Right on cue, the first really spring-like day caused an immediate outburst from the cherry trees along our main campus driveway. At SMUS, blossoms mean hope.
By the time you read this, the pressures and hectic routine of last term will be behind us. The promise of all that spring brings, together with the opportunity for quality family time, will provide a refreshing change from the damp days of winter. We can look ahead to the warmth, growth and success that summer will bring as we plan toward the conclusion of the school year.
Congratulations to all our students and their myriad supporters for all they have achieved. By every measure, even by SMUS’s high expectations, we have enjoyed a few weeks of phenomenal success. At various public gatherings, I sometimes speak on the theme of holistic education. Holistic is a word with Greek origins. The Greek word holos means whole. Within the world of schools, holistic often refers to the combination of arts, to stimulate creativity; athletics, to promote health of the body (mens sana in corpore sano); and academics, to stimulate intellectual curiosity and develop the mind. The last few weeks have provided plenty of evidence that our aspiration to be excellent in these three areas has been achieved.
In the world of the arts, there can be no better demonstration of our commitment than the SMUSical tradition. Stretching back over decades to the inspirational leadership of Colin Skinner, the SMUSical has provided generations of SMUS students with the opportunity to explore their enthusiasms, build their confidence and show off their talents on a professional stage. This year’s performance of The Prom raised the bar once again. Ask someone who was lucky enough to be in the audience for a review.
Similarly, the Middle School showed that the conveyor belt of talent is secure. Its interpretation of Rock of Ages, fast-paced and fun, was a demonstration of joie de vivre from so many.
Over the last few weeks, I attended five city and island basketball finals, of which we won four. The crowning achievement, however, was the fairy-tale provincial title win by the senior girls basketball team. This victory was made all the sweeter by recent history, which shows that we have lost in the semifinals and finals over the last few years. So close yet so far was the theme. To eventually win the crown was a huge achievement and quite rightly celebrated by everyone involved. As I write, our senior boys basketball team heads to provincials, ranked fifth. We wish them every success as they take on mighty opposition. Our rowers performed well at the Elk Lake Regatta and have rising confidence to repeat success at the Canadian Secondary Schools Rowing Association nationals from May 30 to June 1, 2025.
Of course, athletics is more than winning the odd provincial banner. As I sit in my office looking out over our sports fields, there are more than 100 students practising a variety of different sports. A plan to increase participation in sport was recently discussed at our senior leadership team’s strategic retreat. For now, I encourage all students to get involved in our athletics program, with the ambition to represent our school in some way during their progress through SMUS. The dedication to routines and collaboration needed to be an effective team member is a lifelong skill that we believe all students should have the opportunity to develop. It is so important for all students to meet with triumph and disaster and treat those two impostors just the same.
This brings me to the final leg of the holistic tripod: academics. There have been many things going on in our programs from the Junior School through to the Senior School. I enjoyed dropping into the Middle School science fair, which once again proved to be an exhibition of independent inquiry and entrepreneurial flair.
At the Senior School, we continue with plans to develop our STEAM facilities and curriculum. In that context, I was particularly delighted to hear that our physics team placed second out of 81 schools in the recent UBC Physics Olympics.
I know that the Junior and Middle School communities were also delighted to have it confirmed that our school tied for first place out of 954 schools in the latest publication of the Fraser Institute B.C. elementary school rankings. This is a great tribute to the students who sit various tests and to the teachers who inspire them.
For me, as we wrap up a busy term that has required stamina and resilience from many, I would like to say, on everyone’s behalf, a thank you and farewell to Shara Campsall, our director of advancement. Shara has been involved in almost every aspect of SMUS life over the past 12 years. Known to many of you as a parent, she has invested boundless time and joy into building relationships with students, parents and members of our extended philanthropic diaspora. Shara has been headhunted for one of the biggest positions in advancement in B.C. I know that you will join me in wishing her every success as she moves on to St. George’s School in Vancouver. We send thanks and congratulations in equal measure.
I trust that you will all enjoy a few weeks of rest and relaxation over the break. As our school music tour heads off to Argentina, Elizabeth and I will be setting off to explore the lesser-known reaches of beautiful British Columbia for a final time.
Before then, very best wishes to you all, and safe travels.
Mark Turner
Head of School
