Annual Report
Headmaster’s Message
October 10, 2019
At the onset of the 2018-2019 school year, I challenged our community to consider the question, “What will your narrative be this year?” As I look back on the year that was, I am happy to report that Rundle’s narrative was a perfect combination of predictability, curiosity, and inspiration.
Predictability
The academic results, which you will receive in the annual report in the new year, demonstrate that Rundle continues to reach its academic and post-secondary goals. We are seeing students reach their potential in all areas and we continue to celebrate with them when they do. There is no question that the academic standards at Rundle remain strong and our teachers and students continually rise to the occasion.
Rundle’s grades are impressive; however, they are the least impressive thing about our programming. I believe that the predictability fostered by the ethos of small, relationship-centric education is our most impressive achievement. We continue to see all members of our community connect on personal and professional levels. We see ongoing engagement through professional learning, attendance at school events and volunteering opportunities outside of school. I’d like to sincerely thank our entire community for their adherence to our values of togetherness and kindness in their daily interactions.
Curiosity
In 2018-2019, our community truly embraced and lived the mantra, “Be Curious.” We are seeing programs such as robotics and design-thinking take root in many of our divisions. Furthermore, we have made tremendous improvements in the design and function of our Academy program. The “Moving Walls Project” at the Academy continues to forge ahead and in the last 12 months, we have seen the redesign of their Junior High Lunch Room as well as the Assembly Hall. Our community came together and asked the question, “How can we optimize our spaces?” and through collective curiosity and collaboration, the results have been remarkable. Finally, we had our first “Rundle’s Value Grant Project” take root as we accepted grant applications for projects that adhered to our value, “Be Well.” Dozens of applications came from parents, students and teachers and in the end, we actioned five unique wellness-inspired initiatives. These initiatives established music clubs, friendship benches and redesigned workspaces for our faculty.
Inspiration
Late last year we said goodbye to one of our founders, Dr. R.C. Conklin. Dr. Conklin’s life and legacy is an inspiration to us all which we will carry with us as we continue to fulfill the mission that he and Dr. W. J. Collett created nearly 34 years ago. In the coming year, we will use Dr. Conklin’s words as our guiding vision. In his book, “A Cottage That Became A Campus,” Dr. Conklin stated:
“Groups of 12 to fifteen were more able to have full communication without the threat of too much intimacy. I called this the “empathy group.”
and
“When speaking of the best teachers, “[the top teachers] could see the world through the eyes of the students” (p.13).
Next year I look forward to reporting back to our community on all the acts of understanding and empathy that have created the narrative for the 2019–2020 school year.
Sincerely,
Jason B. Rogers
Headmaster, Rundle College Society
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