Tag: head of school

Dear Parents,

I hope that you have enjoyed a wonderful summer with your family and friends and that you had an opportunity to find time to relax, rejuvenate, and enjoy the warm summer weather. For those of you who travelled, welcome back to beautiful Vancouver. Upon returning from my vacation with family in Montreal and New Brunswick, I felt so grateful and fortunate to be returning to one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

As I reflect on my last year two years at York House, I am thankful to all of you who make up this vibrant and strong community. I would like to thank each of you for the contributions that you make to the success of the school and your daughter’s education. I am grateful for your thoughtful responses to our parent survey this past June. Your feedback has provided us with an opportunity to reflect on our strengths and areas of growth. This important information will guide us in making decisions about our school priorities and help us, as we begin to implement our strategic directions (YHS 2030). In the near future, we intend to share with you highlights gleaned from this survey. Community has always been the greatest strength of this school and will continue to be an area of focus as we move forward.

As I begin my third year as Head of York House School, I feel confident that we (from staff, faculty, students, parents, and alumnae) have set the groundwork for our future directions. This year, we will begin to implement our YHS 2030 strategic priorities. Closely aligned with the new BC curriculum, these priorities focus on personalized learning, providing students more opportunities for voice and choice, integrating authentic and experiential learning opportunities, and developing global competence and will prepare our girls to be successful in post-secondary studies and beyond.

We have already begun implementing the BC curriculum from Kindergarten to Grade 9. Through ongoing professional development, our teachers continue to deepen their understanding and sharpen their skills in order to implement the new curriculum. We are excited to begin this important work and look forward to sharing our progress with you and your daughters throughout the year.

As always, we have been busy over the summer preparing the grounds and facilities for another exciting year. We are all looking forward to welcoming back our students on Thursday, September 8. I hope to see you at the Welcome Back Barbecue on Friday, September 9. Here is to a great year ahead!

Warmest regards,

Chantal Gionet
Head of School

I want to thank everyone in the community for everything that they did to create so many unforgettable moments throughout the year. Our students have worked so hard and achieved so much, whether it was in their studies, at various ensemble musical concerts, athletic competitions, or in service to others. There are just too many to list here!

Our Yorkies put their heart into everything that they do and can be counted on to bring a smile to our faces on a daily basis. As the students begin their summer break, we at the school, are already missing the sounds of the piano ringing through the Senior School and laughter in the halls.

I want to thank our Student Executive this year. Their energy and enthusiasm were contagious and had everyone dancing! Their love of hashtags (particularly #Sweet16) inspired even me to join the Twittersphere.

In spite of the fact that York House is such an incredibly busy school, I am continually astounded by the ability of everyone to take the time to pull together and support one another. This support is fuelled by the shared sense of pride we have in the accomplishments of one another. Thank you to the parents, grandparents, and alumnae of our community who participate in the life of the school each day. We just couldn’t do it without you!

I am so appreciative of the opportunities I have had to meet with our alumnae around the world. This year, I was fortunate to be able to visit alumnae in New York, Washington DC, Hong Kong, London, Palo Alto, and San Francisco. I was so impressed by the accomplishments and generosity of each Yorkie that I met and their deep sense of commitment to the school. They too are excited by the possibilities to connect with young Yorkies and to explore internship and mentorship opportunities as we look to the near future.

I also wish to thank our faculty and staff who have worked tirelessly throughout the year; from exploring their own professional development to working collaboratively with peers to explore new learning opportunities for our girls. They have already begun the important work needed to support our YHS 2030 strategic priorities of teaching excellence and learning innovation and personalized learning opportunities.

It is always sad to say goodbye to our graduates. To the Class of 2016, thank you for all that you have contributed to the school. We all wish you the very best as you enter the next chapter of your life and begin your university adventure. Our doors will always be open to you!

I wish a fond farewell to Tinker Allester ‘74 and Helen Shaughnessy who are retiring. They have both contributed so much to all that is York House. I think we have all enjoyed honouring their time here over the past couple of weeks. We are just a bit envious of their exciting road ahead but hope that their next chapter will be filled with much laughter and plenty of relaxation!

In the fall, we will begin the implementation of our YHS 2030 strategic directions and I am excited by the possibilities ahead. I look forward to sharing our next steps at the beginning of the new school year. In the meantime, I hope that you take the summer to enjoy friends and family and are able to recharge for the new school year. For those of you who are travelling, have a wonderful time exploring new places.

Have a fabulous summer and I look forward to seeing you in the fall!

Sincerely,

Chantal Gionet
Head of School