Date: July 1, 2019
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RIDLEY COLLEGE ST. CATHARINES, ONTARIO, CANADA LOWER SCHOOL PRINCIPAL START DATE: JULY 1, 2019 WWW.RIDLEYCOLLEGE.COM OUR MISSION: We prepare meaningful and flourishing lives by teaching the habits of mind, body, and spirit, and the values needed to lead in a global society. OUR VISION: We inspire flourishing lives to transform our globe. OUR PROMISES: Student-centered, service, action, grit & flow, integrity, meaning, global, community. OVERVIEW Ridley College is an international, positive education, coeducational day and boarding school for students in Junior Kindergarten through Grade 12. With a student-centered approach to learning, the Ridley experience transforms lives. Students are empowered to embrace their individuality, pursue their passions, and hone their intellects. They develop the academic, physical, emotional, and social skills needed to succeed and to live flourishing lives. The Ridley experience integrates a traditional liberal arts education with individual learning, the International Baccalaureate (IB) Programme, and a commitment of service to others. This unique combination creates students who are focused, interested, challenged, and engaged. In addition to preparing students for the finest universities around the world, Ridley’s unique advantage is in providing character education experiences that inspire each student to transform their world through service. The next Lower School Principal (JK-Grade 8) will lead a dedicated, hard-working body of teachers and students who take great pride in the school, its rich history, and traditions. Ridley College’s future Lower School Principal will be a proven leader and an experienced educator who has the commitment and desire to work in a day and boarding environment, has international experience, and has familiarity with the IB Primary Years (PYP) and Middle Years (MYP) Programmes. The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates 1 [email protected] | www.carneysandoe.com SCHOOL HISTORY Ridley was founded in 1889 by a group of Anglican clergy aiming to offer boys an education that valued equally strong academics and strong religious values. The school established a robust reputation in its early decades, developing traditions such as the first Ridley College Cross Country run in 1891, publishing its first yearbook that same year, and instituting the Ridley College Cadet Corps in 1907. The school grew rapidly in the early 20th century, adding new buildings and opening the Lower School in 1927. In 1973, the school became coeducational, and by 1978, girls began boarding on the campus. The school introduced laptops to the classroom and curriculum, focusing on modern, 21st-century education, in 1999. In 2012, the school adopted the IB Diploma Programme, further enhancing a legacy built on an advanced academic program. Today, Ridley is in the process of implementing its 2014 Strategic Plan, “Inspiring Flourishing Lives— Transforming Our Globe.” This program builds on the timeless aspects of the school’s 125-year legacy and helps launch it into a successful future by focusing on enhancing the student experience, mobilizing the school’s mission, and strengthening its sense of community. The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates 2 [email protected] | www.carneysandoe.com THE SCHOOL Ridley College enjoys a national and international reputation as one of Canada’s finest independent day and boarding schools. With a rich tradition of producing well-rounded students and global leaders since 1889, Ridley educates nearly 700 students who come from across Canada and around the world. The Lower School (JK-Grade 8) is currently comprised of 194 students, while the Upper School (Grade 9-12) enrollment is 495. Junior boarding begins in Grade 5. The Ridley community is built on traditions from Great Britain, the United States, and Canada, and shaped by Canadian values. But it is enhanced by a global perspective provided by students from over 60 countries. Believing in the importance of having a world view, the campus culture embraces diversity and students are exposed to ideas and approaches to life that they cannot get anywhere else. As an IB World School, Ridley teaches the social literacy and competency students need to be leaders in a global society. A community of devoted adults are committed to caring for the whole child. Day and boarding students alike are supported by a welcoming community where lifelong bonds are cultivated with both peers and adults. Teachers love what they do, and students appreciate the excitement and joy brought into the classrooms. Educators and leaders at the school are continually enrolled in professional development that enables them to understand and apply the science behind learning. Time is also devoted specifically for faculty collaboration so learning can bridge across disciplines and grade levels and teachers can learn from one another. The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates 3 [email protected] | www.carneysandoe.com ACADEMIcs As an IB World School, Ridley is the only independent boarding school in Canada and one of only three in North America authorized to offer the IB continuum of international education, which includes the Primary Years Programme (PYP), Middle Years Programme (MYP), and the Diploma Programme (DP). In its efforts to inspire flourishing lives, the school leverages evidence-based research in positive psychology, Visible WellbeingTM, and the principles of the PERMA-V model of psychological well-being and happiness. In the Lower School, students’ natural curiosity is nurtured from their earliest years on. Teaching students how to learn is just as important as teaching the curriculum, so teachers focus on developing critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Teachers instruct in an engaging, inquiry-based manner that promotes and values the development of mind, body, and spirit. Through the IB programmes, students develop attitudes and transferable skills with a focus on social, communication, thinking, research, and self-management skills. Teachers adopt a trans-disciplinary approach to education, preparing students for the real-world application of what they learn in school. The Lower School IB PYP is for students in Junior Kindergarten through Grade 6. As the foundational programme in the IB continuum, the PYP prepares children for the challenges of schooling, life, and the future. Teachers are encouraged to bring local and global issues into the classroom and to examine them across subject areas. Where the MYP is for students in Grades 7-10, in Lower School the MYP is offered to students in Grades 7 and 8. It provides an intellectually challenging blueprint for learning that encourages students to become creative, critical, and reflective thinkers. As an extension of PYP, the MYP The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates 4 [email protected] | www.carneysandoe.com encourages students to connect their studies in traditional subjects with real world issues. It promotes the development of the skills and qualities that will help to shape the global leaders of tomorrow. it ensures students have a breadth and depth of understanding through study in eight subject groups. It also features the study of a second language. ARTS AND ATHLETIcs The visual arts program is designed to give students opportunities for creative outlets. All Lower School students have the opportunity to experiment with and grow their creativity using a variety of materials and media. Students work with art and design teachers who go beyond teaching techniques and art forms by helping students develop the confidence, open-mindedness, and risk-taking that will help them grow as artists and designers and mature into caring and capable young adults. The Lower School also provides a rich and comprehensive musical environment that allows all students to explore their musical abilities. Classes begin in Kindergarten and continue to Grade 8. Students explore their abilities for musical expression by singing, playing Orff percussion, composing, dancing, learning an instrument, or recording. In Grades 4 and 5, students add recorder and ukulele to their learning experience. Grade 6 to 8 classes learn to play a musical instrument as part of a separate band or strings class. Ridley’s physical education program focuses on fundamental skill development and builds competence and confidence in a wide range of activities. Students are given opportunities to develop their movement skills through purposeful play in the natural environment of the school’s playscape. In addition, physical literacy clubs are offered throughout the year to help improve overall athleticism The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates 5 [email protected] | www.carneysandoe.com and develop both transferrable and sport-specific skills. The athletic program is structured to ensure essential daily physical activity takes place as part of the Long-Term Athlete Development model recommended by Sport for Life Canada. While healthy competition and striving for excellence are part of the program, it is structured to expose students to a variety of sports as a foundation for engaging in lifelong physical activity. SCHOOL LIFE Ridley features 10 boarding houses, where friendships are formed and a friendly rivalry between houses is nurtured. All students—both boarding and day—are assigned to a house, and day students have study and storage spaces within their houses as well as opportunities for overnight stays, when necessary. A junior boarding option is available