Author: bvg
Parent Volunteer Spotlight – Naaz Ghomeshi, Parent Association
Parent Association
Naaz Ghomeshi is a trusted voice deeply devoted to the Bayview Glen parent community. Serving as one of the Parent Volunteer Co-Directors and contributing eight years of dedicated leadership on the Parent Association Executive, her volunteer journey began as the Gift Sale Co-ordinator, a role held for four years, followed by three impactful years as Merry Market Co-ordinator, each role marked by commitment, creativity, and care.
A proud parent of twin students, Nikki and Nelli, who have grown alongside the Bayview Glen community since BGs and are now in Grade 6, Naaz’s connection to the school runs deep. From the early days in the Lower School as a class parent to joining the PA Executive, involvement has been both longstanding and wholehearted.
In the current role as Parent Volunteer Co-Director, Naaz leads the recruitment and co-ordination of parent volunteers for PA events, bringing people together and helping initiatives thrive. What truly stands out is a genuine love for connecting with fellow parents and a deep appreciation for the warm, supportive community that makes Bayview Glen such a special place for families.
Parent Volunteer Spotlight – Maria Tsopelas, Parent Association
Parent Association
Maria Tsopelas is a dedicated Bayview Glen parent volunteer whose passion for community building can be seen throughout the school. As the parent of three Bayview Glen students, Maria has devoted many volunteer hours to initiatives including the PA Shop, textbook sales, class parent leadership, the Art Show, Book Talks, and countless other events and activities. Whether helping behind the scenes or working directly with families, she believes that every act of volunteering, big or small, helps create a stronger, more connected school community.
Maria currently serves as Parent Volunteer Co-Director of the Bayview Glen Parent Association, where she helps connect parents with meaningful opportunities to get involved and contribute to school life. She is passionate about creating an environment where families feel welcomed, engaged, and invested in the Bayview Glen experience. Maria encourages all parents to consider volunteering in whatever capacity works for them, as some of the most rewarding experiences and lasting friendships are built through service to the school community. If you are interested in getting involved, she would love to hear from you and help you discover how you can make a difference while becoming an even greater part of the Bayview Glen family.
Parent Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon 2026
Bayview Glen News, Events, Home page, Lower School, Parent Association, Prep School, Preschool, Upper School
Thank you to all of our parent volunteers who joined us for the Parent Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon on Tuesday, May 26, 2026.
It was a pleasure to come together to celebrate and recognize the incredible contributions you make to the Bayview Glen community. Your generosity, enthusiasm, and dedication enrich the experiences of our students and help foster the vibrant and welcoming spirit that makes Bayview Glen so special.
On behalf of the School and the Parent Association, thank you for your time, commitment, and support throughout the year. We are truly grateful for all that you do.
Join us on May 27 – Spring Parent Book Club and Fireside Chat
Events, Home page, Lower School, Parent Association, Prep School, Preschool, Upper School
Don’t miss this wonderful opportunity to connect, learn, and engage with our community at the final Bayview Glen Parent Book Club of the school year, followed by a special Fireside Chat on Wednesday, May 27, 2026.
Join us for one or both sessions – whether you’ve read the book or are simply curious, we welcome your presence and perspective. Light refreshments will be served for those attending in person.
PARENT BOOK CLUB
Time: 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Location: Learning Commons, Bayview Glen Moatfield Campus (or online via Microsoft Teams)
Join us as we explore The Emotional Lives of Teenagers: Raising Connected, Capable, and Compassionate Adolescents by Lisa Damour, PhD, offering practical insights into supporting teens through emotional development, building strong relationships, and navigating the challenges of adolescence.
FIRESIDE CHAT
Time: 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Location: Learning Commons, Bayview Glen Moatfield Campus
Following the book club, stay for a Fireside Chat with Kausalya Vimal, Registered Social Worker and mental health therapist. Topics will include:
- Parent-Child Relationships: Better Conversation and Stronger Connections
- Talking through tension, Conversations that Build, not Break
- Building the parent-child gap
Please register online if you are interested in attending.
Perfectionism: Supporting Wellbeing Alongside Achievement
Bayview Glen News, Lower School, Newsletters and Publications, Prep School, The Glen, Upper School
Written by Antoinette Morgan, MA, MSW, BSW, RSW,
Director of Student Wellbeing
In the independent school environment where performance expectations, academic rigor, and university preparation are emphasized, perfectionism can quietly become ingrained in students. Whether a child is in Grade 1 or Grade 12, perfectionism can sneak into their school life, leading them to believe that only perfect work is good enough. Recognizing perfectionist tendencies is key to helping students flourish and stay resilient over the long term.
There are many causes that lead to perfectionism in students, including a competitive school environment; trauma or fear of rejection; a child’s attempt to manage pressure and to maintain adults’ approval; cultural expectations around success and the image they or their parents want to project; the impact of social media; and social comparison. A child’s early experiences and the messaging they receive around success and self-worth influence perfectionism, as do adults who overpraise high marks or outcomes, or who dismiss a good mark by asking why the child did not score higher. Many students come to equate their self-worth with performance.
Research shows perfectionistic patterns can appear in the early years and interfere with a student’s learning and wellbeing. These students may display all-or-nothing thinking, strongly insisting on doing things “just right”. They often have an intense fear of making mistakes and may react with strong emotions or behaviours when things do not turn out as expected. They may constantly erase and re-do their work, tie their self-worth to minor setbacks, or avoid starting tasks they find challenging for fear of not getting them right. These responses are rooted in anxiety and are not related to defiance or lack of effort.
Perfectionism is not the same as healthy striving, which is built on motivation, flexibility, and a growth-mindset. In older students, perfectionism is often visible in rigid standards paired with harsh self-evaluation. This may include not allowing themselves to make mistakes; excessive checking and editing, difficulty asking for help or delegating tasks; excessive worry about grades and feedback; wanting to retake a test despite already achieving a high score, staying up late every night studying; and ultimately risking burnout.
Although perfectionists are detail-oriented, reliable, and high-achieving —qualities that can be beneficial in the short term — over time, they can bear significant emotional and psychological costs. Chronic perfectionism is associated with increased anxiety and stress, burnout, depression, low self-esteem, and avoidance behaviours such as procrastination or refusal to try. Over time, it can also limit creativity and resilience.
How can parents help:
- Set flexible and realistic goals and expectations
- Praise growth, persistence, and effort over outcomes
- Normalize mistakes as a part of growth and development
- Validate children’s stress before offering solutions
- Reinforce that self-worth is not based on achievement
- Teach children self-acceptance
- Model flexibility and self-compassion
By responding thoughtfully to perfectionism, the school and families can work together to support students in developing their resilience and flexibility, so they are grounded in learning and not fear. Please reach out to me at amorgan@bayviewglen.ca for support or referrals.
Spring Book Club and Fireside Chat
Date
Wednesday, May 27, 2026
Book Club Detail
- Time: 5:00 – 6:30 p.m.
- Book: The Emotional Lives of Teenagers: Raising Connected, Capable, and Compassionate Adolescents by Lisa Damour, PhD.
Fireside Chat Detail
- Time: 6:30 – 8:00 p.m.
- Topics:
Parent-Child Relationships: Better Conversation and stronger Connections
Talking through tension, Conversations that Build, not Break
Building the parent-child gap - Speaker: Kausalya Vimal
Celebrating Student Innovation at the Toronto Science Fair 2026
Bayview Glen News, Lower School, Newsletters and Publications, The Glen, Upper School
Bayview Glen students proudly shared their passion for science and innovation at the 2026 Toronto Science Fair, one of Canada’s largest and most prestigious student science competitions. From gold medal–winning Upper School innovation to thoughtful and creative Grade 5 investigations, our students demonstrated curiosity, perseverance, and the power of scientific thinking.
Upper School Gold Medal Innovations with Real-World Impact
Stefano E.,Grade 11 Student
Cooling the Future: Lattice Cold Plates for High-Performance Computing
Data centers spend up to 40% of their energy on cooling alone, a problem that’s accelerating with the rise of consumer AI. For my research project, I set out to find a more mathematically optimal alternative to the industry-standard CNC-milled cold plate.
The answer was a Triply Periodic Minimal Surface called a gyroid lattice. Unlike conventional straight-channel designs, a gyroid agitates fluid in all three dimensions simultaneously, continuously disrupting thermal boundary layers while maximizing surface area. I taught myself nTopology to design and simulate the plate geometry, then built a closed-loop hydraulic data logging circuit to run controlled experiments. The gyroid plate delivered a 36% higher cooling rate, 2.25°C lower sustained surface temperature, and 52% greater total surface area than the control.
The project earned Gold at the citywide Toronto Science Fair! I’m grateful to Professor Mihaela Vlasea and her Multi-Scale Additive Manufacturing Laboratory at the University of Waterloo for their advice, and I look forward to collaborating with them as I push this research further, and potentially toward a published research paper.
Riya V. and Shaan V.,Grade 11 and Grade 9 Student
BrAIllePath
We are Riya and Shaan, and we recently developed BraillePath, a wearable navigation aid designed for the deaf-blind community. Our project addresses a critical gap: while many tools exist for single-sensory loss, few provide real-time environmental awareness for those without both sight and sound.
BraillePath uses smart glasses with a camera to capture the user’s surroundings, which is then processed by AI models we fine-tuned to detect obstacles like cars and people. This data is converted into tactile braille cues on the user’s wrist. For example, if a car approaches from the left, BraillePath displays a braille character on the wrist indicating a vehicle approaching from that direction. Developing this required a multi-disciplinary approach, combining circuitry, mobile app development, and numerous iterations of 3D-printed prototypes.
A highlight of our journey was receiving feedback from Sven Topp, a deaf-blind researcher from Germany. His insights into daily navigation challenges helped us refine our design. Moving forward, we hope to actually develop our project further and test it with deaf-blind individuals! We are honored to share this innovation with the Bayview Glen community!
Grade 5 Scientists Embrace Experimentation and Innovation
Zoe,
Grade 5 Student
Since the start of the year, I have been looking forward to trying out for the Toronto Science Fair, and it has been a pleasure to be able to represent the school while learning about science. This year, Grade 5 students like me were able to have the opportunity to try out for the Toronto Science Fair with no guarantee of getting picked. Only two teams were selected to represent the school. It was truly competitive! Many students tried out with the choice of having a partner or going solo, and only two teams got to make it in. To be chosen among the many creative entries across Grade 5 to represent the school has been such a privilege, and on top of that, I got to learn all about the scientific method and challenge my brain outside the school curriculum.
My project was called “The Battle of The Germs: Mom VS. Zoe”. My idea was about a nasty pillow (according to my mom) and a grueling, disgusting, and just gross in general toilet seat. Now before I started, I needed a hypothesis, which honestly wasn’t that hard. My hypothesis was that by the end of the five-day swabbing period, the toilet seat would be dirtier than my pillowcase.
For my experiment, I swabbed both the toilet seat and my pillowcase and observed the germ growth on a petri dish for over five days. Each day, I checked to see how much and how fast germs (also known as “microbes”) were growing. It was cool (and a little disgusting!) to see how fast these microbes grew and how these germs changed over time in size, color, and appearance. I tried to be very careful in documenting my observations, ensuring everything was recorded daily and in detail, and that everything was accurate to the point in which I could draw an accurate conclusion.
One of the most exciting parts of this experience was seeing whether my hypothesis would be proven right or wrong. As the days went on, I noticed that both the toilet seat and the pillowcase showed signs of microbial growth, but not always in the way I expected. Some days had more noticeable changes than others, which made me realize that germs can grow differently under different conditions and are not always predictable. By the end of the five days, I carefully compared the results and analyzed which surface had more growth overall. This helped me understand the importance of observation, patience, and keeping detailed records in a scientific experiment.
Overall, participating in the Toronto Science Fair was an unforgettable experience that taught me a lot about science and about myself. I learned how to think like a scientist by asking questions, making predictions, and testing ideas through experiments. It also showed me that while science experiments are very serious, they can also be fun, surprising, and even a little gross at times.
Neel R.,
Grade 5 Student
This year, I had the chance to take part in the Toronto Science Fair, representing Bayview Glen at the regional competition. It was a pleasure to participate in the Science Fair while educating myself about the world of science. In late January, I competed at the Bayview Glen Lower School fair with my fellow Grade 5 peers. I was fortunate to have my project selected as one of two submissions to advance to the regional fair.
Unlike traditional science fair projects, I chose to do an innovation project. I decided to create an innovation project because I like building, iterating, and solving problems. Another reason for this decision was that when you work on this type of project, you apply what you learn from your research to the real world. While thinking about project ideas, I came across the problem of food wastage. I realized that worldwide food waste is a serious and growing problem. According to the United Nations Environment Programme Food Waste Index Report 2021, an estimated 931 million tons of food are wasted globally each year. I set out to build a solution that would reduce household food waste.
I built FoodTech, an AI enhanced kitchen technology that helps families turn existing food into new recipes. By using the existing food items and suggesting recipes, FoodTech reduces food wastage, saves money, and makes meal planning easier. I believe FoodTech can meaningfully reduce household food wastage and promote smarter, more sustainable meal habits.
Here is how FoodTech works: The user selects food items from their fridge and/or pantry to use for meal planning. These items are placed under a compact camera. The image captured by the camera is then analyzed. Once the food items have been identified, FoodTech will display recipes using the ingredients.
Some benefits of FoodTech are:
- New Recipe Ideas: Families will have new recipes to add to their collection.
- Family bonding: FoodTech can help families make meals together. This gets kids away from screens and working together as a family.
- Child Development: FoodTech assists children in learning how to cook with easy-to-understand recipes using foods in their kitchen
- Cost Saving: This innovation can save money that is spent when going out for meals.
- Protecting the Environment: Food waste that breaks down in landfill releases methane. This gas is a big player in climate change. FoodTech will reduce household food wastage, which can help control climate change.
In conclusion, I really enjoyed participating in the Toronto Science Fair and representing Bayview Glen. While competing in this competition, I learned about the steps to innovation and about the life of a scientist. I hope to continue to partake in science fairs and to discover how science can shape our world.
Dive Into Summer 2026 at Bayview Glen Camp
Bayview Glen News, Newsletters and Publications, The Glen
Written by
Daniel Garfinkel, Camp Director
Kayley Core, Assistant Camp Director
As the snow begins to melt and the days grow brighter, it’s hard not to think of the sunny summer days ahead. With summer quickly approaching, we want to know—have you finalized your plans for the upcoming season?
If not, we invite you to consider Bayview Glen Camp for your children.
This summer is shaping up to be an incredible one, filled with endless fun, new experiences, and lasting memories for our campers.
One of the most exciting additions to our programming is swimming. Campers will be among the first to enjoy our brand-new indoor pool. Our swim programme will be led by trained lifeguards and certified instructors, and campers will participate in a daily instructional swim to help develop their skills, build confidence, and achieve their personal swimming goals.
We’ve made some exciting updates for the upcoming season. This summer will be one week longer, allowing for even more time at camp to learn, grow, and experience new activities.
Our session format has also been updated. We are now offering two-week session blocks for Summer 2026. Our session options include:
- 2 weeks
- 4 weeks
- 6 weeks
- 8 weeks
We will continue to offer a wide variety of programmes, including science, cooking, sports, and the arts, giving campers the opportunity to explore new and innovative activities.
Growing With Purpose: Looking Back, Reaching Out, and Moving Forward Together
Alumni, Bayview Glen News, Lower School, Newsletters and Publications, Prep School, The Glen, Upper School
Written by Ryan Rodrigues,
Executive Director, Advancement and External Relations
One of the great privileges of my role is the opportunity to listen closely to our community – students, parents, alumni, past parents, and partners – and to notice the patterns that emerge when people feel connected to something meaningful. Over the past year, and especially in recent months as I have represented Bayview Glen at chapter events across Canada and into the United States, I have been struck by how widely our community now stretches, and how strong those connections remain.
At each gathering, I hear familiar themes echoed back to me: a sense of purpose rooted in learning, gratitude for relationships formed here, and a desire to stay connected across generations. These conversations mirror research often shared in educational leadership spaces, including work from Harvard’s Student Purpose Initiative and innovation-focused institutions such as Future Design School. At their core, these frameworks ask a simple but powerful question: how do we help young people, and the communities that surround them, see themselves as part of something larger, something sustained over time?
At Bayview Glen, we are fortunate to see that answer unfolding every day.
Earlier this year, I had the honour of representing Bayview Glen at the Independent School Summit of the Canadian Council for Advancement of Education, where I shared reflections on how our students, parents, and alumni shape not only our present campus experience, but also the pathways that allow future generations to grow and thrive. Our Strategic Plan, Be Bold, speaks directly to this work. It calls us to act with intention, to recognise our responsibilities to one another, and to honour the original Nations of this land and their enduring presence.
That continuity feels especially meaningful as we begin planning for a significant milestone: Bayview Glen’s sixty-fifth anniversary. Over the next academic year and throughout 2027, we will mark this moment with opportunities for reflection and celebration. Anniversaries invite us to look back with care, not nostalgia, so that our past can inform who we are becoming.
In that spirit, we are strengthening our archival efforts at the School. Preserving Bayview Glen’s history allows us to tell a fuller, more inclusive story about our shared journey. Photographs, programmes, letters, uniforms, and personal recollections all play an important role. If you or someone in your family has materials or memories to share, we would be grateful to hear from you.
At the same time, we are looking ahead. Our New Build is nearing completion, and we look forward to celebrating this exciting addition to campus life with our community this spring and into the fall. Reunion Weekend and renewed engagement with Grade Twelve parents and past parents remain key moments of connection.
As we look ahead to our anniversary celebrations and beyond, I am reminded that institutions grow strongest when people see themselves as active participants in a shared story. Thank you for continuing to shape that story with us, wherever in the world you may be.
Meet Our Archivist
As Bayview Glen prepares for its sixty-fifth anniversary, we are pleased to welcome Andriana Gialiris, our new Archivist. Andriana is leading the School’s efforts to preserve and share Bayview Glen’s rich history, working closely with students, alumni, past parents, staff, faculty, volunteers, and current families. If you have photographs, memorabilia, or stories you would like to contribute to our archives, we encourage you to be in touch. Your memories help bring our shared history to life.
archives@bayviewglen.ca
bayviewglen.ca/about-us/history-and-archives/
Transformative Learning Through Global Experiences
Bayview Glen News, Lower School, Newsletters and Publications, Prep School, The Glen, Upper School
Written by Dr. Angela Mantie,
Director of Global Education and Strategic Partnerships
Global Education at Bayview Glen reimagines how students engage with the world—blending transformative, real-world experiences with a commitment to pluralism, global citizenship, and environmental sustainability. Students participate as thoughtful global travellers, learning with curiosity, compassion, courage, and humility while contributing in meaningful and respectful ways.
Through our programming, students grow as global citizen leaders—building connections across communities and developing the confidence, empathy, and adaptability needed to navigate an ever-changing world.
Upper School: Costa Rica
Our student cohort explored how history, sustainability, and community collaboration shape national identity and lived experience in Costa Rica. Through meaningful engagement with a local farming family and children, support for a women’s collective, and firsthand experiences of the deep connection between people and the environment, students developed lasting memories while strengthening their compassion, empathy, and global awareness.
Student reflections captured the impact of the experience: “nice to help people out,” “fun to interact with locals,” and “amazing and unforgettable.”
Prep School: the Yukon
Our first student cohort since pre-COVID travelled to the Yukon on an immersive journey through Canada’s North, beginning in Whitehorse and continuing through Champagne and Aishihik First Nations traditional territory, Dawson City, and Tombstone Territorial Park. Along the way, students explored the region’s layered history—from pre–Gold Rush Indigenous life to the legacy of the Klondike Gold Rush—while engaging directly with local guides, knowledge keepers, and artisans.
Through experiences such as wildlife conservation at the Yukon Wildlife Preserve, dog mushing, glassblowing, and a traditional Indigenous workshop, students deepened their understanding of northern ecosystems, cultural resilience, and sustainable land stewardship. The program invited students to reflect on critical questions of identity, land rights, and environmental responsibility, while fostering curiosity, respect, and a sense of interconnectedness between people, place, and history.
Student reflections included: “it was an incredible experience,” “great time talking to the locals and hearing about their journeys,” and “one of the most eye-opening, unique, and community-building experiences of my life.”
Lower School: Round Square Virtual Experiences
Our Lower School students launched Bayview Glen’s first-ever Round Square virtual experiences this year by participating in Round Square Show and Tells, connecting in real time with students from around the world and building meaningful global connections. On January 27, Grade 5 students showcased “Genius Inventions from Our Region,” presenting their Artifacto Buddy robotics invention, followed on February 3 by L3B sharing “What We Do on Our Breaktime/Recess,” featuring Marble Runs, loose parts play, and LEGO builds.
The Bridge to Innovation: Connecting Skills to Real-World Solutions in the Prep School
Bayview Glen News, Newsletters and Publications, Prep School, The Glen
Written by Laura Gleeson,
Prep School Educator, Science and Technology Department Head
While technology is meaningfully integrated across all subject areas at the Prep School, what distinguishes our stand-alone technology and problem-based learning courses is the clear and connected continuum that has been created, one that guides students from building skills to solving real-world problems. From Grade 6 to Grade 8, students develop the tools, mindset, and confidence to innovate.
In Grade 6 Integrated Technology (IT), students lay the groundwork. They explore multimedia platforms, 3D printing, AI, and coding while learning how technology can enhance their work across subjects. They build essential skills in communication, collaboration, and research, alongside responsible digital citizenship. Using the Design Thinking Method, students create digital solutions. This course is about technology foundations, exploration, and problem solving – giving students the technical fluency they need to take the next step.
That next step happens in Grade 7, where the newly introduced Integrated Technology and Design Thinking (ITDT) course acts as the bridge from skills to application. Here, students begin to think like designers. They identify problems, consider user perspectives, and develop creative, tangible solutions. Through hands-on, collaborative projects, students brainstorm, prototype, and refine their ideas, building on the tools taught in Grade 6 IT. Students participate in design blitzes and are encouraged to physically build, iterate, modify, and “get messy” in their design work.
In Grade 8, Problem-Based Learning (PBL) brings it all together. Students take ownership of their learning as they tackle complex, real-world issues that matter to them. From social justice to community wellbeing, they research, interview, design, and build solutions that address authentic needs. Their work extends beyond the classroom, culminating in presentations to expert panels and the development of prototypes such as student-built applications and websites, and business models. Students are no longer just problem-solvers; they are change makers.
This three-year continuum ensures that each step builds intentionally on the last. By the end of Grade 8, students are not only confident in their use of technology but also equipped with the creativity, critical thinking, and resilience needed to design solutions for an ever-changing digital world. It is truly a unique piece of the Prep School experience.