THE
OCTOBER 2010 • ISSUE 2 • VOL . 8
THE CALGARY SCIENCE SCHOOL
Principal’s Message There has certainly been some buzz about charter schools recently, stirred up by the movie Waiting for Superman, a documentary about the education system in the United States. Many of the themes emerging in the discussions have a direct bearing on us here in Alberta also. Charter schools, in particular, have been in the spotlight south of the border because of the movie and the resulting press. Accountability and equality of educational opportunities are primary themes of the documentary that are also applicable to our Alberta context. It is late notice, but I plan to make myself available on the morning of Friday, October 1st from 9:00 to 10:00 am in the staff room to discuss the issues raised in the public discussions these past couple of weeks, or any other educationbased topic people would like to
discuss. I invite any interested parents to join me this Friday for a coffee and some great discussion. I intend to make this a regular opportunity, so look for notice of future Dialogue with Darrell sessions. Our second annual parent conference is scheduled for this Saturday and I have been impressed not only by the tremendous planning that the organizing committee has put into the conference, but also by the incredible response. It promises to be a great morning, with many opportunities to network, to learn more about nurturing independence in your children, and to get a little physical activity as well. I want to thank the school council and the organizing committee for providing this wonderful opportunity to our school community. Lastly, for this principal’s message I want to comment on outdoor education. The end of September
brings with it the end of our fall outdoor education schedule. I’ve done some rough calculation to highlight what a tremendous undertaking the schedule is each fall; we have required the assistance of 57 parent volunteers who, at an average of 15 hours per day, volunteered for a total of 855 hours – that is 35 full days of volunteer time! Our students have enjoyed a total of 23 days and 15 nights on overnight outdoor education trips, and our teachers have worked incredibly hard to provide the incredible experiences that our fall outdoor education schedule brings. I want to thank them for that exemplary commitment and dedication. In addition, I want to thank Mr. Sweet for his ongoing support and seemingly tireless efforts for our students. It has been a very successful Fall schedule and we are already planning the winter and spring trips! Darrell Lonsberry
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