Inch by Inch, Row by Row After learning about plants in the thirdsemester, the Grade 3 students broughttheir Junior Kindergarten Reading Buddiesout to the garden at the Junior School toput their green thumbs to the test. Theyspent an afternoon getting their handsdirty and planting a butterfly garden, avegetable garden, and an herb garden. The students learned about the differenttypes of plants, tasted herbs, dug, sowed,mulched and watered to create a beautifulgarden. This collaboration between thestudents, the Gardening Committee (made up of parents and teachers), and Evergreen, was a result of your generousdonations to the Annual Fund.

Right: Students tend to the garden

Curtain CallThe Coliseum, otherwise known as theSenior School gym, is home to manymemorable moments for our entirecommunity; from game-winning baskets to graduation and from theatre to concerthall, the space meets many needs. Thanksto your generous donations to the AnnualFund, we have improved these facilitieswith new drapes, sound mixer, wirelessmicrophone kits and handheld microphones.These purchases, alongside this year’sGrade 12 graduation gift of omni-directionalspeakers, help us transform our gym into a space appropriate for musical perfor-mances, plays and conferences, such as our annual TEDx event. Thank you forhelping us showcase our student athletes,dramatists, artists and competitors.

Ready to Roll The Grade 9 Integrated CanadianExperience (ICE) programme culminatesin a documentary film showcase of their Challenge Week adventures. Thisyear, thanks to generous donations tothe Head’s Initiative Fund, we purchasedfive documentary film kits. These kitsinclude a HD video camera, boom-mic,field recorder, and all the necessaryequipment for a field documentaryteam. These ‘docu-kits’ allowed teamsof students to generate high qualityraw footage which they then edit in the new Mac Lab. To watch this year’sdocumentary films scan the QR code.

New Design &Technology Lab for MYPOur students’ creativity now has a newhome and tools to help them transform their innovative ideas into reality. Throughgenerous donations from the Annual Fundwe acquired new equipment for sawing,drilling, cutting and gluing to encourageour budding designers and engineers. Nowthe work benches are filled with woodentoys bound for an orphanage, Lego robotson the way to inter-school competition and furniture made from recycled material.With the lab in place, the Design and Techprogramme has great things in store forour Middle School students.

Left: Middle School students learning to use tools

Postcard ProjectWe have access to many of thepreeminent artists in Toronto and Canada thanks to our Annual Fund. This year, Middle School studentswelcomed playwright David S. Craig, the founder of Roseneath Theatre, which specializes in theatre for youngaudiences. Mr. Craig led workshops with our students and curated a shortstory writing contest. Students wereinvited to submit to a short story that fiton a postcard. Connecting professionalwriters and artists with our studentsbrings a new and unique perspective into the classroom. To read the winningpostcard, scan the QR code.

Right: Mr. Craig leading the workshop

I hope you are enjoying your summer and gatheringplenty of “how I spent my summer” moments. This AnnualFund update is a glimpse into ‘how we spent our spring’and touches on some of the stories you helped createwith your donation to our Annual Fund. We are alreadybusy preparing for the upcoming school year and planningnew opportunities for our students to discover, create and share their stories. Thank you for your continuedcommitment to our students and our school. I lookforward to hearing your stories when we return this fall.

Conor JonesHead of School

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Tickling IvoriesThe Junior School Music Departmentcan always be counted on to bringlovely melodies and enthusiastic spiritto the halls of the school. It is now alsohome to a beautiful new digital piano!The piano will be used in daily musicclasses, at assemblies and specialevents. This new addition to the JuniorSchool Music Department is a result of your donations to the Arts Fund.

Left: Using the new piano to teach

Getting Energized This year’s Grade 11 students took onan ambitious project; they created newand improved Energy Profiles for theProvince of Ontario as part of theirinvestigation. The Annual Fund made it possible for students to tour the wind turbine on the CNE grounds andparticipate in workshops on solar andwind power. Special thanks to YorkAlumnus Andy Keith, President of SolrayEnergy, York Parent Greg Kiessling,Chairman of Bullfrog Power, and Yorkstaff Chuck Wiley and Jamie Holcomb,Nuclear Chemists and TREC EducationFacilitators, whose expertise as guestspeakers in the classroom was essentialto the project’s success.

Left: Alumnus Andy Keith, President of Solray Energy, speaks to students

Visiting ArtistsIn May, led by Visiting Artist Paul Butler, students from Grades 4, 5 and 6 gathered together at the Senior Schoolto experiment with the wonderfully messy art of collaging. The studentsworked collaboratively to create uniqueartworks during this ‘collage party’. Thiscreative and hands-on event is one of thefirst in our new Visiting Artist Programme,which welcomes artists into the school to implement special projects and mentorstudents in all of the art disciplines. Thisinitiative nurtures our students’ creativityand gives them the chance to discoverdifferent art forms.

Right: Students enjoying the collage party

You &YorkAnnual Fund Donor Report

Summer 2012

The York School hosted our first AnnualBenefit on May 11, 2012. It was anincredible evening with over 320 Yorkparents and friends in attendance, and$90,000 raised to support the AnnualFund. This event would not have beenpossible without the generous support of parent volunteers and partners in our community. Partners like Sole PowerProductions, the incredibly generousentertainment sponsor, brought amazingdance acts and lively music to get ourparents out on the dance floor! To seeimages from the event, scan the QR code.

Annual Benefit

The Courthouse Art Project On May 31, a group of Junior Schoolstudents, their parents, representatives from the Board of Directors, andadministration were in court. Fortunately,they were there to unveil the artwork TheYork School donated to the Superior Courtof Justice, Family Court. Individual piecesfrom Grades 2 and 3 now decorate thecourthouse walls. In addition, a donation to the school’s Annual Fund supported the creation of an original work. This largemural of acrylic paint and modeling clay,made collaboratively with our Junior Schoolstudents, brightened up the hallway. Thispermanent display showcases The YorkSchool and our young artists while alsogiving back to our community.

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