The girls enjoyed hiking, canoeing, fishing, mountain biking, and much more! Special congratulations to all of our Grade 10s and 11s who made it to the summit of Garibaldi; this is really a huge accomplishment! Thank you to the 20 YHS staff members who went on these trips. See all the photos below.
On Thursday, September 29, our community celebrated YHS’ 84th birthday in a wonderful assembly with Grades 1 to 12. The theme of this year’s celebration was “the courage to find your voice.” Head of School, Chantal Gionet reminded us of the courage that the seven women who founded this school exuded as they started an all girls’ school during the Great Depression. Maggie, our Head Girl, helped all of us to think about how YHS encourages young women to find the courage to use their voice and speak out on what is important to them. Dr. Thea Cacchioni, Class of ‘94, our Alumnae Special Achiever this year (in the Young Alumna category), echoed Maggie’s message and explained how she used her voice in her role as a professor and an author.
Professor Robin Mansell ‘69 was also named Alumnae Special Achiever this year. The Alumnae Special Special Achiever Award is presented to an alumna who has shown particular excellence in her professional and/or personal life. The award was presented to Dr. Robin Mansell at Alumnae Day. New this year is the Alumnae Lifetime Special Achievement Award, which is presented to an alumna who, through extraordinary dedication and lifelong commitment, has utilized her talent and passion for her profession to make outstanding contributions to her field and community. The award was presented to Helen (Larmonth) Hughes ’50 at the Golden Alumnae Luncheon held on Friday, September 30.
Founders’ Day is also a particularly special day for our Grade 12s as they received their alumnae graduation pins and were officially welcomed into the Alumnae Association. After 10 years of service at York House, staff members become Honorary Alumnae. This year, alumnae pins were presented to Director of Facilities, Paul Sinclair, Music Teacher, Dawn Haylett, and Mathematics Teacher, Whitney Black.
The Grade 12 Governor General’s Award for 2015-16 was awarded to Nicole Ticea ‘16, who is currently studying at Stanford University. Nicole’s family accepted the award on their daughter’s behalf.