School Ties: 2005, Spring Issue - St. Michaels University School

Global
Fabric – International Ties
Evolution
Spring2004
2005
Fall
Tongue-tied? No way!
These four students [l-r], top to bottom: Ryan Onasick,
Nadine and Natasha Qureshi, and Emily Peiffer competed
recently at the Vancouver Island Regional Debating
Tournament held on Feb 12 on the SMUS campus. It was
an extraordinary and exciting event with rounds of debates
running throughout the day.
Debating is a skill that builds self-confidence and the
ability to think critically on your feet on any given topic
at any time, either defensively or otherwise. The art of
public speaking is supported and encouraged in all students
and all grades. See page 13 for more...
Editor’s note: Yes, Nadine and Natasha are twin sisters in grade 10.
school ties – spring 2005
1
S CHOOL T IES is distributed to nearly 6,000
members of the St. Michaels University School
On the Cover
community, including current families, friends,
of the publication is to communicate current
activities and initiatives along with articles and
reports on the alumni community. If you have any
comments or suggestions regarding this
publication, please contact Jenus Friesen at
(250) 370-6169 or email: jfriesen@smus.bc.ca
Published by:
The Advancement Office at
St. Michaels University School
3400 Richmond Road, Victoria
British Columbia, Canada V8P 4P5
Website: www.smus.bc.ca
Editor:
Jenus Friesen
Alumni Editors:
Louise Winter;
Cliff Yorath, Director of Alumni Relations
Contributors (in no particular order):
Robert Snowden, Peter Bousfield,
Robert Wilson, Ian Hyde-Lay, Brenda Waksel,
Janice Iverson, Donna Ray, Jim De Goede,
Lindsay Thierry, Michael and Monica Jackson,
Cheryl Murtland, Heidi Davis, David Gauthier,
Peter Tongue, Kevin Cook, Lindy van Alstine,
Sean Hayden, Terence Young, Joan Kyle-Jones,
Ian Farish, Becky Anderson, Ian Mugridge,
Donna Williams, Craig Farish, Jane Effa,
Barbara Duncan, Toshie Thumm, Diane Keighley,
Linda Rajotte, Anna Forbes, Tony Keble,
Xavier Abrioux, and Christopher Spicer.
We apologize for any omissions.
Photography:
Jenus Friesen,
SMUS community members
Production:
Reber Creative
Printing:
Lithographed in Canada by Hillside Printing Ltd.,
Victoria, BC
If you are interested
in attending school events,
call (250) 592-2411
for further details, or visit
the school’s website
Calendar of Events:
www.smus.bc.ca
International Council members [l-r]:
Robert Bell from Canada,
Varinda Wongkulnaparit from Thailand,
Asha Benedyczak from Saudia Arabia
and Anna Gawor from Poland ceremoniously
raise the new set of international flags over the
Senior School Quad. The flags represent the
nations of our student population – about 20 in
all. One of the great strengths of St. Michaels
University School is its continuing belief in
tolerance, understanding, and community.
Students develop a firm set of values and
principles in their connection with the school.
Young men and women from around the
globe live and study together here and
build friendships that last a lifetime.
See page 4 for story.
Jenus Friesen photo
and current and past staff and students. The goal
E
XCEPTIONAL THINGS HAPPEN to exceptional schools. This issue of School Ties
proudly announces the initial plans for the school’s upcoming One Hundredth Birthday
Celebration – just around the corner in 2006. Right now, historian Ian Mugridge is
penning the history of the school – he’s eagerly waiting to hear from any alumni who can add
passages, pictures, quips, or quirks of any kind to the manuscript. Please get in touch with him and
share your stories! (See page 19 for details.) Also, make plans to be here for this spectacular historical
event. It will surely be memorable.
Our students are flourishing in many areas. We’ve included some of the highlights of their
activities herein, sharing details on the recent regional debate tournament held on campus;
international travel opportunities; and athletic and academic achievements.
Proudly, we celebrate the opening of the John and Anne Schaffter Hall for Music. We recognize
its significance to campus life. Fast on the heels of this event is the completion of the William
Monkman Athletic Complex extension. The new space has enhanced many aspects of the school’s
operations.
Talent and creativity are prevalent in school plays and musicals this spring – rehearsals are well
under way as this magazine heads into production. Two of the three school plays, Africa at the
Middle School, and La Wrap-olution Française at the Junior School were written and directed by
some of our very own faculty members.
The thread of this magazine, Global Fabric – International Ties, celebrates our community of
current students, alumni graduates, and their families who live on all corners of this place we call
home – our world. With these threads, we weave together the skills, sensibilities, confidence, and
vision to create a better world – to create the future.
– Jenus Friesen, Editor
Come Celebrate 100 years of SMUS!
Black Tie Gala
Dinner & Dance
October 28, 2005
William Monkman Athletic Complex
For tickets, contact Louise Winter
(250) 370-6176
email: lwinter@smus.bc.ca
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the art of change
The Art of Change
– Robert Snowden, Headmaster
MAY, Frank Jones (US 34) returned for Alumni Homecoming Weekend. I invited the
graduating class, who were present in chapel when I mentioned this fact, to project
themselves ahead 70 years, and to imagine returning to the school – to imagine at that
moment what the school would look like decades hence, and to imagine what the graduating class
of 2074 would be planning to do with their lives. A daunting thought, perhaps, and certainly one
that requires considerable imagination. No doubt Frank Jones, from his vantage point of 1934, did
not imagine the Second War, television, or the Internet, or dozens of other developments that have
changed the world and our school since he graduated.
Yet he returned to the school where he had been a boarder, played some sport, and studied
during the very fallow years of the Depression, when at times the school population numbered in
the thirties. He is impressed with the school as it is today, not just by the physical changes
represented by the buildings that have sprouted up in the past 70 years, but especially by the
students. Their backgrounds are incredibly rich, their languages are many, their goals are ambitious,
and their grasp of the world around them is broad.
As we prepare for the school’s Centennial next year, we have numerous volunteers going through
the school archives unearthing pertinent information, such as the names of students who played on
rugby teams or basketball teams 40 years ago. One of the more interesting items that surfaced was a
letter sent by a graduate of 1948. He had been contacted in the 1980s by the school doing its usual
detective work of tracking down lost alumni. This letter, in very good humour, questioned the value
of tracking him down in particular, especially if the aim of such an effort was to solicit a donation.
What he remembered of his experience at the school, he said, was a great deal of hardship, some
cruelty, and little that was edifying beyond the use of the cane. Others who were at the school at the
same time do remember the hardship and the cane but their memories are fond rather than
disaffected – some of them come to Reynolds House for dinner on Alumni Weekend every year.
These days, the school is a consciously and deliberately international place. We actively seek
students from a variety of backgrounds, from a variety of countries. In recent years, for instance, we
have successfully developed a plan to recruit students in Europe. The most successful country for us
has been Germany, so that annually we now enrol about ten or twelve students from Germany, most
of whom stay and graduate. Our boarding students annually represent about 20 different countries,
and we can expect that figure to expand slowly in coming years.
The art of change is to preserve the things that don’t change. In the 1960s, the school had a
Cadet Corps that had been in existence for several decades. At the end of the 1960s, a period of
some turbulence in education and in North American society in general, the students objected so
L
Robert Snowden, Headmaster
The art of change is to preserve
the things that don’t change.
After graduating more than 70 years ago,
Mr. Frank Jones (US 34) returned to the
school for last year’s alumni weekend.
AST
the art of change
strenuously to this institution that it was disbanded. Every year, one of our most pleasant and bestattended alumni reunions is in Seattle. The graduates of the 1960s, who tend to populate this event,
will tell us that the school they went to was a far cry from the school they now visit. It had a Cadet
Corps, it had bad food, and it had a few good teachers. Yet they are very attached to the old school.
They return, they still feel connected, and they want to preserve their connection.
The school continues to do what it has always done – it pursues academic success in an
environment where the character and the self also grow. Decades ago, the school – all schools, in
fact – were rather tribal places, where one had to endure unfairness as part of the routine, and
certainly one had to learn to sink or swim. To do otherwise was to risk being soft. I went to a school
like ours in the 1960s, and I can tell you that sometimes the balance was tipped in the direction of
being too hard. But bruises, hard knocks, and skinned knees – the cane, also – were part of the
regimen. Things are different now. Our dorms are much more comfortable and better suited to
study. Our fields and buildings are much higher in quality. But we still seek to challenge and test the
students – true, not in as crude a way as “rugby for everyone,” or the ability to stand up to the cane
– or simply withstand the cane. We still have sport in significant amounts, and sport is one of our
main vehicles for teaching students about challenge, courage, determination, and teamwork. We still
have prefects, although their role, too, has evolved. Another great source of challenge and leadership
which didn’t exist decades ago is our Outdoor programme, where students are compelled to discover
themselves, their fellow students, and a world of nature that does not compromise. What a lesson
that is – that lack of compromise. Right now, the school is engaging in a large Athletic Review,
whose goal is to make recommendations to ensure the strength and usefulness of our athletic
programme from kindergarten to grade 12. This process is a far cry from the process that led to the
disbanding of the Cadet Corps.
The languages that we speak at the school do influence our discussion and the telling of our
stories. The languages are a constant reminder of the need to absorb all views and backgrounds into
our ethos and culture.
Above all, we want to do the best for our school. One of the challenges I issue to the students
each year – and I also invite parents, alumni, teachers, and friends to take it to heart – is to leave the
school a better place than you found it. If we all do this, then the school we will find 70 years hence
will be one we still feel attached to, one we will feel proud of, and one we will have had a hand
in shaping.
In closing, a word that could hardly be more appropriate: Vivat!
The school continues to do what it has
always done – it pursues academic
success in an environment where the
character and the self also grow.
Languages are a constant reminder
of the need to absorb all views and
backgrounds into our ethos and culture.
Language is an integral part of study, for
students from kindergarten to grade 12. This
photo was taken in the new ESL classroom.
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s c h o oo ll nneewws s
School News
Cultural Diversity
NEW COUNCIL SPRANG TO LIFE early
in the school year – the International
Council. The original impetus came
from grade twelve boarding student, Anna
Gawor. She came to SMUS from Poland via
Saudi Arabia. She was quickly joined by fellow
grade twelves, Varinda Wongkulnaparit
(Thailand) and Evgeny Aleksandrov (Russia).
The three worked tirelessly with Mrs. Joan
Kyle-Jones (Head of ESL) to create the
foundation for a council that has substance and
value for our diverse population at SMUS. The
International Council strives to awaken selfawareness in diverse student cultural groups by
providing opportunities for interchange among
these cultures through seminars, the fine arts,
language, and multi-cultural events.
Students from as many as twelve countries
attended the inaugural meeting held in midOctober. Since then, the council has held a
flag-naming competition and has purchased,
thanks to Mr. Peter Tongue, and raised, 10 of
the 24 flags of the countries that represent
students currently attending SMUS (see cover
A
Students from the newly formed International
Council raise some of the new flags on the
Senior School quad.
photo). The council also held the first Boarding
Open House, inviting any and all day students
to tour the boarding houses and, from 3:30 to
7:00 p.m., to spend time with boarding students
in their own environment. These open houses
will continue at regular intervals throughout
the school year.
Planned future events will include a
workshop on cross-cultural communication,
where students will learn to understand and
identify communication barriers and have an
opportunity to practise cross-cultural and
interpersonal communication skills. The
council will also be sponsoring a self-awareness
and diversity awareness workshop. Students
will become more aware of how individual and
group perceptions, values, and assumptions
affect their behaviour toward others.
The International Council is pleased to be
working toward helping all students feel
comfortable, not only in our multicultural
school, but, indeed, in the global world
environment.
Christo & Jeanne-Claude Inspire!
Global Fabric
W
ITH GENEROUS FUNDING from the
Parents’ Auxiliary as well as a deep
bow to artistic and poetic licence,
Anna Forbes, Senior School Art and Heidi
Davis, Junior School French (a.k.a. “Double
Exposure”) have collaborated to create a crosscampus, cross-curricular Art/French production
which will showcase “global fabric” quite
literally. The play, to be presented in late May,
will showcase the contemporary Bulgarianborn artist, Christo, and his wife, JeanneClaude, who are internationally known for
their installation art, and whose medium of
choice is fabric! Some of their most wellknown “wrappings” have been the Reichstag
building in Berlin, the Pont Neuf in Paris and
currently, “The Gates” in Central Park, New
York City.
The play, entitled La Wrap-olution Française
(The French Revolution), depicts the long
battle (figuratively and literally!) many artists
have had in gaining acceptance in a world
often not prepared for change. With Christo
and Delacroix’s “Liberte” leading the “Wrapolution,” Modern Art will find itself in a
pitched battle against Traditional Art and the
conservative, malevolent Salon judges, Danton,
Robespierre, and Mirabeau, who are
systematically incarcerating the likes of
Sargent’s “Madame X,” Jackson Pollock,
Robert Rauschenberg, Picasso’s “Les
Demoiselles d’Avignon” et al in the Bastille in
Paris. Will they ever see the light of day again?
Will Christo ultimately be given the
permission he was once denied to wrap the
“Tour Eiffel”? If you are curious, come see this
unique Art/French take on “The Global
Fabric,” a.k.a. La Wrap-olution Française at the
end of May at the Junior School. Visit the
school website for more details.
Teachers Heidi Davis and Anna Forbes gave a
presentation at the BC Art Teachers Conference
in Vancouver in February, presenting a mentor
workshop entitled “Beyond the Frame” which
detailed their work on strategies for teachers to
use museum collections in the classroom. The
emphasis for this workshop was Art and Literacy,
and they demonstrated the similarities between
the metafictive devices used in children's books
and those that can be found in certain artworks.
Davis and Forbes used these techniques
successfully in their most recent plays.
While visiting New York, Junior School teacher
Heidi Davis reaches up exuberantly to touch the
vibrant saffron wrappings in Central Park designed by
Christo and Jeanne-Claude. Heidi has incorporated
some of the concepts from the New York exhibit into
an interdisciplinary play for Junior students.
sscchhoooo ll n e w s
Tsunami Relief
WAYNE GRETZKY JERSEY, the baseball bat of Luis
Gonzales, a Steve Nash singlet, and a football used in the Rose
Bowl, the Junior School created their own original Sports
Museum Friday, January 14, 2005. An amazing collection of sports
memorabilia was on display.
In the evening the Junior School hosted a slide show and film
presentation titled “The Greatest Runners in History.” The day was
dedicated to tsunami disaster relief. The first event featured a Sports
Museum where students loaned items of sports memorabilia and personal
achievement. Each student had the opportunity to discuss the significance of
their achievement in front of their classmates. The price of entry to the
museum was either a toy or some school supplies. These materials have now
been sent to an orphanage in Sri Lanka. The second event was a slide show
titled “The Greatest Running Races.” This historical journey started with
the first sub four-minute mile and finished at the Athens Olympic Games.
Over 70 people attended this event and $1,400 was raised for disaster relief.
Interesting sport memorabilia on display in the Junior School’s Sports
Museum helped to raise funds for the tsunami relief effort. Ella Hayashi took
a first-hand look.
National Award Recipient
Mathletes in Action
W
ITH A SIGNED
ATHEMATICS CAN BE a spectator sport. On Friday, February 4,
we witnessed an exciting, fun-filled mathematical extravaganza
as our Varsity Grade 9 Team of Mathletes placed FIRST in the
Vancouver Island Regional Math Challenger Competition. Using only
their minds (no calculators were permitted), our team went through two
grueling first stages played in individual competition, then worked
through a third stage of team competition. After these scores were tallied,
the top 11 students from all of the schools competing were chosen for a
face-off one-to-one buzzer round of fast, nail-biting action in
mathematical wizardry.
All five of our students were chosen to compete in this round and they
did exceptionally well with Raksit placing second, Joshua placing third
and Jennifer placing fourth. This talented first-place team will move on to
the Provincials at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver on March 12
where they will be facing 18 teams from the Lower Mainland. Wish them
good luck and great mathematical skill!
M
Evan Hesketh is recognized for his leadership, musical gifts, and unfailing
determination.
T
HE C ANADIAN M ERIT S CHOLARSHIP F OUNDATION (CMSF)
mission can be summarized in one simple idea: “It’s the people who
set out wanting to change the world who ultimately do just that.”
Each year, a number of SMUS students apply for a chance to win
CMSF scholarships, which are among the largest offered in Canada. With
over 4000 applicants nationwide, competition is intense, and involves
both a written submission and one or more in-depth interviews at the
provincial and/or national level. Award recipients must demonstrate
outstanding service to the community, character, leadership potential,
entrepreneurial energy, and academic excellence.
Each year for the past several years, SMUS seniors have received CMSF
Provincial awards of $1500 or Finalist awards of $2500. This year, for the
first time, we boast one of the National Award Scholars.
Evan Hesketh will now receive a full scholarship to a Canadian
university of choice, in addition to being given access to conferences,
mentors, summer internships, and grants that strengthen and encourage
his “demonstrated commitment to leadership and service.” This CMSF
National Award is worth up to $75,000 over four years.
Congratulations, Evan, for the leadership work you have done here at
SMUS, for your musical gifts shared selflessly with the community, and
for your determination, which has been unfailing.
In the photo [l-r]: Grade 9 students Raksit Pattanapitoon, Joshua Evans,
Michael van der Westhuizen, Jennifer Debroni, and Kwang Pithayachariyakul
placed first in the Vancouver Island Regional Math Challenger Competition.
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school news
School News
Far-away Places
IFTY-THREE GRADE 8 STUDENTS and five staff members took
part in this year’s 10-day language and culture programme.
Students spent the last few days of January and the first week of
February in either Japan or Québec, staying with a host family and
enjoying the culture of those regions. Students on both trips were able to
practise and hone their Japanese and French language skills respectively.
A key component of this programme is the exchange that occurs
between our school and the respective schools in Québec and Japan.
Students are matched up and stay with homestay families that only adds
to the language and culture experience. Later this school year, our
students will be returning the favour by hosting students from Québec
and Japan.
While in Japan, students took part in a variety of activities both at
Sanjo Jogakuen School near Hiroshima and in the surrounding area of
Osaka, Kyoto, Kurashiki, and Hiroshima. Activities included a traditional
Japanese tea ceremony, visiting castles, temples, and shrines, spending
time at an elementary school, and exploring sites such as the Atomic
Bomb Memorial Pavilion in Hiroshima. Students travelled on the
Shinkansen (bullet train) and experienced a variety of Japanese food.
Shopping and activities with host families rounded out an extraordinary
language and cultural trip.
While in Québec, students were based in Québec City and
experienced the Carnaval and a variety of other winter activities. Whether
it was tubing and rafting on the snow, touring Québec City, dogsledding,
or skidooing, there was no shortage of fun to be had. The group also
made a day trip to Montreal, visiting the Biodome and Science museum
as well as going to a French restaurant. No visit to Québec in the winter
F
Thirty-four grade 8s on an exchange trip took to the snow in Québec and
found out how fun dogsledding really is. They stayed with French families in
Québec, so had plenty of opportunity to practise their language skills.
would be complete without an outing to a Cabane à Sucre, a traditional
‘sugar shack’ celebrating the maple sugar industry.
All in all, these language and culture trips were a great experience for
the students and staff who were fortunate to take part in these wonderful
‘field trips’ to Japan and Québec.
Annual Fund for Excellence – Strengthening Our Ties
2004/2005 A NNUAL F UND FOR E XCELLENCE
campaign is well under way thanks to the generosity of
our worldwide network of supporters. Building on the
momentum of achieving the tremendous milestone of half a million
dollars last year, donors responded early and positively to this year’s
campaign initiatives. More current parents, past parents, staff, alumni, and
friends of SMUS are making a conscious decision to participate in the
Annual Fund as they become increasingly aware of the enriched
educational opportunities that the Fund provides to every student at
SMUS, every day.
Philanthropy has long been a part of our school’s culture. Each of us
who has ever been affiliated with SMUS is a beneficiary of countless gifts
made throughout its 100-year history. Supporting the Annual Fund not
only reduces the critical shortfall between tuition fees and the full
cost of an SMUS education, it indicates to our major donors and
donors considering making major gifts that those who are
benefiting are also personally involved in financially
supporting the school. Philanthropy is a shared
responsibility, and participation at a meaningful level from all
of our constituents ensures that the Annual Fund achieves its
T
HE
goal: to provide great opportunities for all students on all
campuses, from kindergarten through grade 12.
We have incorporated the notion of the school tie this
year into our Annual Fund materials. Strengthening our ties
with the different members of our broad SMUS community
is an ongoing goal of the entire school, and the recent
reorganization and renaming of the Advancement Office
is linked to this effort. We are a family of past and present
students, parents, staff, grandparents, and friends with a
view to a great future for our school…and we all share
lifelong ties to SMUS.
We have achieved $332,000 toward our goal of
$470,000 for the 2004/2005 Annual Fund
campaign. As we continue to work to reach
our goal by June 30, 2005, we invite every
member of our SMUS community to
join this successful effort. This is a
wonderful time in the history of SMUS –
we encourage your commitment to its future.
– Barbara E. Duncan, Director of Annual Fund
school news
Admissions Encounters
of the Mexican Kind
– Gregor Klenz, Associate Director of Admissions
O
ADMISSIONS TRIP TO MEXICO, I took some time
out of a busy schedule of meetings with prospective families to
join some alumni of the school and hear their stories. It was
absolutely brilliant to meet these lively characters and witness and feel
their nostalgia about this wonderful school that I have now known for a
little more than three years.
Most of the alumni who came to the lunch at Petrus – a lovely
restaurant in Mexico City – were from the 1970s and 1980s, but there
were also two students of 1992 vintage. They came from as near as
Mexico City and as far away as Tecate, Baja California, and Cancún.
They all spoke with similar affection about a lot of the same teachers,
although they remembered them with different hair colours. The
common thread that bound all of them together was the sentiment that
they had spent unforgettable days at SMUS. One alumnus credited his
one-year experience as a grade 7 boarder as being one of the single most
defining experiences in shaping his character; not just the wonderful
teachers and the academic and extra-curricular programmes, but the
whole experience of boarding at SMUS and being away from home.
Rafael Martinez Alcérreca, graduate of 1978, organized the whole
affair and invited me to come when he heard of my upcoming trip. In
preparation for the trip, I solicited a number of video greetings from a
few of the long-standing teachers and also brought the message of the
Centenary Celebration in May 2006 from Mr. Cliff Yorath, Director of
Alumni Relations. Mr. Yorath also provided updates about campus
developments and highlighted the benefits of the new Crothall Centre for
Humanities and the Arts (2003), the new state-of-the-art John and Anne
Schaffter Hall (2004) and the new William Monkman Athletic Complex
(2005), each of which elicited shows of impressed wonder.
I thoroughly enjoyed the warmth, sincerity, and hospitality of our
Mexican Old Boys and genuinely look forward to meeting them again
N A RECENT
Mexican Old Boys, from left to right, Alberto Hammeken Perez, Luis Jesús
Castilla Zetina, Gregor Klenz (Associate Director of Admissions), Carlos
Michel Hernández, José Gerardo García Ordorica, Eduardo Reyes Mora,
Luís de León Izquierdo, Rubén Galindo, Rafael Martinez Alcérreca, and
Cesar Moreno González de Castilla. [Editor’s note: Gregor Klenz is not an
Old Boy.]
when I next return to Mexico. I also look forward to the opportunity to
return their hospitality as a good majority of them are also making plans
to join us at our 100-year birthday celebration. And for the icing on the
cake, five of the alumni approached me to ask about future admission for
their children!
Having already had the pleasure of travelling with Cliff Yorath on an
Admissions and Alumni trip to Calgary, Edmonton, and Regina, I already
had the experience of the combination of Admissions and Alumni trips as
a great formula. Not only was it fascinating to learn about what alumni of
the school are now doing (e.g., Snowcycle designer for K2 – Luke von
Maldeghem, Grad 90, lead singer of Captain Tractor and now solo artist
Chris Wynters, SMUS 1980-85), but overlapping the two receptions
allows prospective families to hear about experiences at the school
firsthand and also get a feel for the history and tradition of the school.
I am already excited about our next year’s trip to Germany when we
hope to get together past students of the school (21 in the last three years
and ranging back to the 1980s) and combine this gathering with an
information evening for prospective new families. I certainly foresee a
similar arrangement in Mexico in the years to come.
Great Canadian Geography Challenge
GREAT CANADIAN GEOGRAPHY CHALLENGE is an annual
competition run through the Canadian Council for Geographic
Education and sponsored by HSBC. Middle School contestants
have just completed an in-school competition with Matthew Warner,
grade 8, as our champion. His fifty-five question multiple-choice test has
been sent on to Ottawa to be marked. He may qualify for the BC and
possibly even the National Championships! Good luck, Matthew!
T
Geography Challenge contestants [l-r]: Benjamin Effa, Matthew Warner,
Scott Swinkles, Jake Kislock, and Charley Leitz
HE
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school news
School News
Africa on My Mind –
A Middle School Musical
OUNDS OF DRUMS AND MARIMBAS, STRINGS AND HORNS fill
the corridors of the Middle School. Choral singing and
chanting, with heart-throbbing ostinati and joyous exclamations
have transformed the choir room. Masks are in major production mode in
the art room. Familiar faces take on a surprising look when the paint is dry
and the masks are tried on for final measurements. Movement and Dance
rehearsals are making visual sense of ensemble sounds that for many of us
are new and innovative…but to the African culture are deeply rooted in
daily life. Our comfortable, almost sedate community existence on the
circular drive of 3400 Richmond Road has become charged and electric.
There is a fascination for knowledge about Africa that is vivid in many
who live in the Northern Hemisphere. We can only touch upon gaining
some answers to our questions by taking steps to learn of this continent
through our study, our dancing, our drumming and singing, and our maskmaking. The play was conceived and written by teachers Douglas MansonBlair and Lindy Van Alstine. The play ran at the McPherson Playhouse in
downtown Victoria on March 10 and 11, and was an experiential treat for
all. Photo images from the production will be posted for viewing on the
school website in the SMUS Review.
Douglas Manson-Blair, a Middle School teacher and one of the play’s
creators, said that he especially enjoyed the following tidbit of fascination
when he was doing his research that led to the writing of the play. Ernest
Hemingway wrote: “Kilimanjaro is a snow-covered mountain 19,340 feet
high and is said to be the highest mountain in Africa. Its western summit
is called the Masai “Ngaje Ngai,” the House of God. Close to the western
summit there is a dried and frozen carcass of a leopard. No one has been
able to explain what the leopard was seeking at that altitude. It remains a
complete mystery.”
S
Middle School students rehearsing for the musical, “Africa.” Standing [l-r]:
Rebecca Griesser, Anna Fretz, Nicole van der Wal, Richard Boness.
Kneeling: Alex Zapantis, Simon Witt.
Call to All Explorers!
Galapagos Tour Offered!
S
MUS HEAD OF SCIENCE, Michael Jackson, is planning another
memorable SMUS trip to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands
for March 2006. The last trip in 2004 was detailed in the fall
issue of School Ties. This trip will be primarily for Senior School students,
but parents and alumni are welcome to participate as well. If you are
interested, email Mr. Jackson at mjackson@smus.bc.ca.
Don’t miss this phenomenal
opportunity to explore the
Galapagos Islands with SMUS
resident expert Michael Jackson.
Every day is a new adventure!
Soaking up a rainforest deluge.
school news
Teaching Abroad
Eliot and Becky Anderson, both current staff
members, have always dreamt of travelling to the
African continent and decided that 2004 would
be the year.
WEEK AFTER SCHOOL FINISHED at
SMUS in June 2004, we flew from
Victoria to Nairobi, Kenya where we
were met by our organization and whisked off
to our homestay. We were placed in a rural
village called Kinale, high on the escarpment of
the African Rift Valley. Our village was very
small and we were without running water or
electricity. Luckily, our host family was very
welcoming and helped us adjust to the Kenyan
way of life as we began our teaching. We
quickly settled in to teaching English, Science,
and Athletics, but also taught many classes
about our own North American culture. As we
began to know our Kenyan students better, we
were amazed at how their hopes and dreams
were just like our students at home. Our
students in Kenya had so many more obstacles
to overcome to make their dreams come true.
HIV/AIDS is an overt crisis that some students
will have to live with. One in three Kenyans
has the disease. Poverty and lack of accessible
education means that most of the kids we
taught will have to help their families make
money farming and will not be able to
continue with schooling. Just as we were
feeling so desperate for the kids that we got
close to, we found ourselves realizing that
across the board, the Kenyans we got to know
were full of hope and were some of the
happiest people we have ever known.
August was a different experience. We said
goodbye to our Kenyan family and students
and went into Tanzania, ready to travel on our
own. A weeklong safari saw us camping in the
middle of the Serengeti hearing hyenas
A
Becky and Eliot, together atop Kilimanjaro
Summit – the Roof of Africa.
Becky and Eliot Anderson taught school in a rural village in Africa during their summer vacation last
summer…an unforgettable trip.
laughing all night and wondering what else
might be out there. We had a laugh when our
guide reassured us that a ranger would protect
us – until he showed up with a bow and arrow!
With a day to recover from bouncing along
dirt roads, we got ready for our next adventure,
which proved to be one of hardest of our lives.
We were excited and ready to climb Mt.
Kilimanjaro, the tallest mountain in Africa,
which is called the “Roof of Africa.” With two
guides, a cook, and a few porters, we began the
six-day trek. We walked up through the
rainforest and each day brought a new ecozone
with different plants, climate, and landscape.
By day three, we were in the cold tundra.
People around us were turning back, getting
altitude sickness, and not feeling well. Eliot was
most affected by the altitude and experienced
headaches. We worried that we wouldn’t be
able to make it to the summit. But on the
night of day four, we woke up at midnight and
began our long, hard, cold hike. We covered
over a thousand feet that night. At different
times, we both felt like stopping but the
experience of looking down at the sun rising
up over the horizon was incredible. It gave us
the inspiration to continue to the summit and
make 19,340 ft (5895m). We turned around
after a few freezing minutes at the top and
made the two-day trek back down. After
reaching the base and enjoying a shower and a
good night’s sleep, we flew to Zanzibar and
enjoyed the last week learning about spices,
eating fresh seafood, and swimming in the
beautiful Indian Ocean. It was paradise!! It was
an unforgettable trip and we look forward to
going back.
Lion in the grasslands.
Zebras pose for the camera – say cheese!
– Becky Anderson
Still in touch with their host family and school in
Kenya, Becky and Eliot have created a webpage to
help start a business for the Kenyan family they
lived with: www.homeandculture.com
9
10
school news
School News
Surging and Emerging Writers
in the
school. There are now, for the first time since Writing 12’s first
appearance in the school in 1999, two sections of writing
students: one taught by this year’s Hinton Chair, Jay Connolly; and
another taught by Terence Young. As they did last year, students are
hosting evening readings by visiting writers. So far, they have sponsored
readers such as Andrea Thompson, Sheri-D Wilson, and Betsy Struthers.
In the coming months, Richard Harrison, Brian Brett, Lorri Neilsen
Glenn, Nancy Holmes, Catherine Bush, and possibly even the awardwinning writer Leon Rooke will be sharing their work, as well as giving
our young writers advice on the writing process and publishing.
Alumnus-poet Joelle Hann (SMUS 86) visited us on February 14. You
can find out what she’s been up to in the Focus on Alumni feature in this
issue (see page 26).
Some of the results of last year’s contests are now in, and once again,
students from St. Michaels University School have demonstrated their
capacity for excellence. In last year’s annual province-wide Ripple Effect
Contest, Meredith Lewis won the senior prize for poetry, an honour that
garnered her a handsome $500 cash award. In addition, Claire Battershill
and Shannon Waters received $100 each for their poems, which won
T
HIS YEAR HAS SEEN A DOUBLING OF WRITING CLASSES
Honourable Mentions. This was the third year a student from SMUS won
the contest. In addition, many of our students received recognition in the
BC Teachers of English and Language Arts Student Writing Contest. In the
grade 11 poetry category, Jeremy Hanson-Finger and Alex Lo were winners
– their work will be published in this year’s Student Writing Journal – and
Brian Inglis, Justin McElroy, and Nick Csomany received Honourable
Mentions. In the grade 12 poetry category, Claire Battershill, Shannon
Waters, Jessica Moll, and Lilian Cheung were winners, and Meredith
Lewis, Annie Deng, Whitney Shiels, and Claire Hauser received
Honourable Mentions. We are looking forward to seeing these winning
poems in print.
Below is one of Meredith Lewis’ winning poems that will be published in
the Ripple Effect Anthology some time in March.
My Family Is a Fridge Magnet
My family is a fridge magnet,
the do-it-yourself kind
that advertise cheap laundromats,
plumbing guys who
can deal with anything stuck
down your pipe:
Call Us First.
They cling to soccer schedules,
recipes for martini olive sticks
that mum clipped out
because people say
she looks like Martha.
Last year's magnetic words
on the freezer and my sister,
inspired
while unpacking the groceries,
gave up after
too long spent
looking for “the.”
The way we all give up
around the dinner table
as we try to fill the spaces
between bites of falafel.
Never enough
of the small
words; but, why,
sorry.
The way these words fall off,
get swept up with
twist-ties and flower petals,
while long words like
“fluorescent” and “cabinet”
remain, long and lean,
next to the promise of clear pipes
and clean clothes.
– Meredith Lewis
Students get together with poet Sheri-D Wilson after a recent reading in the
Copeland Lecture Theatre.
Les Misérables
Senior School drama students ambitiously embraced
the challenging production of Les Misérables (School
Edition). The resulting musical revealed the impressive
range of talent inherent in our student body. The show
ran at the McPherson Playhouse from March 1-5.
Participants worked for months, polishing and
perfecting every detail of the production. All of their
efforts were well rewarded – the outcome was an
engaging and rich performance.
school news
Sports Shorts
T
HE SMUS SPORTING SCENE has had
some exciting items of note in recent
months.
Monkman Centre - Phase 1
First and foremost, there has been a tremendous
benefit from the opening of the William
Monkman Athletic Complex, a hugely needed
extension to the existing facility. Athletic
Director Ian Hyde-Lay notes “with all of our
teams and PE classes, grades 6-12, we just did
not have sufficient space in which to operate
effectively. Bill (Monkman) recognized that need.
We are so grateful for his vision and generosity.”
The new addition incorporates seating for
some 400 spectators, and has already played
host to multiple events.
Rugby on Tour
MVP Front-runner
Hard on the heels of a hugely successful and
undefeated domestic season, the grade 10
Rugby team will tour in London, England
from March 13 to March 24. Captain and
flanker Matt Bosworth and centre Dan
Weidner, both of whom also have been invited
to the upcoming Canada U17 trials, will lead
the squad. Games have been scheduled against
Windsor Boys High School, Reigate Grammar
School, and Wimbledon College.
Coach Peter Tongue looks forward to the
trip. “We anticipate three difficult matches.
These will be good for our development, as we
will be out of our comfort zone and under
greater pressure than usual.”
No doubt many of those travelling will
return to play a major role in the school First
XV Centenary celebrations in the spring of
2006.
Phenomenal basketball pro Steve Nash
continues to amaze with his exploits for the
Phoenix Suns. The ’92 SMUS grad has been
primarily responsible for turning around the
fortunes of a struggling franchise, and in
spectacular style. Leading the NBA in assists,
and in the top 20 in many other significant
offensive categories, he was named Player of
the Month for November ’04 and Player of the
Week on two other separate occasions.
As importantly, through his charisma and
leadership, he has changed the whole attitude
and culture of the team, and, incredibly, is now
considered to be a front-runner for the league’s
Most Valuable Player Award.
NB: Rugby Tours abroad have been a longtime tradition at the school. For a flash from
the past, visit Rob Wilson’s archive story, “The
Trip of a Lifetime,” on page 22 of this issue.
Swimming
Basketball in the new William Monkman gymnasium
In the pool, Stephanie Pollard’s (grade 10) career
moves along most impressively. She recently
returned from a successful three-week stint
down under at the Australian Youth Festival, a
major international junior competition.
Other swimming news of note, in an
invitational meet held at the Saanich
Commonwealth Pool, Middle Schoolers
Joseph Shan and Jeremy Bagshaw were part of
a 12-and-under 200m Freestyle relay team that
broke a 17-year National record. Terrific!
Students Overseas
HREE SENIOR SCHOOL students spent time in Japan over the course of
three weeks in January 2005. The programme they followed was
structured so that they would have two spares each day in order to do
SMUS work while attending Otemon High School in Osaka, Japan.
Alex Reid (grade 10), Nicholas Charleton (grade 9), and Maryam Allehbi
(grade 11) gained much insight into Japanese culture and language. They had
the privilege of attending a ceremonious high school graduation in Japan.
SMUS hosted one student from Otemon High School from January 30 to
February 19, 2005. Exchange trips such as this have been offered on a regular
basis in past years.
T
Fostering international ties in Japan!
Cross-Country
in Vancouver
Late 2004, Junior School teachers Gary
Barber, Heather Sandquist, and Dani Everitt
took about 40 students to Vancouver to
participate in the ISEA Cross-Country
Championships. Many participants did
exceptionally well on this eventful day. The
children proved to be positive and supportive
ambassadors for our school.
11
12
school news
Scholars in Residence
W
E ARE FORTUNATE to receive continued
funding through the Annual Fund
for the Scholars in Residence
programme. Three speakers are confirmed for
this year.
Our first Scholar in Residence for the year,
Janie Wray, visited the school on January 18.
She is a biologist who has built and now staffs
a whale research station in northern BC, on
remote Gil Island. Janie studies the local Orca
and Humpback whale populations, in
particular their social interactions and acoustic
behaviour – i.e., the sounds they make to
communicate with each other.
Our second Scholar in Residence, Howard
Eaton, visited all three campuses on a number
of occasions to coach teachers about learning
styles and to help expand their knowledge and
understanding with this intriguing focus. Mr.
Eaton earned his B.A. in Psychology at UBC
and his M.Ed. in Special Education at Boston
University. He was a public school teacher
Howard Eaton – exploring neurodevelopment
Janie Wray, Marine Biologist and whale expert
prior to starting the Eaton Coull Learning
Group based out of Vancouver, BC. His talks
are centred around his research on “A Mind at
a Time” which focuses on the eight cluster
areas of neurodevelopment.
Final visiting scholar this year will be Louise
Rose, a renowned jazz musician and social
justice activist. Ms. Rose will renew her
connection to the school in a more formal way
by visiting us as a Scholar in Residence in April.
Flight Reveals
New Perspectives
O
FRIDAY, JANUARY 14, 2005, two classes of grade 9 Geography
students took to the air to take a look at our local area from above.
The perspective gained can be best summarized with student comments:
N
“This different perspective has greatly enhanced my knowledge of distance on a
map.” – Graham
“It gave me a better understanding of geologic time because down on the ground
all you get is the human perspective but in the air you get an idea of the vastness
and size of the Earth, which helps you see that human lifetimes are insignificant
compared to the scale of the Earth.” – Stephen
Kwang at the controls.
“It makes me realize that the skills that I’ve learned in geography class are useful
when we’ve got a chance to use them. For example, when I was flying, the sky
was clear so I knew that we were having high pressure conditions.” – Kwang
“I realized how much we depend on our environment.” – Andrew
“I didn’t know that we had so many man-made structures. We basically took
over the land.” – Rebecca
Although most students have had the experience of flying in a
jet, the smaller Cessna provided them the opportunity to see the
land in greater detail. Photos taken by these students are now
being used in other Geography classes to point out physical and
human features in the local area. To see the pictures, visit the
SMUS Photo Gallery on the school website.
A grade 9 student took this aerial photo above the SMUS campus from a small Cessna airplane.
s scchhooooll nn ee w s
When Words Count
SMUS Hosts Vancouver Island Regional Debating Tournament
CCORDING TO A FAMOUS MONTY PYTHON SKIT, an argument
is “not just a contradiction” and “not just the automatic
gainsaying of anything the other person says” but, rather, it is “a
connected series of statements to prove a definite proposition.” As
students grasp debate protocols, it becomes evident how this definition of
an argument as something that must be ordered and shaped is key to
success in major competitions. The students who can put a quick label on
an opponent’s argument or sum up their own arguments succinctly and
in an orderly sequence are the ones that gain the most points from the
judges. Debate is a valuable skill in that it teaches us to be brief and
concise; it teaches us to avoid the long-windedness and rambling present
so often in things such as throne speeches.
2004-5 has been a busy year for the debate team. In first term, they
competed at the Ravenhurst Tournament (Nanaimo) where Justin
McElroy and Evan Hesketh placed first overall as a Seniors Pair. In term
two, the team hosted a Pizza Debate at SMUS that Oak Bay and
Shawnigan attended. This event was a warm-up for our hosting of the
Vancouver Island Regional Debating Tournament on February 12. This
was an impressive event in which 100 debaters competed in Grade Eight,
Junior, and Senior categories. In total, two hundred and fifty people were
involved on the day. The support for this event from SMUS faculty and
the community at large was impressive. We had alumni come from as far
away as Chicago, Illinois, and Seattle, Washington to help out as judges
that day. Other groups who showed support include the Lions Clubs in
Victoria, Toastmasters, and UVic and Camosun students and faculty.
When you host an event of this magnitude, it is expected things will
be tricky. Teams drop out at the last minute, judges and moderators don’t
show up, and you do the best possible with what you have at the last
minute to make it work. On the day of this event, I saw some of the
qualities that best define students at SMUS. Those who came to
moderate, in particular, took charge of their task and made the debates
run very smoothly. Moreover, I had to ask a number of these students to
jump into debates where students from other schools had dropped out on
the morning itself. This was asking a great deal, to ask a student to throw
himself or herself into the mix without preparation and do the best
possible job. All of the students I asked to do this agreed, and did a
fantastic job. The event could not have gone as smoothly as it did
without their incredible willingness to help out in the face of very
difficult circumstances. My respect for these students is immeasurable.
The Regional Tournament defines who will continue on to compete
at the Provincial level. In Grade Eight, Amrita Pooni placed sixth, which
landed her a spot as an alternate. In the Junior category, Emily Peiffer
A
SMUS teachers Laura Keziere, Greg Marchand, and Sean Hayden
(Tournament Organizer) review lists of judges, attendees, schedules, and
logistics at the registration desk outside of the Copeland lecture theatre. Over
100 debaters competed at this year’s tournament.
placed first. Stephen Dong and Andrew Johnson placed fourth and fifth.
Peggy Hogan placed eighth. All of these students are now eligible to
compete at the Provincial level. Nadine and Natasha Qureshi placed
17th and 18th, respectively, landing themselves spots as alternates. In the
Senior category, Justin McElroy placed fourth. Roshni Veerapen placed
eighth. Stephanie Klak placed 11th. Yan Chen placed 14th. Meyash
Prabhu placed 17th.
These students could all potentially head to the Provincials. These are
impressive results for our school. They were obviously prepared and
debated extremely well on the day.
In term three, the debate team has plans to attend two more events.
The first is a Mock Trial that has been organized by John Baty at
Glenlyon Norfolk School. Students will be given an extensive case
scenario and will prepare to argue as Crown and defense lawyers. The case
will be tried in the courthouse in Victoria. Alum Jim Rigos (US 60), a
lawyer who also owns his own publishing company in Seattle,
Washington will help with the trial. There will also be a “lawyer
consultant” from Victoria to aid us.
Two other students will act as witnesses for the case. It is a different
format for a debate experience, but an interesting one. We are most
curious to see how our students will fare.
– Sean Hayden, Teacher, Debate Coach, and Tournament Organizer
Commonwealth Conference
SHOP 24-7
FEBRUARY 19, SMUS students
participated in the annual Student
Commonwealth Conference,
sponsored by the Royal Commonwealth
Society. Twenty-two students representing
five Vancouver Island schools paired up to
enact the role of Heads of State of a
Commonwealth country of their choosing,
A few clicks and you’re in! You can
now shop 24-7 at the
SMUS Campus Shop
through our new
secure on-line site.
Choose from a huge selection of
giftware, uniforms, and school supplies.
O
N
debating issues of debt forgiveness, child
labour, and greenhouse gas emissions. This
year the students were also privileged to learn
about Sierra Leone from a UN Peacekeeper,
as well as attend the keynote address delivered
by SMUS students Nader Ahmed and
Navraj Chima on Global Youth Leadership.
@ www.smus.bc.ca
13
14
education extension
Expanded Offerings
Education Extension
Geared to Match Needs
S PART OF St. Michaels University School’s on-going
commitment to offer students, educators, and adults solid
educational and developmental opportunities, the Education
Extension and International Student Exchange Programme offer
numerous academic, athletic, arts, cultural, and foundational skill
development programmes throughout the year.
This area of the SMUS community has been in operation for the past
five years. Each year, it has endeavored to expand its programme offerings
to meet the needs and wants of the community, while also extending
opportunities to new students and families to visit and experience the
SMUS campus.
A
Programmes are offered under eight specific streams:
• Workshops
• Challenge Day Programmes
• ISPY (International Summer Programmes for Youth)
• Headstart Programmes
• Summer High School Credit / Non-credit Programmes
• International Student Exchanges and Travel Programmes
• Summer Educators’ Institute
• SMUS On-Line Travel
Within these streams, some of the programmes offered are:
• Drivers Education
• Foodsafe Level 1 Certification
• Golf Programmes
• Spring Break Day Camps
• SAT Preparation Course
• Squirrel Point of Sale Certification
• Super Host Certification
• Christmas Holidays Day Camps
• Grade 10 Tutor Programme – Provincial Exam Preparation
• Summer High School Credit Programme – Musical Theatre, Business
School Programmes
• International Student Exchanges – Japan, Australia, Germany,
New Zealand, or Mexico
• Educators’ Geotechnology Programme
• SMUS On-line Travel – student, family, and alumni travel booking
and travel specials
This summer we are excited about the launch of the SMUS School of
Business, which will offer four high school credit programmes and one
non-credit course for Middle School students. Over the coming year,
plans for additional programmes will focus on the Alumni Association,
adult education courses, and expanded offerings under the Student
Exchange and Challenge programmes.
For further information, please contact Mr. Lindsay Thierry at
(250) 370-6117 or edextension@smus.bc.ca or visit the school website
at www.smus.bc.ca/campus/extension.htm.
See you this summer.
SUMMERTIME AT SMUS
does not have to mean a break from
learning. In fact, whether students want to tackle
something new and exciting, gain additional high School
credits, or get a head start on next year, SMUS Education Extension
Programmes will again be offering plenty of ways young people can
keep their minds active all summer. The programmes offered are
based on an academic or developmental foundation and are
presented in a fun and relaxed environment.
The Summer High School Credit Programme will offer four
new summer high school credit courses under the SMUS School of
Business (Law 12, Business Communications 10, Marketing 10, and
Entrepreneurship and Economics 10) to support summer Musical
Theatre 10, now in its fifth year.
The theme for this year’s Summer Challenge Day Programme,
for students aged 5-12, is ‘Rise 2 the Challenge’. Fifteen NEW
sessions are available, from sports programmes, drama camps,
Spy Camps, to Weird and Wacky Science. Participants will benefit
from the academic and developmental overview embedded within
each fun programme.
The Headstart Programmes extend an opportunity to Middle and
High School students to kick-start their school year in the last two
weeks of August. Numerous half-day programmes are available in the
areas of Developmental Writing, Introduction to AP Calculus and AP
Physics, Introduction to Grade 12 Mathematics, Study Skills, and
Sports Conditioning.
These programmes are also a way to introduce local and
international families to the SMUS campus and community. All
programmes offered during the summer and throughout the year are
open to all applicants.
A
BREAK FROM SCHOOL
Our doors are open to anybody
who is looking for fun, exciting, and
challenging programmes.
education extension
Travel Opportunities
ANNOUNCEMENT
International Student Exchange
SMUS offers numerous exchange and travel
opportunities to students. This is a wonderful chance to learn
more about language and culture through a full immersion
situation. Most of the travel opportunities include a homestay component.
In 2005-2006, we will be offering the following programmes to
students in grades 9, 10, 11, and 12. Note that grade restrictions may apply.
E
ACH YEAR ,
Exchange Programmes
Japan
• Tokyo - Open to grade 10 and 11 girls wishing to attend Tooyoko
Gakuen Senior High School for four weeks; this exchange programme
has Tooyoko students visiting SMUS in October and SMUS students
visiting Japan in November.
• Fukuoka - This full-year programme for grade 10 is offered through
Fukuoka Daiichi High School. Students from Canada, the US, and
Australia are invited to attend the school under the Tsuzuki
International Scholarship Programme and as part of the Department
of International Education. For the past five years, one or two SMUS
students have been offered full scholarships through this programme.
• Osaka - This is a 3-week co-ed academic programme for grades 9 to 11
where students live in homestay and attend classes at Otemon
High School.
Australia
• Melbourne (Girls) - Students will attend Ruyton Girls School. This
6-week programme for grade 10s runs in conjunction with Trinity
Grammar Boys School. Two female students from Melbourne will visit
SMUS from September to October. They will stay with the SMUS
student who will be visiting their school February to March. In order to
reduce the time away from school, the SMUS student’s portion is
scheduled over the Spring break time period.
• Melbourne (Boys) - Students attend Trinity Grammar Boys School.
This 6-week programme for grade 10s runs in conjunction with
Ruyton Girls School. Two male students from Melbourne will visit
SMUS from September to October. They will stay with the SMUS
student who will be visiting their school February to March. In order
to reduce the time away from school, the SMUS student’s portion is
scheduled over the Spring break time period.
SMUS Education Extension
Opens School of Business
This summer, the Education Extension Department will be
launching the SMUS School of Business. This exciting opportunity
will allow students to obtain high school credits in the areas of
Law 12, Business Communication Skills 10, Marketing 10, and
Entrepreneurship and Economics 10. All courses are designed
around a theory and experiential component with opportunities for
students to meet and interact in roundtable discussions with
professionals from the world of business, law, finance, and
government. Classes are limited to 15 students.
These courses are open to both local and international participants.
(A residential programme is available.)
Summer in Spain
This 4-week, co-ed Spanish language, culture, and activity
programme is open to beginner and advanced level students.
Located in Costa del Sol in the south of Spain, participants will join
others from 32 countries in a residential situation. Adult and junior
programme also available.
Summer in France
This 4-week, co-ed French language, culture, and activity
programme is open to beginner and advanced level students.
Located in Biarritz, France, participants will join others from 32
countries in a residential (or homestay) situation. Adult and junior
programme also available.
New Zealand
Open to girls in grade 10 and 11 for a 6-week reciprocal exchange to
Corran School for Girls in Auckland, NZ.
Ottawa
Three-week reciprocal programme for grade 10 students at Ashbury College.
Mexico
Three-week reciprocal programme for grades 9 to 11 at Tec-de-Monterrey in
Monterrey, MX.
Please register early!
These programmes depend on prompt student registration. These
are wonderful learning opportunities, geared toward providing
enriched and rewarding educational experiences.
Cultural Trips
Offered during Spring Break 2006
Galapagos Islands
Two weeks for grades 10, 11, 12
Mexico
Two weeks for grades 10, 11, 12
France
Two weeks for grades 10, 11
Japan
Two weeks for grades 10, 11, 12
15
The Opening of
John & Anne Schaffter Hall
Certainly something to celebrate
19, 2004
marked the school
celebration and official
opening of the John & Anne
Schaffter Hall for Music, the
newest building to open on
campus. This building is totally
devoted to the study of music. A
long time coming and somehow
exceeding the hopes and dreams of
the members of the music
department, the new facility boasts
wonderfully spacious teaching
classrooms, individual soundsensitive practice rooms, instrument
storage, and two congregational
gallery spaces – full of light, glass,
and comfortable furniture. This
new facility ushers in the next era of
music education at SMUS and a
new level of excellence!
N
OVEMBER
High angled beams, natural wood,
light, colours and fibres, and
an environment that is both
comfortable and conducive to the
creative art of music-making –
certainly something to celebrate!
A commemorative video was shot
inside Schaffter Hall and
is available for viewing on the
school’s website – one quick click
and you’re there! It encapsulates the
history, trials, and tribulations of
the building process and gives you
an opportunity to view classes in
session in this remarkable facility.
Elizabeth Humphries (grade 12)
and Ariel Winkelmeyer (grade 11)
make music together at the
Schaffter Hall opening night festivities.
Past Headmaster John Schaffter (1977–1988) gave a moving address at the opening ceremony – his
words reflected his passion and vision for the school as well as his many connections with people
– both past and present. He spoke eloquently of the rich history of music study at SMUS. Picture at
right: Past Headmaster John Schaffter and his wife, Anne.
Students change classes mid-morning at the Richmond Road campus.
The brick building on the left is the Copeland Lecture Theatre; it is part of the Crothall
Centre for Humanities and the Arts complex (2003). The building tucked in the centre is the
new John & Anne Schaffter Hall for Music (2004). On the far right is the old Challoner
Building, built in 1911 and added to in 1963-64.
18
board of governors
Updating Our Plan for the Future
– Stephen R. Martin, Chair of the Board of Governors
The third component of the Strategic Plan consists of the Strategic
N BEHALF OF THE BOARD, I’d like to communicate to
Priorities.
The Strategic Plan of 1999 outlined nine Strategic Priorities,
alumni, parents, and friends of the school on our work since
and
these
priorities have led to the school our students now enjoy. It
the last instalment of School Ties. In all respects, the school is
placed
high
priority on excellent teaching, on the education of the whole
thriving. Academically, our graduates had one of the highest average
student,
and
on an exciting and coherent academic programme. It has led
provincial exam results the school has ever achieved – the class was awarded
to
the
increased
soundness of the school’s annual budget and to
a total of $975,000 in scholarships to attend first-year university. On the
significant progress in the redevelopment of facilities that were seismically
enrolment front, our admissions numbers remain very strong, both among
unsound or structurally inadequate. This includes the construction of the
day students and boarders, so that we, in fact, have exceeded our budget
Crothall Centre and the new Schaffter Hall and gymnasium expansion –
numbers: the school is more than full, with a healthy “wait pool.”
Phase I of the Monkman Athletic Complex, all
Among the highlights of the past year and a half
mentioned previously. A summary of the current
have been the opening of three significant
OUR VISION
Strategic Priorities may be found in the 2004
buildings. The first was the Crothall Centre in
Annual Report.
September of 2003 – a 55,000 square foot building
To be one of the foremost
The Board began updating the school’s Strategic
for Humanities and the Arts, complete with
schools in Canada; to be
Plan at the Board retreat at the end of October
underground parking – the gift of the family of
2004. We took stock of the school’s progress over
Graeme Crothall. The second building we opened
considered among the
the past five years, reviewed the school’s strategic
in November 2004 was John and Anne Schaffter
foremost schools
priorities, and began to identify how the strategic
Hall, a music centre with three spacious and
priorities might be modified or shifted to ensure
acoustically designed rooms for orchestra, band,
in the world.
that they enable the school to fulfill its Mission and
and choir, with an additional classroom. The third
achieve its Vision. At the retreat, the Board charged the Strategic
building was the new gymnasium extension of the William Monkman
Planning Committee with defining a process to move the plan forward.
Athletic Complex. In the near future, we intend to address renovations to
The Strategic Planning Committee developed a process to engage the
the residences and to School House.
appropriate standing committees of the Board and the Management
Strategic Planning makes up the bulk of the Board’s work and the
Team in working groups to undertake further work on the Strategic
Strategic Plan sets the direction for the school. The current Strategic Plan
Priorities. Work on the Strategic Priorities commenced in December. In
was developed in 1999 after the adoption of the School’s Mission in the
May, all Board members will participate in a planning session to review
previous year. This plan involved analysis of both the school’s internal
the draft priorities and plans of each of the working groups. The next step
conditions and external conditions in the marketplace, along with
will then be to hold a facilitated session in late May to include a group of
extensive consultation with the school community. Consistent with good
parents and alumni to obtain further input to the draft Strategic Plan.
governance and planning practices, the Board is focusing its attention on
The Strategic Planning Committee will then finalize the plan for approval
updating the Strategic Plan.
by the Board at the September Board meeting and the approved Strategic
The Strategic Plan comprises three main components: the school’s
Plan will be presented to Society Members at the AGM in October 2005.
Vision, Mission, and Strategic Priorities.
Finally, I must highlight the School’s Centennial, which will be
The first component of the Strategic Plan is the Vision of the school.
celebrated in the school year 2005-06. A separate committee, under the
Our Vision has been with us for some time, and represents where the
leadership of Board member and alumnus David Angus (US 62) will be
school would like to arrive at some time in the future. The Vision that
planning and co-coordinating events, including a Gala Celebration in
has been guiding us is: To be one of the foremost schools in Canada; to be
October, a Speakers’ Series, athletic events, and a Centennial Weekend in
considered among the foremost schools in the world.
the spring of 2006. These events are elaborated elsewhere in School Ties.
This Vision implies that, in order to set the school’s direction for the
Please mark the dates on the calendar, and join with us all in celebrating a
future, we have to look at the practices of the best schools and select those
hundred years of pursuing excellence.
that make the best sense for our school. It addresses the place of the
school as it serves local day students who will be pursuing higher learning
along with other students elsewhere in Canada, and it addresses the place
of the school as it serves the families of boarding students who have a
more international outlook and who could consider boarding schools
anywhere in the world. This Vision continues to guide us as we move
- Mel Reeves, President SMUS Alumni Association
into the future.
At the Alumni AGM on Saturday, May 7, 2005, a new Constitution
The second component of the Strategic Plan, the school’s Mission,
and By-Laws will be presented for approval. This will update
is elaborated in a number of places and is a frequent topic of talks by
the Association, ensure regulatory compliance, and provide for a
the Head of School. The Mission emerged from discussions and
12-person Board with four people elected each year for three-year
questionnaires in 1998 and 1999. It contains five key elements:
terms, subject to a transition period.
excellence, passion and compassion, community, truth and goodness,
Following the election, the Executive will be appointed by
and preparation for higher learning and for life. Readers who wish to
the Board.
see a more elaborate explanation of the Mission should visit the
school’s website.
O
Alumni Association - Future Plans
one hundred years
One Hundred Years on the Horizon
– David Angus (US 62), Centenary Chair
EGINNING IN OCTOBER 2004, the Centenary Committee
has been meeting to plan the activities to celebrate the One
Hundredth Birthday of SMUS. The activities will celebrate
all aspects of school life for alumni of University School, St. Michael’s
School and St. Michaels University School, and also for the Junior,
Middle, and Senior schools.
St. Michaels University School (since 1971) was created by the
amalgamation of University School (since 1906) and St. Michael’s
School (since 1910), and so in September 2005, we will begin the onehundredth year of great school history and traditions. Interestingly, the
local municipalities of Oak Bay (location of the Junior School) and
Saanich (location of the Middle and Senior Schools) will also be
celebrating their one-hundredth birthdays.
The celebration activities continue to be developed. The following
list is just a taste of what is to come!
B
Centenary Black Tie Gala Dinner & Dance – October 28, 2005
A fundraising event to be held in the SMUS William Monkman
Athletic Complex
Centenary Lecture Series
Held throughout the 2005 – 2006 school year.
A series of 4-6 lectures by prominent speakers will be presented to the
SMUS community. These will also be open to the public.
SMUS School History Project
Held throughout the 2005 – 2006 school year.
This programme will teach and reawaken students, parents, and
alumni to the basic institutional history and traditions of SMUS.
SMUS Invitational Sports Festival – April 2006
A weeklong Athletic Invitational Tournament of Senior Girls Field
Hockey and Senior Boys Rugby. SMUS teams will play invitational
teams from public and independent schools in British Columbia and
from schools in England, Wales, and Scotland.
Regional Alumni Centenary Dinners
Held throughout the 2005 – 2006 school year. Currently planned for
Toronto, New York, London, England, and Hong Kong.
SMUS – One Hundred Years of History
This book is being written by historian Ian Mugridge and will be
available in September 2006.
SMUS Centenary Homecoming Weekend:
May 10-14, 2006
The finale to the year of Centennial Celebrations!
This expanded weekend will include traditional class reunions,
Chapel services, and girls and boys athletic events.
Additional activities will include:
• Centenary Golf Tournament
• International Food Fair
• Art Exhibitions
• Music and Drama performances
• Fireworks and other dramatic events
A special men’s professional rugby game between the “SMUS Selects”
and the “Rugby Canada National Team” is being planned for
Saturday afternoon at the school.
It is the hope of the worldwide SMUS community that the Centenary
Homecoming Weekend will attract 1000+ alumni as well as their
families and friends to the school.
May 10 – 14, 2006 is the Date
3400 Richmond Road – Victoria, BC is the Place
Start Planning Now!
Be Part of this Exciting Picture!
Vivat!
Pssssstt…..
Pass it On! Centennial History of St. Michaels University School
The fall 2004 issue of School Ties contained a short article about the
projected centennial history of the school to be published in the fall
of 2006. Ian Mugridge, the author has received some – not enough
for them to be described as ‘many’! – useful and interesting
communications from alumni of St. Michael’s and University School
as well as SMUS. Much more information is needed to help fill out
the written records of the schools; the reminiscences of alumni,
teachers and others will constitute a major part of the book’s contents.
Those who are willing to pass on their recollections, good or bad, of
their days at one of the schools, comments about the school or about
individuals or events that they recall should do so, if possible, before
the end of April, 2005. Contact Ian Mugridge: 8913 Mowat Street,
PO Box 434, Fort Langley, BC, V1M 2R7. Fax: (604) 888-3719,
email: imugridge@shaw.ca.
Your help is needed!
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school support
Opening Our Doors
“Parents working together to support excellence
in education”
UR SCHOOL COMMUNITY includes a rich composition of
international students and their families, representing many
different countries and cultures from around the world. For three
years, the Parents’ Auxiliary has been working toward improving the ties
between boarding students and local day students and their families
through the “Boarders without Borders” programme. Once or twice a year,
on a specified weekend, day families invite boarding students to their
homes for an evening meal. The benefits are tremendous. Day families gain
insight into different cultures, customs, and the boarding school
environment, while boarding students experience the joy of having a homecooked meal in the comfort of a Canadian home. Many lasting friendships
have developed through this initiative.
To help boarding families ensure that their boarding student feels loved
and remembered during the school year, the Parents’ Auxiliary offers
monthly “Piece of Home” themed gift baskets for boarding students. In
addition, the Parents’ Auxiliary provides a “Cake Service” so that boarding
students may celebrate birthdays with their friends while away from home.
Seventy-five per cent of the profits from both of these services go back to
the boarding community to be used at the discretion of the Director of
Residence and the house parents.
Communication with boarding families occurs via the Parents’ Auxiliary
Newsletter (published every two months), emails, and occasional articles
written for the Boarding Newsletter, which are translated into different
languages. Boarding families are encouraged to participate in the Auxiliary’s
annual Allocations process by completing and returning the Allocations
Survey form and submitting Funding Request forms if they identify a
funding need at SMUS.
“Boarders without Borders,” “Piece of Home,” “Cake Service,”
Communications, Allocations – these opportunities and services are a few
of the threads that weave the Parents’ Auxiliary into the larger global fabric
of the SMUS community.
O
– Jane Effa, President, SMUS Parents’ Auxiliary
THE ANDREW MIDDLETON
MEMORIAL ENDOWMENT FUND
We remember Andrew Middleton, a graduate from 1995, who died
in a tragic car accident in August 2000. With what would have been
Andrew’s upcoming Ten-Year Reunion, please consider contributing
to The Andrew Middleton Memorial Endowment Fund, established
to honour the memory of this exceptional young man. Proceeds
from this named endowment will help make it possible for bright
young men and women to attend our great school, who otherwise
would be unable to do so. Support for this important fund is
greatly appreciated. Please contact Melanie Hadfield at
mhadfie2@smus.bc.ca for more information. Among many other
things, Andrew was a talented photographer. Watch for a display of
his work at the May Homecoming Weekend.
Are You Connected?
www.smus.bc.ca
INCE THE LAUNCH of the SMUS Alumni Email
Directory in 2000, over 1,500 alumni have registered
on-line. We hope our users have found this service
useful and informative. For those of you who still haven’t
registered, we encourage you to do so.
S
How to Register or Update Your Alumni
Email Address
Please visit our website (www.smus.bc.ca) and click on
Advancement/Alumni, and from there click on ‘Alumni Email
Directory’.
Once your registration is activated, with this free service you
can search for your contemporaries by year, name, or
geographical branch. You can also choose to add your own
biographical information and even upload a photo of yourself or
family. In addition, there is a “class notes” option where you can
post interesting tidbits of information regarding you, your
family, or other alumni you have seen in your travels.
Boarding students celebrate their birthdays with a special birthday cake,
arranged through the Parents’ Auxiliary “Cake Service.”
You can submit an Alumni Update and photograph to be included
in School Ties magazine through the email directory. We look
forward to hearing from you!
advancement
Your Opportunity
to Support Excellence
F
2004-2005 Annual Fund for Excellence
OR CLOSE TO A CENTURY,
St. Michael’s School,
University School, and St.
Michaels University School have had
enormous influence on the lives of
over 5,000 graduates. Excellent
programmes in academics, the arts,
athletics, and the outdoors have
combined with essential life skills to
produce the well-rounded citizens of
whom we are exceptionally proud.
Like all truly exemplary schools,
SMUS must rely on financial support
“Your support will have an
over and above tuition fees if it hopes
immediate impact on our
to retain its high standards and its
educational experience. We will
reputation as one of Canada’s leading
have exceptional opportunities
educational institutions. While
to learn, achieve, and grow. It’s
our future. Thanks to you.”
tuition fees provide the foundation
for excellence by covering the school’s basic operating costs, fees account
for approximately two-thirds of the total cost of educating a SMUS student.
The Annual Fund for Excellence is a key initiative in making up the
critical shortfall between tuition fees and the full cost of a SMUS
education. It is the backbone of fundraising at SMUS.
Every gift to the Annual Fund for Excellence has an immediate impact
on the educational experience of every SMUS student. There are four
main areas to which you can designate your donation:
Headmaster’s Discretion
By making a gift to the Headmaster’s Discretion, you provide the school
with the flexibility to meet the areas of greatest need across the Junior,
Middle, and Senior campuses each year.
Every gift to the Annual Fund for Excellence is acknowledged and
appreciated. Donations to the SMUS Annual Fund are listed in the
Annual Report according to the following giving levels, except where
requests for anonymity are respectfully honoured:
Friends
Patrons
Headmaster’s Circle
Cornerstone
up to $499
$500-999
$1,000-4,999
$5,000-9,999
Bell Tower
Founders’ Circle
Vivat Society
$10,000-14,999
$15,000-19,999
$20,000+
I am pleased to support the 2004-2005 Annual Fund for Excellence with
my tax-deductible gift of $ __________________.
Donor name:
____________________________________________
Grad year (if applicable) _____ Email: __________________________
Donor address: ____________________________________________
________________________________________________________
City: _____________ Prov.: _____________ Country: ____________
Postal/Zip Code: ______________ Phone: ______________________
I wish to:
❏ make a single donation
❏ make a monthly donation of $ __________ per month
using the following donation method:
❏ Enclosed cheque (payable to SMUS Annual Fund)
❏ Visa
or
❏ MasterCard
Credit Card Number: ______________________________________
Expiry Date: ______________________________________________
❏ Wire transfer (email: dray@smus.bc.ca for details)
❏ On-line banking (Canadian banks only)
Endowment
A donation to the SMUS Endowment contributes to the growth of a
permanently invested fund. The interest on this fund finances student
bursaries and awards as well as teacher excellence initiatives.
Please direct my gift to:
❏ Headmaster’s Discretion (area of greatest need)
❏ Student Bursaries
❏ Endowment
❏ General
❏ Named ____________________________________________
❏ Item(s) from the “Opportunities for Excellence” list ______________
❏ Other ________________________________________________
❏ I/we wish to be listed in the Annual Report as: __________________
______________________________________________________
❏ Anonymous
Kindly make my tax receipt to: ________________________________
Opportunities for Excellence
Our staff has identified items that will significantly enrich the educational
experiences of all students across the Junior, Middle, and Senior
campuses. By directing your gift to the items on this list, you are
providing immediate exceptional opportunities for our students to learn,
achieve, and grow!
Please detach this form and return it to:
St. Michaels University School
Advancement Office
3400 Richmond Road
Victoria, BC V8P 4P5
Student Bursaries
Bursary contributions create opportunities for students to receive SMUS
educations that would otherwise be financially unavailable to them. Last
year, the Annual Fund contributed $111,000 of the $334,000 awarded in
bursaries to 66 SMUS students.
Annual Fund for Excellence 2004/2005
Current Total: $332,000
Goal: $470,000
We’re at 71%
25%
by June 30
at March 15
50%
Supporting excellence in education
75%
Secure on-line credit card donations can be made on the school’s
website at www.smus.bc.ca. Just click on “Annual Fund On-line
Giving” on the SMUS menu.
If you would prefer to give your credit card information to the
Advancement Office personally, call us at (250) 370-6175.
100%
SMUS is a non-profit organization. Tax receipts are issued for all donations of $25 or more.
Charitable Registration No. 1083 2988 RR001. The information you provide will be collected and
maintained by SMUS in order to facilitate communication and assist in our advancement efforts.
21
22
archives
1964 Rugby Tour - A Trip of a Lifetime
– Robert Wilson
The rugby games against the various schools
Westminster where, in the House of Commons,
ECENTLY, THE ARCHIVES RECEIVED a
had an added social attraction in that at Eton
we saw the legendary Sir Winston Churchill. In
handsome gift: three large framed
the team was billeted overnight at what is
London’s West End we saw a fairly new musical
photographs and memorabilia of the
arguably the most famous school in Britain; and
called “Oliver.” The Port of London Authority
University School 1964 Rugby Tour to England
after the Mill Hill game were guests at a school
took us on a tour of the River Thames. Some of
and Wales. The donor, Hugh McGillivray (US
dinner and entertainment night. Even a day’s
us went to an Easter Service at St. Paul’s
1960-64), now a resident of Calgary, was one of
training at the Richmond/London Scottish
Cathedral and we watched the Oxford
those boys who enjoyed the amazing experience
ground in London was yet another new rugby
Cambridge Boat Race from the Brewery at
of being on that tour. The Headmaster, J.J.
experience.
Mortlake. After the Eton game we enjoyed a tour
Timmis organized the tour. Looking back on
of nearby Windsor Castle, and en route to Stowe
both the rugby and the educational/social
we were guests for lunch at Balliol
events, it really was the “trip of a
College, Oxford, Mr. Timmis’s old
lifetime.” As a participant on the
college. Perhaps the fullest day was
tour and someone who has been
the final Saturday, for after the Boat
in contact with quite a few
Race and the Harrow game. The
tourists over the last 40 years, the
evening was spent in London’s Fleet
memories live on.
Street to watch preparation of the
We had a good rugby XV in
following day’s edition of “The
1964 and there was some keen
Sunday Times.”
competition to be chosen for the
We were guests in London at BC
touring party of 20 players, a
House, Canada House, the United
small group by today’s standards,
States Embassy, and at the Mansion
but in those days there was no
House, where we met the Lord
substitution, and boys wanted to
Mayor of the City of London. With
get as much playing time as
the rugby tour of England and Wales
possible. Our opponents were
completed, it was time to return to
Eton College, Stowe School, Mill
Victoria, but a two-day stopover had
Hill (London), Howardian High
been arranged in New York City,
School (Cardiff ) and Harrow
School. The first four games were The team, as seen (l-r) on the accompanying photo: Neil Fraser, Matt Kelly, Eric where we toured the city, visited the
Kjekstad, Tom “Mack” Inglis, Tooey Meyer, Hugh McGillivray, Mark Drum, Cam
United Nations and were guests at
wins, and the final game at
Crofton, Don Macdonald, Lin Bell, Chuck Lenfesty, Tom Seeger, Gordon Taylor,
Harrow was a 5-0 defeat. At the Gary Simonson, Patrick Stephenson, Ken Scholefield, Chuck Holm, Robin the Fifth Avenue home of English
Speaking Union Director, Mrs. H.O.
Harrow game, we were exhausted, Barker, Sandy Hunter, Peter Wilde, Mr. J.J.Timmis, Mr. Rob Wilson.
Milliken.
and a fixture mixup, which
Since 1964, the UK Rugby Tour has been a
Added personal memories of the rugby tour
changed the date of the game from the final
favourite topic of conversation wherever two or
include a wonderful try by Ken Scholefield on a
Thursday to Saturday, did not help. Apart from
more participants meet. It was only on later
very wet day at Stowe School. Ken raced about
a fairly easy win at Eton, all the other games
reflection that I personally realized how much
80 yards for his score and completed the last 70
were close and the players acquitted themselves
we had seen and done in so short a time. It
yards of it wearing only one boot, and later only
very well.
really was the trip of a lifetime and this article
one sock! At Mill Hill, scrum half Robin Barker
We received extremely good and generous
cannot be complete without specific mention of
scored the game winning try in typical fashion
coverage in the British press who were impressed
Headmaster J.J. Timmis, who arranged it all
from a scrum near our opponents goal line.
with our play, and particularly that of our
and lived it all to the full. He was an energetic
Winning four games out of five was a fine
Captain: Gary Simonson of Seattle. Gary was
and enterprising man who liked to do things in
record, and because team selection was made to
one of seven American boys in the party, and
style. The success of the 1964 University School
give all participants at least two games, it is a
with Neil Fraser from Argentina, we had a team
Rugby Tour is a tribute to him; and as the First
credit to all 20 tour players rather than to the
with an international presence. Furthermore,
XV coach and a member of the party, I also
First XV. The so-called extras all gave a good
out-of-province Canadian boys were: Gordon
salute those young men who were fortunate
account of themselves. As has been shown on
Taylor from Whitehorse YT, Mark Drum and
enough to enjoy the experience.
later school tours to the UK and elsewhere, a
Patrick Stephenson from Alberta. The game
rugby tour is a golden opportunity for a
against Howardian School in Cardiff was played
NB: Sadly, three members of the team have
schoolboy rugby player.
on a Saturday morning so that the party could
passed away: Gordon Taylor, Tom Seeger, and
While rugby was our mission in 1964, there
then go on to Cardiff Arms Park to watch Wales
Tooey Meyer. J.J. Timmis died in 1970, a short
was also the opportunity to “see the country
play France. This in itself was a great rugby
three months into retirement after 22 years as
and enjoy the sights.” We did that in spades!
experience, played at a ground that had a true
Headmaster of University School.
Included on the itinerary was a trip to Tilbury
rugby and Welsh atmosphere. Indeed, our Welsh
Docks where we met Prince Philip, a visit to
friends considered it the “Shrine of Rugby”!
R
archives
Rugby Tours Remembered
While the 1964 tour was the first
overseas tour taken by a University
School team, there was a UK Tour
in 1958, also arranged by
J.J. Timmis. It was a combined
British Columbia Independent
School tour, which included an
equal representation from
University School, Shawnigan
Lake School, and St. George’s
School, Vancouver. Since 1964,
University School and later SMUS
have sent 15 tours overseas, most
of them to the British Isles, and in
1981, a tour to Ontario.
A study of the school
magazines since 1964 have reports
on the following rugby tours:
1970 – England, Wales, Holland
1973 – Colts (Senior and Junior)
tour: England and Wales
1975 – England and Wales
1978 – England and Wales
1981 – Ontario
1982 – England and Wales
1984 – First XV and Under 15s
to Australia, New Zealand,
and Fiji
1986 – England, Scotland, Wales
1988 – First and Second teams –
Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan
1990 – Ireland and Scotland
1992 – England, Scotland, and
Wales
1994 – First XV and Colts: UK
and Ireland
1996 – England and Scotland
1998 – Celtic Tour to Wales,
Ireland, and Scotland
2000 – Wales and Scotland
2003 – Ireland and Scotland
Memorabilia from the trip of a lifetime!
Archives: Project Cadet
1908-1970, #170
University School Cadet
Corps was an integral
part of school life, and between
1920-23 the school operated
under the title of “University
Military School.”
The SMUS Archives has in its
collection approximately 450
photographs of Cadet Corps
activities. These photographs
have recently been researched,
accessioned, cleaned, and housed
by current parent and Archives
volunteer, Diane Keighley. The
photos are accessible should you
wish to view them. Subjects
include Annual Inspections,
Sunset Ceremonies, Drills, and
Prize Days as well as photos of
smaller groups such as officers
and shooting teams.
F
1962 Annual Cadet Inspection by Major-General J.M. Rockingham (SM circa
1920s), Commander of the Western Division of the Canadian Army, who is
making a presentation to Cadet Lieut. David Angus. David is now a member
of the SMUS Board. Boy Scout to the right is Tim Roberts (US 57-65), and
the old Harvey House is in the background. (Archive photo)
ROM
OLD CODGERS Unite
N 2001, five former
faculty members of St.
Michaels University
School got together at what
proved to be the inaugural
meeting of a group that came to
be known as the ‘Old Codgers’.
Every couple of months, the group
meets at one of the member’s
homes for lunch and some happy
reminiscing. Over the past few
years the group has grown to over
thirty and now their lunchtime
gatherings are held on the school
campus in the Wenman Pavilion.
I
Talk of the “old days” is always
on the agenda, but more often
than not, conversation leads to
grandchildren, new projects,
and most often, travels. Between
them, the hundreds of years
that were contributed to the school
by the ‘Old Codgers’ are
undoubtedly the primary reason
that St. Michaels University School
is now one of Canada’s pre-eminent
educational establishments. These
fine educators have had significant
influence on many hundreds of
the alumni of St. Michaels
University School and their
support for the school remains
strong.
All alumni will get the chance
to meet the ‘Old Codgers’ in May,
2006 at the Centenary Weekend
Celebrations. Start making your
plans with your former classmates
to be at the school for its 100th
Birthday. A part of your visit will
include the chance to ‘hello’ and
give a big ‘thank you’ to the ‘Old
Codgers’.
The Old Codgers at a Recent Gathering
Back Row: Bob Richards, Rick Johnson, Stewart Dunlop, Chris Pollard, Rob Wilson, Jean Ives, Keith Murdoch Middle Row:
Bill Greenwell, Penny Richards, David Peach, Lois Dimoff, Barbara Leonard, Sylvia Greenwell, Sunny Pollard, and Lynford
Smith Front Row: Mel Jones, Gary Laidlaw, Jeremy Goodwin, Lynne Laidlaw, Joan Ruskowski and Mary Humphreys
23
24
alumni news
Alumni Receptions in Vancouver and Seattle
John Locke (SMUS 85) and his wife, Jill, at the Seattle Alumni Reception in
November 2004.
Headmaster Bob Snowden and his wife, Joan, enjoy a visit with Chris
Mavrikos (SMUS 97) at the Vancouver Reception in late January 2005.
Jim Rigos (US 60) and Dr. John Finch (US 63) shared many old memories
of University School at a reception at the Washington Athletic Club.
Stephen Barrett (SMUS 86) chats with Rob Wilson at the very successful
Vancouver Reception, which was attended by about sixty Alumni.
Dan Duke (SMUS 88) and Tom Rigos (US 61) at the WAC. Tom is a current
member of the SMUS Board of Governors and he and Dan are both former
First XV Rugby captains.
Marcus Bell, Judith Swan (both SMUS 85), Valdine (Swan) Flores (SMUS
86), Warren Pears, Michael Bell, and Blair King (all SMUS 85) enjoyed the
pleasant company at the reception held on January 27, 2005.
Two alumni who both make their living in show business had time to compare
notes. On the left is Chris Molineux (who left in SMUS 80 to live in England).
He is a stand-up comedian who also teaches the art of comedy. Chris
Mavrikos (SMUS 97) is an actor and singer based in Vancouver.
Bion Dolman (SMUS 87), Melanie Hadfield (SMUS 87), Blair King (SMUS
85), and Warren Pears (SMUS 85) were part of the strong 1980’s presence
at the Vancouver Reception.
alumni news
Alumni Homecoming 2005
Schedule of Events
FRIDAY, MAY 6, 2005
4:30 - 6:00 pm – Headmaster hosts Wine and Cheese Welcome in
the new Schaffter Hall for Music.
Facility tours. All Alumni welcome
6:00 pm onwards – ‘Special Years’ gatherings at various locations
Classes of ’65 and earlier at Reynolds House (Headmaster’s
Residence)
SATURDAY, MAY 7, 2005
Tristan Spearing (SMUS 02), here visiting with Senior School Japanese
teacher Toshie Thumm, dropped by the school in early February. He’s
currently studying Business and Japanese at the Asia Pacific University in
Oita, Japan. One of his classmates there is Robyn Plasterer (SMUS 04).
Alumni Studying in Japan
former students return to St. Michaels
University School to visit. This year, Tristan Spearing (SMUS 02)
returned and met with his former Japanese instructor, Toshie
Thumm. Tristan is studying at Asian Pacific University in Beppu, Japan.
In addition, graduates Alex Miller (SMUS 00) and Shawn Tucknott
(SMUS 01) are studying at APU. 2004 graduate Robyn Plaster just
finished her one-year study there.
Tristan, Alex, Shawn, and Robyn began their Japanese language studies
at SMUS; it’s great to see them continue after graduation. Hopefully, their
study of the Japanese language will help them personally and professionally
in their futures. Knowledge of other languages and cultures has become
increasingly relevant, given the current global trend toward international
exchange. We wish these students every success in the future and thank
them for staying in touch. Good luck Tristan, Alex, Shawn, and Robyn!
I
T ’ S GREAT WHEN
10:30 am to 2:30 pm – Homecoming Registration in the Quad
Archives Display in School House. Come take a walk down
memory lane.
10:30 - 11:30 am – Alumni Brunch with SMUS Grad Class of
2005 in Brown Hall
11:30 am – Alumni/Grads Chapel Service (Guest speaker Mel Reeves ’70, President of the SMUS Alumni Association)
Presentation of “Grad Bears” as Grads 2005 leave Chapel
12:15 pm – Alumni Association Annual General Meeting in
Copeland Lecture Theatre
1:00 pm – Billy G. Basketball Classic in the new Monkman Gym
(All Alumni welcome to play or watch)
1:45 pm – Girls’ Soccer vs. Brentwood
2:30 pm – First XV vs. Oak Bay High School
4:00 pm – Social Hour
5:00 pm – Barbeque, marquee on the field
SUNDAY, MAY 8, 2005
10:30 am – Alumni vs. School Cricket Match. For information,
contact Jim Wenman at jim_wenman@canaccord.com.
Ticket information for the Saturday morning brunch and BBQ
will be available on the school’s website www.smus.bc.ca.
England vs. Canada at Twickenham
Alumni
ec
Hom oming 2005
h
Saturday, May 7t
pm
Social Hour 4:00
pm
00
5:
BBQ dinner
Chicken)
(Steak, Salmon,
:
Enter tainment by
- Mosaic
o
Tri
zz
Ja
US
SM
s Misérables
Excerpts from Le
SMUS staff and student alumni met at a Twickenham Clubhouse luncheon
before the England vs Canada International Game in November 2004. In this
photo (l-r): Mike Walsh, long-serving teacher, coach, housemaster, and role
model; David Clarke (past SMUS Faculty); Barnabas Clarke (SMUS 88);
Tye Spicer (SMUS 98); Gareth Rees (SMUS 85); Past Director of SMUS
Development Christopher Spicer (US 70). A superb time was had by all!
$25 per person
Dress: Casual
on field
Location: Marquee
Alumni
Homecoming 2005
Saturday, May 7t
h
Alumni Brunch
(with Class of 20
05)
Time: 10:30 - 11
:30
am
$10 per person
Location: Brown
Hall
Contact Donna Ray for tickets (250) 370-6175 or dray@smus.bc.ca
25
26
focus on alumni
Focus on Alumni
Joelle Hann – writing in New York
“My ancient history is that I graduated
from McGill in 1990, travelled in Europe for a while, lived in
Vancouver till 1996, then came to New York to get a graduate
creative writing degree at New York University. While writing and
publishing poetry, I've worked at every job imaginable: I've been a waitress,
a tree planter, a letter carrier, an artist’s assistant, an editorial assistant, a
women’s shelter coordinator, the publicity director for an art gallery, the
director of English language arts for an online test preparation company, a
writing instructor, a freelance editor, and a writer. At the moment, I teach
yoga in Brooklyn and work as an editor at
Bedford/St. Martins Press in Manhattan.
Creatively, I've been published a lot
over the last ten years. Most notably, my
work was included in Breathing Fire:
Canada’s New Poets (Harbour Publishing),
1995; I was a semi-finalist in The
Nation/Discovery Awards, NYC, 2000,
and a finalist for ARC Magazine’s Poem of
the Year award, Toronto, 2002.
In 1994 and 1998 I was awarded
Writer and SMUS alumnus
Canada Council grants for poetry
Joelle Hann (SMUS 86) gave
projects. My work has been published in
an inspiring address to writing
Canadian and American poetry journals
students on Valentines Day.
such as Painted Bride Quarterly, The
Brooklyn Rail, McSweeneys.net, CortlandReview.com, Ducts.com,
LaPetiteZine.com, Drunkenboat.com, Matrix, Fireweed, Grain, Dandelion,
Fiddlehead, Antigonish Review, Contemporary Verse 2, SubTerrain, and Geist
Magazine (nonfiction).
From 2001-2004, I ran a poetry reading series in Brooklyn called
Waxpoetic (www.waxpoetic.org) which featured well-known and beginning
poets, and capitalized on the community of writers and artists in my
neighbourhood (Williamsburg). I discovered that I was good at bringing
people together, so I organized a panel for the 2004 Associated Writing
Programmes (AWP) conference in Chicago about poetry communities
outside of academia. I asked poets and organizers from Brooklyn,
Manhattan, Toronto, and Montreal to talk about their various poetry
endeavours – it’s impressive to hear what events people create out of love for
poetry and a desire to see it out in the world. I’ll be at AWP again this year
(in Vancouver – first time in Canada) with the educational publisher I work
for, Bedford/St. Martin’s, as they are expanding into creative writing, and
because I’m working on a poetry anthology for community college teachers.
When I'm not working, practising yoga, or teaching yoga, I do what
everyone else in New York does: run around to films, readings, openings,
museums, and dinner parties (sometimes my own), trying to stay in touch
with friends and what’s going on in this exciting and exhausting city.
However, my latest obsession is with Brazil, where I travelled in the fall of
2004, after taking a month of Portuguese classes and samba classes. I fell in
love with Salvador de Bahia – all the dancing, socializing, love of good talk
and poetry, and joie de vivre inspired me to interview a local poet there. I
am translating some of his poetry into English and plan to go back to Brazil
in 2005.”
I
N HER OWN WORDS:
Joelle visited the school on February 14, 2005 and shared some of her works
with the Writing 12 students. She also presented a reading in the evening in the
Copeland Lecture Theatre.
Dr. Herb Watson: Courage Personified
– by Robert Wilson
N SEPTEMBER 1958, my first year at University School, I was form
master of a Grade 10 class, and one of the students was a cheerful
and popular young man from Seattle: Herb Watson (US 61).
During that year, Herb made some good academic progress, and after
successful completion of his grade 12 university entrance requirements in
1961, he stayed on to take a grade 13 year. Herb had a good career at
University School: House Prefect, President of Debating, Librarian, and a
member of the Chapel Committee during the building years. He became a
Lieutenant in the Cadet Corps and made the Indoor Shooting Team. While
he did not possess a “rugby football physique,” he was captain of the Fourth
XV. In 1962, he was well-poised for
his college career in the United
States, and went on to earn a BA
from the University of Puget Sound,
an MEd from Eastern Washington
University, and his Doctorate, a
PhD in Psychology, from Oregon
State University.
The PhD “dissertation year” was
a watershed in Herb’s life – he had
completed his education, but also
received the chilling news that he Dr. Herb Watson (US 57-62)
was suffering from Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Faced with this daunting health
challenge at the age of 27, Herb, in his own words, “hunkered down and got
prepared for the future.” For the next seven years he worked in Portland,
Oregon, at the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory. During these
years the physical challenge also hampered his golf game. Herb loved golf and
had worked his way down to an impressive 4 handicap; but, eventually and
sadly, he had to give up the game.
Herb’s next venture was in Spokane, Washington, where he went into
private practice as a counsellor. He built a home, took up sailing on Lake
Coeur d’Alene, but gradually the MS was such that he was physically unable
to work at what had become a very good practice. He became a student at
RHEMA Bible Training Centre and continued with a little counselling before
moving to his present home at Lake Chapala, Mexico, where the climate is
equable and pleasant for his needs. Herb’s Christian faith holds him in good
stead and he still endeavours to integrate religion and psychology to help those
in need of counsel. He is also willing to impart a little golf counsel too! He gets
as much out of life as his infirmity will allow.
Herb’s life is a constant struggle, and he writes that: “the Multiple
Sclerosis will not let me alone. I cannot afford to embrace it. It would engulf
me and I don’t know what would happen. I have to keep going, keep
fighting, and keep struggling. Who knows, that maybe it will get tired of
harassing me and go away?” These are moving words from a positive and
courageous man.
A couple of phone calls with Herb have been an amazing experience as we
talked of the “palmy” days of the late 50s and early 60s. There was mention
of good times, enquiries about old school friends, and of Herb’s appreciation
of his five years here. He holds a lot of fine memories of University School.
Herb Watson has exactly the right temperament for his chosen field as an
Educational Psychologist and Counsellor, and it is ironic that health has
prevented him from developing his professional career to the full. Those
who have benefited from his counsel must have been impressed by his
cheerful and positive approach to life. And by his remarkable courage!
For old friends who would like to re-connect with Herb, he can be
reached at watson@laguna.com.mx.
I
alumni updates
Alumni Updates
We receive email, snail mail, telephone calls, and visits – we
love to hear from you! This is what gives us the stories to build
this important section of School Ties. Please take a moment
and tell us what you are doing. Keep in touch, and if you have
a question about something at your old school, ask us. The
more we hear, the more we can pass on in this section.
We want your email address, so why not send us
an email update right now! [lwinter@smus.bc.ca] or
[cyorath@smus.bc.ca]
FROM THE ’40s
G EOFFREY C RAVEN (US 49)
has retired and returned to
Victoria after 30 years in the
Canadian Forces, eight years in the
Federal Public Service, and ten
years consulting. Geoff is married
to Margaret (Peggy) and they have
four children. Among Geoff ’s
memorable moments at University
School: Rugby, boxing, track...and
Reg Wenman!
FROM THE ’60s
TIM YARYAN (US 63) emailed
this note: “To update my current
status and whereabouts, my wife
Mary of 36 years and I (and our
two dogs) currently reside in Gold
River, California. Among other
things, Mary and I are avid
Sacramento Kings fans, and we
always enjoy it when SMUS alum
and now Phoenix Sun Steve Nash
comes to town.
I opened my Law Office in
Sacramento in 1988 and specialize
in Legislative Advocacy and
Government Relations. I spend
most of my time walking the halls
of the State Capitol, cajoling and
twisting the arms of elected
officials, from the “Governator” on
down. My clients include over
25,000 peace officers, including
the Los Angeles Police Department,
the Los Angeles Sheriffs
Department, and several other law
enforcement groups. I also
represent a number of trade
associations, including the Western
Propane Gas Association, the
California
Public
Parking
Association, and the California
Automotive Dismantlers.
It’s been far too long since I’ve
visited SMUS. Over the years, I’ve
stayed in loose contact with alums
Chris Collins (US 63) and Bob
Kelley (US 65), as well as
distinguished former University
School staff Rob Wilson and Nick
Prowse. My rugby days are long
since over, but recently I competed
in the California Senior Games
and won a Silver Medal in the
discus. (I limped to the victory
stand with a pulled hamstring,
however, a reminder that my ‘salad
days’ are long since past!) With
retirement now coming sooner
than later, Mary and I hope to
revisit the Old School soon and
enjoy an Alumni Weekend.”
FROM THE ’80s
CHRIS MOLINEUX (SMUS 84)
attended the Vancouver alumni
reception in January and provided
an update. After leaving SMUS,
Chris attended Carres Grammar
School in the UK and obtained a
BA in Soviet History at UVic.
While attending university, Chris
began working as a stand-up
comedian, and after graduation, he
continued to pursue this as a
Chris Molineux (SMUS 84)
career. His comedy career has seen
him perform on Just for Laughs
and share the stage with performers
such as Jim Carrey, Jerry Seinfeld,
and Ellen deGeneres. Chris has
also worked as a writer for
Electronic Arts, has done voice
work for cartoons such as Inspector
Gadget and Madeline, and
together with his wife, Colleen,
runs a cross-Canada comedy
entertainment booking agency (see
www.happyfaceproductions.com)
In 1999, Chris began, also, to
work as a teacher and a professional
speaker. He does one-on-one
coaching in public speaking,
conducts classes in stand-up
comedy at William Davis Acting
Centre in Vancouver and has a
wide range of team-building
workshops that he conducts for
corporations, associations, etc. (see
www.laughlearnlead.com). He is
married, has three children, and
lives (extremely quietly) on Bowen
Island, B.C.
J.R. JUSTESEN (SMUS 84) is a
physiotherapist and has recently
returned to Victoria after an
exciting and unusual adventure. A
friend living in Libya had
suggested that J.R. apply to
become a physiotherapist to a
professional soccer team playing in
the Libyan league. The team is
owned by Saadi Khadaffi, son of
the infamous Libyan leader. Saadi,
addressed as “Engineer” by all who
have contact with him, also plays
for the team and was struggling
with a foot injury.
During his stay with the
Al-Ittihad Club, J.R. treated the
“Engineer’s” injury and in doing
so, travelled to a couple of worldfamous soccer teams – Lazio in
Italy and Bayern Munich in
Germany. Although the experience
was an unforgettable one, J.R.
is happy to be back in his
hometown to resume his
physiotherapy career.
J.R. Justesen (SMUS 84) pictured
here with his younger son, Isaac.
They are both looking very happy
because Isaac had just scored the
winning goal in his team’s Lower
Island Soccer Cup Final.
Dr. Andre Tan (SMUS 82) (R) in the photo with his former Senior School
math instructor and current Old Codger, Bill Greenwell, outside the
Copeland Lecture Theatre in January 2005. Dr. Tan is Head and Associate
Professor in the Department of Otolaryngology (ear, nose, and throat) in the
Faculty of Health Sciences at Queens University. With his vast knowledge of
the university’s undergraduate curriculum, Dr. Tan was able to present an
inspiring address that included a wide range of study options available to
students wishing to pursue a career in medicine.
27
28
alumni updates
Alumni Updates
ALFONSO CELIS (SMUS 85)
visited the school last fall. He is
married to Lilia and they have a
son and a daughter: Alfonso (aged
8) and Estele (aged 5). Alfonso
works as a Director and Business
Administrator for a company
called La Vega de Pas which is
based in Tehuacan, Mexico. One
of his fondest memories of being
at SMUS (1979-81) was camping
and outdoor trips with Ted Piete.
KENNETH OPPEL (SMUS 85),
won a 2004 Governor General’s
Literary Award for his children’s
book Airborn. The judges in this
year’s literary awards described
Airborn as “masterfully crafted” and
a “feat of powerful imagination.”
“From cover to cover,” the
judges continued, “the reader is in
the hands of a superb writer.”
Congratulations!
This is Kenneth’s twentieth
book and was published in
Canada, the US, Great Britain,
Australia, New Zealand, and
Germany. For more information,
visit the Airborn website:
www.airborn.ca.
LARA DICKINSON (SMUS 87)
writes: “My husband Greg and I
are celebrating the birth of our
gorgeous daughter Sage Aurora.
We recently returned to beautiful
BC to attend the distributed
Medical programme (UBC) in
Victoria. Yes, more school after a
great career in Speech-Language
Pathology. Can’t wait to explore
- continued
the trails, shores, and underwater
jungles of this great province!”
KURT VOLLMERHAUSE (SMUS
87) sent us an update from
Australia: “Our second son,
Callum, was born on 2 July 2004
in Brisbane, Queensland, so in
fact, he was born on Canada Day,
North American time! The whole
family is doing well. I am working
as a librarian at Queensland
University of Technology, and have
been involved in several interesting
technical projects for the Library
Systems group over the past year
or so.
My wife, Laura Hahn
(originally from Toronto), is an
environmental consultant and
runs her own company, Lorax
Environmental Services, from our
base here in Toowong. Oscar, our
eldest son, is almost 5 and is
enjoying starting preschool,
solving puzzles, drawing, and
screaming around the house like
that “fast boy” from The
Incredibles. Hello to all the alumni
from ’87 as well...and hopefully we
will visit BC again in the not-toodistant future.”
FROM THE ’90s
COREY LARGE (SMUS 88-91)
announces the release of his new
film Window Theory, which will
open at the Cineplex Odeon
Theatre in Victoria, on March 25.
Corey’s former classmate (Jeff
Gordon (SMUS 93) acted as
2003 Archive photo of Corey Large (SMUS 88-91) and Luke Flynn,
grandson of Errol Flynn. Corey and fellow alumnus Jeff Gordon (SMUS 93)
release their new movie Window Theory in March of this year.
Associate Producer. Both Corey
and Jeff will be in Victoria for the
opening. Corey was on the SMUS
Senior Campus two summers ago
to shoot scenes for Window Theory.
He was written up in the Fall 2003
issue of School Ties. Check out the
trailer for Window Theory at
www.windowtheory.com.
CHRIS HUTCHINSON (SMUS
90) will be launching his first book
this spring, a collection of poetry,
Unfamiliar Weather. He will be in
Victoria in May doing readings of
his work. Chris won the 2003
Earle Birney Prize for poetry. His
work has appeared in numerous
journals and anthologies across
Canada, including Breathing
Fire 2. Chris lives in Vancouver.
ANDREW KHOO (SMUS 90)
earned his BA from UVic, followed
by an MBA from Seattle Pacific
University, and most recently a
law degree from Cambridge
University. He was called to the
Bar in the UK and worked as
Corporate Affairs Director for
Laura Ashley PLC. He is back
living in Victoria and is married to
Jennifer. They have one daughter,
Kezia, born in 2002. Andrew is
President of his own property
development company, Cambridge
Alliance Developments Ltd.
C LAIRE (O STICK ) A BBOTT
(SMUS 91) earned her BFA
degree in Theatre in 1999 and
followed that with her law degree
from UVic in 2003. She is
currently an Administrator in the
Faculty of Law at UVic. Claire is
married to Gary, and she has a
stepdaughter, Kelsey. Claire has
been selected to play for Canada’s
national women’s cricket team – as
have eight other Victoria women –
for a tournament in Jamaica this
summer.
MATTHEW PERCY (SMUS 92)
has been living in Chicago since
1997, where he originally moved to
pursue graduate studies in English
at the University of Chicago.
However, after completing his MA
in 1998, he decided that academia
wasn’t for him, and he ventured
forth into the business world. Matt
worked as a strategy consultant
and strategic planner for five years.
In the summer of 2003, he
married Jennifer and later that year
began the MBA programme at the
Kellogg School of Management at
Northwestern University. He will
be graduating in June, and will
return to consulting (having just
accepted a position with Diamond
Cluster International, a technology
strategy firm based in Chicago).
If any SMUS alums are
interested in pursuing an MBA
at a US school (or Kellogg in
particular), Matt would be more
than happy to share his experiences
with them. His email address:
mpercy2005@kellogg.northwestern.edu
GARGEE GHOSH (SMUS 93)
wrote to us in January: “In the
Spring of 2003, I left London and
McKinsey and moved back to the
US. I have been living in
Washington, DC working for the
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
on financing vaccines and
immunization in the developing
world. I love working in
international development again,
and have had the opportunity to
do some interesting travel
(including meeting Sharon Janzen
(SMUS 93) for a safari in Kenya
last year!). And most important of
all – I just got engaged! Andy
Chasin (from Phoenix, AZ and
not a SMUS alum – but still a
great guy!) and I are planning the
wedding for August 2005 and
hope to celebrate the day along
with a few familiar SMUS faces.”
BILL HANN (SMUS 93) sent
this update: “After completing my
BBA at Bishop’s University in
1997, I began flight training in
Vancouver, earning my Commercial
Pilot’s license in 2000. My flying
career began with Kenn Borek Air
where I spent the summer of 2000
alumni updates
flying a Twin Otter on floats in the
Queen Charlotte Islands and the
following six months flying in the
Maldives in the Indian Ocean. In
2001, I joined Harbour Air
Seaplanes based out of Vancouver
where I’ve been flying for the past
three-and-a-half years and often see
SMUS alums on my flights
between Vancouver and Victoria.
Flying, especially seaplanes, has
allowed me to go some spectacular
places and see some spectacular
sights. I do, however, have the
intention of flying for a major
airline in the future and have
consequently taken a job with
Central Mountain Air in order to
get the specific experience the
airlines require. I recently moved
from downtown Vancouver to the
suburbs of South Surrey and I still
keep in close contact with many of
my fellow SMUS graduates of
1993.”
E RIN C RISTALL (SMUS 95)
emailed us an update in January:
“I’m still recovering from my
exciting Xmas vacation in Brazil
(see photo of me with Amazon
wildlife), and back to the grind
that is the reality television
business. I’m still working as
an alternative programming
development executive at New
Line Television, a relatively new
division of the studio that brought
you such mega hits as The Lord of
the Rings trilogy. Our most notable
series of late has been Amish in the
City, which scored record ratings
for the network it aired on in the
US (UPN). We are also doing a
Erin Cristall (SMUS 95)
series with CBS called Nightmare
on Elm Street: Real Nightmares in
which Robert Englund (aka
Freddy Krueger) challenges regular
people to confront their scariest
dreams in real life. Other than
those, we have several projects in
various stages of development
including a show profiling people
who want their bad tattoos
removed, a series about a celebrity
who decides to quit the business
and work in a grocery store, and a
documentary series that profiles
crime victims confronting the
criminal that did them wrong. My
job is basically to come up with
ideas, or when someone comes in
here and pitches us a vague idea, I
figure out exactly how it will turn
into a show (i.e., is it a game? how
many players? what do we see
them do in each episode?).
Anyway, tons of fun. A typical day,
like today, involves lots of writing
presentations, a lunch meeting
with an agent, an afternoon pitch
meeting with David Hasselhoff
and I’ll probably go home well
after dark to do “homework”
(watching reality TV). Other than
that, life in LA is great – traffic is
tolerable, it’s record-breaking heat
right now, I manage to get in a
daily workout, and I have not been
caught in the mudslides. I’m
planning on being there for this
May’s Alumni Homecoming
Weekend.”
E MMA B ATEY (SMUS 95)
Twice a year, a copy of School Ties
arrives at the post office in the
small African town of Vilanculos
on the coast of Mozambique,
where Emma Batey (class of ’95)
catches up with news of SMUS.
After graduating from the
school, Jenn Scott (SMUS 95)
and Emma travelled in Europe,
then, less conventionally, through
Africa, often by truck convoy and
living in tents. In one remote
camp, one of them was humming
an African tune taught them by
SMUS music teacher Mary
Humphreys. The group of village
children who had gathered to stare
at the foreigners took up the tune
in an impromptu sing-song.
Christmas ’95 was in Zanzibar.
Jenn came home to Canada.
Emma stayed in Africa. Her first
job was a partnership in running a
beach camp for young international
travellers in Vilanculos. In this
small town with its idyllic setting
on white sandy beaches, Emma
was 10% of the white population.
Young adventurers came from
South Africa, Zimbabwe, and
Europe to stay at “The Last
Resort,” and the business expanded.
Three African dhows took visitors
to the off-shore Bazaruto and
Benguera archipelagos. To give
employment, Emma encouraged
local wood carvers and showed
women how to use local cloth to
make fashions that Westerners
would buy.
Looking for a new challenge
Emma sold the “Last Resort” and
became manager of “Aguila Negra,”
one of the luxury lodges. By 2000,
tourism to Mozambique had
grown considerably. Immigrants
were coming from neighbouring
Zimbabwe to escape Robert
Mugabe’s policies against whites in
that country and natural gas fields
were found under the sea nearby.
By now Emma spoke Portuguese
(the language of the country) and
the local native dialect Chitswa. As
a local resident who knew the
languages, the lore and, by
experience, the laws of the region,
Emma found herself used as a
contact by foreigners planning to
start businesses. As development of
Emma Batey (SMUS 95)
the region increased, she became
involved with local politics, first by
starting a tourist association to
protect the environment, then
through related contact with
government ministries in Maputo.
She became the local sales and
market manager for TTA, the first
international airline to fly to
Vilanculos. In 2002, she set up a
consulting business, Cuida
Consultants, which now handles
insurance, oversees the development
of courier service in Mozambique,
and represents the World Bank in
a project to encourage development
in the region.
The joy of Emma’s life has been
her 6-year-old son Tai; but there
was no school in Vilanculos. This
was not her problem alone. By
2004, there were three hundred
white foreigners living there who
needed education in English at
international standards. She and
some other families built a
schoolhouse and brought in a
teacher from South Africa. In
2004, there were eight students. In
2005, there are twenty-eight in a
growing school open to
Mozambicans and foreigners alike.
To fund development of the
school, Emma organized a “blacktie in the bush” extravaganza last
year, to which 200 people flew in
from South Africa, Zimbabwe,
and other parts of Mozambique.
At 28, Emma finds herself –
improbably to those who
remember her – a school governor.
Emma, Tai, and her partner Rod
live in a house overlooking the
Indian Ocean. Tai has two tortoises
and a meter and a half long baby
python (whose future as a
household pet is in doubt). Her
email address is cuida@teledata.mz.
Any of her old friends who happen
to be down that way are welcome.
Don’t worry about the snake;
Emma’s not keen on it either.
ROBERT LYDON (SMUS 95)
After pursuing interests in the
automotive industry and racing
Formula 2000 cars in Ontario,
29
30
alumni updates
Alumni Updates
Robert returned to university and
completed his business degree at
Simon Fraser. He is currently
working toward his Chartered
Accountancy designation, and will
be joining Grant Thornton as an
articling student in their
Vancouver office.
TANYA B OTEJU (SMUS 96)
wrote to us in December: “I’ve
been reading School Ties loyally
since I graduated and always enjoy
hearing about what my peers are
up to. I decided it was my turn!
Since graduating from UBC in
English and Education, I have
been working as a long-term
substitute at York House School,
an all-girls private school in
Vancouver. In December of 2004,
I received my continuing contract
at York House. I am now a fulltime, permanent teacher in the
Senior English Department and
loving every minute of it. I am
currently teaching grades 8-11 –
a large load, but very exciting!
Being back in a private school
community as an adult and
teacher is more rewarding than I
could have ever foreseen – my
colleagues remind me very much
of the dedicated, enthusiastic, and
inspiring teachers at SMUS, and
the students are an absolute
pleasure to be with and teach. I am
heavily involved in every aspect of
York House’s activities and owe
much of my interests and skills in
these activities to my experiences
at SMUS. I am now the Public
Speaking and Debating Coach,
skills I honed with the help of
Kathy Roth and Grenfell
Featherstone. I stage-manage the
school plays whenever I get the
chance and owe much of my love
for theatre and acting to Colin
Skinner. Soccer and basketball
have stayed with me – I have cocoached both of these sports and
am so thankful for the expertise
my coaches at SMUS passed on to
me in these areas. I have enjoyed
every moment of teaching so far
(though I could do without the
- continued
marking!), and am absolutely
certain that this is the most
rewarding profession in the world!
Thanks to all those who supported
and inspired me at SMUS – I’ll do
my best to pass it all on to my own
students!”
LUIS C ASTILLA (SMUS 97)
sent this note from Mexico:
“I finished university in
2003 (Bachelor’s degree in
Communications, plus a diploma
in radio production) and have
been working even before that in
the media broadcasting industry in
Mexico City, creating and
producing audio content for a
number of radio stations. This
year, I’m starting off in a new
company doing sound design for
cinema, TV, and radio content,
and even manage to have the time
to be a part-time university
professor. I am planning to move
to Canada this year if the timing is
right. Greetings to all of my
friends in the class of 97!”
MICHAEL KWAN (SMUS 97)
earned his BComm from UVic
and is now working as a Senior
Inventory Analyst for Best Buy
Canada. He and his wife, Jeannie
Ho, live in Burnaby.
BORDEN TSENG (SMUS 97)
recently brought us up to date with
his life after SMUS: “Since
graduating 1997, I entered
Carnegie Mellon University to
study for my first professional
degree in Architecture. During my
time there, I attended a few study
abroad programmes that brought
me to London, the United
Kingdom, as well as Barcelona,
Spain. In 2001, I graduated one
semester early and earned a
Bachelor of Architecture degree
from Carnegie Mellon University.
Immediately after that, I began my
architectural career at Sense
Architecture Studio in Taiwan
where I worked and spent time
with family. In the summer of
2002, I was accepted by Columbia
University’s Master Programme for
my second professional degree in
Architecture. During my stay at
Columbia University, I was given
an award for “Design Excellence”
for the International 921 Memorial
Design Competition. In May
2003, my design studio was chosen
to represent United States for the
International Architecture Biennial
Rotterdam Exhibition, which
showcases the best architectural
projects from around the globe.
Soon after, the Garden City
Publisher published my first book
titled Computer Aided Architectural
Design featuring projects exhibited
in Rotterdam. In June 2003,
I graduated and earned my Master
of Science in Advanced
Architectural Design degree from
Columbia University.
Now I am working at Pei Cobb
Freed and Partners (www. pcf-p.
com), a firm known for projects
such as the Louvre Museum in
Paris, France and the National
Gallery of Art in Washington, DC,
USA.
Currently, aside from working as
an architect at Pei Cobb Freed and
Partners, I am also a part-time
editor for the architectural magazine
Egg (www. eggmagazine.com) as
well as a guest critic for Design
Studios at Columbia University.”
currently studying at The College
of the Holy Cross, in Worcester,
MA.
N ICK FARYNA (SMUS 03)
was awarded the General
Campaign Star by Her Excellency
the Right Honourable Adrienne
Clarkson, Governor General of
Canada during her recent visit to
Kabul. He is the youngest
member of the Task Force Kabul
and is a C9 Gunner with the First
Battalion Princess Patricia’s
Canadian Light Infantry. He has
been stationed in Afghanistan
since early August 2004 and has
recently returned to Victoria
to enjoy his well-deserved
disembarkation leave.
...there were bells!
MEGAN VOLK (SMUS 98) was
married last summer on August
21, 2004 to Michael Taylor (a
lawyer for the Department of
Justice). They were married in
Kelowna with Kim Emsley-Leik
(SMUS 98) and Kate Saunders
(SMUS 98) as two of the
bridesmaids. Megan is completing
her law degree and has accepted a
position to article starting in May
2005 with Alexander Holburn
Beaudin and Lang, a Vancouver
law firm.
SINCE 2000
E SBEN S HOEN (SMUS 01)
was the winner of our “incentive”
draw for adding himself to the
SMUS alumni email directory last
fall. He received a travel mug from
the SMUS Campus Shop. Esben is
Esben Shoen (SMUS 01) is studying
in Massachusetts (Archive photo)
Megan Volk (SMUS 98) and
Michael Taylor
alumni updates
PAULA SANGLAP (SMUS 96)
and Gary Bono of Courtenay, BC
were married on July 10, 2004 at
St. Andrew’s Cathedral in
Victoria, BC. Many SMUS
alumni were in attendance: Adam
Molineux, Seb Bonet, John
Thomson, Meggan Hunt, Steve
Lobb, Catherine Loiacono, Jake
Dowhy,
Olivier
GervaisHarreman, Alex Austin, Alex
Henri-Bhargava, Chris Robb,
Bernie White, Ben White, and
Tanya Boteju.
Paula and Gary are living in
Victoria where Paula is in her
third year of UVic’s Bachelor of
Science nursing programme.
Bridal Party included Rachel
(Sanglap) Madden (SMUS 92),
Zareen Charania (SMUS 96),
Jennine Downie (SMUS 96) and
Kim Beulah (former SMUS
house parent).
...new on the scene!
PETA T IBBETTS (SMUS 81)
and husband, Ron Turner,
announce the arrival of their
daughter, Regan, in 2004.
B ENJAMIN
BUTTERFIELD
(SMUS 82) and his wife, Anne
Grimm, welcomed their second
daughter, Marijn Elizabeth Joy,
born on October 25, 2004, in
Toronto.
RUSSELL MARTIN (SMUS 83)
and his wife, Linda, announce the
arrival of their second son, Keiran,
born February 24, 2004.
LARA DICKINSON (SMUS 87)
and Greg announce the birth of
their baby girl, Sage Aurora.
G REG D AY (SMUS 87) and
his wife, Alison, welcomed the
arrival of their daughter, Marley
Regan, born February 26, 2004.
KURT VOLLMERHAUSE (SMUS
87) and his wife, Laura Hahn,
welcome their second son, Callum.
D AN D UKE (SMUS 88) and
his wife, Sheila Delaney, are
pleased to announce the arrival of
their first child, Meghan, born
January 29, 2004.
PAMELA GRIST (SMUS 88) and
her husband, Alistair MacKenzie,
welcomed their son, Kanyon, on
April 27, 2004 in Dubai.
CATHY (JURICIC) BORASTON
(SMUS 89) and A LISDAIR
BORASTON (SMUS 89) announce
the birth of their twin girls – Julia
Kate and Amanda Claire – born
September 3, 2004. (Big sister in
photo is Natalie).
GEORGE CROTHALL (SMUS
89) and his wife, Amber, welcomed
the arrival of their daughter Evelyn
– born September 2004.
TYLER HADFIELD (SMUS 89)
and his wife, Cheryl, welcome
their daughter Ashlynn Sara,
born September 27, 2004.
J ANE (E DGAR ) T HOMAS
(SMUS 85) and husband, Don,
welcomed their son on December
8, 2004. Simon Edgar Thomas
weighed in at 7 lbs. 14 oz. and big
sister Annabel is excited and proud.
E LIZABETH M IDDLETON JONES (SMUS 89) and husband,
Justin Jones, welcome their first
child, Ella Teresa Taylor Jones,
born October 10, 2004, in Toronto.
Simon (Edgar) Thomas
Paula Sanglap (SMUS 96) and Gary Bono married July, 2004
Regan Turner
This photo was taken at the wedding of Peter Robb (SMUS 92) to Lucia
Cristina Sultano, September 11, 2004, at St. Patrick’s Church in Victoria.
Back row, l to r: Jim Anderson (SMUS 92), Nick Grant (SMUS 84), Jeremy
Cummings (SMUS 87-90), Jeremy Petzing (SMUS 85-89), Damian Grant
(SMUS 93), Brent McLay (SMUS 92), and Chris May (SMUS 92). Front and
centre is Simon Ibell (SMUS 96).
Marley Regan Day
Callum Vollmerhause
31
32
alumni updates
Alumni Updates
N ATHAN L AMPARD (SMUS
90) and Michele welcomed their
son, Noah, in 2004.
HEATHER (LYALL) CROSSLEY
(SMUS 91) and Byron are proud
to announce the birth of their
daughter, Olivia, born on June 2,
2004.
J EAN M C P HERSON (SMUS
91) and her husband, Michael
Newland, welcome their first
child: Henry Muir was born
August 7, 2004.
E RICA (K JEKSTAD ) (SMUS
92) CUDDIHY and husband, Kevin,
welcome their first child, a girl.
Eva Cuddihy was born January 3,
2005, in Basil, Switzerland.
- continued
S UZANNA (J ONES ) S HAVER
(SMUS 93) and her husband,
John, have a baby boy: Jack Charles
was born on August 21, 2004.
A NNA (L EONG ) N AZIF
(SMUS 93) and husband, Omar,
announce the arrival of their first
child, Benjamin William Nazif,
born: December 5, 2004; weight:
6 lb 14 oz.
S ARA (R ECALMA ) S WANSON
(SMUS 94) and her husband,
Jason, welcome their little girl,
Symone Maria, born July 16, 2004.
MARK YU (SMUS 94) and his
wife, Michelle, announce the birth
of their daughter, Lauren, who was
born March 9, 2004.
PASSAGES
G EOFFREY “G EOFF ” C ORRY
(US 1938-42) died 2 January
2005. He enjoyed a highly
successful four years at University
School and won the Ker Cup in
1942. He left the school during
the War years and immediately
enlisted in the Army, and was later
commissioned in the Canadian
Scottish Regiment. In 1944, he
took part in the Normandy
Landings. After World War II,
Geoff completed a BA degree at
UBC and then re-joined the
Canadian Army. He served in the
Korean War and retired from the
STEVE NASH (SMUS 92) and
Alejandra Amarilla announce the
arrival of their twin daughters:
Lourdes and Isabella, born
October 14, 2004.
Ella Teresa Taylor Jones
Meghan Duke
Julia Kate and Amanda Claire
Boraston and big sister Natalie
Benjamin William Nazif
Symone Maria Swanson
Henry Muir Newland
Eva Cuddihy
Lauren Yu
Military in 1973 with the rank of
Lieutenant Colonel.
After nine years with Mannix
Corporation, his retirement years
were spent in Qualicum Beach,
and finally in Victoria. He
maintained his interest in the
Military and served as Honorary
Colonel of the Canadian Scottish
Regiment, and as recently as
10 November 2004, laid one of
the wreaths at the School’s
Remembrance Day service.
ERNEST HUDSON, Past Parent,
University School, major benefactor
to SMUS, passed away 27 October
2004 at the age of 90. His sons,
Lorne (US 1950-59) and Roy (US
1958-62) predeceased him, as did
his wife Frances. Ernie was
successful both as a businessman in
Victoria, and later as an
investment dealer. He and Frances
always showed a strong interest in
the school, and over many years
were generous contributors to the
Endowment Fund. They also gave
many donations for students to
attend the school. Their main
interest was in music and several
outstanding alumni have enjoyed
fine careers here thanks to Hudson
munificence. Furthermore, future
scholar-musicians will benefit from
an endowed award in the names of
Ernest, Frances, Lorne, and Roy
Hudson. The school has lost a
great friend.
MRS. MOLLY DOROTHY DRUM
died January 2005, in Calgary,
Alberta at the age of 91. Her
school connection was through her
husband, Ian, who attended both
St. Michael’s School and University
School (Grad 1931), and her son,
Mark, a 1964 Graduate of
University School. Molly was a
major donor to the Endowment
Fund. She took a great interest in
events at the school and most
recently attended the 2002 and
2003 Remembrance Day services.
Up! Up! And Away!
Twenty-nine grade 8 boys and girls took to the skies on
a sunny morning in January... flying across the Pacific
Ocean for a week-long exchange trip to Japan.
The excursion gave them some insight into the
language and culture of the Japanese people.
In this photo, students gathered for a
photo with chaperones Xavier Abrioux
(Head of Middle School) and Yoko
Guthrie (Japanese Instructor) at
the edge of the Victoria Airport
tarmac. See page 6 for details.
St. Michaels University School
3400 Richmond Road
Victoria, BC, CANADA V8P 4P5
If undeliverable, return to
Jenus Friesen photo
SMUS Middle School Musical
March 10-11, 2005
African music, marimbas,
drums, dancing and more!
See page 8 for details.
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