Remembering the Ross Years three decades later, a conversation with robert ross, Cds’s second headmaster By Kim Sillcox
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t Was 30 Years ago this month that robert ross and his wife deanna, bid farewell to their friends at the Country day school after robert had served as the school’s second headmaster from 1976-89. Cds experienced a tremendous amount of growth during his 13year tenure. enrolment increased from 96 to 386 students and the annual budget from $100,000 to $2.1 million. during his leadership, robert was involved in the purchase of the original property in 1978, the construction of the david d. ross gym in 1980 (named in honour of his late brother), the expansion of the Junior school, and the building of the senior school in 1986. With the steadfast support of deanna and exceptionally talented and experienced Board Chairs and directors throughout his reign, robert led the school from its infancy and expanded it to the secondary level. Upon his departure, Cds was a well-respected independent school preparing students for the 21st Century. in march, i had the privilege of inter10
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spring 2019 The Link
viewing robert ross by phone, joined by recently retired Cds Junior school teacher sheila mcCutcheon who he hired in 1985. he has maintained contact with sheila and her husband, steve, over the years, as he has done with so many of the Cds staff and faculty. in fact, the mcCutcheons visited the rosses two summers ago at their home in Victoria, BC and picked up right where they left off. “even 30 years out, i still miss the people,” said robert. “there were many special people who are absolutely integral to the school’s sense of community and history.”
The FaTeFUL InTervIeW in the spring of 1976, Cds’s founding headmaster, John Pratt, decided to step down, and the new Chair of the Board, Michael Burns, was put in charge of finding a suitable replacement. michael had graduated from trinity College school in 1956 with robert ross’s brother, david, who had died earlier that spring in a tragic accident on the niagara river. michael and friends had al-
ready launched a campaign for a naming gift in his memory. at the time, robert was teaching history at Vaughan road Collegiate in toronto, but a teachers’ strike lasting 40 teaching days had significantly disrupted his school year. as well, he was still coming to terms with his brother’s death. “i knew the Burns family and michael’s father Charlie,” said robert. “the timing of michael’s call was right because of the public school strike, but i wasn’t entirely sure about working at an elementary school since my expertise was as a high school teacher. i decided to drive up to King to take a look, and it really was a tiny little school in the country. But i figured, why not give it a shot?” robert recalls his interview taking place in the green room with michael and Gord Wilson, Sr., Chairman of the Finance Committee. the first question gord asked was, “mr. ross, do you have an independent income?” robert was taken aback and managed to stammer a response of “Yes.” gord replied, “good, because if we hire you, you’re