CONNECTS ROUND SQUARE INDIA SERVICE TRIP
APRIL 2013
BOYS AUSTRALIAN RUGBY TOUR ROBOTICS YOUR TARTAN DOLLARS AT WORK
COLLINGWOOD SCHOOL
Grade 9 Explore
IN THIS ISSUE APRIL 2013
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WRIGHT ON:
INDIA SERVICE TRIP
GLOBAL TRAVEL RUGBY TOUR
WORLD PUBLIC SPEAKING COMPETITION COLLINGWOOD AT THE SUN RUN LUO PAYS WITH THE VANCOUVER SYMPHONY GRAD LEGACY: MAKING A DIFFERENCE RICE RAISER CAMPAIGN BACK PACK BUDDIES FROM
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DESTINATION IMAGINATION ROBOTICS CHAMPIONSHIP AT BCIT ROBOTICS DEMO NIGHT GRADE 9 EXPLORE HUMAN GEOGRAPHY AT THE FARM REGIONAL SCIENCE FAIR ROYAL CANADIAN CONTEST WINNERS FRENCH FOR THE FUTURE WINNERS OCCUPATION SCAVENGER HUNT STUDENTS COMPETE AT UBC TRIATHLON CW5 WENTWORTH’S OWN NEWS STATION ALIX KONG REPRESENTS BC AT SUMMER GAMES BC TAEKWONDO CHAMPIONS CHOIR SUCCESSES WENTWORTH STUDENTS GIVE BACK UPCOMING EVENTS/CALENDAR
WRIGHT ON...GRIT
My Uncle Jim apparently never did too well in school. I was told he did get his High School Diploma, but barely, and went on to work in a coffee factory. Twenty-five years later, he was President of Club Coffee of Don Mills, Ontario. Growing up I worked for him in the summers packing coffee, and eventually, when I got my driver’s license, I replaced his out-of-town drivers on weekly runs all over Ontario. He was a marvelous gentleman who trusted and inspired all his employees, including his nephew. I never knew or would have cared at the time that he was crummy in school. I just knew him as a lovely, industrious, capable man, who was highly successful in business and highly respected by everyone with whom he crossed paths. Paul Tough, the author of “How Children Succeed” would not only have liked my Uncle Jim, but he would have predicted his prosperous, fulfilling life. Tough feels that education should be less obsessed by reading and math skills and more intent on developing character in young people. He doesn’t dismiss the importance of mathematical or literary scholarship, but feels quite strongly (and demonstrates quite compellingly in his book) that cognition is trumped by character when it comes to determining success in life. He builds an argument that tendencies and talents around curiosity, perseverance, optimism, conscientiousness and self-control are the key differentiators for success in career and relationships. He thinks that grit is better than grades.
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At Collingwood, although we still treasure scholarship and feel grades are important, we also acknowledge that any experience that is going to add to a student’s resilience, her determination or his backbone is well worth running.
Accordingly, in this edition of E-connects you’ll read about activities such as Destination Imagination, Back-Pack Buddies, Explore, Robotics challenge, and a myriad of trips worldwide over Spring Break. These adventures outside the formal curriculum, besides being captivating and often fun, are also ripe with the opportunity to develop the so-called non-cognitive skills that Paul Tough writes about. I hope you enjoy reading about these activities that may never appear on a school transcript but are, nevertheless, an integral part of the Collingwood experience. Rodger Wright, Headmaster
GALA 2013
Co-chairs Holly Hastings and Shannon Bosa Yacoub with members of the Gala committee
Gala 2013 was a wonderful evening for all, brilliantly co-chaired by Shannon Bosa Yacoub and Holly Hastings. There was a great turnout from many of our Collingwood parents, all dressed to the nines. To read more about the gala, stay tuned for a full write up in the May Connects.
REINHART LEADS TEAM TO VICTORY
Collingwood student Sam Reinhart part of the graduating class of 2013, captained Team Canada at the World U 18 Hockey Championships. Team Canada won the gold medal with a 3-2 win over Team USA. photo credit: The Globe and Mail
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INDIA SERVICE TRIP The India Service Project completely exceeded my expectations! From Bollywood dancing to working on the construction site, I was amazed at how much fun I had. Everyday was full of activities, starting with morning yoga. There was no boring day, only ones filled with new experiences. Driving to the hotel after we got off the plane was one of the most shocking parts of the trip, seeing the different environment and knowing that I would be helping the people there, even in a modest way. The purpose of the project was to work with the people of Barind, a rural community in Rajasthan, to help support the education of the children of that village by building a new school room and latrine building. When we arrived at the construction site we saw the new school room that had been built since last year. The Collingwood India 2012 group had dug the foundation for that school room! On the site we worked to level the ground for a garden and dig terrain for the foundation for the latrine room at the school. It was rewarding seeing the progress and was so cool working at the same site as the last Collingwood Service Project! Along with our service, we learned about the people of Barind and how they lived. We participated in a community day during which a woman invited us
into her home and shared her everyday routine with us. We helped her with her daily chores and participated in a water walk; with a bowl balanced on our head, we walked to a well for water and back to the woman’s house. It was really interesting and pretty difficult. Seeing the community and how simply they live was extremely eye opening but seeing how happy the people are is heart warming. On our cultural day, we visited the City Palace, the old market, an art school and we rode camels, which was one of my favorite activities! By far my favorite thing about the project was being at the work site, on breaks from building, because we got to play with the kids. Their smiles and waves brightened everyone’s face on the trip. The happiness the children had while we were there was honoring. We grew bonds with the kids that we’ll never forget and that we’ll hold onto forever. There’s nothing that made me feel as good about myself as helping at the construction site and putting a smile on the children’s faces. If you are interested in participating in India 2014, please see Mr. Fox or Ms. Chamberlin or visit the Round Square section of the website. Luan Jardine ‘14 photo credit: Meg Chamberlain
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To watch Patrick’s stunning video montage of this trip click here.
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GLOBAL TRAVEL LONDON AND PARIS
This year, art history and creative writing students experienced the visual, literary, and dramatic arts up close and in person while on the Collingwood Art and Creative Writing Tour to Oxford, London and Paris during the March Break. Ms. Walsh, Mr. O’Donnell and 12 Senior School students in Grades 10, 11 and 12 began their journey with a two-day stop in Oxford, England. There they delved into the history, architecture, and literary links to the past and present through walking tours, which included Pottering in Harry’s Footsteps. It was then time to explore London! Students spent four days encountering famous artworks in the National Gallery, Tate Modern, and Tate Britain. They also explored important architectural marvels such as
Westminster Abbey and had a tour of the Globe Theatre. Navigating the Tube like pros, this lively and imaginative bunch took in the many sites London has to offer and visited a variety of neighborhoods including Oxford Circus, Piccadilly Circus, Covent Garden and the South Bank. The last few nights included a ride on the London Eye, a thrilling walking tour about Jack the Ripper, and the thoroughly entertaining West End production,
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“Spamalot!” It was now time to take on Paris! A tour of the Latin Quarter included Notre Dame Cathedral and the famous Shakespeare and Company bookstore. Further creative adventures had the group discovering famous artworks in world-renowned museums such as the Louvre, Musee d’Orsay, and the Rodin Museum. And what trip to Paris would be complete without venturing out to Versailles and taking in the amazing views of the “City of Light” at night from the Eiffel Tower? While the artistic experiences these world-class cities offered were absolutely spectacular and central to this trip, traveling with one’s peers provided many opportunities to gain and build on life-long friendships. Whether relishing the local cuisine together in a sit-down meal, initiating an impromptu congo line in a London Tube station, or actively seeking out Paris’s best macarons, this vibrant and caring group of art and creative writing students walked away with a memorable trip from which to draw creative inspiration for years to come. Angela Walsh Senior Visual Art & AP Art History Teacher
CALIFORNIA On Wednesday, April 3rd, Ms. Allison Bernat, Tiana Wong and Elle Nicholson departed for California. We were there for five days. While in California, we attended a Young Round Square Conference hosted by Chadwick School. During the trip, we stayed at the Mary and Joseph Retreat Center and YMCA’s Camp Whittle. Elle and I got the chance to explore the tide pools of L.A’s beaches, as well as, pack meals for the homeless, while building on teamwork and leadership skills.
We all had a lot of fun and met so many new people. I particularly enjoyed the conference so much, this has been the best trip that I have ever been on, so far. Elle and I both agree that our favourite part was being able to help so many people in need and to meet people from places such as Peru and India. It was such an amazing experience and I hope to be able to go to a Senior Round Square Conference in the future. Tiana
PARIS AND ITALY TRIP
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RUGBY TOUR
Collingwood Rugby BoysAwesome Ambassadors Down Under The Collingwood rugby team, 44 players strong, set off March 15th on their bi-annual tour to Australia with two goals in mind: 1) Improve their rugby skills in preparation for the rugby Provincials at the end of May. 2) Represent their school and country in an exemplary manner. As expected, the tour can be deemed a success on both fronts. While victories were indeed difficult to be found in a country where rugby is king, the boys worked hard to improve their fitness, skill set, and team play. Despite having more than half the team and coaches down with the flu for the first week of the tour. As a result of the tour, the senior team is now well on their way to accomplishing goal number one for the season having recently defeated arch rival Rockridge13 – 10 on Friday, April 12th to retain the Hatch Shield.
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Again, as expected, goal number two for the tour was also a phenomenal success. Our boys were amazing ambassadors for school and country. At every stop the host families sung their praises with multiple Aussie mothers offering to keep the boys for extra days if needed. An experience of a lifetime not soon to be forgotten! To read more about the Rugby Tour, visit Dave Spier’s blog on the Athletics page of www.collingwood.org. Roger Hatch, Senior Master
20 years from now, this will seem like the best use of 15 minutes‌. You'll be glad you took the time to upload your photos, and your kids will thank you!
Vidigami is a private community building platform for parents like yourself to share school-related photos of your child and his/her friends. Your school has already uploaded all their photos so you can have a window into your child's life. It's time to activate your account, log-in, and share your photos! The more photos you share, the more memories you help capture for all the students! Please activate your personal Vidigami invitation or contact support@vidigami.comto request a personal invitation. https://collingwood.vidigami.com/
SCHOOL LIFE WORLD PUBLIC SPEAKING COMPETITION DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA
A recent excursion to the World Public Speaking Championships in South Africa and three students qualifying for the Speech Nationals: just two recent highlights of Collingwood’s Public Speaking program! Safir Jazayeri qualified to the Worlds through his fine performance at the Internationals in October 2013, including a third place performance (out of 120 students) in the interpretive reading section. Although both Safir and his coach, Julia Clarke, would agree that the #1 highlight of their trip to coastal Durban, South Africa, was observing an adorable 14-day giraffe running and frolicking (well worth enduring a round trip of 68 hours for!) the competition itself was pretty fabulous too. Safir, despite being one of only half a dozen students under 16, still placed 48 out of 120 of the world’s best teenage speakers.
Safir at the Moses Mabhida Stadium, a World Cup venue in South Africa
The Speech Provincials, held April 12-13 at Crofton House School, was also accompanied by happy results. Of 54 juniors, Rhys Mann finished third and qualified for the Junior Nationals in Alberta, May 3-6. Zach Yamaoka finished eighth and also qualified for the Junior Nationals. Zach placed first in the interpretive reading section. In the Senior section, out of 50 speakers William Li placed sixth overall and came first in the interpretive reading section. Safir Jazayeri finished fifth overall, and third in interpretive reading. He thus earned a spot at the Senior Nationals to be held in Winnipeg next February. At that competition he needs to finish in the top six in order to return to the Worlds!
Julia Clarke, Head of English Mrs. Clarke and her Speech team
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COLLINGWOOD DOES THE SUN RUN
This year’s sun run team were a dedicated group of runners who completed the 10km race in flying colours. Congratulations go to all of the students who participated this year, including: David Oh, Lester Lee, Brandon Chin, Charlotte Campbell, Natasha Darch, Sophia Ludwig, Brendan Artley, Rachel Dyck, Kyle Gartland, Terry Jeon, Liam Huebner, Taylor Haas, Julia Rach, Patrick Hewson, and Alex Wilkinson. Many of these runners had amazing times and display promise for future running events. Of particular note was our fastest student runner, Lester Lee, who completed the course in just over 41 minutes. Well done, team!
LUO PLAYS WITH THE VANCOUVER SYMPHONY Jeff Luo, in Grade 7 played with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra on April 25th. He impressed all 2000 patrons and stole the hearts of everyone there. To read more about Jeff and his accomplishments, visit the Vancouver Symphony website: http://www.vancouversymphony.ca/artist/ jeffrey-luo/
PUBLIC SPEAKING PARTICPANTS AT WENTWORTH
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SCHOOL LIFE
GRAD LEGACY MAKING A DIFFERENCE
The Class of 2012 and the class of 2013 have been busy selling frozen pies and cookies, as well as Stella & Dot jewelry. They have committed funds to provide custom etched front doors that will grace the entry of our brand new building. In addition, this year’s Grad class also decided to join forces with Collingwood alumni family, John and Lotte Davis and daughters Courtney ‘02 and Mackenzie ‘05 in order to support their foundation, Women Leading Change. Their efforts have built five schools currently educating more than 1,500 girls in Sub-Saharan Africa. As this year’s class has decided that their efforts should extend beyond the walls of Collingwood, the Grad Legacy Bahati Scholarship (translated as ‘lucky one” in Swahili) was born. The goal of the scholarship is to provide funding to cover all
costs for a full year at university for an outstanding girl from one of the Women Leading Change schools. Why Africa? Educating women is arguably the most effective way to promote economic development, end poverty and the key to ending injustice and poverty. Nowhere is this more evident than sub-Saharan Africa. The Grad class will receive updates from Lotte Davis about the selected student who receives the Collingwood Grad Legacy 2013 Bahati Scholarship and will have the pleasure of knowing that they have provided a deserving young woman with the same opportunity they have this fall – to attend university. How you can help Students are currently selling special AG Hair shampoo packages at school events with proceeds going directly to their Grad Legacy to fund the inaugural Bahati Scholarship and they will be sending out order forms to all parents for the annual “Spring hanging flower baskets” that have been sold in the past at the Spring Fair. Everyone will get another chance to stock up their freezers before the summer holidays with those delicious cookies and pies! Michelle Embry, Associate Director of University Guidance
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RICE RAISER CAMPAIGN 2013
The Young Round Square group at Wentworth initiated the Lower School’s participation in the Annual Rice Raiser Campaign. The goal of the campaign was to raise awareness about local and global hunger, and that each of us has the ability to positively affect lives. HUNGER CAN BE CONQUERED! Over the duration of the six week campaign, all grades JK-7 brought in a total of approximately 400kg of store-purchased bags of rice. The bags of rice were delivered to the Greater Vancouver Food Bank in East Vancouver to serve the people in need within our local community. The reality is that many people in our local area find it necessary to access the food bank on a weekly or monthly basis. The Food Bank receives approximately 27,000 people each week. Rice is an important food item to provide people with, as it is nutritious and the most consumed food item in the world. Thanks to all the Collingwood families who supported this Round Square initiative!
BACK PACK BUDDIES GETS HELP FROM WENTWORTH
Backpack Buddies has two more collections left for this year and the team needs your help. Joanne Griffiths, who spearheaded this worthwhile project, recently spoke to one of the parents whose children receive these bags and this mother says that it has really helped her to make ends meet. She is a single mom, on a limited income, who has three children. In her words, her 13-year-old son has a “hollow leg”! The snacks have meant that she does not need to ask for these items at the food bank. On the other hand, we continue to have some children who feed themselves on what is in the bags as there is no parent at home or they have to hide the items from siblings or adults in the home who might take the food from them. We greatly appreciate all the food and monetary donations that we have already received from our generous families at Collingwood. We are happy to mention that the Wentworth campus has also joined the collection team!
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SCHOOL LIFE DESTINATION IMAGINATION
Members of the Senior Destination Imagination team at Regionals
The Senior Destination Imagination team won Regionals and came 5th at Provincials at the Destination Imagine Competition. The girls had to solve a change in reality using improvisation while including certain requirements. They had to use their creative minds to think on their feet and solve problems in unique ways.
DESTINATION IMAGINATION TEAM PLACES AT REGIONALS On March 2nd, the Grade 6 Destination Imagination Team accompanied by their Team Manager Lise Middleton participated in the Destination Imagination Regional Competition at Lord Kitchener Elementary School in Vancouver. They placed third and qualified to take part in the Provincial Competition. This was held on April 13th at Kwantlen Polytechnic University in Surrey where the team competed with teams who were Grades 6, 7 and 8. Although they did not qualify for the Global event in Tennessee, they did improve their standing by 14 points and placed 6th in the Province, an excellent standing for this dedicated and highly motivated team.
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Congratulations to Nicole, Desirae, Muneet, Jaclyn, Cindy, Rachel and last but not least the one boy on the team, Copper. Well done!
Wentworth’s Destination Imagination team
ROBOTICS CHAMPIONSHIPS AT BCIT
Saturday, March 9th, our six Robotics teams, 18 students in total, competed at the BC Robotics Championship at BCIT. They played in three Divisions: B1 and B2 for new teams and A for experienced ( World champion qualifiers) teams. We had two teams in B1, three in B2 and one in A division.The results: Four of our B division teams made it to the quarter finals, one team (Grade 11 +12) came second in B1 division, and one team (our new Grade 9 team) came first in the B2 division.
not advance to the semi-finals.
Members of the Robotics team with their robot
Our A team (Grade 10s) had a tough time competing with the world champion teams, but are now inspired to start early next season in building a new robot to compete at world standards competitions. Our Grade 8 team of Henry Dong and Colin Lee ranked 3rd in the B1 Division going into Quarter Finals, but their robot broke down during their game and did
It was a great day for students, parents teachers, Edel Vo, Shirley Frykberg and Gerald Lee. They watched their teams use critical thinking, problem-solving, collaboration, communication and team work - skills that Collingwood promotes everyday for our 21st century learners! David Frykberg, Shirley Frykberg’s husband, was the team’s mentor. He was with them on Friday night the entire day at BCIT.This ends our Robotics tournaments for this year. Our students had a great opportunity to apply the skills that they are learning at school. The teams are looking forward to next year’s challenge. Edel Vo
ROBOTICS DEMO NIGHT
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GRADE 9 EXPLORE
The first component of Explore for Grade 9 students began February 19, with three weeks of programming in the beautiful Whistler Olympic Park in Callaghan Valley. Students experienced winter travel and camping as well as learned safe decision-making and leadership. Students travelled on snowshoes and rented cross-country skiis, and learned the new skill of skate skiing. Students expanded their previous knowledge of winter camping from Grade 8 by winter camping for two nights instead of one. Week 1 students enjoyed great snowfalls and a special snowshoe
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experience to “the top of the world�. The students who attended week 2 enjoyed epic amounts of snow and rainfall, which provided an opportunity for everyone to demonstrate perseverance and the ability to roll with the punches, making the best out of what Mother Nature provided. The following week, students experienced great weather and were able to have a lot of fun on the slopes from the colossal snowfall that hit us over the previous week. Throughout every program week, students learned prudent backcountry travel techniques, how to build winter kitchens, practiced using
an avalanche beacon, identified possible winter hazards and learned some of the basics of snow science. Students also taught each other many of these skills through student-led lessons. They gained awareness of their environment, demonstrated responsibility, leadership, and self- reliance as well as team work with one another. Our Spring Program has just begun again for these same lucky Grade 9s. These expeditions are known as a student favorite, the most fun and rewarding. It is the final component for the Middle School Explore program. Brei Souza, Explore Adminstrative Assistant
HUMAN GEOGRAPHY CLASS VISITS THE FARM All students taking AP Human Geography anticipate the Agriculture Unit, which includes an educational and extremely exciting field trip. This year, the class had the opportunity to visit the Glorious Organics farm and the Birchwood Dairy farm. During the visit to the organic farm – collectively-owned acreage producing vegetables for CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture), students were able to see first-hand organic techniques used by the farmers, examine the variety of crops and discuss the producer-consumer relationship. Moreover, they were given the opportunity to pick out some of the fully-grown organic vegetables of Glorious Organics (kale, for example and a hybridized brussel sprout variety) for a delicious salad, served in class the next day by Mrs. Hobson. The rest of the day was spent at a dairy farm, which came with a delicious surprise: fresh ice cream! After having had the rich ice cream, made by the farm itself, the students toured the different facilities. Among these facilities were the milking station, the hospital and the cattle barn, where we saw a brand-new calf being tended by its mother. The trip ended with another visit to the delicious and organic ice cream shop. Leili Ghaemi
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SCHOOL LIFE REGIONAL SCIENCE FAIR 2013
Nine Collingwood students spent three days presenting their Science Expo projects at the Regional Science Fair at the University of British Columbia this month. Eva Cai and Samir Damji received an Honorable Mention for their project, ‘The Fountain of Filth,’ in which they tested the bacterial cultures on the water fountains at Morven. Alexis Ong and Sian Shin, presented their ideas on ‘Washing Water’. Titus Priscu and Daniel Chete, answered questions on ‘The Suspended Solids Study.’ Zhi li Liu and Gabrielle Johnston earned a silver medal for presenting their ideas on ‘Water Weight Loss.’ Kristine Falck stepped into the world of physics and statistics and was awarded the Pacific Institute of Mathematical Sciences prize for a project that shows originality in the development of an area of pure mathematics as well as showing the application of mathematics to a real life problem.
OCCUPATION SCAVENGER HUNT
The Grade One classes participated in an Occupations Scavenger Hunt around the Ambleside area. Students visited 11 different businesses to find out a bit about the occupations of the people working there and to learn interesting facts about their work. The merchants were very welcoming and generous with their time and experiences.
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Grade 1 students at the end of the hunt holding a flag gifted to the School by John Weston, a Member of Parliament
ROYAL CANADIAN CONTEST WINNERS
Collingwood has been a longtime supporter of the Royal Canadian Legion Poetry and Poster Contest. In November, Middle School students were invited to submit poetry, essays or art on the topic of Remembrance Day. This year, Casey Thomas Burns wrote a beautiful poem which earned her a place in the intermediate category. Another Collingwood student, Jon Yoo, won first Place for the North Shore competition. Jon’s poster is now off to Ottawa, where it will be entered in the National Competition. Congratulations to both students on this impressive accomplishment.
FRENCH FOR THE FUTURE WINNERS In term one, Grade 12 French class participated in a national essay contest, French for the Future, and there were 7 winners from Collingwood School. These students have won scholarships to various Canadian Universities. The published results will be on the French for the Future website on March 5th. Congratulations to all those who participated and the following students who won! Ainsley Heffel, Andrea Tate, Breezy Dunlop , Michaela Vince , Sarvnaz Malektojar , Heather Chambers, Katarina Angus. To learn more about French for the Future, click here.
WENTWORTH’S NEW SANDY ATTRACTION
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STUDENT LIFE
STUDENTS COMPETE AT UBC TRIATHLON On Sunday, March 9th, Collingwood students from Grades 8 – 10 competed in their first ‘adult’ distance triathlon and finished with impressive results. We had students in two categories: ‘short’, which consisted of a 400m swim, 11km bike and 5km run and the ‘sprint’ 750m swim, 20km bike and 5km run. In the ‘short’ division, Emma MacRae finished 1st overall female (out of 47 women aged 0 – 59), Georgie Philpotts finished 3rd overall female, Charlotte Campbell finished 4th overall female, Hailey Szybunka finished 5th overall
female and Brendan Artley finished 9th overall male (out of 34). Alexa Thomson, Julian Rach and Taylor Haas,who all performed amazingly for their first triathlon at this level, also had thrilling races. In the sprint division, despite a mishap with the recording of her finishing time, Grace Thompson finished first overall female (out of 147). Congratulations to everyone for an outstanding first race of the season. These overall finishes are quite the accomplishment as this was NOT a kid race: they were competing against adults of all ages! Allison Bernat
CW5 CW5 WENTWORTH’S OWN NEWS STATION Wentworth has it’s own bilingual news station called CW 5, a news show that highlights the events, activities and stories at the Wentworth campus. Original and student centered it realistically prepares and inspires students to pursue careers in both journalism and film. You can view episodes of the show at http://thecw5.weebly.com/
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CAMPUS AND COMMUNITY ALIX KONG REPRESENTS BC AT SUMMER GAMES Alix Kong will be one of six BC athletes representing British Columbia for golf at the 2013 Canada Summer Games, hosted by Sherbrooke, QC at the Milby Golf Club from August 2-17, 2013. Congratulations Alix on all your achievements and good luck at the Games. The six-player team who will be representing British Columbia for golf at 2013 Canada Summer Games
BC TAEKWONDO CHAMPIONS
Wyatt, Grade 2 and Eric, Grade 2 take gold and silver respectively at the recent 2013 BC Taekwondo Championships. Congratulations to these Collingwood students!
MUSICAL SUCCESSES The Collingwood Jazz Ensembles and Combos earned 5 gold medals and 1 silver medal. Congratulations to Annie who won a trophy at the Kiwanis Jazz Festival for outstanding chorus. She is also the recipient of two Gold Certificates of Merit for similar achievements.
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And another congratulations to Lester Lee who received an award for being the Top Performer at this year’s 2013 Festival.
Lester performing at the Kiwanis Jazz Festival
CELEBRATING SERVICE IN THE COMMUNITY
West Vancouver 2013 Youth Awards Recipients
Fourteen of Collingwood’s finest, most charitable students were presented with special certificates for their extensive volunteer activities. Rhys. M, Eva. K, Breezy. D, Jon. Y, Sara C, Chaeri. L, Julia. T, Sabrina. W, Andrew. R, Anna. Y, Alexandra. F, Minah. S, Michael. Y, Dorothy. R.
COVENANT HOUSE THANK A THON A few months ago, members of Junior Round Square had the chance to deliver the Coats for Cold items to the Vancouver Covenant House. The coordinator of the Covenant House mentioned a great volunteering opportunity called the “Thank a Thon” where volunteers call Covenant House donors to say thank you. Thus, on Monday, April 15th, Sian, Charlotte, Eva, Sofia, Katie and Rachel had the great opportunity to participate in the “Thank a Thon”. Upon arrival, we were led to the office area consisting of many desks and phones. The stacks of numbers we had to call overwhelmed us all, but when one brave person picked up a phone and dialed, the rest of the team soon followed. With every call we grew braver and more confident- we even had a few nice conversations with some donors. By the end of the night, we finished the huge pile that seemed unsurpassable! It’s safe to say that all of us walked out with big smiles and an even bigger heart. Allison Bernat
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CELEBRATING OUR FACULTY & STAFF
MATH IS GETTING A MAKEOVER
PERKINS LIVE AT BC JAZZ FESTIVAL Michael Perkins (right) performed with the Festival Big Band and L.A. singer Sunny Wilkinson at the BC Jazz Festival April 6th.
Math Department Head, Duncan Fraser, has been selected by the Ministry of Education to join the Math K-10 Curriculum Development Team. During April and May he will work with other math teachers, administrators, and district staff to develop the Goals and Rationale for Math Education, develop Enduring Understandings, and develop Learning Standards (Curricular Competencies and Content) for the new K-10 math curriculum. The purpose of this work is to create resources for teachers that will make the curriculum more flexible, increase the focus on higher order learning skills, and increase cross-curricular participation.
TWO WENTWORTH STUDENTS GIVE BACK For the last four years, Wentworth students, Kai and Chase, have donated their birthday presents to BC Children’s Hospital. The Hospital is hoping more children will take part in the Sunny Bear Birthday Program and featured Kai and Chase in their new campaign. This experience has taught the boys to understand what it is to give back and help others. To read the article click here.
UPCOMING EVENTS/CALENDAR • Coffee with Christine • Grad 2014 Parent Information Meeting • Gr. 11 Bamfield Trip • Gr. 5 Science Fair • Gr. 5 Camp
• Gr. 6/7 Neon Dance • Gr. 7/8 Orientation- 5/6 • Spring Fling- 5/7 • Gr. 6/7 ISEA Public Speaking Tournament
We’re social !