Tag: head of school

It’s hard to believe that the holidays are just around the corner. As our Yorkies and their families head into a well-deserved break, it leads me to reflect on the powerful statements our girls have been making. 

On a daily basis, we encourage our girls to find their voice, to understand what matters to them and to put forth their best efforts in communicating their passion with others. Looking back on the past term, our Yorkies have done just that in more ways than one. 

Never in the history of our school, have our athletics teams achieved such great heights. Our Tigers brought home three banners this term including the Grade 9 Girls Volleyball Provincial Championship, the AA Swimming Provincial Championship, and the AA Provincial Senior Girls Volleyball Provincial Championship. Our Grade 8 Volleyball team also won their championship and our Senior Field Hockey team finished in 4th place overall. In addition, we have seen outstanding athletic development and accomplishments in various sports at both the Junior and Senior levels. We are incredibly proud of our Tigers and their coaches for the hard work and dedication they put forward in accomplishing such great results.

At a Senior School assembly several weeks ago, I witnessed three Junior School students address an issue that matters to them; the changing environment and the importance of sustainability. Now, the girls had already spoken to their peers at the Junior School assembly, but now they were addressing the Senior School. These determined young ladies marched up to the podium in front of 300 of their older peers and eloquently proposed their suggestions on how we might, as a community, best approach our Holiday Market in a more sustainable way. They asked the senior girls to bring their own mugs for hot chocolate, to bring a reusable bag, to consider alternatives to wrapping paper and provided other great suggestions.

The response was palpable. You could hear the audience thinking, “Of course, that makes sense… and wow, these young girls are confident and their message is powerful!” The impact this message had on everyone was significant because it came from younger peers using their voice and seeking to bring about change. Subsequently, at the Holiday Market, we witnessed a large number of students and adults with their own mugs and reusable bags as they enjoyed the festive event. Their advocacy resulted in shifting our collective consciousness and making a positive difference in our community.

At our Celebration of Community, we also witnessed our Yorkies address what can be considered as the most significant contemporary issues of our times, sustainability. If you had the pleasure of attending this year’s event, you would have felt the theme of sustainability come to life through meaningful readings and equally moving musical and choral performances. Our talented faculty brilliantly supported the girls by interweaving this powerful theme throughout the show. It was an incredible celebration of community and it brought us all together in more ways than one. The girls’ angelic voices and soothing musical pieces in one instant touched our hearts and in another moment, their impassioned readings caught our attention and had us all reflecting on our collective responsibility towards mother earth. I want to thank all our dedicated students, teachers, and volunteers who worked so hard to put together an impressive musical showcase. 

Indeed it has been a very rewarding first term and as you head into the holidays with your family, it is my sincere hope that you take time to enjoy each others’ company. I know that I look forward to some quality time with my family. I look forward to our holiday traditions but I also enjoy creating new memories with my spouse and two adult children. It warms my heart when they share their fondest memories with me. Together, we fondly cherish the memories of loved ones who celebrated with us and we heartily giggle together at the classic family bumbles and mishaps that happened over the years. Most importantly, we just love spending time together. 

My wish for you is that you create fond memories with your family as well. To our entire YHS Community, I wish you all the very best of the holidays and a Happy New Year! 

Warmly,

Julie

Nearly two months have passed since returning to school and the excitement of reuniting with friends has subsided, the thrill of new school supplies has worn off, and classroom routines are now well established. No doubt, pencil crayons are getting shorter, new shoes are a little scuffed, and as parents, you likely have been searching for your daughter’s elusive lunch box already! As multicoloured leaves blanket the beautiful streets surrounding the school, your daughters have happily settled in for another fun-filled year of learning.

Recently, at our very first Tiger Talks, I shared our Learning Framework at York House School and our desire to cultivate in our students the global competencies they will need to succeed in life. Yes, we are a university prep school, but more than preparing our girls to succeed in university, we have the great responsibility to develop now, the future skills they will need to navigate successfully in the world, well beyond university. To that end, Alvin Toffler’s quote resonates very strongly, “The illiterate of the 21st Century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those that cannot learn, unlearn and relearn.” Which leads me to a very important question, “How do we cultivate in our students, the desire to be lifelong learners?”

Interestingly enough, I have very vivid memories of important learning milestones in my life. As a young French girl in Grade 1, I remember the feelings of elation I experienced at the precise moment when reading English words began to make sense. I remember the book I was reading, “A Kiss for Little Bear” and I actually remember the exact moment when the ink-filled page transformed from odd-looking letter segments to the unfolding of a beautiful story that allowed me to make clear connections with the world. I’m sure that in that moment, brain imaging would have revealed an explosion of neural activity revealing the wondrous birth of literacy that would set the stage for my lifelong learning. 

Do you have a vivid memory of learning? If so, take a moment to reflect on that memory and try to recall the details. In all likelihood, the learning involved a process of attempts, a scaffolding of skills, clear connections made, a succession of setbacks or failures, feedback on progress, additional attempts and then finally…success! This is the beauty of learning. Recently, in what might appear as an ordinary moment, I witnessed this beautiful process of learning as our Yorkies were asked to put away the blue blocks they had been using in a creative exercise. Notice the joy they felt when they finally succeeded. Their collaboration and tenacity in the process is what led them to succeed all on their own. Like glitter bombs exploding in their hearts, their sense of pride was indeed palpable.

We all play an important role in helping our Yorkies become lifelong learners and that is why learning through inquiry, reflection and hands-on learning is empowered at our school. In developing the skills and mindsets to learn, unlearn and relearn, we empower our students to become nimble and highly adaptable when making sense of the world they live in. Unfortunately, for some students, learning becomes more about achievement, right answers and grades. When that happens, learning stops being joyful and it can become a chore or something one must do rather than an experience of wonder and discovery. 

While grades are important, what about the sparkle in our student’s eyes when they discover a new bug in the yard, develop a code that launches a new program, when they describe a painting that inspires them or when they finally develop the skills and confidence to overcome the fear of public speaking? In the end, we want their love of learning to go beyond school and sustain them throughout their whole lives. 

Let’s make sure our children keep their passion for learning as they grow up. We should aim for them to graduate with the same sense of wonder and fearless curiosity as when they entered school in Kindergarten. As parents, you have an opportunity to influence and build on your child’s natural inclination to remain curious and enjoy learning throughout life. I invite you to read this article which shares ten simple ways you can foster the development of lifelong learning in your children. Your child’s teachers, mentors and coaches indeed play a vital role in your child’s love of learning, but please remember that your child’s most influential and loving teacher is YOU! In an ever-changing world, I encourage you to embark on an important journey of lifelong learning with your children. By doing so, you are providing them with the keys to their future success. 

Warmly,

Julie