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Leading the Way in Pro-D

A project initiated by Ms. Andrea Robertson in 2022 has blossomed into a larger network of Advanced Placement teachers at independent schools across Vancouver Island, helping place Shawnigan as a leader in professional development.
 
Two years ago, when she was the Bruce-Lockhart Fellow for Academic Excellence, Ms. Robertson created a network of economics teachers on the Island as a way to share resources and collaborate. It was a huge success, so this year, Shawnigan took inspiration from that model and hosted teachers from the four independent schools on the Island that have AP programs for the first AP Island Network (APIN) as part of a province-wide Pro-D day on Friday, October 25.
 
A total of 36 teachers took part: 12 from Shawnigan, 10 from Brentwood College School, 11 from St. Michaels University School, and three from Queen Margaret’s School. Eleven AP subjects were covered: literature, psychology, world history, macroeconomics, biology, chemistry, physics, computer science, French, Spanish, and art.
 
“The feedback on this initiative was overwhelmingly positive and therefore we plan to host again in the future, hoping to make it an annual event,” said Mrs. Cari Bell, Shawnigan’s Director of Professional Development.
 
Also on October 25, in addition to the Pro-D at the School, 13 teachers from a range of academic departments attended workshops on the Lower Mainland, eight participated in online workshops, 13 were involved with student sports, 25 collaborated with their departments on various projects, and five supported the Career Day initiative sponsored by the Advancement and Community Engagement Office as an extension of Founder’s Day.

On Tuesday, November 12, before students returned from November Break, faculty and other staff members engaged in an enriching day of Pro-D on the topic of the potential and pitfalls of artificial intelligence with AI expert Eric Hudson.
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