The phase of strategic planning that is called the “scan” phase is wrapping up this month with the alumnae contributing their responses to a survey that will capture their experience as Crofton House students and add the unique perspective that can only come from the School’s graduates. Their voices will be combined with those of the parents/guardians and students, Grades 4 to 12, who completed the survey in November. Levels of engagement in the surveys have been high, and there are some very valuable messages emerging in terms of both strengths and opportunities. In addition, the staff met in person to discuss with their colleagues their perception of the School now and to envision possibilities for the future. We have also looked beyond CHS to assess the various global and local societal dynamics impacting the School and to understand key trends in the education sector. Collectively, this information will come together to inform and shape the themes of a strategic plan that will guide the School towards 2030 and beyond.

This week, the task force overseeing the development of the plan met to review progress to date and the next steps. One important step, and an exciting one, is to share with the community what has been learned through the scan phase and then take these themes into smaller groups to explore in greater depth. The focus groups will be tasked with providing context and clarity to the broader concepts identified in the scan phase, and to explore how initiatives developed under each theme may set the School up for continued success in a transformed world.

Strategic plan focus groups are currently scheduled for the periods between February 8 and 10 and February 15 and 16. Invitations to join a group will be sent early next week. Given the current context, all sessions will be held virtually. Consultants from Berlineaton, who the School has engaged to guide us through this process, will facilitate each of the sessions. As much as possible, these groups have been designed to engage a broad cross-section of our constituents to benefit from experiences both current and historic.

One of our objectives in the strategic planning exercise was to help reconnect the community after the challenges of the last two years. Especially in view of our continuing need to engage mostly online, we are aiming - subject to public health guidelines - to hold broad in-person discussion sessions (or “town halls”) later in the spring to share the shape of the developing plan and again seek your input. We very much hope that these sessions will also serve as an opportunity for our community to again meet up and to renew relationships as we consider our purpose and priorities as a School.

It is a unique time to be connected to education and a privilege to create the future path for such a well-established, vibrant, and growth-oriented school. Thank you to everyone for contributing during the scan phase and to those of you who can participate in one of the upcoming focus groups. Together, we will develop a plan that reflects the diverse voices and ideas of our community.

COVID-19 Resource

To assist families, the COVID-19 Response Team and Vancouver Coastal Health have created a Symptoms, Testing, and Return to School Flowchart. The chart is a useful resource that parents can print out and use as a reference.

Save the Date: Nerve: Lessons on Leadership with Dr Martha Piper and Dr Indira Samarasekera

York House School and Crofton House School are proud to invite you to attend a virtual event with Dr Martha Piper and Dr Indira Samarasekera on Thursday, February 24, 2022 at 7:00 pm. They will discuss their recently published book: Nerve: Lessons on Leadership from Two Women Who Went First. Watch this space for ticketing information. Please note the date change for the event.

KidSafe Community Bike Drive

Have an old bike gathering dust in your garage? Have a new bike and want the old one to go to a good home? KidSafe is partnering up with Our Community Bikes to fix up donated bikes in order to gear up for KidSafe’s 2022 Summer Break Bike Club. Bikes of all sizes, from child to adults, are needed but donations must be made by Monday, January 31, 2022. If you would like to donate a bike, or for more details, please email glowrey@kidsafe.ca.

Uniform Store: Update

Unfortunately, due to transport issues and the ongoing impact of COVID-19, there have been significant delays on stock levels at the CHS Uniform Shop. Shipping timelines remain uncertain. We appreciate your patience as we await more deliveries. The Uniform Shop is open to Senior School students, Tuesday to Thursday, from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. At this time, there is no access for parents/guardians or Junior School students. Parents are encouraged to use the online order form.

Get Involved with the CHS Annual Golf Classic

The Golf Committee, Silent Auction and Wine Committees are looking for a few new volunteers. If you are interested in getting involved with the CHS Annual Golf Classic, please contact the Advancement Department at events@croftonhouse.ca.

The CHS Annual Golf Classic is usually scheduled at the end of May. Stay tuned for more information closer to the date.

Enrolment for 2022-2023

The enrolment process for the next school year continues through January with Step 2, completion of the Financial Agreement form, accessible through the forms tab on the MySchool Student Information Portal. This form, and payment of the tuition deposit, is due by January 31, 2022. As part of the Step 2 form, please review household contact information and update where required. Accurate information is vital when the School needs to make emergency contact. The enrolment process and all supporting documentation, including the Financial Agreement, is on the Enrolment, Tuition and Billing page of the My CHS Community Portal. Thank you to all parents/guardians for your prompt attention to all steps of this enhanced process.

Inclement Weather Notice

Winter weather, as we experienced earlier this month, can make the commute to and from school 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, school should be assumed to be open unless you receive a communication stating otherwise.

Career Exploration Webinars

Wondering how to start a career conversation with a young person in your family? Looking for tools to help youth discover the career of their dreams? WorkBC, alongside Career Education Society career coordinators, is facilitating one-hour webinars for parents/guardians on these two topics. For more information, please see: Career Exploration flyer.

Computer coding might sound daunting to some, but these Senior Kindergarten students picked up the basics with ease as they navigated their little robots from target to target.

With the winter snow cleared from Kent Field, Grade 3 students have been making the most of open space and fresh air during their gym classes.

The result looks like it came from an art class, but these colourful creations are a product of Grade 7 students working on tessellation in their math lessons.

Grade 8 students have picked up an impressive range of skills in the textiles classroom, we can’t wait to see the finished products.

Armed with simple, direction based commands, Grade 9 students have been programming robots to locate, lift and move blocks.

Grade 10 Computer Studies students were spotted conducting experiments on sensory feedback and endurance, challenged to see who could hold ice cubes in their hands the longest.

Grade 11 students spent their Ivy 11 Day exploring subjects including leadership, labels and stress management, guided by members of the Grade 12 Student Executive who reflected on their own experiences.

Before the winter break, Senior School students helped to sort and bag the dozens of gently-used jackets for the Women Leaders of Tomorrow (WLOT) Drive. Thank you to everyone who donated to help improve the experience of newly arrived Afghan families.

Basketball is the name of the game in both Junior School and Senior School athletic centres right now. Stay tuned for more updates and don't forget to check out the Athletics Livestreams for all home games.

#GoFalconsGo

Teamwork + CHS Generosity = Super Successful Coat Drive!

The PA's Service Together project knocked this one out of the park! The Coat Drive, aimed at collecting warm winter coats for Afghan refugees, was an initiative led by Grade 11 student service leaders. Student and parent volunteers collected coats throughout December with the aim of ensuring 23 refugee families were given coats. The CHS community donated in spades and over 300 jackets were collected! More refugee families are arriving in February so they will receive the "extra" coats now set aside for them. Dozens of the jackets also went to groups on the downtown eastside. Big thanks go out to the student leaders, CHS staff, the PA's Service Together Chair Melanie Graham, and to all of you who donated!

Opportunity to help shape the PA's Book Club

The Pilot Project Book Club is now moving into survey mode for those who indicated they'd like to join. If you've been holding off, but are keen to be part of the survey and have a say in how the book club is formulated, now is the time to let the PA's Katherine Grant know via email at WGWW@croftonhouse.ca. After the survey, a detailed plan for how the book club will be set up will be shared with the CHS community. Others who wish to join can do so at that time.

Log into the My CHS portal to access the full school calendar.

Whole School

January 28 - Holocaust Memorial Day
February 1 - Lunar New Year
February 7 - Grade 6-12 All Bands Concert (video)
February 9 - Shakespear in Love - Ticketing Opens
February 18 - Professional Development Day (No classes)
February 21 - Family Day (No classes)

Junior School

January 27 - Grade 4-5 Coffee & Conversation with Ms. Macken - 8:45 - 9:30 am February 17 - Grade 3 Coffee & Conversation with Ms. Macken - 8:30 - 9:15 am February 24 - JK-SK Coffee & Conversation with Ms. Macken - 9:00 - 9:45 am