CONNECTS DECEMBER 2012
COLLINGWOOD SCHOOL
Mr. and Mrs. Claus visit Wentworth students at Festive Store
IN THIS ISSUE DECEMBER 2012
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WRIGHT ON SEASONS GREETINGS
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HOUSE STANDINGS UPDATE KINDIE BUDDIES SANTA BREAKFAST SWEET CREATIONS
THE LOST HOUR Students too tired to learn
BELIZE SERVICE TRIP
ROBOTICS IN ACTION BC ROBOTICS COMPETITION GLOBAL LEADERS INTERNATIONAL ACADEMIC COMPETITION
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JUNIOR SCHOOL CHRISTMAS CONCERT COLLINGWOOD PERFORMS AT WELSHMAN CONCERT FESTIVE STORE COLOUR VACATION TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS AT COLLINGWOOD SCHOOL
Cover photo: Morven teachers compete for ugliest Christmas sweater
WRIGHT ON...WONDERFUL TEACHERS
Playing Santa Claus in the Grade 2/3 Christmas Concert was a blast. If you’re ever feeling down or under appreciated, just get in the big red suit and feel the love. Playing Santa Claus in the Grade 2/3 Christmas Concert was also very educational. I, again, learned that elementary teachers must lead the world in patience, resourcefulness, and multi-tasking.
There is the veteran English teacher who spends most weekends in the fall term writing university references. There is the Explore teacher who spends 48 nights a year away from family and friends. I could go on and on.
Having been a Head of School for 30 years, you’d think I would have grown accustomed to the extraordinary skill set and the unbelievable stamina needed to be a successful teacher; however, I continue to be astounded. My sense of wonder with colleagues happened again this week, not only with teachers magically marshaling hundreds of little singing and dancing penguins at Wentworth, but also in a small, intimate Key classroom at Morven. Here the lively, engaged students couldn’t wait to show me their electronic binders and the homework, which they send to their teacher every night, yes, every night, on their IPad. These students need order and they need feedback, and they get both, 24/7 from their devoted teachers.
It is hard to say definitively because motivation is such a personal matter. However, at the risk of generalization, I think teachers as a species (I can say this because I’m one) get a kick out of two things. 1) having a job that requires engagement with young people – it’s fun, it’s unpredictable, and at the risk of sounding syrupy, it’s important, and 2) seeing the spark in the students’ eyes when they learn something new and apply it successfully. It could be a compound sentence, a minor scale, a trig formula or a layup. When the student gets it, the teacher gets a positive jolt. I believe it is the nature of the teaching profession itself that is intrinsically motivating. The job is attractive to a certain type of person, and doing it well feels great. That’s how they do it! That’s why they do it!
Examples abound at Collingwood. There is the Science teacher who spends her weekend in beautiful downtown Richmond with our Robotics Team. There is the basketball coach running pre-season training sessions on Sunday afternoons. There is the Housemaster carefully crafting 100 personal and illuminating comments on report cards. There is the young teacher taking his Master’s all summer long.
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How do they do it? Or more importantly, why do they do it?
And so in the Christmas season, which is really full of wonder for all of our children, let’s celebrate the wonder of the people who teach them. Teachers - “God bless them everyone”
Kindergarten students arrive at Morven for Kindie Buddies Santa breakfast
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THE COST OF THE LOST HOUR
The other day I was doing math homework with one of my daughters after a busy day of school and activities. My daughter was struggling to concentrate and yes... we were both getting frustrated. Sound familiar? After the homework battle had calmed and she had gone to bed, I realized that my daughter was simply too tired to concentrate. She had had a few late nights in a row, and despite her desire to do the work, she was mentally unable to perform relatively simple tasks. Last summer I read Nurture Shock by Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman. Their chapter on sleep, The Lost Hour, resonated with me as a father and educator. Research suggests that our children are getting an hour less sleep today than they were 20 years ago, and more importantly, this lost hour has significant effects on children’s ability to learn and problem solve, while also increasing anxiety and deceasing motivation. Bronson found that half of all pre-teens are getting less than seven hours of sleep a night despite pediatric recommendations of 9-10 hours of sleep. These lost hours negatively impact children’s brain development and ability to process and synthesize what was learned during the day.
We often over-schedule them with activities and allow our children to stay up late to finish their
As parents, we often make trade-offs between our
homework, get organized, watch the end of their
children’s sleep and their busy schedules.
favorite TV show or play on the computer and other electronic devices past their bedtimes.
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Study after study shows that there is a direct correlation between sleep and learning – the more sleep our children get, the more they learn and the better they perform at school. Given what we know about sleep and how much we care about our children... why do we sacrifice our children’s sleep so easily? What the experts say - Protect the hours - Establish and maintain a bedtime routine - Shut down computers, phones and games an hour before bed - Don’t allow computers, TVs, phones in your child’s bedroom - Discuss the importance of sleep with your children - If your child is having difficulties sleeping see your family doctor
Ian Kennedy, Head of Wentworth
T aken from Collingwood’s Learning Mindset Blog.
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BELIZE SERVICE TRIP
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This past November, twelve students and two
I often find myself setting aside morals to keep
teachers departed to Belize for an adventure of
moving in a world that moves so quickly, that
a lifetime filled with service work and cultural
forgets it is leaving some people behind. The Belize
exploration. The first three days were spent
trip broke that first world trance I was (and still am)
cleaning up a littered beach in a turtle-nesting site
in. We benefited the community directly by cleaning
on Ambergis Key. During these three days,
up the beach and dry walling the ceiling of an
we cleared out 80 bags of garbage and plastic from
elementary school, but I felt that what we
the nesting site, which can be detrimental to the
experienced indirectly was what meant the most.
baby turtles that hatch there. The second half
The smile on every one of the children’s faces has
of the trip was spent in a rural community inland,
never made me happier, and it was those children
where the students worked long hours to drywall
who made me recognize that humanity within
two classrooms and help teach some of the younger
myself. I was reduced down to the connection I
Belizeans English, Math, and gym. In addition to
made with these children- a common
these service projects, the students had a chance to
denominator of being human. None of them
snorkel with stingrays, sea turtles, and nurse sharks,
assumed things about my peers and me, they were
hike some Mayan Ruins, and go cave tubing.
simply curious to know everything about us and not
The following is a short reflection from one of the
the things we had- an interaction almost unseen in
students on the trip:
our world.
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SCHOOL SCHOOL LIFE LIFE
ROBOTICS IN ACTION
On December 11th, students enrolled in
Dr. Nguan, an urologist, also spoke about his journey
Robotics 11/12 had a unique opportunity to
through medical school and shared anecdotes about
operate the Da Vinci Surgical System, a
his position at Vancouver General Hospital.
laparoscopic surgery robot at Vancouver General Hospital. Under the instruction of Dr. Nguan,
This visit illustrated collaboration across
each student performed a variety of tasks to
scientific disciplines, and gave students a view
develop an understanding of the capabilities
of what lies ahead in the future of medical
and functional limitations of the apparatus. The
science and robotics.
robot consists of four arms that have interchangeable tool bits, along with a 3D HD
“The opportunity to visit VGH offered a first-hand
camera. Students controlled the robot using
glimpse of how advancements in robotics contribute
a console identical to the one in the VGH
to health care. The face-to-face conversation with Dr.
operating room and “operated” on a jelly model.
Nguan inspired me to pursue high-caliber work and
The abilities were discussed in the context of
continue to pursue sciences.” - Sabrina Wang
different types of laparoscopic surgeries. Submitted by Jehna Devraj, Grade 11 student
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ROBOTIC CHALLENGERS Saturday, Dec. 1st, our four Robotics Teams had their second competition at the BC Robotics Competition in Richmond. Our Roboticians fought till the bitter end even though one of our four robots was ‘physically dead’ (it wasn’t working at all for 7 out of 8 games). Each robot competed in 8 games separately. Our 3 other teams had their robots working well, but we are still a very young team compared to our competitors. We have a lot to learn in terms of design and programming skills before we can compete with them successfully. Overall, it was another great day for us all. Thank you all for your support to our Robotics teams!
GLOBAL LEADERS This past summer, two Collingwood students, Sung Won Jang and Yang Qn, participated in the 2012 International Academic Competition, held by the Center for Future Global Leaders, where they received anhonorable distinction. Founded in 2006, the CFGL International Academic Competitions is a non-profit organization dedicated to nurturing the youth of today into the leaders of tomorrow through educational attainment and character development. The CFGL International Academic Competitions are a group of annual competitions offered from grade school through high school in the United States, Canada, and Korea. These competitions recognize the demonstration of outstanding skills in persuasive writing;mathematical thinking and problem solving; and linguistic and verbal arts. Over 6000 students participated this year and both of our students were selected for special recognition; Sung Won Jang in the CFGL Essay Contest and CFGL Math Challenge and Yang Qn in the CFGL Math Challenge. Congratulations on your achievement and hard work!
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SCHOOL LIFE HOUSE STANDINGS House Standings Are In! After three events – Handball, Dodgeball and Public Speaking, the results have been tallied and we are delighted to provide you with the latest House Standings! These standings represent 30% of the points that will be awarded over the course of the year leading up to the final standings and the coveted House Cup! Go Byrd! Go Geer! Go Groos! Go Houssian! Go Mackenzie! Go Senft!
House Rankings 1. Mackenzie 2. Senft 3. Groos 4. Geer 5. Houssain 6. Byrd Right: Zack Yamaoka speaking for Geer House
VIDIGAMI PROJECT UP AND RUNNING By now, all parents should have received their email invitation to join Vidigami’s Collingwood School page. Do check your ‘junk mail’ folder if you don’t see the invitation in your ‘Inbox’. Some email programs and settings vary, so if you cannot automatically connect to the activation link in the email, please copy and paste the link into your browser. We encourage you to upload any photos you have from your child(ren)’s school year events/activities from now until June. We will also be loading photos from the Headmaster’s Gallery into the appropriate grade/division folders.
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If you have any questions or problems, please don’t hesitate to contact support@vidigami.com or susan.hazell@collingwood.org
KINDIE BUDDIES SANTA CLAUS BREAKFAST
SWEET CREATIONS Katarina Jurik has wanted to bake ever since she was a little girl watching her mom in the kitchen. With parents in construction, she also grew up on job sites, immersed in the world of renovation and design. Thus, tasked with looking 20 years into her future, Katarina Jurik’s “Guided Fantasy” brought together her love of architecture, interior design and baking. A young women with a flair for baking – her cupcakes are divine – Katarina baked a house replete with a removable roof, landscaping and a garden pool, paintings on the walls, a bed with a stuffy on the pillow and a bedside clock complete with hands, a sitting room with a television and flooring of chocolate remarkably like marble. A masterpiece of creativity and culinary skill, Katarina’s ‘fantasy’ tasted as good as it looked! 13
SCHOOL LIFE
JUNIOR SCHOOL CHRISTMAS CONCERTS On Friday, December 14th at the Centennial Theatre in North Van, the Collingwood Senior Choirs joined the 100 male voices of the Vancouver Welshman in a spectacular Christmas concert. Our own David Buchan, the Assistant Director and Accompanist for the Welshman, directed our choirs in a special Collingwood portion of the programme which preceded the Grand Finale mixing both choirs. It was a wonderful night of Christmas music and an unforgettable experience for our students.
WELSHMAN CONCERT
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FESTIVE STORE
Instant Colour Vacation Studio Art 10 and 11 AP
Colour Vacation is a colour mixing liberating experience to loosely apply colour theory and have students understand that they only need a few basic tubes of colour from the primaries and secondaries, plus black and white, in order to get almost any colour they can think of. It is an advanced level activity that is a whole lot of fun! The students will only use the basic colours and the charts they made from this activity for a major project later in the term – and Interior Space painting. So, they apply their knowledge from this activity directly to the next major studio assignment.
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TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS AT COLLINGWOOD SCHOOL
Twas the night before Christmas in Collingwood School.The cleaners were gone with their squeaky clean tools.The bulldozers were parked in the crater with care,with hopes that a school one day would be there. The teachers were snug in their cubicle beds, and written report cards dancing in heads. With chocolate from students and yogurt covered raisins. They had plenty of food to last hibernation. When out from the crater there came such a clatter. Had construction restarted what could be the matter?I jumped out of my locker as quick as a hare. You see the reason I stayed was my mum left me there! I sprinted outside to where the teachers were standing. Dust was arising something was landing. Ms.Ninan had just lost her voice in the fear. When out of the hole climbed 8 tiny reindeer!
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With a little old driver a foot green and one red. It’s old Santa socks I said in my head Hand over hand out of the hole he crawled “Rein” teachers assemble he said- Roll call! Now Evans, now Reid, now Shirkoff and Spencer. On Perkins, on Doussett, on Diaz, on Wener. From tip top clock tower to the grade 8 hallNow teach away, taught away, teach away all. A sac full of pins flung over his shoulder from 5 year to 10 year, 15 year and older. He shook hands with Grivakes and with a wink he said, My dear you do look so lovely in red. I’ve got lost on my travels from the North pole Please show me around these hallowed halls. Ms.Bernat showed him the language domain
You don’t teach Icelandic he said, what a shame. He was dressed in maple leaf clothing from his head to his foot. Which was not well received, it got dirty looks. He decked the hallways with blue and white And then he got himself into a fight. Look here said the teachers Canucks are boss here. Lock out aside, your Eastern ways are causing us fear. Come Santa socks let us play preacher And we will show you the ways of the teacher I watched as Buchanan composed a piece On the importance of Christmas and Christmas wreaths Sheldy leaned in eyes wide on his face Call me crazy he said but I think he’s from outer space Mr.Speirs recited the importance of sport To which Santa’s socks could utter no retort. And form me and the entire student nation I thought him the art of the uniform violation Then he smiled I have to leave very soon. But first I would like to bestow a gift upon you. 3 weeks away for one and for all No projects no students no parents to call. The teachers all cheered and sang with glee Santa socks and “Rein”- teachers you’ve set us free! Back in his sleigh he slid and he drove out of sight “A happy Collingwood Christmas and to all a good night!”
Happy Holidays COLLINGWOOD SCHOOL
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COLLINGWOOD SCHOOL