OUR PURPOSE . . . To prepare young people

to thrive in meaningful lives

First and foremost, preparation for a meaningful life must be grounded in the clear thinking and discipline that only an exacting academic program can instill. The ideal preparatory environment must also enrich and challenge the whole child at every turn. Collingwood strives thoughtfully and purposefully to build just such an environment through bountiful co-curricular programming in Athletics, Arts and Service. Combined with the primary emphasis, Academics, these four strands are the bedrock of a Collingwood education.

Preparation for a meaningful life must also be practical. We recognize that students learn in different ways and become passionate about different things. This is the basis of our Learning Support and KEY programs and our efforts to customize individual courses of study where we can. Our High Performance pro-gram allows for customized schedules to accommodate aspiring athletes, actors or dancers. We are also very intentional about assignments, projects and experi-ences that will reinforce critical thinking, imagination and creativity, skills we feel will have huge equity moving forward.

Knowledge of the world is essential to thriving in it. Our students cannot afford to be parochial in their thinking or actions, and therefore understanding the responsibilities of global citizenship is an essential preparation for a meaningful life. We encourage students to travel throughout Canada and around the globe on student exchanges, tours and service projects. At home, in addition to infusing curricular and co-curricular life constantly with global issues, we intentionally seek a diverse student body, which is itself a subtle but powerful preparatory tool for thriving in the world.

Finally, contribution needs to be near the centre of any meaningful life. This attitude requires a frame of mind that genuinely cares about one’s corner of the world and those who share it. Our students’ privileged position obliges them to give back, not merely consume. Therefore, every program and practice at Collingwood School is aimed at weaving into the very soul of every Collingwood student the determination to lead a life that makes a difference, a life that understands and embraces responsible citizenship, a life that seeks always to influence others positively.

OUR COMMITMENTS . . .

Our mission as a school is to prepare young people to thrive in meaningful lives. We believe meaningful lives are developed slowly and intentionally over time. They are the product of what an individual brings to the opportunities they are offered. They are nurtured by astute and forward-thinking educators.

Our Strategic Plan, while looking purposefully down the road, must not only remain faithful to the above mission, but must also have workable, practical initiatives to truly activate it. This plan has four core commitments that when intertwined give us a clear and strong path for the next several years.

Commitment to StaffOur first priority is to recruit, develop and retain preeminent teachers capable of building the sort of skills and attitudes in their students that have real equity in the 21st century. Our Strategic Plan addresses this prime objective on many levels, not the least of which is a commitment to infuse our teaching with the most potent professional practices that exist.

Commitment to SyllabusThe best educational thinking tells us the skills with the most currency in the 21st century will be creativity, critical thinking, problem solving, imagination, and collaboration. These aptitudes not only depend on a strong foundation of the “3Rs”, but also a healthy dose of a 4Th R: right brain exercises. Our curriculum will reflect contemporary thinking and research and be individualized to students’ needs and aspirations as much as possible.

Commitment to SettingThe quality of any learning environment is dependent on the resources available and the caliber of people using them. We will not only concentrate on accepting and retaining promising students who will contribute positively to the school environment, but will provide the everyday checks and balances that help define a trusting and edifying school culture. As well, we are committed to developing our facilities to open up new curricular and co-curricular possibilities. We will never stop trying to enhance the breadth and quality of our students’ experiences at Collingwood.

Commitment to StabilityProviding a robust and contemporary education is not inexpensive, nor is it easily sustained. As Collingwood continues to invest in staff, syllabus, and setting we promise to balance these upgrades with affordability and be scrupulous in delivering value for money. In particular, we will seek ways to finance our growth and redevelopment in a responsible manner. Finally, we pledge to have in place the sort of stable governance and leadership that instills confidence in the soundness of our strategic direction.

Our principles . . .

We commit to . . .

Offering a broad, liberal education that has worldwide currency

Providing rigor, engagement and individual attention in the classroom

Customizing timetables to suit students’ needs

Providing exposure and encouragement to excel in Athletics and Arts

Allowing students to discover the value of public speaking, travel abroad and outdoor experiences

Presenting Service opportunities at home and abroad

Understanding every student and caring deeply about their well-being

Turning students’ mistakes into learning opportunities

Maintaining a sense of perspective, humour and humility in dealing with young people

Believing in the students we teach and demonstrating that to them

Helping develop creative, contributing, morally sound young citizens

Ensuring every student gets extra help they deserve and require

Appreciating, understanding and harnessing the diversity within our school community

Insisting on courtesy, optimism and respect in all interpersonal exchanges and relationships

Engaging in clear, frank and regular communication with our parents

Ensuring strong, stable Board and Administrative leadership

Modelling honourable and responsible decision-making among faculty and staff

The Voyage Ahead COLLINGWOOD SCHOOL

STRATEGIC PLAN2010 - 2015

Andrzej Kowalski, ChairDavid BustosBob CorbettLisa EvansSusan HazellDebra Hewson

Ian KennedyEleanor MinishJohn ReidLarry SandrinRodger Wright

Strategic Plan Committee

The Voyage Ahead

COLLINGWOOD SCHOOL

STRATEGIC

PLAN2010 - 2015

GOAL: We will infuse our teaching with the most contemporary, relevant,efffective professional practices that help address the development of an educated mind.

1One universal truth in education was continually reinforced during our strategic review; namely, a school marches on the strength of its faculty. We know anecdotally and factually that nothing drives a school more than a can-do faculty committed to taking an active and deliberate role in a school’s success. Accordingly, we will continue to invest significant resources into teacher recruitment, growth and excellence, and make sure both the caliber of their compensation and the nature of their work environment are of high quality.

We will:

Recruit educators with a passion for their subjects and a strong will to improve

Ensure our work environment is professionally stimulating and personally rewarding

Coach and cultivate our young teachers

Develop a measurable framework to connect firmly teachers’ daily practices with student learning

Be leaders in the strategic integration of technology in the classroom

GOAL: We will continue to foster and amplify a school-wide, integrated and sequenced curricular “Collingwood Way” that will develop an educated mind.

2Rich mental skills such as imagination, critical thinking, analysis, collaboration, communication, empathy, problem solving, and deep meaning are the currency of the educated mind. It is these attributes that are the base of developing character and identity. These attributes are developed in an environment that combines an intentional focus, strong foundational skills, a rich knowledge base and experiences that guide students in exploring and extending their abilities.

We will:

Continually evolve our curriculum using the latest literature and research on the skills needed to thrive in the 21st century

Actively collaborate with post-secondary educators such as Imaginative Education Research Group at Simon Fraser University

Create a new Collingwood Middle Years Program (CMYP) for Grade 6-9

Aim to have every senior student taking at least two AP courses and one wellness/lifestyle course

GOAL: We will continue to enhance theopportunities for customized courses of study tailored to individualstudent needs.

3Research informs us that whenever we can give students some control over what they study, their performance will soar. Likewise, being able to cater to individual students’ unique talents and passion is a great way to energize the whole school experience. Accordingly, we will look for creative ways to keep our students’ dreams alive as well as make sure they keep their university options open.

We will:

Continue to develop maximum flexibility into our timetabling and term schedules

Refine and promote our own High Performance Program and explore association with “Academies” on the North Shore

Expand our “Experience the World” Program

Create a Collingwood based summer academic program

GOAL: We will strengthen the opportunities beyond the formal classroom to test and develop both the cerebrum and character of our students.

4Collingwood will continue to put significant resources into activities outside the formal classroom in order to be deliberate about the development of the whole child. We know that experiential opportunities, be they on a field, on a stage, in the wild, or in a foreign country are powerful learning tools. Such activities begin to illuminate the synergy and joy of such ideas asteamwork, collaboration, and shared decision-making. They highlight the values of discipline, integrity, resilience, and personal accountability. They are also for the most part fun and memorable.

We will:

Put more resources into coaching

Expand co-curricular opportunities as facilities enable us to do so

Increase exchange and service project opportunities through Round Square

Institute a “House System” at the Morven campus

Cultivate and extend our relationship with the Kay Meek Centre

Support and facilitate annual artistic, athletic and cultural tours

GOAL: We will redistribute our studentpopulation in order to have a moreselective, sustainable, committed student body.

5The realities of declining school-aged children and increasing choice and competition on the North Shore have led us to examine a more strategic distribution of our student population. By narrowing the intake of students at the Junior School we will have more competition for fewer spaces, hence elevating the quality of the entering student and making the limited spaces more desirable. We wish to maximize the number of students at the Senior School, not only because that is where we know the demand is, but because it gives us a better critical mass to run broader, more competitive Athletic and Arts programs.

We will:

Eliminate one class set (20 students) per year in the Junior School beginning with Kindergarten 2010-2011

Move Grade 7 to the Junior School in September 2012

Establish a Middle Years Program (CMYP) beginning at Wentworth (Gr. 6+7) and ending at Morven (Gr. 8+9)

Make pre-Kindergarten alternatives more attractive and accessible to our families

Establish an Early Learning Centre applying aspects of the Foundation Stage Curriculum (UK) to children ages three to five years old.

GOAL: We will build f irst classfacilities driven by excellence inprogramming and opportunity.6

It is true that most things can be taught well anywhere, as long as a good teacher is present. This principle breaks down when applied to certain disciplines that require complex equipment or extraordinary space or both.

At Collingwood, we have experienced limitations on our PE and Athletics programs, our Arts offerings and our Science curriculum by not having enough of this sophisticated space. As well, with the move of Grades 6 and 7 to the Wentworth campus by 2012, we have an opportunity to totally rebuild the Founders’ Wing and finally reconcile traffic flow and parking at the Morven campus.

We will:

Take on projects that are under our control or subject only to reasonable conditions and approval processes

Establish artificial turf fields at both campuses and update the Science Domain at the Morven campus

Replace the aging infrastructure at the Morven campus

Build a full size gym at the Wentworth campus and a second gym at the Morven campus

Develop a fiscally prudent and achievable funding model prior to major development at the Morven campus

GOAL: We will be more proactiveand intentional in articulatingthe Collingwood difference.

7Collingwood is an undeniable success with thriving alumni, thrilled families, and has ambitious plans to get even better. Still, in order to continue to attract the best students, the best faculty and the best philanthropy, we need to be more aggressive and creative about presenting the Collingwood story. If done with integrity and flair, Collingwood can begin to be more widely recognized as a centre of educational excellence in BC, if not in Canada.

We will:

Clearly articulate our “value proposition” and differentiators to our community and beyond

Communicate consistently and regularly our successes, progress and significant milestones

Restructure the Advancement Office to include Admissions

Augment Advancement staff with particular emphasis on communications and constituent relations

Explore and implement various e-initiatives, strengthen our branding and include video as part of our website

GOAL: We will put in place the infrastructure to sustain Collingwood as a centre of excellence for decades to come.

8Now that we are well established in the constellation of independent schools in Canada, it is time to begin to cement a healthy future. All of the most venerable educational institutions worldwide have done this with stable, progressive leadership, alumni engagement and endowment growth. This brings philanthropy, stewardship, and advocacy to the School on a continuing basis. Although Collingwood has dipped its toes in all three mechanisms in its 25-year history, it is time now to commit more resources in these areas if we are to ensure prosperity in our 50th year and beyond.

We will:

Research, study and incorporate the most contemporary and effective governance practices

Ensure there is a planned, reproducible continuity within the School’s Senior Leadership Group and Board of Governors

Actively engage more Alumni as lifelong supporters and advocates

Recalibrate our Foundation to emphasize endowment growth and long-term stewardship of the School

Promote those Collingwood traditions that add to the uniqueness of our School