Imprint: May 2016 Issue

IMPRINT May 2016 • Volume 15, Issue 4

Stratford Hall News & Celebrations

CELEBRATING The Liberal Arts at Stratford Hall

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IN THIS ISSUE 3

LETTER FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL

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A LIBERAL ARTS EDUCATION: WHAT OUR CHILDREN, AND THE WORLD, NEED

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THE ISABC PUBLIC SPEAKING COMPETITION

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STRATFORD HALL ANNUAL FUND SUPERSTARS

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GRATITUDE AND REFLECTIONS FROM THE GALA

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PERSONAL PROJECTS

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WHEN CREATIVITY GOES WILD

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MATH IN A LIBERAL ARTS EDUCATION

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THE VALUE OF LOOKING AT SCIENCE THROUGH A LIBERAL ARTS LENS

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COSTA RICA 2016

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A NEW TRADITION

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UNAPOLOGETICALLY LIBERAL ARTS

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THE LIFESTYLE OF A THEATRE-GOER

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FIRST AID AT STRATFORD HALL: THE AED

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OEE 10 EXPEDITION #3

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WHAT’S BEEN HAPPENING AT STRATFORD HALL?

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GETTING TO KNOW: SAMANTHA GAYFER

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THE WORLD PARTNERSHIP WALK

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THINKING WITH YOUR (HE)ART

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ARTS WEEK 2016

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THE GRADE 12 ART SHOW

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BUSKERAMA

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GRADES 1 TO 3 MUSICAL REFLECTION

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AN IDENTITY UPDATE

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SHPA CORNER

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CELEBRATIONS

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SABRES SPORTS

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On the cover of this issue, Audrey T. gets a lesson in creative strategy during this year’s Buskerama.

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Dates for the Calendar MAY 12 • PYP Exhibition • Science 10 Provincial Exam • Admissions info session for prospective parents MAY 13 • English 10 Provincial Exam • Math 10 Provincial Exam • Grade 11 Status Report • LMISUL Junior League Playoffs MAY 16 to 18 • K-4 Student-Led Conferences MAY 18 • Immunization Clinic #3 (Grades 6 & 9) MAY 20 • LMISUL Senior League Playoffs MAY 23 • Victoria Day – School closed MAY 24 • Grades 4-7 ISEA Track & Field Championships MAY 25 to 27 • Grades 4 & 5 Camp MAY 25 • Graduation Ceremony MAY 26 • Graduation Dinner/Dance MAY 27 • Consignment sale on the MYP Building Mezzanine MAY 28-29 • Ultimate Provincial Championships MAY 29 • World Partnership Walk MAY 31 • Junior School coffee with the Head of School JUNE 1 • Senior School coffee with the Head of School • Alumni Reunion

Letter from the Head of School

Strategic Planning Update A Whirlwind behind the Scenes In my August letter to the community, at the opening day assembly, in the Annual Report to the Community, and at several other times throughout the year, I have said that this year would be spent understanding our community in an effort to plan for the future. Since my arrival in July, I have been asking our community members – from Board and Foundation members, to students, parents, and staff – for their opinions on where we are and where we wish to go.

Through surveys, coffee mornings, meetings and professional development sessions, a significant amount of time, energy and effort has gone into gathering our collective thoughts, feelings and wishes, along with the necessary supporting data and evidence, in order to do just that. Although our community may see glimpses of those efforts by filling out a survey or chatting at pickup, most of the work goes on behind the scenes as we sift through the information and try to make sense of the data. My sense thus far is that our community has a prevailing feeling of cautious optimism about my transition and gratitude that they have been asked for their input; however, I also think that you might be wondering, “so what are you doing with what we have told you?” and that is where this update comes in.

We are on track to keep our

promise to deliver a co-created, community-vetted Strategic Plan by the end of June. The basis for the plan was the work of the Board and last year’s Senior Leadership Team. Throughout the year, as we have completed parent, student and teacher feedback sessions and surveys, we have incorporated their feedback so that the final plan gives voice to our entire community.

The plan is taking shape, but we are not quite there yet. Our remaining steps involve a final invitation to all parents to review the draft priorities during morning and evening coffee sessions with me on May 31st and June 1st (details to follow). Following from that, there will be one final Senior Leadership review in early June and then the last step, which is Board ratification prior to the end of June. A long process, but one that is designed to result in us identifying the most important elements that we all believe will positively impact students, parents, faculty, and staff in the next five years and beyond.

We are almost there.

Sincerely,

Jason McBride Head of School

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A Liberal Arts Education: What our Children – and the World – Need I have been involved with IB Diploma Programmes (DP) for 15 years, and IB Continuum Schools for the last seven. During that time I have found myself in quite literally hundreds of conversations with parents about their child’s future and how the IB fits. Although I try to avoid generalizations, I have seen a fairly typical pattern emerge as families go through the continuum: the closer the child gets to graduation, the more anxious parents become about whether IB was the right choice. Quite often parents love the values and learning approach in the PYP, struggle somewhat with the MYP (this also has to do with the impact of adolescence in general) and then can struggle at times with whether or not the rigour of the DP is “worth it”. My aim in this article is to convince those who might need convincing of at least one reason why the IB and its liberal arts approach is exactly what our children – and the world – need to not only be great human beings, but to be 21st century contributing entrepreneurs and employees as well.

One of the educational researchers and authors that I follow closely is Charles Fadel, Founder and Chairman of the Center for Curriculum Redesign.

His most recent book, FourDimensional Education, calls for modern education to combine knowledge, skill and character development within a framework that concurrently focuses on metacognition and a growth mindset (see picture below).

Although his work did not start out as IB-specific, he has since partnered with the IB because

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his description of a complete 21st century education calls for educators and governments to cultivate depth and breadth in program (the opposite of STEMfocused movements that are so frequently held up as the way of the future) so that versatility becomes a strategy and a strength. In order to do that, curriculum cannot focus on one or two disciplines in isolation to the detriment of others because our

be combined in equal measure.

This “blurring” is why Units of Inquiry are central to the PYP, interdisciplinary units are integral to the MYP and why Theory of Knowledge (TOK) is a unique component of the DP. Students, and sometimes parents, can be guilty of thinking of TOK as less important than the subjects that “really matter”, when in actuality it is at the heart of a liberal arts approach to learning, and perhaps more importantly, learning to learn.

“Technology alone is not enough… it is technology married with liberal arts, married with humanities, that yield the results that make our hearts sing.”

Beyond the philosophical, this blurring of the boundaries and subject mixing has also been identified in industry as integral to the future of economies because of the opportunities that exist at the intersection of disciplines. It is not too long ago where fields such as bioethics, nanotechnology or geoengineering did not exist.

LittleBits inventor and CEO Ayah Bdeir said in a 2013 Fast Company interview that she believes it is important to “make your own track and not be compartmentalized into disciplines … [because the] most interesting things happen at the intersection of disciplines and that's something that should be embraced and not shunned.” The late Apple CEO Steve Jobs often spoke about this intersection as well. His belief was that there is no such thing as a technology-only problem, but that it was the leveraging of technology to solve non-technology problems that made Apple great. One only needs to pull out their iPhone to verify whether he was right!

Steve Jobs iPad2 intro speech March 2011

“intellectual habits have tended towards discrete, reductionist and isolated learning instead of systems thinking” and that thinking has led to a narrowed view of that discipline’s impact on the world.

However, in order to promote the kind of systems thinking Fadel believes is important, schools need to incorporate an inter- or transdisciplinary blurring of the boundaries between subjects, allowing the Arts and Sciences to

Einstein is quoted as saying that the mixing of traditional disciplines or “combinatory play” was an essential feature in productive thought and there is

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no purpose more pure for school than to facilitate thoughts that are productive. The IB programmes promote liberal arts thinking in order to not allow students to choose too narrow a path during their K-12 years, and although some university programs require two sciences for entry and therefore do not allow for students to participate in a Group 6 course, the requirement for all DP

students to take English, a foreign language, a math, at least one science and a humanities-based course, means that our students are well-rounded and prepared for an unknown future in which intersections yet to be explored become the norm.

I have proudly sent several hundred DP students off to Medical, Engineering, Law, Arts

and Science-based programs over the years – and we are adding another 35 to the tally this year to many of those disciplines – and I believe that the IB and its liberal arts approach is the best preparation for any future. If your faith ever wavers, come chat, I can lend you some of mine.

JASON MCBRIDE HEAD OF SCHOOL

The ISABC Public Speaking Competition Our students had an excellent day at the Grade 4 and 5 ISABC Public Speaking Competition. The Grade 4s and 5s had strong speeches and were fantastic teammates and representatives of our school.

They were proud to be representing Stratford Hall, and although they didn’t take home any medals we must have been very close! A few of our students received perfect scores from some judges. Some comments about our students were that they were confident, excellent writers, were knowledgeable, used movement effectively, and had great, clear voices. A very successful day, indeed!

CHELSEA TODD GRADE 4 TEACHER

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STRATFORD HALL ANNUAL FUND (SHAF) SUPERSTARS The end of the school year is fast approaching and the Stratford Hall Annual Fund would like to extend a huge THANK YOU to all our families and staff members who have generously supported us thus far. The 2016 Gala saw our community come together to complete Phase 1 of the Center for Innovation by raising over $185,000. $105,000 of these funds will go towards materials to inspire and harness our students’ imagination.

Below is a list of all the families who have supported SHAF 2015-2016 by directly donating to the fund, participating in SHAF KiDZ or attending the 2016 Gala. We have made every effort to ensure we captured all of our supporters. If we have missed you or misspelled your name, please let Jennifer Yeung know, as this list will serve as the donor list for the 2015-2016 Report to the Community. THANK YOU for supporting our students!

Salim & Shaina Adatia Jameel & Sharifa Ahamed Farashad Ahvazi & Faranak Nami Oliver Aldridge & Rita Biermann Will Ali & Sarah-Jane Anand Fraser Allen Aiyaz & Rubina Alibhai Haneef & Yasmin Alibhai Angus & Kate An Anonymous (6) Bob & Elizabeth-Anne Armstrong ASI Accounting Services Iftikar Asin & Sarah Banfield Rob & Meena Atwal Alan & Gloria Au Tim Au & Kelly Tsai Norman & Heather Burgess Greta Bartsch Doyle & Alyssa Schottland-Bauman Scott Bell & Natasha Broemling Todd Bell & Christopher Buchner Karim Bhimani & Karima Bawa Salman & Rosena Bhura Guido Biemold & Cindy Yu Candice Birch Lisa Blachut Daniel & Rosa Bosa Mark Brady & Naina Sloan Michael Breger & Armansa Glodjo Stefan Buitelaar & Joely Collins David Bursey Mike & Michele Buttle Ian Byers & Silvana Costa David & Carolyn Cameron Rick Campanella Liza Capdecoume Wes Carson & Barb Womersley Lindsay Causey Keith Chan & Emily Lew Peter & De-Ann Chan

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Stephen & Elaine Chan Vincent Chan & Kanas Lam Irene Chang Ron Cheung & Daisy Ng David & Carol Chiang David & Grace Chong Denny Chow & Leila Kwok David & Valerie Christie Susan Christie Anthony Chu & Anita Hui Dixon Chu & Susan Fong Kelvin Chu & Pauline Lam Toby Chu & Kelly Chiu Christopher Chum & Glenda Hendson Tara Clendinning Simon Cookson & Chihiro Tajima Roger Cross & Josephine Jacob Steven Cross & Shelina Rayani Cross Arfa Dalmir-Raza Jimmy & Melinda Der Dhar & Harv Dhanda Bhagwant & Manjit Dhillon Gordie Dhillon Sukh Dhiman & Angela Haer Avtar & Gurpinder Dhinsa Saloni Dholakia Dave Dirks Anh Tuan Do & Liz Tran Greg & Karen Dosen

Jane Edgar Chiemi Endo Brian Eng & Won Ng Janine Erickson Claire Fei Andrew Fielding & Lynda Lazosky Final Choice Construction Inc. Raymond Fong & Winnie Lai Fong Dean Fox & Elaine Peaston Christopher & Julie Frketich Qiang Fu & Rachael Shao Dennis & Joanne Gam Matthew George & Gracen Chungath Feda Ghaleb Amar & Rose Gill Sukhjeevan & Amandeep Gill Ashef Gillani & Shelina Harji Satwant Ginder Lupe Gomez Vadim Gorzhiy & Svetlana Velikoredchanina Jeff Gravistin & Nancy Mitenko Boyd Grealy Rajbir Grewal & Mini Randhawa Iqbal Grewall & Sabinder Sheina Miriam Grob Kevin & Tricia Grzybowski David & Jennifer Gunasekera Yan Wu Hai & Yujun Zhu Tony Han & Ray Cher Ashef & Shelina Harji Tony Haughian & Lou Guerrero Matthew & Alexandra Haussmann Sylvana Herrera Philip & Tina Heywood Anthony Ho & Jennifer Tung Cedric & Felice Ho Robert & Katherine Hooley Crispin Horng & Yujie Chen Dave Howard & Shalini Verghese Ansel Hsu

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Michael Hunter & Sheila Bertoldi Stefania Iacchelli Dale Ignatieff & Jocelyn Figueiredo Farhan & Shahin Jamal Sam & Farah Jamal Pindy Janda Gurjeet Jaswal Gareth Jones Byron & Josephine Jung Steve Kamachi Tamiz & Jamila Kanji Karim & Rehana Kassam Shamsh & Karima Kassam John & Wendy Keenlyside Tony & Rebecca Keung Dave Knight Koml Kondola Ben Kong & Diana Kang Robin Korba Aleksandar & Ivana Kragl Jennifer Kramer Tim & Janice Kwok Alex Lau & Anna Kaye Jason Lau & Shae Hui (Lau) Olivia Law Lawrence & Lisa Liu Huy Le & Miranda Chiu Alex, Camilla & Marjorie Lee Harry & Elaine Lee Jeanne Lee Harold & Maegen Leishman Amanda Lempriere Wallace Leong & Elisabeth Chui Jeremy & Cindy Leung Dan Lin Gillian Louie Edmund Low & Liezel Lorico Reiko Mackenzie Samantha MacKinnon Suzanne & Lach MacPherson Jeff Magnusson & Helene deMonye Alexis Malinowski Fayaz & Salima Manji John & Lee Marinelli Derek & Nadine May Jason McBride & Samantha Gayfer-McBride Michael McGuire & Diane Lacaille Cameron McLellan & Rikia Saddy Mark Mehrer & Ye Chu Saufia & Hafeez Merani Danielle Minichiello

Nevada Mohammed Calle Johnson Mohammed Laura Moriarty Fred & Rebecca Moroz Kristen Morozov Steve & Katherine Naylor Bobby Nishi Cecile Noel Nova Drywal Ltd Kyle Nystad James Okamura & Carrie Wong Nicole Ottahal Victor Pang & Angelee Lee Meg Penafiel Dino & Neda Pessione David Peterson & Mary Ellen Sanajko Sarah Phillips Tony Pires & Cindy Wong Glen Powell & Dawne Bringeland Richard & Marlane Press Alain & Linda Quennec Anja Radakovic Satpal Rai Todd Raine & Sarah Jane Swartz Alykhan Rajan Jackie Reid Paul Reynolds Burtwistle RHB Group Sarah Riddell Dave Ritchie Dave & Julia Robbins Kirk & Michelle Romero Ian Ross & Tami Crawley Akash & Raj Sablok Dave Sangha & Bev Ginder Kamal & Bal Sangha Baldev & Navjot Sanghera Perry Saran & Rupi Kaila Anna Schmidt Gertrude Schmitz Rob & Bimmie Senghera Jas Shahi Minaz & Shenaz Shajani Caitlin Shepard The Sicherman Family Roger Singh & Meena Anand Skipper Peter & Maureen Skov Brad Smith Mark & Sandra Snider Diana Soler

Don & Shawna Soo Sylvia Star Thomas & Clare Steiner Tom Syer Little Vanessa Tam Gary Tang & Ivy Yu Matthew Taylor & Amy Francis Vindy Teja The Kwan Family The Lee-Pii Family Don Thomas Todd Chelsea Scott Trebilcock & Anna Lim The Tsai Family Edwin & Liba Tseng Andrew & Valerie Tsui Casey Turnpenny Michael Twaites Jagdeep & Bandna Ubhi Cristina Uroni George & Esperanza VanDyke Patricia Vanstone Amit Venugopal & Liliana Posada Ana Ver Rishi & Kavita Verma Jan Vu Timothy Walker & Bal Girn James Wang & Karen Chan Vivian Wang Weihua Wang David & Susan Wells Terry & Marie Wells Lavinia Wen & Cathy Muyu Vivien Wen Wendy Zhang Nick & Kylie Williams Beverley Willms Best Bruce Wilson & Sook Hey Anna K C Wong Brian Wong & Won Ng Simon Wong & Wendy Louie Simon & Janice Wong Will Wong & Angie Yee Danny & Andria Wrench Dennis & Tina Xi Brian Yang & Angelique Schnerch Rui Yang & Haixia Lu Nico Yau Edward & Eugenie Yeung Jennifer Yeung Ken Young

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GALA 2016 Gratitude and Reflections from the Gala On behalf of the Gala team, we would like to thank everyone who attended the 2016 Annual Gala for a memorable evening celebrating the students of Stratford Hall and our outstanding parent community.

Over the course of the year, one of the unsung benefits of being on the Stratford Hall Gala Committee is that, through the planning process, we meet a truly unique,

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caring, and enthusiastic group of parent peers. We also have the opportunity to really connect with the outstandingly dedicated faculty of Stratford Hall. We were continuously wowed by the generosity of our community and volunteers!

A significant addition to Gala 2016 was a dedicated group called the SHAF Advisory Committee, which

launched in the fall of 2015. This collaboration of parents, faculty, and students worked for months to design a project that they could agree was “inspiring.” The end result was an amazing multi-year initiative and blueprint for creating the Centre for Innovation (or Q’s Lab, for the 007 fans).

All of this work came together in what was a surreal experience at

MAY 2016 the Marriott Pinnacle Downtown Hotel on April 9, 2016. Like any James Bond movie, we faced a few glitches throughout the evening; however, the fun, energy, and spirit in the room lifted us over the hurdles and were on par with all the other legendary Stratford Hall Galas. Three hundred and fifty teachers, parents, and friends donned their iconic James Bond fashions to enjoy a four-course meal, with MC Jason McBride and Auctioneer Howard Blank, set to the tunes of March Hare.

The total proceeds from the evening tipped just over $185,000 thanks to contributions of all shapes and sizes. The largest single donation ever received at a Stratford Hall Gala – $47,000 came care of the generous Rajan family towards a Computer Sciences bundle. Together, your contributions have funded the entirety of the Centre for Innovation’s Phase 1 plan, at $105,000.

These funds will be used to purchase tools in each of the bundles that can be utilized immediately. The Community Development department will be in discussions with the SHAF

Advisory Committee in late May regarding the best option for donations towards equipment that require facility renovations.

Presently, it looks as though those funds will be held in a Guaranteed Investment Certificate until they are ready to be used next year.

The remaining $80,000 will be allocated by SHAF and may be used towards phase two of the Centre for Innovation – the design

and construction of an inspiring home for our multi-purpose maker space, or towards faculty to lead the Centre. Because the Centre for Innovation bundles were snapped up so quickly, many parents have mentioned that they left the Gala with the money they intended to donate still in their pocket. If you are amongst those who still wants to contribute, please feel free to do so directly to SHAF via the school’s website

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here. To direct your gift to a specific area within the Centre for Innovation, simply email either Samantha Gayfer or Jennifer Yeung your request.

We are so grateful to those who were able to get involved this year in support of the Centre of Innovation and the outstanding volunteers are listed opposite. We would also like to give our spouses (Dan, Harold, Dave, and Wes) an extra shout-out for watching James Bond movies with us all year and for supporting us in this amazing tradition.

We are excited for our tinkering children to gain access to this evolving part of our school.

Gratefully shaken and stirred,

Rosa Bosa, Maegen Leishman, Susan Wells, and Barb Womersley

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VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION An event of this kind is a success year after year because of the time and talent donated. This year we thank the following people for their support.

Akash Sablok Alexis Malinowski Alyssa Schottland-Bauman Angelique Schnerch Angie Yee Baldev Sanghera Bev Ginder Caitlin Springate Christy Liao Dave Gunasekera Dave Howard David Peterson David Wells Dawne Bringeland Dennis Gam Dhar Dhanda Doyle Bauman Ed Low Elaine Lee Emily Lew Fred Moroz Glen Powell Glenda Hendson Harold Leishman Harry Lee Hazel Lew

Helene DeMonye Jackie Reid Jane Edgar Janice Kwok Janice Wong Janine Erickson Jason McBride Jen Gunasekera Jennifer Yeung Joanne Gam Karen Chan Katherine Naylor Keith Chan Kelly Au Ken Wong Liezel Lorico Lisa Liu Lou Guerrero Maegen Leishman Mary Ellen Sanajko Mei Long Miranda Chiu Nancy Mitenko Nav Sanghera Qing Qiu (Kathy)

Rachael Shao Raj Sablok Rebecca Keung Rebecca Moroz Rikki Puri Rob Senghera Ron Cheung Ron Schmitz Rosa Bosa Salim Adatia Samantha Gayfer Sandra Lee Satpal Rai Shaina Adatia Shalini Verghese Simon Wong Steve Pii Susan Christie Susan Fong Susan Wells Wes Carson Will Ali Yujie Chen

THE SHAF ADVISORY COMMITTEE Alain Quennec Brad Smith Casey Turnpenny Elaine Lee Farhan Jamal Greta Bartsch Jason McBride Jeevan Dhinsa Jennifer Yeung Karim Kassam Mark Brady Nathan Slee Samantha Gayfer Sarah Phillips Stefania Iacchelli Susan Wells

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Personal Projects A capstone of a liberal arts education

On April 12th, the class of 2018 presented their Personal Projects. The Personal Project is the capstone of the IB Middle Years Programme and gives students the chance to pursue one of their passions in an independent research project. A stepping stone to the more traditional academic format of the Extended Essay in the Diploma Programme, students use their research skills to plan and create a specific product and then report on the overall process and what they have learned about themselves.

The variety of projects produced by the Grade 10 students is a testament to the breadth of the MYP. Topics ranged from sports to fashion to technology to visual art, and students created products as varied as a business plan, a home-sewn black dress, a compilation of family recipes, a science fiction novella, and many more!

In addition to the research and organizational skills required to complete the Personal Project, students also demonstrated independence and initiative in choosing their topic, developing a plan and seeing it through to completion. While many lessons were learned the hard way, students developed the ability to break a large endeavour into manageable steps and to maintain their momentum over a months-long project. Both of these skills will stand the class of 2018 in good stead as they enter the Diploma Programme.

SARAH PHILLIPS MYP COORDINATOR

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When Creativity Goes Wild The Graduating Class Pranks the Senior School

...but at least they serve pancakes!

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MATH in a Liberal Arts Education We often think of mathematics and the arts as two completely separate entities. We sometimes try to bring elements of one into the other, but at the end of the day, we continue thinking that math and art are just too different from one another. It turns out that math and art are one and the same. The creativity, aesthetics, form, and patterns that they share are not a mere coincidence. With that in mind, why do we approach the two with such different attitudes and expectations?

Gone are the days when finding the ‘right answer’ was the sole purpose of a math education.

Communication, reasoning, perseverance, and resilience are all lifelong skills that benefit students in any area of learning and are what, in a balanced delivery of curriculum, a true math education will teach in addition to the hard skills that a traditional math program provides.

Math is a great way to hone communication skills. Just like there are many genres and styles that can be used to suit a variety of audiences and purposes, different forms of mathematical representation can be used to both discover and describe.

Graphs, equations, tables, and diagrams can help to reveal things that would be unknown otherwise. This helps to reinforce the importance to selecting the right form for each purpose, a skill that students will need in other subjects as well.

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Math students are also pushed to use words, diagrams, or equations to express what they might already know intuitively. Learning how to move from “I know this is true, but I can’t explain it” to “I know this is true and these are the reasons why” will help students to articulate their thinking logically, and to develop persuasive arguments in other disciplines.

Moreover, communication in mathematics is extremely precise: every symbol, comma, decimal, and digit must be used correctly to convey meaning accurately.

Such precision is essential to endeavours as varied as poetry and law.

Arab Spring a revolution? Both of these questions can be answered by drawing common elements from specific examples.

In studying math, students also learn abstraction: moving from the abstract to the concrete and vice versa, both of which are essential critical thinking skills. Being able to find the common elements in a variety of specific examples will help students to identify trends and make predictions and connections. While this skill has obvious applications in science, it is no less applicable in the arts.

Did Shakespeare write all the plays attributed to him? Is the

As we move further into the 21st century, we will need to reevaluate the ways in which we think about math. Just as we study literature to learn about form and technique, while also appreciating its meaning, nuances, and beauty, so should we view math with the same outlook.

Perhaps the most valuable and widely-applicable impact of a math education is in learning how to learn. In math, students learn to persist with difficult tasks, whether that difficulty is with computation or communicating their reasoning. Similarly, students learn to learn from mistakes, use prior knowledge to tackle novel situations, and approach problems in a variety of ways, all of which are essential skills in a rapidlychanging world.

SARAH PHILLIPS & SALONI DHOLAKIA MYP MATH TEACHERS

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The Value of Looking at Science Through a Liberal Arts Lens Science textbooks are full of lies.

I’m not talking about the facts and beautiful figures of amino acid structures and the curly arrows of SN1 reaction mechanisms and directions of how to componentize the trajectory of a projectile. My assertion is that the textbooks themselves don’t actually teach science, hence the lie. Traditional science textbooks teach answers.

They teach students what to think, or a history lesson about the long-dead, probably rich European who made a seminal discovery, followed by a few practice problems designed to arrive at the same answer.

I am not panning textbooks – there is value in learning facts.

It gives one a ladder to climb up onto, in order to have the background necessary to ask the bigger questions. It is this ability to ask these bigger questions that is the basis of science. Science is not the $700 textbook that you bought for Biology 101. It’s not even the four-hour Organic Chemistry lab you faithfully attended every week. Science is the toddler continuously dumping his spaghetti bowl out and gathering evidence to support his theory that meatballs always fall to the floor when dropped from a height, rather than float in space; science is the Grade 8 student building a macro lens for her iPhone camera, and observing and documenting how the lenses work in conjunction with each other. On a larger scale, science is about asking the unknown questions. Is having the background knowledge needed to do this? Yes; but we must also have the creativity, lateral thinking skills, communication prowess,

data management, organization skills, and technical skill to help answer even a small portion of the larger question.

In 2005, the leading peerreviewed journal Science released a special issue discussing big questions that we are still working towards answering, even 11 years later. They were questions like: Are we alone in the universe?

What genetic changes made us uniquely human? What drives reversals in the Earth’s magnetic field? And, how are memories stored and retrieved? While only a few of our current students may be a part of answering these big questions, science benefits all.

Understanding ourselves and the world beyond us will help future generations make decisions. Even if not all of my students become scientists, I hope they all remain scientific thinkers.

I recently gave an ecology quest (think a hybrid between a quiz

and a test rather than Clash of Clans quest) to my Science 10 students. One of the questions discussed a study conducted in Washington State, examining the green algae-limpet-oystercatcher food chain. The study authors placed cages around communities of three different species of limpets, thereby excluding them from their oystercatcher predators.

Limpet population data from both before and after the experiment was presented to the students, who were asked to describe the changes and to suggest reasons for the changes amongst the different species. I had one theory written in my answer key, but realized after reading a few responses that there were many more ways of analyzing the evidence. I am giving credit for any and all explanations that are supported by the evidence presented. I am not looking for a parroting of facts and figures.

I look for, and see, the evidence of true scientific thinking in front of me, in the ability to analyze, to communicate, and to evaluate.

The value of a liberal arts education goes beyond your children deriving the correct answers. Stratford Hall students also learn how to ask questions.

They learn how to analyze their answers if their data does not match their initial hypothesis.

They learn how to synthesize and discuss competing theories, and to evaluate the evidence supporting these theories in order to select the best choice. We are not educating scientists: we are educating scientific thinkers.

ANA VER MYP SCIENCE TEACHER

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COSTA RICA 2016 Over spring break, 21 students travelled to Costa Rica, all looking forward to experiencing the culture and improving our Spanish. We first arrived at Costa Rica on the 13th and spent one night in San Jose. The next morning we travelled to the Children’s Eternal Forest, where we stayed for two nights and three days. After that we spent four nights and five days with our homestay families, where we were integrated into their culture. Before returning to San Jose, we were able to stay in Guanacaste for two nights and three days, where we got to relax by the beach.

The first part of our trip was spent at the Children’s Eternal Forest Reserve in San Gerardo. Before hiking into the reserve, we met Oscar, a local Costa Rican who has extensive knowledge on the plants and animals native to Costa Rica. The hike into the reserve was very enjoyable because it was all downhill and we got to experience something very few people have the opportunity to do. During the hike, we stopped at a viewpoint and saw the Arenal

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Volcano; this is considered to be the most active volcano in Costa Rica. After hiking for two hours, we arrived at the reserve, which was also a biological research station. We stayed at the reserve for two nights and slept in a long cabin with separate rooms with two bunk beds.

On the first night in San Gerardo, we had some time to relax and enjoy each other’s company. The balcony was lined with several hammocks, but the view was the most spectacular part because there was a clear view of the Arenal Volcano. One morning we were able to see smoke coming out from the top of the volcano, which was a very unique and fascinating thing to see.

On the second day, we spent the morning hiking around the reserve and learning about the native plants and how they grew in the tropical forest. After lunch, we went on a scavenger hunt and looked for native plants. Later that night, we ate a delicious dinner of spaghetti and had some free time.

After dinner, some people went

with Oscar on a nocturnal hike to explore the forest and find some animals that are awake during the night; some said that they saw an owl. This was the last night we spent in San Gerardo, which was really sad because we didn’t have enough time to see everything at the reserve. The next morning, some of us woke up early to watch the beautiful sunrise, which was filled with bright oranges and reds.

We needed to hike out of the reserve and up the hills we had come down: This one of the most challenging aspects of the trip; however, it felt really rewarding once we got to the top. After we had finished the hike, we had the opportunity to go zip-lining.

Zip-lining was a great experience because we were able to go through the lush forest and see unbelievable things, such as the ocean and green forest. In total, we went on 13 zip-lines, but went on two in tandems. The last line was over a kilometer long, and the view was exceptional.

After San Gerardo, we traveled to our homestays in a small village

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called San Luis just outside of Monteverde. We were split in groups of two or three and sent to houses all over the well-spaced village and were immersed in the culture. On the first day that we arrived, it was late afternoon so we spent the night getting to know our homestay families.

This was a challenge for some, as most homestay families only spoke Spanish. Every family was different and they all accommodated for us in different ways, which made each of the experiences unique. That night we had what a typical family in Costa Rica would eat, which was a much simpler cuisine. The majority of us ate a diet consisting of rice and beans with vegetables and meat, while other families ate food closer to the food we eat in Canada like hotdogs and pancakes.

The next morning we had free time to explore and check out

the other homestays. The village is well spread apart, so walks between houses take only a few minutes; but as we toured the different homestays, we noticed the hospitality that we received at every home. Not every family had access to the same amenities as the others, as some had internet and other did not and some groups had to share rooms and others did not. As we arrived on a Thursday, many people were at work or school and we got to check out the village without people. One thing similar between all the houses was the abundance of dogs. The most common dogs were dachshunds, of which it seemed like every house had one or two. Many of the dogs were guard dogs, and they barked and growled at the sight of strangers.

They were small, and once they understood that we were not threats, they were very fun to be around.

That afternoon, we started the first of two service activities where we met with other volunteers that had been around the community for much longer than we had. We worked with them to move a pile of sticks and logs from their newly

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made volleyball court and dig out some of the plants off of the side of the road next to the volleyball court. Even though we only worked for a couple of hours, we were exhausted as the sun was really hot and tired us out. For the first time after that, the cold-water showers felt good after a long day.

The next day, we worked on an all-day service activity. We met by the newly-built community centre and started on our hike to a trail that we would be working on. We had three dogs follow us from some houses along the 30-minute hike to the trail. We stopped at an open clearing and split into two groups. One group brought out the pickaxes and shovels and dug out a nice trail from the grass by removing the grass and overturning the dirt. The other group hiked up a hill where they worked on creating a lookout point which would be the end of the trail. They took rocks to create a

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ring and dug out the hill to create a flat area where people could look and enjoy the view of the mountains.

The dogs that had followed us had ended us becoming a nuisance because they loved the newfound attention that we were giving them. Our homestay families gave us a lot of food for lunch and the scraps ended up being eaten by the dogs and it seemed like the dogs were happy with the amount we gave them because it was more than at home. By the end of the day, we had worked for around five hours and we had made a nice clear lookout point and made a trail around half a kilometer long and wide enough for two people to walk comfortably. This was a nice feeling because we could see our hard work becoming something to help grow the community.

At the end of the day we were tired and went home to relax for

the evening. The next day, we helped out around the house for the morning, seeing what the life of these people was like on a normal day. Most people were farmers, and we got to help handle the animals like the cows and chickens, but other homestays had unique jobs like at a soap factory and we could see what small artisan work was like. In the afternoon, we went to a ranch in the bottom half of the city and had fun after all the work we had done. We split into teams and played soccer at the local field and tried fishing with a net in their tilapia ponds. After we got to eat the tilapia, which was a delicious and fresh meal. This was the last time that we got to see Oscar so we said or final goodbyes to him and went home because it was getting late.

The next morning, we were supposed to be leaving early so we packed our last breakfast, said

MAY 2016 goodbye to our homestay families, took our last pictures, and packed our bags for the road. This was the work and service part of our trip, but it did not feel like this because we got to experience a new culture for the first time in a rural community that is so different from our lives in Canada. We left the great food and amazing people behind to pursue the final leg of our journey, which was all fun at the beach.

We arrived in Guanacaste early afternoon, and spent some time in the pool cooling off. Everyone was excited to be close to the beach and to see the fish in the ocean; however, after a long day of travel, all we wanted to do was lounge around and enjoy the tropical climate. The second day we had

an early start, so that we could go snorkelling before the waves came in. Although snorkelling wasn’t a new experience for many of us, I think we all found the diversity in the ocean incredible and amazing. In the water there were puffer fish, sea urchins, and starfish. During the time we were snorkelling, our guides Milton and Diana say they saw a shark. After spending the morning in the water, we went back to the hotel to eat lunch. In the afternoon, we had the option to return to the beach or stay at the hotel. Those who went to the beach went body surfing, while the people who stayed at the hotel relaxed among themselves.

Overall, the time we had in Guanacaste allowed us to create new memories, and to strengthen the bonds we had with each other.

The trip was a great time and it is recommended that if the trip is available to you next year that you take the opportunity to go.

This trip is a great experience and embodies what our school believes in, which is learning outside the classroom. We learned so much throughout the trip thanks to Milton and Diana taking us through the forest and showing us things we would never see in Canada. We learned about a culture and lifestyle totally different from our lives in Canada and got to experience it, while still having fun at the beach and in general with our friends in another country.

TAYLOR GOLDBLATT, OLIANA CHAN, LEVI ANTLE, AND VICTORIA FUNG GRADE 10 STUDENTS

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A New Tradition As a celebration of the Diploma Programme milestones reached, our Grade 12 students were treated to five special luncheons throughout the school year. Catered and planned entirely by the parents, the luncheons provided our DP2 students with the opportunity to pause and reflect on their accomplishments before tackling the challenges ahead. For the final luncheon in April, the Grade 11 students were invited to celebrate their Diploma Programme peers. We think these luncheons were well-deserved treats, and we hope they become a new longstanding Stratford Hall tradition!

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Unapologetically Liberal Arts A teacher examines the impact of her own education in the liberal arts.

“Your parents must be so annoyed with you – I would never have allowed my daughter to do what you did,” said the human resources contact interviewing me for an entry-level job at a large local company, which shall remain unnamed.

I raised an eyebrow at her attempt at wry humour made at my expense, but said nothing in rebuttal. In my mind, however, I contemplated her rather inflexible and short-sighted perspective on my education.

Ms. Human Resources’ issue was the fact that I had a liberal arts degree, which in her mind was a useless job training, and therefore a waste of time and money. Some might agree, but here I am: a teacher with three university degrees and career I love. I wasn’t, however, “stuck” being a teacher – I freely chose to be one after participating in other paths that would probably have given me more prestige and cash, and were happy to have me as a

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liberal arts graduate, but ultimately lacked the meaning and creativity I personally craved.

Admittedly, it took longer than perhaps is ideal to settle down in an actual career. I spent a number of years flitting about, testing the waters in a variety of fields, but that “failing” was more a function of my distractible and curious personality than my education.

And, as a result of my liberal arts education not pigeonholing me into an industry, I was employed in some diverse arenas, which was great exposure. Admittedly, I often had to start near the bottom, but employers hired me as they saw my potential due to my desire and ability to learn – my degree was at least partial proof of this.

I was raised with a different attitude than that expressed by the HR interviewer. My father had always told me that an undergraduate degree was meant to be an education, and not a job training. The job training and experience could come

either concurrently with that education, and/or after the fact.

The traditional notion of a liberal arts degree is that it is necessary to participate fully and effectively in society. A liberal arts education imparts a range of knowledge and perspectives in a variety of areas, and experiences in critical thinking. My first degree was a Bachelor of Arts, which also required a lab science. Contrary to popular belief, a Bachelor of Science is also usually considered a liberal arts degree, due to the way the courses are taught and because non-science courses are also required to round out a student’s education. That’s right – a liberal arts degree is simply that which is not a professional or technical training program, so undergraduate math and physics are usually embraced within the very broad shoulders and strong arms of the liberal arts.

My first degree, at UBC, started off with the Arts One program, which gave me credit in History, English, and Philosophy (there

MAY 2016

were courses in addition to this).

My cohort that year explored both Eastern and Western civilizations from ancient times to the present, through literature, history, religious texts, and philosophy. As such, I was given the opportunity to better understand my own Western culture and, to a lesser degree, because I wasn’t already completely steeped in it, Eastern cultures. Through this kind of excellent foundation program available at a number of universities (UBC also has a Science One foundation program), we developed an increasing comprehension of the arts, cultural perspectives, the origins of political systems, and even the way our economic systems have developed. Therefore, even though I don’t really know much about economic theoretical models, but I can read an article in The Economist and not be totally stymied by the content.

I then settled on a degree in anthropology with a focus on archaeology, which to me was endlessly fascinating. This combination not only allowed me to learn more about people now, but also gave me a chance to connect with people from thousands of years ago through their artifacts. As part of this program, I was exposed to the humanities and also given some practice with scientific methodology (archaeology relies on the hard sciences for some of its data), and qualitative and quantitative research.

peoples’ perspectives and issues, that education, and the resulting opportunity to work at the Museum of Anthropology as a student intern, will better help me to choose appropriate resources for our Learning Commons collection and assist other teachers with the new curriculum.

Because of the swathe of subject and topic exposure I have gained through a liberal arts education, I can better engage with and be woven into the fabric of the world in which I live. I can look upon that fabric from a distance and see how the patterns create an overall effect, and then zoom in to better examine the warp and weft of the weave making up that whole. I can make an educated guess as to how pulling on one of the threads must disrupt the overall design, and how yanking on too many of them might either threaten the integrity of the fabric, or provide an opportunity to create a whole new design by rearranging parts of the old fabric into something better.

Academic historian and author of Galileo’s Middle Finger (it’s a great book, really), Alice Dreger, describes how her particular liberal arts training has provided her with a “temporal depth perception spanning millennia.”

Indeed, a liberal arts education increases depth perception, whether it be temporal or spatial, or some other concept that might fit within this metaphor.

A liberal arts education has cemented my bafflement at the idea that anyone could be bored when there is so much to explore and consider. It has given me greater opportunity for intellectual exploration; exposed me to enough to improve my ability to make connections between seemingly disparate issues; allowed me to see the big picture, yet analyze the tiny details; and helped me maintain a love for learning.

KIRSTEN MOROZOV LEARNING SPECIALIST: LITERACY AND RESOURCES

Even though I completed that degree a long time ago now, it still informs me. For instance, with the recent changes to BC curriculum, which is attempting to better integrate aboriginal

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The Lifestyle of a Theatre-Goer An adventure in New York City’s theatre scene One thing I’ve always loved about working at Stratford Hall is that if someone has an idea for something new or exciting, and about which they are passionate, they are given the wings to make it fly – be it student or staff. My idea to design and execute a trip to New York City began the moment I knew I would be teaching DP Theatre; the course requires students to attend plays, the more the better. And, in the last 10 years or so, the best theatre I’ve seen has been in New York. Thus, an instantlyamazing vision of a theatreentrenched trip to the Big Apple appeared to me, and I knew that the trip would not only get off the ground, but that it would also be fabulous and life-changing.

As usual, I was right! As we are wont to do here at Stratford Hall, I bit off an ever-so-large amount to chew. One never knows just how much work one must invest to complete such a large task (not dissimilar to mounting a production, actually), but I knew that I wanted to create a trip that the students would remember forever. This is the first year that Stratford Hall has run a DP theatre class, and I wanted to make sure that my students not only learned a ton about theatre history, theory, practice, and criticism, but also truly enjoyed the experience of theatre as a whole.

‘Theatre’ as a phenomenon is rife with ritual and tradition, and it was a major goal of the trip to expose

the students to the lifestyle of a theatre-goer. So yes, this meant we ate dinner at 11:30 PM, while excitedly debriefing whatever show we had just seen and giggling like fools. In other words, I wanted them to experience theatre in context. And while there are many different theatre cultures and contexts globally, New York has a scene that crackles with invisible energy, and maintains an emphasis on food and myriad world cultures, with the excitement of many celebrity actors on stage!

The trip was made available to all Grade 11 students, so our DP theatre class of seven was joined by three brave souls who, lucky for us, turned out to actually want to see six shows in six days, and were ultimately invaluable additions to the trip. So we had confirmation of 10 students, and one bossy theatre teacher… we were still missing another chaperone, but I was incredibly lucky to be joined by Dave Knight: the yin to my yang. Though I was initially worried that it would not be the New York trip of Dave’s dreams, it quickly became apparent that his ideations regarding Broadway, delicious food, and lesser-seen sides of New York were exactly in line with the students’ and mine. Et voila!

The dream team was born.

I left Vancouver with seven bright, passionate, and insightful DP theatre students, three additional students with varying interest levels in plays, and an (American) math teacher who enjoys all manner of cultural endeavour.

Yes, I anticipated that my ‘trained’ theatre students would exercise their already-strong critical skills, but I did not anticipate all 12 of

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satisfying treat it had been even a week before. My highly perceptive, sensitive, and intelligent students aptly pointed out that many of the shows we saw were not stories that could be told in a book, or in a movie, or on a screen of any kind.

They came to understand that theatre truly is its own art form; a two-way experience, and that it is still relevant today, despite where the big money comes from and goes to (read: Hollywood). us learning so very much, and departing New York with such a deeply satisfied feeling of the kind of catharsis you can only get when you’ve lived through something transformative; so utterly stimulating. The metamorphosis that took place over six days was nothing short of jaw-dropping.

To detail every event would do a disservice to the stories we both watched and lived. After seeing our unanimously favourite play, the students were immediately perplexed at how they were going to explain the play-that-was-moreof-an-experience-but-also-anamazing-show to their friends and family. Sadly, I told them, there is no way anyone can ever know but us. There are no words to explain some phenomena, and this trip was rampant with them.

I can list the plays we saw: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime (which won the 2015 Tony for best play), Smokefall (surrealism at its finest, full of celebrities both on and off stage), Something Rotten (which won

the 2015 Tony for best Musical – and we got to go backstage as special guests afterwards!), The Woodsman (which I cannot even begin to qualify), Sleep No More (an immersive play where the audience all wear masks and wander through a five-story haunted hotel with scenes of MacBeth being performed hither and thither and literally every person experiencing a different show) and The Crucible (the Pulitzer-prize winning play, which had to push back opening night due to the star’s nomination for an Oscar); however, there is simply no way to describe the deep impact of these stories on our psyches; our whole beings.

Often teachers wish they could infuse students with the perspective that only age can bring, simply to help them understand the world better.

As it stands, teenagers will be teenagers, and know more than everyone else – in the exact same way I knew it all when I was 16.

But incredibly, in six short days, metamorphoses occurred that I am still struggling to grasp.

I can express to you that on our last night we got to be audience members for a taping of Stephen Colbert, and, though we were all SO EXCITED for months beforehand, were thoroughly underwhelmed; suddenly, to us, television – regardless of the fact that we saw Steve Martin and Shirley MacLaine! – was not the

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The entire experience, from pitching my proposal in September to the end of the trip, is, I feel, the best thing I have accomplished thus far in my teaching career.

I understand that they may not have taken in every single piece of information I’ve taught them over the years. They will not, however, forget the frozen hot chocolates we shared at Serendipity, or talking to Jesse Tyler Ferguson and getting autographs after all the shows. They will not forget interviewing a Broadway actress who we subsequently saw perform. They will not forget the joy of catharsis after the deep ache of beautiful story-telling.

They will not forget seeing Oscarnominated-and-some-winners perform a play they have studied in class and fell in love with weeks previous. They will not forget the giddy laughter that accompanied our own hilarious stories shared

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in crowded restaurants, and the cartoon-snobby server. They will not forget the excitement that buzzes through a gorgeous old theatre before curtain. And surely they will not forget the burger at The Spotted Pig; or wandering Greenwich Village; or spending time in a ‘Beauty and the Beast’esque library museum; or taking the train to Brooklyn; or… so on, ad nauseum.

The message: The best learning is done by living. And we lived theatre like the would-be Broadway stars we are! So much love and appreciation to all those who helped make this trip possible – and especially my students.

I ♥ SH. COURTNEY MCFADYEN MYP THEATRE TEACHER

MAY 2016

First Aid at Stratford Hall: The AED Every year I teach the Grade 7s First Aid as part of OEE, and every year when I teach the section on CPR and Automated External Defibrillators (AED) I get the same question: “Why doesn’t Stratford Hall have an AED?” This year, I decided to take action, so Mr. McBride and I put forth an application to the Heart and Stroke Foundation’s PAD (Public Access to Defibrillators) program, and we were chosen as a lucky recipient of an AED. On April 30th our AED arrived, and Ms. Bartsch, Mr. McBride, Ms. Janine, Mr. Campanella, and I had the opportunity to be trained.

While going through the training we realized how straightforward the AED is to use: You basically open the box and listen to the voice prompts, which lead you through selecting the right pads, applying them to the patient, and pushing the flashing button.

For those of you who do not know what an AED is, it is a portable device that automatically

diagnoses the life threatening arrhythmias of ventricular fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia, and is able to treat them through defibrillation (an electrical shock with the purpose of re-establishing an effective heart rhythm). Combined with CPR, the use of an AED may increase a victim’s likelihood of survival by 75%.

We all hope that this AED is something we never have to use, but it sure is nice to know that an AED is available nearby if we do need it. The AED is located at the front desk of the PYP Building.

BOBBY NISHI JUNIOR SCHOOL ATHLETICS COORDINATOR

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OEE 10 Expedition #3 Rock climbing at Skaha Bluffs, Penticton At the end of April, the entire Grade 10 class and a few hardy teachers travelled to Penticton in the Okanagan Valley to climb the area’s rock bluffs. This trip is the ultimate experience that gives students who have indoor climbed since Grade 6 a rather fitting summative assessment: Now go climb a real mountain!

Last year in OEE 9, many of the students received their belaying certification, which enabled them to safely assist or belay someone up a mountain. Equipped with this in addition to years of OEE camping, tent setting, cooking, expedition planning, and packing, the students were well-prepared. What comes out of these experiences is the

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tapestry of learning stated best by the students themselves: as Roses (good times) and Thorns (challenging times).

Sam Zhang: “The most memorable time was when I climbed to the top. I also came up with something when I was doing ‘solo’: rock climbing is like our lives, we try hard to reach the top part—the final goals.

And the instructors are like our parents, they can only guide us to a certain point, the rest is up to us.”

Sofia Webber: “I really enjoyed belaying others because I got to help my friends get to the top of the wall. In the end, I learned how to belay but

MAY 2016 also cemented relationships by supporting others.”

Janika Sangha: “One thing I really appreciated about the trip was how it required me to challenge myself. Climbing the bluffs requires you to have a certain mindset; you have to be willing to work around problems, push yourself, and not give up.”

Phyllis Lesnikov: “Climbing the hardest cliffs can be considered my ‘rose’ because it gave me an overall sense of satisfaction with the trip, as though I’d fulfilled my purpose.

Visiting the Okanagan area is my second “rose” because I actually just enjoyed the scenery and was fascinated with the fact that it’s a legitimate desert.”

Avery Lee-Pi: “Solo time. It was super nice to have some time to myself on the trip, you always seem to be with a group of people so just

being by yourself for 30 minutes feels very relaxing. We were also able to create some amazing desserts like strawberries dipped in chocolate and apples with cinnamon and brown sugar.”

with a rather touching dimension.

Climbing is really a metaphor for life; it’s you and the rock wall, but you have to have someone covering your back… then the rest is up to you.

This expedition is unique as the traditional solo time concludes

MICHAEL MCGUIRE OEE COORDINATOR

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WHAT’S BEEN HAPPENING AT STRATFORD HALL?

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Getting to Know: Samantha Gayfer In an effort to keep you familiar with the faces you see walking the halls of the school, we would like to expand on our introduction of new staff members from the last issue of Imprint with short interviews. How better to begin than with the newest member of our Senior Leadership Team, Samantha Gayfer, the Director of Advancement and Communications.

Where were you before you came to Stratford Hall?

We were living in Dubai, where I was Director of Corporate Communications for a global hospitality and real estate development company called IFA Hotels & Resorts. We were the largest foreign investor on the Palm Jumeirah and have properties across the Middle East, Europe, South Africa, and the USA. What was your primary responsibility?

My job there was to anticipate, manage and streamline all corporate communications in conjunction with our three CEOs and our Chairman.

Our branded properties included Fairmont, Four Seasons, Mövenpick, Sheraton, Delano and YOTEL. YOTEL was a category creator – the originator of what is now known as “affordable luxury”. It was one of our more recent acquisitions and I was heavily involved in supporting its global roll-out. As it turns out, I was able to connect our students to YOTEL New York when Ms McFadyen mentioned her theatre trip – so that was a neat connection to be able to leverage.

So what brought you to Stratford Hall?

It was the right move for our family. We were very happy in Dubai – it was a truly amazing experience for 14 years. But Paige, more so than Sienna, was getting to be of an age where her surroundings were starting to have an impact on her and shape her definition of normal, everyday life. If you haven’t been there I can tell you there’s nothing normal or everyday about life in Dubai. As normal as we may have tried to keep it for our girls, they were still surrounded by excess in everything. It has always been a priority for us to make sure Paige and Sienna understand what it means to be Canadian; to make sure they understand just how fortunate they are to have been born with a Canadian passport and all the privilege that entails. Canada is a very special place, so when this job opportunity presented itself unexpectedly, we made the leap, packed up our lives in Dubai and headed for BC. What was it about Stratford Hall that stood out to you as a good fit?

Our family values are very aligned with Stratford Hall’s school values.

How has it been working together with Jason?

[Smiling] Great, although we never stop talking about school and rarely stop working. Stratford Hall is connected to three of our four family members and next year, we will all be here! Working together isn’t new for us. So many people ask us how we don’t kill each other spending all day together, but the truth is we don’t actually see each other for more than a minute or two here or there. We are both very busy with different aspects of the school. Our favourite experience to date (Stratford Hall notwithstanding), was working together in Abu Dhabi. We had four months to take a brownfield site, gut it, build a school, and open it at the request of the Sheikh. For much of those four months, it was just Jay and I to get it all done – it was crazy! We didn’t have kids then and so we worked non-stop, day and night with no days off. Plus, I was still working with IFA remotely. For us, success was opening as planned on September 9 with 103 students whose parents had a tremendous amount of faith in what we could deliver. Opening that school was far and away the most exhausting and most rewarding work experience I have ever had. I loved the connectedness of that community and I see that echoed here at Stratford Hall. I like the intimacy of a small school setting and what

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MAY 2016 that offers for students, parents and teachers.

Why is strong communication important for a school?

Strong communication is important for everything, and everyone across every industry. Communication is at the crux of understanding and managing expectations. First of all, to have happy students, happy teachers and happy parents, we all need to buy into the same idea of what Stratford Hall is and what it offers. To accomplish that, our value proposition needs to be clearly articulated. Helping potential students and parents understand that we are an independent (yes, read: fundraising required), liberal arts school offering the International Baccalaureate is key. If new parents and students walk through our doors thinking we are a STEM school or without understanding the cross-curricular nature of IB and how it differs from when we went to school – that’s on us. If they arrive and we haven’t explained that schools like ours operate on a tuition deficit and rely heavily on endowments and fundraising – that’s on us. If they arrive and are surprised by our modest, but well-utilized facilities – that’s on us.

Secondly, there is the ongoing housekeeping aspect of communication; the part where we aim to ensure our community is aware, involved and informed. It is fundamental to our evolution. This is why the strategic plan has been an enormous body of work this year. Communication goes both ways. If you don’t solicit feedback before you ratify and communicate a vision, then you’re just dragging people along with your gut instinct.

Our goal is to shape a vision that’s achievable. To do that, we need to bring people along on the journey. That’s not to say any and all things should be designed by committee – logos should not be designed by committee (laughing). Well they can be, but then they generally look like a dog’s breakfast.

“To have happy students, happy teachers and happy parents, we all need to buy into the same idea of what Stratford Hall is and what it offers.”

There is a tendency for leaders to rely on their gut instinct and not do their research. To omit all that data from shaping and informing a plan is an Achilles’ Heel and I’ve seen it over and over again in my career. Luckily, Jason and I are both data-driven. You have to ask and you have to listen.

Only then should you act. Once you’ve done that you end up where we are right now, which is going through the process of showing that you’ve been listening. It’s often the most cumbersome part because between student surveys, parent surveys, and faculty surveys, we have more than 500 pages of data. It’s amazing data, but there’s FIVE HUNDRED PAGES of it! If I could, I would respond to every single comment individually, but there would be no weekly message or Imprint or anything else coming out of the office if I did that.

Still, we want the community to know that we are thinking about it, and we are working on it, but we can’t do it all at once. We have to start with the things that are mission critical. I want people to know that we’ve heard everything – good, and bad! Constructive or not, it has all been taken into account and it is all being woven into the fabric of the Strategic Plan. We ask the community to bear with us while we wade through the waters and make things happen in a manageable way.

What is the most rewarding part of your job?

Well Advancement is a tricky business, because there are a lot of people who do not like to ask for money, and there are a lot of people who don’t like to give money. Then there is this swathe of people whose altruism amazes me on a daily basis. It’s those moments where you see pure selflessness in action that make you believe in rainbows and unicorns. They really do! When somebody uses their means to advance something in an impactful way, like our small school, without any request for accolade or acknowledgment, it is amazing. It makes the school a better place for every student. I know there are a lot of parents who don’t like it when we ask for money, but I would ask them to bear in mind that for everyone who says “no”, someone says “yes”.

And the money that comes from that “yes” serves everyone’s children – it isn’t held in a silo for only families that gave. It takes a village to raise a school and our school is full of people with varying means. Asking for a gift is asking for your commitment to the school. Whether it is $5 or $50,000 – it’s not how much, it’s about how it is given – freely and in the spirit of a community trying to create the best school possible for everyone’s children. And when it happens, it’s the best part of my job.

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STEP RIGHT UP

TO ALL THE FUN at

STRATFORD HALL’S

FuNFAiR E

TH T A

FEATURING SILENT AUCTION CUSTOM TATTOO PARLOUR STRATFORDGRAM PHOTOBOOTH CRAFT CORNER

5

SUNDAY

th

11-2

FOOD TRUCKS!!!

P Y M

GAMES THE BIG SPLASH WITH STRATFORD’S RESIDENT CELEBRITIES (TEACHERS) BOUNCY CASTLE CLASSIC CARNIVAL GAMES MINUTE-TO-WIN-IT GAMES

JUNE THE ICE CREAM SHOPPE -

DOUGIE’S GOURMET HOT DOGS

FEATURING FREEZIES AND CLASSIC

FEASTRO

ICE CREAM TRUCK TREATS!

MAY 2016

THE WORLD PARTNERSHIP WALK As families from Canada, attending Stratford Hall, we are very fortunate. With a roof over our heads, food on our tables, and quality education, we live a life that is only dreamt of by others.

There are many families all over the world who live in poverty without any opportunity to improve their lives. Being global citizens from Canada, it is our responsibly to not only recognize these worldwide issues, but to take action and help to improve the livelihood of others less fortunate than ourselves.

used to support the global work of the Aga Khan Foundation Canada (AKFC). The AKFC is an international development organization and registered charity that tackles the issue of poverty in Asia and Africa. To do so, they work on improving access to quality education and health, increasing food security, creating economic opportunities, and building strong, resilient communities and local institutions.

Their current programs have assisted over 7 million people in 14 countries.

When I was six years old, my Mom signed me up for a charity event called the World Partnership Walk. At this age, I could barely understand the concept of global poverty, but knew that there were people in this world that needed my help. Attending the walk opened my eyes to how small actions we take can have a significant impact on others around the world.

In 2013, Stratford Hall created a school team for the World Partnership Walk. With 30 members of our newly formed team, we raised a total of $15,000 for the cause. Since then, our team has grown and, last year, we had 70 participants, making us the largest school team in BC, and raised over $40,000! As a school we took action and have had a large and significant impact on this cause. Over the past three years, we collectively raised $90,000 to help alleviate global poverty and ultimately assist those in need, all while having a fun time together.

It is amazing what can be done

The World Partnership Walk is Canada’s largest event to help alleviate global poverty through raising funds and awareness.

100% of the funds raised are

when we all come together with one goal!

This year, Stratford Hall will be forming another team for the World Partnership Walk and we want you, your family, and friends to join us. As you can imagine, with more members, the impact will be larger. The walk will be held on May 29th at Lumberman’s Arch, Stanley Park. There will be food, entertainment, and activities at the walk as well. As a team member, you are not obligated to raise funds, just awareness!

To register please visit the link: http://tinyurl.com/jkpkovz To learn more about the World Partnership Walk please visit: https://www.worldpartnershipwalk. com/en/about-us If you sign up by May 12th you will receive a free team t-shirt and slap band! Please contact me if you have any questions, at: jenna.manji@stratfordhall.ca.

Hope to see you there!

JENNA MANJI GRADE 10 STUDENT

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THINKING WITH YOUR (HE)ART You know something is valuable and worth doing again when as soon as the experience is over you just can’t wait to begin planning for the next time!

This is how many of us feel about Arts Week at Stratford Hall.

There are so many things that we love about this week. Not only does PYP Arts Week encourage students to think creatively, but it also offers us another lens through which to view and live the Learner Profile!

This year, students took risks during their Arts Week activities and showed an open mind when thinking in a new way and creating with various new materials.

They were also principled and caring, while practicing their communication skills when working collaboratively with their peers across grade levels.

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Perhaps most importantly, through all of the various sessions offered, including the Speaker’s Showcase and Buskerama, they were given the opportunity to act as artistic inquirers!

Our goal for this year’s Arts

Week theme, was to encourage ourselves and our students to consider what it means to Think Like An Artist. What this meant was that instead of zooming in on one specific artistic medium or specific set of skills, we wanted to teach for creativity by focusing

MAY 2016 more on the critical habits that artists employ and the mindset artists possess. We offered more than 11 sessions for our students to choose from, and these sessions all provided quite different experiences and materials for students to explore. What remained constant in each session was the focus on play, ideas, and creativity.

This year’s sessions included: • Art in Nature • Circles • Transformations • Invisible Dancing • Sew Good • Sock Puppets • Stratford Hall’s Midway • Poetry Cafe • Canvas Creations • Umbrella Art • Talent Showcase When planning this week we always hope that students will enjoy themselves, that they will get a chance to try something new, and that they will feel they have been given more time than usual to be creative and express themselves in new ways. But, one of our quieter goals is that they learn something new about the arts and about themselves that they can take with them long after Arts Week is over. Hopefully many of them will remember what it means to think and feel like artists no matter what path they may follow, because there is art and creativity in all that we do. Or, there should be!

And now that Arts Week is done for this year, we have already started talking about how we can make it better for next year, because that’s what artists do!

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What does thinking like an artist look like? Did our own students think like artists?

We asked our PYP teachers what they thought:

Making connections across disciplines “One thing I loved about our theme this year, Think like an Artist, is how the students viewed opportunities to think like an artist in many aspects of their lives. I heard students using that theme in discussion about mathematics, in their career goals, as well as in pursuing interests at home. After an inspiring Arts Week, the Talent Showcase workshop members wanted to share their art with the greater Stratford community, putting on a performance on May 5th. Students shared their comedy acts, dances, music, voice presentations, tricks, and more as a way to continue to extend our celebration of Arts Week.” -Ms. Todd “I overheard a couple of my students talking to each other while building a structure during one of their units of inquiry and one of them said to the other: ‘I’m thinking like an artist while I build this. It’s ok if I don’t know exactly how it will turn out.’” -Ms. Birch Being courageous with their learning “I noticed several students in particular this week that were able to take risks and express themselves in ways I had not seen all year!” -Ms. Minichiello “It’s incredible to see the students exhibiting their talent in front of a new audience and out of their common place of rehearsing and performing; Stratford Hall was certainly invaded by creativity and courage.” -Sra. Carranza Thinking creatively “When the students are given the time and the freedom to try new things, and allowed time for trial and error, they are provided with the opportunity to challenge themselves and their creative thinking.

Students were able to express themselves in ways that aren’t always seen in the classroom each day.”

-Ms. Fallabella “It was inspiring to see how our cardboard midway took on a life of its own within minutes of our quick introduction. Short of operating the box cutters and glue guns, the teachers were, for all intents and purposes, relegated to the back burner! The kids collaborated, planned, brainstormed, created, tested, and tweaked their midway arcade games with enthusiasm, humour, and pride. We are all so proud of them!” -Ms. Louie

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Understanding that artists are voracious researchers “A couple of students asked during our sewing session if they could go to the library to get a sewing book they had checked out before. As they were leaving the space we were working in, one of the students said to her friend: “Even artists have to research you know...”

-Sra. Penafiel Enjoying the process of making art “I loved seeing the students work in open-ended activities and create things without any purpose necessarily, but just because it felt good.” -Ms. Ottahal “It was amazing spending the time outside with the students discovering Land Art. They had the opportunity to explore art with their own creations outside at Clark Park in the fresh air and while the sun was shining!

Students enjoyed being outside, and combining creativity and learning with play and exercise.” -Mr. Allan

Building Community “Students from Grades 3 to 5 came together to create canvas paintings with Ms. Falabella and I. At first, they were quiet, shy, and stayed amongst peers within their grade groups. It was amazing to see how the process of making art brought each child’s personality out and, within minutes, they were all sharing, laughing, and interacting with one another. Arts Week allowed a little community of ‘canvas creators’ to blossom!”

-Ms. Bosello “One of the loveliest sights was to come down into the Exploratorium, even before Buskerama began, only to find Mr. Smith and Mr. Dirks quietly playing one of the cardboard midway games themselves!”

-Ms. Louie MEG PENAFIEL & CASEY TURNPENNY PYP TEACHERS

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ARTS WEEK 2016 Another Arts Week has come and gone. It was overall a very successful week with the following highlights: MONDAY, APRIL 18 Performance and Workshop Latin Dance and Ballet.

Nina Perez is the Latin dance instructor for students in Grades 8 to 10. For the kick off to Arts Week, students from different grades performed in front of the MYP cohort. Not only were these students risk-takers, but they performed with spirit and energy.

A highlight was Dag and Bailey from Grade 10. You could tell they put extra thought and practice into their routine and one could see it in their spirit on the dance floor.

For the second half of the show, Coastal City Ballet performed for the MYP, which includes Stratford Hall alumnae Morgan BringelandPowell from the Class of 2014.

This troupe is young but very professional, and it is obvious how much they love their work.

We found out through the course of the show they are serious about rehearsal and performance, rehearsing every day from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM – including weekends! They will occasionally take a day off, but other than that they are working with the troupe.

Their dedication showed, as every number was fantastic; strong, beautiful, poised, balanced... I could go on. They are performing Tchailovsky’s Swan Lake in its entirety at the Vancouver Playhouse. If you have seen the movie Black Swan, Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake is the story it is based on.

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TUESDAY, APRIL 19 Workshop - Illustrations in comics and graphic novels - Ron Turner Performance/Keynote Address from Digital Animation Director at Image Engine, Anders Beer This day was completely different from Monday. Illustrators and digital animation artists came in to prove that doodling in class was ok. Both artists shared their story and talents with students; Ron worked with 20 students and helped them to understand how to draw and work on illustrations of their own, while Anders gave a talk about how he got into working as an animator, and the process behind creating a digital character.

The students were given time to ask questions and he mentioned how intelligent they were.

Highlight: Anders became a hero to students when it slipped that he is currently working on the new JK Rowling movie; that’s what it takes to be loved!

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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20 Workshop and Performance – K!mmortal – Multidisciplinary artist, Kim Villagante The third day of Arts Week festivities began with Kim Villagante’s workshop, Lines and Rhymes. A group that consisted of mostly Grade 6 and 7 students were asked to create line art – Kim’s preferred visual style – guided by prompts such as “home” and “inspiring female figure.” The process was equally as valuable as the product, as students shared with each other their unique perceptions of home and the important women in their lives.

Not coincidentally, these prompts related to the subjects of Kim’s rhymes. It was a perfect segue to her talk and performance, where she discussed her journey towards becoming the ARTivist that she is today. She reflected on some of her experiences as a teenager and young adult and brought up some of the social realities that young people often face. These issues were conveyed in the form of three songs from Kim’s debut album, Sincerity. Described as a mixture of indie, folk, and rap, the songs that she performed (in order: She, Ancestral Clock (Boom Bop), and I’m Not Sorry) were dynamic and empowering. Sorry, you had to have been there to experience it!

It was particularly uplifting, not only to hear some of the great questions posed by the younger students in the audience, but also to see some of the older grades approach Kim after her performance. The inquiry about her practice as an artist who addresses issues regarding belonging, identity, empowerment, and marginalization led me to believe that she accomplished what she said she hoped she would – inspiration.

If you missed her performance or if you would like to re-listen to some of her meaningful lyrics, Sincerity can be streamed on YouTube.

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IMPRINT THURSDAY, APRIL 23 BUSKERAMA! Buskerama was an enormous success for its second consecutive year. Check out page 40 for details from Mr. Campanella!

FRIDAY, APRIL 22 AIRBAND Many students and staff don’t know that Airband was cooked up by Ms. McFadyen about three years ago. Adults that grew up in the 80s and 90s will have fond memories of watching their peers dress as their favourite rock stars and act like them on stage. Ms. McFadyen thought it would be a great idea to bring it back, mainly because she wanted a platform to choreograph a group of teachers with hot dance moves. Turns out, it’s a great way to end the week.

There’s a celebratory energy that happens when groups of teachers and kids are willing to dress-up, put themselves on stage, and perform. We all get to cheer, have fun, hoot and holler; it’s great.

Highlights: The Grade 8 boys Magesh, Arul, Evan: they were so fun to watch. The Grade 11 girls, Isis, Zowie, Jennah, Marine: they dressed for success, with particular standouts including Marine in a bald cap and pink blazer acting as Pitbull, Isis with a beard as Kanye West, and Jennah with a beard as another rapper. This group has been performing in Airband for three years now and were looking to win the event.

One of the really great traditions of Airband was started by the graduating class from 2011. Every year since the first show, the grad class develops a big finale performance, and this year was no exception. This year’s grads developed a ‘history of dance’-style airband that was epic, to say the least: it was 13 minutes long and ended with a large portion of the student body onstage. How did they remember all the choreography? They showed great teamwork!

The student participation during Arts Week, and the supportive staff who take on extra supervision shifts and agree to shorten their classes, help to make it a wonderful week in the school year. A particular thank you goes out to the Buskerama performers; without them, the event could not happen.

BOYD GREALY & SUSANNE CHOW MYP MUSIC AND ART TEACHERS

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MAY 2016

ABOVE: Susanne Chow shows a piece by Harkirn M. to a visitor.

RIGHT: Kate C. examines an installation piece depicting a ceramic interpretation of meat dangling in a confined space.

BELOW: Harkirn M. explains one of her pieces to a guest.

THE

GRADE 12 ART SHOW It’s hard not to be proud of students who choose to take a creative arts course in the DP; it’s indicative of their courage to challenge a different type of academic rigour. I’m especially proud of Emily and Harkirn for taking risks in their artwork, and showing it off with confidence.

SUSANNE CHOW DP ART TEACHER

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BUSKERAMA

A Display of Student Ingenuity An aspect of Stratford Hall that I hold in the highest regard is our willingness to attempt what, on first glance, may appear to be impossible or even ridiculous to consider, but deep down we all know will be amazing for our school community. Couple this with everyone’s willingness to pitch in and the seemingly impossible become possible.

Last year during Arts Week we organized Buskerama, a logistical

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feat which was so successful we ran it again this year. Stratford Hall is bubbling with student talent.

We have yoyo champions, chess champions, martial arts experts, competitive dancers, circus performers, musical geniuses, and so much more. Schools often present these students at a typical talent show. Unfortunately, talent shows breed an unnecessary competitive environment, and they rarely provide a platform to showcase the diversity of skills

that our students engage in.

Buskerama has allowed us to do just that. Picture yourself walking through our buildings and roughly every 10 feet you come across a different group of performers cycling through their 5- to 10-minute show. You move along to the next location, where you are greeted by a different group of talented students performing their unique skills. For instance, as you walked through the main floor of the DP Building you could have a

MAY 2016

“Stratford Hall is bubbling with student talent.”

caricature of yourself drawn by a young artist, or watch a graduated Royal Conservatory of Music student amaze you with fingers dancing across the piano. You could also step into the Big Top to witness a mesmerizing dance duo or a group of skillful circus performers, or courageously participate in a DP drama performance that was both scary and thought-provoking.

Buskerama involved over 70

student performers ranging from Grades 1 to 12. We set up 24 different performance locations across the MYP and DP Buildings, as well as a few locations outside. Every student in the PYP was partnered with an MYP or DP buddy with whom they experienced the event from end to end. Every teacher and Grade 12 student provided supervision for a stretch of time at one of 30 locations. It truly was a full community event. This year we

also added a main stage between the MYP and PYP Buildings, where we showcased some of our particularly extraordinary artists.

Perhaps we will organize Buskerama again for next year’s Arts Week. If not, we will surely fill the spot with some awe-inspiring event involving the entire school community.

RICK CAMPANELLA CAS COORDINATOR

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Grades 1 to 3 Musical Reflection:

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION!

When students embark upon a musical for the first time there are a lot of feelings that they experience, including fear.

Students share that they aren’t comfortable with a speaking role or that they think their voice isn’t loud enough. That is why we spend the entire first time exploring movement, voice, and expression in a comfortable and accepting environment.

Once we move into the second term and we read through the musical, students tell me what roles they are interested in. Many are still worried. They haven’t ever performed on a stage.

They haven’t sung or danced with others. Fear. They have to overcome it and be brave. That is what is so amazing about doing something you haven’t done before. There is a transformation that takes place.

One of the ISABC speakers, Amy Burvall talked to us teachers about the importance of creativity.

Specifically, how the arts teach us so much, such as perseverance, focus, problem-solving, confidence, and collaboration.

Students who were once so shy they couldn’t talk in front of the group take on singing a solo. They share their dance ideas or how to adjust the script to allow for extra speakers. They think and collaborate and are empowered.

This is the power of the arts.

TRICIA GRZYBOWSKI KINDERGARTEN TEACHER

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MAY 2016

An Identity Update Amidst discussions around the Strategic Plan, one of Community Development's responsibilities was to update the Stratford Hall marketing logo to make it easier to reproduce and more connected to the community feeling that Stratford Hall holds sacred. Our revised logo not only offers us a bold new colour palette that is in sync with our red, blue and yellow buildings, but also provides appropriate weighting to our school name and IB World School positioning statement.

In addition, the updated design increases the logo's visibility and incorporates a gently updated version of both the school crest and book icons. While the crest represents our original identity, the book symbolizes knowledge and acts as an homage to Stratford-Upon-Avon, the place of Shakespeare's birth. The new logo also features a brand new element – a window pane within which the colour-blocks sit.

Used metaphorically in novels for centuries, the window represents a number of concepts. In our logo it is meant to symbolize three distinct ideas:

• An invitation to look inside: Stratford Hall has long been known for its approachability. The window aptly reflects the school's inviting nature, while also bringing to mind transparency – an ongoing focus.

• A source of fresh air: An open window is a fitting analogy for our pluralistic school culture: where

•

acceptance – rather than dismissal – are at Stratford Hall's core. As a conduit to fresh air, the window also provides an allusion to our Outdoor Experiential Education program – one of the many things that makes a Stratford Hall education unique.

A source of light: Perhaps most importantly, the window is a source of light – the same light we see in the eyes of our students and our teachers every day. Used since the "dawn of time" to epitomize the victor in battles of opposing forces; light represents knowledge over ignorance, love versus hate, good conquering evil and progress outpacing stagnation. Light is eternally positive.

The updated marketing logo will be phased into operation as items with the previous logo need replacing. We hope you like it!

SAMANTHA GAYFER DIRECTOR OF ADVANCEMENT AND COMMUNICATIONS

Our new colour palette is in sync with our red, blue, and yellow buildings.

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FUN FAIR! The SHPA is very excited to once again organize the annual Fun Fair to be held in the MYP on June 5, 2016. The Fun Fair is a wonderful opportunity for our Stratford Hall community to get together to enjoy great games, entertainment, great food and most importantly great company!

We would like to welcome all our families to spread the word about the fair: invite your extended family, friends, neighbours, team mates etc. to join in the festivities!

Let’s make this year’s Fun Fair a huge success and announce Stratford Hall’s presence in the vibrant Commercial Drive community!

Here’s a sneak peek at some of the Fair’s attractions: Gourmet food trucks to whet the appetite! Featuring Feastro the Rolling Bistro (www.feastro. ca) and Dougie Dog (http://www. dougiedogdinertruck.com/)!

• Exciting attractions including: ◦◦ Balloon Twisting, ◦◦ Face Painting, ◦◦ “The hole-in-one minigolf”, ◦◦ New carnival games and minute-to-win-it games, ◦◦ Water balloon fun, ◦◦ Stratford’s own celebrity characters, ◦◦ The popular “Big Splash” featuring Jason McBride and much more.

SHPA Corner

STEP RIGHT UP

TO ALL THE FUN at

STRATFORD HALL’S

FuNFAiR P

MY HE

T AT

FEATURING SILENT AUCTION CUSTOM TATTOO PARLOUR STRATFORDGRAM PHOTOBOOTH CRAFT CORNER

5

SUNDAY

th

11-2

FOOD TRUCKS!!!

GAMES THE BIG SPLASH WITH STRATFORD’S RESIDENT CELEBRITIES (TEACHERS) BOUNCY CASTLE CLASSIC CARNIVAL GAMES MINUTE-TO-WIN-IT GAMES

JUNE THE ICE CREAM SHOPPE -

DOUGIE’S GOURMET HOT DOGS

FEATURING FREEZIES AND CLASSIC

FEASTRO

ICE CREAM TRUCK TREATS!

We hope this year’s fair will see as many of our families, friends and staff attend, as we hope to have recordbreaking attendance this year. Please help us spread the word throughout your own communities!

ANGELIQUE SCHNERCH SHPA PRESIDENT

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Celebrations Congratulations are due to Rohan S. in Grade 4 who, after receiving special permission, participated in the Grade 5 Elmacon Math Contest held at UBC on Saturday, April 30th.

Rohan was recognized for scoring among the top 25 in the contest - he came in at 16th place overall. Good job, Rohan!

Congratulations to the runners in our community who participated in the Sun Run! In particular, we would like to draw attention to two student runners: Lawrence L. and Denby C.. Denby’s running partner became injured and Denby’s parents didn’t want him to run the race without a partner, so Lawrence stepped in. Together, the boys finished the race in 49 minutes, which is a great time for anyone, but particularly a first-time Grade 6 student like Denby. Great work, boys!

Congratulations to Natasha C. (Grade 9) who achieved the highest score of the five Grade 9 students who participated in the Fryer Math Contest. The Fryer Contest is a full-solution contest open to Grade 9 students all over the world. Well done Natasha!

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Exciting news to report from Sean K., our resident TV star in Grade 9. Sean played Agent Oscar in the children’s show Odd Squad, and recently won a Young Entertainers Award in Los Angeles for his work. What’s more, Sean was just nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award for his role, and the show picked up nominations in several other categories. This is incredibly impressive, Sean!

Caleb J. had a late 10th birthday celebration during the break. Ever since the Unit of Inquiry on water, he has been researching and learning about the water shortage in developing countries around the world. To date, Caleb and his brother Andrew have raised over $12,000 for the BC Children’s Hospital through their birthday parties. This year, Caleb decided he wanted to request donations to Charity:Water, an organization that works to provide clean water to areas with significant shortages.

Through a small party, guests and family members donated a total of $380 USD toward the cause. This will enable 19 new wells to be built which, in turn, will allow children and women to go to school and work rather than spend over four hours a day walking to gather water. We are extremely proud of Caleb’s efforts and his eagerness to support this worthwhile project.

Olivia E. in and Allison C in Grade 1 took action to make a difference in their community.

They both had their hair cut and donated to be made into wigs for children that have cancer. So kind, girls! Olivia is pictured with her donation.

Look who Cedar and Salix Z. ran into while snowshoeing at Hollyburn this season! Seeing your teachers in the wild is the best!

MAY 2016

Celebrations

Exciting news out of Grade 10: Zoey J. will be presenting the findings from her Personal Project at the TedxYouth Conference, held June 5th on Granville Island. Click here for more details. Amazing!

Avery L. trained for a half marathon for her Personal Project. She ran her first half marathon last weekend in a time of 1hr 48mins, which is incredibly fast for an individual her age. Amazing, Avery!

Congratulations to Kiran D. who won first place at the Grade 6 and 7 ISEA Speaking Competition! All our competitors worked really hard with teachers and our external coach, Ariella Raff, and presented well at the event. Kiran’s presentation about living in the moment won the day!

We are so proud to announce that our Greater Vancouver Regional Science Fair participants Kaden, Tia, Grace, Kurtis, Ryan, Sasha, Natasha, Amardeep, Zoey, and Phyllis contributed to our school’s best showing ever! Stratford Hall brought home an honourable mention, a bronze medal, three silver medals, and two gold medals from the competition. Amardeep garnered the first place UBC Engineering Physics Award, and Phyllis was honored by the Greater Vancouver Mining Women’s Association. Adding to the excitement, Zoey J. and Phyllis L., both Grade 10 students, were each selected to represent BC at the Canada Wide Science Fair in Montreal. The Stratford Hall Annual Fund is delighted to be covering the cost of their trip. We congratulate them and wish them luck at this prestigious national event.

Aaron K. in Grade 6 is a violin student at the Vancouver Academy of Music, and he won the Inaugural VAM Junior Symphony Concerto Competition in November, which gave him the opportunity to perform as a soloist with the Junior Orchestra at VAM on May 12th, 2016. The VAM PreJunior Strings & Junior Symphony Concert will take place on May 12th, 2016, at 7:30 PM, Koerner Recital Hall at 1270 Chestnut St.

Congratulations to Sabreshark swimmer Devin M. (Grade 9), who was selected to represent Team BC in this year’s Provincial Prospects Training Camp in Markham/Toronto Ontario. To be selected, he had to be ranked in the top 10 nationally in one of six stroke categories. Your hard work has paid off, Devin!

Trenton S. has impressed us again for winning top debater at the National Debate Championships! This means that he will very likely be a member of Team Canada, which will be competing at the international tournament in the summer of 2017 in Indonesia. He and his teammate Margaret came very close to the tournament’s final round. So impressive!

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Sabres Sports

THE STRATFORD HALL

TRACK MEET April 14, 2016

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Sabres Sports

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Sabres Sports

Gratitude On Friday, April 22nd, 68 Stratford Hall students, plus six teachers, boarded two school buses to make the annual pilgrimage down to Burlington, Washington for the Spring Reign Ultimate Tournament. At the same time an almost equal number of parents were mobilizing in support of this massive group of students in order to ensure they were fully hydrated and well fed all weekend.

Organizing the feeding of 68 teenagers and six staff members is no small task, but our parents are amazing. They quickly volunteered their time and willingly gave back to the Sabres Ultimate program so our teams could be at their best during the tournament. The spread that they put on – cut up bananas, waiting

cups of chocolate milk, Cliff Bars, granola bars, bagels already prepped with cream cheese and jam, Subway sandwiches and hot pizza – is truly amazing.

Throughout both the Saturday and Sunday, parents could be found ferrying fresh cut fruit, beef jerky, and dried mango out to far flung fields for our hungry athletes and providing coffee/hot chocolate for our coaches. Rick Campanella, Chris Brogan, Bobby Nishi, Mary MacKenzie, Lisa Blachut, and I would like to offer a heartfelt thank you to the following parents that contributed to this weekend: Ian Kent & Joie Alvaro Kent Dawne Bringeland-Powell Cheryl Nakamoto Maeghan & Harold Leishman Marlane Press

Dave Howard Faiz Ahmad Carol & David Chiang Jewel & Randy Bondar Shannon Goddard Lilian Welt Carrie Wong Ray & Michele Dar Jocelyn Figueiredo Michelle Fedosoff Sara & Manjinder Bains Shawn Wowk Winnie Lai-Fong Katherine & Robert Hooley Sandra Lee & Steve Pii Andrea Leong Jennifer Gunasekera William Chan Minaz & Shenaz Shajani KYLE NYSTAD SENIOR SCHOOL ATHLETICS COORDINATOR

SENIOR BADMINTON

The Senior Badminton Team consists of 20 students from Grades 7-11. With a range of experience and knowledge of the game, our more seasoned players have taken a leadership role in coaching and teaching the strategies of the game to our newer players. The team’s dedication in improving their skills were evident during their exhibition matches against Mulgrave School. Moreover, the team showed commitment and determination when matched against provincially ranked teams. In the month of May, many of the Grades 7-10 students will be competing in the GVISAA tournament. I wish them the best of luck!

VANESSA TAM SENIOR BADMINTON COACH

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Sabres Sports

TRACK & FIELD The beautiful April weather presented perfect conditions for the track and field season. The season commenced with the Stratford Hall Track Meet on April 14th (photos on page 48), when all the Kindergarten to Grade 7 students participated in seven events: The 100m sprint, the 200m sprint, high jump, long jump, shot put, and our modified javelin throw, the chicken throw. Many of the teachers remarked that this was the best Stratford Hall Track Meet to date, due to the the effort and commitment of all the participants and organizers. A special thank you goes to all the Grade 6 and 7 students who, during their PE and OEE blocks, learned to organize, measure, and time the students as they competed in their events.

Using the results from the Stratford Hall Track Meet, we were able to select our qualifiers for the UBC Track Meet and on April 27th.

We took 85 students in Grades 4 to 7 to the Rasphal Dhillon Track & Field Oval at UBC. We had some great results, and a lot of athletes set personal bests. Here is a list of athletes that finished in the top five of an event.

Girls:

Boys:

ATHLETE

PLACE EVENT

ATHLETE

PLACE EVENT

Ryan Yeung

2 4th

600m 1000m

Jordan Chan

5th

100m

1000m 600m Shot put

Josh Haughian

5

Shot put

Daphne Meng

1st 2nd 5th

Luke Wilkie

Long jump Shot put

High jump 60m 100m

Victoria Haussmann

5th 5th

1 3rd 3rd

Nolin Lee Pii

2nd

800m

Simon Gunasekera

Madison May

5

1200m

4th 5th 2nd

60m 1000m Long jump

Dylan Uzelac

3rd

Shot put

Denby Carswell

2nd 2nd

800m 1200m

Ashanti Mackenzie

1st 5th

Shot put High jump

Simon Thomas

5th

1200m

Madoka Wowk

2nd

Shot put

Navin Howard

4

Shot put

Priya Conatser

4th

Shot put

Tyler Gunasekera

4

1200m

Rohan Singh

th

4

High jump

Nicholas Rochette-Caven 5th

High jump

Grade 4 boys

4 x 100m

nd

th

th st

th th

4

th

Grade 5 boys 3 4 x 100m The track and field season continued with a th new relay meet hosted by West Point Grey Grade 6 boys 4 4 x 100m Academy on May 5th. At that meet, the Grades 5 to 7 students competed in the 4x100m, 4x200m, and a medley relay (100m-100m-200m-400m).

The track and field season will end with the ISEA track meet on May 24th at South Surrey Athletic Park. rd

BOBBY NISHI JUNIOR SCHOOL ATHLETICS COORDINATOR

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Sabres Sports

Spring Reign 2016 2016 marked Stratford Hall’s ninth year of participation at the Spring Reign Ultimate Tournament in Washington. Over this period of time, our results in terms of wins and losses have varied, but the one constant has been the level of enjoyment and fun that our students experience. This year would prove to be no different. Sixtysix Stratford Hall Sabres Ultimate players were able to immerse themselves for two full days in the wonderful culture that is Ultimate.

As a coach I am always amazed at the level of intensity Ultimate players demonstrate while maintaining a strong sense of spirit of the game, fair play, and sportsmanship. Spirit of the game is of the utmost importance in Ultimate. USA Ultimate states that: “Ultimate relies upon a spirit of sportsmanship that places the responsibility for fair play on the player. Highly competitive play is encouraged, but never at the expense of mutual respect among competitors, adherence to the agreed upon rules, or the basic joy of play. Protection of these vital elements serves to eliminate unsportsmanlike conduct from the Ultimate field.”

So I am going to deviate from the norm of writing about our close games, our blowouts, and our heart-wrenching losses. Instead, I would like to focus on the aspects of Ultimate that we as coaches, and parents believes build that all-important character in our students and children.

Here are three specific moments from Spring Reign really encapsulate what Ultimate is all about.

1. The amazing D The Grades 9-12 team played Ingraham School in their second pool play game on Saturday. Both teams featured amazing athletes that were willing to make huge layouts on both offense and defense.

Ingraham had a very dynamic player that really stood out named Noah Coolman. Early in the game a throw went up to Noah near the Stratford Hall endzone. Albert Kragl made a sprinting, chest height diving layout to prevent a sure goal. What came next was the real amazing part. As Albert got up, Noah ran by and gave Albert a pat on the shoulder in recognition of the defensive effort he had just displayed. This small gesture by Noah, lost in the awe of the layout, illustrates the philosophy of spirit of the game and why it is such an integral part of Ultimate.

2. Props from a traditional powerhouse The youth Ultimate scene is probably the oldest and most established in North America. Many of the schools there have been playing Ultimate longer than Stratford Hall has existed. One of those schools, Northwest School, started their Ultimate program in 1999. Since that time their boys have won nine Washington state

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championships and their girls have won six. They have managed this elite level of success while still being recognized for having a strong sense for spirit of the game. At the conclusion of our game on the Saturday versus Northwest, both teams formed a spirit circle with players intermingled. It had been a fun game with both teams making great plays, discussing foul calls in a maturely, and enjoying the competitive nature of play.

In the spirit circle the captain, Ari Nelson, for Northwest spoke about Stratford Hall. She started by saying how much Northwest enjoyed playing us and that she thought our skill level was great. Her biggest compliment was when she stated that we “embody what Ultimate is all about through our play and spirited nature.” Given the context of Northwest’s storied Ultimate program and the experience of the player making this statement, this is huge recognition to receive for Stratford Hall and our Ultimate players.

3. All’s well that ends well I will finish with one more story from our universe point loss versus Ingraham. For those readers unfamiliar with Ultimate, universe point is similar to overtime in hockey, in that the next team to score wins the game. During these moments the desire to win can often override

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Sabres Sports spirit of the game, sportsmanship, and fair play, especially when a foul is called. During this point a Stratford Hall player, Khalid Alibhai, used the disc to push the Ingraham check away from him to create throwing space. The Ingraham player and team captain, Alex Brettmann, called a foul. The manner in which Alex called the foul, calmly and with clear explanation, caught Khalid by surprise. Khalid agreed that it was a foul. A resolution was mutually agreed upon and play resumed.

We would go on to lose that point, and the game. After the handshakes and spirit circle I noticed Khalid and Alex chatting in the middle of the field as both teams returned to their respective sidelines. I asked Khalid what the discussion was about and he told me they were just giving each other a thank you on having talked through the foul call so maturely and with mutual respect. To have watched the interaction between Alex and Khalid at the end of the game, you would never have known how hard each of them played to get the win, how competitive they both are, and the effort they put in to achieve victory. All you would have seen is two opponents taking a moment to embrace spirit of the game in the best possible manner.

While it would be nice to win Spring Reign one of these years, the character-building moments that we value so much in sport are there to be won every year. It is these moments that remind me of a quote by John Wooden and should leave our team with a sense of satisfaction for Spring Reign 2016: “Success is peace of mind, which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you did your best to become the best you are capable of becoming.�

KYLE NYSTAD SENIOR SCHOOL ATHLETICS COORDINATOR

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SPRING REIGN

The Grades 6 and 7 Team To sum up the experience of Spring Reign in one word I would use “lively.” For those of us in Grades 6 and 7 it was the first of many Spring Reigns to come. In total we had 22 athletes: 17 Grade 7s and five Grade 6s. Playing Ultimate brought the whole team together: There were endless cheers on the sideline and the spirit throughout the games was oozing out of all of the players. The weather was up at times and down at times, but everyone still had a good time.

Even staying in the hotel was an exciting part of Spring Reign; getting locked out of rooms, playing games in the lobby, trading candy, and eating together. Everyone had fun and spent most of the time laughing.

This was my first year going to Spring Reign and the experience was something I learned a lot from. We played some harder and older teams, and the team learnt a lot of skills and strategies from the other teams.

Overall, the Grade 6 and 7 team did an amazing job: We won four games and lost two and ended up coming in third place overall.

SHREYA ARCOT GRADE 7 STUDENT

Vancouver Riptide Come to Stratford Hall On April 25th, the Grade 6 to 7 Ultimate team welcomed two special guests: Vancouver Riptide Ulti players Brendan Wong and (Stratford Hall 2014 graduate) Ari Nitikman. Brenden and Ari led the team through some throwing, catching, and cutting drills, and provided the team with some great advice on how to improve their skills.

If anyone is interested in supporting the Riptide – and Ari! – you can use the promo code RTinsider2016 to get 20% off tickets.

BOBBY NISHI JUNIOR SCHOOL ATHLETICS COORDINATOR

Sabres Summer Athletics Camps Stratford Hall is proud to offer a range of sport camps this summer, including cross-country, volleyball, and Ultimate. The coaches brought in for these camps offer a wealth of experience at the high school, collegiate, professional, and international level. We are also fortunate to have teacher-coaches who have trained and competed at the elite university level. Sabres Sports Camps offer students the opportunity to improve their skill level in a safe, fun, and supportive environment. These camps are open to Stratford Hall and nonStratford Hall students, so bring your friends!

Click on the following link to register: tinyurl.com/SHsummer5-12registration

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3000 Commercial Drive, Vancouver, B.C. Canada V5N 4E2 Tel. (604) 436-0608 Fax. (604) 436-0616