News & updates

List of 5 news stories.

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  Inside the Tour Guide Experience

  1/17/2025
  Campus tours are a highlight of the admissions process at Shawnigan; not just for the prospective students and families who take part, but for the current students who conduct the tours and cherish the opportunity to share their love of the School with visitors.

   

  Hazel P. has been part of the tour guide program for three years, and calls it “one of the most rewarding and fulfilling experiences of my time here.”

   

  “The campus tours program has given me the opportunity to connect with prospective students and their families, share my love for the School, and give them a glimpse into what makes Shawnigan such a special place to be,” she said.

   
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  Lights! Camera! Innovation!

  1/17/2025
  Improvements over the last two years to the Hugh Wilkinson Theatre funded by C.A.S.E. (Communications, Arts, Sciences and Entrepreneurship) and the Bradley Family Foundation are helping Shawnigan take this year’s school musical – Chicago (Teen Edition) – to the McPherson Playhouse stage.

   

  Two years ago, C.A.S.E. funded the purchase of 16 state-of-the-art wireless microphone sets, the same model used by the professionals at the McPherson Playhouse. The mics, which were also used during last year’s musical, Grease, allow the students to sing at the same levels they will be singing in the final production.

   

  Last summer, C.A.S.E. provided funding for a renovation of the production booth at the back of the Wilkinson Theatre. Until last summer, all the equipment was in one end of the booth, and the students working there were virtually on top of one another. Now they can work in a more professional environment, similar to that of the McPherson Playhouse.

   
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  Art Monsters!

  1/10/2025
  What happens when you combine the wild imaginations of kindergarten and Grade 1 students with the nascent sculpting skills of Grade 11 art students?

   

  The answer: a bunch of little monsters.

   

  In fall 2024, right around Halloween, Ms. Annilee Guy’s Grade 11 art students collaborated with the kindergarten/Grade 1 class at nearby École Cobble Hill Elementary – which includes Ms. Guy’s son, Callum – on a fun project. The elementary students all drew monsters, then passed their drawings on to the Shawnigan students, who re-created those monsters in clay and painted them, then gave the final products back to the kids who drew them.

   
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  Bruce-Lockhart Fellowship Update

  1/10/2025
  The Bruce-Lockhart Fellowship for Academic Excellence was launched in 2021 with the intention of shedding light on aspects of academics that Shawnigan may not have previously explored, creating opportunities for students, teachers, and the rest of the Shawnigan community.

   

  The current Bruce-Lockhart fellow, Mr. Mark Henry, is focusing his efforts on increasing awareness and incorporation of the Harkness learning method first in the social studies department and then in Shawnigan’s broader academic structure as a way to adapt to the rise of artificial intelligence.

   

  Related to the Socratic method – which has stood the test of time for nearly 2,500 years – the Harkness method is discussion-based, and encourages critical thinking, empathy and collaboration. It has been adopted by many private schools, where its effectiveness is increased by smaller class sizes. In the age of AI, says Mr. Henry, it helps preserve a “truly human education, which aligns with the goals of the School and the social studies department.”

   
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  December Sports Update

  12/18/2024
  The last two months have been busy for our sports teams, with the basketball season getting under way while sports like ice hockey and squash continue their schedules. Here is an update on what some of our programs have been up to.

   

  Ice Hockey

   

  The U18 Prep girls’ ice hockey team won the Mandi Schwartz Memorial Tournament hosted by the Athol Murray College of Notre Dame on December 12-15. The largest female U18 AAA hockey tournament in Western Canada, the tournament attracts top teams from the four western provinces, and Shawnigan had to be at its best to bring home the banner.

   

  “This is an incredible accomplishment,” Shawnigan Head Coach Carly Haggard said. “To defeat some of the best teams from other provinces is truly special. I couldn’t be prouder of what we achieved together.”

   
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