2008 - 2009 Annual Report - St. John's-Kilmarnock School

2008 – 2009 To
Letter from the
Acting Head
be headmaster at SJK is a privilege not experienced by many and I have been fortunate to be one of
those souls. Whilst this mantle was temporary in nature, it gave me a wonderful opportunity to provide
leadership at a critical time in our history. The overwhelming success of this year is due to the
tremendous support that I received from all around me, from colleagues, students, board members,
parents and alumnae.
We not only opened in September with 420 students, well ahead of projections, but also received our
accreditation from CESI. In addition, the school underwent a Ministry of Education inspection, that
received a flawless report and evaluation.
Throughout the year, our teachers and students threw themselves into everything with tremendous
energy and enthusiasm, never letting up as one month rolled into another. The support and office
personnel were just as helpful, pitching in wholeheartedly to do all that we asked of them. Although this
was a transition year, we not only checked all sorts of things off the “to do” list, both in academics and
the business area of the school, but also continued to move the school forward.
On the financial front, Mr. Beacock, Assistant Head of School - Business and Finance, did an amazing
job of managing the business side of the school. His hard work ensured that we are in a solid financial
position with a surplus on the bottom line. As well, we are continuing to pay down debt.
One of the principal thrusts of the year was Trek Nepal 2009, led by Mr. Spackman and his wife, Judy.
The whole school got behind this venture and lent both their moral and financial support. Through a
host of activities, the student body raised over $30,000 to be used over the next few years to support
building projects, teacher training and salaries. This money will also be used to cover the costs of the
material needs of the schools that we support.
We were fortunate to be the recipient of a significant financial gift to the music program from the Bill
Harrison family. Mr. Harrison’s children are alumnae and his grandson is a current student. The impact
of his generosity was experienced by all at the ArtsAroundsUs evening as the fledgling band
accompanied the Kilmarnock Singers in one of their numbers.
Our students continue to shine, performing well at the provincial and national levels in academic
competitions for debating, science, mathematics and the arts. Even though we are a small school, our
varsity athletes continued to perform at the highest level and our arts program is growing from strength
to strength.
I look forward to working with our new Head of School and to provide for him the same support that
was so generously given to me.
Ian Hornsby
Acting Head of School
2008–09