• The Learning Forum will become the heart of the school as it integrates learning support, library resources and technology services to provide our digital learners a real space for academic collaboration and inquiry.

    Dr. Susan Elliott, Executive Director, Learning Forum @ TFS and Campaign Supporter

  • From our founding, TFS was committed to accepting talented students regardless of parents' financial means. The scholarship program is a chance to honour our earliest roots and to live, once again, the principles of accessibility.

    Susan Markle, Executive Director of Admissions and Campaign Supporter

  • The Learning Forum @ TFS will complement the school's multi-faceted curriculum, while providing a personalized, enriched learning experience, so that all students can thrive. We believe in the TFS approach to education and are excited to be a part of such a transformational undertaking.

    GREG HAVER AND JULIANA SPROTT, CURRENT PARENTS AND CAMPAIGN SUPPORTERS

  • We are pleased to support Entrance Scholarships at TFS, as gaining students from diverse backgrounds can only make our school better. We are convinced that an inclusive strategy to attract students from all walks of life will serve the future of TFS well.

    PHIL AND SHERRY EVERSHED, Parents of an Alumna and Campaign Supporters

  • We are pleased to support program enrichment and have chosen to focus our gift on environmental inquiry and sustainability projects. We encourage all families to join us in supporting Soaring Beyond to help ensure that all students continue to receive the very best educational experience.

    CHRISTIAN AND FLORENCE EXSHAW, CURRENT PARENTS AND CAMPAIGN SUPPORTERS

A Clear Launch for Soaring Beyond: The Campaign for TFS

October 2, 2014

September 19, 2014 was a special if not historic day for TFS. In addition to being Terry Fox Spirit Day, it also marked the official launch of Soaring Beyond: The Campaign for TFS at the third annual Welcome Back BBQ. The weather more than cooperated, providing a clear autumn day and comfortable temperatures so that students, parents, staff and volunteers could gather and enjoy the food, fun and festivities out of doors on TFS Toronto campus grounds. With flags proudly flying and plenty of smiles and laughter to go around, the TFS community celebrated the start of a new academic year together.

The Welcome Back BBQ is fast becoming an annual tradition at TFS because it offers new and returning TFS families a pleasant opportunity to meet and mingle at the beginning of the school year. This year, it offered the school the opportunity to launch the most ambitious fundraising campaign in its history.

After extending a warm bienvenue to one and all, acting Head of School, Mirna Hafez, thanked Welcome Back BBQ Chairs, Josie Marrano and Sandra Keeley, their committee and community members who volunteered for the event, for their hard work, dedication and leadership. “The start of a school year is always an exciting time, but this year it is especially exciting,” said Mme Hafez, announcing the launch of the $9 million campaign to establish Learning Forum hubs at each TFS branch, enrich programming for all TFS students and provide new scholarship opportunities.

Mitch Frazer, Chair of the Board of Directors, affirmed the Board’s full support for the campaign and his words served to remind everyone why the campaign matters. “TFS has always encouraged students to dream big and to reach for the impossible. As parents, administrators, directors, staff and volunteers, we have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to prepare our students for success with the very best learning techniques and tools available,” he said. He encouraged everyone in attendance to visit the Soaring Beyond: The Campaign for TFS website to learn more about the campaign’s three visionary initiatives.

Sherry Evershed, Campaign Chair, talked about the tradition of generosity and commitment shown by generations of TFS parents, both through active volunteer leadership and philanthropic giving. She explained how fundraising began quietly in 2010 and 2011, by counting annual giving from that time toward the campaign goal. During this soft launch phase, many families stepped forward to contribute, contributing approximately $2.3 million in major gifts, she told the crowd. “This enabled us to unveil the public phase of the campaign earlier this year,” she said.

Judging from the enthusiastic reaction, it was a thrilling moment for everyone when the amount TFS has raised to date was revealed: $6.3 million — or 71 percent — of the $9 million goal, an impressive achievement by any standard and one that the TFS community can point to with pride.

Warmly thanking everyone who had made a contribution toward the campaign, Ms. Evershed outlined the fundraising strategy for the coming year: “Our key priority this year is to raise an additional $2 million. This will enable us to begin the final phase of renovations for the Learning Forum, which is one of the core initiatives of the Soaring Beyond campaign.” Looking around at the TFS families mingling and enjoying the day’s event, she added, “The way in which we are coming together for our children, our school and this campaign ensures our success.”

If the success of the Welcome Back BBQ is any indication, all Soaring Beyond campaign objectives will, undoubtedly, be reached. With so much support and community spirit, the sky’s the limit for TFS.

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