Do chickens have teeth?

Grade 6 students explored this and similar questions in a fun, fantastical nonfiction writing workshop with CHS alumna Rachel Poliquin ’93!

Rachel writes nonfiction for kids about science, nature, and animals. She has a cross-disciplinary background in visual arts, cultural history, and natural history. She holds a PhD in Comparative Literature from the University of British Columbia and a Post-Doctoral Degree in History from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She is the author of 12 incredible books, including the Polite Predators and Superpower Field Guide series and Beastly Puzzles. She has also written for Science Friday, The Believer Magazine, and the New York Times. 

In her two workshops at CHS, Rachel shared her research process for her books and the different ways of presenting scientific information to engage readers. 

She spoke about how you can look at a topic from different angles by stepping into a new character yourself, like considering a snake from the perspective of a cockroach. This can help raise questions you may not have considered before and new avenues to explore in your writing. Ultimately, this approach has helped Rachel shape her narrators! 

Together, the class came up with various characters that may interact with a chicken and what that character may think. Two examples were cats and worms:

A Cat’s Thoughts on a Chicken	A Worm’s Thoughts on a Chicken
Plump Annoying Pesky	Big Evil Gross Threatening

Each student then considered one character to dive into more deeply, thinking about the questions that character might have about a chicken— with some entertaining and insightful responses: Can chickens swim? When were chickens discovered? What types of animals are chickens related to? 

Rachel also spoke about how she often writes about topics she isn’t an expert in, but she’s curious and loves to learn new things, so she always takes the time to dig deep with her research… and to find those who are experts on the topic to help her! These experts include fantastic illustrators, who bring elements of her story to life in ways she may not have considered. Students even got a sneak peek at the collaborative process she went through with her illustrator to create the images in her newest book (coming out in the fall). It is a fact-filled story inspired by a Crofton House Middle School science lesson on glands, something Rachel’s niece told her about a couple of years ago!

The workshops sparked their curiosity about chickens and encouraged students to think critically about how different viewpoints can shape storytelling. Thank you, Rachel, for taking the time to share your process with CHS!

And to answer the question… chickens do not have teeth! 

 

How can we continue to foster authentic, open conversations about well-being at CHS? What does well-being mean to our students?

These questions are at the heart of discussions amongst the newly-formed Senior School Wellness Committee, and underpin last week’s Wellness Week focused on “Vulnerability and Authenticity.” 

What is the Wellness Committee? 

With their first meetings held in fall 2024, the Senior School Wellness Committee is a vehicle for students to provide feedback on support for their well-being, and to involve students in decision-making around programming and student life. Topics discussed include well-being in academics, the school’s physical environment, social dynamics, and Advisory programming. 

Those involved in the Committee—a group of about 4-6 students from Grades 8-12 led by Prefect of Health and Wellness Amy, Grade 12—are encouraged to advocate for their peers as they share experiences that affect student well-being and bring common themes to the Committee table. Engagement in the Committee is voluntary and open to any Senior School students.

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From the Prefect of Health and Wellness: Intentions for the 2024-2025 School Year 

“Under health and wellness, there's a huge spectrum of topics. But for me, during my year in this role, I want to focus more specifically on mental wellness around academics,” Amy said of her role this year. “I know in my personal experiences at Crofton House, and from what I’ve observed in my peers, academics can have a huge strain on student wellness and well-being.”

As Prefect of Health and Wellness, Amy has focused on integrating and promoting the Peer Supporters within the Senior School. The Peer Supporters offer one-on-one peer support and listening sessions to other Senior School students during school hours. Amy has also worked to find ways to make counselling services more familiar and approachable for students, including hosting Grade 8 Student Services Orientation and touring the Counselling offices with them.

"I find that many times, what stops students from taking advantage of CHS's wellness resources is a fear of the unknown,” Amy said. “By creating opportunities for students to interact with the Peer Supporters and the Student Services spaces, my hope was to increase transparency and create more feelings of familiarity for students."

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Ongoing student input from the Committee and student surveys have indicated that experience-based learning around wellness is a priority for students—something that has shifted the Advisory planning already this year. “Rather than telling them ‘Try doing this for your well-being’, we are looking to give students the opportunity to do it,” Ms Kimmel, Coordinator, Student Wellbeing & Social Emotional Learning, Senior School, said. “The example students gave was the mindfulness through music program in the fall.”

The other goal of the Committee is to organize initiatives that promote well-being and foster belonging — like Wellness Week!

Exploring Vulnerability & Authenticity

Throughout Wellness Week, the Committee led and oversaw various activities including a vulnerable conversation on mental health with Ms Harrop, Head of School, in assembly, an improv wellness workshop, a dedicated lunch-time nap lounge, a Chai & Chat session with the Senior School counsellors, a gratitude station, where students wrote notes of gratitude to be delivered around the school, and a discussion on sports and mental health. The breadth of activities was intended to further introduce Counselling services to students, de-stigmatize wellness discussions, and share ways to prioritize well-being throughout the day. 

“We don't want students to think the only time to be vulnerable is when they face a big challenge, but being more vulnerable on a day-to-day basis about the small things—maybe communicating with a teacher if something feels overwhelming or confused, or opening up to your friend,” Amy said.

On Thursday, the Wellness Committee hosted a Senior School roundtable. Students and staff discussed their experiences with mental health, how they prioritize self-care, opening up as a way to be an ally for others and creating a space for vulnerability, and strategies to avoid burnout. 

Purposeful Initiatives

The Wellness Committee itself ties to the Thriving in Possibility Foundational Well-being strategy. As part of the School’s Year 2 Implementations, the Committee responds to the intention to pursue initiatives that provide opportunities for students to develop student agency. 

“As a School, we were keen to get more student voice into any aspect of school life that pertains to student well-being,” Ms Kimmel said. “The idea of the Committee was that we could just have more authentic conversations, which would give us more insight from a student perspective, but also allow students to have a leadership role in bringing thoughts forward from their peers.”
 

Each year, Black History Month is an opportunity for our community to celebrate and honour the legacy and contributions of Black people locally, nationally and internationally. 

The 2025 Black History Month theme, “Black Legacy and Leadership: Celebrating Canadian History and Uplifting Future Generations,” highlights the rich diversity within Black Canadian communities and emphasizes the significance of Black leadership. It acknowledges the longstanding contributions of Black Canadians to the nation’s history, with a presence spanning over 400 years on these Indigenous lands, and calls for recognition and celebration of their vital role in shaping Canada's narrative for future generations.

This year, we had the privilege of hearing from athlete, coach, educator, author and activist Valerie Jerome on two separate occasions: at the CHS Parents’ Auxiliary Book Club to discuss her book Races: The Trials and Triumphs of Canada’s Fastest Family, and in a Senior School assembly. 

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Valerie Jerome is a retired sprinter, educator, author, and political activist. Growing up in the only Black family in North Vancouver in the 1950s, she battled racism in school, the neighbourhood, and on the track. Despite this, her achievements were outstanding, medalling in several events at the 1959 Canadian Championships. At 15, she was the only black female on the track. The following year, she competed for Canada at the 1960 Summer Olympics. Upon graduating high school, Ms Jerome went to UBC and became a teacher in 1964, continuing to educate others until she retired in 2001. Since then, she has authored Races: The Trials and Triumphs of Canada’s Fastest Family. Continuing to reside in Vancouver, Ms Jerome attends speaking engagements using her book as a platform to tell her story about the intersection of race and sports, and promote allyship.

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Lessons from History: Empowering Allyship for Change

In discussion with Club Captains from Empowered Leaders of Tomorrow, Valerie shared her personal experiences as a woman of colour navigating prejudice and systemic barriers with Senior School students. Her presentation centred on a powerful call to be an upstander and take action in your community—standing up for those who are being marginalized, fostering empathy, and challenging injustices as they arise. This can inspire others to do the same. 

She reflected on the stark contrasts of her past, illustrating how the diversity we see today in our schools and communities was once unthinkable. Valerie shared her own experience of racism and marginalization as the only Black family in North Vancouver. Facing hostility from neighbours and bullying at school, she spoke about the importance of having supportive allies, notably a young classmate of hers named Annabelle.

Valerie also candidly spoke about the barriers that female athletes, especially women of colour, face in accessing sports and facilities, noting progress still needs to be made. .

Her transition into education after retiring from athletics was a continuation of her commitment to advocate for children of all backgrounds. Valerie shared her first-year teaching experience and emphasized the need for ethical conduct from educators and inclusive environments where every child feels valued.

Further Opportunities for Learning at CHS

Throughout February, CHS staff and students have had various opportunities to learn, reflect and engage in meaningful conversations about Black History Month. For example, sessions about Black History Month were hosted in the Junior School Library, posters were hung up in the Senior School’s Ivy Lounge, and there were specific Black History Month displays in both the Junior and Senior School libraries. As the School has done for many years, the Junior and Senior School library staff created lists of resources to support students and teachers in their learning. As the School has done for many years, the Junior and Senior School library staff also created lists of resources to support students and teachers in their learning. 

Students could also read more about Black athletes on the screens of the Senior School Athletics Centre, including hockey player Sarah Nurse, bobsledder Dawn Richardson-Wilson, basketball player Aaliyah Edwards, sports broadcaster Kayla Grey, and softball and squash athlete Ms Headley-Cooper, Assistant Department Head, Physical Health & Education, Senior School, among others!

Welcome to Hadestown, where a song can change your fate. 

This year, the Grade 8-12 Senior School production cast and crew are delving into Hadestown: Teen Edition by Anaïs Mitchell—journeying to the underworld and back through the love stories of Orpheus and Eurydice, and King Hades and Lady Persephone. From auditions to rehearsals, get an insider's look at the creative process behind bringing this powerful story to life.

Innovation & Technical Vision

The Broadway production of Hadestown incorporates unique stage elements with a New Orleans' French Quarter style set, engaging lighting, and more. Crofton House’s production also aims for the awe-inspiring and immersive in the theatre of the Beedie Fine Arts Centre.

“We have a really cool set! Big scaffolding, it looks industrial,” Megan, Drama Captain, Grade 11 and Stage Manager, said. “We have a revolve, which my dad built and it rotates around, similar to the Broadway stage. We also have two lighting designers, professionals, and they have set up cool lighting.”

The show will even be supported by a live band, rather than a track, to bring the jazz feel to life. Without giving too much away, the show is also a truly immersive experience! “We're using space all around the house,” Max, Drama Captain, Grade 11 and Assistant Director said.

Musical Collaboration & Community

Inspired by classic American folk music and vintage New Orleans jazz, Anaïs Mitchell’s beguiling sung-through musical pits industry against nature, doubt against faith, and fear against love. For many involved in the production, this is their first-ever sung-through musical and an intense example of musical collaboration. 

“It’s different in this show because there are two additional actors that I need to take into account,” Bella, Grade 10, said of her role as one of the three Fates. “Because we do a lot of harmonies, it's both holding your own and being responsible as a team member.”

For Angel, Prefect of Arts and Culture, Grade 12, her role as Persephone has been a lesson in shared vulnerability and portraying depth to a relationship; in her case, with Hades. “In the second act, we have a song called “How Long?”, and it’s such a turning point in their relationship. That song catalyzed my thinking about how they interact with each other, who they are, and how the years have worn them down.”

Mythology & Social Commentary

In preparing for Hadestown, cast and crew have delved into Greek mythology, exploring its relevance in the show’s modern storytelling. 

“I did a lot of research, even before my audition, on the story of Orpheus and Eurydice. I watched a lot of TED talks,” Bella said. “When I got the role, I did more research on my characters; I read a lot of different myths and anthologies where they put the stories together. That character work and character-building to justify my role was nice.”

“I did research over Winter Break because I love Greek mythology. I discovered that there is actually a cave in Bulgaria that is based on the cave going to the underworld, and the flowers around it are called Orpheus flowers—who is the main character of our show!,” Max said.

Hadestown also grapples with societal issues like climate change, reflecting significant challenges we face in today’s world. Throughout their preparations, students have been able to examine these critical topics from a new lens.

“There's so many ways these gods have been portrayed in pre-existing pop culture. What Hadestown does differently is the internal logic of the world—my character, Persephone, is already known to govern the seasons, but, in this show, she is the cause of climate change; the marital problems that she is experiencing are causing her emotions to be all over the place, and causing very hot summers and cold winters,” Angel explained. “It's an added dimension to Persephone: having to be there for the people, but at the same time, there's so much turmoil in her personal life.”

The show’s tone and themes, balancing love, sacrifice, power, control, and—most importantly—hope, agility and resilience, are particularly poignant today. “This is just the best show to end on,” Angel said of her last production at CHS. “Not only is the actual messaging of it so applicable to life and how the world feels right now, but the way they carry the tales and lessons with them, I think is something that the cast and crew feel very deeply, especially at this stage.”

All Aboard

Some tickets are still available for the shows running March 6 to March 8. 

Come see how the world could be…

 

The Crofton House Work Experience Program (WEP) provides students with an invaluable opportunity to gain real-world insights and practical skills in various professional fields. Through meaningful placements, students have the chance to explore their interests, learn from experienced professionals, and develop a deeper understanding of potential career paths. In this blog, hear directly from WEP student Natalie, Grade 11, about one day of her placement right here at CHS, working with the School’s Communications & Marketing Department:

Crofton House students are very fortunate to have a holistic education complete with transformative learning that prompts deep personal growth. This student experience is captured through multimedia content created by the School’s Communications & Marketing Department, a team I had the pleasure of shadowing during my week-long placement as part of the Work Experience Program. From this opportunity, I was able to learn about a communications career from multiple perspectives, gaining a “behind-the-scenes” look at the strategies that allow Crofton House’s community to thrive.

I started my second day of the placement by commuting to Crofton House, arriving at the Old Residence building (more specifically, the Communications & Marketing Department) by 8:15 am. After settling in, I met with Ms Lee, Manager, Communications & Marketing, who showed me her work with formatting and organizing print work for the school. I found it fascinating how she uses professional print publishing software to prepare The Ivy magazine, and I loved seeing the school website’s data analytics.

Next, I learnt about the School’s social media platforms and photography editing software from Mr McGhee, Specialist, Communications. I really enjoyed viewing how he categorizes photographs for easy access, and it was informative to see the CHS logo and style guides.

For the last few hours of this day, I worked with Ms Fox, Senior Content & Strategist Writer, shadowing her work with the School’s written content, including blogs, newsletters and more. I worked on a blog post for the Crofton House website, consisting of Senior School student initiatives. I enjoyed working on this article since I have a passion for writing and learning about student experiences. It was inspiring to see what students were doing in the community, and writing about their initiatives exercised my creativity. Ms Fox provided me with suggestions and feedback to enhance the flow of my writing and adhere to Crofton House’s values and professional voice.

Throughout the day, I had the amazing opportunity to speak with my employers about their experiences in their specific communications career pathways. For example, I asked Ms Lee about her transition from a technology-based career to her current position, learning about her present line of work. I also spoke with Mr McGhee about his career path and interest in photography, which was really captivating to me. Additionally, I conducted a mock interview with Ms Fox where I inquired about her specific experiences in journalism, and she provided me with so much incredible advice that has stuck with me past my placement.

After completing all my work, I thanked my employers and left the office at 12:15 pm. I thoroughly enjoyed my placement with the Communications & Marketing Department and gained so much knowledge from these exceptional people. My favourite part of my placement was observing the hard work that goes into the School’s communication with the public, as well as the team’s presence within the community. I am beyond grateful to have had the opportunity to work with this department which taught me so much about the various aspects of communications and to have gained so much valuable advice that I will remember in my future career pathway.