He’s Calm, He’s a Charm, He’s Garth Chalmers

As the 2023/2024 year came to a close, Brentwood faculty, staff, and students alike were full of emotions, as outgoing Head of School, Mr Bud Patel, took the stage for the final speech of his illustrious career. Hundreds saturated the Closing and Graduating ceremonies, giving a well-deserved standing ovation while wiping away tears, or “allergies” as Mr Patel would call them. 

It was a bittersweet moment for many, not only marking the end of a century in the school’s history, but also the end of an era for one of the school’s most beloved faculty.

But a new era was also waiting to begin. Like many others, I felt a wave of emotions, unsure, yet optimistic, about what a future without Mr Patel would be like, with a new Head of School arriving.

We now get to meet the new Head of School, Mr Garth Chalmers, a calm, charming, humble man, and most importantly, a kind-hearted individual. 

Graduating in 1995 from Queen’s University with a Bachelor of Arts in Geography, Mr Chalmers continued his educational journey at the University of Toronto, where he received his Masters in Spatial Analysis in 2004. He has a beautiful family, consisting of his wife, Jen, and two daughters Sophie and Liza - who just joined the Brentwood student body as a new Grade 12. Courageous!

Since graduating from university, Mr Chalmers has been at the University of Toronto Schools, where he spent 26 years. There, he was a faculty member, the Head of Foundation Years, Director of Admissions, and, most recently, Vice Principal. 

When asked about how Mr Chalmers has interacted with the faculty so far, Deputy Head, Academics, Ms Allen expressed how “Mr Chalmers has made it a priority to get to know the staff, starting in the summer, inviting staff to have one-on-one meetings with him so he can get to know them and know their Brentwood experience”. Ms Allen also added how, although Mr Chalmers is still new to Brentwood, he has already been a “positive presence”, one who’s “been involved” and who is “focused on knowing the community and the students”. 

Since the start of this school year, Mr Chalmers has been the pacesetter for the annual Terry Fox Run, hosted 8 Grade 12 BBQs (one for each house), and even jumped into the chilly Brentwood oceanfront. 

Ellis House Captain Soren L, Ellis ‘25, a member of the Student Executive Council (SEC), also had positive input on Mr Chalmers, encouraging Brentwood students to trust and be patient with the new Head of School: “Many people might not realize it but Mr Chalmers has been putting in lots of work behind the scenes to set things up for a really good year. People need to be patient and know that he is super passionate, excited for the year, and has actually been adjusting really well and fast to Brentwood”. Soren describes working with Mr Chalmers as being a “pleasure so far”, and explains how he has been inspired by how he has “made such a good effort to know everyone”.

However, what stood out to me the most about Mr Chalmers was his idea of legacy, and understanding his role with this leadership opportunity as the next century of Brentwood is underway. In an article published earlier this year, Mr Chalmers described how he had been “thinking about what [his] long-lasting impact may be at Brentwood”, encouraging students to do the same. 

In our interview, he restated this notion, explaining how “Even if I was here for 15 years, out of 115 years of Brentwood’s history, it is just a percentage”. He believes that we must “honor the past, traditions, and the culture of the place, but on the other hand we also must look forward to the next hundred years”. 

Since starting his tenure, Mr Chalmers has been focusing on “building relationships with the members of the faculty, staff, and student body, to know them and be known”. He further emphasized his leadership style of being relational, telling me how he believes “relationships are a fundamental part of a day, and it helps build trust and allows complications to be solved smoothly”. According to Mr Chalmers, having good and meaningful relationships are pivotal to success, ensuring everybody feels trusted in their respective positions. He is also planning to embark on a strategic planning process in the new year to help map out how the school moves forward in its second century.

With this in mind, I believe Mr Chalmer’s words of wisdom should be echoed throughout the entire school, regardless if one is staff or part of the amazing student body. As students, we must understand that our time at Brentwood is beautiful but fleeting, and without realizing it our own Brentwood journey will come to a close sooner than later. What will our legacy be? Who will we be remembered as? What have we done for others, for the community, and for ourselves during our time at Brentwood? It is essential to acknowledge the gifts that have been provided by Brentwood, the resources we have in all aspects of the tripartite program, and it is up to us to decide how we will use them to maximize our potential. 

A huge thank you goes out to Mr Chalmers, Ms Allen, and Soren L, Ellis ‘25 for being generous with some of their time for an interview. It was a pleasure to converse on life, academics, and share goals we have for ourselves and the future of Brentwood. While we all must be appreciative and thankful for everything Mr Patel has done for us, we must also show the same energy and enthusiasm for Mr Chalmers, offering our full support and gratitude for all the efforts he has made, and efforts he will continue to make for Brentwood in the future.  

William L, Ellis ‘26