with girls that were much better than me. Having Mr. Stinger as an advocate and supporter at an early age changed my attitude about what I could accomplish,” she recalls. “Seeing that support from coaches, creates confident athletes.”

The continued support and encouragement from coaches throughout the lives of our students and alumni is also something our alumni feel is remarkable. ROHAN SALL, Class of 2022, recalls seeing his two Junior School basketball coaches, Mr. Anderson and Mr. Gallant cheering him on at his banner game in Grade 12. “Mr. Anderson even helped me choose where to apply to for post-secondary,” says Rohan. Many of our athletes keep in touch with their former Southridge coaches well after graduation and return to campus to share their highlights and accomplishments. Many of our alumni agree that they have skills like fair play, teamwork, communication, confidence, time management, and leadership thanks to the athletics program at Southridge. Beyond the skills gained, our alumni also love to reflect on the memories etched in their minds from their time as student athletes. Many have specific games, team trips, friendships made, and memories of crowds of Southridge supporters that have stayed with them all these years later. These nostalgic moments of celebrating wins, overcoming disappointing losses, bonding with teammates, travelling, and accomplishing big things are what makes being an athlete so special.

NICK COLLETT, Class of 2014, recalls his UK rugby tours in Grade 9 and Grade 11.

“We had the opportunity to travel all over the UK, including England, Scotland, and Wales,” says Nick. “One year, the rugby team was given the unique opportunity to form a billet relationship with a team from Scotland. I stayed with my billet family twice, and my billet came to stay with my family in Grade 12. I was even able to reconnect with him in the past couple of years,” shares Nick. “I attribute my journey with athletics for building my character, and for shaping my morals and the person that I am today.”

Tessa MacDougall has some equally fond memories. “An absolute highlight of my time at Southridge overall was winning the 2006 high school soccer provincial championship,” she says.

“We travelled to Osoyoos and played a lot of games over the course of the weekend. We had an impressive season to that point but hadn’t previously won a championship. The final game was against Osoyoos

Secondary (#1 seed) and I remember we went down 1-0 in the first half. My cousin and close friend Janelle and I managed to combine for both goals in the second half to come back and win. I still remember how many parents, teachers, and fans came all the way out to Osoyoos to watch the championship and support our team, which we appreciated! That weekend we were able to bring home the school’s first banner, and we were all extremely proud to be a part of the milestone.”

Southridge coaches take the time to get to know their students, and truly “let every spirit soar” both on and off the field. Their support in allowing students to chase their dreams and guiding them to reach their full potential is unmatched.

Tessa MacDouga�� CLASS OF 2006

Nick Co��e�� CLASS OF 2014

Ro�an Sa�� CLASS OF 2022

Southridge athletics would not be what it is today without every individual player, coach, and supporter that has been a part of this journey. From national level hockey players and Canadian trials qualified swimmers, to NCAA championship winners, our alumni athletes continue to make us very proud in their post-secondary athletic endeavors. If you walk into the gymnasium today, and look up at the walls, you’ll notice the once bare walls are now peppered with championship banners, reflecting how far Southridge athletics have come, and the legacy that this community continues to create.

Alumni Athletic Achievements

MAYA KOBYLANSKI (Class of 2020) is now a track and field athlete at the University of Idaho, and came in first place in the NCAA’s Big Sky Outdoor Track and Field Conference championship 3,000-m women’s steeplechase.

KRISTIN HAZZARD (Class of 2000) went on to become a triple varsity athlete at McGill and played hockey at the national level.

KATHERINE TOY (Class of 2018) went on to swim on the varsity swim team at McMaster, and was trials qualified in the women’s 200 breaststroke.

TESSA MACDOUGALL (Class of 2006) went on to play NCAA Division I soccer as the captain of Syracuse University.

ROHAN SALL (Class of 2022) is now playing basketball for Langara College.

NICK COLLETT (Class of 2014) went on to play varsity rugby for University of British Columbia.

A�u� �irc�e �omen�

WITH A SOUTHRIDGE FOUNDING TEACHER WITH A SOUTHRIDGE FOUNDING TEACHER

BY PARVEEN LOODU COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING SPECIALIST

We recently had the opportunity to catch up with one of our ‘founding teachers’ (who started with Southridge in 1995), Dr. Jennifer Camulli. When Dr. Camulli was first hired by our founding Head of School, Mr. Alan Brown, she found herself teaching in a White Rock church as the modular building wasn’t ready yet.

“Those early days really cemented us as a family – all of the parents, faculty, and staff were embarking on this journey together at the ground level,” explains Dr. Camulli over a zoom conference call. Dr. Camulli spent her first three years at the school as a Kindergarten teacher and her remaining nine years as a Grade 2 teacher. “I have many fond memories of my time at Southridge,” reflects Dr. Camulli. “I remember making the great trek over to our new school space when it was ready, and we all pitched in to set up the school and classrooms.”

Dr. Camulli enjoyed making connections with her students and their families. She remembers in particular, a little girl named Grace whose parents scraped everything to be able to have their daughter join Southridge. She also recalled that like clockwork around the holiday season, her students would often talk about their big wishlists and all the wonderful things Santa brought them for Christmas.

“I had to sit my students down and explain to them that Santa doesn’t break house rules, so if your parents don’t agree or feel you should have something, Santa always respects your parents’ house rules and values,” remembers Dr. Camulli. “It made Grace feel better and helped some of the other students realize why there’s a discrepancy across homes.”

As she continued to teach at Southridge, Dr. Camulli would often have parents of siblings ask her to share the story about how Santa doesn’t break house rules. “It kind of became a tradition in my classroom, and many parents encouraged me to turn the story into a book,” explains Dr. Camulli.

Seventeen years later, Dr. Camulli did just that publishing Santa Doesn’t Break House Rules in 2021. “I was urged by parents over my years at Southridge to turn my story into a book and it was something that sat with me over the years, and I’m so glad I finally did it,” she explains.

You’ll even notice some very special nods to her time teaching at Southridge, as the bold and colourful illustrations include students wearing some very familiar uniforms as well as a PYP bulletin board, and even supports some of our PYP themes.

First, to each of the classes of Grade 2 students at Southridge School in Surrey, British Columbia, whom I had the privilege to teach for nine years, I dedicate this book to you. This story, borne from my imagination, was a way to teach them about managing expectations and complemented our commitment to support families through World Vision. Thank you to those students, and their parents, for encouraging me to write the story into a book.

Since her years at Southridge, Dr. Camulli has lived all around the world with her husband who is a pilot, spending ten years living in Macao where she’s even been visited by former Southridge students. She completed her PhD in Special Needs/Certified Accessibility and began working as a consultant in developing inclusive educational programming and workplaces.

Embracing the importance of accessibility, it was important to Dr. Camulli for the book to be as inclusive as possible, so it includes QR codes for the deaf and blind on each page with links to sign language and audio options.

“Since my teaching days, I’ve worked a lot in developing inclusive education programming, and I’m so glad to be able to bring all of these passions together in this special project,” reflects Dr. Camulli. “It feels like a full circle moment and I’m happy to share it with the Southridge community.”

Dr. Camulli and Ms. Kooner with their class in 1997.

Dr. Camulli (centre) at the grand opening of the modular building.

THE FUTURE LOOKS BRIGHT –Makers of Change Makers of Change

BY PARVEEN LOODU COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING SPECIALIST

This year our Southridge Junior School students took action and applied their knowledge from their units of inquiry to make a positive impact in the world. Students participated in an initiative called Makers Making Change through the Neil Squire Foundation whose mission is to “connect people with disabilities to volunteer makers who can build affordable assistive technologies.”

Assistive technology refers to devices and tools that help people with disabilities perform tasks that would otherwise be difficult or impossible. Students in our Grades 3, 4, and 7 classes participated in workshops connected to their curriculum that provided unique opportunities to explore innovative thinking and learning.

As part of their inquiry into the ways in which communities develop through innovative thinking, our Grade 3 students learned about how the Neil Squire Foundation and the Makers Making Change program works to provide innovative solutions for people in the community. Students then explored challenges within our school community and designed solutions to help remind students to be quiet and safe when moving through the hallways. The students used modular electronics called Littlebits to create designs such as motion sensor stop signs

roving vehicles with sound sensors to measure and

volume.

Our Grade 4 students built on their inquiry into energy, circuits, and power. Students built simple circuits and learned about how the circuit functions within an assistive switch to provide an on/off switch for adaptive toys.

The students also learned about how this simple addition of a circuit can provide an opportunity for a child with disabilities to have experiences and play with toys they wouldn’t otherwise be able to enjoy.

and

manage

I’m so glad our students went through this experience - they really saw themselves as makers of change, practicing empathy and taking action

During the Makers Making Change workshops, Grade 7 students participated in an initiative called Hacking for the Holidays in which they hacked, stripped, soldered, and built raindrop switches which help children with disabilities control their adapted toys. The devices were connected to adapted toys and donated to BC Children’s Hospital, Sunny Hill Health Centre, and Sunnyside.

In design class, Grade 7 students learned about 3D printing and participated in the ‘Make:able’ Challenge through the Neil Squire Foundation – in which participants design and make a 3D-printed product or prototype that improves the day-to-day life of someone with a disability or the elderly.

Over the course of four months, students interviewed friends and elderly family members who may have, either through disability or the effects of aging, lost the ability to do something they used to be able to do, such as holding a screwdriver or a knife independently. They then designed and produced 3D-printed devices to respond to their users' needs.

Our Grade 7 students designed 3D printed devices ranging from a paintbrush holder for a grandparent who lost the ability to grip a paintbrush due to arthritis in his hands, to a hairdryer support tool for an individual who recently had shoulder

surgery. Other designs included a vegetable slicer, an adaptive video game controller, and a key turner as well as so many other thoughtful, responsive, and personalized devices.

“I’m so glad our students went through this experiencethey really saw themselves as makers of change, practicing empathy and taking action - realizing that through creativity and innovation, they can create products that support communities and address real challenges,” explains Ms. Jiwa, our Junior School Technology Teacher.

Southridge is fortunate to offer our students these unique opportunities to plant the seed for them to become future makers of change.

LEARNING, GROWING, AND TAKING ACTION TOGETHER TOWARDS

�ru�� an� Reconci�ia�ion

BY DARREN JONES ASSISTANT HEAD OF SCHOOL

As Assistant Head of School, I oversee three major strategic initiatives that are connected to three major global influencers. They include:

• Pluralism

• The Environment

• Truth and Reconciliation

For anyone who has done work in any of these areas, you know that they are interconnected issues that cannot be separated from each other. Quite simply, respecting diversity (Pluralism) requires including Indigenous perspectives and knowledge (Truth and Reconciliation), which are deeply connected to the land and water (Environment). You see? These things cannot be separated. That said, I am now going to separate them and speak specifically to Truth and Reconciliation, and what we’ve been doing as a school to walk down that path.

When we started our strategic efforts towards Truth and Reconciliation, I remember the early discussions being centred on questions like, “To what extent can schools like ours be responsible for advancing reconciliation? How can we make things better? And where do we even start?” Ultimately it was agreed that as a school, a place of learning, our goal should be to start there. After all, Reconciliation will be impossible if people still don’t learn the Truth behind Canada’s colonial past. So, to pursue Truth, our community has focused on learning. The learning has been different for various groups, so let me explain a little more:

For our students, the curriculum offers many opportunities to connect with Indigenous knowledge and understanding. All of our teachers have spent time connecting their practices to the First Peoples Principles of Learning. Whether working on a Land-Based Learning project in a Grade 6 homeroom class,

or discussing Indigenous history/literature at the Harkness table in one of our newly offered BC First Peoples or English First Peoples courses in the Senior School, our students have many opportunities to learn Truth in the curriculum.

All of our Senior School students, and even students as young as Grade 5, have spent time learning how to write personalized land acknowledgements and they have since been reading them aloud at school events, including: school assemblies, music concerts, drama performances, and even at beach cleanups on the shores of Semiahmoo Bay.

For our staff, learning has taken many shapes. From onehour Reconciliation webinars, to full days of professional development, our staff are keen and interested. Just recently, a few of us had the privilege of completing a course titled, Reconciliation Through Indigenous Education (UBC EdX). I walked away with a new level of understanding of the trauma that Indigenous people have experienced for centuries and continued to develop my appreciation for the resilience of Indigenous arts, language, and culture.

As a full staff, we committed a Professional Development Day working with Mr. Perry Smith (Kanilq a?) who is the Assistant Superintendent in the Abbotsford School District, and member of the Bonaparte First Nation. In collaboration with two of our very own teachers, Ms. Joyce Kim, and Ms. Brittney Townrow (now at West Point Grey Academy), we spent the day learning with Perry, connecting with the land, and understanding why such a connection is so important. All staff then went through the process of writing personalized land acknowledgements that have since been shared at school events.

Perry has also done work with our Board of Governors, leading discussions around what capacity and what responsibility schools like ours have, to advancing Truth and Reconciliation. This winter, both the Board and our Senior Management Team completed a course offered by the Indigenous Relations Academy. The course was based on Bob Joseph’s book, 21ThingsYouMayNotKnowabouttheIndianAct.This learning opportunity did a wonderful job of helping us better understand the complexities of this legal document, and we learned about its cruel and enduring legacy as part of our journey to better understand the Truth.

Really, while much of our efforts to this point have been focused on learning and the Truth, we have also taken some actionable steps towards Reconciliation.

I have learned that Reconciliation is rooted in action and cannot be a passive effort.

In terms of actions, we have taken a few good steps already:

• We actively participate in and promote Orange Shirt Day and National Day for Truth and Reconciliation events.

• We have collectively and publicly mourned and recognized the loss of students at Indian Residential Schools.

• We have made donations to Indigenous organizations including Nations Skate Youth and the Vancouver Aboriginal Friendship Centre Society.

• We have committed to advancing Truth and Reconciliation as a strategic endeavour, supported by our Board of Governors.

• We continue to host meetings with other South Surrey and White Rock educators, and in partnership with the Semiahmoo First Nation, are working to develop teaching resources that will specifically teach about the Semiahmoo First Nation history, and Indigenous history in our local area south of the Fraser River.

Perhaps most notably as an act of Reconciliation, Southridge has begun to make meaningful connections with Indigenous groups and partners. A personal highlight for me was hosting an incredible full school assembly in February, at which our staff and students were treated to a rich cultural presentation that included Indigenous drumming, singing, and dancing. We watched, listened, and learned so much as a community. The path to Reconciliation will be a long one, but Southridge is committed! As we continue to learn and take action in the pursuit of Truth and Reconciliation, I look forward to sharing more of our progress with you.

�oo� �riends ARE

GOOD FOR US GOOD FOR US

BY ERIN LABBÉ DIRECTOR, COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING

Since 2008, Southridge has conducted regular student surveys. One question that has been asked on every survey invites students to provide feedback on the statement: “I have at least one close friend at Southridge.” Since 2008, 85-90% of Southridge students have responded “agree” or “strongly agree” with this statement. This is an important measure, and one that the school pays close attention to when evaluating and considering the general health and wellness of Southridge students. Why? Because friendships are a crucial ingredient for happiness and emotional well-being – and for physical health too. Science has even proven it!

In her book, Friendship, published in 2020 by W.W. Norton & Co., science journalist and author, Lydia Denworth, takes readers in search of friendship’s biological, psychological, and evolutionary foundations. She finds friendship to be as old as early life on the African savannas – when tribes of people grew large enough for individuals to seek fulfillment of their social needs outside their immediate families.

Denworth sees this urge to connect reflected in primates, too, taking readers to a monkey sanctuary in Puerto Rico and a baboon colony in Kenya to examine social bonds that offer insights into human relationships. She meets scientists at the frontiers of brain and genetics research and discovers that friendship is reflected in our brain waves, our genomes, and

our cardiovascular and immune systems. Denworth uses field biology and neuroscience to show how our bodies and minds are designed for friendship across life stages, the processes by which healthy social bonds are developed and maintained, and how friendship is changing in the age of social media.

Ultimately, through her research and writing, Denworth’s hope is that people will understand that good friends are good for us.

“The message is not that I want people to think of friendship as another chore. I am hoping that people feel this is giving them permission to make friends a priority. To spend time with their friends and to know that when they do, they’re doing something good for their own health and for their friends’ health.”

T�e Na�ure of T�ings: The Secrets of Friendship

In the CBC’s The Nature of Things latest documentary by filmmaker Judith Pyke, TheSecretsofFriendship, viewers meet some amazing scientists as they investigate the social lives of humans and other animals in the hunt for clues and patterns to decode the mysterious world of friendship. The documentary seeks to answer: What makes dogs our best friends? Do dolphins and humans have anything in common when it comes to friendship behaviours? Why do we have friends in the first place?

The article below by Vancouver Sun reporter, Shawn Conner, shares more insight into the documentary.

If there’s one thing that can be said about living through a nearly two-year lockdown, it’s that you find out who your friends are — and what they mean to you.

“Friends have always been important in my life, and when we were in lockdown during COVID, I started missing them a lot,” filmmaker Judith Pyke says.

Beverley Fehr, a University of Winnipeg PhD psychologist who researches friendships, says that we’ve learned a lot about friendships since she published her book, Friendship Processes , in 1996.

“The assumption going into research on relationships and well-being was that marriage is the key player here. It was relatively much later when people started to look at benefits of friendship. And what we know now is that having close satisfying friendships is incredibly beneficial to our physical health and to our emotional and mental health.”

Something we are learning more about is the difference in how men and women approach friendship. TheSecretsof Friendshiptouches on Fehr’s experiments in how the sexes bond and their overall satisfaction with their friendships.

“One thing that’s pretty clear from the research is that men’s friendships, particularly with other men, are not as close as women’s friendships, not as intimate,” Fehr said.

“Also, when you ask people how happy they are with their friendship or how satisfied they are, men provide lower ratings than women. I was putting the pieces together and thinking well, is the reason that men aren’t as happy in their friendships because they cannot open up as much and cannot just share personal information? That led me to do the research featured in the documentary, this idea that we knew that women and men do friendships differently.”

~ Judith Pyke

“I also started noticing a lot of different conversations that people were having about aspects of their friendships that were being challenged by COVID. It got me really interested in why this is so important to us and what the science says about friendship. And when I started looking into the science of friendship, I was so fascinated and blown away by it, but I thought it was perfect for a documentary.”

Produced, directed, and co-written by Pyke, the documentary uncovers the latest research into friendships — how we form them, the benefits of having them, and the differences between how men and women approach them.

Research into friendships is a relatively recent phenomenon.

“It wasn’t that long ago that friendship was kind of an ‘F’ word in biology, and scientists were apprehensive about using the term to describe some of these relationships they were seeing — they would talk instead about ‘affiliative bonds.’”

There is more to the documentary, including some heartwarming findings about bottlenose dolphins off the coast of Australia and rhesus macaque monkeys in Puerto Rico. TheSecretsofFriendshipalso visits the ToddlerLab in London, where researchers investigate how infants form attachments. At UCLA, Canadian scientist Carolyn Parkinson explores whether brain scans can predict who will become friends. And for the dog-lovers out there, the documentary covers a canine cognition researcher in Tempe, Ariz., who asks: Do our dogs like us more than food?

For Pyke, the documentary made her realize even more just how important her friends are.

“And the research bears that out. Friendship is really important for living a good life, and it’s associated with all sorts of positive health outcomes, like longevity. You tend to live a longer life if you have solid, good healthy friendships.”

Friendship is really important for living a good life, and it’s associated with all sorts of positive health outcomes, like longevity.

MR. TEJA

AND

MR. LATTA

MR.

LATTA A �ife�ong �rien�s�ip: MR. TEJA AND

BY PARVEEN LOODU COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING SPECIALIST ALYSSA SLOBODIAN WEBSITE AND DIGITAL CONTENT COORDINATOR

Many people are surprised to find out about the unique friendship between our very own IT department’s Mr. Raheem Teja and Mr. Peter Latta.

They first met in their high school computer science class in 1998 and quickly bonded over their shared interest in the subject. Mr. Latta ended up going to BCIT for Computer Science, while Mr. Teja attended SFU to study Engineering. Despite attending different post-secondary institutions, they continued to stay in touch over the years and to maintain a close friendship.

Mr. Latta acknowledges, “It’s important to have strong friendships as it opens up opportunities. It allows you to have someone to talk to, and someone who always has your back.”

After graduating high school from New Westminster Secondary School, Mr. Latta and his girlfriend (now wife) moved into their first apartment together. They went out of their way to help Mr. Teja secure an apartment in the same building complex.

“It was a lot of fun being able to live so close,” explains Mr. Teja. “It really enabled us to stay connected and spend time together.”

Over time, they realized they wanted to invest in purchasing a home, and given their limited resources at the time, they decided to figure out a way to do it together (even though it seemed unusual, especially back in those days).

Mr. Latta says, “I see Raheem as my brother, we are family. Now Raheem has become ‘Uncle Heems’ to my two children.”

The trio came up with a contracted agreement and purchased their first home together in 2009 and then again in 2019. While Mr. Teja has always had his own separate living space from the Latta family, he has definitely been a part of Mr. Latta’s son and daughter’s core memories as he’s always been around and shared in many special times.

When Mr. Teja started his job at Southridge fifteen years ago, he had no hesitation about who to recommend for a new IT position opening. “There was no doubt in my mind that Peter was the right person for this job,” reflects Mr. Teja.

Twenty-four years of friendship and fifteen years of being colleagues, Mr. Teja and Mr. Latta’s bond is a testament to the importance of strong friendships in both personal and professional life. The respect and kindness they have for one another is a reminder that true friendship is built on a foundation of mutual trust, support, and care.

Mr. Teja says, “We are brothers - Peter is smart, funny, and dependable. Friendship is something you shouldn’t take for granted because that person can become such a big part of your life and everything would be different without them.”

Spring COLOURING CONTEST

Spring COLOURING CONTEST

SOUTHRIDGE IS SO FORTUNATE TO HAVE A WELL-ROUNDED AND TALENTED ATHLETICS DEPARTMENT!

�o S�orm!

Matea Collins in Grade 11 created this wonderful design of Sal achieving athletic excellence. All Southridge students (Kindergarten to Grade 12) are invited to participate in our colouring contest. Please tear this page out and dazzle us with your fantastic colouring skills!

Entries can either be emailed to marcomm@southridge.bc.ca or dropped off at the Junior or Senior School Receptions by Friday, June 16. Please be sure to include your name and email address on your completed colouring sheet.

Name:

Email Address:

Four winners will be drawn to receive some great sport-based prizes – we can’t wait to see your entries (which we look forward to sharing on our social media channels.)

��'s Picnic Season!

��'s Picnic Season!

'Tis the season to get outside, enjoy the fresh air, and catch a few sunrays. And what better way to do that than by planning a picnic! To help you plan and enjoy the experience, use this handy picnic essentials list, and select a location based on recommendations from our Southridge faculty and staff!

A few favourite �oca� recommendations!

My favourite local outdoor spot is Crescent Beach. I love being close to or on the ocean and seeing all the birds - my favourite way to experience it is having a sunset sushi picnic on my paddle board in the summer with my husband.

Blackie Spit Park is a great spot for a beach picnic. I tend to visit this location so that my dog Willow can swim in the ocean at the off-leash dog swim park. There are trails to enjoy and on a clear day the views are stunning.

Redwood Park is a lovely local picnic spot with a richness of diverse, full-grown trees from around the world, several open fields, meadows, covered picnic tables with bbq pits, an excellent playground, and a fairy house village. The park truly has something for everybody and is a wonderful place to spend a sunny day.

PICNIC BASKET

BUG SPRAY

PICNIC BLANKET

GARBAGE BAGS

TANYA DE HOOG JUNIOR SCHOOL PRINCIPAL

DARCIE SAGERT DIRECTOR OF HUMAN RESOURCES

CHRIS WESTENDORF SENIOR SCHOOL MEDIA ARTS TEACHER

ALUMNI REFLECTION: ALUMNI REFLECTION: THE RUSH OF LIVE

��asi�g ��o�uc�io�

BY LAURA MOORE SOUTHRIDGE CLASS OF 2002

As Southridge presented Oscar Wilde’s production of The Importance of Being Earnest, Laura Moore (Class of 2002), reflects on her own experience as stage manager for the same show during her time as a Southridge student more than two decades ago, and shares life lessons she gained while participating in our school’s theatre program.

I always knew I wanted to work in theatre. One of my most vivid childhood memories is standing in the wings of a theatre during a dance recital. I was four years old, dressed in a bright turquoise spandex suit, about to perform onstage for the first

time. What strikes me about that moment, even all these years later, is how little I cared about actually going onstage. I wasn’t excited or nervous. But I was completely entranced with the whirlwind of activity around me. People were running around wearing headsets or costumes. Holding clipboards or props. There was an electricity in the air, and I have never forgotten that first rush of being backstage and seeing a live production come together. It’s a rush I’ve been chasing ever since.

I was a latecomer to Southridge, arriving in the fall of 2001 for my final year of high school. It was somewhere in that first week of school that I auditioned for the fall musical, Little Shop of Horrors, and I was cast as one of the Ronettes, a trio of street urchins who sing entirely in three-part harmony. Which was unfortunate, because at that point in my life (and to this day actually), I had no idea how to sing in harmony. As a result, my role was recast, but I still wanted to be part of the show, taking on the various smaller parts and one-liners. More importantly, I started taking on more of the work that was going on backstage. And I loved it.

So much so, that when it was announced that Southridge would be doing a spring production of The Importance of Being Earnest, I didn’t even consider auditioning. Instead, I asked if I could be the assistant director, and eventually took on the role that I would later discover was called the stage manager. One Oscar Wilde production later, I was hooked. I graduated from Southridge in 2002 and went to Simon Fraser University to study film production and technical theatre with a specialization in stage management. After graduating in 2006, I threw myself into the Vancouver theatre

scene, working every possible backstage job that I could. In 2007, I joined my first national tour as the assistant stage manager for Axis Theatre’s The Number 14. And in 2008, I was promoted to stage manager and took The Number 14 on my first international tour. I continued to work primarily as a stage manager for the next several years, and I loved every minute of it. I was working in theatre, getting paid to travel, and watching incredibly talented artists perform every night. I was also working incredibly long hours, and life on the road isn’t nearly as glamorous as the movies make it out to be. But I was still very aware of how fortunate I was to be doing what I loved. The 2010 Vancouver Olympics were a turning point in my career. I was hired by NBC Olympics to help run the logistics of their engineering department, and to this day it’s one of the best jobs I’ve ever had. I quickly discovered that all my skills that I had been honing as a stage manager were completely transferable, as sports broadcasting is basically one big live production. Except instead of performing to an audience of a couple hundred, you’re broadcasting to millions of people around the world. It was a pressure cooker, but I loved it, and I went on to work the 2012 Olympics in London and the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Paris.

Speaking of Paris, in 2014, I moved to the City of Light for what was supposed to be a four-month-long bucket list adventure. Instead, over the past eight and a half years I’ve made France my permanent home. I’ve also transitioned yet again, taking my stage management skills to the world of event production. I work primarily in the social good space, working on events for organizations like The Rockefeller Foundation, the Bayer Foundation, the Skoll Foundation, and Ending Pandemics. Different industry, same skills. And there’s not a day onsite that I don’t use something I learned from working in theatre. In fact, I was recently reminded of something that I learned during my time backstage with The Importance of Being Earnest at Southridge.

During one of our performances, a curtain fell during the first act, which meant it was blocking the slideshow projection that was running during the show. I decided to fix it during the intermission by attempting to tie it up from above. Unfortunately, no one out front knew this. So while I was up

in the loft tying up the rope (with several actors up ladders helping me), someone decided that intermission was over and the lights suddenly dimmed to start Act II. In that moment, I learned the very important lesson that when it comes to live productions, there always has to be one person in charge of calling the show, and everyone else has to be in constant communication with that one person. Otherwise, you might find yourself being prompted to start the show when the rest of the team is far from ready to do so. Something I saw happen recently when I watched an MC at an event introducing a famous speaker who wasn’t in the room yet. It was an incredibly awkward moment to witness, and it happened because there wasn’t a dedicated person calling the show. Something Southridge and The Importance of Being Earnest taught me when I was 17 years old. Today, I still work in theatre as the production manager and in-house stage manager for a theatre company based out of Quebec, and in the summer of 2022, we produced The Masks of Oscar Wilde at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Twenty years after watching my classmates perform as Lady Bracknell and Jack Worthing, I got to watch the same scene play out again every day in Edinburgh. It’s amazing how life can sometimes come full circle. We’re currently preparing to debut a brand-new show about Christopher Marlowe at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe, and in the fall, we’ll be taking both shows on the road. I wish I could tell four-year-old me that chasing the rush of live production never gets old.

I want to extend a huge congratulations to the cast and crew of this year’s revival of The Importance of Being Earnest. I’m sad I couldn’t see it in person, but I know you all did an incredible job. I was also thrilled to speak with you all over Zoom and recount my Oscar Wilde stories from over 20 years ago. It makes me really happy to know that Southridge’s incredible theatre tradition has continued all these years.

REFLECTIONS: STUDENT REFLECTIONS:

Ou��oor E�uca�ion

Outdoor Education is an important part of a Southridge student’s experience. Students learn to appreciate and understand their natural environment through experience while developing the skills and attitudes required to both enjoy and excel in the outdoors. The program’s goal is to support students in acquiring the knowledge and values that support their development as global, environmentally aware citizens, and responsible stewards of the planet.

Here are some reflections from students on their outdoor education experiences during the 2022-23 school year.

HOW HAS YOUR OUTDOOR EDUCATION EXPERIENCE BEEN THIS YEAR?

I participated in the Juan de Fuca backpack and Howe Sound kayak trips. These two trips were both two-night outdoor trips, the perfect chance to make great memories with friends and people who I didn’t really know but who loved the same things as me. Southridge outdoor ed trips are always so amazingly planned and so fun to participate in. The teachers are passionate about what they do and the trips themselves are so challenging and exhilarating.

I really enjoyed my outdoor education experience this year.  Going to camp and learning how to canoe and build a fire was really cool. It was fun to spend almost a week with my classmates just playing outdoors and getting to learn these new outdoor skills.

I was really happy to be able to go back to overnight trips for outdoor ed this year. I am in Grade 8, so I attended Strathcona Adventure program for a week. We had amazing weather so that always makes camp more fun. We stayed in cabins at Strathcona and participated in rock climbing, a nature hike and did low and high ropes courses.

My Outdoor Education experience this year was amazing! We went to Camp Summit in Valley Road, Squamish. All the staff were super friendly and helpful. Camp this year was different for the Grade 7’s because it was our first year going to camp.

WHAT WAS THE MOST VALUABLE THING YOU LEARNED DURING THE OUTDOOR EDUCATION PROGRAM?

I learned what nature can do for you. In our daily lives we rely so heavily on technology that the moment we step outside of that realm, we don’t know what to do with ourselves. These trips have helped me to learn to enjoy the quiet moments and to appreciate what nature has to offer.

The most valuable thing I learned was how to collaborate with classmates. When we learned how to canoe, we had to work together so we didn’t just go around and around in circles. I think doing this at the beginning of the year helps you prepare for working on group projects with your classmates.

The best thing about the Strathcona trip was getting to bond with the new students who came to Southridge for Grade 8. I think having a week away outside doing fun activities together was a really good way to get to know each other. I also felt like it was a good chance to get to know some of our teachers better too. Something that I learned on the out trip was that if everyone pitched in, the jobs got done smoothly and quickly and people were happy and had a good time.

One of the most valuable things I learned from going to camp this year was that spending time with your friends in person is really important and fun! I was spending more time around people I don’t usually hang out with and I got to know everyone a lot better. Spending time with my friends was really fun even though I’ve known them for so long, there is still so much to learn about and from them.

DID YOU LEARN ANY NEW SKILLS OR DISCOVER NEW PASSIONS WHILE PARTICIPATING?

Yes! I had never been camping prior to my grade eight year. Now I love backpacking, kayaking, and anything to do with being outdoors has become my passion. I have learned how to fulfill that passion safely. I have learned key skills like backcountry cooking, tent setup, and how to work alongside so many different people.

I learned how to build a fire, canoe, how to make tea from leaves and how to climb some really high ropes. The best part was definitely the fire building. It was really satisfying to build your own fire from scratch.

I’ve always liked rock climbing but I don’t get to do it outside very much, so I really enjoyed doing that. I also really liked learning about the different rock-climbing knots to keep the belays and harnesses safe.

One of the many new skills that I learned was how to ask good questions. We had lots of time to interact with other schools and the camp staff. An example of this would be when we were going on a hike and we would have partners and walk in twos. Every ten minutes, we would switch partners and get different questions to ask them.

WHAT WERE THE HARDEST PARTS/BIGGEST CHALLENGES?

One of the hardest parts was realizing that sometimes it’s more important to listen to yourself and others before over-pushing past what you can physically do. Additionally, I am very much a busy body. Learning to be still or even just to look around and enjoy the moment rather than focusing on the destination had been difficult but proven helpful.

The hardest part was the lead up of having to sleep away from home. I had never been to a summer camp or done anything like that before. The weeks leading up to it I was pretty nervous just because I didn’t know what to expect. It actually ended up being really fun and not bad at all. The teachers and the counsellors were really good and helped us with anything we needed.

The toughest thing for me was eating a mostly vegetarian diet. I love meat and feel like I need meat to help keep me full.

The biggest challenge was remembering that there were other schools there too, not just us.

WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR OTHERS WHO WILL PARTICIPATE IN THE FUTURE?

Packing appropriately is key to having the best experience. Remember that rain pants may not look good but they are necessary! I think the most important thing is to just go for it and try it out. There’s no better way to see if you like something than by just throwing yourself at it and trying.

Definitely not to worry! Everything I was worried about turned out to be no big deal at all. Try to go in with an open mind! It actually goes by really fast and before you know it you are on the bus coming home. And now I am excited for our Outdoor Experience next year!

The advice I would give is to be open-minded. Be open to trying new activities and while you might feel nervous about being in a cabin or activity group with different people, just know that it’s actually a great way to bond with new people. Use it to your advantage to grow stronger friendships and have fun!

Have fun and don’t stress about things like food because it was all delicious!

Finis�ing S�ro�g!

As we near the end of the campaign – June 30th, 2023 – we invite all members of the Southridge community to join us in reaching our goal of 100% participation.

TOGETHER, WE CAN ACCOMPLISH SOMETHING EXTRAORDINARY

For nearly 30 years, Southridge families have believed that together, we can accomplish extraordinary things. To truly make a difference in the world, we know that it isn’t enough to invest in this generation of students, we must also invest in the next.

The families who founded our school in 1995 understood this. They invested financially in the buildings and grounds that our students benefit from today and ensured that there would be room for future growth. Their commitment laid the foundation for where we are today – investing, once again, in the potential of our children and generations of children to come.

SOUTHRIDGE WAS AT A TURNING POINT

In 2019, Southridge was at a critical turning point where our ability to deliver certain forward-thinking programs, comprehensive student services and leading-edge, designoriented technology was limited by our space. That year, we launched Our Way Forward: The Campaign for Southridge, a capital fundraising campaign that would allow us to upgrade our campus to meet these needs.

To date, more than 200 Southridge families have supported Our Way Forward and we have raised more than $6 million. This is an incredible achievement, given that we had to pause the campaign during the height of the pandemic. But today, we are moving forward with more urgency.

NOW, MORE THAN EVER, WE NEED EVERY SOUTHRIDGE FAMILY TO HELP

In May 2022, our Board, which has a history of fiscal prudence, had to weigh the costs of waiting until our fundraising goals were reached, against the steadily rising costs of construction and pandemic-related delays. They decided to proceed with construction and beginning in

2023, borrowed any funds still needed to complete the work, even as fundraising continues. To ensure that we incur as little debt as possible, we are asking every Southridge family to consider donating to the campaign before June 30th, 2023.

As a community, we have always imagined the possibilities and acted on them, equipping each new generation of leaders, changemakers, artists and innovators with the tools to transform the world.

YOUR SUPPORT WILL HAVE AN IMPACT FOR GENERATIONS TO COME

Once the Our Way Forward fundraising campaign ends, we will re-establish the Legacy Giving Program in September 2023, so that our community can continue to pay down its debt and move forward with critical campus enhancement and infrastructure projects. In doing so, we are following in the footsteps of the school families before us who steadfastly repaid the initial investment in our school grounds and buildings over a period of nearly 25 years. Like us, they believed that contribution is at the heart of what we inherit, and what we pass on.

The Southridge story is one of determination and vision. As a community, we have always imagined the possibilities and have come together to act on them. Your commitment to Our Way Forward by June 30, 2023 will ensure that we can continue to provide exceptional learning experiences and unforgettable memories for future generations of Southridge students.

Help us continue the legacy today. Scan the QR code to support the campaign. Gifts of any amount are needed, appreciated, and valued.

O�, How We Ha�e Grown!

Thanks to the support of Southridge families, since 1995, our school has continued to mature and thrive as a place where students develop the skills, knowledge, and goodness to make a difference in the world. None of this would have been possible without you. Take a short journey down memory lane to see just how far our campus and facilities have come, in so little time.

1995 1995

Our first Southridge classrooms at Seaview Church.

2000 -2001 2000 -2001

Construction and completion of our Junior School. Our campus is complete (for now).

1996 1996

Our home on 160th is secured. Construction begins on the first modular building that will eventually become the location of our Junior School.

2000 2000

Modular Junior School disassembled and land prepped for permanent Junior School construction.

1997 1997

Construction of our Senior School is underway.

1998 1998

Senior School is complete.

2003

-2004 2003 -2004

Grounds and fields are developed.

2022-TODAY 2022-TODAY

2010 2010

Senior School addition is built and complete.

2010 2010

The world around us is changing!

Southridge is no longer a farm school with horses for neighbours.

Construction begins (and continues!) on our Junior School expansion and Senior School renovations. Learn more about these projects and support the completion of the Our Way Forward campaign at www.southridge.bc.ca/ourwayforward

2018-2020 2018-2020

Administration Annex is built and complete, making space in the Senior School for additional classrooms, new Learning Resources and Counselling areas, and the Design Lab.

A

communi�y

WHERE EVERY SPIRIT soars

Southridge develops well-rounded students with a deep sense of personal integrity who have the moral character, love of learning and self-confidence to realize their full potential

EACH STUDENT IS ENCOURAGED AND CHALLENGED TO BE SOMEONE WHO:

• IS A LIFE-LONG LEARNER

• HAS STUDY, CRITICAL THINKING AND COMMUNICATION SKILLS

• IS A CREATIVE AND INDEPENDENT THINKER

• HAS A POSITIVE ATTITUDE

• SEEKS THEIR PASSION

• BELIEVES IN THE VALUES OF TRUTH, TOLERANCE, COMPASSION AND RESPECT

• UNDERSTANDS THE SACRIFICE AND REWARDS OF COMMUNITY SERVICE

• HAS AN APPRECIATION OF, AND A DESIRE FOR, LIFE-LONG PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND FITNESS

• COMMITS TO PERSONAL WELLNESS

• APPRECIATES THE ARTS AND THEIR CONTRIBUTION TO A RICHER LIFE

• CAN WORK EFFECTIVELY AS PART OF A TEAM

IN SUMMARY

SOMEONE WHO makes a difference IN THE WORLD.

100%

This booklet is printed with Rolland Enviro® Print, made with 100% recycled content. Greenhouse gas emissions from the paper lifecycle, the transport, and the printing of this item have been offset through investments in energy efficiency and non-fossil fuel energy technologies.