News Archive
Mrs. Leslie Smith
"My favourite part about teaching is the students. It's those transformational moments, those “aha” moments when a student does something that they never thought they could do. Those are my happy moments – seeing my students experimenting and discovering new things, and having fun along the way. I think that's why I love teaching junior students so much, because we can have fun, and we do have fun every single day.
I am an English teacher; my interest in and passion for ELL developed during my time here at Shawnigan and have evolved into an area of speciality. My Shawnigan career began 20 years ago and my first role was providing support services to students who had ELL needs or executive functioning needs. Back then there was no Learning Centre. Then, I got back into the classroom and worked in the English Department and the Prep School before moving full time into the English Department.
I am an English teacher; my interest in and passion for ELL developed during my time here at Shawnigan and have evolved into an area of speciality. My Shawnigan career began 20 years ago and my first role was providing support services to students who had ELL needs or executive functioning needs. Back then there was no Learning Centre. Then, I got back into the classroom and worked in the English Department and the Prep School before moving full time into the English Department.
I am proud that I was part of the creation of the EGC (English Grammar and Composition) program at Shawnigan. I really pushed for there to be an EGC coordinator as the need was very great, and growing. We needed a person that would be a support to Admissions, the students, and the parents.
After that, I helped to create and run the Prep School program for many years. I have so many happy memories with that program and it is some of the most fun I have ever had in teaching. It was such a special program, and I felt so privileged to be working with students that had no Canadian connection, and helping them integrate into a new culture and society.
Along with teaching, I was also involved in the field hockey program at Shawnigan, specifically the Grade 8 program. Every Grade 8 girl plays, and the goal is to have fun through sport and to develop a sisterhood. I loved coaching field hockey. It was an amazing opportunity for all the girls to gather together and for us as coaches to not only develop athletes, but to simply show them that they were capable of being an athlete. Many of the girls I coached came to us with no athletic background. We encouraged them to be confident and empowered them as young women, which is something I have always been deeply passionate about. I feel very strongly about the empowerment of young women and I think sport can really do that.
Shawnigan has had a tremendous impact on our family. I feel like we all grew up here. It provided stability to my family. It was our community, and we have deep friendships with many of our colleagues. It was so interesting to be here for my daughter’s journey through Shawnigan. Vanessa realized quite quickly how amazing it was to have her family alongside her for her Shawnigan journey. I even did duty in Groves’ House when she was in the House. I am always grateful that she was supportive of me being there, and I really treasured that time as I think it brought us even closer together because we had this incredibly unique shared experience. It was also a testament to her maturity that she was okay with me being so involved in such an important part of her Shawnigan journey.
In the depths of it, when people are in the trenches at Shawnigan, it is easy to feel overwhelmed – but, at the same time, thanks to opportunities such as being in a dorm until 10:00 on a Saturday night, trudging up a hill with a student during cross country, taking a group of kids to the movies, consoling someone who has received really bad news, or comforting a student who has had their first break up… Whatever it is, we are richer for that experience. We have an opportunity to be part of their full life, and that is a true honour. They aren’t just students, they are our children when they are here at Shawnigan, and that is a huge honour.
My students have taught me so many lessons. They have taught me that marks are just a number – a snapshot in a moment. They have taught me that patience is incredibly important and will yield lovely results. They have taught me to laugh, particularly if I am finding myself flustered or frustrated or getting carried away with deadlines. They have taught me the benefits and the wisdom of second chances. They have taught me to listen when they are not quite ready to talk. They have taught me to watch every kind of conversation sign, particularly the non verbal ones. They have taught me to be relevant, fresh, and current in my teaching.
I will always treasure my colleagues here at Shawnigan. The warmth of the people here cannot be overstated. People care about other people. I have never doubted that when I really need support all I need to do is ask, and sometimes I don’t even need to ask, because people just know. I think that all stems from this extraordinary shared experience. We are together for long spells of time, and we see each other in moments of strength and moments of vulnerability. We can bring out the silly in each other and also the seriousness. My colleagues have always provided me with shoulders to lean on and plenty of time to talk. They have been incredible sounding boards, and I have always felt like everyone’s doors are open and that they are always there for anything I might need.
I would like to thank all the people who have made my Shawnigan journey possible. I love the concept of the Shawnigan journey, because it really is a journey from the time you enter. We embark on an incredible journey at Shawnigan. Some people's journeys are short, and some people’s are long, like mine. The journey can be as rich as a person wants it to be. I am so grateful for my colleagues; they make me look forward to going to work every day. They have strengthened me as both a teacher and a person. I am so grateful for our shared experiences.
It is a true privilege to have been a teacher here at Shawnigan."
- From an interview with Mrs. Leslie Smith, retiring English Teacher
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After that, I helped to create and run the Prep School program for many years. I have so many happy memories with that program and it is some of the most fun I have ever had in teaching. It was such a special program, and I felt so privileged to be working with students that had no Canadian connection, and helping them integrate into a new culture and society.
Along with teaching, I was also involved in the field hockey program at Shawnigan, specifically the Grade 8 program. Every Grade 8 girl plays, and the goal is to have fun through sport and to develop a sisterhood. I loved coaching field hockey. It was an amazing opportunity for all the girls to gather together and for us as coaches to not only develop athletes, but to simply show them that they were capable of being an athlete. Many of the girls I coached came to us with no athletic background. We encouraged them to be confident and empowered them as young women, which is something I have always been deeply passionate about. I feel very strongly about the empowerment of young women and I think sport can really do that.
Shawnigan has had a tremendous impact on our family. I feel like we all grew up here. It provided stability to my family. It was our community, and we have deep friendships with many of our colleagues. It was so interesting to be here for my daughter’s journey through Shawnigan. Vanessa realized quite quickly how amazing it was to have her family alongside her for her Shawnigan journey. I even did duty in Groves’ House when she was in the House. I am always grateful that she was supportive of me being there, and I really treasured that time as I think it brought us even closer together because we had this incredibly unique shared experience. It was also a testament to her maturity that she was okay with me being so involved in such an important part of her Shawnigan journey.
In the depths of it, when people are in the trenches at Shawnigan, it is easy to feel overwhelmed – but, at the same time, thanks to opportunities such as being in a dorm until 10:00 on a Saturday night, trudging up a hill with a student during cross country, taking a group of kids to the movies, consoling someone who has received really bad news, or comforting a student who has had their first break up… Whatever it is, we are richer for that experience. We have an opportunity to be part of their full life, and that is a true honour. They aren’t just students, they are our children when they are here at Shawnigan, and that is a huge honour.
My students have taught me so many lessons. They have taught me that marks are just a number – a snapshot in a moment. They have taught me that patience is incredibly important and will yield lovely results. They have taught me to laugh, particularly if I am finding myself flustered or frustrated or getting carried away with deadlines. They have taught me the benefits and the wisdom of second chances. They have taught me to listen when they are not quite ready to talk. They have taught me to watch every kind of conversation sign, particularly the non verbal ones. They have taught me to be relevant, fresh, and current in my teaching.
I will always treasure my colleagues here at Shawnigan. The warmth of the people here cannot be overstated. People care about other people. I have never doubted that when I really need support all I need to do is ask, and sometimes I don’t even need to ask, because people just know. I think that all stems from this extraordinary shared experience. We are together for long spells of time, and we see each other in moments of strength and moments of vulnerability. We can bring out the silly in each other and also the seriousness. My colleagues have always provided me with shoulders to lean on and plenty of time to talk. They have been incredible sounding boards, and I have always felt like everyone’s doors are open and that they are always there for anything I might need.
I would like to thank all the people who have made my Shawnigan journey possible. I love the concept of the Shawnigan journey, because it really is a journey from the time you enter. We embark on an incredible journey at Shawnigan. Some people's journeys are short, and some people’s are long, like mine. The journey can be as rich as a person wants it to be. I am so grateful for my colleagues; they make me look forward to going to work every day. They have strengthened me as both a teacher and a person. I am so grateful for our shared experiences.
It is a true privilege to have been a teacher here at Shawnigan."
- From an interview with Mrs. Leslie Smith, retiring English Teacher
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Shawnigan Lake School is an independent co-educational boarding school for ages 13 –18 on Canada’s beautiful West Coast. Our diverse, interdisciplinary and innovative programming helps shape the next generation of global leaders.
