School Ties — Fall 2000 1
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S T .MICHAELS U NIVERSITY S CHOOL Seeking the excellence in all of us... FALL 2000 Academic Continuum Bridges Junior, Middle, and Senior Schools EVER BEFORE has the school produced a Ndocument that has attempted to address and present all the core elements of its three- school curriculums, and meld them together so that a reader is able to see at a glance the transition from one grade to the next, including the skill-sets, tools, and course content. The new “Academic Continuum” presents these all at the same time. This fold-out piece is now available from the Admissions Office. This new publication, headed by Senior School Director of Academics Dr. Tom Matthews, includes the school’s Five Guiding Academic Principles and Mission Statement. The preparation of the Continuum was a collaborative effort involving every member of faculty from all three campuses. Team members worked in inter-campus, subject- strand groups. Teachers carefully reviewed their programmes, focusing on content, skills, teaching strategies, and student evaluation techniques. Over the course of two years, significant revisions were made to the academic programme. Gaps in content were filled, key skills were reinforced, and any unnecessary overlaps or repetitions were removed. In addition, new programmes were To receive a copy of the new established. All of these changes were initiated Academic Continuum, in order to enhance student learning and to promote cohesion and continuity throughout contact the SMUS the school. The Continuum attests to an Admissions Office. academic programme that is dynamic and well integrated, and comes close to fulfilling our Telephone: (250) 370-6170 ideal of creating a “seamless garment of student learning” from kindergarten to grade 12. This Fax: (250) 592-2812 should be a useful reference point for both Email: [email protected] students and parents. school ties — fall 2000 1 Calendar 2000/2001 On a sunny morning in June, grade six students suited up in goggles and OCTOBER big red jackets and zoomed across Fri. Oct. 27 JUNIOR SCHOOL OPEN HOUSE the Strait of Juan de Fuca toward the 9-11 a.m. and 1-2:30 p.m. San Juan Islands. As part of the Fri. Oct. 27 Annual General Meeting 5:30 pm. - Old Gym SMUS Outdoor Education programme, these youngsters were headed toward NOVEMBER the migration grounds of west coast Orca whales. Pictured are students Sat. Nov. 4 BC Cross Country Championships - Victoria Henry Pai (left) and Karl Down with Nov. 6 - 8 BCAA Girls Field Hockey Championships -Burnaby telescope in hand, checking the Thur. Nov. 9 Remembrance Day Service horizon for signs of the pods of Orcas. Nov. 16 - 18 AA BC Boys Soccer Championships - Powell River These young explorers were extremely Nov. 30 - Dec. 2 BCAA Girls Volleyball Championships - Kimberley fortunate, as they caught up with three pods of whales, an estimated eighty in DECEMBER number, all within close proximity of Thur. Dec. 7 Senior School Fall Concert, the zodiacs and specialty boats which University Centre Auditorium, UVIC were used to transport the students to this remote location. This was a rare SCHOOL TIES is distributed to over Sat. Dec. 9 Parents’ Auxiliary Christmas Dinners - 6000 members of the SMUS Brown Hall (& Sat., Dec. 16) sighting! The SMUS Outdoor Ed programme community, including Alumni, Sun. Dec. 10 Senior School Carol Service, 6:30 p.m. fosters determination, strength, current parents, parents of Alumni, Mon. Dec. 11 Middle School Carol Service, 6:30 pm. patience, improvisation, tolerance and friends, and current and past staff. Tues. Dec. 12 Junior School Carol Service, 5:30 p.m. perseverance in its participants. With a The goal of this publication is to Wed. Dec. 13 Middle School Concert Choir at Ocean Point long list of course offerings, the communicate the current school Resort - All welcome programme continues to expand. activities and initiatives along with Student participants are rewarded Fri. Dec. 15 School wide Christmas Assembly - New Gym articles and reports on the Alumni with immense personal growth in both Fri. Dec. 15 School closes after Final Assembly (approx. noon) community. If you have any their confidence and abilities. Visit the for Christmas Holidays school website to find out more about comments or suggestions regarding this publication, please contact JANUARY 2001 our Outdoor Education Programme, and upcoming trips and events. Jenus Friesen at (250) 370-6169 Thur. Jan. 4 Classes resume www.smus.bc.ca/tour/outdoored.htm or e-mail: [email protected] FEBRUARY Fri. Feb. 16 Middle and Senior School Open House How Many Copies Do You Receive? Published by: MARCH How many copies of School Ties The Development Office at St. Michaels University School Mar. 1 - 3 “Cabaret” Senior School Musical do you receive in your household? 8:00 p.m. McPherson Playhouse 3400 Richmond Road If you are receiving too many, Victoria, British Columbia MAY please let us know. You can write Canada V8P 4P5 to us in the Development Office at Telephone: (250) 592-2411 Thurs. May 3 Middle School Spring Concert, Admissions: 1-800-661-5199 7:00 p.m., University Centre Auditorium, UVIC 3400 Richmond Road, Victoria, e-mail: [email protected] Fri. Sat. Sun. 2001 Alumni Reunion. Don’t miss it! BC, Canada V8P 4P5, or you can Website: http://www.smus.bc.ca May 4, 5, 6 Check the school website for a schedule of events! phone us at (250) 370-6175, send us a fax at (250) 592-2812, Editors: For further information on these, and other school events, Jenus Friesen, Christopher Spicer contact the school at (250) 592-2411, or visit our web site and or simply drop us an e-mail: check out the Calendar of Events. http://www.smus.bc.ca [email protected] Contributors: Jenus Friesen, Christopher Spicer, Bob Snowden, Tom Matthews, Attention Alumni – Exciting News! Larry Devlin, Peter Bousfield, Ian Hyde-Lay, Robert Wilson, E ARE PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE the advent of our brand-new, on-line Alumni E-mail Directory! Caroline Rueckert, Brenda Waksel, W This wonderful tool is sponsored by the Development Office at SMUS and is provided free of Louise Winter, Sandra Moore, charge to all alumni in good standing. To access the directory, simply log on to the SMUS website Donna Ray, Melanie Hadfield, Fraser Hannah, Heidi Davis at: www.smus.bc.ca then go to the Alumni page and use the link: SMUS Alumni E-mail Directory. From here, you can easily add yourself to the secure password-driven site. Once you have done this, it Photography: will take a day or two to process after which you will be able to search the directory by name, year, or Jenus Friesen (front cover), branch. You can choose to add biographical information and even upload a photo of yourself or family. Chris Spicer, Craig White, Rob Destrube, Alumni staff There is a bulletin board for posting and reading messages, and you will receive periodic updates and news and faculty at SMUS of upcoming events from the School. Please add yourself to this Directory. Within three weeks of its inception we had over 600 Alumni listed Production: on the Directory. It is a fun way to connect (or reconnect) with your old pals!! Questions? Contact Melanie Reber Creative Hadfield (SMUS ’87) at mhadfi[email protected]. Hillside Printing Ltd., Victoria, BC Lithographed in Canada Vivat! Melanie. Printed on Recycled Paper 2 a sense of place A Sense of Place by Robert Snowden, Headmaster LONG THE BASEMENT HALL in School Why this transformation in our thinking about A House are pictures of Prefects, teams and School House, and what does that mean about the Sports Days long past, with lists of athletes other facilities we are contemplating? After all, from decades ago stencilled on wooden plaques on the Aristotle taught out of doors, and from all that has opposite wall. Students pass these pictures every time come down to us from his time, he taught well. He they go to Chapel or to class in that lower corridor, was the tutor of Alexander the Great. In a significant and sometimes stop to point to quaint uniforms and way he continued to teach through the ages, since his Victorian poses. On alumni weekends, the corridor texts served as major sources of thought on numerous gets a steady stream of visitors, people looking for their subjects until several hundred years ago. In less Robert Snowden, Headmaster pictures, or their names on the board. They walk along scientific areas, his works still have currency. So the halls of School House, and up the stairs to their perhaps this is all we need for a school: a roof over our old dorms, picking out the spots where their beds heads, someplace to walk while we talk, and books. “We are educating more than were, where now sit desks and chairs. These dorms are Except that our students are not just involved in the now offices, conference rooms, and even the discussion of ideas. We are educating more than the the intellect: we are also Headmaster’s Office. intellect: we are also educating the character, the body School House has always been the centre of the and the spirit. Our students learn the habits and educating the character, the school, and is likely to remain so for decades to come. benefits of exercise and sports; they learn the meaning Students have had classes there, they have slept and and nature of drama, art and music; they learn the body and the spirit.” eaten there, they have studied there; they have importance of reflection and care of the spirit. They experienced many of the bumps and scraped knees learn what it means to be part of a community.