I N D E P E N D E N T S C H O O L S
S p e c i a l F e a t u r e
a learning environment that re¡ects the
diversity of the world in which we live
and prepare its 350+ student body for
engaged citizenship.
To that end,
SMS's programs are
designed to build con•dence, compe-
tence and connectedness. "Our mission
is to help girls build well-balanced
foundations for personal and profes-
sional success in a changing world," says
Jennifer van Hardenberg, communica-
tions coordinator.
With that in mind, the school
oers the
STEM program—an acronym
that stands for science, technoloŸy,
engineering and mathematics. (SMS
is the only all-girls
STEM school in the
country.)
STEM's curriculum is based on
the idea of educating students with an
interdisciplinary and applied approach.
"Rather than teach the four disci-
plines as separate and distinct subjects,
STEM integrates them into a cohesive
learning paradigm based on real-world
applications," says Jennifer van Harden-
berg, communications coordinator.
A sense of wellness and balance is
also weaved into the fabric of the school,
with a wide selection of courses in the
arts and athletics disciplines.
Renowned for its tradition of aca-
demic excellence, Vancouver's Crofton
House was founded in 1898 as a uni-
versity preparatory day school for girls
from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 12.
In its quest to build a sense of com-
munity within the school, this fall Crof-
ton House unveiled its new Manrell Hall.
"Our High Performance
Program is able to accom-
modate students in elite
arts or sports by providing
half-day academic learning
or a ¡exible program. That
allows students to pursue
their chosen activities"
— Berenice Lewis,
Alexander Academy
