From the Head of School

Regenerative sustainability is a critical pathway for Meadowridge students and an essential response to today's global environmental challenges. Global warming and human impact on our planet represent the single biggest challenge - and the most significant opportunity - our children will encounter. As a school committed to our vision of developing the confidence not only to meet the future but to create it, there is no better moment to live this vision than now. I firmly believe our children will play pivotal roles in developing and implementing creative and ingenious solutions to address these pressing issues.

At Meadowridge, we offer experiential and ecological opportunities that connect students directly with the land that sustains us. From planting gardens and restoring ecosystems to monitoring biodiversity and implementing waste reduction strategies, these hands-on experiences foster a tangible appreciation for nature's delicate balance. By actively engaging in these activities, our students gain a deeper understanding of the intricate systems that govern our environment. This experiential learning not only informs but inspires a sense of responsibility and a commitment to transforming concepts of sustainability and regeneration into lifelong practice.

"I firmly believe our children will play pivotal roles in developing and implementing creative and ingenious solutions to address these pressing issues."

The importance of this program extends far beyond the individual. A regenerative sustainability program equips students with the skills, knowledge, and mindset to lead meaningful, impactful change in their communities. By appreciating and adopting regenerative practices, they are empowered to advocate for policies, initiatives, and lifestyles that prioritize the health and well-being of our environment. As our children step into leadership roles in businesses, communities, and their vocations, their spheres of influence will grow, amplifying their impact and driving sustainable progress.

Ultimately, regenerative sustainability is not just about protecting and restoring the land. It is about cultivating leaders who will champion its care. At Meadowridge, we are uniquely positioned to answer this call. Our facilities and location provide an exceptional opportunity; our mission and vision compel us to act, and the urgency of the environmental situation demands it. We must embrace this moral obligation for our children, our community, and generations to come.

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Salmon Come Home

  Curriculum      High school      Science   

It’s rare for high school science students to step out of the classroom and apply their knowledge to solve real-world challenges. But thanks to Ms. Deepti Rajeev's innovative approach, that’s exactly what’s happening at Meadowridge School.

The "Salmon Come Home" project is a multidisciplinary inquiry combining physics, chemistry, and biology to address a local issue: why salmon have not returned to Latimer Creek, the on-campus waterway running through the North Forest.

The three-week project begins with students exploring the cultural significance of salmon to Indigenous Peoples and the history of Latimer Creek. With this context, students take on the role of field scientists, investigating environmental factors like water, light, plant species, and soil pH to uncover the reasons for the salmon’s absence.

More than just supporting academic learning and preparing students for the Group 4 Project in the Diploma Programme (DP), Ms. Rajeev believes "Salmon Come Home" offers a valuable environmental perspective. “It’s the essence of experiential learning,” she says, “the kind that fosters understanding and inspires action toward sustainability.”

Focus on Grade 4: Exploring Energy & Salmonoids
Ms. Connie Chow-Go & Ms. Audrey Lum, Grade 4 Teachers

  Curriculum      Elementary school  

Salmonoids in the Classroom

In Grade 4's Sharing the Planet Unit of Inquiry, students dive into learning about our local ecosystems, exploring the connections between living and non-living things.

A highlight of this unit has been a visit to the Alouette River Management Society (ARMS), where they witness firsthand the delicate balance of our local salmon ecosystem. The experience begins with a field trip to the watershed, where students observe mature salmon returning to spawn. They see the fish and their eggs, learning about the salmon lifecycle and what is necessary for these species to thrive.

Back in the classroom, students support the lifecycle they observed by raising salmon eggs and fry. "It's a big deal for the students," said Grade 4 teachers Ms. Connie Chow-Go and Ms. Audrey Lum. "They take real ownership in keeping the water clean and maintaining their aquarium." As the salmon hatch and grow, students eventually return to the Creek to release their young salmon, coming full circle in their inquiry.

Through these experiences, students also learn how to protect local wildlife, adopting practices like avoiding toxic products in household drains and choosing not to wash cars in driveways. Each small step becomes a meaningful action, and students enthusiastically share these conservation practices with others.

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Food Reduction Campaign

  Faculty-Led     Full School  

Through her work with the ISABC Climate Change Collaborative, Ms. Leona West dug into a project close to her heart—reducing food waste.

Growing up, Ms. West's family instilled in her a deep respect and appreciation for the miracle of food. Beginning at the collaborative and back at the school, Ms. West teamed up with fellow educator Ms. Emily Gish to develop a Food Waste Reduction Plan. The team’s priority was to foster genuine, meaningful understanding among students. “You can’t just impose solutions,” Ms. West explains. “It has to come from the grassroots.”

Their initiative launched during Earth Week last year, featuring a community-wide food waste survey and a Meatless Monday in the cafeteria. With feedback from students, families, and staff, the team was able to adjust their approach and campaigns. Next, they will collect data by measuring the food waste accumulated over a week’s lunches. Survey results, student participation, and quantitative data will guide future action plans and awareness efforts.

Ms. West is looking forward to engaging students in an impactful way, allowing them to see—and learn—for themselves. “Framing solutions are top-down initiatives, but the solutions themselves are most effective when they are generated and acted upon by the students and broader Meadowridge community.”

“It’s the essence of experiential learning, the kind that fosters understanding and inspires action toward sustainability.”

Jour de la Terre

  Curriculum    Middle school     Languages  

For French teacher Ms. Kerry Stanley, authentic engagement is central to language learning.

"I always remind my students that French is a living language—it's not just something we use in the classroom," she explains. This philosophy has sparked many dynamic projects, including a recent environmental campaign in which students applied their language skills to promote simple, sustainable habits within the school community.

The initiative grew from her class's study of l'impératif—the verb tense used to give commands, advice, and instructions—coinciding perfectly with Earth Day, or Jour de la Terre.

Students brainstormed helpful reminders, offering phrases like "Don't throw plastic in the trash," "Turn off the lights," and "Use both sides of the paper.”

“Climate change is an enormous challenge, but it can feel overwhelming," says Ms. Stanley. "These posters were designed to inspire small, individual actions that could build toward collective change and spark larger conversations.”

And they succeeded. Throughout the school, her students' reminders encouraged positive habits. In class, they led to deeper discussions about sustainable practices and individual responsibility.

Student-Initiated Food Recovery Program

  High school     Service  

Katherine L. and Priscilla H. (Grade 10) discovered an unexpected bond over a shared passion: reducing food waste. Their friendship grew as they discussed environmental issues and explored ways to make a difference.

Their interest caught the attention of their teacher, Ms. Cindy Hops, who encouraged them to turn their ideas into action. With her support, the trio began researching and engaging with the school community, uncovering troubling facts about food waste in Canada that they couldn’t ignore.

“Shockingly, we have a food waste problem at the same time as great food shortages,” the pair explained. “With 22.9% of people experiencing food insecurity and a 78.5% increase in food bank usage over the last two years, it’s an issue we couldn’t overlook.”

Katherine and Priscilla’s advocacy gained momentum, leading them to speak at ISABC conferences, in-school assemblies, and to the Regenerative Sustainability Committee. Shortly after, the pair launched the Meadowridge Food Recovery Program. In collaboration with school liaisons and SAGE Dining, the school’s dining provider, the program ensures that all unsold cafeteria food is frozen and donated to the Salvation Army. “When the program launched, we felt hopeful and accomplished,” the students shared. “It showed us that even as students, we have the power to make a real impact.”

Charting a new way forward

  Co-Curricular     Elementary school     Service  

Eleanor Z. (Grade 5) is raising awareness about food waste and making a difference through an initiative targeted at her elementary peers.

Inspired by the Food Recovery program led by her Grade 10 schoolmates, Priscilla and Katherine, Eleanor wanted to contribute to the program in her own way. Her idea? Create visual charts to track and communicate the amount of food being wasted. She believes this approach will encourage the Meadowridge community to think twice before discarding their food.

“I want to make a statement,” Eleanor shares, excited about using data visualization to design posters highlighting the issue. She plans to kick off the initiative by sharing facts about food waste in Canada and conducting mystery food-waste measurements in the elementary grades over a few weeks. Her goal is to reduce food waste across campus. This initiative reflects Eleanor’s passion for leadership. Last year, she participated in a leadership program on campus, which inspired her to take on this project as a first step toward her goal of being on the Junior Gryphon Council next year.

For Eleanor, the issue is deeply personal. “Many times, I walk by the bins, and they’re full of food,” she explains, noting the extra strain placed on the facilities team and the broader environmental impact. To address the problem, she’s combining her love for posters and data to create engaging visuals paired with the message: “The best thing to do is finish your food.” Eleanor also sees the project as an opportunity to address campus safety. “Some people throw food outside,” she says, explaining that this can attract wildlife, including bears and deer. Eleanor hopes to keep the campus clean, safe, and environmentally conscious by encouraging her peers to think sustainably.

With guidance from Ms. Kinneard, Eleanor plans to measure food waste over a month. Classes with the least waste will be rewarded with sustainable, recyclable prizes, such as paper plate awards, celebrating their contributions to reducing waste.

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The Garden Club Mrs. Stacy Banack, OE3 Coordinator

  Co-Curricular     Middle school     OE3  

The Garden Club is a year-round commitment to sustainability, food literacy, and environmental stewardship. Hosted during all three terms, the club connects students to the natural world while immersing them in the cycles of growth, care, and renewal.

Through hands-on activities, students learn about regenerative practices and the ethics of reciprocity. Whether harvesting vegetables, saving seeds, or propagating plants, they engage with the environment in meaningful ways that benefit the school, our community, and the planet.

In the fall, students prepare the gardens for winter by planting cover crops, collecting compost materials, and harvesting final crops like potatoes and garlic. "We also try to have some fun by cooking with the food we've harvested and making tea from the flowers and leaves we've grown," shares OE3 Coordinator Mrs. Stacy Banack. Winter focuses on planning and preparation. Students study plant cycles and organize the greenhouse while starting seeds for spring planting. They also design educational posters to share garden insights with the broader school community. During Spring, students plant cool-weather crops for pollinators. Later, they enjoy the bounty of their hard work by making salads with fresh produce from the garden.

“We're committed to not using any artificial fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides. Instead, we utilize organic gardening methods to improve soil health and reduce the likelihood of disease and harmful insects. This includes crop rotation, cover cropping, companion planting, implementing the no dig approach, and applying compost.”

Vermicomposting in the Garden Club

Last year's launch of the vermicomposting program added a new dimension to the Gardening Club's efforts. Funded through the Annual Fund, two high-capacity worm composters now process food waste from the Elementary School, turning scraps into nutrient-rich worm castings.

"When they are at their peak, they can handle up to 2.5kg of food waste daily!" Mrs. Stacy Banack shares. Students manage the system, learning through trial and error while creating a sustainable food waste collection process. Each term, club members build on the work of the previous group. They monitor compost health, expand the system, and use the harvested castings to enrich greenhouse seedlings. By participating in every step of the process, students see firsthand how small changes can make a big environmental impact.

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High School MECO Club

  Co-Curricular     High school     Service  

When Ms. Amanda Mack joined Meadowridge School this year, she was struck by something that most people might overlook: "I needed to know how the school earned Platinum with EcoSchools!" the DP Biology Teacher says.

Naturally, once she got settled, she was keen to start a Meadowridge Eco Club (MECO) of her own. Together, she and a group of four dedicated students meet to help the school reach its environmental goals through the EcoSchools program. For Ms. Mack, student choice was essential.

“As students who live within the community, I wanted to see what they saw as opportunities and wanted to change,” she says. “I also wanted them to be passionate about whatever they picked.”

With students at the helm, protecting campus birds and their ecosystem became a clear focus. So, the group set out to identify the birds that call our campus home.

Aiming to raise awareness and protect local species, they next focused on supporting these birds' habitats. After discovering which birds call Meadowridge home, the club learned about their preferred trees, food sources, and migratory patterns—essential information for better protecting our on-campus wildlife. Next, the club will raise awareness by organizing a Middle School scavenger hunt, during which students will discover and learn about the birds and the ecosystem to which they belong.

In the meantime, they're also planning a recycling campaign to promote waste reduction and proper sorting practices.

Campus Birds
As identified by the High School MECO Club