Spring Forward! A time for Renewal and Optimism

With the dawning of spring this week, and some very special celebrations that mark the equinox calendar - Norouz, Navroz, and Easter - I want to take a moment to reflect on the notion of renewal. Spring, the season of rebirth, symbolises the power of incremental small changes ‘budding’ into dazzling impacts…like the cherry blossoms we will soon see around Vancouver. I see the same in our approach to tackling big issues like climate change or resolving major conflicts between countries. It can be small actions - like riding the school bus, cutting down on plastics, and reusing materials - as well as behavioural changes - like allyship, kindness, and empathy - that can make a difference on both a small and grand scale. Let’s renew our commitment to building a positive community through these acts of service and compassion - also reflected as we progress through the fasting month of Ramadan, with routines of self-sacrifice and self-discipline that often form the foundation for broader perspective and empathy. Personal restraint, alongside the daily behavioural routines of community service, are fundamental ingredients required to grow the values-driven young people we want to see at Mulgrave.

Seeing our wonderful Norouz displays representing renewal prompts me to also update you on the early community feedback that is helping formulate ideas for a new strategic plan that will be launched in 2025. I have convened meetings with parent reps connected to all four divisions, our student board, all faculty and staff during our recent Pro-D day, and the Board of Directors during our recent two day retreat. The questions we have been addressing concern:

• what is sacred to Mulgrave School, including protecting those values mentioned above
• what we might need to evolve and refine in our school moving forward
• (and most importantly) what are the opportunities and areas that a future-facing school must engage with to prepare our youngest students - who will graduate in 2038!

I have also mobilised what I consider to be the best thinking from research and practice coming out of the top IB schools worldwide and thought leaders in global education. This includes the significant research conducted by UNESCO, the World Economic Forum, and the Council of International Schools. We are also partnering with the Villars Institute in Switzerland to provide our students with exceptional access to cutting-edge research and thinking in addressing the educational response to the polycrisis through systems thinking and learning innovation. This aligns well with the feedback received from Mulgrave’s own advisory board which includes representatives from Canadian universities, the world of arts, engineering, entrepreneurial business, engineering, and finance. I will continue to reach out in the coming months to gather more feedback from students and families to ensure we have comprehensive guidance as we further develop the strategic plan.

For those celebrating cultural events of significance during Spring Break, I hope you are enjoying this time with loved ones and the traditions that you hold dear. For all of us to develop our inter-cultural understanding and get to know more about the traditions amongst our community is very meaningful. I appreciate all of the parents and loved ones who have supported special displays and events, students who have shared with their peers and teachers, as well as my colleagues who have supported all of our learning. If you are interested in learning more about these dates of significance, you will find some links below.

Norouz Mobarak, Navroz Mubarak, Ramadan Kareem, and Happy Easter!
 

LINKS

• Norouz: Persian New Year
• Navroz: Ismaili New Year
• Ramadan: Muslim holy month
• Easter: Christian celebration
• Book recommendations from Mulgrave’s EY & JS Library