Becky Anderson

As we may recall from our own educational experiences, there is so much worthwhile learning that happens outside the traditional classroom: in the art...

Mrs. Becky Anderson, Director of the Junior School, writes about the importance of 'community' at St. Michaels University School

After extensive research and collaboration, SMUS faculty designed a unique program for Grade 10 students focusing on experiential learning. Weaving hands-on and real-world opportunities...

One of the many advantages of SMUS’s location is our ability to participate in opportunities that exist in a thriving city like Victoria. Looking...

Before summer memories fade away completely, I asked our students to share some interesting things they did over the summer holidays. Jonathan attended the Shad Program at...

Shifting from summer mode to the pace of September at SMUS can be a significant transition and the amount of information at this time...

Over the past two weeks, I have had the opportunity to teach two lessons to all Grade 10 students. The overarching questions that students...

Each Sunday night I send an email to faculty and students at the Senior School. The focus is always related to personal leadership development...

It can be scary setting a goal, knowing there is the chance you will not achieve it. Two years ago my goal was to finish...

It is a full time of year....sports, music, hobbies, and friends all taking a lot of our attention and energy. While we go about our...

As we approach the end of the school year, it is a marvelous time to turn our attention to what we are grateful for.  Here...

Beginning with an Orientation Day at Camp Pringle last week, the Grade 10 Experiential Program got underway for the term. After circulating through a...

On Friday February 28th, a group of grade 7 students went to SJ Willis school to attend a leadership conference. The focus of the conference...

Every week, students are sent a short and friendly email related to Leadership Development on Sunday night. It is meant to provide a "focus...

Knowing that 80% of jobs are not advertised, networking has become an essential skill for our students.   In preparation for Career Day this past Wednesday students...

It would have been easy for me to start this first blog of the New Year returning to the posts on goal setting, encouraging...

The Duke of Edinburgh's Award is an exciting self-development Programme available to all young people ages 14-25, equipping them with life skills to make a...

Two weeks ago, I wrote about strengths. Last week, I encouraged you to “dare greatly” and act on the strengths you have. A few students...

Last week, I had the opportunity to participate in the Heads of Department retreat. One of the sessions was led by Mr. Goodman and...

Contemplating effective leadership and individuals who inspire us to make a positive impact is a personal passion as well as a professional one. Nelson...

There have been a couple of posts already about the amazing learning Youth Addressing Local Poverty (YALP) Conference at SMUS from Middle School students...

A group of us hiked to the top of Mt. Doug on the morning of Remembrance Day. We were a few adults and more...

This is a weekly email series focused on Leadership Development at SMUS and this is another installment focusing on our first theme of goal setting. Let's recap:...

  (Click on Picture to Enlarge) Where does peacefulness begin?  Is it something that happens “out there” in the world?  And are we dependent upon...

Last week we started the Sunday Leadership Development Series with Goal setting as the first theme. “A goal is like a dream set to paper”….when...

This is a weekly email series sent to every Senior School student, houseparent and faculty member focused on Leadership Development at SMUS Leadership Development -...

One of the most important pieces of our leadership program and woven through so much of what we do at the school is character...

November 7 – 11, 2012 Are you interested in business? Leadership? Queen's University? This is an amazing leadership conference at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. The...

One of the many benefits we have as a Kindergarten to Grade 12 school is the amazing relationships that are made across the grades....

Welcome to HEAL SU, an educational mission seeking to encourage humanities discourse and liberal arts education across disciplines. The goal: to help future leaders solve...

Kindness. Where does it fit in our fast-paced, competitive and wired world? The answer is “everywhere... “. We are all so very busy balancing competing...

Tessa Owens, in grade 9, has been committed to communicating her concern about the environment for a long time. Three years ago she was...

We are excited to be hosting over 300 students from island public schools for what will surely be an engaging, meaningful and motivating day. Along...

I spent 3 days last week at the NAIS (National Association of Independent Schools) Annual Conference which was hosted in Seattle with several other...

Junior School Counsellor, Tessa Lloyd, shares with us the Virtue of the month for March/April 2012. What would the world be like if we were...

It is time for you to take stock….reflect on what you have done this year so far that has challenged you, scared you, pushed...

The Junior School Counsellor, Tessa Lloyd, shares with us the Virtue of the month for February 2012 Flexibility is a worthwhile virtue that is often overlooked...

Written by Sydney Stockus, Grad 2010, who is currently studying at the University of Southern California. My Experience at GYLC: It was summer  2009 when I...

There are many ways students at the Middle School develop and demonstrate their leadership skills. The focus through Grades 6-8 is really establishing a...

As part of our LOL series, which began with Health Care activist Simon Ibell, we will be hearing from Alyson Rowe, War Child Canada’s...

Grade 12 student Karan Vats has been working with the Coast Capital Saving Youth Team to help organize TEDx Youth in Victoria. Please join him and...

I was very cynical about Twitter when I first heard about it and saw how it was being used. My initial thought was that...

Action Summit Poster The Summit is an exciting opportunity to hear presentations on key issues affecting youth in our community, and gain new skills in...

There is so much going on at the school and it can be challenging to figure out where and when to be at different...

Model United Nations are excellent hands-on opportunities to learn more about the way the United Nations functions. No experience is necessary and you will learn a...

The first session of our Leadership over Lunch "LOL" series was with health care activist, sport enthusiast and alumnus Simon Ibell, '96. He spoke to...

I feel that is important to begin each year with intention and clarity. With that in mind, I look to our leadership definition to...

It has been a great start to the year. It began for me with an inspiring faculty retreat in August to discuss “21st Century Learning...

Water... in the form of rain can be such a nuisance, especially this late in the spring. I was thankful that it didn’t rain...

Garrett Hardin first wrote about the tragedy of the commons in the journal Science in 1968. In this seminal work, Hardin described the dilemma...

Reflections from the Grade 11 Boarders Leadership Conference by Lisa Chen (Symons House) On April 20, all of the Grade 11 boarders got on a bus heading...

The time has come for Grade 11 students to think about the role they want to take on at the school next year.  As a...

Sustainability is one of the Five Streams of Leadership at SMUS. Before the break, anticipating Earth Week in the middle of April, I had the...

By Natasha C. (grade 10) Rachel Uwamahoro and Ivan Gatete are World Vision Youth Ambassadors from Rwanda. They have spent the last several weeks exploring...

I have the opportunity to teach a unit in Health and Career Education to almost all of the grade 9 students. I focus on...

Last Sunday night the School Prefects gathered for a potluck in Wenman Pavilion with the goal of taking time to reflect on the first...

"Life's most persistent and urgent question is: 'What are you doing for others?'" Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. On the heels of a motivating chapel...

Interested Grade 10 or 11 students can apply to attend the SEA+L (Standards in Excellence and Learning - formerly CAIS) Student Leadership Conference.  Four delegates...

Girls on Ice is a unique, FREE, wilderness science education program for high school girls. Each year a team of 9 teenage girls and 3...

Attention Grade 11s and 12s: Interested in BUSINESS? If you have taken Micro/Macro Economics and/or Economics 12 and have a passion for business and leadership...

On November 19 - 21, 30 students from grades 9 - 12 and three teachers were in Vancouver for the Connect Youth Model United...