Although it seems late in coming this year, fall continues to be my favourite time of year. It feels like nature’s gentle way of preparing us for the work that is about to begin for the rest of the year.
In the life of a school, once the frenzy of the first few weeks dies down, it is the time when everyone begins to settle into their routines and the rhythm of the school begins to take shape. I have enjoyed spending much time talking to the girls inside and outside of the classroom. They have been abuzz with excitement for all of the opportunities that lay ahead this year.
It is hard to believe that so much has happened at the school already. We honoured our history and traditions at Founders’ Day, reunited with alumnae at the Golden Alumnae Luncheon and Alumnae Day, welcomed new families at the New Parents’ Dinner and Thanksgiving and Halloween have come and gone. I want to thank the girls of both the Junior and Senior School, as well as their teachers, for their poignant and heartfelt performances this week honouring our fallen heroes this Remembrance Day.
Chantal Gionet with Master Joe Spence of Dulwich College
In spite of such a busy start to the year, I feel fortunate that I was able to make a quick visit to the UK. In London I met with the Master of Dulwich College, Joe Spence, and toured the new Laboratory, a state-of-the-art Science and Technology facility. One of the oldest independent schools in the UK (they will be celebrating their 400th anniversary in 2019), Dulwich College has an outstanding reputation for its exceptional science and math programs. I also had the opportunity to visit another state-of-the-art science facility, just for girls, at the St. Helen and St. Katharine school in Oxfordshire. It was inspiring to see girls striving in biology, physics and chemistry from Grades 5 to their senior years. Of course, I could not miss the opportunity to visit the University of Oxford and meet with an admissions officer to learn more about their requirements for students applying to their varied programs. Simply walking the grounds of this university was inspirational and humbling.
Chantal Gionet (right), with Robin Mansell ’69 (center) and Executive Director, Advancement, Laura Edwards (left).
During this whirlwind trip, our Executive Director of Advancement, Laura Edwards and I also joined Alumnae Reunions in London, Edinburgh, St. Andrews and Oxford where I felt privileged to connect with so many phenomenal Yorkies. There was one alumna that I had the opportunity to sit down with for an in-depth interview while in London. Robin Mansell ’69, in addition to being a Professor of New Media and the Internet with their Department of Media and Communication, is now the first female Provost at the London School of Economics. I hope you enjoy my interview with her featured here.
Once I returned, we were delighted to have renowned author and professor, Irshad Manji who founded the Moral Courage Project at NYU, visit York House and speak to the girls about what it means to develop moral courage. A dynamic speaker, it was impressive to see how easily she engaged with the girls. Whether they were in Junior School or Senior School, she was able to help the girls explore moral courage in a way that was relevant and would resonate with them. In three short days, there were many opportunities for students, staff and parents to engage in discussion with Irshad. We hope that you were able to see some of the video highlights of her talks on Twitter as well as on our YouTube Channel.
With Irshad Manji, at the Parent Information Evening on Tuesday, October, 6.
Thank you to everyone who joined Kimberley Harvey and I for the evening conversation with Irshad. It was a great opportunity to explore what it means to empower our girls to have a strong sense of self, their own values and the courage to stand up for what they believe. We were impressed with the enthusiastic dialogue that this sparked and the insightful comments.
We also had the chance to interview Irshad for the school blog. Irshad will continue to work with our community in the coming months.
Our Grade 8 girls have been participating in our exciting new ID8 program with the Academy of Tomorrow where we hope to provide them with the opportunity to explore and develop collaborative leadership skills with other Yorkies. This has been a great opportunity for our new Grade 8 students to become acquainted with current Yorkies.
Thank you to all of you who joined for the BC Curriculum information sessions lead by Julie Rousseau, Director of Learning, Creativity and Innovation. We were impressed with such a great turnout as well as the thoughtful questions asked and the positive feedback we received from those who attended. Julie’s extensive experience in helping to shape curriculum and her understanding of the changes ahead will be a great benefit to our community as we adapt to the new curriculum. There will be more information sessions to follow, and more opportunities to ask questions. We have provided a summary of some of the feedback you shared.
While it is still early in the year and there is still much to do, I do want to thank each of you for all that you bring to our community every day. Whether it is on the field, your involvement with the Parents’ Association or the dialogue you engage in with our teachers, students and our administrators, and other parents, you are deeply valued.
I am looking forward to seeing many of you at Bid Night on November 19. If I don’t see you there, I hope that you will join us for the Community Celebration on December 9 at the Chan Centre or simply say hello when you see me in the halls of the school.
I hope that you have had a truly memorable summer with friends and family. We are looking forward to welcoming your daughters to an exciting year full of discovery and learning at York House School. I am also looking forward to the opportunity to get to know everyone that much better throughout my second year at YHS. I have no doubt that this academic year will bring many rich opportunities for our community.
It has been a busy and productive summer for the Administration Team, and I am pleased to share with you a number of exciting new developments. Each of these new developments attests to our commitment to enhance communication and to provide an exceptional education where each girl is supported and challenged to reach her full potential. Our goal is to ensure that we prepare our girls to thrive now and in the future.
Yorkies need to be globally aware and able to network, collaborate and work effectively with others from around the world. We equip our students to be responsible global citizens by cultivating key capacities such as creativity, critical thinking and the ability to identify and solve complex problems. It is essential that we foster curiosity, open-mindedness, empathy, adaptability and resiliency in each girl.
We continue to strive to create unique learning opportunities that inspire our girls to flourish, while also providing the support necessary to ensure that each student has the guidance she needs to achieve both her academic and personal goals.
Throughout the school year, I will continue to share with you the tremendous work being done in the classroom and with our strategic planning process – York House School 2030. This is an exciting time for York House School as we plan for the future and beyond.
The York House Family Handbook
In an effort to provide greater clarity regarding policies, procedures, day-to-day activities and expectations, we will be introducing a new Family Handbook (previously known as the “Parent Handbook”) that will allow you to easily review the handbook online or print a downloadable pdf version.
The Learning and Guidance Centre
Recognizing the need to adopt a more integrated approach to how we support each girl to achieve her personal, academic and career goals, we have launched the new Learning and Guidance Centre that will be led by Anita Irani, Director of Guidance. Still located in the underground, the Learning and Guidance Centre consists of the Learning Support Team and three Guidance Counsellors. The goal is to better support the whole girl through social emotional and academic counselling, career planning and preparing for university admissions, as well as supporting students with a range of learning styles and individual education plans. We have expanded our Learning Support Team of four people and have added one new Guidance Counsellor.
Please join me in welcoming our new Learning and Guidance Centre team:
Anita Irani – Director of Guidance (Gr. 11 & 12)
Ly Hoang – Guidance Counsellor (Gr. 9 & 10)
Ann Downie – Guidance Counsellor (Gr. 8)
Junie Brayley – Learning Support Co-Ordinator
Christine Bernier – Learning Support Teacher
Angel Bajgoric – Learning Support Teacher
Natalie Bosco – Learning Support Teacher Assistant
Learning Commons Renovations in the Junior and Senior Schools
In the spirit of dynamic and engaging 21st Century learning, the libraries in the Junior and Senior School will now be called Learning Commons. Renovations, started this summer, will transform both of these multi-purpose rooms into inviting and adaptable collaboration spaces equipped with the latest technologies.
The Junior School Learning Commons, due for completion mid-September, will be a beautiful, inviting and dynamic space for students to enjoy reading, learning and working collaboratively together. Students will experience a seamless transition from their hallway to this new and exciting space, designed especially for our girls.
In the Senior School, there are flexible working spaces to allow for small and large group collaboration, including a newly designated high-tech workspace for students. There is also a new technology hub that houses two Technology Integration Specialists who will support students and faculty in exploring new resources and innovative ways to learn and network with others beyond our community.
I.D.8: Innovation and Leadership Development for Our Grade 8 Students
We are thrilled to announce that we are launching a new innovation and leadership program for our Grade 8 students, “I.D. 8”. Students will strengthen their self-knowledge as well as their foundation of collaborative and communication skills through a series of workshops. Through self-exploration, they will discover their voice, and how to listen and work collaboratively with others. They will realize their leadership potential and how they can make an impact on our community and beyond. We want to ensure that our Grade 8s are empowered to develop a growth mindset, cultivate an optimistic outlook and learn how to manage ambiguity as we prepare them to be active and engaged students in the Senior School.
This year’s Grade 8 students will be divided into two groups, Cohort 1 and Cohort 2, where they will be required to complete three, four-day modules over the course of the year. Kimberley Harvey, Director of Senior School, will be sharing more information with our community throughout the year.
Senior School Music Program
We are delighted to welcome Lia Wolfe to York House to lead our Music Program this year while Spencer Bach is away on leave. Lia is a dynamic teacher who brings 15 years of music education experience from the Delta School District. As an accomplished and talented musician herself, Lia believes that music and the arts have a great impact on the full development of students and provides authentic learning experiences. We are confident that Lia’s extensive background in directing musicals and choirs, conducting band tours and annual musical concerts, and competing in events such as the Kiwanis and Whistler Music Festivals, will be a tremendous asset for our girls throughout the 2015-16 academic year.
Heather Christensen, a teacher with over 17 years of music education experience, is taking over the choral component of our Music Program. Most recently, Heather led the Choral Program at Crofton House School and was also the Director of Zing Children’s Choir. Heather received the prestigious Don Wright Scholarship in Choral Music Education at UBC. Heather and Lia Wolfe both sing together in the Jubilate Vocal Ensemble directed by Larry Nickel.
Directing this year’s musical production is Shannon Harrigan, Head of the Fine Arts Department.
Faculty and Staff Update
The following is an update on staffing for the 2015-2016 academic year.
New Positions at YHS
Julie Rousseau, Director of Creativity, Learning and Innovation
I am pleased to announce that this summer Julie Rousseau joined York House School as the Director of Learning, Creativity and Innovation (JK to Grade 12). A passionate bilingual educator (French and English), Julie has 24 years of experience in education including K-12 classroom teaching as well as school-based and district level administration. Julie received her Bachelors of Education in TESL and Physical Education from McGill University, her post Baccalaureate Diploma in Education from Simon Fraser University and a Masters in Educational Leadership from City University of Seattle. She has taught French Immersion from Kindergarten to Grade 12 and has taught at the graduate level at City University of Seattle since 2008. As an experienced administrator, Julie held both Principal and Vice-Principal roles with a number of schools throughout the Abbotsford School District. Most recently, she held the position of Director of Instruction for the Abbotsford School District.
We are looking forward to her leadership in facilitating innovative and transformational programs at York House School.
Shelley Lammie, Director of Little School and Director of Academics (JK to Gr. 7)
Shelley will continue to lead the Little School. In collaboration with Julie Rousseau, Shelley will lead the implementation of current and new initiatives in the areas of curriculum design, instructional and assessment practices in the Little School and Junior School.
Anita Irani, Director of Guidance
Anita will oversee the Learning and Guidance Centre in the Senior School.
David Dallman, Technology Integration & Technical Operations Manager
David will manage the systems and technology that supports school operations in various departments. He will continue to support teachers and students in the integration of technology into the classroom to enhance learning.
Shannon White, Team Coordinator and Junior Kindergarten Teacher
Shannon will work closely with the Director of the Little School/Director of Academics (JK to Gr. 7) to provide leadership to the teachers and manage the daily operations of the Little School.
Kara McDonald, Global Programs Coordinator
Kara will continue to teach English and will work with colleagues to support enriched experiential learning opportunities. Kara will coordinate student exchanges, the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Program and assist in further developing educational partnerships and experiences to develop global competency.
Esther Kong, Graphic Design Intern
Esther will support the Communications & Marketing Department.
Emily Matthews, Science Lab Technician
Emily will assist the Science Department Head and Science Teachers with the day-to-day preparation for classes and maintenance of the science labs and equipment.
Returning Faculty
I am pleased to welcome back the following teachers:
Whitney Black, Stephanie Keating, Angel Bajgoric and Tara Avenia (returning from maternity leaves)
Charlene Brandt (returning from a personal leave)
New Faculty and Staff:
I would like to welcome the following teachers to our school community.
Little School
Tracey McCloy – Senior Kindergarten teacher
Angela Kingerlee – Senior Kindergarten teacher (former Little School Teacher Assistant)
Amy Higgins – Teacher Assistant and After School Care (former Junior School intern)
Junior School
Heather Korlak – Grade 2 teacher
Carly Trinder – Grade 3 teacher (former Junior School intern)
Laura Christensen – Grade 6 teacher
Amarens Matthiesen – After School Care
Jeannine Torrance – French teacher (part-time)
Esther Tung – Intern
Lauren Black – Intern
Aleesha Bird – Intern
Senior School
Tara Grant – Department Head of Social Studies and teacher
Ann Downie – Guidance Counsellor (new position)
Julia Fassezke – Science teacher
Melanie Cote-Chartrand – French and Social Studies teacher
Angela Jurgensen – Fine Arts teacher
Elizabeth Wong – Science teacher
Alexis Lum – French teacher
Heather Christiansen – Choral teacher
Lia Wolfe – Music and Band teacher
Many of these teachers are replacing faculty that are currently on a one-year leave of absence for maternity or personal reasons: Chris Britt, Megan Dalziel, Magali Forte, Myriam LeMay, Jennifer Lee, Danielle Neer, Monica Regan, Clint Robertson, Sandra Richardson, Lisa Tomlinson and Spencer Bach. We wish them all the best during their time away.
Although it is always difficult to say goodbye to faculty and staff, we are delighted that David Reindl and Trond Halle have moved on to pursue career opportunities of their choice. We thank Gordon Thrift, Min Kim, Maria Moreno and Megan Kwan for their contribution to York House School during their one-year contracts. We also wish Fiona Blackburn all the best as she will now have more time to spend with her grandchildren and family!
Although it seems late in coming this year, fall continues to be my favourite time of year. It feels like nature’s gentle way of preparing us for the work that is about to begin for the rest of the year.
