Trafalgar Castle School is thrilled to share the news of an unprecedented multimillion-dollar gift from the Oldman Family. The gift comes as an 8,000 square foot modular building set to arrive on campus this summer and eventually become home to a new fitness centre, music space, yoga and dance studio.
The announcement was made on Friday, June 12 during a full-school virtual assembly to close out the Academic Year and celebrate the Class of 2020, among them Craig Oldman’s daughter, Caroline.
“Trafalgar has been a wonderful surprise and partner to our family,” said Mr. Oldman. “While we always valued education, we underestimated the role that the School would play in our lives. Trafalgar is a very special place that has helped us raise a strong, confident and capable young woman.”
The idea to gift the building stemmed from conversations earlier this year when Craig learned of the School’s need for additional space with plans to repurpose its Grace Chapel. “As part of our strategic plan, we set out with a shared vision to preserve the beauty of our historic school and transform the Trafalgar experience with the present and future needs of students in mind,” said Head of School Dr. Leanne Foster. “This gift allows us to do just that. Not only will the building provide us with much needed space, it will also open up new areas in the Castle’s existing footprint while allowing us to maintain our beautiful Chapel in its original state.”
Trafalgar will be relying on the support of its entire community to raise sufficient funds to see the rest of the project through to fruition and hopes to launch Phase 2 of the project when the uncertainty caused by the pandemic has passed.
The magnitude of this gift is truly transformational, stretching across all grades, curriculum and programming, and promises to impact each and every Trafalgar girl’s experience. “Trafalgar fosters hearts and minds, encouraging students to pursue their dreams – and in our family, that has translated into a very balanced mix of academic excellence and co-curriculars,” said Mr. Oldman. “Our hope is that this new building will combine these to become a sanctuary for students and a continuation of the culture of excellence we have seen embodied across Trafalgar’s entire organization.”
This project will continue to build on Trafalgar’s exceptional programming and provide significant benefits to all Trafalgar girls for generations to come. The building is expected to expand the School’s flexible learning spaces with the addition of two collaborative classrooms to be used for student gatherings, workshops, receptions, meeting and speaker events. A much-needed fitness centre will enhance student health and wellness, and the addition of a music space will optimize the music program.
“On behalf of Trafalgar Castle School, we are tremendously grateful for the generosity and support from Mr. Oldman through this thoughtful gift,” said Dr. Foster. “We certainly didn’t anticipate a gift of this magnitude amidst a global pandemic yet it somehow also brings a message of hope that better times are ahead.”