The Power of Sisterhood in a Dynamic Community of Three Schools

During the fall term, Middle School girls have been actively engaged in taking risks, trying new things, and assuming leadership roles in their learning alongside their peers in other grades and across school divisions. Some examples of this include the Camp Timberlane experience, where students further developed independence by spending time away from home while strengthening their connections with Middle School and Grade 11 peers. 

Our girls have also been collaborating with Junior and Senior School students to lead Open Houses for families considering SMLS for their daughters. At these events, some students serve as panellists to share their SMLS experiences, while others act as ambassadors, guiding tours. Middle School students also recently connected with their Junior School “little sisters” to create a Big-Sister/Little-Sister Halloween craft together. Activities like this will continue throughout the school year, helping our students build deeper connections with their younger friends.

Our Middle School Council and Service Club recently worked together to lead our Halloween Kerr Street Mission (KSM) drive, contributing hundreds of cans of fruit and jam to stock the KSM Market shelves. Junior and Senior school students were also involved in the drive, creating a stronger, school-wide impact on the broader Oakville community. 

Within the Middle School division, classrooms have been leading Middle School Chapels throughout the fall term, sharing their learnings about important themes in this year’s Global Read Aloud project novel, Prairie Lotus by Linda Sue Park. Each grade level focuses on different themes and complexity levels; this cross-grade sharing enriches the learning experience for all students. 

These experiences and connections culminate over the years in support of each girl’s growth. The social benefits of having friends outside of your school and grade, the built-in leadership opportunities and lessons in empathy from being a mentor to younger students, having access to positive and attainable role models each day all benefit our girls, especially those in the often challenging times that are the Middle School years. 

The friendships and mentoring that happens naturally here at SMLS benefit our girls greatly - they have friends waiting for them at universities after they graduate, they have a referral network to rely on when they begin their careers, and they always maintain a sense of belonging in a community that’s built a legacy of supporting women for over 133 years.