NOVEMBER 2011 · ISSUE 3 · VOL. 9
THE CALGARY SCIENCE SCHOOL
Principal’s Message On October 5 and 6 our students enjoyed a unique experience that was the epitomy of innovation. The Forging Connections Conference, which you have likely heard much about through the Spectrum and other means, was a tremendous opportunity for our students because it brought together teachers, artists, mathematicians and scientists to plan unique and engaging learning opportunities for CSS students. The event was a resounding success. The driving force behind the conference, and the people to whom I owe profound thanks and appreciation, were two parents who worked tirelessly over the course of approximately 15 months to bring the conference to a reality. Thank you very much, Jackie Stewart and Wendy Baillie, for your incredible commitment and creativity on behalf of our whole school community. In addition to the Forging Connections Conference, October also brought a landslide of data on our school’s performance. We received our provincial achievement test results, our accountability pillar results, the parent survey results are in and can be added to the mix, and we also look forward to trimester 1 report card marks. If I can summarize the school’s results on virtually every measure or indication of success, I would say our students and teachers are exceptional. Of course, we need to be cognizant when interpreting results such as the provincial achievement test results that we are limiting our interpretation to the scope and intent of the tests themselves (rather than, for example, using the results to compare one school to another). When I consider all of the data in it’s entirety and I look for trends and patterns, I am reassured that we are doing most things very well and have a little work to do on a small number of other issues. Our student achievement numbers, including both the PAT results as well as the trimester 3 report card marks from last year are very strong. Overall, almost 6 in 10 CSS students achieved the standard of excellence on grade 6 and 9 PATs. On the trimester 3 report cards last year, approximately one-third of our students achieved fours in the inquiry and knowledge building categories, with a further sixty percent achieving threes. As important as the measures of student achievement are the results of the accountability pillar surveys and the annual parent surveys, which give us more detailed
information on school culture, relationships and students’ sense of safety and security. While there is always room for improvement, our teachers, students and parents overwhelmingly report that students feel safe at school, they are learning the importance of caring for others, are learning respect for others, and are treated fairly in school (92.4% agreement). I could write pages and pages detailing the results, but instead I encourage you to attend the upcoming school council meeting, where more of the data will be shared and discussed. The results from surveys, report cards, provincial achievement tests, and other sources are used by the staff of the school to improve the culture and learning environment within the school. Given the most recent results we have received, we should all be proud of the incredible work our students are doing and the success they achieve as a result. Darrell Lonsberry