REFLECTIONS OF A CYGNET Throughout the 2025-2026 school year, students were invited to share a reflection on an aspect of their experience at St. Anne’s School. Those who chose to participate volunteered personal reflections that captured moments of growth, challenge, courage, friendship, and belonging within our community. The pieces that follow are intentionally varied. Some students wrote about trying something new, while others reflected on managing academic challenges, building confidence, making friends, or finding their place within the school community. Together, these reflections offer an authentic glimpse into the everyday experiences shaping our Cygnets as learners, leaders, teammates, artists, and friends. As we celebrate the inaugural edition of The Pen, these student voices serve as a meaningful snapshot of a school community still writing its story, one reflection at a time.
Charlotte Roher ’27
The fall term is always filled with new beginnings, lots of confusion, and learning. This year, I joined the fall play for the second year, having made better decisions than last year and prioritizing this so I did not overexert myself. I enjoyed my time with the show, but more than anything, I am grateful for this wonderful opportunity, as it taught me how to manage my time while still allowing room to breathe. Naturally, I knew Grade 11 would mean more schoolwork, and during earlier rehearsals, I would bring out my computer and attempt to get some work done so I did not have to worry about working late at night after long days. As the show ramps up, time management is key, and I utilize my breaks during the weekend and school hours effectively. I still need to allow time to breathe, so I often set timers for myself and take a 15-minute break after an hour of work, which lets me finish most of my work early in the week while still allowing time to relax when I am not actively rehearsing. The fall play is a wonderful opportunity to have fun while practicing effective time management, and I would do it all over again, knowing I have the support of my amazing advisor and all my wonderful teachers.
Tiffany He ’30
Moving to an all-girls independent school has been an exciting and rewarding experience, as I’ve had the opportunity to meet new teachers, make new friends, and be in a completely different environment. It’s been a long journey, but I can confidently say that I’m finding my place here and discovering who I want to be. A few years ago, I would have been too scared to try something new or would have doubted my abilities, but I’ve noticed myself building more confidence, becoming more outgoing, and feeling much more comfortable trying new things, and SAS has played a huge role in this. For example, when we started our new unit on ratios in math, I had no idea how to do it, but my teacher supported me every step of the way, and so did my friends, and in the end, I worked hard and got a high grade. This school has given me so many opportunities to express myself and explore new activities, and I’ve realized that when I come to school, I’m surrounded by teachers who offer me so much support and make me feel valued, while my friends make my days so much better. As a girl, I think it’s important to be surrounded by people who will encourage you and push you to be your best self, and I’ve come to understand “girlhood” as the bond between girls and how we will always have each other’s backs and take care of one another. The bond we have is so powerful, and that’s what helps us grow, strengthens our voices, and inspires us to dream big and tell ourselves that we can accomplish anything.
Cathy Mi ’31
It seems like just yesterday was the first day of school, with new teachers, new classes, and a new schedule now that I’m in Grade 7. At the beginning, I was stressed because my courses felt harder, I had more homework, and I had to manage my time better on my own, plus I joined the fall play, Newsies. It was great to express my feelings through acting and to enjoy the time spent making new friends from SAS, but with the time spent on the play and my homework, it felt harder and harder to get the rest I needed, and it took time to say goodbye to sleep-ins and transition from early morning athletic practices to fall play rehearsals, even though the results really paid off. As the fall play ended, I reflected on how much my knowledge and abilities had grown, and through my achievements, I have not only formed many new friendships but also gained more academic knowledge and skills, such as curiosity. While classes are harder, I love learning and thinking about the next steps I can take on an assignment to do better. My teachers have guided me and helped me learn to manage my responsibilities and build my confidence, especially in French, where I now feel much more capable. I have grown as a powerful Cygnet. I know everyone is here to support me, and I feel incredibly blessed to be learning here and look forward to what the future at SAS holds for me.
Tadiwa Ngorima ’31
Have you ever done something that made you think, “What did I just get myself into?” That was exactly how I felt the day I decided to try flag football. I’ve always played basketball, and it has always been a part of my life, but I wanted to step outside my comfort zone and try something completely different. When I arrived at tryouts, I expected everyone to be throwing perfect spirals and running perfect plays, but I soon discovered that most of us were new to the game, and it took several tries to get the basics right. At first, I felt out of place and didn’t know the drills, the strategies, or even the proper way to hold the ball, but my friends and coaches guided and supported me every step of the way, and little by little, we improved together. By the end of the season, I had gained confidence and learned to keep an open mind, and our team also won CISAA bronze. Trying flag football taught me that stepping outside your comfort zone isn’t about being perfect; it’s about being brave enough to try something new.
Let ter from the Editor
From the Head of School
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here is something profoundly special about beginnings. They are filled with hope, possibility, courage, and often a great deal of trust. As I reflect on this first edition of The Pen, I am reminded just how much trust this community has placed in St. Anne’s School since our earliest days and how extraordinary it has been to watch that trust grow into something so vibrant, connected, and full of purpose.
’ve been thinking about this moment for a long time. Back in 2019, when I first began working on the St. Anne’s School project, I was filled with excitement for all the opportunities this school would create for girls. At the same time, I knew the Communications Department had been handed something incredibly rare: the chance to help build a school’s story from the ground up. Very few people get to write history in real time, and our team has never taken that privilege for granted.
Spring 2026: volume 1, number 1
Since those earliest days, there have been many firsts: the first school logos, the first press release, the first newsletter, the first traditions, the first events, the first leadership moments, and now, another milestone, the launch of our alumnae publication. One of my favourite parts of building St. Anne’s was the work Paul Mosey, our Creative Lead, and I undertook to shape the identity and language of the school. We spent countless hours immersed in the symbolism and lifecycle of the trumpeter swan, searching for something that felt elegant, meaningful, and uniquely ours. What we discovered felt like a gift. The swan represented grace and beauty, certainly, but also resilience, loyalty, courage, and determination, qualities we hoped would come to define the young women of St. Anne’s.
From First Cygnets to First Pens:
From those conversations came the language that now feels so natural to our community: Cygnets for our students and, now, Pens for our graduates. I still remember realizing that The Pen was the perfect name for this publication. How could it not be? A pen is an adult female swan, but it is also a tool for storytelling, reflection, and legacy. It felt as though the name had been waiting for us all along.
The Class of 2026 has already secured a singular place in St. Anne’s history as the school’s first graduating class. Now, they will help define another lasting tradition.
While this is not yet a full-scale magazine, there is something fitting about beginning here. In the spirit of our Partnerhood with St. Andrew’s College, we chose to launch The Pen in a tabloid-style format, much like the very first edition of The Andrean, the Old Boys publication, did in 1956. It feels especially appropriate that, as a young school rooted in tradition and possibility, we begin our alumnae story in much the same way. What excites me most is not simply this first edition, but what it represents. This publication will grow alongside the school. One day, not too far from now, these pages will include class notes with career updates, wedding announcements, stories of adventure and leadership, and reflections from generations of Pens who will continue shaping the world beyond St. Anne’s.
St. Anne’s Names a New Alumnae Tradition By Nicolette Fleming
Upon graduation, members of the Class of 2026 will become the first pens, the name St. Anne’s will use for its alumnae. The announcement was shared with students in a thoughtful conversation about identity, symbolism, and the traditions that are beginning to take shape in a school still writing its story. Students enter St. Anne’s as Cygnets, so this naming carries a natural progression. A cygnet is a young swan in formation. At St. Anne’s, that language has long symbolized growth, possibility, and becoming. Graduation, then, marks not an ending, but a moment of arrival. The journey from Cygnet to Pen holds special meaning. In nature, a pen is an adult female swan. She is strong, grounded, and fiercely protective. She leads with confidence and can cover extraordinary distances in flight. For a school whose mission is to empower girls to be courageous learners and compassionate citizens who live and lead with wisdom, the symbolism feels deeply aligned.
And to think, it all begins with this first flock.
Nicolette Fleming, Director of Communications
Let ter from the Director of Advancement
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s we prepare to celebrate the first graduating class in the history of St. Anne’s School, there is a growing sense of excitement throughout our community about what lies ahead for these remarkable young women. The transition from Cygnets to Pens represents far more than graduation; it marks the beginning of a lifelong relationship with St. Anne’s and the next chapter in the story of our growing sisterhood. Over the past several years, these students have played an instrumental role in shaping the traditions, culture, and spirit of St. Anne’s. As founding students, they helped establish many of the experiences, celebrations, leadership opportunities, and moments of connection that now define life at our school. Now, as our first Pens, they will help begin something equally meaningful: the traditions of our alumnae community. The Class of 2026 will forever hold a unique place in the history of St. Anne’s, not only as our inaugural graduates but as the young women who will help define what it means to remain connected to this community long after graduation. Through mentorship, networking, engagement, philanthropy, and friendship, our Pens will continue to strengthen the bonds of sisterhood that began here and help inspire the generations of Cygnets who follow. We are excited to welcome our graduates back to campus often in the years ahead, whether for the Cygneture Event, alumnae gatherings, mentorship opportunities, athletic events, performances, or simply to reconnect with the school community that helped shape them. We hope they will continue sharing their milestones, accomplishments, and journeys with us as they grow into leaders in their universities, careers, families, and communities. As this inaugural edition of The Pen reaches our community, I want to thank all of our families for the many ways you continue to support and strengthen St. Anne’s. Whether through your involvement, volunteerism, advocacy, or philanthropy, your partnership plays a meaningful role in helping our school continue to grow and thrive. To the Class of 2026, congratulations. We cannot wait to welcome you as the first Pens of St. Anne’s School and to watch the traditions, relationships, and legacy you have started continue to take flight for generations to come.
Taylor Browne, Director of Advancement
“Our first graduates will always be our First Cygnets,” says Sabrina D’Angelo, Head of School. “That identity honours the courage of students who stepped into a school that did not yet exist and helped shape what St. Anne’s has become. Becoming Pens does not replace that history. It completes the story.” The naming is rooted in choices made long before the school opened. When St. Anne’s was founded, the swan was selected deliberately as a central symbol of the school’s identity. Drawn from elements of the historic Dunin crest and reimagined for a new era, the trumpeter swan was chosen not simply for its elegance, but for what it represents: strength with grace, confidence without apology, and the promise of flight. Because St. Anne’s is a young school, there has been a rare opportunity to build traditions intentionally rather than inherit them unquestioned. From Cygnets and The Trumpeter’s Note, to In Flight, The Nest, the Cygnets Centre, and the Cygneture Event, the language of the swan has become woven through the life of the school. The name Pen extends that language naturally into alumnae identity. It is also intentionally distinctive. Many schools rely on inherited or generic terms for graduates. St. Anne’s sought something that felt connected to its mission and wholly its own. “We did not want borrowed language,” says Sabrina. “We wanted a tradition that belongs entirely to St. Anne’s and reflects the kind of women we hope our graduates will become.” There is significance, too, in the collective symbolism of swans. They travel together. They migrate in formation. They protect one another. Their strength is both individual and communal. That idea of sisterhood, of women moving through the world alongside one another, resonates strongly with our vision of our alumnae community. The name also naturally connects to The Pen, the title of this publication. A pen, in another sense, is also a tool of voice. It records history, tells stories, and connects communities. In this way, the name carries both symbolic and practical meaning, linking identity to storytelling and to belonging. For the Class of 2026, the announcement carries special significance. They will always be remembered as the First Cygnets to walk through St. Anne’s doors. The first to shape traditions. The first to graduate. Now, they will also be the first pens. There is a fitting symmetry in that. The students who helped establish the culture of the school will now help establish one of its enduring traditions. As St. Anne’s approaches its first commencement, the naming feels less like a new label and more like a milestone in the life cycle of a young institution coming into its own. From formation to flight. From becoming to being. From First Cygnets to first pens. And, in many ways, that’s just the beginning.
Together, we have built more than a school. We have built a sisterhood grounded in belonging, purpose, and the shared belief that girls deserve an education that empowers them to be courageous learners and compassionate citizens who live and lead with wisdom. What began with a small group of students in the Cygnets Centre on the St. Andrew’s College campus has grown into a flourishing community of nearly 300 girls in Grades 5 through 12. In just a few short years, St. Anne’s has established a culture defined by ambition, compassion, authenticity, and joy, while creating opportunities for girls to discover who they are, what they value, and how they want to shape the world around them. This year marks a defining milestone in our journey as we graduate the first class in St. Anne’s School history. Forty remarkable young women leave our halls not only as graduates, but as our very first Pens. They have helped shape traditions, establish culture, and set a tone of leadership, kindness, curiosity, and courage that will influence generations of students to come. They have grown alongside the school, helping define what it means to be a St. Anne’s student. At St. Anne’s, I often talk about “Triple M” moments – major milestone moments – and this year is certainly one of them. From celebrating our inaugural graduating class to launching the first edition of The Pen and breaking ground on the Rogers Wellness & Athletics Centre, this moment in our history feels celebratory and deeply meaningful. These milestones remind us not only of how far we have come but also of the extraordinary momentum carrying us forward. We often speak about the importance of creating an environment where girls feel known, valued, and inspired to pursue lives of meaning and impact. Watching our inaugural graduating class emerge as thoughtful leaders, compassionate friends, talented athletes and artists, engaged citizens, and confident young women has been one of the greatest privileges of my professional life. They have embraced every opportunity to lead, serve, compete, perform, innovate, and support one another with courage, empathy, and authenticity. During my graduation one-on-one conversations with our Cygnets, one theme was shared unanimously by every member of the Class of 2026: sisterhood. Again and again, students spoke about the deep sense of connection, belonging, and support they feel within their grade and across the broader school community. Many reflected on the importance of kindness, closeness, and lifting one another up, expressing their hope that future graduates will experience that same powerful sense of sisterhood and community that has defined their time at St. Anne’s. With the foundation laid by our graduates, students across all grades continue to carry St. Anne’s forward through leadership, citizenship, athletics, academics, the arts, and the everyday moments that strengthen our sisterhood. That same sense of momentum can be seen in the exciting progress taking place beyond the classroom. This spring, our community celebrated the groundbreaking of the Rogers Wellness & Athletics Centre, a transformational project that reflects a shared commitment to the future of our students and school. This space will create new opportunities for athletics, wellness programming, connection, and community, and it stands as a powerful example of what is possible when a community comes together around a shared vision. We are deeply grateful to the many families, donors, volunteers, and supporters whose generosity and belief in our mission continue to help shape the future of St. Anne’s. Thank you for entrusting your daughters to us. Your partnership, encouragement, and belief in our vision have helped shape the school we are becoming. Building a school from the ground up requires tremendous trust from families, employees, and supporters alike, and we are grateful for the confidence our community has placed in us throughout this journey. Whether you joined us in our earliest days or became part of the community more recently, your support has helped create a school culture that defines who we are. As you read through this inaugural issue of The Pen, I hope you see a school community filled with heart, optimism, and intention. I hope you see the students whose stories inspire us, the employees whose dedication shapes daily life on our campus, and the traditions and experiences that are already becoming part of the fabric of St. Anne’s School. Most importantly, I hope you see a community that deeply believes in girls and the extraordinary potential they carry into the world. Thank you for being part of this journey with us. The story of St. Anne’s is still being written, and what a privilege it is to write it together. Sincerely,
Sabrina D’Angelo, Head of School