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The Oxford Cup. Why?
sgrainger 29 November

On Saturday, November 18th, hundreds of students, staff, parents, alumni and friends of TCS ran the Oxford Cup, a footrace that dates back to 1896. Five

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The Purpose of Education
sgrainger 23 November

Part 2 of a 2-part blog series Last week, thanks to a coincidental and interesting combination of a re-reading of Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland and

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What is the purpose of education?
sgrainger 15 November

Part 1 of a 2-part blog series The “Five Ws” (who, what, when, where, why) are still one of the best methods to explore the significance of just about any

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We lost but I couldn’t be more proud
sgrainger 09 November

Winning in a closely contested sport is fun, at any level and in any sport. TCS has won a lot of tournaments and championships over the years. We have the

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Our school’s modern culture of philanthropy
sgrainger 01 November

This week, Mr. Doug Mann discusses the generations of support that TCS, and its students, have directly benefitted from. At TCS since 2007, Mr. Mann is TCS’s

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Let’s talk
sgrainger 25 October

Several years ago, on a Monday morning in chapel, I asked the entire student body how many of them read the newspaper in the morning before the start of school

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The days are long but the years are short
sgrainger 18 October

If you have read my blog over the years, you will know my favourite expression to describe parenting is the heading for my blog this week: “The days are long

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You’ve got a friend in me
sgrainger 11 October

I realize that my reading audience for this blog is primarily adults. So it might seem peculiar that I am referencing the movie theme song from Toy Story in my

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The difference between a job and a vocation
sgrainger 04 October

On September 30th, the School hosted a memorial service for John Anthony Mervyn (Tony) Prower. Tony was 95 when he passed away peacefully earlier this year, on

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I am proud of you
sgrainger 27 September

Our full school participation in the Terry Fox Run last week was another important and proud moment for me at the School. My high school graduation quote

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Care more
sgrainger 20 September

When my kids were young, there was one expression that they would say that would irk me more than any others: “I don’t care.” I fully accept that, at times, we

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Bravo, parents! Bravo!
sgrainger 13 September

It is hard to match the excitement and nervous energy of the first day and first week of school. This is particularly so for parents when it’s their child’s

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Great Beginnings!
sgrainger 06 September

I sat down earlier this week to write a blog post about the start of the academic year. While this is an annual exercise, a new thought popped into my head

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Bittersweet Defined: Graduation Day
sgrainger 14 June

I remember moments of my high school graduation day very clearly. I am not saying, by any means, that it “feels like yesterday!” Because it doesn’t. However, I

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Purposely creating powerful moments
sgrainger 07 June

This week, Mrs. Jennifer Reid discusses the beauty of prompting moments that resonate. At TCS since 2000, Mrs. Reid is the head of Junior School. Written by

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Gratitude for life’s accomplishments
sgrainger 01 June

At Trinity College School, our mission is to launch young people into the world prepared for a life of purpose and service. I believe that such a life begins

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Reunion Eve
sgrainger 25 May

As a kid, I loved Christmas Eve more than Christmas Day. Perhaps it was because the anticipation on December 24th of Santa Claus and his accompanying magic was

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Friendships: Founded in adolescence and celebrated decades later
sgrainger 18 May

I have been told by innumerable TCS alumni, both young and old, that their TCS friends are their best friends. I am sure that our school is not unique in this

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Educational Arbitrage
sgrainger 11 May

This week, Mr. Myke Healy touches on the excitement, opportunities and challenges of the rapidly evolving world of generative AI. At TCS since 2004, Mr. Healy

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Happy Birthday TCS!
sgrainger 03 May

On May 1, 2023, TCS officially turned 158 years old. The School celebrated its birthday – or Founder’s Day – with a series of fun events including a dodgeball

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Lemons don’t turn themselves into lemonade
sgrainger 27 April

According to a recent survey conducted by McKinsey & Company – “How does Gen Z see its place in the working world? With trepidation” (American Opportunity

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Your kids: Past. Present. Future.
sgrainger 19 April

A recent summer-like spell of warm weather on campus immediately brought to mind the coming end of term; and, for our graduating students, the end of their

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The power of rugby
sgrainger 13 April

This week, Grade 12 student-athletes, Jasmine De Pencier and Malinka Kwemo, share their thoughts on the importance of the girls rugby program at TCS and

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Your kids are travelling at 1,600 km/hr right now…but don’t worry
sgrainger 30 March

When you were a kid, did you think that if you jumped up in the air when you were flying in an airplane that you would be thrown backward and hit the back of

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Is it easier or harder to be a kid these days?
sgrainger 09 March

Does it not seem to you that the stakes are higher in education and, generally, in everything, everywhere these days? While it might feel that way, I think in

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Are reading, writing and arithmetic being replaced by artificial intelligence?
sgrainger 02 March

In a recent New York Times article – “Two-Thirds of Kids Struggle to Read, and We Know How to Fix it” by Nicholas Kristof (February, 11, 2023) – there is data

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When in doubt…
sgrainger 22 February

As you know, there has been a seismic shift in the nature of work and workplaces that was triggered by the worldwide pandemic in 2020. In a myriad of

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We the North goes South to Australia
sgrainger 16 February

I had the pleasure, last week, of visiting Sydney and Melbourne, Australia. More importantly, I had the pleasure of meeting the people of Sydney and Melbourne

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It’s the little things…
sgrainger 09 February

This week, Ms. Jennifer Paziuk shares insight into what student support looks like at the School. At TCS since 1993, Ms. Paziuk is the head of Senior School -

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Apparently adults are allowed to lie but kids are not
sgrainger 02 February

If you have been watching the American news over the past couple of months, you may have witnessed the election of the U.S. Representative for New York’s 3rd

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The saddest and happiest days of the year
sgrainger 26 January

Thankfully, “Blue Monday,” known as the “saddest day of the year,” is in our rearview mirror. In case you were unaware, this year, for those of us in the

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You've got a friend in me
sgrainger 19 January

Twice a year the School publishes its alumni magazine, The TCS News. All members of the TCS community would have received their most recent copy with the cover

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Making Room in the Canon – A question of adding rather than subtracting
sgrainger 11 January

This week, Mr. Kristopher Churchill considers the role of literary “classics” in the modern English classroom. At TCS since 2009, Mr. Churchill is the head of

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Ringing in a fresh start
sgrainger 04 January

It is customary for my first blog of the calendar year to focus upon themes of resolutions and goal setting. While many students feel they do not have much “

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Oh, What a Year
sgrainger 14 December

For a student, parent or educator, the 2022 calendar year started inauspiciously. A January 3, 2022, news headline seemed to capture it all: “Ontario closes

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The “Capital-T Truth” and the Default Setting to Achieve it
sgrainger 07 December

This week, Mr. Brent Hurley considers the value of a liberal arts education, particularly following an unprecedented time in history. At TCS since 2015, Mr.

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Lotteries, Inflation and Education
sgrainger 30 November

In 1992, the Canadian rock band Barenaked Ladies released a song entitled, If I Had $1,000,000. In the song lyrics, the writers state that, should they have

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Three Terms of Sport
sgrainger 24 November

This week, Ms. Cristy Drake shares some insight into the value of students being involved in three terms of sports in the school year. Ms. Drake has been at

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Chocolate & Grandparents
sgrainger 16 November

When I was a little kid, under the age of 10 years old, in the summer months, my parents would fly me and my sister to their hometowns of Birmingham and

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Remembering lives of purpose and service
sgrainger 09 November

This week, as we mark Remembrance Day, the School's chaplain Father Don Aitchison shares insights on how TCS honours those who paid the ultimate sacrifice. 

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What’s the most important subject you took in school?
sgrainger 03 November

As parents, as we think back to our elementary and high school days, conversations about who was our favourite teacher abound. Was it the teacher who was the

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School Size Matters – Part 3
sgrainger 27 October

Part three of a series of three blog posts This is my third and final blog post in the series focussed on TCS’s decision to have a school size of approximately

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School Size Matters – Part 2
sgrainger 20 October

Part two of a series of three blog posts In last week’s blog I outlined the size and composition of the TCS student body. In this submission, I explain the

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School Size Matters
sgrainger 13 October

Part one of a series of three blog posts In addition to our school’s shared mission, the enrolment and composition of the student body of our school community

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“How are you? What did you do this weekend?”
sgrainger 06 October

I hope that whether you are working, retired, on holiday, or with family, that you are regularly asked how you are doing and if you enjoyed your most recent

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May you live in interesting times
sgrainger 29 September

The world has changed a great deal over the last three years. It is a most “interesting” time to work in education. And, if you are in education, isn’t the

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Top 10 things about being back at school
sgrainger 22 September

We are now more than two weeks into the 2022-2023 academic year, and I am confident that the majority of kids (and their parents!) are delighted to be back at

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That new kid at a new school feeling
sgrainger 15 September

This is Trinity College School’s 158th year and my 19th year as head of the School. Three of my own children graduated from this school. So, you could say that

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Leaving the nest
sgrainger 08 September

Parents: If you think it is emotionally difficult to have your child attend their first day at a new school and/or begin a new school year, be thankful you are

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