State of VISST, 2024
Below is a letter I shared with VISST students and parents in January 2024 (with light edits), inspired by the annual “State of the University” letter from my alma mater. In it I describe VISST’s growth, challenges and goals.
Dear VISST families,
As we start a new year, I wanted to share a general overview of VISST’s progress and what lies ahead on this journey.
Growth. We launched the school in September 2022 with 16 students and grew to 38 this year, with 4 more joining next month for a total of 42. This admissions cycle we received approximately double the number of applicants compared to last year, which we are very pleased to see (though Shaun now has a lot of work to do!). We will likely grow to 60 or so students next year.
Staff Growth. As you know, this year Shaun, Linda, Paloma and I were joined by Philip, as well as Erica taking on a larger role within the school. We are also fortunate to have a number of part-time support staff including Thanh, our Makerlab expert, Edwin, our teaching assistant, Milad, our summer camps coordinator, and parents Rachel and Vlad joining the board of directors. Looking to next year, we are aiming to hire 2 full time teachers, with a focus on expertise in chemistry, computer science, social studies and/or French. Students can expect to see candidates coming through and delivering sample lessons as part of the interview process, and will have the opportunity to provide feedback on the candidates. We are also looking to add a part-time school counsellor and part- or full-time administrative assistant to the team.
VISST Family Association. A few months ago we launched the VISST Family Association, initially led by Dikla and Ildi. This is an important step for the school and we can already see the enrichment to our community in progress, with our bowling event in December, a snow day event planned for February, a meal program to be introduced shortly, and an overnight trip in the works. I was a bit apprehensive about launching our parent group because I have seen them implemented in ways that didn’t feel inclusive and efficient, but I think we are off to a great start here and we will surely learn and adapt further as we go.
Facility. As you may have heard, we have secured a lease on the 3rd floor of our building here at 1490 W Broadway, which we will occupy starting September of this year. We will build a science lab/classroom upstairs, which will be of great benefit to chemistry but also to all of the other sciences. We are currently awaiting our permits, which (unbelievably!) now take even longer than they did in 2021-2022 for the 2nd floor, but we’re almost there.
Fundraising. About a year ago VISST was designated a registered charity by the CRA. As you know, we received two major donations last year. We also received an unsolicited $10,000 donation last week! We are now working with a fundraising consultant who has connections with corporate philanthropy divisions. We will host an event this spring for possible corporate and individual donors and have high hopes that this process will bear fruit. If possible, we aim to build an endowment whose yields can help fund the school long-term. Overall our community is responding so positively to VISST, and for some who are able, this appreciation is extending into considerable financial support.
Challenges. A challenge this year has been the implications – both social and academic – of device use at school. As you know, we are now experimenting with device restrictions. This is a difficult and complex topic, but such an important one. I previously felt that we needed to stand back and let our students develop self-regulation with devices since they will be let loose, so to speak, after high school. I have shifted my perspective towards feeling that, like other addictive “substances”, perhaps some of these technologies should be (and eventually will be?) regulated by higher powers, and in the meantime schools may need to take a more active role. It’s important to us that we implement these changes with as much buy-in as possible; I was pleasantly surprised to learn that most of our students support these restrictions, and want to continue to build buy-in with those who don’t.
This has also been a heavy year for VISST teachers, but we can expect improvement next year when we bring two new teachers on board. A lesson for me here is to proactively seek creative solutions when I anticipate a high workload ahead, rather than simply planning to power through – which is possible, but not always ideal.
Thank you. Sailing the educational waters is challenging but deeply rewarding. Creating a new school and a new community is something we can only do together. Thank you for being part of the VISST journey. I am proud of our accomplishments so far and can’t wait to see what the future holds.
Best,
Mike