Outside the School, there are large banners informing anyone passing by of the historic birthday being celebrated by the School. Inside, the School’s birthday has us reminiscing. With the assistance of our Archivist, Manda Haligowski, treasures from the School’s past are being brought out for viewing. Studying historical photos, publications, and uniform items to guide this walk down memory lane ensures the year ahead will be fun and interesting.
The photos capture a school that has changed location and grown in size and sophistication to match the times and the community's needs. They also capture changes to the school’s program. We see photos of girls on horseback and with archery bows drawn. Basketball seems to stand the test of time. Not surprisingly, the number of publications available yearly appears to increase, coinciding with technological advances. At one time, The Croftonian was how we recorded School events and activities, and in 2023, social media and newsletters such as E-Calls share campus life daily and, at times, hourly. So many changes, and yet so much remains the same.
One element of our history that captivates interest is the changes in the uniform. Worn a little longer when first introduced, the Gordon tartan is a longstanding symbol of the School. Photos capture slight changes in blazer styles, including an updated School crest. Images cannot convey the difference in fabrics used in the uniform construction, with the heavy wool of the blazers and sweaters replaced by more easily laundered and lightweight materials. I know there was much excitement recently when bucket caps appeared in the uniform shop window. Would today’s students like to bring back the navy or white woollen beret? Looking back and compared to some schools, the CHS uniform, including a red blazer for the Head Girl, has remained essentially unchanged for many decades. Still, I
doubt the students of 1923 would not have predicted the variety of “spirit wear” options available to the students of 2023.
Last week, we officially launched our birthday celebrations. Although the birthday assembly is an annual tradition, this year was particularly special. It was meaningful for all current students and staff to welcome alumnae - more than usual - and two special guests. We were pleased to be joined by two of Jesse Gordon’s great nieces! After the assembly, many alumnae remained on campus for lunch, tours, and an afternoon with students. What was particularly impactful was the opportunity for past and current students to talk together in small groups and share their school and life experiences. We hope this year’s full day of birthday
celebrations becomes a model for future events, a special partnership of past, present and future.
I encourage all community members to stay tuned for special events throughout this historic year and visit the 125 Years page on the School’s website. The curated material here is available to the CHS community and anyone interested in the School, so feel free to share the link with your friends and family. The timeline and photos shared at Friday’s
birthday celebration represent a fascinating journey from 1898 to 2023.
I wish everyone a restorative break and look forward to welcoming students and teachers back to campus on Monday, March 27.
Important Update to Holiday and Vacation Calendar
On February 7, 2023, the Province of British Columbia introduced legislation to make September 30 a statutory holiday. Enshrining National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in B.C. law will allow more people to commemorate the history and legacy of the residential school system on September 30 each year. In 2023, the statutory holiday is on a Saturday. To align with the recently approved Vancouver School Board 2023-2024 calendar, the CHS Holiday and Vacation Calendar has
been updated to include the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation on Friday, September 29, 2023. The campus will be closed on this day.
November Mid-Term Break Announced at Colleague Schools
The School is aware that the November break scheduled for 2023 (November 6-10) shared with our community in December does not align with dates recently announced by our colleague schools. In particular, St. George’s School is taking an extended break, for the first time, in the week following what is scheduled for CHS. There are several unavoidable reasons for the lack of alignment. CHS's primary aim is to schedule breaks in a manner that maximizes instructional hours, aligns holidays with Vancouver Public Schools (VSB), consults with other ISABC schools, and avoids making significant changes to major holidays once announced. With colleague schools adopting the longer November break CHS introduced in 2021-2022, we will work toward alignment as much as possible
in future years.
25th Annual CHS Golf Classic
As the CHS Golf Classic is approaching, the Silent Auction Committee is looking for a few volunteers to add to the group. If you are interested in getting involved, please contact the 2023 Golf Silent Auction Co-Chairs, Cynthia Quan and Vanessa Wong, at golf@croftonhouse.ca.
Parenting Resources Section in My CHS
A resource hub is available to parents and guardians with valuable information in the areas of Social and Emotional Learning & Counselling, Technology and Citizenship. The themes we focus on are responsive to complex and dynamic topics relevant to our students and families. Content includes articles written by the CHS team highlighting the School’s approach to these areas and a diverse range of resources carefully curated for families in support of further conversations at home. You can access this section through the main page in the My CHS Community Portal. We will highlight new additions and articles in subsequent ECalls.
Read the latest articles on Interpersonal Relationships and Focusing and Coping Strategies to Use at Home.
Spring Cleaning - Donations Needed for Used Uniform Sale
Mark your calendar; the CHS Parents’ Auxiliary’s spring Used Uniform Sale is scheduled for Friday, April 14. Contribute by donating uniform items now! Only clean, gently-used CHS uniform pieces are accepted. Over Spring Break, donation bins are located during business hours at the Receiving Entrance on Balaclava Street. Once school is back in session, additional bins can be found at the Junior and Senior School entrances, and outside the Uniform Shop.
125th Birthday Celebrations
The School’s birthday on Friday, March 3, saw students, alumnae, staff, and special guests–two of Dr Jesse Gordon’s great nieces–celebrating the School's remarkable history. More than 100 alumnae joined us throughout the day, participating in the assembly and events planned to allow students and alumnae to interact and share stories.
View a gallery of the day’s festivities or a recording of the birthday assembly.
Share Your CHS Stories
As part of Crofton House School’s 125th anniversary celebration, we invite the Crofton House community to share their joyful and special memories of CHS. These stories will become part of our archival 125th anniversary records and may be shared as part of our celebrations. Share yours today!
International Women’s Week on campus focused on the value of diversity and inclusion and aligned with this year’s global campaign theme #EmbraceEquity. For #IWD2023 students and staff made a point to wear the colour purple, a visual symbol that embodies dignity and justice.
Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No…it’s Zero the Hero! The numerical superhero was spotted in the ECE courtyard where they helped Senior Kindergarten students celebrate 100 days of school.
Students and parents danced through the decades in Manrell Hall at the Junior School Family Dance this week. Between the eye-catching outfits, tasty treats, amazing decorations and fantastic dance moves, it really was a night to remember. Thank you to the CHS Parents’ Auxiliary members and volunteers who brought the event to life. Check out the highlights on Vidigami.
And that’s a wrap! This year’s Grade 10-12 production, The Addams Family, brought everyone’s favourite spooky family to the stage to much fanfare. Congratulations to the cast and crew, as well as everyone working behind the scenes, on bringing the show to life.
Junior School Athletics
Term 2 Athletes celebrated a successful season with a wrap-up breakfast in Manrell Hall last week. Awards were given for the Most Improved Athlete, Most Committed Athlete, and a Falcon Spirit Award! Athletes also voted on their Most Valuable Teammate, awarded at the assembly on Monday! Congratulations to all of the athletes who represented CHS!
The CHS Badminton Classic was held last Friday, with 18 partners competing. The tournament provided teams with the opportunity to play at least four mini-games, with very close playoff matches. Grade 7 students Ashley and Trisha emerged as tournament champions!
Track & Field and Field Hockey start for the Junior School after the break. Stay tuned for more updates!
Senior School Athletics
We finished off our basketball season strong with two of our teams competing in the provincial championships. The Junior team placed 19th in the Province (moving up from their 23rd seeding), and the Bantam team placed 7th in the Grade 8 championships. The Term 2 athletics wrap-up took place on March 6 where all three teams celebrated their exciting seasons!
Varsity Soccer was recently selected on Monday, and competed in their first tournament on Wednesday, March 8 and Thursday, March 9 at the Burnaby Lake Sports Complex (turf). Way to jump in and represent Crofton Falcons!
Meanwhile, we have been busy preparing for Term 3 athletics with 288 student athletes trying out for five different spring sports! We are so grateful to our teacher sponsors and coaches who put so much effort and enthusiasm into these experiences for our Crofton Falcons. We start up again right after spring break on Monday, March 27.
Go Falcons Go! |
