Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School THE OUR KIDS REVIEW

Located amidst the vast prairie fields and rugged natural beauty of southern Alberta, Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School (STS) is a short drive to a life-changing education. Generations of families have travelled these same roads, with a fleet of cars and buses travelling toward this oasis of learning each morning, delivering over 760 students from Kindergarten to Grade 12 to the school’s front steps.

For more than 50 years, Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School (STS) has exhibited a truly Albertan approach to independent education. It’s an approach that prioritizes innovation and an independent spirit; one that’s deeply connected to the land, emphasizes community, and instills a fundamental sense of belonging for all. This includes a focus on the development of the student as a whole through rigorous academics, a nimble and creative embrace of resources, a legendary outdoor education program, and a strong commitment to building a thriving community of students, faculty, families, and alumni.

The Calgary region hosts a rich variety of educational options for parents who are interested in exploring public, charter, and independent schools for their children. In such a competitive field, STS has long been recognized as a leader—a well-established, unique, and respected institution committed to continuous improvement, academic excellence, and balanced programming. STS was the first school in southern Alberta to become an International Baccalaureate (IB) World School and continues to be southern Alberta’s only IB continuum school. This last accreditation authorizes STS to deliver all three levels of IB Programmes from Kindergarten through the end of high school: the Primary Years Programme (PYP), Middle Years Programme (MYP), and Diploma Programme (DP).

“Why did I come here? It’s Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School,” says Dr. Carol Grant-Watt, who began as head of school in 2018, succeeding Dr. William Jones, who retired from the position after 11 years as the school’s leader—and 7 years as Senior School principal before that (it has become a welcome and consistent trend to see such long-tenured employees at STS). A former Canadian Association of Independent Schools (CAIS) mentee of Jones, Grant-Watt is a respected name in both independent and public education in Alberta and beyond. She is a former Calgary Board of Education high school administrator and principal and served as CEO of West Island College.

“Calgary has the greatest educational choice in North America. Charter, private, faith-based, public, and now with hybrid programs, you can really go to school all over the world. But I like to say that this is the school I’d want my grandkids to attend,” she says. “Every day I walk through our campus and see teaching and learning, which is our core, operating at the highest level in all ways.”

Grant-Watt’s perspective on STS is reflective of its motto, “Nil nisi optimum: Nothing but our best.” Students, employees, parents, and alumni alike testify to the school’s ability to bring out the very best in the young people who step onto its campus. For those looking to engage in all aspects of learning, STS has the faculty, curriculum, extracurricular resources, facilities and spaces, and culture to let each student pursue any interest, passion, or opportunity they come across.

A new era in STS history is unfolding under Grant-Watt’s leadership. With the pandemic behind them, Grant-Watt, her leadership team, and the STS board of governors have celebrated the school’s 50th anniversary and have developed a new 10-year strategic plan (called “Flourish 2031”). Strathcona-Tweedsmuir’s enrolment is experiencing an all-time high, and Grant-Watt sees a clear path on which to build upon its “legacy of developing good humans, thought-leaders, and global citizens above all else.”

“STS requires a whole-family commitment—and we work really hard to honour that commitment. We never take for granted a single student or family,” says Grant-Watt.

Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School is a coed day school for school-aged children from Kindergarten to Grade 12. Meeting the requirements set forth by Alberta Education, STS enhances its academic program as a certified member of Canadian Accredited Independent Schools (CAIS), as a full continuum International Baccalaureate (IB) World School, and as a member of the Round Square Association of Schools. The latter which promotes personal development through community service, work projects, exchange programs, and adventuring.

STS’s 220-acre campus in the Foothills Natural Region of Alberta is key to Strathcona-Tweedsmuir’s identity, purpose, and strengths as a school. Surrounded by pristine farmland, ponds, trails, and aspen forests, it’s a 12-minute drive from the community of Okotoks, making it a great partner for real-world excursions and partnerships. The city of Calgary, the closest major metropolitan centre and most populous city in Canada’s prairie provinces, is approximately 15 minutes away by car. STS does offer comprehensive bus service from both Calgary and Okotoks, as well as from the nearby towns of Chestermere, Priddis, De Winton, and High River. There are around 26 different bus routes each year. Currently, this service can be accessed by families for $3,336 per school year.

While there is no official boarding program or onsite student living quarters, staff joke that Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School is a “day boarding school” due to the number of extracurricular activities students take part in. As a result, it is able to provide before- and after-school programs to suit most parents’ schedules, with an early and late busing program. For transportation that falls even further outside of regular school hours, parents of the school credit the close-knit family community for assisting each other with pick-ups and drop-offs.

Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School’s signature Black Watch tartan provides the foundation of the school uniform. Uniforms can be purchased from the school store, Tweeds and More, either online or on campus, and through their uniform provider, InSchool Wear. The Black Watch name is also echoed in the Black Watch Bistro, the school’s cafeteria, which is open Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

STS welcomes approximately 760 students across all grade levels, with application levels growing each year. Class sizes vary based on the age, cohort, and subject. In Kindergarten, classes are around 16 students with a teacher and educational assistant per class. In older primary years, the average is around 18-20 children per class until Grade 6. Older homerooms can have just over 20 students, with an adviser dedicated to smaller groups within that section. For elective subjects in the more senior years, the variety of class options results in class sizes that can shrink to a handful of students in specialized classes.

Starting in the fall of each year, the school reviews completed applications as they are submitted. Admissions deadlines for the school year typically fall in November for early admission and February for regular admission. Following the February deadline, applications are reviewed on an ongoing basis for any limited remaining spots. At present, tuition for domestic students ranges from $20,923 for Kindergarten to $26,895 for Grades 11 and 12. For international students, this ranges from $42,500 to $45,000 per year. There is also a one-time registration fee of $3,500.

STS offers robust financial assistance to make attendance as accessible as possible. Bursaries are available to both new and current STS families based on demonstrated financial need, and applications are assessed by an external agency before going to the financial assistance allocation committee. At present, entry scholarships can award new students up to $5,000 based on a student’s academic performance, character, and leadership skills. Both new and current students entering Grade 10 can apply for a Forever Woods Scholarship based on their financial need and merit. Drawing from the Forever Woods Endowment fund, these scholarships honour seven Grade 10 STS students who died tragically on a ski trip in 2003. Although it is a painful memory in STS’s history, the school continues to honour these students through scholarships and awards, special team building days, a focus on safety culture throughout the school, and in the Forever Woods monuments located in the campus forest.

In addition to offering all three levels of the IB Programme—the Primary Years Programme (Kindergarten to Grade 6), Middle Years Programme (Grades 7 to 10), and Diploma Programme (Grades 11 to 12)—STS is also known for its rigour in programs that fall outside the typical academic roster, such as design and innovation; speech and debate; outdoor education; arts; athletics; Model UN; and international service and travel opportunities. Auxiliary programs such as summer camps and summer school classes use both in-house staff and key community partnerships in STEAM, sports, arts, and more to extend student learning beyond the school year and to utilize the school campus year-round. For families looking for a more flexible approach to high school education, especially those with children in elite sports, STS also offers STAND School, a hybrid program that allows students to pursue excellence in whatever environment best suits their own unique learning style.

“I’ve often wondered what it must have felt like as a founder to be sailing into uncharted territory for the first time. After all, who would have thought it made sense to amalgamate two independent schools, boys’ and girls’ schools no less, and place them in such a remote location? It required a group of brave visionaries who stepped forward to make this impossible dream a reality and I believe that this is a value that is instilled in every member of the STS family to this day,” Grant-Watt wrote in her introductory message in the 50th-anniversary issue of Optimum, STS’s annual magazine, describing the pioneering Albertan spirit that has defined the school since its inception.

The Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School that we know today was established in 1971, but its roots extend back even further; to 1905 and St. Hilda’s School for Girls, the first independent school in Calgary. St. Hilda’s opened for 40 students that year, who travelled from cities and ranches across southern Alberta. These remarkable young women were taught athletics and outdoor education, as well as the humanities, a rare occurrence at the time. Following the Second World War and after having navigated the Great Depression, St Hilda’s closed its doors in 1949. It reopened in 1959 as Strathcona: An Academic School for Girls, in a church basement in central Calgary. By 1968, it had grown from 27 to 110 students, bursting at the seams.

Strathcona School for Boys, meanwhile, opened in 1929 in Calgary’s Central Park Library. Thanks in large part to a gift of $250,000, made by the estate of W.H. Atkinson in the interest of private education, and the timely donation from the Cross family of a 160-acre plot south of Calgary, the two schools were able to merge into Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School in 1971. The inaugural school year opened with 295 students, 24 teachers, and 5 staff members.

“The most fascinating thing for me was the level of dedication and perseverance that it took to make the school happen,” says Aimee-Jo Benoit, an alum of STS, current parent, and volunteer in the STS archives. “It is such a crazy idea in so many ways. Let’s take two city schools in the very urban centre of Calgary and move them out to the country. And these kids will be on a bus for 45 minutes each way, and they’re going to hike mountains. At the time, it was a really radical, innovative thing.”

The school’s history has been recorded in exhibits throughout the campus. Strathcona-Tweedsmuir’s four school Houses are named after four key founding families: Burns, Howard, Dover, and Buchan. An educational wall panel outlining the story of St. Hilda’s, Tweedsmuir—An Academic School for Girls, and Strathcona School for Boys (SSB)—can be found just to the right of the main school entrance. A nearby plaque also recognizes Sandy Heard, SSB alumnus and STS’s first head of school, who served from 1971 to 1983. Heard’s legacy was also celebrated with the naming of the Sandy Heard Sports Centre in 1999. Peter B. Ditchburn Library is named after his successor, who was head of the school from 1983 to 1997.

While immensely proud of its history, STS prefers to keep its focus firmly on the future, rather than the past. Their uniforms, for example, have been reimagined for the 2024-25 school year and reflect modern student values and needs: environmental sustainability, non-binary gender expression, casual fit and comfort, and suitability for a variety of body types. Through a process of needs assessment, provider approvals, and design refinement, STS students had a leading hand in the new uniform, one that’s respectful of its traditions while being representative of a student body in the 2020s.

STS has also been an early adopter of new educational tools, even as far back as 1982, when it welcomed the “technology immersion” by adding 10 computers to the school. Today, the school’s Head of Learning Innovation, Alana Wellwood, has instituted a design thinking process into her STEAM subjects, with one such project utilizing 3D printers to help Grade 9 and 11 students design real-world solutions for Calgary home farmers, like flat pack furniture and inventive new backyard chicken coop designs.

In 2021, STS further celebrated its 50th anniversary with the release of “Flourish 2031,” a new strategic plan. In Flourish 2031, STS outlines its path to growth in four key pillars:

A Bold Future through sustainable financial stability, student and family accessibility, and operational excellence,

Deep Learning and Engagement through empowering student independence, providing immersive learning opportunities, and emphasizing leadership and critical thinking that leads to academic excellence,

An Enduring Sense of Community and Belonging through campus investments, diversity efforts, and community stakeholder groups,

and

A Global Hub in a Natural Setting through digital technologies, opportunities to foster global citizens, and remaining a future-focused institution.

“I think what Carol does so well is balance that tension between the past and the future,” says Benoit. “What I’ve witnessed Carol do is move the school forward at a really gentle pace, in a really gentle motion, while looking back to founding ideas: What did it mean to be a country campus? What does it mean to belong to a community? Does it mean that we always get along? Does it mean that we never have disagreements? No, absolutely not. But you have space to voice those ideas and those opinions as a staff. And I think the kids feel that as well. I think that under her leadership a lot of really important things have been done.”

In addition to its history and reputation for cultivating engaged, respectful students, another major benefit for those attending STS is the 220-acre campus and grounds. It’s a physically impressive school, emerging from the surrounding farmland in a beautiful reminder of the magnificent Rocky Mountains to the west. A red brick structure, with sections built in the 1980s and 1990s, houses Middle and High School students and hosts a multitude of educational spaces: science labs, art studios, classrooms, the library, administrative offices, and a two-level gymnasium.

The new Rose Elementary School wing opened in 2018. This modern, open-concept addition features classrooms designed for collaborative learning, connected by several public play spaces, high windows providing plenty of natural light, and high ceilings that invite nature into the school environment. Different grade sections are colour-coded to reflect the school’s Albertan landscape. Kindergarten and Grades 1-2 are green for the forest, Grades 3-4 are orange for the mountains, and Grades 5-6 are blue for the river.

“The Elementary wing was built with collaboration as its central focus because we felt that when teachers collaborate, we’re ensuring that students are having the same experience no matter whose class they’re in,” says Shannon Taggart, STS Primary Years IB Programme coordinator. “In doing that, we’re having more ideas come together, and with more ideas comes richer learning. For me, thinking about going to a school where that is not the case would be such a challenge because the benefits of working together as a teaching community are pretty incredible, to see the difference in the learning experiences that we can provide for students.”

The expansion also added to the school’s arts facilities, including new music and drama rooms, larger art studios, and a 3D printing lab. As well, as the “Gathering Stairs,” a large, terraced hall, can be used for casual meetings, art exhibitions, or a performance audience of up to 200 people. In total, the 2018 expansion added 65,000 square feet to the school’s footprint.

Linking the two wings is the main lobby, where visitors can find the reception desk, administrative offices, the Black Watch Bistro, and access to the C.A. Smith Arts Centre (a professional 630-seat theatre used for performances, assemblies, graduation ceremonies, the beloved and highly anticipated annual Speech Day, and more).

Even more significant to the school’s ethos is its natural setting. The plot of land Strathcona-Tweedsmuir inhabits contains 10 kilometres of trails that allow students to walk, run, snowshoe, or cross-country ski right on campus. The nearby pond is used for canoeing and swimming—even science class. In 2014, STS opened the Aspen Lodge, a special classroom dedicated to all applications of outdoor education—from biology to creative writing to quiet reflection. It’s named for the grove of aspen trees that surround it. Featuring opening glass walls, it is an extension of the school’s philosophy of connecting traditional education to the natural world whenever possible, and vice versa.

“After being a teacher for over 30 years, actually what brought me out here was this beautiful campus,” says Scott Bennett, head of strategic innovation & partnerships at STS. “It’s just beautiful. The way out here is calming, I’m not fighting city traffic. You can go for a walk here, and everything just feels like it slows down. You often see deer wandering nearby. The wellness piece of this campus, the calming effect, it surprised me.”

Bennett’s role, which was created just prior to the pandemic, has allowed him to capitalize on his goal of making the most use of the campus year. Although the closure of the school grounds due to the pandemic required a pivot to hybrid summer courses in the first summer of programming, STS is now excited to offer over 60 one-week summer camps that run the gamut from volleyball to archery, gaming to theatre, and puppetry to virtual reality to filmmaking. Auxiliary programming outside of the typical school year is a way to extend a student’s experience of the school, prepare a new student for their arrival at STS, or simply invite local families to enjoy the resources of the STS campus.

Jennifer Conway, deputy head of school, operations, and student experiences, was one of those students who first discovered STS as a visitor. “As a child, I used to come to STS to play sports because they were part of our athletic league,” said Conway. “I remember so desperately wanting to be at this school. Just the feel of it, the rigour, the way the kids acted who came from here. It was something that, even as a child, resonated with me.”

Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School has long been renowned for its commitment to academics, but a complete STS education goes well beyond this. The school offers enhanced opportunities for students through outdoor education, the IB Programme, and extracurriculars, enhancing traditional academic learning with new insights and possibilities.

“When I first started here, people were solely focused on viewing us as a university prep school. And I think we have transitioned from that,” Conway says. “I don’t think people would describe us as solely a university prep school. People are now seeking us out for many different reasons. They like the outdoor education program. They like our focus on physical health and activity. They like our focus on fine art. They like that we expose students to a little bit of everything, and it’s not solely academic.”

The school’s latest education plan, closely aligned with the “Flourish 2031” strategic plan, sets out goals to provide a well-rounded education for students through real-world experience, social-emotional development, and active citizenship. The strategic plan also establishes clear objectives to nurture a sense of community and belonging within the student population, as well as training and preparedness for teaching staff.

Beyond meeting the standards set forth by the Alberta Ministry of Education, STS builds upon that curriculum in the following ways:

The International Baccalaureate (IB) Programme

The IB Programme is the key differentiator in Strathcona-Tweedsmuir’s profile, allowing STS to stand out as a fully accredited IB Continuum World School in Alberta, offering all three levels of the IB Programme. The IB learner philosophy permeates the school’s culture, including staff, administration, teachers, and students. Entering the school’s front lobby, you are almost immediately greeted with the 10 attributes of an IB learner profile, and these same attributes can be seen throughout the school grounds: Inquirers. Knowledgeable. Thinkers. Communicators. Principled. Open-minded. Caring. Risk-takers. Balanced. Reflective.

“There’s a nimbleness here. A culture of excellence, focused on innovation, focused on what’s right about education,” says Grant-Watt, reflecting on the culture that drew her to the school, which just so happens to fit that learner profile.

Dr. Michael Simmonds, assistant head of school, further explains how IB is implemented at each level: “Here, IB is compulsory for K to 10, and then students can elect to do the Diploma Programme (DP) in 11 and 12. You can take one DP IB course, you could take two, you can take three. If you want to get the full DP, you have to do six IB courses.” Simmonds joined STS in 2022 after a long career in independent education, with leadership experience at Havergal College, Island Pacific School, and York House School. He was attracted to STS precisely because of its adoption of the IB Programme. “I really believe in the IB philosophy of pedagogy, that it’s inquiry-based learning. It helps students understand their place regionally, nationally, and internationally. There’s a perspective that’s globally minded,” he says.

“I like the philosophy of teaching and learning that’s all about empowering kids at every grade to make connections for themselves and essentially curating students’ educational journeys so they’re guided. But you know, in a good IB school there should be very little ‘talking at’ kids,” he adds. “Well, sometimes you have to do that because you can’t have kids ‘discover’ calculus.”

On top of coursework, completing each part of the IB Programme involves a final project: an advocacy or action project for the Primary Years Programme, a personal project for the Middle Years Programme, and an extended essay for the Diploma Programme. STS recently had an IB Exhibition Day for every student who has completed one of these projects, with the opportunity to highlight their areas of study.

Simmonds appreciates the high bar set by the IB Programme, while also acknowledging the demanding nature of the academic commitment. “It’s a lot. On top of being an athlete, being a Prefect, [you may have other goals and responsibilities like] having a grandmother that you want to spend time with, walking your dog, and trying to balance a social life. That is really hard. So I don’t want to leave you with the impression that IB is not perceived as being stressful, especially for kids enrolled in the Diploma Programme. But what’s cool about it is the focus on inquiry; the focus on interdependent, generative critical thinking; the focus on trying to understand different points of view; and listening before speaking. Things that you don’t even see in adults running corporations and leading countries.”

Simmonds says about 15% of senior students at STS choose to complete the Diploma Programme. That “challenge by choice” element gives those students access to the same kind of instruction only for the subjects that interest them most, making the most of their university preparation years. He believes it’s an added bonus.

“It generates discipline-specific scholars because the knowledge skills you need to be a chemist are different than the knowledge skills you need to be a historian. So how teachers think about their discipline and assess their discipline is very different. I love that because that’s the power of IB. If you don’t want to do the Diploma Programme, but you really like history, how cool is it that you can be trained as a historian to think like a historian?”

For alumni and teachers, and even current students, resilience is a key benefit to completing the IB Diploma Programme. Despite a stressful workload and unfamiliar territory, STS creates an environment that fosters a determination to overcome new challenges.

“They have high points and low points. You know, ‘What the heck am I doing?’ But they persevere. They have each other, they have support from teachers, and they’re so proud of their achievements. And they say, ‘I’ve written a 4,000-word essay before I go to university.’ Whatever it is they do next, they’re prepared,” says Simmonds.

While the Diploma Programme is highly specified to discipline, the Primary Years Programme and Middle Years Programme are “transdisciplinary” and “interdisciplinary” respectively. The PYP takes an approach that blends subjects—how science is connected to social studies, how English is connected to math—and the MYP uses collaborations across classes to look at subjects as distinct yet interconnected. For example, one PYP project saw primary students undertake an evaluation assessment to select a new outdoor play structure through trial, research, and experimentation. In the MYP, a design class collaborated with an art class to create a 3D-printed holder for a personalized deck of cards.

“Our goal is, as IB teachers, to instill a love and passion for learning so that it doesn’t feel like it’s something that just happens at school. They’re so excited because they’re experiencing this learning outside, or in the theatre, that they want to take home. They want to keep following that curiosity because they’ve realized that their questions and their challenges don’t always take place in school. They have those skills to approach that challenge or to approach that question and figure it out for themselves,” says Taggart.

Outdoor education

Another key piece of an STS education is a connection to the outdoors, both in the literal and metaphorical sense. There are annual classic outdoor education programs and activities for every grade: hikes, camping and canoe trips, skiing, and more. Each excursion is scaffolded by year to ensure students are introduced gradually to more challenging activities.

At STS, however, outdoor education is also woven into traditional subjects like science, English, social studies, visual art, and more. Dale Roth, director of outdoor education, has been at STS for 27 years and has seen all three of his daughters attend the school.

“Grade 7 is cross-country skiing, Grade 8 is a canoe trip, and Grade 9 is backpacking. They all have an activity focus. But there’s a whole lot more that’s going on, so it’s their other subject teachers that are out there facilitating that,” he explains. “On our Grade 8 canoe trip this year there were some strong science connections. They’re talking about levers. Well, canoeing is all about levers, right? And then they’re moving into a freshwater and saltwater systems unit. We’re on the river, so we’re immersed in that.”

According to Grant-Watt, Strathcona-Tweedsmuir’s stunning natural campus allows these outdoor education opportunities to exist right on the school grounds.

“Students are bonded when they are building tents together, but also when they’re taking poetry in the beautiful Aspen Lodge. They’re in a biology class, looking at actual berries or listening to elders out there with them. It’s an experience you can’t have anywhere else,” she says.

“In my high school class, we talk a lot about connection to place, connection to the land,” Roth adds. “It’s ingrained in every aspect, just watching the kids run around out here. Our students are so ingrained with a connection to the place that we sometimes don’t even acknowledge all those little things,” says Roth.

In this sense, STS’s approach to outdoor education fits perfectly with the IB framework, particularly in developing an inspiring individual who is accustomed to, and excited by, taking on new challenges.

“My favourite IB learner profile word is courageous,” Janice Lacroix, assistant principal of the Elementary School explains. “When you think about our student body, they’re coming from a wide variety of experiences. For some, it takes a little bit to get out there. But because we are starting them so young, encouraging that exploration and sense of enjoying the outdoors, and helping them to make those connections, that courageousness builds.”

Lacroix, who is also a parent of current STS students, has seen firsthand the impact STS’s outdoor education programs have had on her son, such as a ski trip to the historic Elizabeth Parker Hut a short distance inside the B.C. border. “When he came home from that trip, he said ‘Mom, we went out in the evening and we stood at the side of Lake O’Hara, and the moon was shining down on the lake.’ He said, ‘Mom, I’ll never forget that scene.’ Just hearing the appreciation for nature in his voice, the wonder and the gratitude, it’s immeasurable to see that within your child.”

In creating these lasting memories, outdoor education at STS has benefits that extend far beyond academics—a core reason why it has become so integral to the school’s philosophy. “The tradition of annual trips not only builds character and inquiry, but a sense of community and bonding between classmates, alumni, and even family,” says Taggart.

“When we start young, the young grades see what’s happening schoolwide. There’s this anticipation, this expectation, ‘When I get to Grade 9, Grade 10, Grade 11, and 12, I can be in the school musical or I’m going to do OE,’ or ‘When I get to Grade 4, I get to go camp.’ That anticipation is there because they see it,” says Roth.

Taggart agrees: “‘Oh, you’re going on the same trip that your mom went on, right?’ That’s really special and rare.”

Speech & debate and co-curriculars

Before Grant-Watt joined the school, she says she could always spot an STS student at speech competitions based on the way they spoke.

At Strathcona-Tweedsmuir, Simmonds explains, Speech Day is a beloved tradition—and you can see its effect on the number of alumni who have graduated into careers in journalism, politics, entrepreneurship, and other leadership roles. These are skills honed not only by oration but the resilience that is developed throughout a student’s education.

“Kids compete at the highest level internationally from our speech and debate program. You’ll see it, we’ll have the shyest Grade 7 kids quaking in their shoes, and then they come back. They do it again. They get better and they come back. They do it again. Then they get better. By the time they’re in Grade 11 and 12, they’re winning,” he says.

Simmonds believes that every element of the school comes back to the IB approach of developing an engaged, respectful, and globally-minded young person. When it comes to debating and sharing ideas, an STS student has the ability to engage in challenging conversations, particularly in such divisive times. Simmonds witnesses it often outside his office door. “I hear these kids being able to talk about a difficult topic without gaslighting each other, without interrupting each other and [while] hearing each other’s different points of view. And I thought to myself, that kind of conversation, being expressed by kids having almost polar opposite points of view, would have been shut down in other kinds of schools. I think it’s something that IB generates in students and teachers: an obligation and a willingness to recognize that we’re all human beings on the planet trying to navigate our way through.”

Like the school’s speech and debate program, academics are not wholly separated from extracurricular activities. This is why STS offers so many extensive resources. Whether it’s an art form, a piece of history, a stream of science or technology, or even a real-world partnership, STS has an avenue that supports a student in identifying a new interest and pursuing it.

“We let them really find their passions here. We’re not telling them who to be or what to think. We’re teaching them how to think,” says Lara Unsworth, head of community relations, and STS alumna and parent. “It’s the students deciding, ‘I’m going to take a role in the Middle School play. That scares me, but I know I’m not going to be alone.’ They realize through all those experiences, ‘Hey, that was cool. Maybe it’s not my favourite thing, but I tried it. I feel good about myself.’”

“With that traditional learning model, it is teacher as instructor, and these are the things you study, these are the notes you take, these are the things you memorize, and this is the unit exam that you take,” Lacroix adds. “Whereas in particular with my son, who loved learning about every topic and would almost obsess about topics, when he started here in Grade 4, his big thing was Egypt. Being actually encouraged to think divergently and to wonder and to ask questions and to find the answers to those questions was fantastic for him.”

International travel

Much like outdoor education, STS offers several robust international travel opportunities. Although they are optional, trips are often associated with course subjects like language, art form, or sport. Other trips, to countries like Morocco or Vietnam, are for cultural experiences. In her role as deputy head of school, operations, and student experiences, Conway arranges several types of trips—provincial, national, or international, depending on the group—and says about 60% of the student body engages in at least one trip during their time at STS, with benefits ranging from real-world experiential learning to boosting self-confidence and bonding with staff and peers.

“I think the powerful thing is they learn what it means to travel in a group. You put the needs of a group before your own individual needs,” she says. “And they come home with an appreciation for a place that they’ve been to, and it creates really vivid, strong memories for them.”

To facilitate a high level of individualized learning, a school requires a robust team of teachers, counsellors, student psychologists, and other staff support.

STS keeps class sizes low, with students having daily small-group time with an adviser. Simmonds, for example, fondly recalls his tradition of completing the daily Wordle with his advisees. “It’s only 10 minutes, but you can tell a lot in those 10 minutes.” This is also an opportunity to stay aware of a student’s well-being.

“At graduation, we all wear gowns, we go in with the grads because we have been a part of their journey,” says Unsworth. “That’s why students feel very connected and supported, and come back here when they graduate to say, ‘Hey, I got a job here,’ or ‘I did this in school,’ or ‘ My professor talked about this, and it reminded me of when you did this.’ We have around 20 alumni events a year that they come back for. That sense of belonging is true and genuine.”

Alum and parent Aimee-Jo Benoit feels the same way. “I felt close to some of my teachers, but I didn’t really experience that mentorship part until much later. I think that’s because there’s so many more staff involved in keeping the school going. The teachers have more time to spend with the kids,” she says, reflecting on her time as an STS student compared to her current experience of having a child attending STS. “We have support staff; we have counselling staff. It’s bananas, really, how many people are looking out for each kid. When I was there, all the teaching staff could fit in the stairwell. Now we take up an entire large dining room. We had two or three admin staff, maybe four. And now there’s a fleet. So it really does feel like it’s grown. And it’s given that opportunity to really foster and nurture the kids because of all the support that’s available.”

Conway agrees, especially with her own experience as a parent of three children at STS. “What was so important to me is they were all known here. Kids cannot hide at STS. They cannot fly below the radar. The teachers all know them. They understand them. They will challenge them when they need to be challenged. They will give them some emotional support when they need that emotional support. They are in tune with these kids. And there is always an adult somewhere in this building that your kids will connect with. And they get to know so many teachers. They’re not lost in sheer volume and numbers. I think that’s what’s really special about this place,” she says.

“I had a really hard time going to school when I was younger. I love learning, but I didn’t really feel as safe at my old school as I do at STS because I wasn’t comfortable with my friends,” student Eda-Rosalie Benoit says. “My teachers didn’t really know me that well because the classroom sizes were so large.

Benoit adds that, at STS, her relationship with her science teacher pointed her toward a new potential career path. “I thought maybe I would be an engineer or a teacher when I was younger, but recently I’ve been thinking a lot about a medical career. I’d really like to be a surgeon.... With our science classes, you’re able to request extension work. Because I’m so interested in biology, I’ve actually talked to my science teacher about some new sources, websites, and papers that I can read on biology, and they’re really supportive in this way.”

Essential to Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School’s academic success is a strong sense of unity and support among its teaching staff, and that begins at the top of the administration hierarchy—with Grant-Watt.

“The people make the difference. You come and you’re able to contribute to a team. It’s not an ‘I’ statement. It’s not about the leader,” says Grant-Watt. “As much as I’m a head of school and my heart is with the classroom and the kids, my job is to take care of the adults in the building because they take care of the kids.”

When it comes to the teachers themselves, the collaborative nature of IB ensures there’s a strong culture of teamwork and support within their network, and students and teachers both reap the rewards as a result.

“Typically, you have one teacher, right? So whatever interests are in your group or your class, you’re limited in perhaps supporting all of them, especially in those younger grades,” says Taggart. “But when we have two teachers and two classes, we’re able to be a lot more creative and flexible in the ways we’re supporting those groups…. In Grade 1, they’re really exploring the interdependence between plants and animals. As they’re exploring our amazing campus and getting curious about some of the plants and animals, they’re able to be grouped by interest. There are some groups who are looking at the insects that they’re finding on aspen trees and asking ‘Why are they together? How are they connected? Why are they on the aspen tree? How is the aspen tree helping the ant versus the ant helping the aspen tree?’ whereas others notice deer poop on the trails, and they’re looking at how the deer poop is helping the grass or plants.”

Lacroix has a similar perspective. “That flexibility is really quite nice. I feel like the teachers are the catalyst for the way these kids can explore and wonder about things.”

Overseeing that culture of flexibility and collaboration requires advocacy and balance, particularly in a school with a vigorous extracurricular schedule that requires an additional commitment of time and effort from teachers.

“One quote Carol often refers to, that I think really speaks volumes, is, ‘Ask for what you need.’ She genuinely means that. Ask for what you need. What do you need to be supported personally and as a teacher, too?” says Taggart. “Finding that balance between work and life is always going to be a challenge, as a teacher and in other roles as well. But knowing that the leaders in the school value you and your family, you feel that—and you actually want to be a part of that community.”

While Roth is careful not to overschedule teachers who are attending outdoor education programs, he has noticed that the benefits he ascribes to his students can also apply to his colleagues. “Teachers say, ‘It actually fills my cup.’ When I’m on a trip, it’s not just all about me giving to the students. I’m getting something out of that, too, out of the experience of being out there.”

Taggart agrees, “Sometimes maybe the balance isn’t always there, but it’s not out of dread—I actually want to be a part of this because I really enjoy going on OE trips. It’s over the weekend, but that’s something that brings me joy.”

This commitment to balance and wellness has yielded outstanding results over the decades, and Strathcona-Tweedsmuir has proudly dedicated a wall of the school to recognizing teachers with long-standing service of 20, 25, 30 years, and more.

“Within the first week of starting, I distinctly remember seeing that long-standing staff wall and I went, ‘Wow, that’s a lot of people who stayed a long time,’ and I really understood right away why that’s the case,” says Taggart, who arrived at STS two years ago from an international school in Hong Kong. “I jumped around internationally. It’s pretty common. Every two years, you tend to go to a different country, a different school. Why not? But when we arrived here, I said ‘This feels like home. This feels like where I’d like to stay and grow within the community.’”

As in most independent schools, the admissions process consists of a consultation, a profile form from both the family and student, a school tour, and interviews. But for Eric Hawthorn, director of strategic enrolment management, what really makes STS’s approach to the admissions process stand out is its transparency regarding how the school’s needs align with those of the family.

“Schools are human-centred. We work with people. And with education, these are big, important, and meaningful topics that have a lot of depth and feeling and emotion to them. It can be a lot of things for a lot of people,” he says. “But we will tell you exactly what we’re looking for as a school. There are no secrets. This is not a trick. There’s no backroom-cloaked area that you don’t get to see. Come on in, let’s see everything. Let’s understand exactly what we’re trying to do here. And that, to me, is really a difference, I think, in what we do at STS. Our admissions process is transparent, open, and effective.”

“We’re working with students from five years old to 17, turning 18 years old,” he continues. “And so there’s a wide range of human development, age, growth, and changes in that group of people. And every family is different. You’re finding out what their hopes and dreams are for their kids. That’s personal stuff. That’s deep and meaningful. And so to be able to talk that way with 200, 300, 400 different families a year for my work is great.”

Given STS’s ability to meet the interests of an individual student, Hawthorn is hesitant to assign a checklist or “typical student profile” to his admissions criteria. However, he acknowledges that there are some needs the school isn’t designed or equipped to meet: significant one-on-one teaching support, currently failing courses at their present school, or a lack of self-motivation. At STS, a student’s success is directly proportional to the effort they are willing to put in.

“An STS student is someone who is asked to be different in a certain way. The school absolutely provides the environment to create that, but there needs to be the seed of that in the beginning, they have to want it. You can’t force a student to want those things,” he says. “We ask for three years’ report cards when available for that very reason. We want to see the arc of a student learning journey, not just one day at a time or one slice at a time, but over a series of years, to really be honest about that.”

Abigail Plumb, a Grade 11 student at STS, echoes that sentiment. “I wanted to be pushed both academically and also in extracurriculars, I wanted to be involved in lots of different opportunities and have engaging teachers and lots of really like-minded students and classmates. At STS, the stakes are pretty high in terms of academic performance. And usually, students do actually care about performing well in school. So that really drove me to want to attend a school where I would actually be in an environment with other people who wanted to also achieve their dreams.”

Finance, Hawthorn insists, should not be a barrier to attending Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School. Regarding the needs-based financial aid available, he is happy that those results are kept anonymous to the school administration, eliminating any potential shame or judgment from those receiving the funds. “There are some financial demands, there are significant costs. We can talk about these things, but that doesn’t have to be the basis of admission” he says.

As someone new to independent education when he joined STS in 2015, he strongly encourages others not to self-select out of the experience based on preconceived notions.

“It always had the shiny, ‘city-on-the-top-of-the-hill’ reputation,” he says, referring to his perceived notion of the school while growing up in the Calgary area. “To come and work at STS, it was just an eye-opening experience. This is what the best possible experience looks like. I genuinely still get that feeling when I drive out to work and when I show up in the morning. It’s a sense of awe and wonder because I get to work here and be a part of the school.”

“We’re like weeds, we’re everywhere,” Benoit says about STS grads. Taggart attributes this to the school’s inherent ability to stay connected with former students. “I’ve never come across, at any of the schools that I’ve worked at, a stronger alumni community. It’s incredible.”

Beyond the many alumni events held throughout the year at STS, students tend to find several ways of reconnecting with each other after graduation. Networking is often cited as a benefit of the alumni community, both for professional growth and for interacting with like-minded people who share the same foundation of values, thinking, and leadership style.

“What we hear [from our alumni] is when they go to university or any type of post-secondary institution, they feel so well-equipped to take on those little leadership roles. I think that’s a really important skill that we seem to be able to authentically and naturally do at this school,” says Conway.

It’s no wonder, then, that so many alumni eventually find their way back to the school. Many of the current faculty and administration staff are graduates, while others remain connected to the school as volunteers.

That same level of involvement can be found in the STS parent community.

“In most situations, you would send your child to school and you go about your life. But I think the parent community here is very strong. I say it in my speeches and everything I write. When a child comes to STS, we’re not only welcoming that child, we’re welcoming that child’s family,” says Jamila Nathu, president of POST (Parent Organization of STS).

“Starting in January, the parents’ association starts reaching out to new families joining the school. And so through the summer, I have members of my team that are meeting with new families, getting children together, and getting playdates together with other children in the grade. Come September, the children know who’s in their class, but it’s also the parents that start to build that connection,” she says.

On campus, parents have the opportunity to meet and relax in the parent lounge, which often comes in handy for volunteer events like Treat Week, the Welcome Coffee, the Fall Fair, or a track and field meet (with several meets a month, Nathu says). These events give parents the chance to meet and build their own network.

“It really comes into play when a family is going through difficulty. Everything from when you’re running late coming from work, a quick ‘Can you pick up my kids?’ to, sometimes, deaths or illnesses in different families. The parent community will pull together to make sure that particular family is supported. It’s a beautiful thing to be a part of,” Nathu says.

Whether it’s chatting outside of the school at pick-up time or working together to solve an interpersonal issue between two students, Nathu believes the parent involvement at STS often results in the values and philosophies of the school shaping parent relationships for the better. In that sense, parents are true partners in welcoming the STS experience into their homes.

“We certainly wouldn’t be able to accomplish [what we can] without the support of parents and the relationships that we form with our parent community,” says Lacroix. “We have parents that are actively involved in the school community, so they know what we’re learning. They know what’s happening within the classroom context. And so they’re able to capitalize on all of those interests and activities, and the things the kids are being exposed to within our school community, so they can continue that type of passion outside.”

Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School’s motto says it all. “Nil nisi optimum: Nothing but our best.”

“(It) isn’t something that we just pay lip service to. I think it’s at the core of everything that we do as a faculty. It’s at the core of everything that we encourage the children toward. It’s really something that we live,” says Lacroix.

Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School represents the best in independent education in the 2020s: it views academic learning as something that takes place both in and outside of the classroom. It builds confidence and a mindset of inquiry; it values art, expression, inclusion, and belonging—in equal weight with school success.

STS looks at its long-term impact on the world through the young people it fosters. With state-of-the-art facilities, a pristine campus, the IB Continuum Programme, and a comprehensive approach to outdoor education, the STS experience is unique within independent education in Canada. “We are really good at keeping students at the centre of all that we do. It is always our ‘Why.’ In everything that we’re doing, we’re ensuring that these kids are safe, taken care of, have an amazing place to come and learn, and are happy,” says Conway.

At STS, students are supported individually, but they are always aware of their position within their larger group—and the world at large. They are inspired to try new challenges in a safe environment. And they build lifelong connections based on a shared set of values, rather than simply a shared title on their resumé.

“My advice would be to go somewhere that you feel will prepare you in the best way, not somewhere where you will receive the best marks or your parents really want you to go to,” student Eda-Rosalie Benoit says. “Go somewhere that you feel safe and supported, and really values your interests as a student. I think STS is a school that prides itself in taking care of their students and they really do care.”

Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School is proud to carry a long and distinguished tradition of academic excellence into the future. With institutional roots dating back well over a century, and state-of-the-art programs and facilities that are redefining what is possible in education, they are truly redefining what it means to be an independent school in Canada and around the world.