Expect The Best

Announcements

National Leaders Conference

The 2019 National Leaders Post Conference Call for Workshop Proposals are open until December 7. Apply here.

Strengthen Your School Leadership

CAIS values the constant and deliberate quest for excellence, and we recognize the vital leadership role that governors play, in partnership with Heads, in the success of our schools. We want all of our schools to have strong Heads who focus on supporting the students of the present, but we also want strong Boards that focus on supporting the students of the future.

The Governance Guide include new learning on a number of areas, including Human Resources, Risk Management, Head Transitions, and Consent Agendas.

CAIS members and non-members can purchase a hard copy here. And CAIS members can also view the full PDF in CAIS Connect here.


2015 Grant Recipients

View Grant Recipients' Findings:

Online Learning

Tammy Earle and Cara Lee, Rothesay Netherwood School

Purpose & Findings

Purpose: Explored blended learning (books, online classes, conference) as a method of learning when designing a new Gr. 10 course. This evolved into looking at blended learning at RNS for the future.
Findings: Implementation is key. If the technology and online components are carefully integrated into the curriculum, then students see value in the task and outcomes are often met.

Inclusion of International Students at a Day School

Glenn Zederayko and Chad Holtum, Glenlyon Norfolk School

Purpose & Findings

Purpose: To further advance everyone’s ability to assess the value of creating a homestay program and prepare them to execute the program in an effective, positive way.

Findings: Many pros and cons, challenges and significant costs to establish and run the program.


Experiential Learning

Denise Lamarche and Becky Anderson, St. Michaels University School

Purpose & Findings

Purpose: Examine the experiential learning opportunities provided to students in Grade 10 at SMUS

Findings: Feedback from students, parents and faculty was very positive. The benefits of shifting our grade 10 program to include experiential learning opportunities for all students far outweighed any reason not to move in this direction.

Health and Wellbeing Project

Sarah Craig, Branksome Hall

Purpose & Findings

Purpose: Implement an Employee Health and Wellness program to improve health and wellbeing for individuals and shift the wellness culture at Branksome Hall.

Findings: The first year of the Employee Health and Wellbeing Program had a significant impact on improving the overall culture of health and wellbeing at the school. Qualitative and quantitative data provided metrics to support this finding.


Student Centered Assessments

Helen Pereira-Raso, Holy Trinity School

Purpose & Findings

Purpose: To understand how the relationship between the teacher and student change when they are collaborating on student-centered assessment practices.

Findings: The single most important factor is for educators to approach their work from a mindset or stance that begins with trusting students as capable and contributing members to the learning process.

Early Education Transitions

Shailau Spivak and Danielle Hourigan, Hillfield Strathallan College

Purpose & Findings

Purpose: This study looked at how early years programs prepared students for success in a preschool setting.

Findings: A student’s participation in a preschool program at HSC positively impacted their ability to transition to elementary and overall performance in those programs.


2015 CAIS Collaboration Grant Recipients


Technology as a Disruptor

Mary Anne Van Acker, The Bishop Strachan School and Jim LaPlante, Upper Canada College

Purpose & Findings

Purpose: To provide CAIS schools with a snapshot into current and emergent trends in technology that are potentially impactful and disruptive to education.

Findings: Schools should consider including innovation leaders as part of the school’s leadership team. Further, innovation teams should be built to manage both sustainable and disruptive innovation.


The 2051 Project

Justin Medved, The York School & Garth Nichols, Havergal College

Purpose & Findings

Purpose: Research, architect and steward the Project 2051 conversation about the compelling reasons and opportunities that exist for academic and business innovation in CAIS Schools.

Findings: There is a need that is felt to continue the conversation about academic and business innovation in Canadian independent schools.


In Search of Lost Time

Glen Downey, The York School, William Peat & Adrian Hoad-Reddick, Hillfield Strathallan College

Purpose & Findings

Purpose: to offer an approach to developing what we have traditionally thought of as a “timetable” that is appropriate for 21st-century, independent, K-12 institutions in Canada.

Findings: The manner in which timetables are often revised by educational administrators is not sufficient in making the kinds of significant and systemic changes to scheduling that will improve student learning.