Armbrae Academy Podcast - 18:87 – Details, episodes & analysis

Today we have a very exciting episode that includes a host takeover by Make My Logo Bigger’s James Ingram. James is the owner of JIVE Photographic Productions, a full service production company in Halifax, who also produces the Armbrae Academy Podcast. With James as our host, Meagan Jackson (Armbrae’s Advancement Officer) and Suzanne Morrison (Armbrae’s Admissions and Marketing Director) sit to discuss the challenges and opportunities of marketing an independent school. From the pros and cons of wearing many hats, to the importance of knowing customer expectations, this power house team of marketers outline what’s most important when marketing a not-for-profit, and how to engage your audience in a meaningful way (on a small budget at that!). With insight into how our school plans to continue growing, it’s one alum, current families and prospective families won’t want to miss!

Today, it’s Armbrae’s honour to welcome the Founder and CEO of Future Design School, and our friend, Sarah Prevette. Sarah has developed transformational strategy for some of the country's biggest business leaders and renowned brands. Globally recognized for her work in human centred design and entrepreneurship, she’s proud to work alongside an incredible team of educators to drive innovation inside schools. Her organization, Future Design School, provides world-class strategy development, professional training programs, and resources that empower effective leadership and personalized learning. Armbrae has recently teamed up with Sarah and Future Design School to create their current Strategic Plan, and today we dig into the “what”,”how” and “why” of it all. With insightful conversations about where education is going, how to prepare students for the world today and how the promises Armbrae has made will support them, it’s an episode you don’t want to miss!

"Advancement creates inspired messaging that supports the mission and vision of the school." Susan Hazel does just that for Armbrae Academy. She works with us to ignite the advancement flame in the Armbrae community. Susan has 41 years of experience in independent school education. She has held the position of executive director of case and became the Executive Director of advancement for Collingwood School in West Vancouver. In this role, she created the advancement department from the ground up, implemented a robust annual fund campaign, initiated an Alumni Association and together with the headmaster led a successful $10 million capital campaign, the largest in the school's history. Most recently, Susan was the Director of Development at Ridley College, where she oversaw a $40 million comprehensive campaign, yet again, the largest campaign in the school's history. In this episode, we talked about what advancement looks like at Armbrae, annual giving and the ripple effect of giving back, bridging the tuition gap between expectations and reality. We also talked about how financial assistance can help attract the best students to the school, and how strong relationships inspire trust and confidence in our community.

Armbrae Academy is committed to giving its students access to the broadest education possible. With academic excellence is the core of our programming, we also focus on character education, community service, athletics, and other pursuits that encourage students to consider their role in the wider world. Today we are joined by the Luke family: Sara, April and William. These alumni have deep ties to Armbrae Academy and are here to share their story. We discuss their lifelong relationships with the Armbrae community, how their experiences prepared them for their careers, embracing change and looking ahead at the future. We also hear about their favourite Armbrae memories and the importance of finding a sense of belonging and acceptance through their education.

Belonging is an important hallmark of the Armbrae experience. With the ongoing pandemic presenting many challenges on a regular basis, teachers and students have to learn to adapt. In this episode we are speaking with Tara Burt, Armbrae's Lower School Director, about navigating the challenges of online learning, the advantages and disadvantages of virtual classes and helping students transition back to in person learning. We also discuss helping teachers and students establish new routines along the way, handling pivot fatigue, and the resiliency of our Ospreay community. Tara also touches on our advisory program, the importance of strong peer groups, interactive activities that promote belonging, the teachers dedication and passion for learning and adapting for the future.

The O'Connor family has generously gifted Armbrae Academy a half-million dollars to fund “The O’Connor Family Centre for Performance”.  The O’Connors are passionate about giving future generations of Armbrae students the kind of support that their children received over many years at Armbrae.  Toward that end, the O'Connor Family CFP will focus on providing students with Learning support & diagnostics, Mental Health support & education, Mental Performance Coaching, and practical advice for Healthy Living.
 

In this episode we are joined by friends of the school, Jennifer and Wayne O'Connor to talk about their donation to Armbrae and the plans for the gift, why it is so important to give and how the school has impacted their lives.

For more information visit:
https://www.armbrae.ns.ca/

"Don't be afraid of change be afraid of not changing." This is one of the important influences that Armbrae has taken over the past two years. Steve Clarke is our strategic and entrepreneurial Head of School. Every day, he helps faculty, staff and students feel valued, inspired and empowered. His strengths lie in fostering transparent and collaborative cultures that identify and prioritize improvements, enhance student achievement, nurture school culture, and support teacher growth. In this episode, Steve and I sit down to chat about the CAIS accreditation visit, the followup report, and how it will help build a roadmap for the future of Armbrae. We also talk about creating a sense of belonging in schools and how that impacts student wellbeing and performance.

These are the stories of Armbrae Academy told in 18 minutes and 87 seconds. This week we are joined by Ally Read, Upper School Director and Head of Guidance & University Counselling. We discuss the culture of Armbrae, our advanced placement curriculum, leadership opportunities for Upper School students and the Armbrae guidance program.

These are the stories of Armbrae Academy told in 18 minutes and 87 seconds. This week we are joined by Rebecca Cornick, director of Armbrae's pre-school and pre-primary program. We talk about the advantages of her programs, a typical day in the life of students and adapting to interactive learning online.

These are the stories of Armbrae Academy told in 18 minutes and 87 seconds. This week we are joined by Armbrae Alumni, educator, and musician Dilshan Weerasinghe. We discuss pursuing his passion in music, using music as a medium for social change, and defining success in your own way.