Promoting Community, Identity, and the Crescent Legacy
Headmaster Michael Fellin unveiled the Our Way Forward campaign at a Town Hall meeting on May 9. The $65 million campaign will support capital projects and grow the endowment that supports student financial assistance. “This is the school's most ambitious campaign in its more than 110-year history,” Headmaster Fellin told the audience of current parents, alumni, and parents with sons joining Crescent this September. “It's an exciting new chapter for the school.”
Crescent had already secured over $59 million toward the campaign goal. “Thank you to the generous families, alumni, and Crescent friends who have stepped up in a significant way to get us to this point,” said Chief Advancement Officer Jamie Lougheed ’87, who also spoke at the event. Addressing the audience, he continued, “Your legacy will leave the next generation of Crescent students and our school in a better place than it is today.”
A portion of the campaign proceeds raised to date enabled the 2021 purchase of the Bob Rumball property. While its development is for a future campaign, securing the only bordering parcel of land was a crowning early achievement. Other campaign funds went towards resurfacing Innes Field, installing the winterized dome, and re-turfing the Formal Garden. The Our Way Forward campaign has four priorities:
- Community Hall. More than a dining hall, the Community Hall will be generously scaled with soaring ceilings, abundant natural light, and plenty of space for shared meals and social interaction. A separate servery ensures a more flexible and adaptable space throughout the day for events of all kinds.
- New Entrance. Lower and Upper School students will now have a school entrance to call their own, with easy access to classrooms and improved security. For the first time, a feature staircase will connect the upper and lower loggias to support movement throughout the school.
- Student Commons. A multi-functional learning and gathering space will support connections between older and younger students and faculty and staff. The Student Commons will be adjacent to the new entrance.
- Endowment in Support of Student Financial Assistance. With the rising cost of school tuition, a robust financial assistance program will ensure we can sustain the legacy of a Crescent education for future generations of students.
Construction begins this summer, with the demolition of the existing dining hall and upper and lower loggias scheduled on the heels of the school’s closing ceremonies in mid-June. “We're going to do all sorts of things to minimize the disruption and inconvenience to the boys,” said Headmaster Fellin. “Ensuring the safety of our community and securing the construction zone is paramount to our efforts.” One question that has been foremost on the minds of students and staff is whether lunch service will continue during construction. “We’re building a new kitchen and temporary dining area in the CCL,” says Fellin. “SAGE, our food service partner, has promised that we’ll be enjoying lunch just like we’re enjoying it today.”
To learn more, visit ourwayforward.ca.
