Spirit Confident girls. Inspiring women.
St. Margaret’s School | Winter 2016
Striving for Excellence
School of One All About
Wellness
Strong Girls, Strong Communities From Worry to Wellness: Mindfulness
Learning Commons Collaboration Is Key
service learning With Love
Confident girls. Inspiring women. Confident girls. Inspiring women. SMS Spirit | 01
“It’s not just about doing well but also being well.”
Cathy Thornicroft | Head of School
-SMS parent
New Year – New Opportunities! It is my pleasure to welcome you back and officially kick off 2016 by introducing a new design in this winter edition of Spirit. Last year was a great year at SMS as we fully implemented our strategic plan celebrating the importance of the values symbolized by the red blazer to our students and to our community. We are now fully immersed in the CAIS (Canadian Association of Independent Schools) accreditation process that requires us to reflect on our instructional programs, learning facilities, and opportunities for community engagement to ensure that we are truly living our strategic vision and mission in every facet of school life – thus demonstrating a growth mindset toward excellence. St. Margaret’s is a place that demands students and staff be their best and set high expectations for ourselves, for one another, and for our community. Our goal is to continually engage in dialogue that can help us be better, asking how we can play to our strengths, leverage the opportunities around us, and identify those areas for growth that will validate our present successes and provide a legacy of constant improvement that secures our school in the future.
In looking back over this past year, there is much to celebrate: the Wellness Centre, Learning Commons, Programs of Distinction, and our community partnerships with Girls Learning Coding, Oceans Network Canada, University of Victoria, and more. We fully embraced STEM, expanded inquiry-based learning from JK to Grade 12, and ensured that our curricular/co-curricular programs were engaging and inclusive in supporting our girls to grow in confidence, explore their passions, and feel safe trying new things and taking risks. This past November, I had the opportunity to embark on my third trip to China where I met with our “Come from Away” families. Listening to their insights on why they have chosen St. Margaret’s for their daughters was both rewarding and insightful. I heard such comments as: “It’s not just about doing well but also being well.” “In Canada, students are required to be active learners. At SMS, the girls learn through asking questions and leading their own learning.”
Visiting families in China December 2015
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“Success is not about making money but rather being happy.” “The Big Sister/Little Sister program provides our daughters with a sibling that they don’t get to experience being an only child.” Their trust in us to provide an education that is worthy of sending their daughters overseas under the care of our incredible residence staff is humbling and reflects the quality of what we deliver – both in the classroom and in residence. As we begin preparations for what 2016 can offer, I am mindful of the importance of wellness, personalized learning, and creating spaces that support our programs and help create our “school of one.” Please embrace this opportunity to read about and share our success stories, recognizing that your support and commitment will propel St. Margaret’s forward and provide long-term direction and excitement for the future. I believe 2016 promises many exciting opportunities as we complete the accreditation process and begin discussions on campus renewal. Thank you for being part of the SMS story – now and into the future.
Well ness Strong Girls, Strong Community by Jennifer van Hardenberg Communications Coordinator (Editor)
On September 15, 2015, SMS unveiled its renovated Athletics and Wellness Centre. Brimming with light, air, and new equipment, the expanded Centre more than doubles the size of the school’s original training facilities. The contemporary glass structure has all the trappings of a popular fitness club and is surrounded by natural beauty. A 1,200-square-foot open-air yoga and workout space is a particular highlight of the renovation. From the moment students enter the space – where the dramatic and welcoming Living Wall of plants stands at the entrance – students are surrounded in a beautiful, peaceful atmosphere. In the expansion and revitalization of this fitness area, the school has endeavoured to encourage students to take care of their minds, bodies, and spirits. From weight training equipment to cardio machines to light-filled spaces for individual training and group fitness classes, the new facility has something for everyone. Completed as part of the ongoing Creating Special Places campaign, the project would not have been possible without the generous support of donations from current families or the insights of SMS students themselves. Detail of the Living Wall
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Key Features of Wellness Centre
• Unveiled in September 2015 • More than double the size of original indoor fitness facility • Added 112 square metres (1,200 square feet) of covered outdoor training space • Non-slip, impact-absorbing fitness flooring • Bright, contemporary glassenclosure with privacy panels • New equipment including spin bikes, TRX, and rowing machines • New programming added including group training, one-onone coaching, and spin classes • Original artwork features inspiring quotes and brings outside in with nature-theme visuals and photography from Outweek • Living Wall built at entrance to outdoor training area features nearly 300 plants making a dramatic focal point and creating a calm environment for reflection • Donor-supported project as part of Creating Special Places
Wellness
“It’s not just about grades. It’s also about developing a healthy lifestyle where I can pursue physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being.”
Nurturing Mind, Body, and Spirit
The idea for the Wellness Centre started in the Steering Committee, which initiated a survey of all students in the Senior Years to identify sources of stress and measure a variety of health-related benchmarks. The Steering Committee is a group of students, teachers, and administrators who lead initiatives to advance the goals of the Strategic Plan. Its mandate is to elevate student voices and identify areas in which to invest funds and focus. “Looking at health, the number of hours of homework, and the amount of stress… the girls came up with all of that. The survey was a way to engage their peers and gather feedback,” says Darlene DeMerchant, Director of Curriculum, who sat on last year’s Steering Committee and helped design the survey.
SMS Strategic Plan, Educational Principle #6: Personal Growth opportunity and accessibility that our students identified as a challenge for them, and that was standing in the way of achieving wellness.”
Darlene points out that wellness is not a priority exclusive to SMS. A more holistic approach to health has been prioritized by both the BC Ministry of Education and the Canadian independent school’s accrediting association, CAIS. “Character education, including mindfulness, nutrition and fitness, are embedded in BC’s new curriculum, which is currently being implemented,” says Darlene. “Wellness is also an indicator of effective practice in the CAIS accreditation process, so we are not alone in taking our The results of the wellness survey youth’s health very seriously.” were surprising. Says Cathy Thornicroft, Head of School, The positive impacts of healthful “Our students understand habits are well documented and the importance of health and lie at the core of the school’s fitness, and of finding balance between academic pursuits and approach to personal growth and physical fitness. physical activity. But it was the
A Culture of Inclusivity
The Living Wall at the entrance to the covered outdoor training area
the Numbers
In the winter of 2015, over 101 students from Grades 9 to 12 participated in a survey to measure various indicators of wellness and identify sources of stress. Some overarching trends in student responses:
• Safety: students feel safe at school and with being themselves, and feel comfortable selfadvocating and interacting with faculty and staff.
• Great Expectations: students feel pressure to
Our students agree or strongly agree:
89% Proud to be a student at SMS 98% Feel safe 93% Comfortable being myself 94% Building positive relationships with people from other cultures Top sources of stress
#1 Tests and exams #2 Planning for the future • Homework: our students report a large number of #3 Expectations of self participate and “do it all,” while also achieving at high levels.
hours are spent on homework, which was raised as a concern by the team reviewing the data.
(Other minor sources of stress included activities, relationships, self-identity, and pressure from parents.)
65% of student responders said they are struggling to find a balance between school, extracurricular activities, and personal life. SMS SMS Spirit Spirit || 44
Standing in contrast to more competitive models of athletics, SMS emphasizes inclusiveness. The goal is to provide fitness for everyone, not just an opportunity for a few elite athletes. “A central goal of our physical education program here is helping girls achieve balance in their lives through an overall sense of wellness,” says Jeanine Stannard, a veteran physical education instructor at St. Margaret’s. “Studies have shown the links between physical fitness and both academic and career success,” says Jeanine. “By creating positive opportunities for girls to experience athletic activities, we encourage them to incorporate these healthy habits into their lives for the long-term.”
the research The merits of an inclusive approach to fitness are reinforced by the school’s interim Director of Athletics, Breanne Drouin, whose master’s research focused on best practices to improve participation rates in exercise among girls. “By making health a priority within the SMS community and leading by example, we are encouraging our girls to participate,” says Breanne. “National stats indicate that only 2% of girls aged 12 to 17 get enough physical activity, and only 1 in 10 high school girls will enroll in an optional PE course. By having options for participation, like those offered through the Wellness Centre, we are giving girls the opportunity to explore physical activity in different ways, and hopefully they discover and begin to engage in activities that they will continue their whole lives.” continued on page 6
What it Tells Us… Q&A with Interim Athletics Director, Breanne Drouin Jennifer van Hardenberg: Hi Breanne, and welcome to SMS! You mentioned that the Athletics Director role was practically written for you. Why is that? Breanne Drouin: I did my master’s degree in applied health sciences, focusing on exercise and sport psychology. My research was looking at young women in sport and exercise, specifically how to increase participation in sport and exercise, and the variables that account for positive experiences in sport, like selfefficacy and body image. Between my own personal endeavours as an athlete and my academic background, I truly believe in the transformational power and empowerment that sport provides everyone, but especially for young girls. JvH: In your research you were specifically looking at best practices to improve participation among non-exercisers. Give us the Coles Notes. BD: We found that individuals who, for their first experiences of exercise, participated in activities that targeted both mind and body (e.g., yoga) were more likely to show improvements in self-efficacy, body image, and other factors that have implications for future participation in exercise and sport. JvH: Why are positive early experiences in sport so important, particularly for girls? BD: If individuals have a negative experience [in athletics], the odds of them participating in that activity in the future is significantly less likely. By finding the circumstances and situations for individuals to have the most positive experience possible, educators can best ensure future participation. This is especially important in young girls, as we know from the research that the participation of young girls in exercise and sport significantly decreases with age. It’s especially devastating to see this decline in females because we know the vast benefits—not just physical health, but mental and emotional health, as well as the endless skills that can be developed through sport and exercise are well evidenced within the literature. JvH: Any last takeaways? BD: Girls who participate in regular physical activity not only gain the health and fitness benefits but have increased self-esteem, self-confidence, happiness, and academic performance, and report lower levels of depression. The ideal time for developing the habit of regular activity is childhood, and we know that if girls don’t participate by the time they are 10 years old, there is only a 10% chance that they will be active at the age of 25. By having a holistic approach at SMS, we are setting our girls up for lifelong success.
A fleet of new spin bikes in the Wellness Centre
This year’s rowing team at Elk Lake SMS SMS Spirit Spirit || 55
Wellness continued from page 5
Engaging the Community Beyond curriculum, Darlene points to the importance of educators and parents to model health. “I think it is really powerful to have staff and parents involved in this push toward wellness,” she says. SMS staff have been participating in an onsite fitness program for the past three years, and that has now grown to include personal training outside of class time for students and group fitness for parents, all thanks to the new Wellness Centre. Cathy reinforces, “By enhancing our original facility, and expanding the types of services being offered there, we’re hoping to engage not just students but our entire community in prioritizing their health as the basis on which to succeed in balancing all areas of their lives.” A holistic approach has also been the impetus behind the community lecture series that has brought in both international and local speakers to address health topics like anxiety (Lynn Lyons, April 2015) and mindfulness (Stephanie Curran, January 2016). “It’s one thing to teach girls to take responsibility for their own health, but a holistic approach where you engage the whole community in adopting a set of attitudes and habits can have a much broader impact,” says Darlene. By equipping equally students, parents, and teachers with new knowledge of a given topic and strategies appropriate to both learners and mentors, a kind of social contract is created. This forges a partnership throughout the community to put new knowledge into practice in a way that will stick, and not become some passing fad like yo-yo dieting.
Boarding students practise yoga
headspace
Did you know that meditation can physically change and optimize your brain? Mindfulness is a hot topic these days and being incorporated into school experiences in yoga classes, during short guided meditations offered during the day, and as part of regular assemblies (Take Ten) and class-based programming like Mindup. Researchers studying Buddhist monks have been making some interesting discoveries about the impacts of daily meditation. For the rest of us, even short periods of intentional breathing and quiet reflection can lower stress levels, increase concentration, and contribute to a sense of well-being.
Goals of mindfulness in the school (from MindUP*): • Improve focus, concentration, and academic performance • Reduce stress and anxiety • Handle peer-to-peer conflicts • Manage emotions and reactions • Develop greater empathy toward others • Choose optimism * MindUP is a 15-lesson curriculum developed by the Hawn Foundation aimed at reducing stress and anxiety among children.
Renewed Focus on Wellness In addition to the community workshops and lectures, schoolbased wellness initiatives have been gathering momentum throughout the school for some time, including Take Ten (a teacher-led program introducing meditation through short guided breathing and reflection), MindUP and FRIENDS (BC Ministry of Children and Family Development emotional literacy program aimed at destigmatizing mental illness and building resiliency).
its healthy living framework to promote activity and healthy eating habits.
“The student wellness survey told us so much about where our students are at, and we are having really important discussions as a result,” says Darlene. She points out there is more work still to come to build on the feedback from the various guest experts who have visited the school in the past year, follow up on the wellness survey and expand its reach St. Margaret’s has also been to address the Middle Years, recognized by Action Schools BC and look at benchmarks for multiple years in a row for using
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health as SMS works through its accreditation renewal process over the next year. “It’s important that we are taking time to focus on wellness and balance as a school. This means looking at manageable workloads; ensuring students are also able to relax and enjoy their youth; building meaningful connections between adults and youth… it means acknowledging the many contributors to good health beyond the important starting blocks of eating well and exercising.” SMS
From Worry to Wellness
Lynn Lyons presents to young students in April 2015
Understanding anxiety, advice from Lynn Lyons, and initiatives for better health by Jennifer van Hardenberg Communications Coordinator (Editor)
The St. Margaret’s community lecture series offers educational lectures featuring local, national, and international speakers sharing research, insights, and advice. Topics range from current parenting concerns to educating and supporting girls in developing and achieving individual worth, academic excellence, and personal wellness. Darlene DeMerchant, Director of Curriculum, coordinates the lecture series as well as professional development throughout the school. She explains, “Providing parents and educators with access to leading ideas in education allows us to work together to better support student learning and is an extension of the school’s mission: ‘empowering her to set her own course and shape her own dreams.’”
hailing from New Hampshire. Lyons has a reputation for demystifying anxiety using physiology, imagination, and humour, often turning common attitudes toward stress on their head. It was SMS’s Learning Support team – Darlene along with Natalie Munro, Jenn Nicholson, and Noha Mols – who pooled resources to arrange Lyons’s visit to the school.
Each speaker visit includes an assembly for students, a daytime workshop for teachers, and a morning or evening presentation for parents and friends of St. Margaret’s School. Themes last year included study skills, trends in higher education, developing resilience, raising confident and courageous daughters, cultivating girls’ leadership skills, and, most recently, understanding anxiety.
Understanding Anxiety
Our recent visiting expert, Lynn Lyons, is a licensed clinical social worker and psychotherapist
Over the past 10 years of teaching at St. Margaret’s, Jenn has observed an increase in anxiety among students who access Learning Support at the school. And SMS isn’t alone. At a recent ISABC conference (Independent Schools Association of BC), Jenn and Noha made a presentation on anxiety which garnered the highest attendance of any talk at the event. They knew they’d hit a nerve.
According to Lyons, anxiety has become the most frequently cited reason parents bring children to a mental health provider. “I think one of the big influences is the increased worrying of parents, and how they convey to children that the world is a dangerous place, even though in North America right now it’s never been safer to be a child!” says Lyons. “Our ‘global village’ allows us to connect to both good things and bad, so parents hear much more about
bad things that happen to kids, and they also have more and more opportunities to compare themselves and their children to others, increasing a sense of pressure and investment in children’s successes.” In response to worrying trends and statistics, Lyons provided a very reassuring perspective, revealing insights, and practical tips during her visit, starting with the well-attended breakfast workshop for parents, and during presentations to students and teachers throughout the day. Despite the fact that anxiety may appear very dramatic or scary (physical symptoms, tantrums, etc.), anxiety is actually very predictable, even simple, says Lyons. Her approach to anxiety is founded on a few fundamentals. Worry is normal, healthy, and universal. Lyons points out worry’s important place as part of learning, as a protective instinct that cannot (and should not) be turned off on command. Instead of trying to resist or dismiss worry, kids (and parents) should expect worry to show up, learn to differentiate between natural fear and anxious “noise,” and practise taking action even when they’re scared.
be scared.” “Of course you are scared. You’re not sure if you are going to be able to handle [that upcoming event]. It’s perfectly natural to have worries in that situation.” Anxiety seeks comfort and certainty. Part of the beauty of Lyons’s approach is a kind of anthropomorphizing of worry, treating it like an annoying little monster with its own agenda and personality. As she describes it, anxiety demands two things: certainty (“I have to know what’s going to happen next…and I want to control it!”) and comfort (“I want to feel safe and comfortable…or else I want out!”). Being uncomfortable is a cue that one is doing something unfamiliar or hard; in other words, something that will result in learning and growth. Therefore, embracing and even seeking out opportunities that are new, challenging, and uncomfortable are a way to practise for facing other anxieties.
This is where Lyons turns common parenting patterns on their head. Reassuring (promising certainty when it does not exist), rescuing, accommodating, overprotecting, or on the flip side, punishing may provide momentary relief to parent and child, but does not help Try: Instead of “Don’t worry overcoming fears. According to about that,” which is essentially Lyons, “The more that parents saying, “You’re wrong to be scared,” start with, “You’re right to step in to manage, without
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Workshop: Understanding Anxiety
Humour is a hallmark of Lynn’s approach You can handle it. It may feel awful – the butterflies, the tummy aches, the racing heart, the swimming thoughts, but kids (and their parents) can tolerate anxiety. It’s not enough to have a Try: Don’t just ask, “What went strong defence because avoiding well today?” Instead, try asking, only helps anxiety get stronger. “What was challenging today?” By going on the offensive, or “What was unexpected today?” practising going toward the fear, Doing so repositions problems anxiety gets weaker over time. as opportunities, celebrates Anxiety tries to convince its challenge and the child’s ability victims that they can’t handle it, to work through uncertainty, and but, with practice, they can. encourages talking about the hard stuff, rather than bottling Try: Nurture an offensive “bring up worry. it on” attitude toward anxiety. Encourage girls to become Less content, more process. willing to “grab their courage Instead of focusing on the and try it.” content of anxiety (“I’m worried about writing my exam”), Lyons advocates developing a process Noha: It was such an important to cope and take action in spite of worry. Learning to externalize a acknowledgment that you can’t worry, step back and understand get rid of worry, but that you can handle it. I liked that she how anxiety operates, and resist reacting to its fears and demands helped students understand, through concrete examples, are all skills to develop as part of the characteristics of anxiety this process. versus those of normal concern. Try: Anxious Kids, Anxious Parents: Accepting worry as natural Seven Ways to Stop the Worry helps to remove the stigma Cycle (by Reid Wilson PhD and around anxiety. Lynn Lyons LICSW, 2013). Lyons describes these as puzzle pieces, Natalie: Lynn’s approach also gives a sense of agency and where each piece represents a autonomy. Understanding skill that helps kids and parents anxiety empowers girls to own shift their response to anxious thoughts, sensations, and beliefs. their worry, give it a name, talk to it, and so on. I think that is really powerful. letting children figure things out on their own, the less competent they feel in the world, and this is where worry and anxiety get some traction.”
Top Takeaways
Jenn: I liked that she encouraged girls to focus on what they want, and use that goal to motivate action. Choose something that she really, really wants, whether it is directly associated with the fear or even if it is just a carrot or reward. Make that the goal and use it to fuel her resolve to take action in spite of worry. For example, “I have trouble sleeping in my own bed at night because I get scared, but I really want to get my ears pierced. If I can manage to sleep in my own bed for 12 days straight, I can get my ears pierced.”
By equipping equally the students, the parents, and the teachers with new knowledge of a topic (like girls’ brains or study skills), and strategies appropriate to them (either as learners or as mentors), a social contract is created. We feel strongly that this is the basis for an effective partnership to put knowledge into practice and create change in communities.
Guided by what the research it telling us – and by listening to the inherent wisdom of our community of parents, teachers, and the students themselves – SMS will continue to work to All agreed that the solutions circle with teachers and residence bridge gaps between physical, cognitive, and emotional staff was very productive. This well-being to build a thriving was a meeting at the end of community inside and out. a day full of workshops and classroom visits for parents and Adapted from Anxious Kids, students. The solutions circle Anxious Parents: Seven Ways to provided an opportunity to Stop the Worry Cycle (by Reid brainstorm situations that are Wilson PhD, and Lynn Lyons common stress triggers and LICSW 2013) and from Lynn choose a few common threads Lyons’s visit to SMS in April 2015. to work on together, providing a Visit the SMS learning commons bridge between what happens for books and resources during the day in school and on this topic. SMS in the evenings and weekends in residence. Darlene and the Learning Support team are encouraged by the dialogue created by that meeting and hopeful that the goals set together will form a stronger network of support for all students.
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from the archives This photo illustrates the school’s long-held belief in the importance of physical education for girls. The 1932–33 photo of girls demonstrating physical skills is from the personal photo album of Barbara Barratt (née Grant), held in the SMS Archives. Barratt, a games mistress, is seen instructing the girls. Just a few years earlier, Barratt was herself an SMS student; in the 1926 annual Drill and Dancing Display, she demonstrated on the rings. The entire community was invited to a formal, structured display each December. In later years the event was moved to the spring, and a carol service was (and continues to be) held in December. Barbara Grant Barratt taught at SMS for many years and was later a governor. The school learning commons is named for her.
Gymnasium Display, 1932–33 | Photographer Harold Fleming | SMS Archives 2009–005 SMS focuses on supporting girls as they become strong, educated, and compassionate leaders. Physical, mental, and emotional health is essential for girls to thrive and make a difference, each in her own way. Sports at SMS are truly for every girl; there is a way for each girl to be connected through physical activity. Whether spiking balls on the volleyball court or
volunteering to keep score at a basketball game, pedalling on a spin bike or bench-pressing more than a student has ever imagined herself doing, opportunities abound. Focusing on holistic wellness may seem new, but the school’s commitment to responding to emerging curriculum through the decades is worth noting. Deb Dykes, a long-time PE
teacher at SMS, notes how pedagogical approaches have changed. Girls were originally taught calisthenics and Swedish drills. That later changed to team sports with distinct seasons, tied into those of public schools. After 1980, independent schools formed their own leagues. Evolution is constant: “I’ve noticed more of an emphasis on fitness – dance, yoga, weights,
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and rowing,” says Dykes of recent PE instruction. ”Our approach is getting kids active.” New pursuits are offered, such as Gaelic football and rugby. “Some adaptations that work come from the kids,” says Dykes. Other things remain the same; a game of Dr. Dodgeball remains a favourite for some students, decades on. SMS
From
Hush to Hub:
The Quiet Evolution of Traditional Libraries, and the Active Learning Spaces Replacing Them by Kevin Paul
Have you visited the St. Margaret’s library lately? If you spend just 10 minutes there today, you’ll see something fascinating. • Students reading quietly But also, students practising a group presentation • Students working alone on math problems But also, students working in groups on statistics for their latest inquiry project • Students looking on the shelves for books about insects But also, students making models of insect habitats •A teacher quietly guiding a student at a table But also, teachers team-teaching with the teacher-librarian as if this were a classroom This isn’t your grandmother’s library anymore. Or your father’s. Or even yours. Without you noticing it, the traditional library has disappeared in a puff of “Shh.” In its place there’s a new hub for learning, and it’s called...
The Learning Commons The learning commons takes its name, and inspiration, from the traditional English village green. The “green” was a field that all villagers shared in common, and the space was used by locals in a variety of ways – for everything from grazing cattle to maypole dancing. The new learning commons at SMS has a similar purpose. It offers space for creativity, collaboration, consultation, and concentration. It is a space where every member of a school community – student, teacher, administrator, and parent – can find room to learn, teach, and share.
What Is a
David Loertscher, one of the gurus on this subject, defines a learning commons as “a learning space.” It is both a physical and a virtual place where students and teachers can “experiment, practise, celebrate, learn, work, and play.” He calls it “the hub of the school, where exemplary learning and teaching are showcased, where professional development, teaching and learning experimentation, and action research happen.”
What Does All That Mean? It means that, for example, in addition to having students quietly studying poetry in the corner, the learning commons becomes a poetry slam venue. In addition to reading magazine articles about elections, the learning commons hosts vigorous election debates. And far from being a forbidden zone for food and drink, learning
learning Commons?
A learning commons is “a physical and virtual collaborative learning hub of the school community, designed to engineer and lead learning for the future, a transformational shift from traditional library to whole school learning culture where everyone is working together to enhance learning and to continually improve thinking, questioning, analyzing and creating.” Leading Learning, Canadian Library Association, 2014 SMS Spirit | 10
commons spaces welcome responsible refreshment. In fact, many schools have integrated coffee shops into their learning commons to create a vibrant café atmosphere. But the transformation from library to learning commons involves much more than creating a social commons. An advanced approach to technology also plays a vital role. Digital technology is no longer just a tool for information collection, and the learning commons provides a platform for students to use that technology to become active knowledge creators. For example, students can create their own digital storybooks, host videoconferences with their favourite authors using Skype, or even collaborate on electronics projects using kits like the popular littleBits. All of this is supported, encouraged, and facilitated by the learning commons. Sarah McLeod, St. Margaret’s teacher-librarian now at the helm of the new learning commons, likes to sum it up as “a library on steroids,” where collaboration and connection are just as important as physical reference material or digital tools. She refers to the atmosphere as
What about Books? Many of the gurus in the world of learning commons prefer to think and talk about “digital commons,” as they envision a purely digital, bookless library-ofIn a few years, that young Grade the-future. Students tinker with littleBits circuitry kits 2 student may decide to write Is that what’s in store for her own picture book – perhaps students at SMS? about a character called Science Rather than having a learning “an electric learning Squirrel. And she could use the Not a chance. commons within the library, environment” – a safe place “to SMS learning commons to write, While being interviewed for come in, take risks, ask questions, many schools preferred a illustrate, and design it. She this story, Sarah McLeod was framework that contains the and find answers – together.” would be able to use resources interrupted by a quiet Grade 2 library within a hub of activities. there to manufacture physical student. The girl wanted to know copies of her book, as well as to Reason #2 – It Supports if it was okay to take out the build a digital author platform Academic and Social Wellness book she was clutching tightly to promote and distribute her The change to having a learning “The old-fashioned library model in her arms. In that moment, the creation. She could even use the commons is consistent with the is no longer healthy for teachers Scaredy Squirrel book seemed the learning commons gallery space direction the school has been most precious thing in her life. or students,” says Terri Hayes, for an exhibition of Science steadily heading in thanks to teacher and learning leader in Squirrel illustrations, or for a book “As a librarian I find it really the vision of long-time teacherCalgary. “Converting your school launch party and reading. Do interesting that our digital librarian, Janet Neal (retired in library to a learning commons you want to be invited? natives in schools are still 2013), along with a number of is one of the best recipes for requesting that physical current teachers, administrators, school success.” book. I’ve compared notes and instructional leaders. There with other librarians and are three striking reasons for this Reason #3 – It Fits the St. Margaret’s School Mission like they’re all observing the same shift in our library. thing,” says Sarah, who works a Perfectly Tailored Jacket Reason #1 – Change Is tirelessly to champion the SMS The activity and bustle in the Inevitable, and THIS Change learning commons model learning commons is driven by Is Necessary including fostering community the school’s focus on inquirypartnerships, being a panellist The information revolution has based learning. SMS is a STEM with the Ministry of Education’s created a tidal wave of change school, and the straightjacket of Libraries Branch, and presenting that SMS had to either learn to the old-fashioned library model at symposiums. “Children seem ride or risk being left behind is not what STEM inquiry needs to benefit from both the social to drown. to thrive. interaction and being able to This transition began in Sarah McLeod talks with passion flip back and forth in a book and university libraries 15 years ago, compare different resources to and excitement about the and in public libraries 10 years process of making the transition understand a topic.” ago. The higher education away from a traditional school The book will always be an model brought the wide range of library. Bringing the library into important part of a constellation student success services – writing alignment with the school’s of ways to learn, and the library clinics, math help centres, study educational and social mission of the future will definitely skills tutors – into the library was clearly a labour of love. include physical books. Just as to create a “one-stop shop” for That labour has resulted in a the school library will not be student learning support. learning commons that boosts lost, but rather will become St. Margaret’s growth and leaves As the learning commons a component of a larger behind an anchor that could concept filtered down to K–12 community, neither will the have stalled progress. schools, pioneering teacherbook be lost. librarians found a better way.
Why Make This Change?
“It’s all about forming connections and relationships – connecting the virtual and physical worlds found in stories, connecting schools with their community, connecting kids with books.”
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Hush Hum to
Space
Technology
Access
Librarians
Atmosphere
What Is It For?
Traditional Library
Today’s Learning Commons
A room for books and shelves
An adaptive space for collaborative learning, independent work, and… reading
Computers in the corner used only for “library stuff” like the book catalogue
Technology and media an essential part of learning and an integrated component of the learning commons
Limited access during school hours
Physical space is open before, during, and after the instructional day, and virtual learning commons available 24/7
The traditional school librarian was “monarch of his or her domain, daring anyone to upset the quiet order of the school library” (Terri Hayes, Learning Leader, Calgary)
The modern teacher-librarian is a welcoming, tech-savvy, curriculumninja, who loves book talks, innovation, and team-teaching. “Collaboration is the key,” says Sarah McLeod, SMS’s teacher-librarian (pictured here with teacher Marissa Boyce).
No talking, no eating or drinking, no teaching
A buzz of activity: quiet reading; group work, casual conversation, presentations, responsible eating and drinking okay
Books and periodicals stored – occasionally checked in and out
A hub for collaborative, inquirybased learning, using resources that are global, connected, social, and cross-curricular
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Students connect with books using an educational app, Chatterpix, to develop collaborative thinking and digital literacy
Today’s digital natives still love old school books
The Future of Learning Commons The world is changing fast. Printed books are essential, but they are no longer the sole source of student learning. However, the school library reincarnated as the learning commons makes it the new centre of the lively, integrated school community. As David Lankes, the renegade “library visionary” at Syracuse University puts it: “Bad libraries only build collections. Good libraries build services…Great libraries build communities.” Sarah McLeod is justifiably proud of this stage of development of the SMS learning commons. But she is clear that this is not the end point. “We have created a model that other schools envy, but it can always get better. The world and technology are constantly changing, so we will have to do the same. A good learning commons is an ongoing project, always in beta.”
Grade 4 students research at the Saanich Archives Community connections are key to a successful learning commons
Is that constant change going to be easy? No, it’s going to be hard work. But McLeod believes St. Margaret’s is “like nirvana for a teacherlibrarian.” She says, “I feel so supported by Cathy [Thornicroft], the Board, and all the teachers, students, and parents.” SMS
“A good learning commons is an ongoing project, always in beta.”
Grade 6s used their unit on the Industrial Revolution to research manufacturing and sew book bags, which they filled with books and donated to a local inner-city school
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service learning With Love
Building a school in the Dominican Republic, fall 2015
Service with Love is still a crucial part of SMS culture. “The girls all know the motto. They know it from the day they walk through the school door,” says Donna Holmwood, who teaches SMS Leadership classes from Grades 9 to 12. “It’s about service at school, in the community, and globally.” Donna, ever modest Appearing in SMS publications about her support for and at least as far back as 1911, the inspiration to students, leads by motto has inspired girls to give of example – and students follow. themselves in service to others. “The more responsibility we give In 1923, the matriculating class the girls, the higher they rise,” reminded upcoming students of she says. Global links work both their responsibility as members ways, too: “The international girls of the SMS community. Senior arrive wanting to give and to girls wrote that the motto, now help out.” It’s notable that even appearing in Latin on the cover girls living far from home are of the school magazine, was volunteering their time locally relevant and meaningful: “We… to benefit their host community sincerely hope that next year the and make a difference in their old[est] girls, on whose shoulders home away from home. The this [duty] will rest, will begin a Leadership 11 and 12 classes new year with a new feeling for are Board Authority Approved their school.” elective courses, meaning that they are developed locally and specifically. Servite in Caritate ~ Service with Love. Our school motto. These words appear on the school crest and are frequently invoked at assemblies. This is not mere lip service; girls at SMS truly embody the philosophy of the motto and have done so for over 100 years.
Service and leadership go hand in hand at SMS. There are many places girls can find ways to develop their skills and experience, Donna says: “There are endless opportunities at SMS to give back. You don’t have to be in an elected position to
be in a leadership role. There is the Outreach Club, the Multicultural Club, scorekeeping and managing opportunities with sports teams, assisting with Afterschool Care, choosing to be a Big Sister to a younger student...and more!” Lisa Ziebart teaches social studies classes, works with the Outreach Committee, and participated in the most recent SMS service trip where students helped build a community school in Batey de la Union in the Dominican Republic. Discussions about service are part of classroom life. Lisa says, “I think it is important for students to understand that they ultimately have a responsibility to be active and engaged citizens of the world, and part of this is making informed choices. I try to create discussions that inform students of the multiple perspectives that exist so they can then begin to form their own thoughts around global issues.” Outside the classroom, students take on service projects and create opportunities to connect with the community. “The Outreach Committee is a group that truly cares about helping
SMS Spirit | 14
others,” says Lisa. “The students involved hold a common value of making a difference in their world, and therefore they make it a principle to contribute to others through Outreach, and undoubtedly beyond.” This value is shared by all members of the SMS community. The school’s Strategic Plan, devised by teachers, students, and staff, emphasizes the importance of Service with Love as both an individual pursuit and a shared responsibility. One way SMS girls can share service responsibilities and experience is through a service trip. Of the Dominican Republic trip Lisa says, “In my experience, the participants have been able to discover that we, as people, have more similarities than differences regardless of distance between us. They discover that the world is so much greater and more complex than they could have ever imagined, yet they see and understand that they can make a difference, an impact, despite the complex realities.”
On the school blog, trip participant Julie Paquette, from Free the Children, wrote, “The girls have grown so much and are seeing the fruits of their labour….We have had many jobs, from smoothing classroom walls to installing electrical circuits; we have done it all. We kept reflecting on the SMS school motto, Service with Love; we have all been living up to the motto here in the Dominican Republic. We are proud of the growth the girls have shown throughout this trip and cannot wait to see them in action and involved with Me to We programs back home!” Craig and Marc Kielburger, who established the Me to We Foundation (Free the Children), noted St. Margaret’s participation as a WE school in an October 14, 2015, article for the Huffington
Post. The article addresses the importance of raising caring and engaged children, maintaining that qualities such as maturity, problem-solving skills, and “grit” are developed through service and leadership activities. The SMS emphasis on service occurs year-round. At each annual Closing Ceremony, it’s highlighted with the awarding of the Robertson Salver to the girl who has best exemplified the school motto. In past years there has been a single recipient, several, or in two instances, an entire graduating class. It speaks much to the character of SMS that this most cherished award is one for service. SMS
Students at WE Day, a conference to inspire teen philanthropists
Servite in Caritate
Girls at SMS truly embody the philosophy of the motto and have done so for over 100 years.
The motto first appears in the first edition of St. Margaret’s School Magazine, published in March 1911, three years after the school was founded. A monthly written by the students at the time, the magazine is a precursor to other publications like Old School Tie, and this very magazine, Spirit. St. Margaret’s School Magazine was the first publication undertaken by the school, and features a cover designed by a student bearing the motto Service with Love. What is interesting is the inscription inside this first edition, under School News, which indicates: “The school motto for this term will be the same as it was for last.” Could it be that in the early years the school was still “trying on” various mottos and other philosophical indicia? Perhaps not. Members of the team in the SMS Archives point out that frequent, prescribed change was normal in this era, from changing seating patterns in class on a weekly basis, to changing head girls by month (noted in the same issue of the magazine), to changing mottos by term. It is not until the 1920s that the Latin, Servite in Caritate, begins to appear, again emblazoned on the cover of the school magazine.
SMS Spirit | 15
s r e t t Le
e h t from
x: o b mail S SM
As we put the finishing touches on this edition of Spirit, at Christmastime, it seems very appropriate now more than ever to pause and reflect, and consider how we may be of service to others less fortunate. Our readers wrote to tell us how the school’s motto, Service with Love, has impacted them. These are their stories and photos.
Youth g Helpin Youth
lking ), and I were wa 26 20 f o ss la (C n a number uinn Huffma rs ago and saw a My daughter, Q ye l ra ve se y a d ut cool fall inn worried abo u Q s. et downtown one re st e th ted to help ging out on milies. She wan of teenagers han fa d n a es m in o h the Out of the Ra ered if they had t d a n g o in w er d n te a n lu em vo th ed onth at’s how we start th once every m somehow, and th and I cooked a meal for 30 you to e a Friday night uinn os Q ch r. e te W el . Sh 15 th 20 u d n Yo ,a e to deliver April in 2013, 2014 uld come with m co n in u Q from October to t a worried th l for the kids so give the kids she to le b a g n ei b d prepare our mea to make. Quinn kids. Quinn love ed et p re el st h e d a th h to e d sh o t the fo l and tha of the g that was usefu e kids at the Out th to ey n o m ” nd about somethin ie “birthday toon d of her caring a u er h ro p d te ry a ve n o m d a I as . also h e years ly r for the past thre difference definite Rain Youth Shelte t her commitment to making a k tha ina Craig service, and thin ate. ~ from Corr rit a C in ite rv Se f ea o embodies the id
“Servite in Caritate has guided much of my life… My years at SMS (Grades 5 to 12) built the values and ethics foundation that guide my life today. Today I look back on the lessons from those years with fondness and admiration.” Elizabeth Hochster-Hurst (Class of 1985)
Master’s in Business Administration, Carleton University | Director of the Faculty at the Canada School of Public Service | Leadership and Management Educator for the Federal Public Service
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Representing the Grade 8 class at National Philanthropy Day, November 2015
al Nation opy thr n a l i h P s Award
gh school) ade 8 class (now in hi Gr ’s ar ye t las to ns ds for io Congratulat l Philanthropy Day Awar na tio Na ’s ar ye is th at ed (WIN). Two who were a finalist non-profit Women in Ne l ca lo r fo ts or eff g isin rock-atheir fundra teachers to organize a ur fo th wi d rke wo ls gir nt separate groups of $1,263.80 for WIN. Stude of l ta to a ise ra to r ne din apter thon and 1950s theme y put on by the local ch on rem ce d ar aw al nu h the group’s reps attended the an ofessionals, and althoug Pr g isin ra nd Fu of n tio nes were of the Associa nner, the girls’ chapero wi ’s ar ye is th as en os dents were project was not ch ent at the event. Our stu rtm po de eir th th wi d se ists, leaders, most impres crowd of Victoria activ e th th wi g kin or tw ne ls in red blazers completely at ease couragement these gir en t ou th wi d an rs, ce and influen their years. with confidence belying om ro e th ng rki wo d starte
SMS Spirit | 17
ng Babysitti t for Benefi
ting roviding babysit p n ee b as h ) 19 of 20 donating elle Reed (Class itting for Benefit, ys b Ba f o rt Since age 12, Ma a p as WTH). cal community ansition House (V Tr ’s en services in her lo m o W ria r, support, s to the Victo y, provide shelte el tiv ra o b lla 50% of her profit co ren, rk or without child mission is “to wo ith s y’ w , et es ci g a So ll a TH f o W V men tionships. education to wo e in intimate rela us b a f o ts counselling and ec eff , live free from the rough education n th ca e us ey b th a t a te a th in so d elim TH es to prevent an interest is the VW r la u ic rt a p The Society striv ’s le el buse artnerships.” Ma ave witnessed a p h d o n h a w n cy re ca ild vo d ch a for g er camp program in the non-profit sector includin children’s summ s rk s o ave been witnes tended family w h ex o r h u w O n e. re m o ild h ch t a ster ,” and taking in fo impact such services can have in “women in need ve ysit, iti continues to bab has seen the pos le le el el a a M M , e, ld o us b rs a a to 14 ye ay offer a e of abuse. Now ortunities that m p p o er te n breaking the cycl lu n to vo rward to other nting her donatio fo se ks re o p lo le el w a o n M d e: n a d her Transition lvement. (Picture ictoria Women’s V r fo r o ct more direct invo ire D t rd, Developmen ter Susan K.E. Howa m Susanne Schro o fr ~ .) 15 20 er b House in Novem
Music Without Borders
Mary Danesh (Cla ss of 2018) participat ed in organizing a youth-planned and -performed concert as part of the Music Without Borders initi ative and her youth peace-building work. They will be doing an other concert this ye ar in Toronto, with th nobel laureate from e Doctors Without Bo rd ers speaking. ~ from Danesh | A thank-yo Dr. Roshan u from the Music With out Borders Blog (Ju “The Music Without ly 6, 2015): Borders Concert was a huge success, raisi $13,000 for Médecin ng over s Sans Frontières/Doc tors Without Borders. like to thank everyone We would who supported and was involved in the students from 10 diffe event: the rent schools located in Vancouver, Toront St. Margaret’s School o, in Victoria, Washing to n, DC, and Boston, al donors and the 300 l the people who were at the concert.”
“St. Margaret’s taught me the importance of service, and this has brought meaning to my life.”
Jody Schlatter (Class of 1973)
PhD Medicine, UBC | Analyst and Professor of Jungian psychoanalysis, Zurich
SMS Spirit | 18
The St. Margaret’s motto, Service with Love, has always resonated with me, and even now that I am very far away from school, it continues to be one of my guiding values. I don’t know what my life would look like now if I hadn’t attended SMS, but I don’t believe I would be as well rounded or thoughtful a person as I am now, and I am very thankful to the St. Margaret’s experience for giving me the skills and confidence to continue to grow myself into the best me I can be, and to have a hand in growing my community into the best it can be as well! …I [have become] very involved with sustainability and community-building initiatives on campus, including the ECOLE project (http://ecoleproject.org/) where I and seven peers maintain a hub for sustainability projects at McGill, and in Montreal organize programming to promote environmental and social sustainability, and community capacity building.
At SMS we lived Service with Love, and this has been my mantra my entire life and quite possibly why Rotary is such a great fit for me where the motto of the club is Service above Self…I believe that the single biggest impact SMS had on me was the good citizen training that I received. The emphasis on devotion to my community combined with behavioural expectations have been the foundations of my very being. Pam Alexis (Class of 1976) ESL teacher, Entrepreneur, City Councillor
Growing up at St. Margaret’s meant that my formative years were steeped in learning and practising the importance of community and giving back. At the age of 15, while a student at St. Margaret’s, I began volunteering at The Mustard Seed, a food bank and outreach centre in Victoria. This decision started what Sevrenne Sheppard (Class of 2013) Bachelor of Environmental Economics, minor Urban Systems, McGill has been for me a lifelong passion to help others and provide assistance and support. … I now work to ensure that students with disabilities, both undergraduate and graduate and in The education and experience I received at St. Margaret’s was all professional colleges, have the appropriate academic and pivotal in shaping my life. Leadership, confidence, and civil clinical/practicum accommodations in place to bring academic duty were key parts of the scholastic learning experience. This success in their chosen fields of study. created the foundation for my future…. After 30 years of office and restaurant management, I returned to my studies and Maxine Kinakin (Class of 1991) became a specialized caregiver for medically fragile and drugAssistant Registrar Accommodation & Manager of Disability Services, impacted babies with the Ministry of Children and Families. University of Saskatchewan This was by far the most rewarding and fulfilling experience of my life. Elizabeth Psyllakis (Class of 1961)
e h t m o s f r x: r e t t e L bo
Do you have a story, testimonial, or topic you’d like to see addressed to share? We want to hear from you.
SMS mail
Letters to the Editor: SMS SPIRIT, c/o 1080 Lucas Avenue, Victoria, BC V8X 3P7 www.stmarg.ca | stories@stmarg.ca | /saintmargarets |
SMS Spirit | 19
@st_margarets
the giving by Gregg Wiltshire, Director of Advancement
spirit
Thank you for a Spirited year of giving! I am very happy to report that participation in, and donations to, the 2014–15 Annual Fund were up 95% over the previous year. This is fantastic news on many levels, none more important than what it says about our community’s commitment to our school and our mission. Our caring families, alumnae, and community donors have clearly demonstrated that SMS matters, and they are giving generously to advance our school.
specialist teaching professionals ensure a rich and comprehensive learning environment. Creating Special Places, a campaign launched five years ago, has had a profound impact on every aspect of the campus: from residence to transportation, from classrooms to Alexis Hall, from athletics to landscaping, and so much more. (Please scan the QR code below to review our latest report on Creating Special Places.)
financial support to scholarships and bursaries, it’s not enough. SMS remains dependent on tuition dollars, more so than many other independent schools. And yet, scholarships and bursaries are an essential part of recruiting and retaining a diverse and deserving student population. An Endowment Fund – when well supported
Did you know that in the last school year $201,000 was awarded in bursaries and financial aid? How to Give Online: www.stmarg.ca donate
Mail to: St. Margaret’s School 1080 Lucas Avenue Victoria, BC V8X 3P7 Meet with: Gregg Wiltshire Director of Advancement
discuss a gift: 250-704-4660 gwiltshire@stmarg.ca Creating Special Places: Annual Report on Advancement
Your donations, and the generosity of hundreds of families who have come before you, have built and supported a school where your daughter can take the lead, speak up and challenge with questions, act on researched-based decisions, and share this rewarding journey with engaged classmates. SMS is a girls’ school where everything your daughter does builds her resilience to risk, trying something new and preparing her to confidently excel in the university of her choice. Giving directly supports your daughter’s education, and your daughter’s school needs you. Facility upgrades, curriculum enhancements, and our team of
Just as your daughter must continue to invent, push, and be accountable for her learning, St. Margaret’s must innovate and evolve to continue our mission. Your giving, and that of our entire community, makes this quest possible and secures the future of SMS. This year, in addition to the success of the Creating Special Places campaign, your giving has allowed SMS to commit to developing an Endowment Fund that will provide coverage for scholarships and bursaries, capital spending, and at the final stage, general contingency reserves. Did you know that in the last school year $201,000 was awarded in bursaries and financial aid to help deserving young women attend and continue their studies at SMS? While members of our community offer their generous
Also available online: www.stmarg.ca/reports2015 SMS Spirit | 20
and well managed – will generate funds that will help relieve the school’s dependence on tuition by providing awards and aid, and safeguard against the unforeseen. Increasing donations to the Endowment Fund in the years ahead will allow SMS to make strategic investments in line with our values and priorities, rather than having to react to external forces that can impact decision making. St. Margaret’s School is blessed with a wonderfully supportive community. Thank you to everyone who participated in last year’s fundraising campaign (please see sidebar for list). Help SMS chart its own course. Support confident girls. Please join our giving community by giving to the 2015–16 Annual Fund. SMS
thank you
To the donors of the 2014–15 Annual Fund:
Anonymous (2) Pamela Allan Russell Anderson Rona Archer Sherry Arlt Lisa Banks Henry Bannister Mei Lan Bao Gail Bateman David Bedford Rick Beil Elaine Bell Julie Bernhardt James Best Pamela Best Sharon Bleuler Lindsay Bowers Gordon Broom Zoe Broom Lynda Brown-Ganzert Patrick Bryant Deshui Cai Carmen Campbell-Hewitt Deanna Chan Kathy Charleson Lei Che Ronghui Chen Floyd Collins Vivien Corwin
Laurie Darrah Darlene DeMerchant Julie Dobranski Rob Ducharme Donna Dupas Deb Dykes Margaret Dykes Page Ondine Easson Zhongwen Fan Kelsey Farmer Barbara Felsing Yongjun Gao Christine Godfrey Sally Green Morten Guo Bonita Hallett Morgan Harker Jane Harrigan Megan Hedderick Gwendolen Hopkins Alex Hu Gregory James Doug Kelly Donnamarie Kendall-Singh Nancy Lam Evan Leeson Genhua Li Kaixian Li Lily Li
Barry Lund Kristen Lund Lin Luo Xiong Ma Jasmine MacAdam Ellie Mackay Dawn Macpherson Karl Mallory Janice Mangano Jeremy Mannall-Fretwell Pat Marsh Owen Matthews Barbara McCelland Donald McKnight Paul McLennan Sarah McLeod George McMeekin Shauna McRanor Annette Millar Ian Mugridge Daniel Munson Sheila Page Nancy Pekter Philip Pierce David Poore Gillian Radford Kenzie Rampton Alina Reid Stephen Roberts
$47,226 The Head’s Fund
28% 47%
$41,489 Scholarships & Bursaries
343 students
$79,500 Creating Special Creating Special Places Places Scholarships/Bursaries
84 Middle Years 154 Senior Years
2,500+ alumnae around the world
The Head's Fund
$122k $201k
25%
Annual Report
School Profile
awarded in scholarships
awarded in bursaries / financial aid
$317k
Reports also available online: www.stmarg.ca/reports2015
Gregg Wiltshire Caijun Xu Huipang Yang Jianhui Yang Luo Yang Yonghua Yang Ja Bock Yun Shengkui Zhang Allison Zhao Xingming Zhu Ya Zhu All Done in One Construction Donald McKnight Law Corporation Finn & Izzy Ltd. Friends of Independent Schools Inside Track Consulting Provincial Employees Community Service Fund Recliffe Financial Ltd.
SMS year in review 2015
Donation Allocation The Annual Fund 2014–15 exceeded its goal to raise a Allocation record $168,215. DonorsDonation chose to allocate their donation to one of a selection of funds.
Stephanie Robertson Juan Manuel Rojas Ambere Rosborough Yulun Shi Ayano Shiozaki Joan Smith Margaret Smith Colin Smyth Christopher Spicer Sal Starzun Keiko Sugiyama Jitong Sun Mo Sun Pat Tancock Patricia Tang Lund Sidney Tham Davinder Thandi Elizabeth Thompson Cathy Thornicroft Victoria Timmis Sally Tinis Bernard Tonks Michel Turcotte Emily van Oosten Richard Vincent Stuart Walton Zhi Guo Wang Joyce Wheeler Audrey Williams
invested in capital purchases and projects
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43 $278k 146 50 78%
graduates in the Class of 2015 in scholarships and awards offered by postsecondary destination schools
offers of admission, from
prestigious universities and colleges
chose post-secondary schools in Canada as their final destination
UK: 6% USA: 5% JPN: 5% AUS: 3% CHN: 3%
100%
of our graduates receive offers of admission from universities of their choice
Happenings
Fall Sports Update
by Breanne Drouin, Interim Athletic Director
Rowing
Cross-Country
Under the coaching of Alia Zawacki and Emma Glasgow, the SMS team of six girls flourished. Four new girls joined two returning girls, and together they rowed their way to the City Championships where they won a bronze medal in the senior girls’ quad event.
Grades 3–7 The Foundation and Middle Years cross-country teams had an outstanding season that culminated with huge successes for the girls at the ISEA Championships. The Grade 4 team placed second overall, with Katelyn Maybie placing 1st, Peyton Harker 9th, and Mikan Munson 13th. Meredith Clarke demonstrated mental fortitude after taking a tumble in the gravel at the beginning of the race but getting back up running and finishing in 27th place.
Field Hockey St. Margaret’s had enough interest this year to form a senior girls’ developmental field hockey team, the first senior team at SMS in a number of years, with the help of phenomenal coaches from the University of Victoria Vikes. Precipitated by our participation, the league created a new developmental league for the lower island schools, culminating in the Tier 2 Island Championships at Shawnigan Lake School. The purpose of the developmental league was to allow the girls to have the opportunity to learn (and learn to love) the sport at the high school level and compete against girls with the similar skill set.
SMS Spirit | 22
Representing Grade 5, Charlotte Poore stepped up to the challenge to race in the Grade 6 category, placing 10th individually. Jamie Harker ran a brilliant race, placing 1st, with Kyla Gunn and Siena Mizel (who placed 5th) to earn the Grade 6 team a 2nd place standing overall. Lily Mannall-Fretwell ran a personal best race and came 12th in the highly competitive Grade 7 girls’ category. Ines Khoudiar and Tesnim Mtrioui were the other members of the Grade 7 team and had a fabulous day of racing.
Swimming Senior Years Despite a smaller senior girls’ cross-country team this year featuring many first-time members, both junior and senior girls’ teams represented SMS at the provincial level. Colette Reimer and Alexa Bryant both ran excellent races at the Island Championships to qualify for BC XC Provincial Championships in Vancouver. There, both girls ran strong races despite horrific winds and rain (Colette placed 32nd and Alexa 55th.)
The SMS swim team had some outstanding results at all levels of competition this season. We had a team of nine girls head to the Island Championships, five of whom were B swimmers and another two brand new to the world of competitive swimming. Two individual swimmers, Colette Reimer and Alexa Bryant, qualified in five individual events for Provincial Championships in Kamloops, and the senior girls open relay team qualified in their 200 free relay.
Alexa Bryant placed 1st or 2nd in all her events at Island Championships and was awarded the Bob Smirl Award for Leadership and Swimming Excellence. At the Provincial Championships, Colette set new best times in both the 100 freestyle and the 100 breaststroke. Alexa qualified for A finals (top eight swimmers in the province) in all three of her individual events, placing 4th in the 100 breaststroke and 7th in the 100 freestyle. In the 50 breaststroke, she crushed her former personal best time to
place 3rd. The girls 200 freestyle relay team, consisting of Eve Taylor, Kate Harrigan, Colette, and Alexa, qualified for A finals and ended up placing 8th in the province, an outstanding accomplishment. The team’s score at Provincials from our group of just four girls (Alexa, Colette, Eve, and Kate) landed them 38th out of 83 teams (both male and female) and top 20 in the province in the women’s team scores. Congratulations, girls!
Legendary basketball coach John Wooden once said that “success comes from knowing that you did your best to become the best that you are capable of becoming.” According to this wisdom, St. Margaret’s has had phenomenal success in sports this fall.
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Happenings SMS Class of 1985 | 30th Reunion
On the long weekend in August 2015, members of the Class of 1985 celebrated their 30-year reunion. Alumnae and their families gathered at SMS for a coffee reception and to recreate their old class photo (as they have done every decade since graduating) before heading off for a day at the beach together and a barbecue.
Fourteen women out of a class of 28 came to Victoria to celebrate, including several from the Lower Mainland, Elizabeth Hochster and Jennifer (Murray) Walters from Ottawa, and Joan Hutchinson from Portland. A number of these alumnae reside in Victoria, including two who have daughters currently attending SMS. When asked her views on the weekend, one alumna said: “Despite life’s unexpected twists,
turns, and forks in the road, one thing is sure: I am proud and privileged to be part of this [alumnae] family! I have no doubt that I can count on every single one of my SMS sisters as much as my own family.” Another said: “I haven’t laughed so hard in years nor felt so bereft of leaving the comfort of your warm friendship. I’m especially thankful that Jennifer and Elizabeth made it from Ottawa.
It was a wonderful weekend ... Let’s not wait another 10 years.” “It was wonderful touring the school with Mrs. Thornicroft and seeing how things looked just the same. It felt like we had just been to our lockers and spent lunch hour sitting outside chatting in the sun with our kilts rolled up!” said Lucy (Stephenson) Lobmeier. from Lucy Lobmeier, Class of 1985
Alumnae reunion in Toronto
JK students cooking cranberries
Terry Fox Run
Malcolm House rocks!
A celebrity in the making
A pileated woodpecker on campus
Outweek 2015
Woodpecker becomes a learning opportunity celebrity SMS Spirit | 24
Turgot House rules!
New Terry Fox plaque in lower campus
Outweek 2015
Outweek 2015
Outweek 2015
Outweek 2015
Girls coding workshop
Speech Contest finalists
Outweek 2015
Girls learning code
Grade 11-12 Speech Contest winner
Carol Service
Student ambassadors at TeenFest
Carol Service
Carol Service SMS Spirit | 25
Carol Service
remembering Retirement photo from the Old School Tie Genuinely devoted to the life of the school, Margaret committed herself with compassion to each and every student who crossed her path, and she had an encyclopedic knowledge of the boarding students in her care. She worked tirelessly to promote a nurturing, welcoming, and diverse school environment, often taking on additional duties quietly behind the scenes.
Margaret J. Smith A Celebration of Her Life (November 22, 1934 – October 8, 2015) Written and presented by Rona Archer, Director of Residence Life, and Megan Hedderick, Foundation and Middle Years Principal As a former student of St. Margaret’s, Megan Hedderick knew Margaret Smith from her high school years, and both Megan and Rona Archer had the good fortune to work with her in the 1990s. Megan and Rona have drawn from their own memories of those years to celebrate Margaret, but they are also grateful for contributions from others who knew her in earlier years, which help provide a fuller picture of this woman who was an institution at SMS.
and coach when the school was located at the corner of Fort and Fern Streets. Moving with the school to the new campus in 1970, she served as Residence Administrator, living in residence and the Grade 12 house. Later, Margaret supported the Head of School as an administrative assistant and then spent the last seven years of her career sharing her passion for the school with the greater community as Admissions Coordinator.
Margaret never really did retire from St. Margaret’s, though, staying connected through the SMART Set and volunteering in the archives every week along with Anthea Waterfield and Rosalee Frampton. Together, these three women were instrumental in getting the archives up and running, and in providing significant information In the 36 years that Margaret for our centennial book. Smith dedicated to working at St. Margaret truly was an SMS Lifer, Margaret’s School, she touched having been a part of the fabric hundreds of lives. She began her of the school for over 50 years. lengthy career at SMS in 1961 The number of years that as a physical education teacher Margaret dedicated to St. Margaret’s was not all that set her apart. She embodied the values of the school and was a rich model of Service with Love.
When the school community was much smaller and before the time of summer programs, at nights and on weekends, Margaret would often be the only person on campus and took on the role of security. She was particularly vigilant about who came on the property to pick the blackberries. Margaret was also a “timetable guru” with an extraordinary ability to untie a challenging knot, long after timetables were her responsibility. As well, for many years she organized the prizegiving at the Closing Ceremony with the same unflappable grace with which she fulfilled all her various responsibilities. Margaret was known for her kind, gentle ways and her gracious manner. She gave everyone her full attention and remembered details that made each person feel special. Her welcoming demeanour was vital to making a very positive first impression with new parents during the years she worked in development and admissions. Former students, both domestic and international, always spent time with Margaret when they returned to visit the school. There were so many memories of their time spent at SMS that she was either part of or that
SMS Spirit | 26
she could relate to. At the 30-year reunion of the Class of 1985 last August, the alumnae commented that Margaret never seemed to change — she remained as tall, upright, and friendly as always. Margaret will be remembered for her insight and integrity, endless enthusiasm, unshakable loyalty, tireless contributions, and of course, for the lovely outfits with which she would return after visits with her sisters in England, and her bright yellow MG sports car! She was a pillar of the school and a model of its values. She has left a rich legacy of connections that will continue in spite of her passing. Her impact can be summed up in the words of one student who said, on Margaret’s retirement in 1997, “Is this the Saint Margaret that the school is named after?” Or in the words of Vic Clayton, former Head of School: “As I reflect on my association with Margaret over the years, I am left with this thought: Servite in Caritate — Service with Love — that was Margaret Smith.”
At the Class of 1985 reunion, August 2015
Paying Tribute to an Extraordinary Alumna: Frances Kathleen Oldham Kelsey (July 24, 1914 – August 7, 2015) It is with sadness that we share news of Dr. Kelsey’s passing on August 7, 2015. Only the month prior, in July 2015, Dr. Frances Kelsey was named to the Order of Canada and was presented her medal by Ontario Lieutenant Governor Elizabeth Dowdeswell in a special advance ceremony because of her flagging health. The Order of Canada/Ordre du Canada is the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals in our country. Dr. Kelsey graduated from St. Margaret’s School in 1931 and went on to a successful career as a medical researcher and physician before it was common for women to do so. The Order of Canada, the latest in a long list of honours she was awarded over the course of her career, recognized her role in preventing the devastating drug thalidomide from entering the United States and for her influence on drug policy reform. Although recognition in Canada came late, we will never forget this important alumna of our school and her inspiring example of public service and individual tenacity. For a more complete biography, please refer to the Spring 2015 edition of Spirit magazine, where Dr. Kelsey graced our cover in honour of the recent dedication of our science wing in her name.
Dr. Frances Kelsey accepts medal of honour from President Kennedy in 1962. Dr. Kelsey was named to the Order of Canada in July 2015
Remembering Alva Cobbett: Headmistress from 1961 – 1967 (July 16, 1919 – May 29, 2015) Born in Vancouver, Alva graduated from Magee High School and went on to earn an education degree from UBC which she eventually parlayed into the Headmistress position at St. Margaret’s School. A generous soul, Alva believed in supporting charitable causes.
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Striving for Greatness
Your support secures St. Margaret’s ability to continue a tradition of distinction in educating girls. Since 1908, our community of parents and grandparents, alumnae and past parents, faculty, staff, and friends have joined together to help fulfill our mission of empowering each girl to set her own course and to shape her own dreams.
Because of your generosity, leadership, and vision we are able to plan for our future, expand learning resources, enhance programs, invest in new equipment and technology, increase scholarship and financial aid for existing and future students, and continually upgrade our facilities to enrich our students’ learning and school life. Girls belong here, and your gift to St. Margaret’s encourages students to do their best while supporting our expert faculty members to enrich the lives of girls. Thank you for your show of support, but most of all, thank you for believing in the power of girls.
Mail donations to: 1080 Lucas Avenue, Victoria, BC V8X 3P7 Donate online: www.stmarg.ca/donate
Contributors and Spirit Team Jennifer van Hardenberg – Communications Coordinator (Editor) Gregg Wiltshire – Director of Advancement Cathy Thornicroft – Head of School Laurie Darrah – Refinemark Print Design Ltd. Contributors: Kevin Paul, Lisa Langford, Breanne Drouin, Christine Godfrey & SMS Archives Volunteers
John Yanyshyn – Visions West Photography Jeanine Stannard (photography) Ruth Wilson – West Coast Editorial Associates Hillside Printing
St. Margaret’s School 1080 Lucas Avenue Victoria, British Columbia, Canada V8X 3P7 www.stmarg.ca T 250.479.7171
Indicia here The Spirit magazine is a publication for the entire SMS community: our students, parents, staff, alumnae, and friends.