Annual Report 2007 - Meadowridge School

Message from the Headmaster continued.
Our enrolment during the 2006-2007 school year set a new record. However, at the time of writing this, it would
appear that our school will begin the 2007-2008 school year with a total of 500 students, another new high
enrolment. This is significant, especially when one considers that school enrolments are declining in every other
school district, and across both the Province and the country. Most people who inquire tell us that the school was
recommended by current parents, clearly a strength within the school. In addition, our attrition at the time of
reregistration was at seven per cent, a very low rate. We now are full at five or six grades, and - at the time of
writing this, the week before school opens - ˚we are getting many requests and inquiries from prospective families.
It is also notable that this increase in enrolment is also in spite of declining many applicants, for a variety of reasons.
Our Admissions Director, Christine Bickle, has been instrumental in supporting new applicants to our school. The
future challenge that she has articulated is how best to select new students when grades and the school itself is
full, and few vacancies arise. This will be a significant shift for our school and for school planning generally.
Our community events were better than ever this year, notably our Gala and our Golf Tounament, both of which
had outstanding attendance and provided us with lots of fun, while providing record event fundraising for our
school. Parents gathered at my house a number of times during the year, and enjoyed each others’ company in
a convivial atmosphere. I am very gratified to see the ongoing development of the Parent Guild, which has always
been an invaluable aspect of our school life, and is now becoming even more active and inclusive. I view this
as a welcome and important development in our school. My thanks to Lyn Tyler, whose support for our parents,
our fundraising, and our events has been simply outstanding.
The school finances continued to be strong, in spite of a tuition which is very low when compared regionally,
provincially, nationally, or internationally to schools of like quality. Our pupil-teacher ratios are amongst the best
anywhere, our facilities are excellent, and our outcomes very positive...as well, our ongoing costs are tightly
controlled, our enrolment continues to surpass strategic projections, and so tuition has been very favourable in terms
of value and quality for amount invested. However, given public-school teacher salary increases, which we match,
instructional costs are rising. As well, as our teachers grow in experience, their salaries increase commensurately.
Energy costs continue to rise, and these affect all school costs, as they affect all costs generally in our economy.
We are currently constructing a strategic financial plan which is intended to ensure ongoing quality, with ongoing
strong financial controls, while realistically projecting future tuition possibilities. Currently, I think that we face a
challenge of meeting very high expectations of ever-better outcomes without commensurate expectations of costs.
This is a challenge that our school must clearly meet.
We continue to be a school that is more than simply a school. We are a community of like-minded people who
value education and are willing to support it in a number of ways. Our children are our focus, and their learning
is our passion. As we work together in the service of our children and their learning, we have built a community
of accomplishment, of decency, of kindness, of challenge, and of service. This not only supports our children, but
it supports each and every family that joins us, and links us together in ribbons of friendship and collaboration.
Our Board has led the way, and has found every way possible to move our school forward. They work without
fanfare, for long hours, to support each of our children. They have earned our respect and our thanks. Together -
Board, parents, teachers, staff, administration, and students - we are creating a legacy, and it is a privilege to
be a part of it.
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Respectfully submitted,
˚
Hugh Burke
Headmaster
Meadowridge School
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