From the Head of School

9 July 2025Mr Garth Chalmers

Below is the address delivered by Mr Garth Chalmers, Head of School, to the Brentwood community on Closing Day, Friday, June 13, 2025.

Good morning. Welcome to the Campbell Common here on a beautiful June morning on the shores of the Saanich Inlet. 

I want to take a moment to welcome all of you to the first Closing ceremony of the second century here at Brentwood. 

Welcome, Governors, our amazing leaders on our Board who dedicate so much to guide Brentwood, ensuring its enduring legacy. 

Families – parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles and friends. Without your support, the 545 students here today, finishing the 2024-25 school year, would not have been as successful. 

Our Staff, without whom any of this would be possible: you dedicate incredible amounts of time and energy to ensuring we meet what is known as the Brentwood Standard in all we do, from feeding us and making sure we have clean clothes, to beautifying the campus both inside and out, to teaching in our classrooms, on the stage, in the studio or the field, gym, or any space we take part in physical activity.

And to our students, our amazing, hard-working, dedicated students. You sometimes wear white socks with your black shoes, which I totally do not get; or you have to be reminded to take out your earbud; you walk slowly to class even though it is after 8:15, or you drop an orange peel on the ground; please know that I admire you and am so glad to have had the chance this year to work alongside you. 

I hope you will take a moment to breathe in the amazing sea air, watch for eagles, seals and other wildlife, while we acknowledge the successes of our students this year and celebrate the coming summer vacation. I can tell you that each and every one of the students here has been challenged and forced to work hard to meet deadlines, join teams, audition for performances, and support their own wellness. 

Welcome, and let the festivities begin!

As we gather here today on the shores of the Salish Sea for our closing ceremony, I want to begin by simply saying, Thank You. Nearly a year ago I arrived on campus with my family and in that year I have felt nothing but warmth and kindness from this amazing Brentwood community. So, thank you to our students, our staff, our families, and every member of this community who has made this year what it has been, both for me as a new member of the community, but also for each one of you. I hope it has been unique, challenging and engaging. But I also hope it has been a chance for each of you to grow as individuals.

People have asked me throughout the year, How is it going? My response is typically something like, “I think it is going well, they haven’t asked me to leave, yet”. I can tell you, from my perspective, the year has been incredible and it has gone very well. And I hope the sentiment is shared. 

People also ask me how it has been to transition from living in downtown Toronto to the slightly quieter Mill Bay. To that I can say, it has been great. I may have grown up and lived most of my life in the city, but the access to the forests, mountains and rivers afforded me and my family living here, has been transformative. 

So, when I express my gratitude, I am doing so quite genuinely as I could not be more thrilled to be here at Brentwood in Mill Bay. 

After decades in education, I have found that the spring, and more specifically this time in June, always brings a mix of emotions for me, as I am sure it does for you. For sure, there is celebration and relief. Celebration of upcoming sleep-ins and time for doing other fun activities. And relief from the rigours of school: assignments, tests, presentations, and exams. 

However, I also hope there is an opportunity for reflection. Last May, when I attended my first Assembly and then again at the start of the school year, I asked you, our students, to consider your legacy at Brentwood. Well, here we are: it is already June. I hope you have found moments to think about your legacy this year and beyond. 

For those of you who will be back here in September, I hope you have begun to take steps, even small ones, to form your legacy. For those of you heading off on new adventures, I hope you had a chance to cement your legacy within your house, on a team, in the arts program or wherever it is that you feel most connected and comfortable.

Students, I want you to know that I am immensely proud of each of you. That may sound a bit corny, but it is true. This year, I have watched you play sports and play them well. I have watched you perform and viewed your art. This school has so much talent. It is truly remarkable. 

The second-to-last week of school provides a really great example. Between Wednesday and Sunday of that week, Brentwood students were involved in three fabulous endeavours and accomplishments. On the Wednesday, both our Senior Boys and Senior Girls rugby teams began their battle for a provincial championship. On the Thursday, and again on the Friday, our musicians performed in the annual Concert for a Summer’s Eve. And on the weekend, our rowers participated in the annual Canadian Secondary School Rowing Association Regatta, or National Championship in St. Catharines. 

• In rugby, our girls fought hard and won bronze, which is an amazing achievement. 

• In music, there were over 20 performances from ensembles to solos, many backed up by our amazing house band that included two students – Abby and Carys. We are going to miss you both next year in the house band.

• And in rowing, our crews had one of, if not the best, performances, winning 10 gold and 2 silver medals and the Team Efficiency Awards for both Girls and Boys, a feat not previously achieved. 

That is just an example of a five-day span. I could go on about accomplishments, but we would be here all weekend, and I know you are itching to get your summer vacation started. 

To all of our staff: I want to thank you for the work you do, much of which often goes unseen. Our values at Brentwood are Grit and Joy. It is our staff, no matter what the role, who ensure that we stick to these values and ensure that our students experience both. Everyone makes their contribution and we cannot ignore the value of those small moments and how they shape the lives of our students. Thank you!

To our families, I would like to thank you for entrusting your child or children to us. A boarding school has a unique and special place in education. Not only do most of our families entrust us to educate their children, they entrust us to care for them seven days a week throughout the school year. That trust is so critical and so appreciated. Know that we continue to do everything we can to earn and maintain your trust. 

In a few short hours you will leave our campus for the summer. I hope you leave knowing that you are part of a vibrant and engaged community. I hope you will find ways to stay connected to each other even if you are many kilometers apart. I also hope you are able to celebrate the highlights from the year that is done and that you can find learning from those moments that might feel more like lowlights. Take a moment to acknowledge how you have grown and changed this year and think about setting goals for the summer and next year. 

Now, let’s get to the good stuff! It is time to celebrate award recipients and acknowledge members of the community. As I mentioned at the Internal Awards Assembly last week, it is important to celebrate individual successes and hard work. However, not getting an award does not mean your efforts go unrecognized or that you are not a valid member of the community. 

Please join me in celebrating our award recipients.

I hope you all have an amazing summer and look forward to seeing you in the fall. 

Mr Garth Chalmers, Head of School