Forging the Path
A comprehensive tactical plan has been developed to activate the Spark strategic vision. It will be a 5-10 year horizon of activities that will evolve as required to meet our goals.
We are advancing this strategy with a number of key initiatives designed to advance the objectives of ‘The Big 3’:
1. Human Capital and Unconventional Expertise
- We aligned our faculty and staff recruitment practices with our strategic vision, mission, and values so that incoming team members understand and believe in Spark.
- Professional Learning for faculty and staff, including topics like Artificial Intelligence, Pluralism, Courageous Conversations, Brain Health, and more.
- Guest speakers brought external expertise to our community, including Dr. Lisa Damour, Kory Wilson, Dr. Sherry Chan, Angela Marie MacDougall, and more.
2. Transformational Program
- Research and realign curriculum design to achieve a more expansive vision of academics to include creativity, character development and life skills.
- With input from faculty, we developed a Transformational Program Promise to articulate our educational program.
- Enhance current collaborations and experiential programs, (i.e., Victory Gardens, Foodrunners, GO! Outdoor Education and International Exchange), to bring the classroom into the world.
- Investigate new approaches and integration of diverse subject areas to personalize learning and create a seamless path from Grade 8 through graduation.
- Courageous Conversations, a program for Senior School students, faculty and staff piloted last year, will be implemented. This provides an opportunity to explore challenging social and world issues while learning the skills of active listening, respectfully engaging with diverse perspectives on sensitive issues, and expanding our worldview.
- Collected and reviewed valuable information about student well-being and belonging in Grades 4-12 through Challenge Success and Middle-Years Development Instrument surveys to inform changes in our program.
- We’re assessing JS student growth year over year in literacy through the UFLI Literacy Institute and the DIBELS Zones of Growth. Both highly informative external resources and assessments to ensure our high standards of academic excellence.
- Changed our Senior School Schedule to intentionally build connection and belonging through weekly community time on Wednesdays.
- Changed Little and Junior School schedule to build time for faculty collaboration and interdisciplinary work, particularly when integrating science, technology and art.
- Created the role of Vice Principal of Student Life and Belonging to focus on community connection, co-curricular programs and student wellbeing.
- Created the role of Dean of Academic Excellence who works closely with Principals and their teams to ensure coherence and continuity across the academic experience from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 12.
- YHS is now cell-phone free to promote real-world social connections between students and to reduce the negative impact of social media on student mental wellbeing.
- Two faculty research teams looked into research internships and work placements for our Senior school students.
- We expanded our Senior School course offering by adding Entrepreneurship and Engineering courses, as well as providing more than 20+ new courses through a partnership with Global Online Academy.
Across the LS and JS, faculty is examining current resources and practice to create a more cohesive, streamlined approach to teaching Mathematics. Math consultant, Kara Imm, will begin working with LS and JS staff this year to support this work.
3. Dynamic Future
- Transformation of Junior School facilities including a new Innovation Lab and Atelier to support enhanced learning in science, art, engineering and technology, new staff and office spaces for enhanced collaboration, and a new Student Success Centre to highlight our Learning Strategies and counselling services.
- Renovation of Senior School spaces to support more complex program developments including a Multimedia Lab and an Engineering and Robotics Lab.
- Building and expanding our technology strategy so it is flexible and adaptable, able to support real-world student learning.
- Invested in school infrastructure, including environmentally conscious waste management and lighting upgrades.
- A new main campus running track to support Athletics and Physical Health Education classes.
- We launched a refreshed brand and new website to communicate the identity of York House School and attract a diverse group of students, faculty, and staff.
Continued growth and expansion of our YHS Connect online platform to increase global Alum engagement and networking opportunities.