PHILOSOPHY
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
It is our belief that “the opportunity to
accomplish challenging tasks inspires
young people to give their best.”
Grade 8 – In the first year of the program,
students are expected to be actively involved
in our multifaceted program. Students
combine PE 8, Social Studies 8, Science 8,
and English 8 in a four-course full day. The
program also includes:
Academics – Leadership courses link
classroom learning and real world learning
experiences through community engagement
and outdoor education opportunities.
Health and Fitness – students embark on
an individualized health/fitness regimen that is
closely monitored over the duration of the
program.
Outdoor Education – student are involved
in various challenging outdoor experiences
such as hiking, rock climbing, and a highropes challenge course, preparing them for an
overnight camping trip late in the year.
Volunteering – students are involved in
established school and community programs
such as: Windermere greening and
maintenance, in-school recycling, the Moon
Festival, and Renfrew Ravine reclamation.
Students are expected to take part in the
school garden, assisting with composting and
garden maintenance. Students are also
introduced to the many opportunities offered
by Windermere Community Programs.
Leadership is a five year program
designed to provide these challenges and
opportunities to students in the classroom,
the community, and in our natural
environment. Students that attend our
program are part of a community support
network that prioritizes social
responsibility, environmental stewardship,
and community engagement. Throughout
the program, students fully participate in a
variety of school, community, and outdoor
activities that provide them with a diverse
range of experiences; it is through these
experiences that students learn to be
active citizens.
Our inclusive approach and ability to
engage the community have made our
classroom a dynamic place for learning
while concurrently providing opportunities
for students to get involved in many vital
issues.
Windermere’s Leadership class
exemplifies our school’s motto: “Actions,
not words.”
Grade 9 – In the second year of the program,
students again combine PE 9, Social Studies
9, Ecology 9, and English 9 in a four-course
full day. Students also build on leadership and
citizenship skills through new challenges and
opportunities which include:
Academics – in addition to their regular
academic program, we begin to focus on
ecological and social issues and their impacts
at the local, national, and global levels.
Health and Fitness – students learn to plan
and organize a variety of stimulating indoor
and outdoor activities that prepare them for
their responsibilities in the Grade 10 Fastbreak
program.
Outdoor Education – students take part in
a variety of activities such as hiking, rockclimbing, and kayaking including a three-day
backpacking trip near Whistler.
Volunteering – In Grade 9 the students
maintain the in school composting program
under the guidance of a senior leadership
students. In addition, students are expected
to immerse themselves in one or more of the
many options offered by the Windermere
Community Programs. They are expected to
continue their work in the garden and orchard,
assisting with planting and harvesting as well
as with regular garden maintenance.
Grade 10 – In the third year of the program,
students combine PE 10, Social Studies 10,
English 10, and Leadership 10 in a fourcourse full day. Students now begin to take
ownership and initiate opportunities for
elementary, Grade 8, and Grade 9 students to
participate in. Highlights include:
Academics –students focus on and explore
the importance of the natural environment,
community engagement, particularly the
importance of student participation in their
communities, and their civic responsibilities as
future stewards.
Health and Fitness – students train
intensely for activities ranging from longdistance cycling tours to full-backpack hikes.
Students take on the responsibility of running
the elementary schools’ Fastbreak program.
Outdoor Education – Students prepare for
a five-day camp to Galiano Island as well as a
2 night camp to Garibaldi Provincial Park and
a 2 night camp to Manning Provincial Park.
Volunteering – As part of the Lead 10 year
students are obligated to work with the Moon
Festival and Fastbreak program. In addition,
students begin to oversee the junior grades in
their volunteering programs and begin to
facilitate new opportunities.
Grade 11 –The 4th year of the program sees
students combine for PE 11, Social Studies
11, English 11, and Sustainability 11 in a fourcourse full day.
Academics –In addition to the regular
academic program, students apply their
previous experiences working with elementary
school students by linking with an elementary
school sponsor teacher as part of the
Grassroots program. This program involves
students visiting their respective schools to
support younger students in their sustainability
initiatives.
Health and Fitness – Leadership PE 11 is a
mandatory course and includes various
outdoor experiences and the opportunity to
attend junior camps and activities in a
mentoring capacity.
Outdoor Education – Highlights include a
three-day backpacking trip to Garibaldi
Provincial park, a 2 night camp to Manning
Provincial Park and a 3 night camp to
Saltspring Island.
Volunteering – students begin the year by
planning and implementing the Welcome to
Windermere Grade 8 Sports Day. Students
are also expected to contribute to the
Windermere Word school newspaper, sharing
the positive impact of the leadership program
and enlightening the student body of the
opportunities ongoing in the school. Students
also organize a Halloween and Christmas
Food and Book Drive and begin to develop
their own leadership projects in preparation for
Leadership 12
Grade 12 – the Leadership program
culminates with students, under the guidance
of a teacher mentor, and sometimes working
directly with Windermere Community
Programs on individual Leadership projects.
Students are expected to take on new
challenges that will allow them continued
growth as leaders. This is an off-timetable
block; students meet 2-3 times a month to
debrief and discuss the successes and
difficulties they face.
projects and offering them new opportunities
to continually ignite their passions.
WINDERMERE
LEADERSHIP
PROGRAM
OUTDOOR EDUCATION
CAMPS
Outdoor education and community
engagement are core components of the
leadership program. Students are selected
based upon the understanding that
participation in the community and camps is
essential. Camp equipment is supplied to all
students. An annual outdoor education fee is
applied in September for equipment repair and
replacement.. A $30 fee is collected at the
beginning of every school year to cover the
costs of maintaining/replacing this gear.
SUMMARY
The Leadership program seeks candidates
who are hard-working, motivated, and
interested in new challenges that better
themselves and their community. The desire
to learn more, lead through actions, and
communicate with others the importance of
social responsibility, active citizenship,
community involvement, and environmental
stewardship are central to the students’
development as leaders. A key component to
ensure ongoing success is to continue to work
alongside students, guiding them in their
“The opportunity to accomplish challenging
tasks inspires young people to give their best.”
http://windermereleadership.com/