School got back to something "closer to normal" this year and it was so energizing to see all students back in the building, interacting with one another and getting to enjoy so many extracurricular opportunities. The return of these opportunities was the evidence we needed to see that our efforts and building connectedness and relationships was paying off.  Students and staff reconnected and rebuilt quality relationships that exemplify so much of what Hugh Boyd is all about.Among the highlights were:

1. School sports were back in full effect and so many of our teams represented themselves and the school so well.
   1. Boys and Girls Soccer as well as Golf teams almost qualified for Provincial Championships
   2. Senior Boys Basketball team qualified for BCs at Langley Event Centre
   3. All teams in Boys and Girls Volleyball, Badminton, Basketball, Track and Field and so many more got us excited and made us proud! Special thanks go out to Athletic Director Ms. Hayden, and all scorekeepers, referees, coaches, sponsors and parents for the support.
2. Music Concerts returned and Mr. Naso and the Hugh Boyd Music program hosted several concerts and performances
3. Mr. MacDonald and the Drama students also brought back live theatre performances and this year’s production of The Love of Three Oranges was hilarious and very much appreciated by those who got to watch it.
4. Graduation celebrations returned! We enjoyed a fabulous Commencement ceremony at the UBC Chan Centre on Saturday, June 4th, and then the grads got to engage in the Dinner/Dance at the Stanley Park Pavilion, followed by the Dry After Grad back at the school on Friday, June 24th. Many people worked hard to provide, organize and fundraise for these events, and it was the first time in three years they could happen! The Grads all really enjoyed these memorable events.

Special events and community fundraising this year:

We also enjoyed special events and fundraising for great causes.  Hugh Boyd students have always been socially aware and connected to making the world a better place for others. Highlights of the past year included:

1. Student Council-
   1. Last Day Carnival (June 24th)
   2. Grade Wars (throughout the year)
2. Interact Club-
   1. “Pie a Teacher” contest
   2. Shoreline Clean-up newspaper article
   3. Operation Christmas Shoebox project
   4. 24 Without fundraiser and awareness campaign
3. Social Justice class-
   1. Published a Magazine profiling awareness initiatives
   2. Fundraised to support Ukraine-raised over $1250.00-see article here

For next year we have a couple of very important initiatives early in the year to continue building upon our connected community:

• Grade 8 welcoming week (September 7-9, 2022)

In September of 2021, we welcomed our newest Trojans, the Grads of 2026, to the school by having a fun Friday, September 17th.

Students played some team building games with PE staff, then we went Bowling and had pizza at Entertainment Centre on Triangle Road. Students returned to the school to write a letter to themselves that they will get back in their Graduation year of 2026.

The day was a great way to bring together students and created relationships that they enjoyed for the remained of the year.

We intend to do the same thing next year, but expanded to the entire first week, Wednesday, September 7th until Friday, September 9th. Stay tuned for more details this summer.

• Breaking Down the Walls (October 2022)

In order to help students learn about each other and make deep connections, we have arranged to bring in Breaking Down the Walls, a unique opportunity for building a school culture of care.

Based on the concept “it’s hard to hate a person whose story you know”, the 3-day seminar will be made available to 350 of our 630 students and will train 25 students to be leaders of this incredibly transformational program.

Please stay tuned for more information to come in mid-September and be sure to have your child sign up to participate.

If you are curious to learn more, please go to the website here.