Welcome back!  The Winter Break provides a welcome opportunity to relax, recharge batteries and catch-up with family and friends.  I hope everyone has made good use of this opportunity. With the upcoming academic year and the Winter Olympic Games, 2010 promises to be a very busy and invigorating year!

I congratulate the entire school community for finishing off the December school year with style and panache. A delightful series of holiday concerts were a wonderful way to finish a fine term.  And assuredly I speak on behalf of all the staff in thanking the MVP and the parent community for the magnificent baked goodies that were prepared and superbly packaged for all of us. The collaborative and community spirit is alive and well at Mulgrave. We have much to be thankful for.
 
Looking to January 2010, there are several upcoming events and points of interest that I look forward to sharing with you.  
 
All aboard the new Mulgrave Bus
As you drove up to the school this morning, you may have noticed our new Mulgrave bus!  Thanks to a generous Gala Wish List donation, we are now the proud owners of a beautiful 24-seater bus.  We are excited to be showcasing our school as we travel to athletic events and Mulgrave in Motion excursions.  Look for us out on the roads!
 
BC Ministry Inspection
I am pleased to report that last Fall, Mulgrave was given a glowing report by the BC Inspector of Independent Schools.

 Every six years BC Independent Schools must undergo a comprehensive inspection by the BC Inspector of Schools to confirm schools are fulfilling Ministry requirements.  This is a significant process. Schools are required to submit a full and detailed written report, followed by a four day visit from an inspection team which spends time visiting classes, inspecting records and talking with staff.

This past Fall, Mulgrave underwent this inspection. To prepare, Stella Ablett completed an extremely thorough and comprehensive document which described all our programmes. Overall, the Inspectors were hugely impressed by all they read and what they saw during their visit.  They concluded with a very complimentary report which presented 12 "Commendations" as part of their Summary Report. Please see attached. Read more...
 
Grade 10 Education Consulting with Dr Whitney Laughlin
It is our pleasure to announce that we have been fortunate to secure the services of Dr Whitney Laughlin for all our grade 10 students.  She is a reputable educational consultant who works in both Canada and the United States.  We have asked Dr Laughlin to meet with each and every one of our grade 10 students to provide individual guidance regarding post-secondary options.  Mulgrave School is happy to offer this initial consultation free of charge. 

Greg Mortenson at Mulgrave January 14th January - Sold out!
Greg Mortenson, author of Three Cups of Tea and Stones into Schools, will be speaking at Mulgrave on Thursday, January 14 at 7 pm.

This event, organised and sponsored by Kidsbooks, is already sold-out. It promises to be an informative and inspiring tribute to the work of Mr. Mortenson, and his remarkable achievements in making education a reality for so many children in Pakistan and Afghanistan. We are working with Kidsbooks to ensure the success of this event.

Mulgrave Olympic Update
Over the past three years, Mulgrave has built a strong relationship with VANOC and the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games.  Spearheaded by Karyn Mitchell, our students have participated from early on with local organisers on the North Shore; Olympic athletes and Paralympians have visited our classrooms; our Gala in 2009 embraced the Olympics theme; and from the outset we declared we would be closed for the Games so that our students and community could participate in this once-in-a-lifetime world class event in our home city.

By making our school facilities available to the Olympic organisers during the Games, we have established ourselves as "Community Partners" with VANOC, a status of which we can be very proud.  VANOC will be using our Parking facilities and ground floor rooms for coordinating transportation around the Cypress facility. Our facilities were also to be used by the ski and snowboard teams who are to compete on Cypress Mountain; however, in the end, the logistics of setting up an overnight facility for athletes at Mulgrave proved to be too complex for organisers. 

Mulgrave will be a busy place during the Games. Access will be restricted and all school activities suspended for the duration. We will be sharing more information as we learn more.  The Olympics Opening Ceremonies are just 39 days away!

Sincerely,

Tony Macoun
Head of School
tmacoun@mulgrave.com