Participants will be introduced to the multiple functions of an Advancement Department and how the work of Advancement supports independent school long-term strength and permanence. All aspects of an Advancement Office will be reviewed including Development, Alumni Relations, Advancement Services and Administration.

 

There will be a combination of presentations, case studies, group discussions and individual and small group assignments. Alignment will be made to the CAIS 2021 National Standard Nine - Recruitment and Community Engagement Indicators of Effective Practice for Advancement.

 

 

Participants will learn:

 

 

Greg hails from Kingston, Ontario, where he worked his way through six years at Queen's University as a member of the Canadian Forces infantry reserves. He earned B.A., B.P.H.E., and B.Ed. degrees from Queen’s University, as well as an M.Ed. degree in Educational Administration at OISE, University of Toronto.

 

Greg moved to Newmarket, Ontario in 1990 and began his career as a teacher and department head with the York Region District School Board. He joined the faculty of St. Andrew's College in 2000 as Director of Athletics and was promoted to Assistant Head, School Life and Operations in 2012, where his responsibilities included overseeing all aspects of student life, leadership, and discipline. In June of 2018, Greg transitioned to the role of Executive Director of Advancement and President of the SAC Foundation.

 

Greg is a graduate of the CAIS Leadership Institute and has completed the CAIS Next Steps Diploma program. He has participated on three CAIS Peer Review Teams and is on the Board of Directors of ISAP Canada.

 

Greg is a member of the school’s leadership team and attends all board and subcommittee meetings. As SAC Foundation President, he manages a group of 12 trustees who oversee the Foundation’s ~$45M investments. In November 2019, St. Andrew's College announced a five-year $35M Legacy Campaign for endowment growth, and then in November 2020, launched the first capital campaign for St. Anne's School.

 

Currently, Greg leads a team of eight experienced advancement professionals who collectively manage and execute in the areas of: alumni and parent relations, prospect research, database management, development, annual fund, planned giving, major gifts, gift receipting and processing, school archives, events, donor and volunteer recognition, and stewardship.

A helpful metaphor for visualizing the complexity of CAIS schools is to imagine a series of interlocking gears. The academic program is located at the center of this ‘machine’ with direct connections to school purpose, leadership, enrolment management, human resources, and facilities. Our schools are first and foremost learning institutions, and all leaders within CAIS benefit from understanding the challenges and opportunities within academic programming. 

 

This module provides an overview of essential topics facing academic leaders in CAIS schools and how wider school structures connect with and impact the education program. While academic mandates and curricula differ by province, this module will identify the effective foundational traits in educational programming.   

 

Participants will:

Close alignment will be made with the following CAIS 2021 National Standards:

Standard 4 - Education Program Foundation

Standard 5 - Learning and Teaching  

 

Direct connections will also be made to CAIS 2021 National Standards: 

Standard 1 - School Purpose (e.g. academic mission and vision)

Standard 2 - School Leadership (e.g. academic leadership structures)

Standard 6 - Student Well-Being and Support (e.g. faculty involvement in academic and student support)

Standard 10 - Human Resources (e.g. professional development for teachers) 

 

Facilitator Biography: Myke Healy 

 

Myke Healy serves as Assistant Head of Senior School - Teaching & Learning at Trinity College School (TCS) in Port Hope, Ontario. Myke completed Concurrent Education at Queen’s University in Outdoor and Experiental Education. In 2021 he received his Professional Master of Education from Queen’s University in assessment and evaluation. Myke joined the faculty of TCS in 2004 and has served in a number of academic leadership roles. In his current leadership portfolio, he is responsible for faculty professional development and curriculum, hiring and supervising new teachers, facilitating Ministry inspections, overseeing summer academy, teaching in the Advanced Placement Capstone Diploma, managing academic budgets, assisting with scheduling, running the School’s online program, and the myriad of other committee responsibilities and day-to-day adventures that educational leaders face in CAIS schools.   

 

In his volunteer life, Myke serves as chair of the board of Camp Kawartha and chair of the board of eLearning Consortium Canada. In November, Myke received the Ontario Volunteer Service Award from the Ministry of Citizenship and Multiculturalism. He lives in the forest outside of Lakefield, Ontario, where he and his wife built a timberframe home in 2003. As one of the great privileges of being an educator, his son (15) attends his place of daily employment (his daughter having graduated from TCS in 2022).

The Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC) reports that “for more than 70% of adults living with mental health problems, symptoms developed in childhood or early adolescence.” The obvious conclusion from this statement suggests that what we do in our schools every day to support students has the potential to positively impact their well-being as adults.

 

MHCC also cites that “almost 50% of people will develop a mental health or substance use problem in their lifetime”. It can happen to anyone. Therefore, mental health strategy needs to also think about the mental well-being of adults who support students.

 

Research has also shown that early intervention is the most effective approach to preventing the development of more serious problems. Help provided by friends, family and peers is an important part of early intervention and it complements any treatment provided by professionals.

 

This course will provide a foundation of awareness, knowledge, and confidence that will assist leaders of independent schools to undertake the development and implementation of a mental health strategy in their schools – a strategy wherein students and teachers alike can count on others for support.

 

Learning Intentions:

• Promoting the importance of creating a culture within all our schools where students and their families as well as staff can talk about how fluctuating mental well-being influences their lives - without being judged or isolated.
• Enhancing the comfort level of school leaders to reach out to others who may be experiencing a decline in their mental well-being or experiencing a mental health crisis, and, enabling them to access appropriate supports  - thereby modeling for others in the school to learn to do the same.
• Enhance the well-being of educators, school leaders and administrators.

Mental Health First Aid has been chosen as part of the CAIS Leadership Institute. It is a copyrighted program of the Mental Health Commission of Canada. It is also active internationally in 20 different countries. Research has been demonstrated that it is effective in preparing participants to use a specific set of actions to offer help to others. They are able to :

• recognize signs that may indicate a problem,
• feel more confident in knowing how they can help and
• themselves experience improved mental well-being.

Mental Health First Aid does not teach participants to make diagnoses or to provide counselling or personal advice.

One additional component of this Leadership Institute is a 1 hour consultation focusing on considerations for implementing a mental health strategy in the context of an employment relationship. Matters such as confidentiality and its limits, the role of the school leaders, employee assistance programs, human resource processes and Canadian Human Rights legislation will be highlighted.

Facilitator Biography

Christina Yurchuk Mental Health Commission of Canada

Christina currently works as the Learning Facilitator in the Coaching and Counseling Office at The Michener Institute of Education at University Health Network (UHN) in Toronto. She has over 20 years of experience developing and delivering workshops in a variety of professional, community, and academic settings on various topics: assertive skills, professional communication skills, academic skills, stress management, and career development. Since November 2020, she has delivered virtual MHFA training to over 900 participants at The Michener Institute, corporate groups, HR groups, young adults, frontline workers, small business owners, and the general public.

Diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) are mainstay words that have been embedded in and are synonymous with excellence in education. Having an acute awareness and a critical consciousness of DEIB is an absolute necessity and moral obligation for all educators. As a school leader, people will turn to you for vision and to provide guidance in this critical aspect of school practice and culture.

 

Pluralism is the culmination of meaningful DEIB.  It is a state when more than one culture/race/identity is acknowledged and coexists in harmony with others. It is cultivated through recognizing those voices and identities that have been historically marginalized belonging that is achieved through the daily decisions taken by students, staff, parents, and volunteers to recognize and value human differences. Pluralism may be achieved through the interweaving of distinct cultures and identities into a unified whole. To help build a foundation, this module will explore what pluralism means to each participant and to their lived truth.

The subject matter can be deeply personal, responses are often emotional, and there is work to be done in reflection and self-analysis. It will challenge participants to lean into their discomfort and examine their own explicit and implicit biases, as well as to explore and dismantle the contributing systemic structures that may be at play in schools. Topics of race and ethnicity; socioeconomic status; indigenous peoples reconciliation; gender identity and expression; physical ability; and learning differences are all on the table.

Learning Intentions
Participants will learn how:

• School Leadership Teams can be effective in realizing a pluralistic community.
• The Board’s composition, nomination and development processes can be effective in ensuring the diversity needed to support the Board’s effectiveness, the School’s mission and strategy and sustained Board leadership.
• The School can be effective in establishing relationships as foundational to the learning experience and personalize the learning experience in a way that supports student engagement.
• The School can effectively develop students’ understanding and valuing of pluralism.
• The School can actively accept responsibility to meet the diverse needs of all students accepted for admission.
• The School can effectively establish equity as a driver for all Human Resource related practices across the School.

Connections to the CAIS 2021 National Standards will be made.