Becky Anderson
Becky Anderson is Director of the Junior School. She has also held the position of Director of Leadership Development at SMUS.
Everything I Need to Know About Leadership I Learned in Grade 5
The Grade 5 leadership assembly is key piece of our leadership program as we help students develop the skills to be the leaders of tomorrow
Flying Cars and Other Predictions
Becky Anderson, Director of Junior School, looks ahead to the year 2030
Leading and Learning at the Junior School
Mrs. Becky Anderson, Junior School Director, writes about the SMUS-hosted Reggio-Inspired Summer Institute that drew educators from all over BC
Beyond the Classroom Walls
As we may recall from our own educational experiences, there is so much worthwhile learning that happens outside the traditional classroom: in the art...
The Joy of Community
Mrs. Becky Anderson, Director of the Junior School, writes about the importance of 'community' at St. Michaels University School
The Pursuit – The Culmination of a Grade 10 Experiential Year
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...
Victoria – A Hub for Off-Campus Learning 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...
Summer days…
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...
Three ways to support our young leaders
Shifting from summer mode to the pace of September at SMUS can be a significant transition and the amount of information at this time...
Students become more effective leaders at SMUS
Over the past two weeks, I have had the opportunity to teach two lessons to all Grade 10 students. The overarching questions that students...
Leadership Development Homework
Each Sunday night I send an email to faculty and students at the Senior School. The focus is always related to personal leadership development...
What I learned from running a Half Marathon…
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...
#WeAreGirlRising #BringBackOurGirls Event
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...
Virtue of the Month – Gratitude
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...
Finding the Magic for Term 3
Beginning with an Orientation Day at Camp Pringle last week, the Grade 10 Experiential Program got underway for the term. After circulating through a...
Victoria Middle School Conference
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...
Feedback and fonts….
Every week, students are sent a short and friendly email related to Leadership Development on Sunday night. It is meant to provide a "focus...
Networking – An Essential Skill
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...
FOCUS on your FOCUS!
It would have been easy for me to start this first blog of the New Year returning to the posts on goal setting, encouraging...
Duke of Edinburgh Award Recipients 2013
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...
Strengths…..Let’s kick it up a notch!
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...
Dare Greatly – How and Why?
Last week, I had the opportunity to participate in the Heads of Department retreat. One of the sessions was led by Mr. Goodman and...
Nelson Mandela – An inspiring leader
Contemplating effective leadership and individuals who inspire us to make a positive impact is a personal passion as well as a professional one. Nelson...
Strengths – What Floats your Boat?
There have been a couple of posts already about the amazing learning Youth Addressing Local Poverty (YALP) Conference at SMUS from Middle School students...
Ready, Aim, Reflect
A group of us hiked to the top of Mt. Doug on the morning of Remembrance Day. We were a few adults and more...
Learning to STRETCH – Leadership style!
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:...
The #1 Secret to Achieving your Goal!
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...
2 Ways to Get What You Want
This is a weekly email series sent to every Senior School student, houseparent and faculty member focused on Leadership Development at SMUS
Leadership Development -...
Virtue of the Month – Friendliness
One of the most important pieces of our leadership program and woven through so much of what we do at the school is character...
QLEAD – Business and Leadership at Queens
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...
Connections across campus
One of the many benefits we have as a Kindergarten to Grade 12 school is the amazing relationships that are made across the grades....
Humanities Education & Leadership Program held at Stanford University
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...
Virtue of the Month for May and June 2012: Kindness
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...
SMUS at UN Earth Summit!
Tessa Owens, in grade 9, has been committed to communicating her concern about the environment for a long time. Three years ago she was...
Reaching Beyond – Leadership Conference at SMUS!
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...
Sharing Ideas – Reflections from NAIS
I spent 3 days last week at the NAIS (National Association of Independent Schools) Annual Conference which was hosted in Seattle with several other...
The Virtue of Understanding
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...
Senior School Leadership Opportunities
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...
Global Young Leaders Conference – Memories
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...
Leadership Opportunities – Middle School
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...
LOL – Blogging!
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...
TEDx @ Victoria
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...
Youth Leadership and Action Summit – Nov. 25/26
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...
Term 1 – Senior School Clubs and Councils Schedule
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
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...
LOL – Leadership over Lunch
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...
SMUS Leadership Definition
I feel that is important to begin each year with intention and clarity. With that in mind, I look to our leadership definition to...
Student Leadership Starts Up!
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!
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...
The Tragedy of the Commons
Garrett Hardin first wrote about the tragedy of the commons in the journal Science in 1968. In this seminal work, Hardin described the dilemma...
“Reaching Beyond” Leadership Conference
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...
Grade 11 Leadership Opportunities for Grad 2012
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...
The Junior School Green Team
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...
Reflections from the Connect Youth Conference
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...
Honesty
I have the opportunity to teach a unit in Health and Career Education to almost all of the grade 9 students. I focus on...
The Birkman Method
Last Sunday night the School Prefects gathered for a potluck in Wenman Pavilion with the goal of taking time to reflect on the first...
Reflections and Action – International Service Trips
"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...
SEA+L Student Leadership Conference
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!
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...
Camosun’s Leadership Conference
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...
Connect Model United Nations
On November 19 - 21, 30 students from grades 9 - 12 and three teachers were in Vancouver for the Connect Youth Model United...
