The Head’s Tales: Building the Courage to Try!
The students have returned from their Outweek activities and the responses from the girls have been very positive. This year, we included new…
The Head’s Tales: The Importance of Affiliation
The roots of affiliation begin with the family when children are connected by strong emotional bonds of attachment to their parents and siblings. As…
The Head’s Tales: Making a Great First Impression
Welcome back! I hope everyone had a wonderful summer holiday and that everyone is excited about what the 2014/15 school year will bring. SMS is…
Following Your Own Path
The road to graduation is a long, and occasionally, steep climb and certainly warrants a celebration by parents, staff and most importantly, the…
Entrepreneurial spirit and innovation
Last week, I had the privilege of attending the 11th annual Distinguished Entrepreneur of the Year gala at the Victoria Convention Centre. This…
The Head’s Tales: The Power of Engagement
Engagement is a hot topic these days and is generally talked about in terms of student motivation – socially, intellectually, and instructionally,…
The Head’s Tales: Finding Your Voice
“Women typically approach adulthood with the understanding that the care and empowerment of others is central to their life’s work. Through…
The Head’s Tales: The Hidden Curriculum
Two weeks ago, I had the honour of chairing a CAIS Accreditation Team. My team had the privilege of visiting a Middle School (Grades 6 – 9) with a…
The Art of Giving and Receiving
Last week, the Grade 11 Leadership students organized the second annual SMS Service Day. Every student (from the youngest to the oldest)…
The Head’s Tales: Connecting Teaching and Learning
Welcome Back! Spring Break is a great time to anticipate the end of the school year but also to reflect on what has been accomplished over the past…
Celebrating Diversity
In preparation for my return to Victoria, having spent nearly two weeks in China visiting current and new families, I have come to realize the…
It’s all about perspective
Given our recent weather patterns and in particular our chilly nights (albeit not as crazy as what is happening in other parts of the country), I…
Making Connections
I wrote a blog two years ago on this very topic entitled Connected but Disconnected. At that time, I wrote about social media creating a forum that…
The Head’s Tales: Fail Forward
The theme this month at SMS is Perseverance – an important attribute that distinguishes winners from losers! In general, winners focus on what they…
The Head’s Tales: Using play to find passion and purpose
Over the winter break, I had the opportunity to read a number of books that sparked my curiosity and excitement for what is possible at St.…
In Search of the Holiday Spirit
As the holiday season approaches with its frenzied pace, I wonder about what is meant when we talk about the “Holiday Spirit.” It is not easy to…
The Head’s Tales: Simple Words, Powerful Message
I grew up with Dr. Seuss and although his stories on the surface appear whimsical and somewhat simple in text and format, his message is…
Doing the Right Thing
At our last assembly, Student Council introduced the value of Integrity to the student body. Integrity is a guiding principle within our Strategic…
The Head’s Tales: Managing Expectations
Sometimes expectations can pose a major challenge for organizations and for individuals – they can grow, shrink, change shape and/or direction. In…
Reflections on Outweek
Last week, students from K – 12 as well as staff participated in Outweek Activities. As has been the norm at St. Margaret’s for over two decades,…
The Head’s Tales: What would you do if you weren’t afraid?
At St. Margaret’s, you will see girls who are fully engaged (both in learning and leading), confident in sharing their voices, and comfortable trying…
The Head’s Tales: The Power of Being Inspired
This summer I spent a great deal of time enjoying the fabulous weather and being “in the moment” appreciating what was in front of me. I also…
Concluding thoughts for 2012/13
This is my last blog post for the school year. Last August, I was challenged to put my thoughts on paper - in this case our website. For someone…
Back From Harvard
I have just arrived home after spending a week at this prestigious university learning about CHANGE. It was surreal wandering the campus feeling the…
The Importance of the Arts
Over the past two weeks, I, like many others of the SMS community, had the opportunity to experience a wonderful display of artistic talents that…
The Head’s Tales: Limitless Learning
St. Margaret’s has the most enviable of locations allowing us to extend learning beyond the regular classroom. This past year, St. Margaret’s…
The Head’s Tales: Success and Passion
I have just completed reading an article from the Harvard Business Review entitled “Creating the Best Workplace on Earth” (May 2013). Within that…
The Head’s Tales: Everything Old is New Again
Depending on your age, you might remember the lyrics from the composer – Peter Allan who stated: “No need to remember when, 'cause everything old is…
The Head’s Tales: Leading through Change
It is not always easy leading through change – particularly when you want to model for others what you expect of them! It sometimes requires you to…
The Head’s Tales: More Alike Than Different
My colleagues and I have just returned from China having met with a number of current families who have chosen St. Margaret’s as the place for their…