Crofton House School Newsletter

At this time, the Crofton House Instagram has over 3000 followers. The individuals who elect to have a post from CHS pop up in their Instagram feed positively react to the images and messages. Social media is a way to connect with the community, reach prospective students, and spread the word about life at the School. We know it is the photos that draw this audience.

I suspect that one thing that entices the community to open an ECalls are the photos that the Communications team carefully curates for inclusion in the newsletter. The School takes many photos daily to record what is happening and who is involved. A photo also captures the moment's energy or emotion, which draws people to our Instagram posts and stories and makes ECalls more than a newsletter.

Behind the scenes, the School is examining our practices around photography and videography. We consider every record we create, maintain or discard through two interconnected lenses, record management and privacy. Philippe Dufresne, Canada’s new Privacy Commissioner, shared in a letter to the Speaker of the House of Commons dated September 29, 2022, three statements that will guide his work. His vision is based on the reality that “Canadians want to be able to fully participate as active and informed digital citizens without having to choose between this participation and their fundamental privacy rights. In short, privacy is fundamental, it supports important public and private interests, and it builds necessary trust.”

The legal landscape in Canada and British Columbia as it relates to privacy is advancing. For example, Bill C-27’s proposed Consumer Privacy Protection Act (CPPA) includes new protections for minors by requiring a higher standard of diligence and protection for collecting and processing personal information. Dentons law firm published the opinion that legislators in Canada are following international trends concerning the protection of children’s personal information, and “organizations that operate in sectors interacting with children’s personal information on any level will need to pay close attention.”

At CHS, we are paying attention and considering areas where, in advance of Bill C-27 becoming law, the School can do more to protect privacy, particularly of the students. One area where our community will see a change will be at some community gatherings. For example, with concert season on the horizon, parents will read and hear a request from the School to use caution when photographing or recording an event and to consider the privacy of the individuals captured in images and audio, to limit what is in the frame and to refrain from sharing beyond their personal use. At other events, such as an assembly, instructions will include a restriction from photographing or recording the event. A new policy is being developed for the School, which will be released in the 2023-2024 Parent-Student Handbook.

Soon, the community will gather to celebrate winter festivities in song and story. Families and the School will capture the moments. My request to families is to be aware of others' privacy when capturing images of their daughters and to keep those images for their personal use. Allow the school to make public the events through School channels and in-house processes that carefully review all content before publication. Thank you for your support and care as we all work together to protect privacy.

The CHS Winter Bazaar is back in person, taking place this Saturday, November 19 from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm. For safety, access to the parkade, Junior School and Senior School will not be permitted on Saturday. The Bazaar will be taking place in Manrell Hall, the Senior School Athletics Centre gym and The Nancy Chan Courtyard. The Kerrisdale Elementary field is available for parking on the day.

The thumping of a heartbeat. The creak of a door. The howl of a bitter wind. The sound of beating wings getting closer and closer… Specters, ghosts and ghouls come alive in this vivid theatrical adaptation of some of Edgar Allan Poe’s best-known works. Poe’s words rise from the page like corpses from the grave. Be careful. Do you hear that tap, tap, tapping?

The Senior School presents its production of Shuddersome: Tales of Poe, adapted by Lindsay Price, on Wednesday, November 23 at 4:00 pm and 7:00 pm in the Susan and Robert Macdonald Family Drama Studio Theatre. Learn more or purchase tickets.

The CHS Parents’ Auxiliary cordially invites you to kick off the holiday season with a Senior School parent holiday tea. Please join us at a mix and mingle with festive tea, coffee and holiday treats on Friday, December 2 from 8:30 am to 10:00 am in Manrell Hall. Please RSVP by Thursday, November 24.

Community Engagement: Exploring Program Options for Mandarin Speakers
社区参与：探索适用于中文使用者的课程与项目

The School is exploring ways to assist Mandarin-speaking parents/guardians in their engagement in school life through increased English language confidence. We invite all Mandarin speaking parents/guardians to participate in a survey. Your response and input are essential and valued. We want to hear from you even if your English language confidence is high - writing, speaking, or listening - or if your spouse/partner has already completed the survey. Information gathered will assist the School in developing a pilot program. We would appreciate it if you could complete this survey by Tuesday, November 22.

校正在探索如何通过提高英语信心来帮助讲普通话的家长/监护人参与学校生活。为了提供更准确的服务，我们邀请所有讲普通话的家长/监护人参与调查。即使您对自己的英语自信心很高-包括写作、口语或听力，或，即使父母一方完成了调查，另一方的回答与意见也是非常需要并富有同样高的价值，因为收集到的所有信息将帮助学校更好地制定这个试点项目。非常感谢您在下周二11月22前递交此调查。

If you know families who are thinking about applying to Crofton House, please encourage them to visit our website for more information about the application process and financial assistance available. The following deadlines are fast approaching:

Current families whose financial circumstances have changed recently can apply for financial assistance. Applications, through Apple Financial Services, for the 2023-2024 school year are due Monday, November 28, 2022. The application fee will be waived for current Crofton House families. If you have any questions, please contact Karen Choi, Director, Finance.

Crofton House parents and students often thank CHS employees for their contributions through gifts. To help avoid a real, potential or perceived conflict of interest for the employee and the School, CHS employees can only accept gifts as outlined in section 3.3 Gift Acceptance Policy of the CHS Employee Handbook. If you are giving a gift to an employee, we would ask that you ensure it is reasonable in nature and does not exceed $125 at a time or $500 from one family within an academic year. Please note that employees are not able to accept cash. Please understand that if an employee refuses or returns a gift, it is simply that they are following the School's policy. If you have any questions, please contact Sarah Robinson, Director, Human Resources.

In general, the holiday and vacation calendar for the next school year is available to families by the first week of December. We aim to have it available before the winter break knowing families use this holiday to anticipate the next one. A link to 2023-2024 holiday and vacation calendar will be included in ECalls this December.

Winter Bazaar Reminders

Gates open at 10:00 am and the event will run until 3:00 pm.
Tickets are $5 for those 6 years old and up.
Pre-purchased wristbands, activity tickets and totes that have not been picked up yet can be collected from Gate D on Balaclava Street.

Come early - We have many amazing products and craft activities available but quantities are limited. If you want to ensure that you have access to everything we have to offer, please arrive when gates open.

Park responsibly - Guests are encouraged to walk or take public transportation to the event. If parking is required, space will be available at Kerrisdale Elementary School’s gravel field on West 41st Avenue. Street parking is also available in the area surrounding the school, but please be a respectful neighbour and observe all traffic and parking regulations.

Bring a bag - Please help us care for the environment by bringing your own bags to the Bazaar to carry your purchases.

Payments - All guests are asked to use credit or debit cards when making retail or food purchases. We will have terminals set up at every booth for ease. When shopping, playing or enjoying our many activity options, please also remember that all net proceeds from the Bazaar go to KidSafe.

Supervise your kids - While this is a school event, parents are entirely responsible for the supervision of their loved ones while at the Bazaar.

First aid station - First aid attendants will be on location for the duration of the event in the Senior School athletics office, directly to the right of the entrance to the Senior School Athletics Centre gym.

Get excited! - We are grateful for the opportunity to be able to gather again and cannot wait to celebrate our school and community with you!

With the first frost of the year creeping in, Senior Kindergarten students spent some time tidying the plant beds and terrace, readying them for planting bulbs that will bloom in the spring. Mucky work, but fun work.

Grade 3 students have been spending some time in The Woods, working with our Head Gardener, Marc Stewart. They learned about different ways to identify trees, as well as learning more about the ten new trees that have been planted this month including Douglas Firs and Vine Maples.

The human body is an amazing thing, as Grade 5 students have been discovering. Starting with the skeleton, then muscles, classes have been learning all about how the different systems work to allow bodies to move.

Grade 6 students visited the Bill Reid Gallery before the mid-term break, discovering the complexity, beauty and cultural significance of contemporary Haida and Northwest Coast Indigenous art.

Grade 7 students have been busy researching the subject of climate change and practicising their presentations ahead of the CHS Climate Change Summit next week.

As an introduction to stop-motion animation, Digital Film 9 students were given 30 minutes to shoot and produce their own animated stop motion shorts, exploring the challenges and possibilities of the medium.

Sometimes the best way to cement your understanding of something is to teach it to others. Physical and Health Education 10 students were given the challenge of running a class for their peers, exploring different ways to encourage learning, development and reflection.

Outdoor Education 11 students have been learning how to stay safe in the backcountry. Their Wilderness First Aid course introduced them to many fundamentals of first aid, but also the many nuances and additional challenges that need to be considered when dealing with an injury in the outdoors.

Term 2 has started and Basketball tryouts are underway! We look forward to bringing you all the updates as Junior School teams hit the court. Stay tuned.

With Term 1 Athletics mostly complete, there are a number of congratulations to be made for recent achievements:

Three CHS volleyball teams will also be competing in Provincial Championships in the coming weeks. The whole school is cheering you on…GO FALCONS GO!

Athletes from Cross Country, Field Hockey and Volleyball teams all came together this week to celebrate their collective achievements and reflect on an exciting season. Coaches and staff sponsors were recognized for their commitment to supporting the players, while awards were handed out to athletes in all sports for a range of contributions, including most improved player and MVP (determined by a student vote). A fitting celebration for a semester of sport defined by community, resilience and commitment.

Finally, Basketball tryouts are underway for Bantam, Junior and Varsity teams. We look forward to bringing you updates from the court in the next issue of ECalls.

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