TFS - Canada's International School

Entre Nous, February 2013

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My mother was born Anna Por, in Budapest, in 1931. Her teacher, psychologist and consultant. For several years, she taught English father worked for lumber firms in Poland and Czechoslovakia. She and tried to provide students with a range of experiences, even bringing spent her formative years in these mountains playing in rivers and the oldest group into our kitchen to learn how to cook. She later went nurturing injured or orphaned deer. She spoke Hungarian and back to school and earned an M.Ed. in Reading Remediation, incorpoGerman at home, but Polish and Czech in her various schools. rating this knowledge into the school and teaching part-time at OISE. Trouble was brewing in Europe As an educator now myself, I and her parents recognized the risks understand the importance of school of staying. In 1938, her father was climate, which is set by its leaders. As offered a position by a Hungara sympathetic and caring person, our ian lumberman who had moved to mum was truly gifted. She believed Canada. Her family immigrated to in people, whatever their size or statBritish Columbia, where she learned ure, and she believed in bilingualism. to speak English, her fifth language. As its first leader, she set a positive Letters to her grandfather in wartime and caring tone in the school from illustrated her struggle to learn Engits inception. She nurtured the staff lish, and her desire to become "more and inspired them to care about eduCanadian than the Canadians." She cation beyond simply subject lessons. even called herself Ann while she Caring about people and children was lived in Vancouver. something she did naturally. In the When she was 14, they moved to first two decades, most teachers who Lytton Boulevard in Toronto. Folcame to the school were immigrants, lowing high school, Anna went on to an experience my mother understood study psychology at the University of well. She provided them with a sense Toronto (University College). There of family, one they needed given they she met my father, Harry Giles, when were so far from home. Our parents she was cast in a play at Hart House hosted regular staff parties in our Left: The Giles family: Anna, Kathy, David, Harry and Christa. Theatre, which he was directing. She house, as well as two wedding recepAbove: Graham Saywell wasn't happy his first day - Anna loved children and, following graduations for staff. Although French was Giles distracted him. tion, worked as a psychologist for the her sixth language, she always spoke Toronto Board of Education. it to her teachers, striving to demonstrate respect and to make them father marfeel valued. ried in 1954 and continued to live on Lytton Blvd, where the three of us were born, in 1957, 1959 and 1961, it was her gift and where the school was started. of character that helped other parAs an immigrant and a new Canaents risk what was at that time an dian who was fluent in five languages, experiment in education not only in she could never understand why most Canada, but internationally. For it to Canadians only learned to speak one grow from a little maternelle in 1960 language fluently in a bilingual counto a school of over 500 by 1966 is try. With a vision of bilingualism for extraordinary. My mother's educaher children that could not then be tional background inspired confirealized in Toronto schools, in 1960 she started a small innovative dence, but her genuine warmth and caring nature led parents to école maternelle. Initially in our basement, David and five others trust. Maurice Latour, who helped raise so many of us and who learned to speak French. The idea germinated and other families, knew my mother well, as he was hired in 1966, has said that "she excited by the educational possibilities, and trusting both her and was both the heart and the soul of TFS," and Nicole Corbi, TFS's her vision, came on board. TFS was incorporated in 1962 as a non- first teacher, agreed. Our mum lived long enough to see my brother profit organization. My father assumed responsibility for the cur- David graduate, a very proud day for her, even as she had become riculum and hiring teachers. My mum became the school's public very ill. It has been 50 years since the school was formally founded, face as its primary administrator and principal at two branches (St. and of those 50, she has been gone for 37. I hope that her spirit, Clair above the A & P and the Eglinton arena), supervising staff, her belief in caring for others, and her passion for languages and addressing other school needs, and interacting regularly with cur- knowledge will always be held at the core of the school's values, so rent and prospective parents and children. She also acted as its psy- that through it, she will be remembered and live on. chologist. At this point, and still for many years, both my parents were unpaid. As the school grew, and branches were opened around the city, in Port Credit and Mississauga, she still played many roles: administrator, TFS alumna, 1962-1977 She and my "My mother's educational background inspired confidence, but her genuine warmth and caring nature led parents to trust." We believe Kathy Giles entre nous 25

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