Happy New Year!
It is strange to be expressing new year greetings on January 27th. Nearly one month into the year, this is my first opportunity to wish everyone the best for 2023. CHS has much to look forward to. Throughout the year, the School will celebrate its 125th anniversary. Coinciding with this milestone, we will also launch a new strategic plan for the School. The serendipitous alignment has created a powerful synergy. We will mark a significant anniversary for the School of and set an intentional course for the future.
Working on the strategic plan has been an illuminating and creative process, permitting us to follow a script of our own creation. I am grateful to have had so many voices participate in its development, ensuring we could distil the essence or DNA of what makes Crofton House, Crofton House.
Articulating the School’s identity was a critical element of the strategic planning process, inviting an examination of who we are and what should never change about CHS. Knowing who we are and what we can be proud of is a firm foundation upon which to look beyond the “now” to what is both necessary and possible to continue a legacy of an exceptional education. The plan we will launch in February is a confident and clear roadmap forward, a plan created by CHS for CHS.
Students will be the first to learn about the final plan during the day on Monday, February 6. It feels right to begin with them because, at the end of the day, a School's primary focus is creating and sustaining a learning experience that allows each to be and become their best selves. In the evening, we have invited alumnae, parents and staff to attend a special strategic plan launch event. I encourage everyone to attend.
Following the launch of the strategic plan, many celebrations and events connected to the School’s anniversary will take place, beginning with a celebration on the School’s birthday on Friday, March 3. On Friday, January 20, we sent a message outlining how we will mark this historic landmark. In particular, hold November 24, 2023, for a special evening at the Parq Hotel.
In closing, I want to express my appreciation to the Board for their wisdom and guidance in developing the Strategic Plan. Their unanimous endorsement of the plan is a solid start for the next 125 years. In particular, I am grateful to the Chair of the Board, Carolyn Kirkwood, for the unique expertise in strategic planning she brought to the process and for her tireless and thoughtful attention to detail.
Financial Agreement Due February 1
The Financial Agreement is due on Wednesday, February 1 and is accessible through the questionnaire section on the MySchool Student Information Portal. The completed agreement and payment of the tuition deposit conclude the enrolment process. All documentation, including the Financial Agreement, is on the Enrolment, Tuition and Billing page of the My CHS Community Portal and can be accessed at any time of the year.
RSVP for the Strategic Plan Launch Event on February 6
Parents, alumnae, and staff are invited to celebrate the strategic plan launch on Monday, February 6, 2023, from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm in Manrell Hall. Join Ena Harrop, Head of School, to learn about the commitments the School is making to the community and the strategies that will inform how we move forward with courage, creativity and citizenship. There will be time to ask questions and connect over refreshments and appetizers. Please RSVP online by Friday, February 3.
Dress Drive for The Cinderella Project
As January comes to an end, the Cinderella Project’s Boutique Day is fast approaching. The Grad Committee is organizing a dress drive from Monday, January 30 to Friday, February 3 from 8:00 am to 8:20 am (9:00 am to 9:20 am on Late Start Wednesday). Donations support high school graduates who have overcome significant challenges to complete their education. Some items we are looking for include, but are not limited to, maxi-length dresses of any size, evening handbags, long gloves, and sparkly jewelry. Formal clothing for young men is also welcome. Shoes are not needed. There will be a place for drop-off every morning in the upper foyer next week. Learn more about the Cinderella Project. If you have any questions, please speak to the student Grad Committee.
Supporting Women and Families in and from Afghanistan
Last week, Grade 10 students participated in an inspiring Ivy Day focusing on the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan. The day included a panel discussion featuring activists, educators, and students, all sharing their unique perspectives on the rights of women and girls and the refugee experience. We were honoured to hear from these women and learn more about the experiences of women in and from Afghanistan.
As part of the School’s ongoing efforts to support Afghan women coming to Vancouver, we work with community partners including Women Leaders of Tomorrow, the Dwyer Immigration Medical Clinic and the YWCA. The YWCA offers an employment and training program, Afghan Women's Employment (AWE), which supports refugee women in exploring and securing
careers or further education in Canada. You can learn more about the program, and how you can offer support to immigrant women looking for their first job in Canada, online or by emailing awe@ywcavan.org.
Stroller Drive
The CHS community is holding a Stroller Drive from Monday, January 30 to Friday, February 10 in support of newly arrived families from Afghanistan. In conjunction with WLOT and the Dwyer Immigration Medical Clinic, we are collecting used and new strollers to donate to refugee families upon their arrival in Vancouver.
Often families fleeing difficult situations are able to bring very little with them as they travel to Canada, and there is a great need for strollers to allow them to move freely and safely with their children upon arrival. If you have a clean used stroller you are able to donate or can purchase a new stroller for a family, please drop it off at the Senior School main office (West 41st Avenue entrance) or in the receiving area on campus off Balaclava Street. Any questions can be directed to Kady Huhn, Coordinator of the Ivy Compass Program, Senior School.
Senior School Volunteer Fair
The CHS Volunteer Fair will be held in the upper foyer of the Senior School on Tuesday, January 31 during lunch break. Senior School students will be able to connect with 15 local service organisations actively looking for student volunteers.
Impacts of Sewer Line Repairs
Repairs to the sewer line are currently underway on campus. The repairs require the School to block off the northeast corner of the Senior School Athletic Centre. This work has the added complexity of other utility lines being nearby the sewer lines resulting in a greater area of the yard being excavated, blocking sidewalks and part of the road on Balaclava Street. We appreciate your understanding and your cooperation along this route. The aim is to have this project completed by the end of next week, Friday, February 3.
Additional School Security Actions - Lights Along Balaclava and Closed Gates
Driving down Balaclava after the sun has gone down, you will notice lights along the woodland fence. Entering the campus by foot, you may have noticed the addition of mechanisms to keep the gates closed as a deterrent to individuals with no school-based purpose on campus. The gates are unlocked according to campus hours, and you are welcome to pass through as usual. These completed projects address two recommendations in a recently completed security audit.
Inclement Weather Notice
Winter weather, as we experienced in December, can make travel challenging. The School has a procedure to respond to inclement weather that results in school closure, and this is outlined in the Parent-Student Handbook “Health and Safety” section under “School Closure Procedures” (page 53). Please note: the day following a school closure, the school should be assumed to be open unless you receive a communication stating otherwise.
Vancouver Coastal Health - Vision Health Promotion
Vancouver Coastal Health is committed to ensuring that all children develop optimally in early childhood and enter school ready to learn. This can be helped through the early identification of vision conditions by an optometrist. If identified early, many vision conditions can be corrected, and others prevented. VCH provides information on accessing vision check-ups and signs and symptoms to watch.
Senior School students from the Multicultural Society put on a fantastic Lunar New Year assembly this week, showcasing some wonderful skills in traditional arts. Students from both Foods 11/12 and Mandarin 11 classes worked on a collaborative project to celebrate Lunar New Year. A delicious banquet of traditional dishes was shared between students and staff, with conversations exploring the significance behind different dishes and decorations.
During Wellness Week, Senior School students participated in mindful crafts, peer-led mental wellness Q&As, and an overwhelming response with the creation of signs and messaging, both big and small, which left the whole Senior School radiating with positive and uplifting notes. Though the activities and events are over, the message still resonates: You Are Not Alone.
Grade 10 students engaged in a wide range of activities in support of women and girls in Afghanistan as part of the Service in Action initiative during their Ivy Compass Day last week. These included creating content for social media campaigns, compiling care packages for newly arrived families to Canada from Afghanistan and contributing to a powerful mural.
Acclaimed author Stacy McAnulty was our first in-person Writer-In-Residence in over three years, and she did not disappoint. Hosting multiple sessions across three days, each grade got the chance to learn about how she became a writer, the process of writing a book and how the publishing industry works. Read more in our latest blog post.
Quiz questions can be tricky to answer. Answering quiz questions in another language is a totally different type of challenge, but these Grade 4 students made it look easy (and fun).
Some Grade 6 students have spent their Discover unit building chariots to transport precious cargo (ping pong balls to be precise) around a track. Powering these chariots are amazing little robots called Spheros, controlled by the students themselves. Underneath all the giggles and excitement was a fascinating project that explored the principles of design thinking, prototyping and problem solving.
Discovering the joy of reading at a young age is a wonderful thing. We stopped by the Junior Kindergarten classes at story time to join the fun.
Junior School Athletics
The Junior School has had an exciting string of Basketball games for Grade 5, 6, and 7.
Grade 5 basketball has been busy with many home games, travelling to Collingwood School yesterday for their first away game of the season. Grade 6 basketball hosted their first game of the season last week. They have many more upcoming before Playday on Wednesday, February 15.
Last Friday the Grade 7A team competed in the Cavs Classic tournament at Collingwood School and are working hard to change their current standing at 1 - 1 in league play. They hope to change the tide between now and Wednesday, February 1 with two more upcoming games.
Meanwhile, the 7B team had their first win of the season last week! The winning continued in their following game and they are now busy preparing for their final league game of the season on Wednesday, February 8.
With all this high energy, the Fitness Challenge/Mindful Movement Club has been meeting weekly to unwind and start their day off on the right foot!
Senior School Athletics
All three Senior School Basketball teams have taken their game on the road.
The Bantam team travelled to Chilliwack for the Bear Cub Tournament, producing a series of solid performances in the early rounds and eventually walking away as champions.
On the same weekend, the Junior team competed in the ISA Championships hosted by York House School. Making steady progress through the early rounds to the finals, walking away with the silver medal.
The Varsity team competed at a tournament in Delta hosted by Seaquam Secondary. Facing some tough competition, the team produced some great performances in both offence and defence, finishing the tournament in 5th place.
Next up, the Junior team is competing in the Sweet 16 Basketball Tournament in Kelowna, while the Varsity team is competing at the Vancouver Girls Basketball Association Tournament at Langara College. Both tournaments will wrap up this weekend. Good luck to all involved.
Finally, the last home basketball matches in league play for all three Senior School teams is Wednesday, February 1. Bantams will be in action at 3:30 pm, followed by Juniors at 5:00 pm. The Varsity team, celebrating their Seniors Night, will take to the court at 6:30 pm. If you are able to, join in and show the teams our Crofton Falcons Spirit from the bleachers! |
