institution it is to be. We already had a clear plan of where we wanted to go but the plan had never been properly funded, and could not be executed without this funding. It was recognized that it is the Board of Governors responsibility to ensure adequate financial resources to allow Administration to implement the Strategic Plan as instructed. The Board decided that the school should stay the course, and become an IB continuum university preparatory school, providing quality programmes at a reasonable cost, compared to similar schools. We determined that the value of our programmes, culture and nature of our school continue to be excellent. By all measures the school produces much better than average results at comparatively lower than average costs. It was recognized that <strong>Meadowridge</strong> needs to be the most effective school <strong>for</strong> our teachers to function in. High quality teaching is central to the outcomes of our students, and we need to ensure that teacher development is outstanding, and that teacher retention remains high. To support this we need to fully develop our facilities <strong>for</strong> curriculum excellence. Armed with the set of new Key Decisions, a strategic planning session was held in January of 2012. An updated Strategic Plan was developed by the Board of Governors in order to carry out the intents of the Vision that had been developed the previous year. The most notable result stemming from the January meeting was that the Board of Governors made a firm decision that we would move towards adequate funding of the Strategic Plan. It was realized that we could no longer continue to direct our Headmaster and his staff to implement the Strategic Plan without sufficient funding. The only three available streams <strong>for</strong> increased funding were identified as tuition, donations and increased enrollment. Our long-term Strategic Plan now calls <strong>for</strong> expansion and a Campus Master Plan to support the growth of enrollment to 800 students. In addition tuition levels were increased, which was subsequently announced in a letter to the parent body. A number of families contacted the Board of Governors with questions and concerns about, not only the tuition increase, but also about the fact that this announcement was made very close to the midline <strong>for</strong> reregistration. A parent meeting was held to answer concerns on January 18, 2012 and was well attended. It was clear that the sudden increase in tuition fees was a significant cause of hardship <strong>for</strong> some parents. Many suggestions on alternative revenue streams were discussed. The Board of Governors acknowledged that this in<strong>for</strong>mation had been poorly communicated and also at a very late date. It was decided to develop and maintain a rolling five-year financial <strong>for</strong>ecast budget that would include tuition, and to establish a Board Communications Committee. These measures were implemented to ensure that our parents are well in<strong>for</strong>med and are provided with adequate in<strong>for</strong>mation <strong>for</strong> financial planning. Mr. Burke also met with a group of parents to consider alternate fundraising plans <strong>for</strong> the school. The Board of Governors met with members of the Administration <strong>for</strong> a strategic development workshop in April of 2012. This reaffirmed our goal to be stable, effective, and mission-driven. There was consensus that we are still driven by our Vision, and this has underlined the guiding principles of the 2012 Strategic Plan. The Board of Governors is confident that the 2012 Strategic Plan will preserve the character and sustainability of our school. <strong>Meadowridge</strong> is doing very well on all fronts. We have been able to maintain our student numbers with a record low attrition of 9%, and a projected student count of 540 <strong>for</strong> next year. In addition, participation in our Annual Giving Campaign is now at 54%. 6 DeSIGn the next 25 years The 2011-2012 Board of Governors term was the first year of <strong>Meadowridge</strong>’s second quarter century. It has been an exciting year and an honour to chair the Board of Governors. This year the Board of Governors welcomed three new members, Jessie Hill, Bob Gill and Roy Choi. All three have already made a significant contribution with their unique perspectives, talents, enthusiasm and energy. We are very grateful to have them on board. I would personally like to thank Susan Waugh, Secretary of the Board, <strong>for</strong> all the work that she has done over the last term. In spite of there being times when the workload must have exceeded her day job, she always managed to keep correspondence timely and thoughtful. I specifically would like to thank Gareth Mason (Vice Chair), John Becker (Past Chair) and Hugh Burke <strong>for</strong> their support and mentorship during my first term and especially during my unexpected absence earlier in this year. I would also like to thank my fellow Board members <strong>for</strong> the significant time and ef<strong>for</strong>t they put in over the last year, often spending evenings and Saturdays in meetings. On behalf of the Board of Governors, and also as a <strong>Meadowridge</strong> parent, I would like to sincerely thank Hugh Burke and his administrative team <strong>for</strong> providing our children with the best opportunity to thrive in life. Daniel Gouws Chair, Board of Governors
“Our school has quietly come of age as a result of the unwavering support, dedication and ongoing work that has been done by the <strong>Meadowridge</strong> community. Our school, like our children, is now ready to enter the next phase.” June 2012 Annual Report 7
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