CAIS in Point

It is June. Member schools around the country are wrapping up the academic year, holding their closings, and pausing to catch their breath and engage in a little post-mortem reflection.   For me, at the end of the first year in a new job, there is a lot to reflect upon both personally and professionally. But, I find myself preoccupied thinking about the quiet and untimely demise of an old friend, Weston School.   Weston was founded ninety years ago in 1917 by two disaffected teachers from Miss Edgar’s and Miss Cramp’s in Montreal who felt that there was a need for a school for girls with a greater emphasis on the arts. Housed in what is now the Bolivian Consulate in Westmount, Weston experienced the usual ups and downs of a small independent school during the inter-war period. However, in the 50s and 60s, Weston rose to prominence under the leadership of Dr. Mary Winspear. A leader in the French Immersion movement, Weston doubled in size and, overflowing its Westmount home, moved its high school to the NDG YWCA.   In the 70s and 80s, Weston flourished in a sprawling turn of the century estate in Montreal West. During this period, Weston became the first, and one of only two, major girls’ school to go co-ed (the other was Halifax Ladies College – now Armbrae Academy).   In 1989 Weston School moved to its new campus on Connaught Avenue in NDG. By the turn of this century, the school boasted almost 250 students and the largest proportion of First Nations students of any independent school in Canada. Weston filled a unique role in the Montreal independent school community. Working in partnership with both its QAIS colleagues and the local English public boards, Weston was a school that accepted and helped students who had not been successful elsewhere. It was proud of its status as a school of “second choice”.   Seven years later, on its 90th birthday, Weston is closing its doors – probably forever. Barring a last minute miracle, an important chapter in the history of the Montreal independent schools is coming to a close. Weston was a founding member of both the QAIS and the CAIS. True to its roots, right to the end it continued to offer outstanding programmes in the arts and was characterized by an amazingly diverse student population and dedicated and innovative faculty and staff.   Someday, and with a little distance, the Weston story will make an interesting case study in school sustainability, but not today. Today it is enough to say goodbye and thank-you to the people and the institution that have meant so much to so many of our families over almost a century of service.   Goodbye old friend, you will be missed. Jim Dr. James Christopher Executive Director, CAIS

CAIS Website News

Don't forget to visit our updated section of the CAIS website that lists non-CAIS conferences that may be of interest to you. See http://www.cais.ca/non-cais_conferences to read about the CIS Residence Life conference and more!

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2007 CAIS Head's Compensation Survey

This week, participating schools received a copy of Report of the Head’s Compensation Survey carried out by the Canadian Association of Independent Schools in April/May of this year. Sixty-four CAIS schools (representing over 80% of the membership) took part in the survey, an increase of almost 35% from the previous outside survey contracted in 2004. To ensure confidentiality, all survey results were tabulated and analyzed by an external resource person. No school specific information was collected or reviewed by either CAIS staff or the CAIS Board. Once the information had been summarized, all the surveys were deleted and there are now no records of any data submitted by individual schools. All that remains are the aggregate results included in the report.

It is our hope that the information contained in the report will be of use to both Heads and Boards in our member schools across the country. In the fall we will be surveying participating schools to determine the utility of the report, suggestions for improvement, and solicit feedback as to the timing and frequency of future reports.

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Work Hard, Think Big

Coach Ryan Slate (2003, 2004 Canadian Male Sculler of the Year) gave his rowers an amazing opportunity last month. Slate’s own coach, Ian McFarlane, who in addition to Slate, has also coached such notable national team rowers as Doug Hamilton, Silken Laumann, Peter Tattersall, and Kate Walker, was on hand at the docks to work with Grenville Christian College (GCC) rowers. The magnitude of the opportunity to row for a former Canadian coach of the year, and someone with coaching experience at the world class level was not lost on the rowers despite the early morning mist and fog that greeted them. Senior GCC student, Mike Ackland, noted what an honour it was for such a young rowing team to meet with McFarlane. When asked about student reaction, Ackland smiled, “He was well received . . .and so were we. I think he liked what he saw developing here.”

 

Since that first morning, McFarlane returned to work with the team a second time and has promised to return again.  Unlike most rowing programs with a great deal of history behind the oars, GCC’s rowing program is only two years old. Arriving hours before the start of school, with jet lag from his flight back from the World Championships in Japan, Slate took over as athletic director at GCC and offered to introduce a rowing program. The College was ecstatic about the offer but concerned about whether or not it was financially possible. Slate took it from there.  A boat was borrowed, generous donations from parents, and others, allowed erg machines to be purchased. A group of novice rowers began to train, and a team was formed.

 

During the March break this year, GCC rowers spent a week in training at a rowing camp in South Carolina. Slate’s message to the team there was the same as always.  “Be disciplined.  Push yourself.  Let what you are learning here in rowing practice spill over in to the rest of your life.  Apply this kind of discipline to your studies, to the way you organize your time.” In other words, work hard, think big. Most rowers have been with the team for two years, practicing or working out daily from September through June.  5:55am is start time at the docks for the lucky ones that simply walk across campus. For one rower (and mom) there is a one hour commute just to reach the campus.  But the hard work is paying off.  GCC rowers find themselves winning many gold and silver finishes and out performing teams with 100 year legacies.

 

Other students and staff are taking note. Work hard. Think big. For GCC headmaster, Fr. Gordon Mintz, the rowing team is a perfect vehicle of the school’s mission to educate in heart and mind.  “Of course the rowers are in outstanding physical condition,” notes Mintz, “but more importantly, they are clearly being educated in heart and mind.  This kind of training goes far beyond a series of push ups. It’s about the whole person.” GCC rowers agree.  They love the sport, but the program has offered them so much more. Maybe that’s because for Ryan Slate, its is not just a job, its a calling.   

 

For that, rowers, their parents, and GCC head master, Fr. Gordon Mintz, say, “Thank you, Mr. Slate!” Slate heads the athletic program at GCC, teaches Physical Education classes, coaches rowing and volleyball, and still manages to maintain his own standing as an elite athlete in Canadian Rowing.

 

Submitted by Christine Radford, Admissions Director, Grenville Christian College

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Canadian K-12 Seminar, September in Seoul

The Canadian Embassy in Seoul plans to organize a Canadian K-12 seminar (elementary to high school programs) on September 29-30, 2007.  There is limited space available for this event.
 
While some Canadian school boards/districts have become quite sophisticated in offering an attractive product to Koreans, a number of Canadian schools are still very new to Korea. This event may help Canadian schools learn from the market and have greater exposure to the public. 

The program will include a solo trade show in addition to meetings and seminars with education agents, Korean schools, potential students and their parents. By timing the event to coincide with a similar event in Tokyo, we believe that we can offer exposure to two markets for only slightly more time and expense than focusing on one market.
 
If you are interested in participating in the Canadian K-12 seminar on September 29-30, please confirm your interest to Hyun-Mi Park at hyun-mi.park@international.gc.ca by June 21, 2007.  Further related information will be provided only to those who confirm their interest about the event.
 
Sent by:

Hyun-Mi Park
Trade Commissioner
Canadian Embassy in Seoul
9th Fl Kolon Bldg.,
45, Mukyo-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul  Korea(100-662)
tel: (82-2) 3455-6059 fax: (82-2) 755-0686
e-mail: hyun-mi.park@international.gc.ca

School Violence

Violence in schools dominated the news a few weeks ago due to the untimely death of Jordan Manners at C.W Jeffrey’s public school in Toronto. How do we stop it? What schools are hiding it? Is the topic being avoided or exaggerated? What is the truth? It’s hard to say. When searching for answers there is a lot documented on violence in public schools but very little written concerning violence in private or independent schools. This leads to the question is it happening in our schools, and if not, how do independent schools maintain a safe place of learning.

 

Obviously violence happens at all income levels, and the fact that families can afford the independent school fees to educate their children does not necessarily make those kids non-violent. But, independent schools have greater control over their student population than schools in the public school system. In most cases of private school admissions, families and students are interviewed and have to complete a variety of tests before they are accepted to that school. If accepted, maintaining education and behaviour standards is expected.

 

As outlined in the following article, there are Codes of Ethics or Conduct that are adhered to in independent schools http://privateschool.about.com/library/weekly/aa033098.htm that are not usually as central to the public school community. Alexander Volokh  http://volokh.com/sasha/educwsj.html looks at this idea further by suggesting that private schools have the flexibility to utilize discipline, religious values and in general, experiment with ideas that work best for their unique student/parent population. 

 

With an involved Board Chair and Board members, Independent School Heads and staff are held accountable to a variety of people other than just students and parents. A safe and well cared for environment are expected by the parents entrusting their children to the independent / private school sector. Parents are paying for a certain level of pro-active structure, attention, as well as education when they register their child outside the public school system. This structure and safe environment is one of the reasons parents choose independent schools.

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Summer Time is Here!

We wait for it all winter. It’s been the topic of countless songs over the years. The summer time months mean countless things to many different people. Some kids are off to camp, others head to the cottage, summer jobs, or on family vacations. The anticipation of the hot days of July and August makes kids heads swirl with thoughts of camping, swimming, tennis, waterslides, horseback riding, exploring nature trails, ponds, sunscreen, waterskiing, mosquitoes, canoes, personal reading time, roasted marshmallows, hammocks, sand boxes, t-shirts, rafts, picnics, new friends, beach towels, family, old friends, frisbee, biking, frogs, mountains, rivers, flip flops, the perfect dive into a still lake, tall grassy fields, flowers, dirt, dragon flies, barbeques, popsicles, a perfect blue sky, the delicious heat of the noon sun and so much more…

 

The break from academia is a perfect time to take the things learned over the school year and apply them to real life. School work is not just about memorizing facts and theories, it's about learning lateral thinking. It’s about existing within the world without just existing. If students notice the environment around them, while enjoying their time away from the class room, and appreciate the complexities of nature, as well as the various learning opportunities that summer provides then success has been achieved by staff and students alike.

 

Best wishes from The CAIS Office for a safe and happy summer!

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