SJR has a vitality of its own
Homecoming 2018 was a resounding success with close to 250 alumni participating in events at the School and reunion gatherings. Sally and I were delighted to welcome members of the classes of 1958 and 1968 to Shepard House. They regaled us with lively stories from their schooldays and enjoyed the archive material prepared by our School Archivist, Ms. Calla Grabish.
The soccer and ultimate matches, the BBQ, family skate and school tours were all popular but if Homecoming has a heart then it surely beats in Hamber Dining Hall. Alumni naturally gravitate here for nourishment, conversation and laughter. Enjoying food and fellowship at shared mealtimes remains an important part of daily life at SJR. I encourage you to review the weekly Hamber Dining Hall menu on the Resource Board in mySJR. We aim to provide students and staff with a variety of healthy choices and try wherever possible to be sensitive to the needs, customs and preferences of our community.
SJR has a vitality of its own. On Tuesday, our collective energy found an outlet in the Terry Fox Run when almost 1,000 of us ran (or skipped, piggy-backed, or hopped) around our neighbourhood in honour of Terry’s vision that the impossible is possible. It is times like this when we realize the sheer enormity and power of our community - a proud day.
Our student athletes are hard at work and there is already much to celebrate. Congratulations are due to the U15 Boys Soccer team who won the B-Side City Finals. We applaud Senior School students MacKenzie and Neel who each won the SCAC Zone Golf Championship (female and male) with their low scores as individual players, and we wish MacKenzie well in the provincial championship today. Our Junior School Running Club put out a strong showing in the Milk Cross Country Challenge on Wednesday. The volleyball season is underway in Senior and Middle School, with our Varsity Girls going to the Western Canadian Independent Schools Volleyball Championship in October. We also have a U13 Boys soccer team and a Senior Boys soccer team heading to a CAIS tournament next month.
Our student athletes are hard at work and there is already much to celebrate. Congratulations are due to the U15 Boys Soccer team who won the B-Side City Finals. We applaud Senior School students MacKenzie and Neel who each won the SCAC Zone Golf Championship (female and male) with their low scores as individual players, and we wish MacKenzie well in the provincial championship today. Our Junior School Running Club put out a strong showing in the Milk Cross Country Challenge on Wednesday. The volleyball season is underway in Senior and Middle School, with our Varsity Girls going to the Western Canadian Independent Schools Volleyball Championship in October. We also have a U13 Boys soccer team and a Senior Boys soccer team heading to a CAIS tournament next month.
I am pleased that SJR has 12 hockey teams playing in the Hockey Winnipeg leagues and High School leagues. My recent Saturday mornings have been spent watching our two 5/6 teams hard at work in Dutton Arena. You can already see them improving as they have fun together on the ice and I usually leave their practices with a huge smile on my face.
Plans for the 25th annual Hold Back The Snow Ultimate tournament are well underway at SJR. This year’s tournament will take place at Grant Park Soccer Fields on October 13 and 14. We are looking for parent volunteers to help make this event happy and successful for the hundreds of students taking part: sign up here. If your family is willing to billet out of town players, please contact dwright@sjr.mb.ca. Thank you.
I am looking forward to FallFest 2018 in Hamber Dining Hall on October 19. This is a great opportunity for us to get together at the start of the year. The SJRPA and our Food Services Team are working hard to make it fun for everyone and the evening is sure to be filled with warmth and friendship. I hope to see you there.
Jim Keefe
Head of School
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SJR is proud to be accredited and affiliated with several local, national and international educational organizations.
St. John’s-Ravenscourt School was founded in 1820 principally to serve the children of the Selkirk settlers. By 1834 there were forty students, evenly split between boys and girls. SJR has inevitably grown and changed over the years since, though its success throughout has been unimpeachable. Today the programs are as strong as our reputation. A strong academic program is paired with an equally strong attention to the values of stewardship, ethical leadership, and excellence in all areas of academic, social and athletic life.