2010 09 Spectrum

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SEPTEMBER 2010 • ISSUE 1 • VOL . 8

THE CALGARY SCIENCE SCHOOL

Principal’s Message What a great start to the year! Our Fall camps have already begun, we’ve welcomed parents to the school with a number of parent information evenings, and we have already amassed an impressive number of volunteer hours. I was very glad to welcome all of our new students, including our 100 grade fours and the approximately 25 new students in other grades, at the welcome back assembly. I am seeing many happy faces as I walk through the halls and visit classrooms, so I know that the newest members of our community are settling in well. I was also happy to introduce our new staff members at our welcome back assembly. We

are very fortunate to have found our new teachers, as their skill set, passion for teaching and learning, and their easy-going personalities have enabled a smooth transition to the culture at CSS. You can find more information about our new teachers and the rest of the staff in this edition of the Spectrum.

You will know by this point that our newsletter has gone 100% digital for the 2010-2011 school year.

While I understand and appreciate that some parents prefer a paper copy of our newsletter each month, the financial cost of producing such a newsletter for almost 500 households is substantial. Additionally, as a science school we endeavour to model for our students appro-

priate conservation practices and environmental awareness. By not printing 500 copies of our newsletter each month we anticipate saving approximately $2500 in labour and photocopy costs over the course of the year, plus we will not be sending the equivalent of approximately 55,000 pieces of paper to recycling bins.

Lastly, I want to encourage you as parents to contact your child’s teacher or school administration if you have any questions. We don’t want to delay asking the question until it turns into a concern, so please feel free to contact us when it is required.

Darrell Lonsberry

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September 2010

What’s in this issue...

Principal’s Message................1 Message from the Office.......2 Message from your School Council...............3 Parent Survey Results..............4 Board Highlights....................5 AISI Cycle 4.............................6 Challenge Day.......................6 CSS Teacher Retreat.............7 Transportation.....................8 Student Drop-off & Pick-up Procedure..............9 School Council AGM...............10 Parenting Power Workshop..11 Terry Fox Run.........................12 Success for all .......................13 New Staff at CSS.................14 2010/2011 CSS Staff...............16 Friends for Life.....................18 Library Report.....................19 Book Reviews.......................20 Remembrance Day...............21 Muscial Notes......................22 Update from Mr. McWilliam..24 The Science Quiz..................25 September Calendar.............26 October Calendar..................27

Message from the School Office

In the event of an absence from school or late arrival to school, parents are requested to contact the school by phone (403-282-2890) prior to 8:45 a.m, if possible, to indicate the reason for the absence or late. If there is no one in the office please leave a voice mail clearly stating the student’s name, class and the reason for the absence or late arrival. Thank you for your cooperation.

If you would prefer to email the teacher, please “cc” the office at susan.m@calgaryscienceschool.com so that we are also made aware of the absence.

When students are absent without prior notice, the office will attempt to contact parents by telephone. This procedure is undertaken to ensure the safety of our students. It is also very important that parents contact the office when there has been a change of contact phone numbers. Personal information can also be updated by logging into the website.

Students who are late coming to school must report to the office prior to going to class.

If your child needs to leave school for any reason, we require a parent to come into the office to sign them out. Your child can sign him/her self back in.

The Calgary Science School is a “closed campus”. Students are not allowed to leave during the school day. If students live within walking distance of the school, we will allow them to go home for lunch if we have a signed note from a parent on file.

Thank you from your Calgary Science School office staff.

Nola, Kathy and Susan

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Message from your School Council Welcome back parents! It was great to see so many of you come out for coffee and donuts the first day of school. We hope you’ll also attend our first monthly meeting (September 1 at 7:30 pm) and/or at the Annual General Meeting (October 6 at 7 pm).

What is a school council? It’s a collective association of parents, teachers, the principal and community representative(s) who work together to effectively support and enhance student learning. It’s a forum for parents to advise and consult with the principal and to advise the school board on matters relating to the school community.

CSS School Council also undertakes activities that provide enrichment for the school community, such as the first day of school welcome back social for parents, staff appreciation lunches, student fun lunches and the annual parent education conference. Over the years we’ve established several standing committees that provide on-going services to the school community. These include the Transportation Committee (organize and schedule student bus routes), the Parent Volunteer Development Committee (facilitate parent volunteering in the school) and the Parent Survey Committee (undertake the annual parent survey that informs planning for the school council, school administration and the School Board).

Our monthly meetings regularly include informative reports from the Principal and the Board, along with presentations from teachers, students or guest speakers. Quite often they include an opportunity to socialize before or after the meeting, accompanied by light refreshments. Babysitting services are available at the school, if required. Meeting agendas are circulated in advance. If there’s a topic you would like to see addressed at an upcoming school council meeting, please send an email to council.css@gmail.com.

In addition to attending school council meetings, there are many other opportunities for involvement with school council. Throughout the year we’ll be looking for volunteers to work on some of our committee projects and to help organize and run activities at the school. We welcome your participation in whichever way works best for you.

Denise Kitagawa VP, CSS School Council

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CSS Annual

P arent Survey Results

Thanks very much to the all the families who took time out of their busy schedules to respond to our second annual CSS Parent Survey. We had an amazing 73% response rate which means the results accurately reflect the opinions of our school community!

KEY OBSERVATIONS • Parents generally think that the school council is •

• • • •

•

on the right track There is considerable support for additional fundraising activities (84%), with funds directed to classroom needs, technology and outdoor education There is a very high level of interest (86%) in a family-oriented social activity of some sort Parents volunteer primarily in areas that most directly affect students (field trips, work bees and directly in the classroom) A number of parents commented that they offer to volunteer but are not called upon and would like to see more effective follow-through on this front Digital communication is widely accepted and email is the preferred method for parents to be notified and informed (the Spectrum newsletter was also widely noted) Most parents have attended at least one information session at the school over the past three years

•

• •

and topics offered continue to track parents’ areas of interest The majority of respondents indicate they have a designated home study area and most have established a designated study time, as well as investing time, energy and/or money in “additional work to enhance [their] child’s curricular program” Outdoor Education trips are well received and we now have a base-line of information for each trip to address areas where improvement can be made Parents have an increased understanding of both the CSS Education Plan and the Alberta Initiative for School Improvement (AISI) program

Based on our experience in 2009/10, over the coming weeks, the school council, school administration, the CSS board, and parent volunteer development committee and outdoor education committee will continue to refer very closely to the survey results in their planning and decision-making.

The full 2010 Parent Survey report can be found on the school website at: http://www.calgaryscienceschool.com/publications/special_reports/Parent_Survey_Results_2010.pdf THE

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Board Highlights

at CSS

The Minister of Education provided good news for Calgary Science School this summer with the increase of $108,000 in funding for the school for the 2010-2011 school year. Fortunately, the Board has been able to establish a budget which has not had any negative impact on staffing and school programs. The Board members will be reviewing the enhanced financial situation and revising the budget at the September Board meeting.

In response to an invitation from Dr. Sharon Friesen, Associate Dean of the University of Calgary, Faculty of Education, Principal Mr. Darrell Lonsberry, Assistant Principal, Mr. Phil Butterfield, and Professional Collaboration/Outreach Coordinator Mr. Neil Stephenson will be joining Dr. Friesen, a representative of the Minister of Education, and representatives from two other school jurisdictions in Alberta for the conference on October 6-8. Dr. Friesen indicates the Calgary Science School has been selected to participate in this Alberta delegation of educators because it has the wonderful distinction of being one of Canada’s most innovative schools. She points out that many of the innovations Alberta is proposing in the areas of technology integration and personalized learning have been adopted in New Zealand. The three representatives of Calgary Science School will have an opportunity to make connections with teachers and leaders from schools across New Zealand.

The first meeting of the Board of Directors for the new school year is on Tuesday, September 21.

Dr. Garry McKinnon

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Alberta Initiative for School Improvement

CYCLE 4: Year 2 Update

The Calgary Science School uses money from a provincially generated education grant program (AISI) to focus on the matters of assessment. In response to the parent survey June 2010, we had some very positive feedback about our three AISI goals to date:

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92% of the population indicated that their child “sees various forms of assessment (assessment marking tools: rubrics) or other forms of feedback”.

A growing area for our school is the work around exemplars (examples of student work). 69.9% of the children (as reported by parents/families) indicate that they have seen “exemplars that show the standards for grade level curriculum expectations”.

85.6% report having worked with “digital portfolios” explained by the fine arts team portfolio initiative with the entire school, as well as other core teachers starting this type of work with students.

The intention of the curriculum and grade teams in the school is to look very carefully at the ways that we target and gather evidence of student learning. We hope to continue expanding examples of student work so that students are clear about their learning goals.

As well, we have built a specific block of time in the school timetable for students to focus on digital portfolios. This way, their work is well-supported and does not cut into other class time.

Dr. Shelley Robinson

Challenge Day 2010 will be occurring again on October 20, 2010 for our grade nine group of students. According to the parent survey response, 58 parents are interested in participating in some capacity. Because the online parent survey was anonymous, it would be helpful if those interested parents please emailed me shortly as we need to get our planning in place: Shelley.r@calgaryscienceschool.com

This will be our second year participating in such a valuable experience for our Grade 9 students. The cost of the event has been generously donated by Jackie and Curtis Stewart who participated last year. We have been coordinating with two other schools, Westmount Charter School, and The Calgary Girls’ School. If you would like more information about this incredible day, please check out the link: http://www.challengeday.org/ Dr. Shelley Robinson THE

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CSS Teacher Retreat August 16, 2010

“What does exemplary teaching look like at the Calgary Science School?”

A question guiding our professional development at the Calgary Science School is “What does exemplary teaching look like at the Calgary Science School?” The outcomes of this professional day together on August 16, 2010 were the following: We will…

• work and plan together in grade and curriculum groups • create a vision model of exemplary teaching at CSS • examine how data informs or challenges this model This time together was a special opportunity to brainstorm with new and existing staff at the school in order to come up with how to make our school a stronger and more unique charter school. We want to be recognized for our diligence in creating a highly successful learning environment using research to inform our practice.

This professional development day also provided us with the opportunity to delve into some of the feedback from various sources of data (numbers and comments) that we collected in the last school year 2009/2010, such as the CSS Parent Survey 2010; Provincial Accountability Pillar Survey; Staff Collaborative Planning Rubric; Assessment Quotient Survey; CSS Student Survey; CSS Teacher Inquiry Survey; Report Card Data Interpretation and other. This type of feedback informs our instructional practice and brings us back to the question around how we can best promote student learning.

We will be interpreting these ideas brought forward by the staff (their reflections and planning) in response to the guiding question in order to better inform our school reporting to the province and other stakeholders for last school year, and as well, for the purposes of our school planning for this upcoming year. We are including parents in the Education Planning, and welcome your input through the council and other means.

Dr. Shelley Robinson

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Transportation

at CSS

There were a few first day glitches but start up has gone quite smoothly. Southland has held its route selection process and all of our routes were selected.

We will have permanent drivers for the school year. I will let the routes know who their driver is as soon as I find out. Registration increased over the summer and we now have 422 riders. Other than routes 8, 9 and 10, there is still space on our busses. If you are interested in registering contact the office or send us an email, transportationatcss@gmail.com

Correction:

Sorry, the summer update emailed to bussing families gave the wrong phone number. The correct number for Southland Transportation is

403 287 1335.

Route Revision Schedule: •

Drivers will time their routes for 3 days after Labour Day, Sept 8, 9 and 10.

Parents have until Tuesday, Sept 14 to request changes to their stops.

Transportation committee will meet with Southland on Wed, Sept 15 to review routes.

Parents will be notified of the outcome of their request the week of Sept 20.

Revised routes will be effective Tuesday, October 5.

• • • •

Policy background

The routes are designed each year for those families registering by the deadline. Families registering before the deadline will be included in route planning and stop placement. They are guaranteed a spot on a bus serving their community. The registration deadline is set early to allow the committee to design and publish the new routes before the end of school. This means families will have the summer to make any arrangements necessary for them to use the bus. Once the routes are published, usually in early June, the committee will not make major changes to stop locations and pick up times. Minor adjustments will be made as required. Families registering late have to choose from the published stops and can only use routes where there is space. Since the deadline is so early in the spring, circumstances may change and families may need to register late. Every effort is made to accommodate everyone but it is not safe to allow overcrowding on the bus. The committee capped passenger loads because:

• • • •

Crowded busses are slower to unload in an emergency situation.

There are potentially more behaviour issues on crowded busses.

Routes run more slowly as it takes time for students to find seating once the bus starts to fill up.

Ride quality for students is reduced with less personal space.

New policy for limiting passenger loads.

Any questions about this policy can be sent to transportationatcss@gmail.com .

• Busses will be designated full when students are

I will be stepping down as chair on Oct 5 and the committee needs a replacement. CSS is purchasing new bus route software which should greatly reduce the workload of the chair. There will be a transition period but after that I see three main duties for the chair:

The committee has adopted a new policy regarding passenger loads on our busses.

• • •

• •

required to sit three to a seat on half the available benches and two to a bench on the remaining benches. Provincial regulations allow 3/bench at any grade level.

A waitlist will be started for each full route. Families are added in the order that the committee receives request for space.

New students who want full time space on a full bus when they enrol will be given priority.

Committee members will undertake a review with each driver of a full bus to determine if usage may permit more registrations. This review will take place later in the fall when drivers have become familiar with how frequently their students use the bus.

Occasional riders may be allowed to use full busses after a review of the situation by the committee.

No boarding passes will be issued for full busses.

Looking for a new committee chair!

• Organize route planning in the spring.

• Communicate to parents through Spectrum articles and parent council meetings.

• Schedule and chair committee meetings, either physical or electronic.

Send an email if you are at all interested and have questions.

Don’t forget to sign up for delay messages if you want to receive email or texts! Directions are available on the CSS website bussing page.

Margaret Mills CSS Transportation Committee Chair THE

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Student

Drop-off & Pick-up Procedures

To ensure that our students are as safe as possible, we ask you to please use the following routes if you are dropping off or picking up your children.

If you are entering Lakeview from Crowchild Trail, please enter on 66 Ave. and turn north onto 34 St. After dropping your child off in the designated zone, which is along the playground on 34th Street SW, please exit to 37 Ave. via 58 Ave. or leave via Lakeview Dr. If you enter Lakeview from 37 St., please enter the drop zone on 61 Ave. and exit on 58 Ave. This will aid in creating good traffic flow. Student safety is increased when they are dropped off on the east side of 34 St. We appreciate that our parents have heeded our request to not use Lewis Drive when dropping off their children and we ask you to again follow these recommendations to maintain a safe environment.

Please note that our neighbors are finding some of the congestion and alley driving disruptive, and we want to be courteous school neighbors.

Another on-going safety concern is parking at CSS. Parents sometimes park too close to the crosswalk on the west side of the school grounds at 58 Ave. & 34 St. (see pictures below). This is dangerous because it reduces other drivers’ visibility of pedestrians using the crosswalk. Vehicles must not park within five

metres of the crosswalk, even if they are only stopping to quickly drop off students. You can be ticketed for this infraction, resulting in a substantial fine.

Thank you for your cooperation.

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Official NoticeSchool Council AGM 7 pm, Wednesday October 6 in the CSS gym

Mark the date and time on your calendar now! We’ll start things off with a pre-meeting wine and cheese reception, which is a good opportunity to meet and mingle with other parents. A complete agenda will be circulated in advance, but the formal portion of the meeting will include annual reports from the outgoing executive members and the election a new school council for the 2010/11 school year. With that in mind, here’s some food for thought…

SCHOOL COUNCIL POSITIONS

School Council

Assists the President and stands ready to take on the President’s responsibilities if required.

• • • • •

Advises the principal and the board respecting any matter relating to the school.

E stablishes committees to perform the work needed to achieve the annual goals.

Facilitates parent volunteering within the CSS community.

C ommunicates and consults with parents and the school community.

M eets regularly.

President

General supervision of all activities of the School Council; presides at the meetings; liaises with the School Administration; and is the official spokesperson of the School Council.

Vice-President

Secretary

Takes minutes at the School Council meetings; maintains the School Council correspondence and official records; and provides notices of School Council meetings and proceedings. (This position can be shared.)

Treasurer

School Council Members

Responsible for the financial affairs of the School council, including depositing funds, issuing cheques, maintaining detailed accounts and preparing the financial statements and annual budget.

•

Members at Large

• •

• •

nderstand the policies of the CSS School Board.

U R espect confidentiality and maintain high ethical standards.

A ct as a link between the school council, parents and the community.

Understand the school council’s goals and work in a positive manner to achieve those goals.

I dentify topics for agendas and attend school council meetings.

Act as liaison between members of the school community and the School Council. These individuals serve on any committees established by the School Council to enhance the school community.

Board Representative

Acts as liaison between the School Council and the CSS School Board; attends School Board meetings and School Council meetings and communicates back-and-forth between the two groups.

If you are interested in any of these positions and have not already registered your interest through the volunteer sign-up sheets or in person with a member of the existing School Council executive team, please send an email to council.css@gmail.com.

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Parenting T

: s ’ R he 5

Workshop Saturday,October 2nd

Five critical steps to a child’s independence that many parents never learn™

We spend a great deal of time protecting our children and doing things for them, never allowing them the opportunity to learn from their mistakes. The session presents 5 keyways to change those habits.

Schedule: 8:00 – 9:00

Yoga in the Indoor activity center with Janice Piet www.mobilityyoga.com

9:00-9:15

Introductions by Dr. Robinson

9:15-9:30

Parent Ice Breaker

9:30 – 11:30

Guest Speaker/Workshop www.parentingpower.ca

11:30-12:00

Wrap up and mingling

conferencersvp@calgaryscienceschool.com

Please RSVP your attendance to

by Sept. 29th, 2010.

Also if you need babysitting, please RSVP the number and ages of your children

Location: Calgary Science School Gym • Cost: Free • Continental Breakfast Provided

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CSS

Terry Fox

Run 2010

This year marks the 30th anniversary of Terry Fox’s courageous attempt to run across Canada and raise $1 million for cancer research.

In the three decades since Terry was forced to give up his quest due to the reoccurrence of cancer in his lungs, many millions of dollars have been donated and huge strides made in research and treatment of various types of cancer.

The Calgary Science School will be hosting our annual Terry Fox Run on Friday September 17th. Following a format that has proven successful the past few years, the grade 4-6 students will run in the morning, beginning in the gym at 9 am, while grades 7-9 will run in the afternoon. Both runs will take place at North Glenmore Park with the start and finish lines being on the pathway near the Weaselhead parking lot.

Our students have demonstrated a tremendous capacity in raising money for this worthwhile cause over the years, and we are confident that this year will be no exception.

All CSS students will have a pledge sheet to record donations, however, whenever possible donors are encouraged to donate on line by visiting the Terry Fox Foundation website at https://www.terryfox.org/SchoolRun/school2.html. Students may still collect cash and cheques (made payable to the Calgary Science School) if it is not practical for a donation to be made on line. All donations must be submitted to homeroom teachers on September 17th in order to be included in our school total.

We look forward to another great Terry Fox Run at CSS and welcome all parents to join in and run with your child (ren). Please note that the run will proceed rain or shine, and students should be dressed appropriately for the day. Inquiries may be directed to Phil Butterfield at phil.b@calgaryscienceschool. com.

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Success for ALL Learning Strategies at CSS

We are excited to be implementing Learning Strategies in Grades 4 to 9 this year at CSS. Our goal and vision behind this innovative program is to ensure that all students will achieve academic success during their time at CSS. We have chosen to replace the previous years S.O.S (Study and Organizational Skills) block with what will become a more structured program. This years student timetables have been restructured to include a 45 minute Learning Strategies block every second day. During this time students will receive a blend of academic skills and strategies in addition to learning styles and strengths inventories, goal setting, organizational skills, and study skills. This program will be developed based on the areas of need and the strengths of our students at CSS. We recognize that some students experience challenges in social, developmental and academic skills and therefore, academic success will look different for each student. Our hope is that students will develop an understanding of their unique abilities and what success looks and feels like for them. As this is a new program at CSS, teachers, administration, students and parents will shape the development of the scope and sequence for the Learning Strategies program at each grade level throughout the year.

All students in Grades 4-9 will be starting Learning Strategies by completing a Learning Styles Inventory and/or a Multiple Intelligence (MI) Inventory to assist the student, parent and teacher in developing an understanding how each child learns best and which areas can be developed further. There will be more information to come on Learning Styles and MI Inventories in the near future. A logical progression from students discovering their personal profile as a learner will be to set goals for the year to further develop both strengths and areas of challenge.

The next module in Learning Strategies at all grade levels will be keyboarding skills using MasterKey. MasterKey was piloted by students at different grade levels last spring and was chosen for it’s ease of use as well as the ability to save lessons, allowing students to move through the program each time they log in.

Engaging parents is an essential part of this process and we continue to encourage ongoing communication between parents, teachers and students. As this program develops, more information will be available in the Spectrum or on your child’s class website. If parents are already aware of a particular need or area of challenge for their child, they are encouraged to speak to their child’s teacher or to contact Mrs. Shannon Mitchell-Flek, School Counsellor/Student Services Coordinator at CSS. THE

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Introducing ou Jenny Trinh Jenny is our new grade 4 Humanities teacher. She is a graduate from University of Calgary Master of Teaching program and winner of the Clarence Samson Gold Medal in Education. She looks forward to sharing her passion to teach in an rich learning environment where teachers, students and parents value authentic learning, inquiry and collaboration. As a first year teacher, Jenny is excited to be working alongside many dedicated and gifted professionals. She is passionate about life-long learning. She enjoys making connections to the greater world. On her spare time, she is an active volunteer, artist and advocate for creativity.

Natalie Down Natalie is excited to be apart of the Grade 7 team, as a Math/Science teacher. She recently completed both her Bachelor of Science specializing in Mathematics and Bachelor of Education at the University of Calgary. Natalie is currently training for her next half marathon on October 2. She is also interested in photography, yoga, curling, volleyball or anything that challenges her. She is looking forward to the year ahead and knows that it will be a great success because of the amazing teachers, parents and students at CSS.

Abby Sa adeh Abby Saadeh is teaching Grade 7 Humanities this year. This is her first year teaching at the Calgary Science School. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Lethbridge in Political Science with an emphasis in International Relations. She received her teaching degree in the Master of Teaching Program at the University of Calgary. She has taught in South Korea and also in San Diego, California for over 6 years. Abby Saadeh enjoys cooking, gardening, and travelling. She is very excited to join the CSS community.

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ur new CSS staff...

Deirdre Bailey Deirdre is a recent graduate of the B.Ed. program at the University of Calgary and is excited to be teaching Physical Education at CSS this year. She grew up in Calgary, completing high school in French Immersion with an International Baccalaureate Diploma before traveling to Nova Scotia for undergraduate studies in Health Sciences. In the last few years, Deirdre has played provincial field hockey, lived and studied in Prague, backpacked Canada’s west coast, worked with the National Research Council, guided zipline tours, edited for the University Press and coached alpine skiing in the Rockies and Australia. Deirdre loves reading, classical music and running, is passionate about the outdoors, and can’t wait to get involved in all aspects of life at CSS.

Jody Pereverzoff Jody is excited to be a part of the grade 6 team this year at the Calgary Science School. She graduated from the Master of Teaching program at the University of Calgary and went on to substitute teach for the remainder of the school year. When she is not at school she is most likely to be found reading a good book or running on one of the many fantastic paths that Calgary has to offer.

She is looking forward to a wonderful year with the students, the staff, and the parents at the Calgary Science School and she hopes that you will stop by and say hello. GO BLUE!!!!!!!

JaIme Groeller Jaime is thrilled to be teaching grade 8 humanities at CSS this year!

During her third semester of the Master of Teaching program at the University of Calgary, Jaime was fortunate to be a student teacher at CSS. She learned so much from the teachers, administrators, and of course, the students. Before her education degree at the U of C, Jaime lived and worked overseas for 4 years after completing her degree in English literature at the University of Lethbridge. In her free time she enjoys reading, watching movies, hiking, and spending time with her animal friends. She is excited to continue teaching and learning along with her students at CSS. THE

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CSS STAFF

2010/2011

Garry McKinnon Superintendent

Darrell Lonsberry Principal

Phil Butterfield Assistant Principal

Shelley Robinson Assistant Principal

Scott Petronech

Valerie Barnes 4.1/4.2 Math/Science

Jenny Trinh 4.1/4.2 Humanities

Louis Cheng 4.3/4.4 Math/Science

Jacquie Moir 4.3/4.4 Humanities

Amy Vercleyen Drama/Dance

Candice Shaw 5.1/5.2 Math/Science

Mike Neufeld 5.1/5.2 Humanities

Greg Neil 5.3/5.4 Math/Science

Tanya Stogre 5.3/5.4 Humanities

Dean Schmeichel Physical Education

Erin Couillard 6.1/6.2 Math/Science

Jody Pereverzoff 6.1/6.2 Humanities

Emily Brown 6.3/6.4 Math/Science

Jason Rooks 6.3/6.4 Humanities

Tammy Olson Physical Education

Abby Saadeh 7.1/7.2 Humanities

Carolyn Armstrong 7.3/7.4 Math/Science

Rick Fawcett 7.3/7.4 Humanities

Andrew Bolen Music

Natalie Down 7.1/7.2 Math/Science

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Educational Technologist

2010/2011 CSS STAFF Kevin Sonico 8.1/8.2 Math/Science

Jaime Groeller 8.1/8.2 Humanities

Heather Rattai 8.3/8.4 Math/Science

David Scott 8.3/8.4 Humanities

Shannon Mitchell-Fleck

Jon Hoyt-Hallet 9.1/9.2 Math/Science

Rachelle Savoie 9.1/9.2 Humanities

Garett Kutcher 9.3/9.4 Math/Science

Shashi Shergill 9.3/9.4 Humanities

Donna K. Johnson Alden Teacher-Librarian

Lorrie Emin Art

Nola Shewfelt

Kathy Babiuk Receptionist

Susan Miller Office Assistant

Myra Penberthy Secretary Treasurer

Deirdre Bailey Physical Education

Rheana Fehr

Linda Lamminen Library Assistant

Neil Stephenson PD/Outreach

Krista Brenner Accounting Specialist

Mingdi Fu Caretaker

Mirtala Campos Cleaner

Felipe Calasin Facility Operator

Administrative Secretary

Communications Coordinator

Dila Galvis Cleaner

Counsellor

Oscar Lopez Cleaner

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Grade 4 FRIENDS For Life Parent Meeting, Sept 9 at 7pm in the gym The Grade 4 students at CSS will be participating in a unique program called FRIENDS For Life as a supplement to the Alberta Health curriculum starting in September this year. This will be the second year that CSS students have been involved in this initiative as a pilot project with Alberta Health Services.

FRIENDS For Life helps children cope with feelings of anger, worry and sadness by building resilience and self-esteem through teaching cognitive skills and emotional awareness. The FRIENDS program was developed in Australia and has been used in schools around the world to promote personal development concepts such as problem-solving, self-esteem, and social skills used to build positive relationships with peers and adults. These concepts align with the following outcomes in the Grade 4 Alberta Health and Life Skills curriculum: Wellness Choices – Safety and Responsibility; Relationship Choices – Understanding and Expressing Feelings, Interactions; Life Learning Choices – Life Roles and Career Development.

There will be more information sent home regarding the program as well as parent and student forms to participate in the FRIENDS for Life Outcome Monitoring Project sponsored by Alberta Health Services . All students will be offered the program as part of their curriculum this year, however, participation in the Alberta Health Services project is optional but encouraged in order to provide support for this program and continued funding. Information will also be available through the class and student services websites as well as http://www.friendsinfo.net/.

The first parent session for the FRIENDS program will be held on Thursday, September 9 at 7:00pm in the gym. If you have any questions, please contact Shannon Mitchell-Flek at 403-282-2890 ext. 233 or by email shannon.m@calgaryscienceschool.com.

The FRIENDS program will be run in the classroom by the Grade 4 teachers and Mrs. Mitchell-Flek. Mrs. Mitchell-Flek is an accredited FRIENDS For Life Trainer and each of the participating teachers have attended a training workshop. FRIENDS consists of 10 sessions but has been adapted to meet our student and scheduling needs so please check your child’s agenda and the class website for activities and updates throughout the year. Each session involves small and large group activities, discussion, workbook activities, games and/or storybooks that reinforce the concepts and skills. Parents have an opportunity to support their children at home and learn more about the FRIENDS program through the home activities in the student workbooks and by attending 2 parent sessions at CSS.

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Anne Tingle

Library Report

And here we are once again, at the beginning of another wonderful school year, full of high spirits and grand plans!

I thought I’d use this first Spectrum issue to briefly touch on all the basics of our library. Please take time to check out the library page on the CSS webpage, where you will find FYI type information, especially for parents new to our school. http://web. mac.com/css_library/Site/Welcome.html You will notice one entry on that site has a list of parent resources organized by topic. I continue to update this list as we acquire new resources of interest to parents, so feel free to check this area periodically. Parents may open a loan account with our library, and borrow books from this section (and others), or, the listing can be used as suggested reading. Most of the titles can be found in bookstores, or the public library. Feel free to direct your questions or requests through our school email system to me.

We have a student-centered library. The culture of mutual respect throughout our school continues as students come into the library. Students are welcome to come into the library on their own before and after school, during recess times, and during instructional times with their teacher’s permission. Students come to browse the collection, borrow books, renew and return them, share them with friends while in the library, read magazines, finish homework assignments, find a quiet spot to do an independent or shared activity with a friend, or just relax and rejuvenate before heading back to class. The library services, activities and collection

support and enrich the curriculum, which makes it quite different from public libraries and bookstores. We support students as they develop lifelong, independent learning skills and habits, and become confident, information literate citizens.

Students are responsible for the books they check out. Overdue book notices go out to homerooms each week, and overdue books usually suspend borrowing privileges. Students who had overdue books from last year will find that they have followed them into the next grade (yikes!), and the suspension will continue until the book(s) is returned, or replacement fees have been paid. Kudos to last year’s grades 7-9! When a review was completed in regards to the textbook loans last academic year, a significant improvement was noted. Most students returned their textbooks, and returned in good condition.

The families of the few students who did not return their textbooks from last year will receive an invoice for replacement cost after the Labor Day weekend. If you have any concerns or questions regarding this area of activity in our library, please feel free to contact me through e-mail or telephone, and I’d be happy to have a conversation with you.

This could very well be our best year yet- at least that’s our vision as we set out on the journey of 2010-11. Feel free to contact me with any feedback, questions, and comments.

Donna Johnson Alden Teacher-Librarian

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Book Reviews Late last spring I borrowed three books from the CSS library on the topic of raising boys, especially those that shed light on some of the challenges faced by young men growing up today.

In “Boys Adrift: The Five Factors Driving the Growing Epidemic of Unmotivated Boys and Underachieving Young Men”, Leonard Sax identifies five factors contributing to declining male enrolment in universities and the rising incidence of (often unemployed) young men (in their 20s and 30s) still living with their parents. He starts out talking about the education system – specifically how material that used to be taught in grade 1 is now being taught in

kindergarten, before many boys’ brains are developed enough to easily learn to read and do basic math. As a result, they become frustrated and turned off school.

Second, he outlines research showing that the overuse of medications for ADD and ADHD may be causing permanent (negative) changes to the motivational centers in boys’ brains. He also talks about environmental factors, such as plastic drink bottles, and how these may be lowering male hormone levels and throwing endocrine systems out of whack.

Another factor is video games, which can promote a false sense of power and control while further disengaging boys from the real world. And finally, he proposes that role models in popular culture portray mixed messages about what it means to “be a man.”

Sax supports his assertions with current research. He also shares practical advice on steps parents can take to mitigate these factors.

“Boy Smarts: Mentoring Boys for Success at School” is a great reference for parents who would like to see their boys more engaged in school. The author, Barry MacDonald, provides useful background information on boys’ physiology and the culture of masculinity in school settings. The remainder of the book provides guidance for parents, teachers and school administrators on how to improve boys’ learning. As I read through each section, I realized that many of his suggestions have been put into action at the Calgary Science

School. In fact, past articles from Barry MacDonald’s website – www.mentoringboys.com – have been featured in previous issues of the Spectrum.

“Real Boys: Rescuing Our Sons from the Myths of Boyhood” highlights the conflicting messages bombarding boys growing up today. On the one hand, we tell them to toughen up or “be a man” and yet as they grow older they’re expected to be sensitive and understanding. William Pollack draws on his two decades of research to share stories that from boys who are sad, lonely, and confused although they may appear tough, cheerful, and confident. He explains the unwritten “boy code” that guides many of our sons’ behaviours and things parents can watch for in terms of bullying and depression.

After reading all three, I’d say that Boys Adrift provides great context in terms of some of the societal and THE

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environmental factors that can affect boys’ level of engagement in school, sports and life in general. If you have concerns that are specifically related to motivation at school, then Boy Smarts might be a better book to start with. Finally, if you’re concerned about helping your son work through issues related to bulling, peer pressure and “fitting in”, then start with Real Boys.

For a complete list of parenting resource titles available to be borrowed from the CSS Library, see page 9 of the April 2010 Spectrum (accessed on the Publications tab on the CSS website). It’s easy to borrow a book from the CSS library. Send an email to the librarian and the book will be sent home with your child.

Denise Kitagawa

Remembrance Day: The Voices of War:

Request for Information, Presentations, or Presenters This year, the theme of our Remembrance Day will be to profile different people who may have come in contact with war, directly or indirectly (men and women). We hope to hear the voices of people who may have received a letter from a soldier, (perhaps a family member--mother or father); or who has or had a member of their family in the war; or has had some connection to someone who knows the devastation of war and its impact on the people who love them.

The focus of our ceremony this year is to look at the collateral damage of war that happens as a ripple effect surrounding people who are actively on the frontlines of war. It is also a bit more authentic when these voices are in some way connected to our school community. If you have any material, ideas or people that you can bring to our attention in planning for this important day in November, your help is appreciated: Shelley.r@calgaryscienceschool.com Dr. Shelley Robinson

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Musical Notes Welcome Bach… sorry, I couldn’t help myself. After a quick wet summer, we are back in class for another year and what a year it is shaping up to be. Welcome to all the new students. Some new changes to our program include the grade 6 additions to our Band Program, Grade 4 & 5 Fine Arts integration and Grade 8 & 9 choir / music technology course.

The school musical will be in the Fall this year and all gr 4-9 students interested will be able to audition. Some of our previous musicals include “Anne of Green Gables”, “The Wizard of Oz”, and ”Into the Woods”. The commitment is huge but the amazing performance our students do each year is always outstanding. Students take to the stage singing, acting, and dancing. Each musical also has a live band, comprised of CSS students.

The Band classes are underway. With the addition of Grade 6 compulsory band, 100 students have started playing their instruments and this will affect parents at home. Proper storage at school is vital. Students playing flutes and clarinets will store their instruments in their lockers when not in Band. All other instruments must be placed in the band room each day before the morning bell.

Grade 7 students also have the opportunity to join the beginning band classes. Band students who have not yet rented an instrument need to do so by the end of the first week of September. Also, there are a few students who take the bus and play large instruments. Those students will need to arrange transportation to get their instrument home to practice.

Any questions or concerns please email: andrew.b@ calgaryscienceschool.com. Here is a Grade 6 Band student reporting his experience so far:

“Hello CSS, the Gr.6 band has been learning new notes for the past two band classes and we are getting started on some new songs. the Baritones have been getting notes figured out and

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starting to play them almost perfectly. the flute players have been trying to get some sound out of their flutes into some simple songs and the sax players are learning how to play G’s, A’s, and B’s as trombone players are getting used to the slide. The clarinet players are doing great as they are succeeding the ‘Squidward’ level from ‘sponge bob’ and the trumpets have been starting to make there own little songs and all together everybody sounds great.

Very few kids have actually played these instruments. I think that everyone will have lots of fun at the concerts, festivals, and all the workshops as well as at the school playing ‘O Canada’ for assemblies.”

Logan 6.3

sic. Professional musicians who played different instruments demonstrated what we could do if we practiced…

A LOT! Musicianship gave us a chance to learn about conducting, practicing and talking with our instruments.

Rehearsals each day gave us a chance to learn what a band sounds like, how it all works and getting the timing right. It all ended with a final concert Friday. We had a lot of fun and I’m glad I went.”

Paige 6.4

Some students went to the “Head Start Beginning/Intermediate Summer Band Camp” at Mount Royal University the first week of school in August. Here is what one student had to say about Band Camp.

Any Parents interested in helping with the music/band program can attend a meeting Thursday September 9 in the music room at 5:30 PM. Some of the topics of discussion will be field trips, concerts, uniforms, instruments, and FUND RAISING. All parents are welcome to attend!

“Band camp was a fun place to get a “Head-Start” in learning your instrument. We had different things to do such as sectionals for brass, woodwinds and flutes.

There was music theory to teach us to read written mu-

Students in Grade 4 will be using recorders. The school can supply a recorder for any student, however if you have one from last year you are welcome to use it for this year.

Wishing you all a good year!

Andrew Bolen Music/Band Director

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Update From

Mr. McWilliam

The school year in Australia is broken into 4 terms with a 2 week break between them through the year and a summer vacation in December and January. We have almost survived an Australian winter and look forward to spring. In June we travelled to Japan and spent 11 amazing days exploring Osaka, Tokyo, Nikko, and Kyoto. The experience was amazing and we hope to return one day with a better understanding of the language.

Our life in Queensland, Australia continues to be a dream. We are off this weekend to Great Keppel Island for some snorkelling and camping. I finished a round of golf this week where we had to play around kangaroo. We went to an Aussie BBQ this past weekend and played cricket on the beach when the tide was low. I am sitting in the backyard in winter writing this update with a kookaburra laughing in an old gum tree.

We are beginning to plan our next adventure in Australia. We will visit the outback, camp in Carnarvon Gorge and finally spend a week on Fraser Island fishing, avoiding sharks and dingos, and whale watching.

With time running out, we are looking at all of the amazing sites left to visit in Australia and hope to visit in December before we return in time for Christmas.

We are nearly finished our third term at the Rockhampton Grammar School. Our science fairs are nearly complete and we have finished reading “Hatchet”; strange to see a novel about survival in the Canadian Wilds on the book list for grade 7.

We are beginning to look ahead to our next camp which is an 11 day trip to Canberra, the capital of Australia. The closing of the third term will also bring a change to the school uniform. I am looking forward putting Mr. Rooks’ ties back into storage until he can use them again next year.

I am looking forward to seeing all of the changes to the school, meeting my new class, and sharing a few thousand photos and stories in the new year.

Dan McWilliam

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Science Quiz

The thought of a surprise quiz is hardly a pleasant one for most students. The thought of a surprise quiz within days of returning from summer vacation or of starting at the new school is even worse. But, in what has become a tradition to help welcome the grade 4 students to CSS, it is a science quiz, which brings the oldest and the youngest students at CSS together.

The science quiz isn’t about content or facts. Instead it is about perceptions of science and scientists and can be written by students of any age. At CSS, after both groups have written the quiz, the Grade 9s head to the Grade 4s’ classroom to compare some answers and let the new students know while the Grade 9s are really big, they aren’t that scary. The comparing of answers becomes secondary to the exchanging of names and stories. Each student gets a chance to meet someone they wouldn’t normally talk to and these short meetings can have long term results. It is wonderful to see the smiles of the Grade 4s when they come in from lunch and talk about how they played soccer with their Grade 9 buddy or the Grade 9s laugh about how their Grade 4 buddy had a better picture of a scientist than they did. Impressive results for a surprise science quiz wouldn’t you say?

Garett Kutcher

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DAY 4 2

1

TECH ORIENTATION FOR NEW PARENTS 6:30 - 7:30 PM

DAY 5 3

TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE MEETING 10:30 - 12:00 PM

SCHOOL COUNCIL MEETING 7:30 - 8:30 PM

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PD DAY NO CLASSES

CAMP SWEET 5.1/5.2 5

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DAY 6 8

LABOUR DAY NO CLASSES

PD DAY NO CLASSES

DAY 1 9

DAY 2 10

DAY 3 11

FRIENDS FOR LIFE PARENT MEETING 7:00 - 8:00 PM

CAMP SWEET 5.3/5.4 12

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DAY 5

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DAY 6

TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE MEETING 5:30 - 7:30 PM

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DAY 2

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CSS TERRY FOX RUN

CAMP SWEET 8.1/8.2 CAMP SWEET 8.3/8.4 19

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DAY 4 22

DAY 5 23

`DAY 6 24

DAY 1 25

CAMP SWEET 4.3/4.4 CAMP SWEET 4.1/4.2 26

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DAY 3 29

DAY 4 30

DAY 5

X COUNTRY RACE - WESTMOUNT

CAMP SWEET 6.3/6.4 CAMP SWEET 6.1/6.2 BAMFIELD GR 9’S

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October 2010 1

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DAY 1 5

11 THANKSGIVING

DAY 2 6

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DAY 3 7

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DAY 4

DAY 6

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CAAA X COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS - N. GLENMORE PARK 2:00 - 3:00 PM

PD DAY NO CLASSES

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FALL BREAK 17

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DAY 6

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DAY 5

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BAND CONCERT

DAY 3

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THE CALGARY SCIENCE SCHOOL SEPTEMBER 2010 • ISSUE 1 • VOL . 8

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