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BC independent school legacy

March 27, 2023

Liz Williams (IPS Alumni 1998-2001, Odyssey Program 2001-2002)

Julia McCaig Alumni Stories, Outdoor Learning BC independent school legacy, Bowen Island education history, experiential learning impact, IPS alumni stories, Island Pacific School graduates, Liz Williams IPS, Odyssey Program alumni, student success after IPS

I had the good fortune to attend Island Pacific School from grades 7-9 as well as the Odyssey Program for grade 10 in the only year it ran. To this day, I regard my experience as a student at IPS as a foundational experience; one that set me on the path to where I am today.

The school’s philosophy of active and curious learning, and the character foundation it helped lay (Courage, Wisdom, and Integrity!), have guided and informed me as I have approached every new experience. My time was marked from beginning to end by the excellence of the staff and faculty, whose infectious enthusiasm for learning made school into something I looked forward to (even if I never came around to enjoying early mornings); by the fellow students whose friendship I treasure even now; and by the incredible community in which it resides.

I was the recipient of a half-bursary for my entire time at the school, without which my family would not have been able to afford school tuition. This is far from the only example of the community having an impact on me at IPS. For example, my Grade 8 class had the chance to fly a Cessna aircraft through the generosity of Mr. Ian Henley; this sparked a love of aviation in me that led me first to Air Cadets, and eventually to becoming a member of the RCAF as a helicopter pilot.

For the past ten years now, I have flown in every province and territory in Canada, including a month in Tuktoyaktuk, NWT and another month at CFS Alert in the high Arctic, and had the opportunity to see just how vast and beautiful this country is from a unique aerial perspective. I have deployed overseas on multiple occasions, including to Iraq for tactical operations and to Mali as part of a MEDEVAC force for a United Nations mission. Currently, I am a Standards Instructor Pilot with 427 Squadron, sharing my knowledge and experience with new pilots.

I fully believe that none of these experiences and opportunities would have come to pass without my time at IPS. Far beyond simply opening my eyes to a career in aviation, IPS taught me a critical approach to seeking knowledge with the Practical Reasoning courses, and gave me broad perspective on approaching the world through programs like Community Faculty and the many
excursions. It even kindled a love of experiencing the outdoors, which has made me far less miserable than some of my more urban co-workers when we live in tents and train in a field
environment! Finally, the school’s motto: Courage, Wisdom, and Integrity – three words articulating a philosophy that has never served me wrong.

I will be forever grateful for my time at IPS, for the fellow students and staff who made it such a wonderful experience, and for my community for making it possible.

Liz Williams
April 2023

November 30, 2022

Lauren Brzezowski – Alumni Class of ’15

Julia McCaig Alumni Stories alumni success stories, BC independent school legacy, Bowen Island school community, class of 2015 IPS, experiential education outcomes, IPS alumni spotlight, Island Pacific School graduates, Lauren Brzezowski IPS

Hi, my name is Lauren Brzezowski.

I had the privilege of attending Island Pacific School (IPS) from grade 6-9 and graduated in 2015. It was not, however, only a privilege, but a choice my family and I made each day as we drove from Squamish to Horseshoe Bay to catch the morning ferry; I am forever grateful to my parents for supporting me in this adventure as IPS forever changed my approach to education and life.

I completed high school at Brentwood College and I am now finishing my BSN at the University of Victoria. This past year I was awarded the President’s Scholarship and long listed for the Rhodes Scholarship. Now I am an RN preceptor on the Neuroscience unit at Vancouver General Hospital. In my future career endeavors I hope to improve equitable access to health and address social justice issues.

As I reflect back on my life I can attribute these goals and values to projects such as masterworks; to activities such as understanding the lived experience of Vancouver’s downtown eastside residents; and most importantly to the engaged teachers at IPS (and other institutions) who were respectful and attentive to the learning needs of each student.

I have fond memories of the adventurous experiences which are woven into the DNA of IPS. While these experiences are one of a kind and helped foster my self trust, my willingness to be courageous, and developed my fervor for outdoor activities, I do not believe they are what makes IPS such a special place. IPS taught me the importance of community and how to have authentic human connections. From the first time I sat on the concrete and ate lunch with people from all grades I felt welcomed; it was a safe space for me to show up as myself and explore who I was as a person.

Each teacher held space for me to learn who I was and explore what was important to me by framing each learning opportunity within the context of topics in which I was interested.

This sense of community is built into every aspect of IPS from taking the ferry every morning to being a part of morning check to being a mentee and later becoming a mentor. This sense of community is special; it creates a small family which demands you to show up, be honest, respectful, and ultimately lead with integrity because in return you are able to be curious and explore the world through project based and experiential learning.

Now in hindsight I am able to see how this principled yet curiosity based approach to education began to develop my own moral compass.

Thank you IPS!

Lauren Brzezowski

December 2022

January 17, 2020

Natalie Helm (class of ’09) on life since IPS

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Natalie Helm checked in with us recently to share her experiences over the past 10 years since leaving IPS

On October 27 2016, a metal gong woke me; it was 5:00 a.m. in Kerala, India and we were being summoned to the meditation hall. I rose out of bed, struggling my way into my sports-bra and walked down a moonlit path — I stopped to enjoy a cup of warm water and admired this early morning ritual that existed at the Ashram. In meditation, my mind drifted; I sat cross-legged on the cement floor and thought about the gong — I wondered why I liked it so much. I wondered what piece of this morning ritual made me feel so at ease.

girl on step As I sat down in January 2020 to write a piece for IPS, expressing my experience at the school, I didn’t know where to begin — the only words that continued to ripple through my head were “let’s go, let’s go, let’s rock and roll!” This was the phrase that echoed through the halls of the school at 8:45 a.m. each morning, gathering students, staff and faculty to the MBC room for Morning Stretch. To me, this phrase is the gong of IPS. Once summoned together, we would sit cross legged, sharing two minutes of silence, followed by attendance and a brief stretch; we would then check-in, sometimes about what was going on for ourselves, sometimes about what was going on in the world around us. This process was something each of us honoured together before embarking on each day.

It has been 10 years since I graduated from IPS (that went fast!) and 14 years since I walked into IPS on my very first day. On day one, I remember feeling mad at my parents for believing so strongly in IPS – for making the transition from public to private school a priority for myself and my brother. For this reason, I remember resisting IPS: the teachers, the hike up Garibaldi, the Kayak trip to Anvil Island, the push-ups when we said “like” or “um”. I remember missing my old friends and yearning for a high school experience like “everybody else”. With time,
this resistance shifted into acceptance, and with more time, this acceptance shifted into gratefulness. Looking back now, it is clear to me that frustration and sadness were only a small piece of my feelings in my early days at IPS. Perhaps more importantly, I remember feeling accepted, and celebrated even, for exploring exactly who I was and wanted to be from that very first day.

When I entered IPS, I was a timid 10-year-old girl who followed in the footsteps of her peers. When I left IPS, I was a strong 14-year-old-girl who had summited mountain tops, flown a plane, travelled to Quebec, built a shelter to sleep under with only a tarp and a rope, and become an expert on the Impacts of Divorce on Youth by writing a mini-masters paper. By the end of my four years at the school, I learned how to be courageous, grew to understand the power of wisdom, and believed in the importance of integrity.

In January 2020, I attended a six-day personal development course on Gabriola Island. Each morning, our leaders had us sit cross-legged, sharing two minutes of silence, followed by a brief check-in about ourselves or world events before we embarked on each day. This process, much like gathering for Morning Stretch, was familiar and comforting to me.

Natalie’s IPS days from 2006 – 2009 shown below

I cannot pretend that I know my journey at IPS changed my life for the better. I do not know that I wouldn’t have become a traveler, hiker, camper, crafter, or active learner had I gone to public school. I do not know that I wouldn’t have learned lessons of wisdom, courage and integrity from other people or places along the way. While I cannot prove how my life would have progressed, one way or another, I do know that I look back on my time at IPS with pride, gratefulness, and excitement. I believe that spending my middle years inside the four walls of IPS (okay, we spent a lot of time outside of the four walls too!) shaped me into the human I am today.

Now, at 25 years old, I find myself speaking about IPS often. I feel appreciative for all that the school was and continues to be – beyond what I am able to express here on paper. Most of all, however, I find myself consistently reminded (by waking to Indian gongs, reaching Himalayan summits, or attending workshops on Gabriola Island) that I walked into IPS a shy young girl and left feeling like a courageous woman.

I wish my experience at IPS on anyone who is open to it and even those who are not… ahem, yes, that includes you, 10 year old Natalie… So if this is the sign you are looking for – then let’s go let’s go let’s rock and roll!

Natalie Helm

Do you have an IPS story to share? Send me a note:

Julia McCaig
Director of Community Engagement
[email protected] | 778.989.0771

December 18, 2018

Thank you to our alumni!

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Bronwyn Churcher and Knacker's Yard — Bronwyn Churcher and Knacker’s Yard

Sally Haggerstone, Travis Haggerstone and Noah Gotfrit joined Scott and I last Saturday at IPS to reminisce about IPS, both from a student’s perspective and as returning alumni.

While Noah only did grade 9 at IPS, it had a lasting effect on him. He was an early and rare town commuter and he recalled taking the water taxi with Michael Simmons, the Head at that time. He worked in program support and attempted to work with Scott around creating some sort of a music club which proved a challenge at that time. He also was involved in discussions about continuity for students and the related transitions to high school. Noah is currently a jazz musician.

Travis graduated in 2003, but returned to IPS to assist with class hiking trips and kayak expeditions, in addition to coaching Ultimate and attending Spring Reign in this capacity. He recalled customizing ultimate uniforms.

When Sally entered the school last Saturday, she immediately thought to remove her shoes! She recalled a no outdoor shoe rule – everyone wore socks or indoor slippers in the school! Her first year was when we were located in what is now the Municipal building.

She talked about the Odyssey (grade 10 program) and how amazing it was – sailing from Nanaimo, hiking part of the West Coast Trail and attending the Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre.

She spent at least one year in the Muni building and was one of our second year of grads, graduating in 2001. There was the reference to the chats with Ted – referred to as munga munga – which definitely held a mystique for the students then and still now as she wasn’t entirely sure what happened in those talks in Ted’s office.

We all went down to the Bowen pub after and enjoyed Bronwyn Churcher and Knacker’s Yard till the wee hours!

If you’d like to share a story, get in touch with me —

Julia McCaig
Director of Development and Alumni Relations
[email protected] | 778.989.0771

December 15, 2018

Alumni Story: Bronwyn Churcher on Bowen Dec 15 Bowen Pub

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Bronwyn Churcher (alum student ‘2000 and alum teacher ‘2014) is coming to play with her Celtic traditional band Knacker’s Yard on December 15 at the Bowen Pub.

We thought now would be a good time to get caught up with what she’s been doing.

IPS Days

Bronwyn graduated from IPS in 2000, which makes her one of IPS’s first graduates. She reflected how in 1997 when she started at IPS, it was really just a single room schoolhouse, on Cates Hill on Bowen Island (now the location of Bowen’s Municipal Hall). There were just 23 students in three grades housed in a building no larger than a small house. They worked together in most subjects, but when they needed to do independent study, they simply pulled a curtain across the room!

“Kellie Rapley (now Kellie Burnett) was the best teacher I’ve ever had. She inspired me to get a degree in History, which I followed with a Masters in Social Anthropology”. Bronwyn recalled Kelly’s background in anthropology, which she infused in her teaching as she shared knowledge about different cultures, imparting her passion into her lessons.

Bronwyn’s Masterworks explored the question ‘Is violence a choice?’ inspired by her grade 8 class field trip to the downtown eastside, she found herself wondering about the stories behind how people ended up there. Her Masterworks presentation became an exploration of the cycle of poverty, violence and drug abuse. She laughs when she recalls her mentor, Pam Matthews’ reaction to her submission of 56 pages, “we’re going to start having to put limits on how long these are allowed to be!”

In December 2005, Bronwyn was studying at the University of Edinburgh, but was home visiting for Christmas as were her brother and sister. In the early hours of the morning of December 16, a devastating fire completely destroyed the family home on Bowen Island. Everything was lost but most valuable were the family albums. Eva, her mum, worked hard to get photos back and one valuable source was IPS’s repository. People were good too about sending photos back to the family, that had previously been given away. “You pull together” Bronwyn said, “it’s community”.

Teaching

After high school, she obtained a history degree from UBC, a Masters degree in Social Anthropology at the University of Edinburgh, and then her B.Ed. at SFU where she met her partner Christian MacInnis. They taught abroad together, first in the UK and then in China. In 2012, they both returned to Canada to teach at IPS: Bronwyn teaching Humanities and English for two years, and Christian teaching PE, Design Tech and English there from 2012-2016. They then embarked on their year-long bike trip around the world.

Ted Spear had a huge influence on her years at IPS both as a student, then some years later when she returned as a teacher. “I was always in awe of how thoughtful and intentional and respectful he was. He really cared about what staff thought, asked us how we could improve what we did, year after year. It was really neat coming back to work for him…having him as a boss instead of a principal was an interesting experience!” She recalled how, earlier this year, she was playing with her band, Knackers Yard, at a Victoria pub, and he just appeared, in the audience. He was visiting a friend and had made a point of looking her up and checking in.

She said she started as a substitute teacher with the Greater Victoria School District in September 2017 and enjoys the flexibility of subbing. “I love teaching and hanging out with kids”. While some people may find it daunting to go into new classes regularly, she doesn’t find it difficult now that she’s got six years of teaching behind her. She teaches all levels — elementary, middle and high school and while she enjoys all ages, she finds middle school to be the most wild — “they just have so much energy at that age!” she laughs.

Education or music?

I asked Bronwyn whether she considers herself a teacher or a musician. “I love teaching, I’ve finally found the thing that feeds me creatively and being able to get paid to do it is amazing. We travel all over BC and further afield meeting people, playing music and bringing joy to small communities. I love it.”

How did she land with Knacker’s Yard? “It was quite by accident, I just stumbled across them” she said, “a relative happened to mention they were looking for a fiddle player — apparently it was posted on Craigslist, but I wouldn’t likely have found it there”. After learning all of the repertoire (over 50 songs and instrumentals) over the weekend and rehearsing once with the band, she knew it was a good fit and was on stage performing within two weeks!

“My mum is half Irish and my parents constantly had music playing in the house like the Dubliners, Planxty, the Clancy Brothers and the Bothy Band. I grew up listening to folk music” she says. “The band was a natural place for me and the more I do music, the more I want to do it”.

Bronwyn has been playing violin since the age of four. She never had to be pushed: “I was a hard worker, I could see a progression, set goals and set my sights on them”. It was a passion. She recalls vividly an incident at home when she was 9. She can’t remember what she had done wrong (probably something very minor), but her mum threatened to take away her violin as punishment. “I was so distraught at the thought of it being taken away, I remember threatening to throw myself down the stairs!”.

She continued to play the violin through high school and university, but felt that doing it on her own didn’t allow for her to grow as a musician. Now she’s with a band, where she’s constantly working on new repertoire, “there’s always so much growth. I’m very happy right now.”

Knacker’s Yard are very busy, performing 4 or 5 gigs a week and touring on weekends. They’ve played in many towns on Vancouver Island including Parksville, Nanaimo, Victoria, Ladysmith as well as Saltspring Island, Clayoquot Sound, Whistler and last September, did a ten day tour out to Alberta. Next March, they are planning a St. Patrick’s week tour out to Alberta and a Canada tour out to the east coast in September. She says her life now “is a nice fusion of travel and staying in one place.” She’s happy to settle in Victoria – she and her partner Christian live just outside downtown Victoria on “The Gorge”, a narrow tidal inlet that connects Victoria Harbour to Portage Inlet.

What’s next for the band?

She and Wolf Edwards (vocals, plectrum banjo), share the work of bookings, paperwork, billings and so on. Bronwyn states “It’s a lot of work running a band. We will need a record label and a booking manager at some point, to help us with the promotion and business side of our music. Borealis Records is definitely interested, but we need to have more original songs. A lot of our songs are very historical, so I think there’s an opportunity to get good funding”.

One project they’re working on involves Albert (Ginger) Goodwin, a labour leader, shot by the police in 1918 near Cumberland on Vancouver Island under suspicious circumstances. They are writing a song about him to bring this story to light.

Where do you see yourself in five years time?

“That’s a long way away! Who knows! I need my life to be ever-changing and always challenging, but who knows where this will all lead…that’s the exciting thing about being in a band. I’ve also got some ideas about doing a solo project too but…we’ll see.”

Define success

I asked Bronwyn how she would you define ‘success’? “It’s doing what you’re passionate about and doing it for yourself, not for other people — but you have to do the difficult work first. I was searching for a long time, but once I came back to doing music, I found it was really right. Doing what you love comes first, and if you can make money at it and put all your time and resources into it, then even better.”

“It’s not about the money. I just need enough to live. The joy we give to others is important to me — I believe in what I’m doing now and think it’s really special.”

Join Bronwyn and Knacker’s Yard as well as many other IPS alumni at the Bowen Island Pub, Saturday, December 15 for a fun night of high energy Celtic music!

By Julia McCaig
Director of Development & Alumni Relations

September 9, 2018

Katherine Ovenell-Carter (’03) reflects on the decade plus since IPS

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My time at IPS ended well over a decade ago, when I started the daily commute over to West Vancouver Secondary for the International Baccalaureate program. I’d already decided back then that I was going to be a geneticist (thank you Jen for happily feeding my 13-year-old self everything you had on DNA!) so I was looking forward to university. I graduated high school with the Governor General’s Bronze Medal and a full scholarship to SFU, where I studied molecular biology and biochemistry. I worked in an organic chemistry lab there between grade 12 and first year, and everything was on track for that future in genetic research. And then a funny thing happened.

In third year, I took a summer job working for Science AL!VE – a K-12 science outreach program that ran classroom workshops, summer camps, and weekend programs. And I fell in love with teaching science. So, I finished off my B.Sc. and returned to get my B.Ed. so that I could keep doing just that. My PDP module focused on Indigenous education, something I chose after time spent running science camps and programs in Haida Gwaii and Nunavut made me realize I knew far too little about Indigenous history in Canada.

My first full time teaching job was teaching grades 6-8 in Klemtu, a village of about 400 people located in the Great Bear Rainforest. Later, I moved down to Squamish to be closer to home again and taught grade 7 and 8 at Coast Mountain Academy. But I did get the chance to go back to Klemtu this past summer to see my first ever group of students again – now at their grade 12 graduation! It was such a special feeling to see “my kids” grown up and ready for whatever the world offered next.

Now, I teach grade 7 math and science at West Point Grey Academy. I think it’s no coincidence that I’ve stayed working with middle years students, and as a science teacher (though I admit, the math surprised me!). It’s been years, but I still say “we” when I talk about IPS. The school left its mark on me in so many ways and remains a source of inspiration. I find myself thinking of my IPS teachers whenever I’m feeling stuck in my own work – they’re still teaching me even now.

Kathryn Ovenell-Carter

February 2023
Since our last touch base in 2017, when teaching grade 7 math and science at West Point Grey Academy, Kathryn Ovenell-Carter has had some big changes.

“I got married (with folks attending over Zoom in true pandemic wedding style!) and then last winter we welcomed our daughter. She’ll be one in just over a week, and I’ve been thoroughly enjoying watching her discover the world! Three others from my IPS cohort had babies this past year too, and we’ve reformed our old friendships as we navigated new motherhood together.

I’m on my maternity leave still, but come September I’ll be back to teaching at West Point Grey Academy again. I’m looking forward to running into the Island Pacific School cohort at the regional science fair in 2024! A few years ago, I was able to introduce Jen (Henrichsen) to some of my own students while we were all at the regional fair, which felt really special.

In the meantime I’m working on my Masters of Education in Science Education at UBC. I’m almost halfway through the program now. It’s been a fantastic opportunity and I’ve got a notebook full of ideas to try and questions to explore further.”

Congratulations Kathryn for living life to the fullest!

We love to get stories from our Island Pacific School alumni – to share something with us, please contact:

Julia McCaig
Director of Community Engagement
Island Pacific School
[email protected]

BC independent school legacy

Liz Williams (IPS Alumni 1998-2001, Odyssey Program 2001-2002)

I had the good fortune to attend Island Pacific School from grades 7-9 as well as the Odyssey Program for grade 10 in the only year it ran. To this day, I regard my experience as a student at IPS as a foundational experience; one that set me on the path to where I am today.