Update: Strategic Plan – Setting the Standard.

23 January 2015Bud Patel

I hope you enjoyed a well-earned holiday with family and friends. Below is a progress report on our Strategic Plan – Setting the Standard. Strategic Goal: Innovation Strategic Priorities 1. We must provide a world class boarding school experience. As witnessed by the emergence of our new girls’ residence, we have recommitted to our core belief that a full boarding programme provides the best learning environment for today’s student. For a number of years we have dealt with overcrowded houses and off-campus boarders. The additional residence will welcome our Hope House girls in September 2015, return Rogers House to a full boys’ house, and reduce the population in all of the residences. Additionally, Alexandra House, after significant study and refurbishment, has been saved with a full exterior refurbishment. In the coming years, capital upgrades to each residence are planned to ensure all students, both boarding and day, are positively affected by these enhancements. Moreover, with the addition of more on-campus suites, we are committed to having a third adult attached to each residence. The Boarding Life Programme, started last year, is making progress to ensure an excellent standard of complete care for each student. Notably, Assistant Head of School, Marius Felix and Health and Wellness Counsellor, Andrea Felix, presented the Programme at the annual TABS Conference in Washington D.C. We have also undertaken a review of our service to international boarders, and a student-led task force looking to create a more student-friendly McNeill Centre. Ultimately, the Boarding Life Programme is about delivering a residential life curriculum that includes matters of mental health and overall student wellness. 2. We must be a leading-edge place of learning. Fortunately, as we move to improve our teaching and learning experience, we are coming from a position of strength. Having said that, to remain a leader amongst our peer group, we need to be mindful of educational changes. As we navigate the exciting waters ahead, a balanced approach will be taken. Our focus is to enable teachers and students to use a wide-array of teaching and learning strategies from group work to formal tests; from student-led learning to teacher-directed lectures; from cloud collaboration to handwritten notes; and, from personalization to communal learning. We are pleased to see an uptake of professional development with a focus on assessment, experiential learning, differentiation, and teacher growth plans. As part of the budgeting process, we are reviewing our current needs and planning exciting new course offerings. We are actively creating learning partnerships with UVic, VIU, Guelph University, Ocean Networks Canada, EBUS, and Connected North. The Grade 8 experiment has been exceedingly well received and we have been impressed with their contribution to the wider school community. From the Night of the Notables to music, from debate to athletics, these students have made a positive impact on our campus. We do recognize that some of these changes may prove challenging and we are committed to supporting everyone through this time of transition. 3. We must have an open and global mindset. Once again this year, we have increased the number and variety of cultures on our campus. Additions this year include students from Swaziland, Iran, and the Ukraine. Last spring, we organized our first ever service trip to Peru – a life changing experience for all participants. Upcoming tripartite tours will take students and staff to Argentina, Europe, and the United States. Here on campus we are thankful for the willingness of our Food Services team to create special meals and cultural celebrations for students from around the world. Our academic department heads continue to seek ways of weaving global perspectives into our curricula. 4. We must enhance our unique tripartite programme. Our commitment to the tripartite experience remains unshaken; in fact, we are examining ways of creating even more opportunities to access our programmes. We are fortunate to have a triumvirate of directors who positively collaborate in the best interests of our students. A few new highlights over 2014 included the inaugural TEDx Brentwood, InSIGHT Gallery opening, and hosting the AA Senior Girls Provincial Volleyball Championships. Strategic Goal: Sustainability Strategic Priorities 1. We must build a financially sustainable model. To support our delivery of the best possible student experience, we have built five and ten year financial models that take into account our current debt situation. We must always be mindful that our main source of revenue continues to be tuition and that given global economic uncertainty, we must plan carefully and conservatively. To maintain our diverse student body, financial aid remains key and we hope to increase our ratio of 1 in 5 students that receive support. Other revenue streams will remain active. We are optimistic that the Brentwood experience is well worth the investment by our families. 2. We must be a model school for operational and environmental sustainability. Over the past year, we have built a 25 year capital maintenance plan that includes every square meter of our campus – from roofs to furniture. This plan has been incorporated into our financial models. Our Operations teams are already planning their summer schedules to ensure we are well prepared for the opening of the 2015/16 school year. The Food Services, Laundry/Housekeeping, and Maintenance/Transportation departments deserve special praise for finding solutions to myriad requests and issues. Their “can do” attitude is reflective of the Brentwood way. 3. We must be an even greater place to work. Brentwood remains more than a just a place to work – it is a lifestyle choice that has numerous tangible and intangible benefits. We are pleased with the continued enhancements to our overall compensation model including some significant improvements in our benefit package. As we enter the busy hiring season, we will focus on adding the best possible colleagues to our unique staff culture. Employee on-boarding, succession planning, and the continued development of HR policies and procedures are our key areas of focus. Strategic Goal: Engagement Strategic Priorities 1. We must have a fully engaged Brentwood Family. The Brentwood Family includes all those who love and support our school – students, staff, parents, Governors, former staff members, past parents, and Old Brentonians. Whether internal or external, timely and interesting communication is key. Less than a year ago, we launched our new web site; it better reflects today’s school with enhanced content including a strong social media presence. While there have been some challenges, MySchool enables a more personalized approach for our students and parents. Old Brentonians are seeing more attention with networking events in Vancouver and Calgary, adding to our extensive global reunion receptions. This year’s Brentwood Regatta will act as a homecoming event for our Old Brentonians and we look forward to hosting them. All of us have a part to play in engaging current and future family members and we thank you taking such pride in our school. 2. We must create a culture of philanthropy. We have successfully increased, in both dollars and participation, our Annual Fund campaign. Furthermore, we remain committed to increasing our endowment that currently sits at $11M. This long-term strategy will enable us to grow our financial aid and improve our programmes. On the capital side, our Advancement Team quickly raised the funds for both the new girls’ residence and Alex House refurbishment – not an easy task! Our campus master planning process is revealing key needs that will shape our future fundraising strategy. We thank all of you who make Brentwood one of your ongoing charitable commitments – many of our major donors inquire about staff participation and we appreciate your generosity. As you can see, we have already made significant inroads with much work still remaining. Thank you for your commitment to Brentwood and best wishes to you and your family for 2015. De Manu In Manum, Bud Patel, Head of School

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