The Island Pacific School Blog
IPS Nominated for Giving Hearts Award for Outstanding Youth Philanthropist
This year on National Philanthropy Day, Island Pacific School was nominated for a Giving Hearts Award for Outstanding Youth Philanthropist. The Association of Fundraising Professionals recognize individuals and groups that make a difference in their communities. We...
Comic Strip: Shakespear’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”
In the grade 9 English class, we have been reading Shakespear’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and breaking down the language and meaning as we go. As an assignment, Andrea asked us to summarize a scene from the play and create a six-panel comic strip of that scene. The...
Student Led Remembrance Day Assembly: Why do we remember?
On Wednesday, November 6th the IPS Grade 8 students held a Remembrance Day Assembly for the school community to help the school understand the importance of Remembrance Day. With a variety of topics ranging from ‘Women in War’ to the symbolic meaning behind white and...
Clarke Family Focus
IPS has helped equip our kids with many life skills, one of which is to be active participants in engaged discussions with the ability to appreciate different perspectives and engage in a respectful manner. It has also instilled in them a set of strong values and...
Free Film Screening: Screenagers NEXT CHAPTER Oct 22nd & Nov 7th
Join us for a free film screening of Screenagers NEXT CHAPTER October 22nd at 7:00 pm on Bowen Island at Cates Hill Chapel November 7 at 7:00 pm in North Vancouver at Delbrook Community Centre, Arbutus Room There will also be time following the film for an open...
Community Partners
Most Bowen community members are aware that our IPS young people are excellent ambassadors in our community and beyond. Did you know that the first point of contact with new families to Bowen is often through a realtor or developer? These businesses are now finding...
Bridge to the Future
Among the many great things about Island Pacific School, one constant thread in its near quarter-century history is the incredible generosity of stakeholders — parents, staff, alumni, board and great community members — to support the school’s mission. Now in its...
Gr 6 & 7 Excursion to Lynn Canyon Ecology Centre
Last Wednesday the Grade 6/7 class went to Lynn Canyon Ecology Centre. We were introduced to our guides who would give us a tour throughout the forest. We were split into two groups to learn all about the forest. My group went across the suspension bridge to a trail...
Creativity as a teaching tool
What do a bike factory, a ford truck, a farm, a classroom, the IPS staff, Winterfell Castle, an alien spaceship, a bee hive, a veggie garden, a hockey rink and a vitamix smoothie maker have in common? You guessed it - they are all easy to compare to a Eukaryotic cell....
Be the Change We Want to See
History is a funny thing. It happens around us all the time. One moment slipping into the past becomes our history. Events that pass become the shared story of how we got to where we are now. Most often, history is made silently or at least with little notice. At...
What could the future of education look like? IPS founder Ted Spear has some ideas
Ted Spear holds the recently released Education Reimagined. Photo by BRONWYN BEAIRSTO/BOWEN ISLAND UNDERCURRENT The founder of Island Pacific School (IPS) released his book, Education Reimagined: The Schools our Children Need, back in July. It’s a lofty ambition,...
A Parent’s Perspective
Volunteering at IPS has given me a window into my sons’ lives that I otherwise would not have been privileged to experience. Simply learning the names of all of the students was once a challenge, but through consistent volunteering—in and out of the classroom—I was...
Chris Wilson Goodbye
On My Time With Island Pacific School (With my apologies to Lin‐Manuel Miranda) How does an idea, a design, a little school, become an institution, On an island, A rock dropped in the middle of a forgotten Spot in Howe Sound near Vancouver....
Masterworks June 10 – 13, 2019
Can a 14-year-old be expected to conduct a public presentation similar to a TED talk? Island Pacific School students have been doing so for over 20 years through a program called Masterworks. Our middle school curriculum recognizes the importance of independent study....
Frustrated? Find the Right School: Expert Educator Panel & Discussion, June 6, 2019
What school is the right fit for my child? What are we going to do next year? What do YOU think a quality education would look like for your child? Join our expert panel and discussion around these and other big questions parents need to ask when making...
IPS Open House: Walk Through Time Showcases Arts, Individuals & Societies Wed., May 29th
Do you have a twin somewhere in art and history? What would it be like to walk through a gallery where the subject of the painting might appear and speak to you about their moment in time? If you could invent your own nation, what would you create? How did ancient...
IPS Students Qualify for the Global Round of World Scholar’s Cup
Meet Jerry. He’s that yellow alpaca in the middle. Meet the other Jerry, the pink alpaca on the end. The green alpaca is also named Jerry. They are all Jerry. Why? To be honest, I’m not entirely sure, but the World Scholar’s Cup, the organization who distributes the...
Equip & Inspire Student Conference
The IPS Equip and Inspire Conference has now come and gone and I am so pleased with the way it all came together as a vehicle to not only meet our BC Education Career Education Curriculum core competencies and big ideas, but also provide meaningful connections between...