Campus Tours 102 - The Class Shadow Experience
A key step in the admissions process at Shawnigan Lake School includes a campus visit. It plays a key role in the decision-making process, as well as in getting to know the School and all it has to offer. It bridges the gap from what you’ve heard and learned about Shawnigan already (from whatever source that might be – word of mouth, admissions fair, participating in events on campus, etc.) to seeing it in real time during the hustle and bustle of an academic day.
Earlier in our blog series, we shared "Shawnigan Campus Tours 101," which featured key details about our prospective student and family visits that are hosted on campus during the admissions process. This time we will expand on an important piece of this day: the class shadow experience.
While the guided campus tour with one of our senior students is crucial to understanding the layout and feel for the campus, a class shadow experience provides the snapshot for what a day in the life of a Shawnigan student looks and feels like for the applicant. Following a campus tour, applicants will say goodbye to their accompanying family members or guardians and be paired with a current Shawnigan student to join them in their daily activities: classes, lunch, tutorial, gatherings, 360 (arts and activities), sport, and more.
We recommend starting your morning tour at 9:00 a.m. or 10:00 a.m. so that you can get plenty of class shadow time. Students typically stay until the end of the class day, or until the end of co-curriculars. Monday and Wednesday after classes are our 360 program times, and Tuesday and Thursday are sport days. Visiting students will be paired with current students of the same age, with the exception of applicants in Grade 7, who will join a Grade 8 host. To the best of our ability, our Admissions team intentionally pairs students with someone suitable to a child’s interests, sport, passions, home location, etc. to help strengthen an applicant’s sense of connection to the School so they feel more comfortable to ask questions, and where possible to bring them to their programs of interests to get hands-on experience and to meet the staff of these programs.
Remember, our current students are very accustomed and eager to have visiting students on campus, with many Shawnigan students even asking our Admissions team to host again and again because they enjoy sharing their Shawnigan experience with prospective students so much. It benefits our visiting students to have yet another connection to the School and ask questions on a peer-to-peer level as they explore the option of attending Shawnigan.
Just as we expect our students and staff to embody the core values of Shawnigan – curiosity, compassion, community, and courage – we see these key elements come to light on a visit day. It is our intention to have so many connection points in hopes of fostering a feeling of belonging, even in the application stage of a student’s journey at Shawnigan. These connection points include:
- The Admissions Team staff
- Senior student tour guide
- Current Shawnigan student of the same age as your child (and their Shawnigan peers that inevitably join in on the hosting as well!)
- Teachers and staff (boarding house staff, Duke’s Café staff, Commissary staff, coaches, art instructors, etc.)
- Other program staff as needed (Learning Centre, Guidance Team, Counselling Team, etc.)
The class shadow experience is an opportunity to be a sponge for all things Shawnigan. All we ask is that students come with an open mind, ready to jump into the day. Your job is to learn more about the School, and it’s our role in Admissions to learn more about applicants and their families to help determine if Shawnigan is a good fit, and to assess the readiness of a child to be in a boarding school setting.
Students should arrive on campus in presentable classroom dress, with a set of gym/athletic clothes in case it is a sport day or if your host has a PE class. Feel free to bring any other supplies you may need for the day (water bottle, comfort snacks, pencil/pen, etc.). Students will be served lunch by our amazing dining team. Families/guardians will be able to leave campus during the class shadow experience and pick up at the end of the day at the Admissions Office.
If you are interested in scheduling your campus visit, please email one of our Associates, or reach out to admissions@shawnigan.ca. We will ask interested families to fill out an inquiry form or application prior to their visit.
Ms. Kieran Ward is an Admissions Assistant at Shawnigan Lake School. She is in her fourth year at the School, having worked as a teaching intern, a live-in staff member of Groves’ House, and in the Events and External Programs department before joining Admissions. She also coaches ice hockey and rugby.
We acknowledge with respect the Coast Salish Peoples on whose traditional lands and waterways we live, learn and play. We are grateful for the opportunity to share in this beautiful region, and we aspire to healthy and respectful relationships with those who have lived on and cared for these lands for millennia.
Shawnigan Lake School is an independent co-educational boarding school for ages 13 –18 on Canada’s beautiful West Coast. Our diverse, interdisciplinary and innovative programming helps shape the next generation of global leaders.
