The Island Pacific School Blog
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 decisions...
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...
Founding IPS Head Keynote: Cultivating Ethics, Values & Humanity May 1, 2019
Wednesday, May 1, 2019 9 - 10:30 am You are invited to join the Keynote by Island Pacific School's Founding Head, Dr. Ted Spear as he kicks off Island Pacific School's inaugural Equip and Inspire Student Conference. Dr. Spear's keynote on cultivating ethics, values...
IPS Assistant Head & Teacher Awarded the 2019 Prime Minister’s Award for Teaching Excellence
Prime Minister's Award for Teaching Excellence Island Pacific School is thrilled to announce that Jennifer Henrichsen, IPS assistant head and teacher, has recently won The Prime Minister's Award for Teaching Excellence. Since 1993, this award has recognized...
Student Public Speaking Competition: Persuasive, Greek Mythology, World Events & After Dinner Speeches
Public Speaking Competition Students in all grades were challenged to a public speaking competition. They learned how to create and present a speech. Focus was given to learning about effective non-verbal communication techniques as well as literary device use to...
Experience IPS Open House Wednesday, April 24, 2019
Wednesday, April 24th New families joining IPS in 2019 and interested families are invited to join IPS for some fun Earth Day activities and connect with other new middle school students who are starting at IPS in September 2019. This very un-serious day will be a fun...
Pollinator Garden Comes to IPS
Island Pacific School is a beautiful place of learning. The building itself is open and bright and when you walk in the door, you can feel the positive energy and enthusiasm of the students and staff. We are also lucky to be surrounded by trees and plants that create...
Students Win at Greater Vancouver Regional Science Fair
In mid April, 8 IPS middle school students attended the Greater Vancouver Regional Science Fair at UBC. Over the course of the 3 days they presented their projects to the judges, fellow participants, visiting students and the public. They met with other students to...
Creating Cultures of Thinking: IPS Teachers Have Gone Back to School as Students
As of February 25th myself and five other IPS teachers have gone “back to school” with the Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE). We are taking a course called “Creating Cultures of Thinking” that is part of Harvard’s “Project Zero”. The HGSE and Project Zero...
The Purpose and Power of Place Based Learning
Spring will have sprung, birds will be birding, shoots will shooting, and we - as the innovative teachers that we are - will be introducing a new element to our already ingenious and pedagogically driven program. What I'm referring to is our new post Spring Break...
MAINSTAGE: The Doppelgang March 14th & 15th, 2019
The Doppelgang March 14th & 15th, 2019 It’s hard to be yourself when you’re a teenager - especially when there’s two of you! Three unsuspecting teenagers get in double trouble when they meet carnival workers with mysterious powers, and come up against The...
Fort Langley Air Donates to IPS
Scott McIntosh, Fort Langley Air Interviewed December 7, 2018 By Julia McCaig Kristin and Geoff Jarvis donated a unique and valuable gift to our Fall Bash fundraiser — a private tour of the southern BC Coast, departing from the Salish Sea, traveling over the Coastal...
Students Sleep Out: Service in Action
On Wednesday, February 20th, the grade nines participated in a Sleep OUT so that homeless youth could sleep IN. They spent January and February fundraising and spreading awareness of the work Covenant House (our partners) does with homeless youth in Vancouver. Their...
Walnuts are the #1 brain food: HEALTHY BRAIN, HEALTHY WORKPLACE, HEALTHY LIFE
Friday, February 15th marked the end of a pretty manic week at IPS as we succumbed to winter weather and declared a “Snow Day” on Tuesday and followed that with an incredible Science Fair and Open House on Wednesday. By the time Friday rolled around the IPS teaching...
IPS OPEN HOUSE: Science Fair, Wednesday, February 13, 2019
Attend our Open House and Science Fair 6:16 - 8:15 pm Have you ever wondered if dogs learn differently than cats, or if people are less productive when they are distracted? These are some of the questions the Grade 7 and 8 students are asking and hoping to find...