FAREWELL MR. DEVENISH | RUGBY SPRING TOUR | PLACE-BASED LEARNING
THETHE MAGAZINE OF ST.SAINT GEORGE’S SCHOOL | SPRING 2018
CHARACTER EDUCATION THE MOST IMPORTANT THING WE TEACH THE SAINT THE MAGAZINE OF ST. GEORGE’S SCHOOL
ACTING MANAGING EDITORS NIK WILLIAMS-WALSHE DOMINIQUE ANDERSON
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GRAPHIC DESIGNER BRUCE ELBEBLAWY
GEORGIANS EDITOR COVER STORY IAN YEN ‘03 Head of Georgian Relations
PRESIDENT OF THE ST. GEORGE’S OLD BOYS’ ASSOCIATION 36 DIRK LAUDAN ‘87
PHOTOGRAPHERS Richelle Akimow Photography Bob Frid St. George’s School Archives Clement Woo Ian Yen '03 CHARACTER EDUCATION THE MOST IMPORTANT THING WE TEACH
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FAREWELL MR. DEVENISH
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FAREWELL MR. RNIC GLOBAL STEWARDSHIP CONFERENCE 60
ADVENTURES IN HOCKEY
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PLACE-BASED LEARNING BAND SPRING TOUR RUGBY SPRING TOUR SAINTS LIFE
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On April 19th, 2018, Mr. Andrew D. Grant, Mr. Sam H. Gudewill, and Dr. Tony Mercer were inducted as Builders of St. George’s School. Board Members, faculty and staff, Georgians, family members, and the community gathered to honour these individuals who have made an extraordinary, transformational contribution over time to the building of the School. The Builders designation represents the highest award the School will confer in recognition of extraordinary support. Reflecting a genuine love of St. George’s School, this support may involve either personal effort ‘above and beyond the THE call of duty’ and/or financial support.
BUILDERS2018 BUILDERS OF ST. GEORGE’S INDUCTEES
SPRING 2018 | 5 SAINTS LIFE
6 | THE SAINT SAINTS LIFE BUILDERS OF ST. GEORGE’S SCHOOL HONOURED IN 2018
MR. ANDREW D. GRANT MR. SAM H. GUDEWILL DR. TONY MERCER Georgian Parent (Timothy ’00, Douglas ’03); Georgian Parent (Spencer ’10); Foundation Chair Senior Master; Robinson Distinguished Service Honourary Old Boy; Board Member (1991-2003); (2005-2012), Board Member (2007-2012); Chair of Award Recipient; past Director of Senior School, Board Chair (1994-1996); Foundation Chair (1999- Advancement Committee (2007-2010); Member of the Head of Grade, and Head of Science; Outstanding 2001); Chair and Member of Building & Grounds Headmaster’s Council. Major donor since 2003. Educator Awards from the University of Chicago and Committee (1990 -2002). Major donor since 1991. Stanford University; Soccer, Rugby, Field Hockey, A tireless volunteer and supporter of and Golf Coach; Skydiving Aficionado and CSPA When his eldest son joined St. George’s St. George’s School, Sam played a key Master Course Facilitator; Photographer and World School in 1989, Andrew went ‘all in’ to leadership role at a definitive point in the Traveller contribute to the building of St. George’s School’s history. Already familiar with the School. As president and founding partner world of Canadian independent schools, Coming to Canada from England to pursue of PCI, and with development projects as a member of the School’s two Boards a PhD in X-ray crystallography at the around the city, his experience proved he emphasized the importance of thinking University of British Columbia, Dr. Tony invaluable to the School during a period of big and of striving to establish St. George’s Mercer then went on to complete his teacher expansion. Along with his wife, Joan, he was as one of the country’s pre-eminent training before finding a life-long home generous with his time and energy, putting independent schools. In particular, as Chair at St. George’s School. Having served St. his heart into everything he did for Saints. of the Foundation Board, he focused his George’s for more than four decades, Tony His many realms of service to the School attention on the importance of the School’s has worked with six different Headmasters, include stints as Foundation Chair and Endowment, pursuing the audacious goal and he has held many of the key positions Board Chair and over a decade as a member of building an Endowment large enough in the School, including Director of the of the Board of Directors. He served to cover the entire cost of the School’s Senior School (now Principal), Head of with the Nominating Committee and the Financial Aid Program. Grade, and Department Head. As Director, Advancement Committee, and was involved Under Sam’s leadership, the operations of he led the Senior School during a period with the Excellence in Education Campaign. the St. George’s School Foundation were of change and growth. Among his most However, it was as Chair of the Building systematized and professionalized. He also significant accomplishments was his focus and Grounds Committee he made his mark, worked hard to grow the Endowment from on improving the overall quality of the formally serving from 1990 to 2002, and then $3M to over $20M through a combination of School’s academic program. Tony has seen remaining as advisor through 2010. Andrew adept financial management and ongoing his share of changes, but he has never lost oversaw the first master plan for the Senior fundraising. The retirement of Headmaster his commitment to his students and their and Junior Schools and then the seismic Nigel Toy in 2010 helped facilitate this learning, nor his passion for teaching and upgrade and rebuilding of the Junior School, process through the creation of an endowed learning. the building of Harker Hall, new playing fund in his name. For Sam, the overriding The Senior School’s Senior Master since fields for the junior campus, the construction goal was to build the Endowment so that 2012, he truly is a master teacher who has of the Headmaster’s Residence, two financial aid could be provided to deserving inspired generations of Science students upgrades to the Senior School (including boys who would otherwise be unable through his dynamic and innovative McLean Hall and the Chan Arts and Science to attend the School. Sam’s loyalty and approach to teaching. As one of his former Wing), and was instrumental in guiding the commitment is reflected in the fact that he students noted, “What a journey it has School through dealings with City Hall and still serves on the Foundation’s Investment been through Dr. Mercer’s teaching, from the neighbours. He was also a member of Committee, even though he stepped down intellectual challenges along the way to the Search Committee that brought us past from his role as Chair of the Foundation continuous reminders about the importance Headmaster, and Builder, Nigel Toy. more than five years ago. of connecting knowledge to the real world. Dr. Mercer’s teaching sparked in me an intellectual passion for science that I can never thank him enough for.” Highlights of Dr. Mercer’s tenure also include various school trips to locations like Mount Kilimanjaro, Mount Everest, and the Galapagos Islands, as well as the annual CAIS Soccer Tournament and numerous golf tournaments. Many of our Old Boys remember his spectacular entry to the 1992 Fair – skydiving from a plane! This is Tony’s 42nd year at St. George’s, making him the longest serving faculty member in the School’s history.
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Dr. Hughes has wanted to write a novel set in Morocco since he first visited there as a boy and explored the Spanish Foreign Legion forts (not French) and learned about the Rif War and the Spanish Civil War. After receiving a doctorate in history in the UK, writing nonfiction, and teaching in the United States and ST. GEORGE’S VERY Canada, he finally wrote that novel. Dead in Tangier, the OWN DR. JOHN HUGHES first Captain Equi mystery novel, is set in Tangier against intrigues in Spanish Morocco that ignited Spain’s civil RECENTLY PUBLISHED war in 1936. Those who have heard Dr. Hughes speak at ArtsWeek or attended his lecture series are eagerly DEAD IN TANGIER, THE anticipating reading his story. FIRST IN A SERIES OF Notes from Kirkus Review: “In his series opener, Hughes makes excellent use of place, history, and character to MYSTERY NOVELS, tell a moving story that goes deeper than crime-solving. NOW AVAILABLE FROM Tangier of 1936 comes alive in his telling, with its tangle of cultures, languages, people, and neighborhoods. AMAZON/KINDLE. It’s a fine metaphor for moral ambiguity, summed up by Tangier rules, a phrase so central that it should be the book’s title. Equally well-drawn are the tale’s characters, particularly Equi, who has a complicated past that includes an English mother, an abusive father, and a wife who died 15 years previously.” AUTHOR IN THE HOUSE
8 | THE SAINT SAINTS LIFE HONOURING 25 OF SERVICEYears AT OUR ST. GEORGE’S DAY CELEBRATIONS EACH YEAR, EMPLOYEES WHO HAVE REACHED 25 YEARS OF SERVICE TO THE SCHOOL ARE HONOURED AT A SPECIAL ASSEMBLY AND LUNCHEON. RETIRED LONG-STANDING FACULTY AND STAFF ARE INVITED BACK TO THE SCHOOL, AND MANY STORIES AND FOND MEMORIES ARE SHARED.
FROM THE 1993 GEORGIAN: “THE ROOKIES” L TO R, BACK ROW: MS. WESSLER, MR. SHERMAN, MS. BASSETT, MR. PALMER L TO R, FRONT ROW: MR. CROMPTON, MR. MARTIN, MR. ZIFF, MR. BECOTT
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Mr. Becott was born in New Westminster but attended school in Prince George and then Brentwood College. He went to journalism school in London, Ontario, worked briefly as a reporter, then went back to the University of Western Ontario for a degree in history. With the passing of his father in 1986 he moved back to BC, and studied education at UBC. Mr. Becott learned about St. George’s through a friend in the education faculty and was immediately hired. Over the years he has participated in 46 international Model United Nations and loved every one of them. He has coached rugby, sailing, curling, skiing/snowboarding, public speaking, and MUN and loves the opportunity to make friends with both faculty and students. Mr. Becott met his partner, Eli, in Lebanon and he immigrated to Canada in 2012. They have two dogs - Zac who comes to school every day and Poco who came with Eli from Lebanon. Mr. Becott loves travelling, and his favourite trip was in 1986 – around the world, including the Soviet Union and China. Verne Becott
Martha Bassett Martha first came to St. George’s in 1991 to lead a lunchtime Japanese Club and a student tour to climb Mt. Fuji in the summer. She inaugurated the Japanese Language & Culture program that now culminates in Advanced Placement Japanese 12. Over the years, she has led student tours to Paris and Barcelona, Turkey, seven tours to Japan, and accompanied Outdoor Education cycling and kayaking trips. She inaugurated Comparative Civilizations 12 and currently teaches Japanese and Advanced Placement Art History. Her experience as a Senior School teacher has been complemented by Grade 6 guest workshops about Chinese characters, and also being a parent of Grads (Conrad ’00 and Gavin ’02). She plans to retire in 2019 after one more student tour to Japan.
Marc Crompton Mr. Crompton was born in New Westminster. He has always lived in the Lower Mainland, attending elementary school at Seaview Elementary in Port Moody, Champlain Heights Elementary in Killarney, and Killarney High School. High School is where Mr. Crompton discovered his passion for music. He studied music at UBC before getting a teaching degree, after which he began work at St. George’s as a band teacher. After 18 years teaching music, Mr. Crompton took a temporary, part-time position in the library that has since become less temporary and less part-time. While at St. George’s, Mr. Crompton has directed all of the bands, started Music AP, has taught classes on both organizational and library skills, and has inaugurated both the Maker Club and the Fusion Cohort. Mr. Crompton’s favourite thing about St. George’s is that it is a place where he has never stopped learning. He finds it inspiring that he is challenged to stretch his knowledge and abilities nearly every day. Mr. Crompton is a family man; he has been married for nearly 24 years and his daughter is now studying Musical Theatre at Sheridan College. In his sparse spare time, Mr. Crompton is a practicing amateur photographer, avid reader of books, and a Civilisation VI addict.
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Ms. Wessler was born in Vancouver, B.C. After completing a Bachelor of Arts in French and German Literature at UBC and spending a year at Law School, she decided to complete her Bachelor of Education and, later, a Masters in Education at the University of Calgary. Her first position at St. George’s School was as a full-time French teacher. While Ms. Wessler has had many memorable experiences over her 25 years, she says, “My pinnacle moment at St. George’s School was watching my son cross the stage during Prize Day. He is a lifer, and that was a moment of sheer happiness and pride for me.” As a teacher, Ms. Wessler has taught French, German, Social Studies, and English, and she inaugurated the Film Studies program. She was also the Head of Languages and since 2011 has been the Head of University Counselling. Within the Saints community, she ran the Georgian Yearbook, and has been involved with Model UN for 17 years. She was also a House Supper organizer and teacher sponsor for the Green Machine, Film Club, Documentary Film Club, Multicultural Club, German Cultural Club, and Alley Outreach, to name just a few. In the sports field, Joao Medeiros she has been involved with softball, yoga, table tennis, trail running, and rock climbing, and, in her early years, aka “Little John” as an assistant coach for competitive Grade 8 basketball John immigrated to Canada from Azores, Portugal and a Grade 8/9 soccer. She has served on many school with his wife Maria and three young children, committees that have helped keep St. George’s School Sergio, Bruno and Claudia, in 1989. He joined St. innovative and continually improving. George’s in 1993, first at Harker Hall and then as a custodian at both the Senior and Junior Schools. Outside of school, Ms. Wessler loves spending time with Little John is skilled in carpentry and gardening her family and friends. She loves to see new parts of the and has made many impressive renovations on world, watch rom-coms, and laugh with her friends. She Christine Wessler his own home. John lives with his wife in North never takes herself too seriously, after all, life is short! (BOENSCH) Delta, and now has two wonderful grandchildren, Adriano and Wally.
Stephen Ziff Stephen Ziff was born in Montréal, and grew up in Montréal, Québec City, Dundas, and Windsor. His summers were spent at a camp in upstate New York, where he developed a love of the outdoors, especially hiking and climbing. His time there led him to a degree in Geography from McGill, and then a teaching diploma from SFU. In the summer of 1992, Mr. Ziff read an ad for a teaching position at St. George’s School for a “senior socials teacher with a geography degree and experience in outdoor education”, he decided to apply, and the rest is history! In his time here, he taught Socials 9, 10 and 11, Earth Sciences, Geography 12, AP Human Geography, Outdoor Education, and SRE. Highlights of his career at St. George’s include inaugurating and coaching the Ultimate Program that spanned two decades, a magical kayaking trip with six Grade 12 students around the Broken Islands in BC, and a two-week Discovery 10 year-end trip in the Broughton Archipelago. He is an avid outdoor enthusiast, enjoying activities such as sea kayaking, backcountry skiing, mountaineering, and rock-climbing, often accompanied by his wife and two daughters. Mr. Ziff’s love for the outdoors, music, food, social justice, and his family, all reflect in his teaching, and makes the classroom experience with him a truly memorable and impactful one.
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I cannot believe how quickly the past 30 years have gone by. It seems like just yesterday that Headmaster Alan Brown telephoned me at my former school in Ontario to arrange for a job interview. At the time, St. George’s was looking for a music teacher who could also teach mathematics. As these were my two areas, I eagerly made the trip west to investigate this exciting prospect. After a tour of the new Senior School building and a hearty welcome from legendary teacher Mr. Geof Stancombe, my wife and I and our two-year-old daughter relocated to Vancouver and began a lifelong adventure at St. George’s School. FAREWELL 30 YEARS AT ST. GEORGE’S SCHOOL
BY: MARKO RNIC
SPRING 2018 | 13 SAINTS LIFE
WHAT IS ST. GEORGE’S TO ME? ST. GEORGE’S IS NOT A SCHOOL WHERE STUDENTS GRUDGINGLY ARRIVE AT 8:25 AM EACH DAY AND GO THROUGH A DULL AND BORING ROUTINE. RATHER, IT IS A PLACE WHERE BOYS ARE “ BOTH CHALLENGED AND SUPPORTED TO MAKE THE MOST OF EVERY DAY.
The School was much smaller then, with only 400 students at the joy to see the boys laughing and smiling as they go through their Senior School and 180 at the junior campus. The Boarding House daily lives, even though life today seems far more busy and stressful was contained entirely on the fourth floor of the Junior School than I recall years ago. It is just as gratifying to see this same spirit building, McLean Hall was a lovely outdoor courtyard, and there within the faculty and staff. From my travels to other schools in was only one school nurse for both campuses. School life was far Canada and the United States, I know this is a rare thing. Where less complex as well: AP courses had not yet been introduced, it some other schools suffer from a lack of caring and mediocrity, we was next to impossible for any activity to take students out of class, have something here that is truly special, something that I hope will Mr. Tosh Ujimoto took care of all university applications by himself, continue for many years to come. and the Counselling Department simply did not exist. After seriously What is St. George’s to me? St. George’s is not a school where considering whether St. George’s should become a co-educational students grudgingly arrive at 8:25 am each day and go through a school, the decision was made not only to remain a ‘single-sex dull and boring routine. Rather, it is a place where boys are both school’, but to grow in size. I believe it was this decision to grow that challenged and supported to make the most of every day. I believe has led to the magnificent school that we have today. St. George’s offers a huge amount to enrich the lives of each Over the past 30 years, the student population, the faculty, and student, encourages all to grow, develop, and experience new the staff have essentially doubled in number. Along with this, ways of thinking. It is much more a way of life than a school. The our curricular and co-curricular offerings have grown by leaps fabric of St. George’s lies in the people that make up this wonderful and bounds. Yet, many fundamental aspects of the School have community. It is the way we celebrate the successes of our friends remained constant. Most importantly, our school spirit has and colleagues just as much as it is the way we help each other remained vibrant, positive, and full of vigor. Those of you who know through difficult times. It is the way we laugh, joke, and play just me understand that I see the world through rose-coloured glasses. as much as it is the way that we console, support, and comfort. St. That is, my viewpoint is perpetually positive and enthusiastic. And, I George’s is a wonderful place, and I feel so privileged to have been truly feel this is most appropriate with respect to St. George’s. Since a part of this community. the day I arrived, I have always noticed a wonderful joie de vivre While retirement will bring many new opportunities and exciting amongst both faculty and students. During the past three decades, times, I will greatly miss everyone here. Thinking of the raw energy this delightful atmosphere and approach to life has also grown and of our remarkable students and the passion of our extraordinary deepened, I believe, just as much as the population has expanded. teachers, I find it almost impossible to believe that I will not be here The ‘twinkle in the eye’ of many boys is just as strong today as it was in September. I wish you the very best of what life will bring, and in the past and may even be even stronger now. It brings me great may our paths cross again soon.
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MARKO BROUGHT ME TO ST. GEORGE’S 25 YEARS AGO AND INITIATED A PATH THAT HAS RESULTED IN AN EXCITING AND STIMULATING CAREER. I AM TRULY GRATEFUL TO HIM FOR PROVIDING ME THE OPPORTUNITIES TO WORK WITH SOME OF THE MOST AMAZING AND TALENTED STUDENTS THAT ONE COULD EVER WISH TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH. MARC CROMPTON, HEAD OF SENIOR LEARNING COMMONS “ SPRING 2018 | 15 SAINTS LIFE
FRÜHLINGSBAND-TOUR BEHIND THE SCENES WITH THE EUROPEAN BAND TOUR
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FRÜHLINGSBAND-TOURBY: DR. DEAN MARKEL
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THE EUROPEAN BAND TOUR IS A LONG-STANDING TRADITION AT ST. GEORGE’S THAT CONTINUES TO THRIVE TODAY. THIS IS DUE, IN NO SMALL PART, TO THE STRONG RELATIONSHIP CULTIVATED BY MARKO RNIC BETWEEN THE ST. GEORGE’S MUSIC DEPARTMENT AND THE AICHACH MUSIC SOCIETY (MUSIKVEREIN AICHACH) IN GERMANY.
IT BEGAN IN 1994, when the Aichach Stadtkapelle answered the call to host a school band from Vancouver, Canada and has continued virtually uninterrupted, every three years, since. Fast forward to 2018 and you see the kind of relationship that can develop over 24 years. Despite the fact that we have actually spent only 24 days in Aichach, each time we visit it feels like returning home. Our students, directors, and chaperones are each greeted with warmth and joy and given the opportunity to visit and live in a German home; perform a joint concert with the Aichach Stadkapelle; and have a “family day” where they have no other commitments. While it is a one-time chance for the students, as directors we continue to stay with the same family each trip and develop a long-term relationship. I continue to be amazed at how quickly bonds form and how strong they are. It is not unusual to see students and adults wiping tears away as we say farewell at the end of the homestay. Beyond all the musical benefits of our tour, the homestay plays an enormous role in developing character in our students—they see first-hand the beautiful friendship that exists between these two groups of people from distant lands and the shared value of music.
18 | THE SAINT SAINTS LIFE WHILE THE PROSPECT OF TOURING EUROPE WITH 80 TEENAGE BOYS CERTAINLY BRINGS CHALLENGES, IT IS WONDERFUL TO SEE HOW THIS EXPERIENCE IMPACTS EACH BOY. IT IS A TRULY VALUABLE AND UNIQUE EXPERIENCE TO BE ABLE TO TRAVEL WITH ONE’S CLASSMATES AND COLLEAGUES.
This year’s European Band Tour was my third since coming to St. our arrival in Frankfurt to Heidelberg, Rothenburg ob der Tauber, George’s in 2011. Knowing this would be his final tour, I was asked Nuremberg, Prague, Aichach, Munich, Salzburg, Budapest, and by Marko Rnic to take on the role of organizing the trip. In doing Vienna. During our 16-day European Tour we performed four so, I knew I would be both removing the stress of planning and concerts, worked with a guest conductor from Jeunesses Musicales managing the many details and allowing Marko to relax and enjoy in Weikersheim, Germany; attended performances by the Prague his final European Band Tour. It was an exciting, if not daunting, Symphony Orchestra and the Hungarian National Ballet Company; opportunity to take on the task of planning the tour with the goal toured cities, castles, and cathedrals throughout central Europe; of preserving the elemental aspects while implementing some visited a Concentration Camp Memorial in Austria; enjoyed the new ideas to reflect our changing society. This year’s tour, quite relaxation of thermal baths in Budapest; and immersed ourselves in by accident, was a throwback to some of the early European Band the culture of Europe. Our route took us (mostly) from west to east, Tours. We stayed north of the Alps in Central Europe and visited and we returned home via a connecting flight from Vienna, Austria Germany, Czech Republic, Austria, and Hungary—the last time the (a first for a St. George’s European Band Tour!) European Band Tour visited Prague was in 1994, the first year of the homestay in Aichach! During our visit, it was delightful to see While the prospect of touring Europe with 80 teenage boys certainly the photos and memorabilia from the first tour and a much younger brings challenges, it is wonderful to see how this experience impacts looking Mr. Rnic and Mr. Crompton. each boy. It is a truly valuable and unique experience to be able to travel with one’s classmates and colleagues—to connect outside of Since my first European Band Tour, it was clear to me that the the classroom is priceless. The homestay in Aichach was especially homestay and relationships built with this small village about 45 poignant this year, as it was a chance for everyone involved over the minutes northeast of Munich are key to the success of the European past 24 years to celebrate the long friendship, say farewell to Marko, Band Tour. Thus, our itinerary was planned to prioritize the homestay and to plan for our next visit in 2021. which would include a Saturday joint concert and Sunday “family day.” To allow for the most cultural time and least amount of bus For a more detailed account, check the European Tour blog at: time, an itinerary was planned that was the most direct route from www.saintsbandtour.blogspot.com
SPRING 2018 | 19 SAINTS LIFE
“Hi Sir, can I talk to you about an idea?” “Hi Sebastian. Certainly, what’s the idea?” “We want to break a world record.” “OK, well, I’m going to need some more information…” “We’re going to row a million metres.” “Great, that’s a long way! And, I’m still going to need some more information…” AND THAT’S HOW IT ALL STARTED.
1 MILLION KILOMETRES NON-STOP ON 1 ROWING ERG – BREAKING A WORLD RECORD! BY: CHRIS BLACKMAN
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After a few more meetings and quite a bit more clarity, we identified a list of initial challenges for our shot at the Large Team Million Metres world record. First, we needed a date and we needed to be able to set-up a single erg that would be used continuously for close to 72 hours. Secondly, we needed a space that was easy to supervise and could handle 5-10 people hanging out around the erg. Thirdly, we needed to have supervisors around the clock for close to 72 hours. It all came together, and suddenly it was time for the first shift and the first pull on the erg. In the end, nearly all the boys on the Grade 10 team or older were involved, and a few Grade 9s supported the event as well. Grade 11 Sebastian Smith played a central role in pulling it all together and was helped out by Simon Liu, William Li, and Andrew Wei. Coach Duncan added, “Darius Chan and Emre Alca did a lot of the heavy lifting by physically leading the overnight teams and all the Senior coxies—Aaron Han, Aaron Qiu, and Jameson Eng—did a great job managing the logging of the event.” It was nice that the boys got to set a new World Record; however, two accomplishments from that weekend really stand out. First, it was a fantastic team-building experience for the boys and it wasn’t a coach-led initiative. The time the boys spent together, late in the night and into the early morning hours, strengthened their bond of friendship. Secondly, they supported a charity of their choosing—United World Schools—and raised over USD$12,000 that will be used to provide teacher training and resources for the Pa Bee Five School in the Mine-Koe District of Eastern Myanmar. “We recognize the opportunity that we have been given at St. George’s and understand that schooling changes lives” said Sebastian Smith. “Without our help, the kids in the Pa Bee Five School would likely never learn how to read, write, or even count. Let us give these children the opportunity to learn!” added Darren Kwan, another organizer of the event.
You can now see their accomplishment, their World Record from November 23-26, 2017, on the Concept2 website: http://www.concept2.com/indoor-rowers/racing/records/ultra-distance/world/million-meters
CITY OF VANCOUVER PROCLAIMS ST. GEORGE’S ROWING DAY The City of Vancouver proclaimed January 29, 2018 “St. George’s Rowing Day,” in recognition of the Saints Rowing Team breaking the U19 Large Group Million Meters World Record on November 23- 26, 2017 by rowing continuously on a single erg for nearly 72 hours, beating the old record by more than 23 hours.
SPRING 2018 | 21 SAINTS LIFE
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ESTABLISHED IN 1980, the Philip N. Rigg Scholarship was created in honour of Philip Rigg, a “scholar, athlete, and artist of considerable merit” who succumbed to leukemia at the age of 16. Over the years, being named a Rigg Scholar in the Visual and Performing Arts “in recognition of RIGG contributions to the creative and performing arts, citizenship, and academic achievement” has become one of the most prestigious designations at the School. At a special ceremony during ArtsWeek, the current Rigg Scholars perform, and the incoming Rigg Scholars are announced. SCHOLARS The process and expectations for this scholarship are different from others at the School. Grade 11 students apply within their discipline (Music, Theatre Arts, or Visual Arts) and must meet a rigorous set of criteria to demonstrate their dedication, facility, participation, and leadership. During their Grade 12 year, they will support and mentor younger students and work to promote the arts throughout the Saints community. Kevin Tang ’18, Rigg Scholar in Visual Arts, noted, “To have impact as a mentor requires empathy, humility, and responsibility. You need to simply be present for younger students, to respect their explorations of the various mediums, and know when to offer your help. You demonstrate your work ethic, and, hopefully, inspire them with your level of skill. Being named a Rigg provided a validation of my skills that gave me a greater level of confidence and allowed me to demonstrate humility because I didn’t need to prove my expertise.” Joe Goetz ’18, Rigg Scholar in Performing Arts (Acting), talked about integrity, responsibility, and resilience. “Being named a Rigg was a transformational experience for me because it allowed me to explore the full range of acting. I defied the expectations of myself and everyone around me. The major time commitment required for theatre productions provides lots of time to simply hang out and engage with many different kinds of people, and to offer them help with acting, but also with other things like time management and study habits.” And two of our Rigg Scholars in Music, John Kim ’18 and Jack Li ‘18, both felt a responsibility to hold themselves to a higher standard than they would have otherwise. For some, The audition process was their “biggest performance to date.” Humility becomes key, because “…in the music world, your performance is never perfect; there is always room for improvement.” They viewed empathy as “…a necessary component of leadership because you deal with different levels of ability in those you are mentoring. And resilience is key when you are stepping outside of your comfort zone when performing or speaking.”
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I ARRIVED AT THE JUNIOR SCHOOL ON SATURDAY, AUGUST 14, 1999. After settling the family in the guest suite (Boiler House) I proceeded to the Junior School building for a look around. I walked straight in the building and proceeded to my office. To my surprise, nothing was secured. A quick stroll around the building and a peek in the classrooms revealed blackboards, chalk brushes, and chalk. I also noticed some new whiteboards with whiteboard markers. There were a few computers around the classrooms. There were green garbage buckets on the fourth floor. However, these were not for garbage. Having viewed the ceiling, I surmised they were for catching leaks from rainwater. The upper classrooms had single desks, but to my surprise, they were old wooden desks, which had to have been around since the 1950s. Some of them even had inkwells! CHANGE &
IMPACTSINCE 1999 REFLECTIONS FROM THE JUNIOR SCHOOL PRINCIPAL BY: GREG DEVENISH
SPRING 2018 | 25 SAINTS LIFE
EDUCATION IS THE GREAT ENGINE OF PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT. IT IS THROUGH EDUCATION THAT THE DAUGHTER OF A PEASANT CAN BE A DOCTOR, THAT THE SON OF A MINEWORKER CAN BECOME THE HEAD OF THE MINE, THAT A CHILD OF FARMWORKERS CAN BECOME THE PRESIDENT OF A GREAT NATION. IT IS WHAT WE MAKE OUT OF WHAT WE HAVE, NOT WHAT WE ARE GIVEN, THAT SEPARATES ONE PERSON FROM ANOTHER. “NELSON MANDELA
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Looking back over almost 20 years, there have been significant changes in terms of new learning spaces, reporting, pedagogy, counselling, administrative structures, technology, and student learning support. There is no question that during this period our Strategic Plans and our two Headmasters, Mr. Nigel Toy and Dr. Tom Matthews, have had an incredible impact in moving the School forward, both inside and outside the classroom. My purpose in this article is not to conduct a historical review of the School over the last 20 years—I will leave that to a future historian in 2030 when the School marks its centenary. I want to highlight some significant changes that have impacted St. George’s School over my time as Junior School Principal. The School does not work in isolation and, like all schools in our community, it has been impacted by world events and changes in pedagogy. I thought it prudent to highlight 10 key themes that stand out for me:
1. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIAL NETWORKING Since 2000, IT services have expanded into all areas. All students have access to computers. Today, students from Grades 3 to 7 are assigned a computer, and students in Grades 1 and 2 have tablets. At the Senior School, students bring their own devices. Students no longer rely on binders, pencils, and paper, and can now research, collaborate, and produce work online. Libraries are moving away from books to digital services. In the classroom, students are online working on Khan Academy and Google Docs. Smartboards and projectors are replacing whiteboards. The School has invested heavily in hardware, software, projectors, and professional development. Massive amounts of funding are required just to support IT. Today, we teach students not only how to use technology but also digital responsibility. This generation of students is “digitized” with hand-held devices and 24/7 access to Wikipedia, Google, Instagram, and Facebook. Schools are dealing with addiction to social media. This new world presents both new opportunities and new challenges for faculty and students.
2. RISK MANAGEMENT Over the last 20 years, the need for security protocols, including locked entrances and lockdown drills, has increased dramatically. Since 9/II and the rise of school shootings, schools have been forced to implement new protocols and security measures. Striking the right balance between security and an open, friendly campus has led to increased costs. During the day, access to the School is restricted to one entrance, and we have security personnel on site 24/7. Trips and tours are more carefully assessed, and there are more protocols in place regarding the ratio of teachers to students, types of activities, emergency procedures, and obtaining informed consent from parents, to name a few.
3. CLASSROOM PEDAGOGY There has been a dramatic shift away from rote memory, surface learning, and testing towards allowing students to delve deeper and then demonstrate their learning in a variety of ways. Students have more choice, with a greater emphasis on collaborative work with peers. There is more time for self-reflection and assessment. There are more inquiry-based projects at all levels, and the Grade 10 cohorts allow students to investigate areas of interest and deepen their learning while exploring, or finding, a passion. The teacher’s role is shifting from a disseminator of information to a facilitator.
4. PROVINCE-WIDE TESTING The Foundation Skills Assessment (FSA) is an annual province-wide assessment of academic skills for Grades 4 and 7 that has been in place since the early 2000s. It provides parents, teachers, schools, and the Ministry of Education with important information on how well students are progressing in the foundational skills of reading, writing, and numeracy. The Fraser Institute also uses this information to rank schools, and this has become a sensitive and controversial issue, pitting different constituencies against each other.
SPRING 2018 | 27 SAINTS LIFE
5. THE RISE OF SINGLE-SEX SCHOOLS Since 2000, there has been a greater acceptance of single-sex schools. This is particularly true for boys’ schools. In the ‘70s and ‘80s, many traditional boys’ schools went coeducational. Today, there is a reversal, and the demand for single- sex schools is increasing. Boys’ schools are back. Public schools are adapting to this need by opening single-sex schools. There has been new research into how boys learn, and organizations such as the International Boys’ Schools Coalition (IBSC) are doing much work in this area. This has influenced the delivery of education in the classroom, which programs we support, and the design of new learning and workspaces. There are now numerous books on how to raise and educate boys, such as Boy Smarts by Barry Macdonald, and Reaching Boys, Teaching Boys by Michael Reichert and Richard Hawley. 6. THE RISE OF HELICOPTER PARENTS All parents are keen to meet all the academic, recreational, emotional, and nutritional needs of their children. My parents were keen to do that in the ‘50s and ‘60s, but today it has become a 24-hour-a-day requirement. In the words of Dr. Alex Russell, “…the desire to excel at raising kids has led to the professionalization of parenting”. Play dates are organized and students are rushed from tutors to sports academies to volunteer activities. Students are overprescribed, and with the addition of cell phones, they are in contact with their parents 24 hours a day. It’s exhausting for parents, and, “It’s really no better for children to have their [parents’] fingerprints all over their lives, all of the time…Increasingly, our children live in adult-controlled worlds,” notes Dr. Russell. Schools now provide counselling for parents and arrange information evenings such as our BoyOBoy Speaker Series to educate parents about best practices in raising boys and help them find balance in their lives.
7. THE RISE OF POPULAR READING SERIES There has been a significant increase in young people’s literature, notably the explosion of literary series like John Flanagan’s Ranger’s Apprentice, Stuart Gibbs’ Spy School, and J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter Series, and a similar upsurge in graphic novels. This means young people are avidly reading books, which is very exciting.
8. HEALTH AND WELLNESS Health and wellness have gained importance in the life of schools with society’s rising awareness of mental health issues. Students are stressed, and schools now deal with everything from depression to anxiety disorders. There have been increases in counselling services for students, parents, and staff. Schools arrange for speakers to provide professional expertise in dealing with issues that affect well-being. Through our BoyOBoy Speaker Series many of these issues are being discussed and supported. For example, Dr. Shimi Kang, author of The Dolphin Way has presented on 21st century parenting, the need for a balanced life, and practical ways to achieve that.
9. DECLINE OF MEN PURSUING EDUCATIONAL CAREERS A recent article in the Vancouver Sun (April 18, 2018) indicated that male teachers make up only 25% of the public teachers employed in this province. That is certainly a decline from when I started teaching in 1974. Only 11% of public school teachers below the age of 25 are male. Even more alarming, only one out of every 10 people entering B.C.’s teaching profession is a man. The downward trend continues despite noted studies by a Stanford University education professor, Thomas Dee, and others that suggest boys generally do better in classes taught by men. UBC Professor Emeritus Marv Westwood, has found that boys need male role models. “A male teacher,” writes Mr. Westwood, “validates boys’ experience.” As a male teacher, it is disheartening to see a decline in men who want to pursue a teaching career. St. George’s has a healthy ratio of male to female teachers, and this bodes well for some years to come. The question for the School in the next decade is how to attract quality male teachers.
10. SERVICE LEARNING Schools have taken on many service programs. There are service hour requirements for diplomas and a recognition that helping others develops empathy, which in turn develops global citizens and improves society. Many schools have adopted overseas projects such as building schools and constructing wells, and more recently, have emphasized service in their local communities. The challenge for educators is to develop these programs to instill an intrinsic need to help others in our youth. There is a fine balance between giving them opportunities for service and resume padding based on reward systems.
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Throughout the decades, one area that remains constant is the boys; they have not changed much over my time here. Their energy and competitive drive are still evident inside and outside the classroom. They have wonderful senses of humour and are more resilient than we give them credit for. Their need to be part of a group make friendships very important to them. They continue to take pride in their School, their wing, and their school teams. They are more empathetic today and certainly more digitized than boys of 20 years ago. Going forward, I am certainly not worried about Canada’s future. The boys of this generation are in a good place and I am very confident they will find success and contribute to the well-being of others. Despite the changes over the last 20 or even 100 years in how education is delivered, at the heart of it there is always a constant that can be best summed up simply: “Education is the great engine of personal development. It is through education that the daughter of a peasant can be a doctor, that the son of a mineworker can become the head of the mine, that a child of farmworkers can become the president of a great nation. It is what we make out of what we have, not what we are given, that separates one person from another.” Nelson Mandela
SPRING 2018 | 29 SAINTS LIFE GREG IS A PASSIONATE STORYTELLER, ENTHUSIASTIC HISTORIAN, A VOCAL SPECTATOR OF SPORT, WITH THE HEART OF A LION. HE IS I’VE NEVER MET A PRINCIPAL MORE FOCUSED ON EVERY ASPECT OF A STUDENT’S LIFE IN SCHOOL AND EXCITED BY THE WINNING GOAL THAN “IT’S ALL ABOUT THE BOYS”. WE WILL MISS HIM.”
MR. DEVENISH. GO SAINTS! LOUISE JONES GARY KERN
GREG IS THE KIND OF PRINCIPAL AS TEACHERS, OUR GOAL IS TO EDUCATE THAT TEACHERS WANT TO WORK FOR. OUR STUDENTS BOTH IN MIND AND HEART. WHEN YOU WALK INTO HIS OFFICE, HE DURING HIS 19 YEARS AS OUR JUNIOR STOPS WHAT HE IS DOING. HIS FACE SCHOOL PRINCIPAL, GREG DEVENISH BREAKS INTO A BIG SMILE AND HE HAS DONE BOTH WITH EXTRAORDINARY SAYS “HEY KIDDO!” TO YOU IN A WAY PASSION AND COMMITMENT. HIS LOVE THAT MAKES YOU FEEL SEEN AND OF THE SCHOOL AND ITS STUDENTS IS APPRECIATED. IN MY FIRST YEAR AT LEGENDARY, AND I FEEL PRIVILEGED TO ST. GEORGE’S, I SOMETIMES STOPPED HAVE WORKED ALONGSIDE HIM DURING BY HIS OFFICE JUST TO HEAR A “HEY MY TIME AT ST. GEORGE’S. KIDDO!” AND BELIEVE THAT I COULD DO DR. TOM MATTHEWS ANYTHING. I HOPE THAT ONE DAY I’M AN ADMINISTRATOR LIKE GREG. KARYN ROBERTS GREG HAS MANY STRENGTHS. HE IS KIND, PASSIONATE AND ENTHUSIASTIC. UNFORTUNATELY, GREG’S ABILITY TO MY FAMILY AND I OFTEN SPEAK ABOUT REMEMBER NAMES IS NOT A STRONG ASSET. HE CALLED GREG DEVENISH TO PEOPLE NOT ME GEORGE FOR THE FIRST SIX MONTHS OF MY TIME AT THE CONNECTED TO THE SCHOOL. WE DESCRIBE SCHOOL. IT GOT TO A POINT WHERE I SIMPLY RESPONDED HIM AS THE HEART OF THE JUNIOR INSTEAD OF CORRECTING HIM. WE ARE AT A BETTER PLACE SCHOOL—A RESPECTED DISCIPLINARIAN NOW. HE CALLS ME STEVE, BUT I WILL TAKE THAT.” WITH A COMPLETE LOVE FOR THE SCHOOL STEPHEN STURGEON AND, MORE IMPORTANTLY, A COMPLETE LOVE FOR EACH AND EVERY STUDENT. HE WILL BE SO VERY MISSED.
TAMMY YOUNG,
BECKETT (GRADE 7) AND FINNIAN (GRADE 9) 30 | THE SAINT ‘‘ SAINTS LIFE GREG IS A PASSIONATE STORYTELLER, ENTHUSIASTIC HISTORIAN, A VOCAL SPECTATOR OF SPORT, WITH THE HEART OF A LION. HE IS FOCUSED ON EVERY ASPECT OF A STUDENT’S LIFE IN SCHOOL AND I AM VERY GRATEFUL TO HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE UNDER MR. “IT’S ALL ABOUT THE BOYS”. WE WILL MISS HIM.” GREG DEVENISH’S GUIDANCE FOR SEVEN YEARS. ONE OF MY FAVOURITE MEMORIES OF MR. DEVENISH WAS OUR TIME IN FRANCE, THE NETHERLANDS, AND BELGIUM ON THE EUROPE TRIP. IT WAS AN EYE-OPENING EXPERIENCE LEARNING ABOUT THE SACRIFICES MADE BY MILLIONS OF PEOPLE WHO WERE NOT MUCH OLDER THAN US DURING BOTH WORLD WARS. I WOULD LIKE TO THANK MR. DEVENISH FOR HIS DEDICATION AND PASSION TO THE SCHOOL THAT WILL CERTAINLY BE MISSED.
ARMAAN JAFFER - GRADE 8
MR. DEVENISH IS A PRINCIPAL EXTRAORDINAIRE. WHETHER IT’S ON THE PLAYGROUND, THE CLASSROOM, OR EXTRA- CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES, HE BALANCES ENCOURAGEMENT AND SUPPORT WITH FIRM DISCIPLINE. HE GETS TO KNOW EACH BOY AS A UNIQUE INDIVIDUAL AND SERVES AS A MENTOR TO ALL. HIS CHARACTER IS THE EMBODIMENT OF THE CORE VALUES TAUGHT AT THE SCHOOL. HIS COMMITMENT TO SAINTS IS UNRIVALLED AND HE WILL BE GREATLY MISSED BY THE ENTIRE SAINTS COMMUNITY.
JITI GILL & HARJINDER DHALIWAL TARAN (GRADE 3)
MR. DEVENISH, YOU EXEMPLIFY THE CORE VALUES AND IDEALS OF THIS AMAZING SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY WHICH WE ARE SO THANKFUL TO BE A PART OF. AIDAN LOVED HIS PRINCIPAL’S PERIOD AND WE SELFISHLY WISH YOU COULD POSTPONE YOUR RETIREMENT UNTIL 2023. CONGRATULATIONS, AND ALL THE BEST FOR AN AMAZING RETIREMENT.
DAVID HOWARD AND SUSAN LEUNG-HOWARD, AIDAN GRADE 3 SPRING 2018 | 31 SAINTS LIFE
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FOR ALMOST TWO DECADES Junior School Principal Greg Devenish has been leading and inspiring our young boys to become enthusiastic and motivated learners. His caring, patient, and energetic personality, dedication to teaching, and unrivaled passion for St. George’s have positively impacted countless members of our School community. As we celebrate his retirement, we have the opportunity to honour Greg for 19 years of outstanding service and contribution to the School. Tribute Gifts made in Greg’s name will support ongoing Junior School renovations and provide opportunities to embrace dynamic new learning strategies and technologies which he has resolutely championed over his time as Principal. To make a gift please visit: www.stgeorges.bc.ca/gregdevenish or contact Tracie Watson at: [email protected] 604-222-5800. In the words of a Grade 7 leaving class, “Thank you for the guidance you have shown us, for the places you have taken us, for the falls you have helped us stand up from, and for the care and heart you have given us.” THANK YOU, GREG FOR YOUR EXTRAORDINARY COMMITMENT TO THE STUDENTS OF ST. GEORGE’S SCHOOL!
SPRING 2018 | 33 SAINTS LIFE “IT’S OK TO COLOUR OUTSIDE THE LINES”
THE GREAT THING ABOUT SAINTS, IS THAT IT KNOWS HOW BOYS THINK, AND THE NEW FLEXIBLE LEARNING SPACE AND PROGRAMS WILL NOT JUST TEACH STUDENTS WHAT TO LEARN, BUT HOW TO LEARN.
JADEN BAINS SCHOOL CAPTAIN 2017-18
34 | THE SAINT SAINTS LIFE INTRODUCING THE NEW GRADE 4 NEIGHBOURHOOD The Junior School will have some excitement on campus this summer as the Board has approved the renovation of the Grade 4 space into a brand new neighborhood. Through generous donations to the ONE Campaign, the current Grade 4 classrooms will be completely revitalized to create flexible learning spaces conducive to 21st century boy-centred learning, which we call a “neighborhood.” Once completed, every boy in Grades 4 to 7 will learn, experiment, and collaborate in a grade- specific neighbourhood.
To maintain consistency, the aesthetic of this new space will have a similar look and feel to the Grade 5 and 6 neighbourhoods. The movable furniture and different types of seating will create a comfortable atmosphere where students feel encouraged to take risks in their learning and are able to collaborate more easily with their peers and teachers. Our faculty often remark how students become more aware of who they are as learners through being able to decide how and where they best work to achieve success. The openness and fresh feel of these dynamic spaces are designed to foster these objectives. Flexible spaces encourage exploration and deeper learning as our students develop the necessary skills to thrive in an increasingly complex and changing world and, at an early age, learn how they learn best. Students also benefit from active engagement in classrooms where they can practice creativity, critical thinking, communication, teamwork, and individual learning. Colour, lighting, and ventilation are key to creating the environmental conditions for successful learning. This is a cornerstone of all the new neighbourhoods in the Junior School. One of the central elements that allows teachers to be effective is the provision of great spaces. The ONE Campaign is driven by the fundamental belief that our students and teachers need the right tools to succeed. The focus on providing outstanding educational spaces that ensure our faculty have the ability to focus on boy-centred 21st century teaching and learning is at the very core of the School’s vision. To learn more about the ONE Campaign and how your family can become a partner in this extraordinary project to shape the future of the School, please contact the Advancement Office.
IF WE BELIEVE THAT OUR BOYS NEED TO DEVELOP MULTIPLE WAYS OF LEARNING, THEN WE MUST PROVIDE THEM WITH THE SPACES THAT SUPPORT MULTIPLE STRATEGIES OF TEACHING. GARY KERN PRINCIPAL, SENIOR SCHOOL
SPRING 2018 | 35 FEATURE STORY
Character education has always been the cornerstone of a St. George’s education. As John Harker stressed during his time as Headmaster (1933- 1962), the overriding goal of the School is to graduate young men of good character who will go on to make a positive contribution to their families and their communities. In order to promote values such as loyalty, courage, and commitment, Harker established rugby as the School’s defining sport, and over the years, he never wavered in his conviction that character education should permeate all aspects of the School’s program, both inside and outside of the classroom. In a speech delivered to the Vancouver Rotary Club, for example, Headmaster Harker went so far as to state that the curriculum set by the Ministry of Education was only a means to an end. Much more important than the material covered in English, Science, Math, or History class was the progress a boy made in developing the moral compass that would guide him throughout his lifetime. “The most important thing we teach,” he declared, “is proscribed in no particular programme of studies—loyalty and integrity, leadership and interdependence, poise and self-control; in other words, character building is the first and principal aim of our curriculum.” More recently, through our current Strategic Plan, we have reaffirmed the primacy of character education and identified six Core Values, namely empathy, humility, integrity, resilience, respect, and responsibility. Building on Harker’s legacy, our Core Values and our Mission of “Building Fine Young Men” remind us that we have a responsibility to educate our students’ hearts as well as their minds. In our complex, rapidly changing world, this educational philosophy is more important than ever. There seems to be an acute shortage of positive role models for boys and young men, and we require a new generation of leaders, including young men of character, who will have the moral courage to do good and to help make the world a better place. I’m reminded of the feedback that our coaches received from an Air Canada cabin crew as they were returning from this year’s Rugby Tour to Argentina and Chile. Learning that the large group of young men boarding the aircraft was from St. George’s, the chief attendant said that they loved it when students from Saints were travelling with them because they are always so respectful and well behaved. “We never have to worry when St. George’s boys are on board,” she noted, “we know that it’s going to be a pleasant flight.” John Harker would have been incredibly pleased by these comments, just as I was, as they affirm our shared belief that “character building” is indeed “the most important thing we teach” here at St. George’s.
DR. TOM MATTHEWS HEADMASTER
36 | THE SAINT CHARACTER CHARACTER EDUCATION THE MOST IMPORTANT THING WE TEACH
SPRING 2018 | 37 FEATURE STORY
JOHN BROMLEY, CLASS OF 1996, has founded three successful charitable giving and community engagement companies. As founder and CEO of his most recent venture, CHIMP: Charitable Impact, Bromley established the first giving platform built for donors—when you deposit money into your account, you receive a tax receipt immediately. That money can then be given away to any charity of your choice or simply saved to give another day. To date, over 100,000 Canadians have used CHIMP to donate more than $380 million to charities nationwide. The Saint spoke to Bromley about the vision of his Charitable Allowance Program, its commitment to our School’s Core Values, and the importance of teaching charity. CHARITABLE ALLOWANCE EMPOWERING STUDENTS TO CHANGE THE WORLD
38 | THE SAINT CHARACTER Tell us about the inspiration for your vision for shown humility in their ability to share, grow, and your Charitable Allowance Program. adjust the ways they consider charitable giving. “Increasingly, there is nowhere to learn how to Their intelligence and fearlessness in questioning give, and as a result there are now fewer and fewer and seeking knowledge is verification that you can, Canadians donating to charity. In direct response in fact, build and foster a culture of giving. to this matter, we at CHIMP: Charitable Impact, are An integral part of Charitable Allowance is teaching investing in the development, and empowerment financial literacy. Instead of focusing purely on ‘how of future donors through education. Imagine, for a much to give to whom’, students are taught the moment, if we weren’t taught Math in school—do skills needed to make informed donation decisions. FROM OUR STUDENTS you think there would still be engineers? I believe the Revealing the opportunity costs of charitable same very much applies to charity. If it’s not taught Donating money makes me giving demonstrates the importance of saving and and experienced, then how is it ever fully grasped? feel like I’m adding worth spending wisely. to the world, makes me feel So, how does this program work? The intent here is to nurture prosocial development, helpful, and makes me feel Charitable Allowance has been providing the boys good about myself. and for students to develop, act on, and take with a monthly allowance of $10 each, thanks Keaton responsibility for their allowances. It is CHIMP’s to funding from an anonymous donor. Over the hope that over the course of the program, students course of the year, teachers and students engage will learn about different avenues for giving and feel I choose organizations that in conversations around giving. Students then use I feel are going to make a their charity allowances to learn more about, and the power that comes from creating greater impact through their own financial decisions. They are change in society and are participate in, the charitable sector. using the money wisely. learning that effective generosity is a tool that can Charlie While this program’s concept is relatively simple, be used to actively impact change. the complexity lies in its ‘giving away’ component. How will this affect the future of our students? Students are taught skills to enable them to It feels like an achievement, My experience is that Vancouverites are generous contribute to charity independently, whether they even if it is a small one…it can want to donate to one, two, or ten causes. They are and generally conscious of the environment and still have an impact. Jason empowered to give in a way that makes the most the world around them. This means people already charitable sense to them, as evolving donors. To give. But are we proactive? Are we habitual in our The purpose of CHIMP is to assist in the research of this program, CHIMP has generosity? Generally speaking, the answer is no— teach young people about enlisted Harvard Business School’s Dr. Ashley and this is because we weren’t taught how to give. Instead of experiencing our own charitable pathway, donating money and how it Whillans. is important that charities most of us were just asked to participate. As a result, And what about the program’s intent? get the money that they for most people, our moments of generosity only need. As a student, I think My experience shows that when youth experience occur as a reaction to fundraising asks. that I learned lots about the giving in a context that empowers them, they’re different charities and their Our Charitable Allowance Program’s ultimate aim is better able to become engaged citizens who expenditures and revenues. contribute consistently and positively to society. to develop a generation of donors that not only gives, Justin but gives often and with intent, with the agency to But I think it’s important here to take a look at how donate to any registered charity they wish. the Charitable Allowance Program aligns with St. I feel good donating money George’s Core Values and how the 250 students How can parents, and the entire St. George’s to an organization like this involved are learning how purposeful giving can community, get involved? because it’s a great cause impact meaningful change. Much like teaching art, We see a future where every young person in Canada and I can’t wait to see what we promote the idea of giving and enable students earns a Charitable Allowance. Share your favourite happens in the future. to donate in the hope that each of them will be causes with your kids to inspire them to want to Charlie inspired to create change their own way, on their create change. Give together and see how easy it own terms. By exposing students to charity, we is to make a bigger difference to the world. CHIMP provide each young person with a chance and a is the first giving vehicle built for donors, making it pathway to develop into an effective and powerful easy for families to make giving a part of everyday philanthropist. living. Sign up to CHIMP.net for free, deposit money into your account for when you’re inspired to give, By asking the question “What do YOU care about or set up a monthly recurring donation for all your changing?”, we empower students to make their favourite Canadian charities. Join us in nurturing the own decisions about supporting the causes that future generation’s passion for creating change. matter most to them. Facilitating this seemingly simple conversation in classrooms has allowed St. I would like to take this opportunity to thank St. George’s students to gain not just a deeper level of George’s for having trust in our program, and empathy for their surrounding community, but to for being innovative in their approach to student really explore the notion that, while everyone wants development. I hope our program manifests itself, something in the world to change, taking real action alongside the likes of math, sport and science, as an is essential to creating impact. The students have important tool in shaping positive futures. learned that the more thoughtfully they give, the As for St. George’s Junior School boys in particular, more impact they will make on the world—whether I would like to thank them for being themselves and they care about Kitsilano beach, the Pacific Ocean, for their willingness to grapple with this part of their or the fish that live there. humanity. I am grateful for their enthusiasm and Choosing to support a different charity than your intelligence in helping us to pilot this program, and I best friends can be a demanding notion for young hope we have helped them to think, feel, and act like people to grapple with. However, the students have the fine young philanthropists they really are.
For more information, please contact our Head of Communities at [email protected] SPRING 2018 | 39 FEATURE STORY
40 | THE SAINT
CHARACTER BY: WILLIAMBY: TIWANA ’19 “
De facto ‘momma’ to generations of Boarders; Honourary Georgian; 2018 GLOBAL STEWARDSHIP CONFERENCE STEWARDSHIP GLOBAL 2018 Robinson Distinguished Service Award recipient; retired Pediatric Nurse Practitioner; Provincial award winner from the Registered Nurses Association of B.C. for of the Global THE‘Excellence 2018 EDITION in Nursing Stewardship Conference may have Practice’ during her tenure been a watershed moment for at St. George’s School. students at St. George’s School. WeMRS. realized NORMA ourJ. PARKER responsibility to be good stewards extends far beyondR.N. (RETIRED) the walls of our school. If Marx and Trotsky don’t mind, I’ll call it our “permanent revolution.” Let me explain why...
SPRING 2018 | 41 “PERMANENT REVOLUTION FEATURE STORY
OUR SECOND GLOBAL STEWARDSHIP CONFERENCE transformed the Senior School into something quite remarkable. It became a hotbed of knowledge, information, energy, and interactive learning. There were no tests and there were no marks. Two days of conventional learning blocks were replaced by talks, seminars, and presentations given by guests, parents, Georgians, staff and faculty. Students in Grades 8-12 were asked to attend whatever piqued their interest, unless they wanted to present something themselves (and over 45 students did!). This was unfiltered, organic learning. It was intellectually stimulating, conversation starting, and an incredible amount of fun.
The concept behind Global Stewardship is advocate in the coming years. Growing up, The start of Day Two featured our second as simple as it is profound. Namely, that we, said Mr. Mansbridge, his “community” was keynote speaker, Shaun Frankson. His as “global stewards,” owe each other a duty the block he lived on and the friends and success story is multi-faceted: it’s a ground- or responsibility to impact each other’s lives parents who lived in those houses. Today, breaking example of entrepreneurship in a positive way. The underlying values at we students at St. George’s have the ability meeting environmental responsibility. play are those of selflessness, connectivity, to connect all over the world; our community Students of my vintage often hear the job and care. A global steward recognizes “…could just as easily be Yaletown in they will have tomorrow hasn’t been created the world requires our knowledge and Vancouver or Cape Town in South Africa.” today. Mr. Frankson is a case in point. assistance. In stark contrast to the recent Other topics shared included Russian In 2013, Mr. Frankson, along with fellow upsurge in isolationism and insularity, the involvement in the 2016 US Presidential Vancouverite, David Katz, co-founded The moral compass of a global steward points Election and the veracity of so called “fake Plastic Bank as a solution to address the to inclusivity, diversity, and the generosity news.” Democracy, our speaker warned, problem of plastic pollution. After being of the human spirit. It’s a multi-dimensional, can be subverted and compromised when snubbed by the Dragons’ Den, The Plastic higher calling. The oft-quoted line from MK a popular individual claims news is fake Bank has gone on to partner with billion- Gandhi has never been so apt, “The best simply because it’s not favourable. way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the dollar companies such as IBM and Henkel service of others.” The rest of Day One was a blur of to materialize their world-changing idea. presentations from students, faculty, staff, The concept is simple: attack the problem With goals established, passions ignited, parents, Georgians, and guests. Diverse at its source. As Mr. Frankson laconically minds focused (and uniforms discarded!), topics included marine conservation, explained, “If your sink is overflowing and we were ready to begin our conference. And gun control in the US, and the Irish sport the walls are getting soaked, the first thing what a way to start…our opening keynote of hurling! One student observed that you do is turn off the tap.” In other words, speaker was recently retired Canadian “education isn’t just a classroom experience. before cleaning our oceans, let’s stop the broadcasting icon, Peter Mansbridge. There There is joy in learning about ourselves, flow of garbage. Mr. Frankson realized that was a buzz and electricity in the air as Mr. each other, and the world we live in.” This instead of viewing plastic waste as garbage Mansbridge addressed a packed house in was wryly epitomized by Jonathan Mergui’s or even a recyclable, it had to be defined as the Dixon Gym. highly popular off-campus trip, where something far more valuable: currency. Mr. Mr. Mansbridge summed up why Global students immersed themselves in the Frankson’s idea has allowed people living in Stewardship is something we at St. George’s trendiest aspect of modern-French culture: plastic-ridden, impoverished communities take so seriously and will continue to the art of macaron making. to collect and return plastic in exchange for
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cash, groceries, education vouchers for their and Professor Richard Dawkins is also an in their efforts: Andrew Murray, Claudia children to attend school, or even a charge admirer. The student body jumped on board Lutes, Christina Tutsch, Heather Morris, Ian of their phone. The collected plastic is the Baba train – roaring their approval as he Yen, Ryan Chapman, Stephen Ziff, Tanya converted into small pieces of Social Plastic. rationalized, debated, and rapped the house Peters, Phil Webster, Tracie Watson, Brian In an attempt to find sustainable solutions down. He is a true original, a complex and O’Connor, Norm Kaethler, Sam Johnston, to global issues, large corporations can buy creative thinker delivering his message in Shannon Wilson, and Sarah Coates. The and use Social Plastic to manufacture their an unconventional way, and he closed the countless hours of collaborating, planning, products. conference perfectly on a tidal wave of and document exchanging paid off! excitement and energy. (I would strongly Day Two continued where Day One had A massive thank you to all the presenters encourage you to Google “Baba Brinkman left off; presentations included biophilia, as well. Guest presenters volunteered their Destruction” and watch his recent 4-minute mental health awareness, the impact of time and interrupted their regular schedules rap video about climate change. It’s highly menstrual products, and breaking stigmas to share their insights with us. Student provocative and entertaining.) in the downtown eastside. One of the day’s presenters often displayed remarkable many highlights included practical hands- The 2018 edition of the Global Stewardship maturity in tackling the most serious issues. on learning led by Karyn Roberts, Brian Conference at St. George’s was a resounding Moreover, an event on this scale requires a Shin, and St. George’s and Harvard grad, success. The common, unifying thread concerted school-wide effort. From security Alex Yang ’13. After being introduced to between all the issues covered was that to maintenance, IT to food services, the Alex’s work - which includes building cost- we students—as harbingers of unparalleled whole school apparatus was supportive effective prosthetics in Cambodia - students technology and connectivity—are uniquely and should be applauded. The strength of were given resources that mimicked his placed to affect change in our local and our community at St. George’s—inside and situation and were challenged to engineer global communities. It differed from last outside our walls—was on full display. their own solution to the problem. year in one crucial aspect. Whereas last year Canadian rapper, poet, and science advocate was more “reactive”, this year was about Finally, let’s not forget the people that gave Baba Brinkman closed Day Two with his becoming “proactive.” It sounds like a subtle us the green light. We have a visionary own unique keynote delivery. For those of change but it may actually be a paradigm Senior Leadership Team at St. George’s and you who just said “Baba who?” imagine shift. It’s realizing you’re not only obliged to it starts at the very top with Dr. Matthews, Eminem meets Professor Richard Dawkins help your neighbours, you’re responsible for Messrs. Kern and Johnston et al. and you’re close. Based in New York, he first them as well. Planning is already underway for Global emerged with a one-man show called “the A huge debt of gratitude is owed to the Stewardship 2019. Topics we’ve addressed Rap Canterbury Tales” – a project designed people who collaborated to organize this in our post-conference discussions include to make Chaucer’s iconic, but sometimes event. A well-deserved thank you to the how successful we were in having a challenging stories, more accessible to following students: Chris Ma, Evan Lorant, diversity of voices, political ideologies, and modern audiences. Mr. Brinkman soon Henry Jin, Jai Chagani, John Cicci, Nick perspectives represented at the conference. realized that his interests were more Young, Omar Kassam, William Tiwana, existential and now he uses rap as a vehicle At our school, we’re encouraged to think Arthur Leung, Haowen Qin, Ishaan Modi, to share and advance complex scientific outside the box, not only in the way we learn Michael Chen, Adam Cader, David Guo, and evolutionary theories worldwide—from but also in how we apply that knowledge. The Parker Ford, Ronald Wu, and Tareeq TEDx to the Edinburgh Fringe. He can Global Stewardship Conference perfectly Mangalji. even count recently deceased Professor encapsulates both those goals. These are Stephen Hawking as a fan, after opening The following staff and faculty were a heady days and we’re fortunate…it’s a good for him at the Seattle Science Festival, constant source of support and tireless time to be a student at St. George’s.
SPRING 2018 | 43 FEATURE STORY
44 | THE SAINT CHARACTER
IMAGINE GOING ON A TRIP where archeological records date human settlement to 14,000 years ago, with many hundreds of years of oral history. Where visible geological features show the impact of the last ice age. Where new marine species are being identified regularly. Where modern cities are a few hours away. Where for thousands of years, robust and complex social, economic, and political systems supported hundreds of thousands of people and dozens of languages. And where vast and varied natural landscapes have inspired nationally-recognized artists, cutting-edge science, and world-renowned recreational adventures. It is a humbling experience, to say the least. This place is not Egypt or Rwanda, China or Peru. This place is of Coast Salish, Nuuchahnulth, and Kwakwaka’wakw descent. This place is now known as British Columbia. And from it, we have so much to learn. PLACE-BASED LEARNING CONNECT 10 YEAR-END TRIP
BY: SAM JOHNSTON AND SARAH COATES
SPRING 2018 | 45 FEATURE STORY
IT’S TEMPTING, when we have the time and resources, to be drawn to the pyramids of Egypt, the jungles of Rwanda, the scientific innovation and technological marvels of China, and the mysterious abandoned citadels of Peru. And visiting those places was one consideration when the Connect 10 Program was being designed three years ago. How can a cohort focused on global perspectives not “go global”? But, a two-week trip tens of thousands of kilometres away is costly—in travel time, flights, and carbon emissions. So we asked, could we ‘go global’ closer to home?
In our third iteration of the trip, recently completed in April-May 2018, of migration; the lack of canneries and the presence of open net we spent one week kayaking through the Broughton Archipelago fish farms—we see the complexity of this place. The presence of and sailing in nearby Johnston Straight. Here, thousands of years cultures. The competing histories. The conflict. The cooperation. of history aren’t marked with signs, plaques, or queues, but rather The complex relationship with natural resources that has seen boom by a small stand of deciduous trees nestled within soaring conifers. and bust cycles and long-term sustainability cycles. As teachers, we Why are they there? Or by a 20-foot stretch of white sand beach call this place-based learning: learning about a place by being there along a coastline of large boulders. How did that happen? Or by and creating a personal connection to a place through first-hand a particularly productive area for oysters. BC Tourism tells us this experience. Our hope is that through this experience, students are land is wild, is supernatural. But elders tell us it sheltered and fed better able to know the particulars of this place, the place where hundreds of thousands of people. Where did they go? they currently live, regardless of citizenship or future plans, and are By learning to see, and see specifically—the presence of urchins then able to apply that knowledge to broader explorations of places and the lack of kelp; the absence of sea stars; the shifting patterns further away. What is where? Why is it there? Why care?
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But this learning requires guides. From whom can we learn? How is sources of knowledge. Some students went to the commercial that knowledge shared? When? What can we do with it? Students fishing docks and spoke with people unloading their catch. Others are tasked with selecting and designing a research study that is were referred to a local organization, and walked 40 minutes to get inspired by an experience they had on trip. Their first step is to craft to their office for an hour-long conversation. Others found archives a driving question. This year’s trip inspired driving questions such from key events 20 years ago, and spent the afternoon pouring over as: news clippings and legal case files. Still others went into shops and • How does displaying and teaching indigenous language and restaurants, gathered business cards, and scheduled meetings at culture impact the preservation of local culture on Vancouver the local municipal hall. One student remarked, “I didn’t think the Island? person behind the counter at an adventure store would know much, • How can maps create artificial boundaries to control humans’ but I asked him my questions, and he spoke with me for half-an- interactions with nature? hour. He was so knowledgeable.” Another spent most of his free • Wild vs farmed salmon: how much are people willing to pay for time speaking with our bus driver, who previously had worked in the ethics? industry the student was studying. Yet another student recognized • How does the tide affect the ocean community as a whole? a shared language with a potential interview participant, and • What effect does human-made sound have on wildlife in the B.C. conducted his interview in that language, translating his notes for southern coast? future use. • How have changing human practices impacted human In all walks of life, we are challenged to understand complex issues relationships and the environment? that don’t fit neatly into traditional boxes. To help solve these • How does the visibility of the Big/Little Dippers at Queen Charlotte problems, our students need to be able to think creatively and Strait and Vancouver indicate the human relationship with nature analytically, but in equal measure, or more so, they need to work at each place? with others, with empathy and humility, to truly understand an issue. • How have changed human attitudes influenced the recovery of Seeking to know a place better along with the people who know it keystone species? best is perhaps what is missing from policy decisions and social A subsequent step while on trip is to generate primary data— enterprise start-ups that seek to make things better but neglect to all without the aid of phones or computers. This put students “know” the place and people it will affect. This is at the heart of the in a relatively new position: how do I learn without the internet? Connect 10 Program—to learn not only about, but along with and Students were introduced to experts along the way, from the within. research coordinators at the Salmon Coast Field Station and the We invite you to view the students’ work, along with the work of the research director of the Clayoquot Biosphere Trust to an 80-year- two previous classes of Connect 10, at: sgsconnect10.blogspot.ca. old resident who runs a museum of collected items and is a 2018 projects will be uploaded by the end of June 2018, and shared walking encyclopedia of local history to a chef and sailing captain. with the communities and individuals who shared their knowledge They were then given time in Tofino and Ucluelet to find their own so generously with us.
SPRING 2018 | 47 FEATURE STORY
A GROUP OF GRADE 7 BOYS are running around the field, their faces turned up to enjoy the fresh air. A few Grade 11 and 12 boys join them. Most of them are barefoot, and a Senior School boy is carrying a Grade 7 student on his back. The boys are all smiles, as they run and laugh at the same time. From the outside, it may look like a haphazard, informal event. But in BIG BROTHERS the lives of the boys, it’s transformational. The Grade 7s delight in having a BUILDING EMPATHY Senior School student take interest in their lives, befriending them, listening BY: KARYN ROBERTS to their questions, and easing their anxiety about transitioning to a new school next year. The Senior School boys have the opportunity to practice leadership, build empathy, and make a positive difference in our School. This is the Big Brother program.
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THE BEST THING ABOUT MY BIG BROTHER IS THAT HE’S REALLY NICE. STEFAN SHOWS KINDNESS AND EMPATHY TOWARD US BIG BROTHERS A STUDENT AND WHAT WE’RE GOING THROUGH. AND WE’RE ALSO BOTH PERSPECTIVE FROM BOSTON. BY: STEFAN KRYSA ’18 MATT BROWN I joined the Saints community in Grade 8, and I still clearly remember all the overwhelming GRADE 7 feelings that came with finding myself in a new place full of unfamiliar faces. It felt like a massive school with endless concerns. But I learned to adjust and found my footing, as Grade 8s always do. Looking back, it was the support from new friends, and specifically role models in the older grades, that made my transition easier. Thanks to the time that my mentors then gave, the school that was once so unfamiliar began to feel like home. Last year, I joined the Big Brother program as a mentor, and I was naturally enthusiastic to get involved. Within a few short visits, I watched relationships form between the Big and Little Brothers. These moments in Grade 11 helped prepare me to be a role model in Grade 12, serving as a Big Brother for the little guys as they became Grade 8s. As a senior, it’s easy Being a Big Brother is no easy task. The Grade 11s and 12s are near the end of the road of their to become primarily self-involved, but those mornings served as another reminder of the Senior School experience, but in this program they have to go back and remember the very impact taking a little time for others can have. beginning. What were they excited about in Grade 8? What made them feel nervous? If being a student at the Senior School is a marathon, the Big Brothers are near the finish line. Empathy, And now I am here in the spring of my Grade 12 in this case, means stopping their run and intentionally making space to encourage boys who year. I found myself taking on the role of leading the Grade 7 mentorship program, and it led me are just getting to the starting line. The Big Brothers give advice, nurture relationships, answer to reflect on what mattered most back in the day. questions, and become friendly faces—all in anticipation of the moment these Grade 7s cross It was pretty simple: we need a community— the starting line and become Grade 8s. Approaching the start of their marathon at the Senior having others around who were willing to just School can be nerve-wracking, exciting, thrilling, and even scary at times. A Big Brother’s be there and listen. It’s not about having all the capacity to recall those feelings and communicate to their Little Brothers that, “I felt that way right answers for all their questions, but rather too! And it’s ok,” is exactly what empathy is about. forming friendships that promote a supportive environment across grades. In my last few The beautiful thing about empathy is that when a Big Brother (or Little Brother) hears weeks of Grade 12, I’m glad I’ve had the chance someone’s story and has the chance to say “Hey, me too!” a bond is instantly formed. There to be a part of their last few weeks of Grade 7. is no formula for showing empathy, but for us it means listening, being together, and building connections. And the best part is that anyone can do it! Showing empathy doesn’t require a special skill set. One thing I always tell the Big Brothers is that mentoring is less about their ability and more about their availability. Creating space to listen isn’t a difficult skill, but it can be a difficult practice. When boys have the capacity to listen to each other’s stories and respond with empathy, kindness, and understanding, they earn the title “Band of Brothers”. And we all know that anything is possible when you have a band of brothers—even a marathon.
I LEARNED THAT THE SENIOR SCHOOL ISN’T AS SCARY AS YOU MIGHT THINK. KEEP THE BIG BROTHER PROGRAM GOING BECAUSE WE LEARN A LOT! YOU GET AN INSIDE LOOK AT WHAT THE SENIOR SCHOOL IS LIKE BEFORE YOU GO. RYAN HO GRADE 7
SPRING 2018 | 49 FEATURE STORY
“THE GREATEST GIFT YOU CAN GIVE SOMEONE IS YOUR TIME; IT CAN BRING MORE HAPPINESS THAT EVER IMAGINED.” “Understanding ourselves, and then our local community helps us grasp a better understanding of the world.” This was our focus this year in nurturing our students to become Global Citizens. And what better way than to visit a local retirement residence?
COREBY: PAT PACHCHIGAR VALUES OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM
The Core Values are a central part of school life; however, if we strive Trips to Crofton Manor proved it doesn’t matter if you were born to build Fine Young Men, it becomes our responsibility to ensure in 1910 or 2010, reading is an activity much loved by everyone; it these values are part of our students wherever they go. Visits to is thoroughly enjoyed regardless of whether you are reading to Crofton Manor showed the students how these values are reflected someone or being read to. Every week, the boys would take a book in the simplest of actions. or a piece of writing and responsibly share it with pride. Students from the Primary grades visited Crofton Manor every The residents particularly enjoyed listening to the primary boys week throughout the year. During this time they learned the art of confidently play the piano and sing songs, especially the Canadian holding a conversation through even the most “interesting” times. National Anthem. The Grade 4s played wonderful tunes on their It is so wonderful to see young boys confidently hold out their ukuleles and the Grade 5s performed a musical delight with their hand to introduce themselves, and then pursue a conversation, ask clarinets and trumpets. questions, and share their ideas and opinions. A little healthy competition is always great to get both the residents I recall one conversation between a gentleman in his early 90s and and our students excited, and it was no different when playing a student in Grade 2. The student’s eyes lit up when the resident Bingo! Each of the residents would be in a group with two students explained what it was like when he had gone to school, where the and they would work together to be the first to call out “Bingo”, and teacher wrote on the blackboard with chalk, and learning entailed even at 86 years old, there were some that wanted to bend the rules. sitting in rows in complete silence while the teacher taught by Witnessing this intergenerational interaction was truly amazing. talking and writing on a board. It was amusing to hear how he was The effects on the residents were profound and the feedback was often punished for talking in class by writing endless lines during overwhelmingly positive. A project that was intended to last one recess. However, the idea of not having a computer at school, or term was extended to all three terms, and it is now a wonderful a telephone or video games seemed almost beyond belief! The partnership that we hope will continue for years. student asked what they did for fun, the residents laughed and replied, “What’s that? School wasn’t fun in my day!” It took much empathy to understand what it must have been like to learn in that environment.
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CORE VALUES IN ACTION:
INTEGRITY: “We show Integrity when we go to Crofton Manor because we are going into their home and we have to do the right thing, especially because our teacher may not always be there to check what we are doing.”
HUMILITY: “I think Humility is when we don’t brag and do not just talk about yourself. I think I show humility when I go to Crofton Manor because when I talk to them, I will ask them about their day and not just talk about myself.”
RESPONSIBILITY: “When we go to Crofton Manor we have to be Responsible for ourselves; if we are supposed to read then we need to read but also giving my partner a chance to put the counter on the Bingo chart.”
RESPECT: “Mrs. Pachchigar said that when we go to Crofton Manor, it is their home, so I think when we go there we show Respect BY: MATTHEW KATZ ’19 by not running around, and CORE VALUES OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM not talking too loud because sometimes they are sleeping in their chair.” MY GOOGLE CODE-IN EXPERIENCE EMPATHY For seven weeks between last November and this January, I was one of the roughly 3500 “I know that when I’m not feeling high school students competing at the Google Code-In, an international computer competition well, it is nice to have to have that entailed coding, research, documentation, and design. I worked with The Mifos Initiative, someone to talk to. So, when I go to Crofton Manor, I have a a nonprofit that creates financial software for use in developing countries. By the end of the big smile and try to talk to them. competition, I completed 47 tasks; almost one a day for the duration of the event. Several That shows Empathy.” weeks later, I was announced as a grand prize winner of Google Code-In. As I progressed through the competition, it became increasingly evident how our Core Values RESILIENCE can be applied to my situation. Specifically, I discovered a peculiar usefulness of empathy. Now, “When I was reading to a man, one may not imagine programming as a particularly empathetic task; after all, most of my time he was listening to me and when spent on the competition was alone in one of many local coffee shops. However, I soon found I looked at him he had fallen that empathy is imperative when developing software. asleep. But I carried on reading because I thought maybe he “Empathy is the ability to move beyond ourselves, to identify with others, to walk a mile in would still like it. I kept going another’s shoes.” Although this statement is traditionally applied to those who we interact with and that is Resilience.” in real life, I found it incredibly valuable to employ empathy for the end user. The app that I was improving, Mifos X, is used by almost 7 million users, mostly from countries in Africa and South Asia. This meant that users often required localization in multiple languages and compatibility with old hardware. I needed to truly put myself in our users’ shoes to get the job done. I am constantly surprised by how applicable St. George’s Core Values are in everyday life. This experience solidified my gratitude for the character education that we receive at Saints.
SPRING 2018 | 51 FEATURE STORY
AT ST. GEORGE’S, WE AIM TO DEVELOP THE SIX CORE VALUES OF CHARACTER through our student programs. Character can be shown in many ways and places—from the classroom to the sports field, and also through service work. A priority of the Service Learning Program is to give our students opportunities to develop these core values through experiential learning. In recent years, service programs in Grades 8-10 have been developed that aim to give a meaningful opportunity to connect all students with three themes of local and global importance: literacy, food security, and the environment.
BY: HEATHER MORRIS
DEVELOPING CHARACTER THROUGH SERVICE LEARNING 52 | THE SAINT CHARACTER
GRADE 8 – LITERACY: For the past six years, the Grade 8 class has been involved in a local project called “Reading Bear”. The Reading Bear program was developed by a UBC educator and former Saints’ parent, Joanne Roussy, and links our school with kindergarten classes in schools deemed “at risk” in order to promote literacy and a love of reading. Our students visit the schools multiple times over their Grade 8 year to read and learn with their buddy. What our students quickly learn is that the relationship between them and their buddy is reciprocal, and they have as much to gain from their time together as their little buddy does. In their own words, the Grade 8 students say that the core values developed through the program include empathy, respect, resilience, and responsibility:
I feel that empathy and respect are being developed the most, as bigger buddies have to understand that little buddies may be shy or new to the language, so you have to empathize and slowly work with them.”
“The core value that I “I think I learned more think I improved most about resilience because was empathy, because even though she kept not I was buddied with a paying attention, I had to be Syrian refugee.” resilient and persevere.”
“Probably responsibility, because you really need to take responsibility in reading to your buddy, in how you read, and in making sure we’re all on task as well.
GRADE 9 – FOOD SECURITY: Food Security refers to access to safe and nutritious food. Three times during their Grade 9 year, students explore this topic in multiple ways, from visiting farms and watching documentaries to making granola bars for the snack cupboard at their Grade 8 buddy school and running simulations of the experience of a lack of food security. Our goal in the program is for students to reflect, contribute, give back, and, potentially, develop ideas to address issues of food security.
GRADE 10 – ENVIRONMENT: At the Grade 10 level, our program addresses challenges facing our Earth and the environment and looks at how we can all take responsibility for our role in the care for the Earth. Our students participate in beach clean-ups, restoration work in Pacific Spirit Park, beekeeping workshops, sustainability tours, and workshops with local organizations. These opportunities are meant to be a first exposure and entry point to these three themes. Our goal and hope is that exposure will instill an interest in some students to continue to pursue one or more of the topics at a deeper level in their senior years. Through service learning, issues gain both purpose and meaning, leading to positive choices and actions.
SPRING 2018 | 53 FEATURE STORY
“RUGBY TOURS ARE AMAZING!”I have heard those four words from coaches, from parents, and especially from players over the past 30 plus years. I might have heard those words literally hundreds of times since my first rugby tour, which took place in 1985. I was in Grade 11 and was the Captain of the Port Moody Blues high school team that toured to England and Wales. That rugby tour was amazing as well. Not because of the rugby though—I think we may have won only a single match. The ‘amazing’ was all the non-rugby stuff. The shared experiences, the bonds that were built, the connections made, and the life lessons learned.
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BY: CHRIS BLACKMAN
ARGENTINA & CHILE – SENIOR RUGBY TOUR 2018
IT’S ABOUT CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT
SPRING 2018 | 55 FEATURE STORY
Over the recent Spring Break, I was fortunate to join our Senior way for the boys to experience a different home, a different family, Rugby Tour to South America. We travelled via Toronto to Argentina and a different culture. For one of our boys, it was a bit more—he and Chile. Our touring party included 47 boys, myself, 4 coaches was able to connect with a cousin he’d never met before; he didn’t and 2 athletic trainers. Over 15 days we played 8 rugby matches, even know he had a cousin in Chile! That unknown cousin was visited the fantastic Los Pingüinos Rugby Club (3 hours from Buenos playing for the 1st XV at Craighouse School. Amazing connections Aires), played at 4 different schools, took in a professional rugby in countries on the other side of the planet. match, and had a 4-day training camp at The Polo Hotel, which is a Exploring parts of both Santiago (founded in 1541) and Buenos 90-minute drive from Buenos Aires. The boys were kept busy. The Aires (founded in 1536) opened the boys’ eyes to the contrasts in old coaches and trainers were busy. Everyone had a schedule and all cities and how the modern can flourish amongst the historic. The were expected to be on time and ready for the next event or activity. church in the main square of Santiago is more than twice the age And, yes, it was an amazing tour. of Canada. Being surrounded by the ethnic and language diversity The amazing part of the tour was more than the rugby. To be clear— present in large South American cities as you walk the streets is a the rugby was great. The boys played lots of great rugby, their skills valuable learning experience. All our boys came away with a deeper improved, and we got to see a great professional rugby match. But, understanding of the brief history we have in Vancouver (and in the amazing parts were, in fact, more frequently found off the rugby Canada) in comparison to the old-world cities of Buenos Aries and pitch. Santiago. An amazing opportunity for all of us. To start the tour, the boys were challenged with dealing with a Throughout the tour, the boys were encouraged and challenged to travel time to Buenos Aires of more than 20 hours and that included look after themselves and their teammates. They were expected navigating 3 international airports and 2 lay-overs. For some, this to resolve their own issues but were supported if they asked for was their first major overseas trip. Dealing with luggage, security, assistance. It was easy, sometimes, to see the hints of apprehension line-ups and airplane seats isn’t easy for everyone. For the boy and the hesitation in their handshakes when they met a new billet travelling on a Namibian passport, there was lots of pre-tour work family. That is to be expected. It was also easy, sometimes, to see to be done to simply get a visa. When the dust settled and we finally their quietness when we arrived at a new school or club. That too came to a stop, nobody had lost a passport and we had all our bags! is to be expected. However, by the time we got to our last stop at So, we started to get to know our new home, the Hotel Polo. We Craighouse School in Santiago, it was easy to see how much more were almost the only guests and few of the staff spoke English. comfortable all the boys had become dealing with meeting new Smiling and modified hand signs were very successful. During one hosts and being a new guest to another new family. That had all of our many training sessions a full polo match was taking place just changed for the better. a few metres away—you could hear and almost feel the pounding of The boys were more confident, they were less hesitant, they were the horses’ hooves. An amazing start! less apprehensive. I believe all the non-rugby experiences on a tour An important part of many rugby tours is billeting. After our initial add up to positive character development. Each boy will have had a four days at the Hotel Polo we were then billeted at all four stops – different experience, with some stepping out of their comfort zones the boys each getting to meet three families in Argentina and one and others finding it natural to “go with the flow.” Together, the boys family in Chile. In some of those homes, English was not the first were on the same team and on the same tour, yet each returned language; again, a great opportunity for the boys to work their way with a different story and life experiences to remember. It was an through basic communication challenges. Billeting is an amazing amazing tour!
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SPRING 2018 | 57 OLD BOYS
SPORTS have always been a key part of student life at St. George’s. The School was founded with strong ties to rugby to help instill the values of teamwork, leadership, and resilience in its first students. Over the decades, the School’s Athletics Program has grown and evolved, bringing in activities like rowing, basketball, hockey, and soccer. Sports help to inculcate character by reinforcing the core values of the School and supports our mission of building fine young men. OLD BOYS GIVING BACK BY: IAN YEN ‘03
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These programs would not have flourished without the support and Saints Rugby Program to the influences of coaches. Sam specifically guidance of coaches who instilled the spirit, traditions, and love of praises his Senior Rugby coaches. “Mr. Hillis really showed me the the game in our students. In the past, teachers were expected to dark arts of the front row and how to be aggressive in the game. take on coaching roles, even for sports they knew little to nothing Chambo (Bill Chamberlain) was a wizard when it came to lineouts, about, and in typical St. George’s fashion, these teachers created and Mike Stiles instilled a winning attitude in us. Mr. Jamieson was lasting memories for their students. As the School and the alumni not only my Grade 10 coach, he was my Advisor as well. Through roll grew, the passion these teachers helped foster started to pay his coaching, he helped us channel the aggression that Mr. Hillis dividends, producing world-class athletes like Pat Palmer ’80, taught us and helped prep us with the fitness to be ready for the Dave Carter ’99, Tyler Hotson ’03, Conor Trainor ’07, and Matthew faster pace of the upper years.” As the Head Coach of the 2nd XV, Sarmento ’09. The need for coaches grew, and the Old Boys took he hopes to help mentor his players and create positive experiences notice. Countless alumni have returned over years to repay the for his players. “While I have learned something from every coach School for their experiences by stepping up and filling coaching I had at Saints, my senior coaches helped shape who I am today. roles. This year, Sam Turner ’16 and Jackson Au ’14 were two who As a player, I learned many valuable lessons I have applied outside came back to help continue the tradition of sport at the School. of sport. Returning as a coach, I am able to see the amount of “Sport has always been a part of my life,” says Sam Turner. “Some dedication and hard work that goes into ensuring the boys get the of my earliest memories are playing hockey with future Georgians, best experience possible.” falling all around the ice at an early age. Sport helped me grow as a When asked why other Old Boys should think about coaching, person and a coach, and I am excited to see what it has in store for Jackson replied, “The success of a program relies heavily on the me next. In terms of rugby, ever since I picked up the ball for Saints passion of those involved with it. If you have gained something in Grade 7 with David Spicer, I fell in love with the sport, and that from one of the programs, you are responsible for ensuring that is why I came back to coach.” Sam’s role as a coach is not an easy the next generation of Georgians receive the same privilege, to the one. He is currently balancing his coaching duties with life as an best of your abilities.” Sam echoed Jackson comments with, “It’s an undergraduate and UBC/Canadian National Rugby player. opportunity to connect back with the School and to impart some of Jackson, former Captain of Boarding and current University of the knowledge that they gained here. It’s also nice to reconnect with Victoria/Senior Rugby coach, has similar feelings about the impact teachers and staff who taught you.” The most rewarding aspect for of coaches and sport. “Sports helped me build self-esteem and Sam and Jackson has been the ability to give back to the School and pushed me out of my comfort zone by challenging me both physically help mentor the next generation of Old Boys. and mentally. Playing rugby instilled a desire to aim high but also St. George’s is always looking to reconnect with their Alumni, and taught me to keep my head held high when I come up short of my coaching a sports team and mentoring students is a great way to goals as long as I have given everything I have to give. It prepared give back. If you would like more information about reconnecting me to succeed while ensuring I am not defeated by failure.” with the School in a coaching or mentor capacity, please contact Both Jackson and Sam credit their return and involvement with Head of Georgian Relations, Ian Yen ’03 at [email protected]
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AdventuresBY:Adventures SHANE FENNESSEY ’06 ININ HOCKEYHOCKEY
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AdventuresAdventures ININ HOCKEYHOCKEY Chinese StyleSPRING 2018 | 61 OLD BOYS
THE IDEA began with an image, one single picture. The visual was so stunning I thought it must be photoshopped. The bottom half was a typically Canadian scene—skaters gathered on a frozen surface adorned in hockey jerseys with sticks in hand. The top half, however, was as unexpected as it was impressive—The Great Wall of China snaking its way through the mountainside. The intersection of the two cultures’ iconography was too impactful to ignore, and thus began my journey to document the game of hockey in China.
The notion that anyone is going to give a first-time solo producer Before hopping overseas, our team rendezvoused in Vancouver half-a-million dollars to shoot a documentary about a sport in to interview members of the UBC Thunderbirds hockey team that a country that does not care about that sport is lofty...right? Yep, travelled to China in 1974 for a five-game friendly series against the unfortunately that is right. So I set out to do the next best thing— Chinese National Team; the series was also documented by the raise enough money to send myself and a small crew over to China National Film Board of Canada (this is incredible, Google it!) The to shoot enough compelling footage to cut together a five-minute team was coached by Canadian sports legend, Dr. Bob Hindmarch. mini-documentary to pitch for full funding of the entire project. My Dr. Bob gave us an incredible account of the team’s adventure and team consisted of a Director from Halifax, a Director of Photography provided exceptional insight into the interplay of Chinese culture from Toronto, and my closest friend and fellow Saints Old Boy, Alex and sport. To capture a North American perspective on hockey, Kwong ’06, filling the role of Production Manager. we reached out to the Saints Bantam 2 team and were able to film Finding the money is the hardest part of any film job. Once the funds their practice at UBC – shout out to Hudson Loh and Taylor Ma for are secured, completing a project is simply a matter of paying the crushing their first ever on-camera interviews! right people to do the job you want done. This is why producers are Despite all of our preparation, all of our official documentation and valuable. Well, that, and we also carry gear, hold doors, and buy invitations, I was still anxious about the trip getting derailed by an coffee. I got to work developing a proposal that I felt was sure to ornery border guard. Thankfully, we landed and passed customs, touch souls, invoking my passionate desire to inform and inspire the all gear intact, with no difficulty. Our first destination was Shanghai, growth of hockey in China. Through what can best be described as where KRS plays. Though the city is 25 million strong, the percentage serendipity, I was introduced to a new Chinese-Canadian couple of that number who are hockey fans begins with a decimal and has whose 7-year-old son had developed an immense affinity for the at least a few zeros in it before any other number appears. Our time game of hockey. They shared my enthusiasm for the project and in Shanghai was productive. Not only did we have full access to were thrilled to have an opportunity to help spread the game in their the KRS arena, players, and staff, the team also loaned us our very homeland. I had my backers! own intern. Young Tong-Lay, though shy, was eager to please and With the cheque in hand and the team in place, I reached out to became our de facto point-man. He even delivered Gatorade and all my hockey contacts in China to prepare. Undoubtedly, the two snacks when three of the four of us went down with food poisoning biggest boosters of the project are the Kunlun Red Star (KRS) and for 24 hours. the Harbin Foreign Affairs Office (FAO). KRS was the first major Touching down in Harbin, we weren’t quite sure what to expect. professional hockey team in China, the result of a treaty between Leading up to the trip, all I had been told was that it was a cold Russia and China signed by Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping. Harbin and quaint little town near the Russian border where they like is a city in Northeastern China and, thanks to Russian influence, hockey. Google told me it was a city of 10 million. In Harbin, we were is the historical home of hockey in the country. Most of the world treated like royalty. As distinguished diplomatic guests (seriously) doesn’t realize that hockey has been played in China for over 100 we had dinners hosted in our honour. A representative from the years. Harbin also happens to be sister cities with Edmonton, where FAO was with us at all times to assist us. The minor league team I currently reside and operate from. Working with the FAO and the for KRS is located in Harbin; we had a chance to speak with their Consulate General Offices of both China and Canada, and with an president, Charles Yuen, and his son, Saints Old Boy, Zach Yuen ’11. official invitation from KRS, we were able to secure our visas. Zach and his father were both class acts, incredibly well spoken,
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and passionate about the game of hockey growing in China. Zach of the 2300-year-old monument as the sun rose over the mountains is a total rock star in China. He had his own cameraman following and basked the valley below in its warm glow. Though tired and cold, him around snapping photos, Gary Vaynerchuk style. It was great to we were awestruck by the sheer magnificence of our surroundings. reminisce about our days at Saints and the teachers who impacted This was the bucket list item none of us knew we had. We spent the us—Hillis and Fredeman specifically when it came to hockey. Zach rest of the day filming a global array of expats playing hockey on the was entering Grade 8 as I was departing Grade 12, so we missed frozen reservoir below—the same spot where the picture was taken each other by a year. But still, it is a comforting feeling crossing that first caught my attention and started all this. paths with someone in such an unconventional time and place, In total, we spent 14 days chasing the elusive game of hockey knowing you have shared history that binds you to one another. around China. What you have just read illustrates only a fraction of Like the two cities before it, Beijing was its own unique experience. our time there. And this trip, as a whole, represents only a small part Our investor’s friends in town took care of us. We were driven around of the entire project to come. I am refining my pitch and revising the by two young, sharp-dressed men who if you told me were highly- proposal, while my post-production team sorts through and cuts trained bodyguards, I would be inclined to believe you. At one point together the most visually stunning and narratively compelling parts we were invited to what we were told was their boss’s antique shop of the story. The trip was a resounding success and a tremendous for tea. While being toured through the countless precious artifacts learning experience. My team’s performance was remarkable, once belonging to China’s emperors, I naively asked where all the despite the challenges of unbearably cold temperatures, 14-hour price tags were. With a confused look from the driver/bodyguard/ days, bouts of food poisoning, and a lack of western-style toilets. curator, I was told this was his boss’s private collection. I’m not I certainly was not perfect in my execution, but nothing got so saying I was scared, but I am saying I was happy to be in the family’s sideways that we weren’t able to right the ship. good books. Hockey is growing in China. This I am sure of. I have seen it. Despite In Beijing, we were housed by a very generous expat behind the the countless ways we are different, the love of the game transcends walls and armed guards of the Canadian Embassy. Sadly, we were all cultural and geographical boundaries, and will bring us together. not allowed to take photos on embassy grounds. So, you’ll have to just accept my word on how cool it was. The most anticipated part For all of you that have read this far, you have my immense gratitude of the journey, however, was visiting the Great Wall of China. We for spending your valuable time on my words. If you wish to see the left the city at 4:00 am and drove two-and-a-half hours to hike the fruits of our labour, please send me an email ([email protected]). wall’s generous incline for 45 minutes in -10oC weather, all to chase While I cannot post any footage publicly, I would be thrilled to share the sunrise. We sat perched on a completely uninhabited segment with you privately.
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RISING STAR AWARD
In recognition of a significant level of success before the age of 40 whilst demonstrating vision and leadership along with contribution to his community. JAY MALINOWSKI ‘00
Jay Malinowski is a published author, visual artist, and lead singer/composer in the Juno award-winning group Bedouin Soundclash, which he formed in 2001 while attending Queen’s University. After graduating in 2004 with B.A. in Fine Arts and Art History, he had his first solo exhibition of his paintings in Toronto at Gallery Bibianne. During this time he continued touring throughout North America with his band. In the summer of 2005 the band began gaining momentum in both England and Canada with their song When the Night Feels my Song, which would eventually chart to #24 in the UK and #1 in Canada, leading to the band winning a Juno in 2006. Since then the band has toured all over the world touring with acts like No Doubt, Ben Harper, and Damian Marley. In 2016, Malinowski published his first novel Skulls & Bones through HarperCollins Canada and did an extensive book tour across Canada and England. The fictional novel was part of a larger conceptual project which included drawings, a large scale painting, and an album of songs which accompanied each chapter.
The Old Boys are proud to present this year’s recipients of The Old Boys’ Honours. With more than 5000 alumni in more than 40 countries, many Old Boys are recognized for their outstanding achievements and are celebrated for their positive contributions to society. These extraordinary men exemplify the spirit of St. George’s: honour, integrity, and commitment. honouring our very best 2018 OLD BOYS’ honours recipients
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DISTINGUISHED OLD BOY AWARD
In recognition of outstanding achievement in a particular field or industry, along with dedication and service to the community. ANDREW LOBLAW ‘87 Dr. Andrew Loblaw ’87 attended medical school at Queen’s University, Kingston in 1991. After completing his MD in 1995, Andrew pursued radiation oncology as a speciality instead of radiology. Radiation oncology combined his passion for medical biophysics, research and patient care. It was also more appealing than the prospect of sitting in a dark room reading films in isolation. Andrew, with his typical optimism, enrolled in a Masters of Science with a focus on clinical epidemiology and clinical trial research methods while doing his five-year residency training in Toronto. This also qualified him for the Royal College Clinician Investigator Program, in addition to his regular job as a physician. Since qualifying as a physician, Dr. Loblaw has devoted his career to refining radiotherapy treatments for prostate cancer and developing new treatments that culminated in the SABR protocol. His goal is to improve patient quality of life, reduce pain and suffering, and reduce the overall number of treatments for a cure, which drastically reduces remission rates and the financial burden to both the Ontario and the Canadian healthcare systems. Moreover, once widely implemented, Andrew believes the methodology can be applied to a variety of cancers afflicting men and women, potentially improving survival rates and quality of life. It would deliver enormous savings to the Canadian health care system at a time when aging baby boomers have their greatest health care needs. Andrew and his wife, Teresa, are the proud parents of two sons, Joshua and Alex.
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OLD BOY LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
The Old Boy Lifetime Achievement Award - in recognition of a lifetime of outstanding achievement in a particular field or industry along with significant involvement with the St. George’s community and with advancing the mission of the School and the Old Boys. STEPHEN ROGERS ‘61
Stephen Rogers, born in Vancouver, March 28, 1942, moved with He did not run in the 1991 election and returned to Air Canada. his family to the Dominican Republic where they lived from 1948 to He qualified on the A320 and later Boeing 767. He retired from Air 1951. When he returned, he attended the Vernon Prep School until Canada in 2002. 1954. In 1954 he started at St. George’s, he left in 1961 as Head Boy. In 2009 Prime Minister Stephen Harper appointed him as a Member While at St. George’s, he earned his private pilot’s licence. of the Transportation Appeal Tribunal of Canada where he served In 1964 he joined the RCAF and attended the Central Officers School until March of 2018. in Centralia, Ontario and trained on the De Havilland Chipmunk and He is currently a Director of Tessarema Resources Inc., a Brazilian later the Harvard in Penhold, Alberta. mining endeavour and Summit LNG Ltd., a BC-based LNG project. Having earned his airline transport licence, in 1966 he joined Air Stephen has four children, all three sons spent time at St. George’s; Canada and was a 2nd Officer, flying the Douglas DC-8. He later his daughter was a York House girl. His grandson is in his last year flew the Viscount and Boeing 747. at the Junior School. In 1975, he took a leave of absence from Air Canada to run in the He is a member of the Sovereign Order of St. John of Jerusalem, a Provincial Election. He was elected as a member for the constituency member of the Patrons Corp of Seaforth Highlanders of Canada, of Vancouver South and held that seat until 1991. a member of the Sir John A. MacDonald Society and the Royal During his 16 years in the Legislature, he held various positions, Vancouver Yacht Club. including Deputy Speaker, Minister of Environment (twice), Minister He is a recipient of both the Queen’s Silver and Diamond Jubilee of Energy, Minister of Health, Deputy House Leader, Minister of medal. In August 2011 at the encouragement of a fellow Georgian, Transport and Highways, Minister of Intergovernmental Relations, Markus Franiek ‘82, he and his two younger children joined others and Speaker of the House. In 1986 as Minister of Intergovernmental in climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro. Relations, he was one of the Ministers in charge of Expo 86 and the Minister responsible for the building of BC Place. Stephen has visited 83 countries and all but one continent so far.
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HONOURARY OLD BOY in recognition of significant contribution to both the School and the Old Boys’ Association. MICHAEL STATHAM
Michael began his distinguished career at St. George’s Junior School in 1976. Hired by Headmaster Alan Brown ’54, he first taught Grade 4 in the “Crow’s Nest”. Over the years, he has held various teaching positions between Grades 4-7, as well as administrative roles, including English Department Head, Assistant Admissions Director and Deputy Principal of the Junior School. Michael spent 22 years at St. George’s and left an impressive legacy as a teacher, Cub Master, basketball coach and Deputy Principal. As the Cub Master he led the Cubs program, which was a precursor to the School’s Outdoor Education program. In 1977, he started the first Junior School Basketball Team. Along with Cal Tustin, he co-founded the CAIS Under-13 Basketball Tournament that continues to thrive to this day. And, to foster international studies and understanding, he started Junior School European Tours, which took students all over the globe, including Greece, Italy, the United Kingdom, France and China. In 1999, believing he had to “walk the talk” after spending many years advising students on the merits of choosing different life paths, Michael accepted a role to found a new co- ed prep school, Central Okanagan Academy in Kelowna, B.C. In 2004, his career and love of basketball took him to Houston, Texas where he was the Head of School at the Honor Roll School, a private, co-ed prep school. Finally, in 2013 he returned to B.C. to become the Junior School Principal at Southpointe Academy. In 2017, Michael retired from a rewarding 40 year career in education. He now resides in Kelowna and enjoys spending time with his wife Terry, his son Andrew ’99, his daughter Alia, and his beautiful grandchildren.
SPRING 2018 | 67 OLD BOYS > SAN FRANCISCO EVENT On March 2nd, Dr. Gordon Kruberg ’78 opened his house to 17 Old Boys from the San Francisco and Bay Area, providing a great opportunity for the Old Boys in the Northern California to reconnect.
> CANADA VS. URUGUAY RUGBY > LOS ANGELES EVENT On Saturday, January 27th, over 50 Old Boys, Old Boys in the Los Angeles Area came out to staff, members, and current students watched The Stalking Horse to enjoy some drinks, laughs, Canada take on Uruguay in the first of two World and stories with Headmaster Tom Matthews and Cup Qualifying games. Unfortunately, Canada OBA President Dirk Laudan ’87. Old Boys from the came up short against Uruguay. 1980s through 2017 were in attendance. PHOTO ALBUM
> CAREERS DAY On Friday, March 9th, the School held its annual Careers Day for Grade 11 and 12 students. The OBA and the School would like to thank Dave Wong ’96, Josh Pape ’99, Alykhan Sunderji ’00, Mike Mackay ’04, Dan Penn ’07, Matt Lloyd ‘09, Louis¬Victor Jadavij ’11 for presenting. The University Counselling Department would also like to thank Robert Gooch’03, Stephen Hsia ’04, Adam Kebede ’03, Garth Jones ’03, and Kevin Smith ’03 for taking part in a University Panel discussion in the afternoon.
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> NEW YORK EVENT On May 11th, the New York OBA Chapter met at Distilled NYC for their Annual Chapter Reunion. Familiar faces from 1975 to 2016 came to enjoy some laughs and a few frosty drinks.
> LONDON EVENT The UK Old Boys welcomed Dr. Matthews and Dr. Paul Mitchell-Banks ’78 when they landed in London for the UK Chapter Reunion. Old Boys came from all corners of England and Scotland for the evening.
> TORONTO EVENT The Toronto Chapter came together for a Blue Jays game and a mini pub night this year. The event was full of fun for the Toronto Chapter, even though the Blue Jays fell to the Seattle Mariners.
> HONG KONG EVENT Dr. Matthews and Joseph Fung ’99 organized a small get-together for Old Boys living in Hong Kong, and just under 20 Old Boys gathered at the Hong Kong Jockey Club to catch up and reconnect.
> VICTORIA EVENT On March 2nd, over 15 Old Boys from Victoria and Vancouver Island gathered at the Irish Times Pub for the Victoria Pub Night. Thanks to Bruce Jackson ‘78 for helping to rally the troops and to Greg Devenish who made the trip over to represent the School.
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> ANNUAL DINNER Over 170 Old Boys attended this year’s event to honour Jay Malinowski ’00, Drew Loblaw ’87, Stephen Rogers ’61, and to welcome Michael Statham, former Junior School Deputy Principal, into the Old Boys Community. The night was full of great speeches and friends.
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SPRING 2018 | 71 SAINTS’ NOTES 1980 PAT PALMER ’80 has been inducted into the B.C. Sports Hall of Fame as part of the 1991 Rugby World Cup Canadian team, which entered the 1991 Rugby World Cup as the only undefeated team that year and achieved the highest-ever international ranking (8th) in Men’s Rugby for a Canadian team.
SAINTS’ NOTES 1967 1987 ALAN HUDSON ’67, was inducted into the B.C. Rugby Hall DAVID CRERAR ‘87, has just published a law book, Mareva and Anton of Fame as a Builder this January, and in March he was also Piller Preservation Orders in Canada: A Practical Guide (Irwin Books), and recognized as the 2017 Match Official of the Year by Rugby his second book The Glorious Mountains of Vancouver’s North Shore: A Canada. Peakbagger’s Guide, a hiking, history, and biology guide, will be published by Rocky Mountain Books in June 2018. 1968 ANTHONY VON MANDL ’68, was this year’s recipient of 1992 the Vancouver Magazine’s Lifetime Achievement Award for JEFF CRUICKSHANK ’92, will be inducted into the Ultimate Hall of Fame his success and innovation in the Wine and Food industries. in San Diego in October 2018. One of the best throwers to ever play ultimate, some of his achievements in the sport include winning two UPA National Championships as a member of Furious George and winning 1972 three world titles with Team Canada. He is honoured for his legacy of one PETER ARMSTRONG ’72, was inducted into the Business of unmatched skill, contagious passion, and an unrelenting pursuit of Laureates of British Columbia Hall of Fame. Mr. Armstrong excellence. was cited for his incredible entrepreneurial spirit and dedication to growing tourism and business in BC and across Canada. 1995 Civil + Structural Engineer Magazine named CLAYTON BINKLEY ’95 one of their Structural Engineering Rising Stars. The Rising Stars in 1983 Structural Engineering program features engineers working in the US LEE DAVIES ‘83, recently spoke at TEDxChilliwack 2018 who demonstrate exceptional technical capability, leadership ability, that took place on April 14 at G. W. Graham Theatre in effective teaching or research, and public service benefiting the structural Chilliwack, B.C. The theme of the event was ‘Time to Reboot’. engineering profession, their employers, project owners, and society.
72 | THE SAINT SAINTS’ NOTES 2001 The nonfiction documentary, On January 14th, 2018 GRAEME JONES ’01 and Julie Facchin Mary Pickford—The Muse (YHS Class of 2000) welcomed their son Felix Emilio Jones. of the Movies, produced by TOM COLDICUTT HOWARD CHIANG ‘01, a Professor at UC Davis has just ’63, was nominated in the published his first book, After Eunuchs: Science, Medicine, and first-round ballot for the the Transformation of Sex in Modern China, which explores Television Academy 2017 how the introduction of Western biomedicine transformed Primetime Emmy Awards for understandings of gender, sexuality, and the body in Chinese Outstanding Documentary contexts from the twentieth century onward. or Nonfiction Special. Mary Pickford was featured in 2004 primetime on Turner Classic In December 2017, ADAM GOLDENBERG ’04 M.S.M. was Movies in October 2016. awarded the prestigious Meritorious Service Medal (Civil Division) “to recognize individuals who have made remarkable contributions in many different fields of endeavor, who inspire others and who share a common goal of making a positive difference.” 2009. 2012. 2014 ANDREW CONROY ‘09, EDWARD ZHAO ‘12, and BRANDON De COSTA ‘14, helped coach St. George’s School to a Provincial Swimming Championship in the Boys and Overall divisions. 2016 SPENCER COOPER ’16 and SAM TURNER ’16 have been named to the Canada U20 Team Long List and travelled to their selection camp in mid-May.
MARRIAGES THEO LIM ‘09 married Stephanie Liou on May 12, in Seattle, Washington. JEFFREY CHOI ‘09, MILTON FU ‘09, ELVIN CHANG ‘09, MATTHEW TONG ‘09, DESMOND JUNG ‘09, and DANIEL SIU ‘08 were in the wedding party, and DANIEL CHAN ‘07 and SCOTT MICHELSON ‘09 were also in attendance. Recently, Theo has been managing the design of Microsoft’s new campus in Redmond, Washington; he is now relocating to Chicago.
SPRING 2018 | 73 SAINTS’ NOTES OLD BOYS WHO HAVE PASSED…
JOHN CLINTON AISENSTAT ’79 NOVEMBER 19, 1961 – JANUARY 30, 2018 John Clinton Aisenstat ’79 was born on November 19, 1961, the youngest of three boys to Hy and Barbara Aisenstat. Growing up in West Vancouver, John attended Westcot Elementary School and Brentwood College School before transferring in 1977 to St. George’s School where he graduated with the class of 1979. After high school, John went on to attend Carleton University before finishing his studies at Simon Fraser University. John was first and foremost a gentleman. His approach to life was defined by honesty, humility, and generosity. With his kind and generous spirit, he always gave more than he ever took and invariably maintained his integrity, gentle demeanour, and warm sense of humour in any situation. It was at St. George’s, where John’s love and passion for politics would take root. Having served as Co- President of the Reach for the Top debating team and been selected to attend the Forum for Young Canadians, John would set out on a long and humbling career of political service. Following his schooling, John’s dedication to politics would take him to Ottawa where he served on the Advance Team of Prime Minister Brian Mulroney. He would then return to Vancouver to serve as Tour Director for Gordon Campbell. John remained politically involved throughout his lifetime, working and volunteering on countless local, provincial, and federal election campaigns, and is regarded by many as a mentor and one the great Advance people of our time. As an owner and Executive Vice President of Hy’s Canada, John played an active and significant role in continuing to grow and evolve the Hy’s Steakhouse chain that his parents founded in 1955. He was a passionate restaurateur and an ever-gracious host, continuing his family’s great tradition of hospitality and generosity. In this tradition, John took great pride in hosting and sponsoring the St. George’s Old Boys Businessmen’s Luncheons at Hy’s Steakhouse. John cherished welcoming friends and guests alike to his family’s restaurants, where he shared his passion for food and wine and entertained with his famous dry wit and captivating impressions. An avid reader and historian, John possessed an unfettered appetite for knowledge and learning and was known for his encyclopedic knowledge of almost any topic that would arise. Most importantly though, he loved to meet new people, hear their stories, and share a few of his own “war stories” from his years in the political trenches. On January 30, 2018, John Aisenstat passed away at age 56. He is remembered for his deep love of family, enduring friendships, disarming humour, and natural hospitality. John is survived by his two brothers, David and Neil.
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GRAY BRADEN ’56 OCTOBER 17, 1935 - DECEMBER 12, 2017 Gray, beloved husband of the late Carlynn Kay Braden passed away on Tuesday, December 12, 2017 at the age of 82 years. Gray is survived by his daughter and son-in-law, Christina and Sven Stuwe; his grandson Memphis Stuwe; and his sister Mary-Lou (Ken) Lamb. Gray was predeceased by his wife of 46 years Carlynn Kay Braden. Both Gray and Carlynn were passionate teachers who loved their students. The apple of both their eyes, was their grandson, Memphis Stuwe. They will both be sorely missed. http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/calgaryherald/obituary.aspx?pid=187539420
GLENN EVANS WEATHERHEAD JULY 11, 1921 – NOVEMBER 25, 2017 He was born in Canyon B.C., the youngest of five. His father, Wilfred ran logging operations there and moved the family to Nelson soon after for better education. Glenn finished his schooling at St. George’s, Vancouver. He was an accomplished rugby player, and a member of the B.C. All-Star team that played the legendary New Zealand All Blacks. Upon graduation in 1941 he enlisted in the RCAF. He attended the University of Toronto for aircraft electrical training and McGill University for radar training. Glenn was posted to Bella Bella on the B.C. coast for two years, overseeing radar station setups and maintaining West Coast Patrol aircraft. In 1944, he was posted to Pat Bay, a naval base that subsequently became the Victoria Airport. There, on September 27, 1944, he met Grace Roberta Ferguson. Their strong, caring relationship became official on August 31, 1946 with their marriage in Victoria. Glenn worked as a logger, sawmill operator, government entomologist, scaler, and investment advisor before embracing entrepreneurship. He operated varied businesses: ready mix concrete, bookkeeping, funeral homes, mini-storage, and a flower shop where he was Grace’s backup. Glenn volunteered in the community with the Rotary Club (involved in stage one of Arrowtarian Seniors Housing), spent 10 years as Chairman of the School Board, and was an instrumental member of the steering committee that brought Selkirk College to fruition. Glenn was a member of the Masonic Lodge and volunteered at the local museum well into his 90s. Glenn is survived by his five children—David (Shenny), Brian (Teresa), Dale (Shirley), Joan (Willie) and Kerry (Gerry), 14 grandchildren, and 14 great-grandchildren. Grace predeceased Glenn on November 8, 2012 after 66 years of loving, caring time together.
LONG SERVING FACULTY AND STAFF
MANUEL SANTOS CUSTODIAN 1987-2018 Mr. Manuel Santos, Senior School Custodian, was killed in a single vehicle accident near the intersection of West King Edward Avenue and Crown Street in early April. Manuel worked at St. George’s since September of 1987, and was highly regarded by our community for his kindness and professionalism.
DOREEN ASHBAUGH MATRON 1956-1984 During her 28 years as Matron, Doreen earned the affection of literally hundreds of boarders by caring for their needs in “the home away from home”. She passed away in December 2017.
LEONIS AYLES JUNIOR SCHOOL TEACHER 1957-1981 A long-serving Grade 2 teacher, Mrs. Ayles passed away on October 17, 2017 at the age of 101. She was very kind to the young boys, and provided a gentle introduction to an otherwise intimidating school for many Grade 2 classes. She retired in 1977 and her past students remember her fondly.
SPRING 2018 | 75 THE ANNUAL FUND BECAUSE EVERY BOY BENEFITS EVERY YEAR FROM THESE FUNDS. www.stgeorges.bc.ca/AnnualGiving
RETURN ALL UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO:
3851 West 29th Avenue, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V6S 1T6
40580507