On Thursday, June 2, the Class of 2022 participated in our 2nd annual Grad Transitions Day, a new tradition at York House School.
In January, the Grad Transitions Team sent out a survey to the Grade 12s to gather and capture any thoughts, questions, or wonderings they had about transitioning into life after high school beyond York House. In response to this survey, the Grad Transitions Team designed an entire day of workshops and fun activities to help the Grade 12s on their journey as they embark on a new chapter in their lives, and of course, to help prepare them for what comes next. And did we ever have an amazing event!
Our day began with early morning yoga, a grab ‘n go breakfast, and our own onsite barista (thank you to parent Peter Lee of Caffe Umbria) making gourmet coffees for the grads as they headed into their first workshop session, Navigating your 1st Year at University: A Professor’s Guide with guest speaker, Dr. Bruno Guindon. The day continued with a variety of workshops including: meal-planning and meal preparation for university, a YHS Alumnae panel of recent grads who shared their experiences at post-secondary, an introduction to YHS Connect – our new alumnae and networking platform – and our YHS Mentorship program, a joint project between the Career-Life Connections Program and the Alumnae Office. Students also participated in an ‘Adulting Obstacle’ course where they engaged in a variety of tasks while learning essential life skills in the form of a friendly, team-based competition.
We enjoyed a delicious lunch together catered by Tractor Foods, had furry visitors on site from Pet & Friends, and we gave out loads of goodies and swag throughout the day as a part of their post-secondary transitions toolkit for their respective journeys. We concluded the day with a social event, the traditional signing of the YHS golf shirts, and an ice cream cart graciously contributed by the Class Parents. The day was a huge success and we hope that our Yorkies are feeling even more prepared and confident as they head out into the world, and that we provided them with a celebratory gathering that they will remember for years to come!
Jaclyn Murray
Career-Life Connections & Capstone Coordinator
Grad Transitions Team:
Jaclyn Murray, Kim Tulloch, Maebh Carragher, Darcy Hausselman, Ita Kane-Wilson, Daphne Ho
