CONNECTS September 2013
WELCOME BACK BBQ WELCOMING NEW FACULTY SUMMER CAMPUS UPDATES
COLLINGWOOD SCHOOL
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
SEPTEMBER 2013
New Look, New Year Welcome back to a new year and a new look for Connects. We hope you enjoy the changes to our monthly newsletter highlighting the activities, events and achievements of Collingwood students. You can find a copy of every issue on the website under Publications. We hope you enjoy September’s issue.
Back of Cover photo: 2014 Grads at Welcome Back BBQ
wright on: the gift of time
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NEW STUDENT DAY
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CAMPUS UPDATES
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WENTWORTH’S TOTEM POLE
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NEW STAFF
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wright on
the gift of time
At the Opening Assembly at Morven this year, the Headmaster made the point that the best gift you can give another person is the gift of your time. He explained that we all tend to forget this as we get wrapped up in our own projects and goals. He used several personal anecdotes to illustrate his point, one of which was his son’s recent wedding in Boston, where 12 years after his son and his new wife had graduated from the same college, everyone of their 20 roommates were there. He went on to say…….
turning outward from our busy days and showing up at one of their events – a dance performance, a volleyball or soccer game, an art show, a science demo, a play. Physically showing up may often be impossible, and so you can give a smaller jolt by just asking how things went – but showing up is the best.
“ The amazing thing is that all 20 of these housemates showed up in Boston on August 24. Most of them were married, many had young toddlers, they lived all over the world – UK, Dubai, India, Japan, France, and coast to coast USA. All of them were starting families and careers and didn’t have tons of discretionary money. Most only had two or three weeks of vacation every year. But they all made it to Boston that weekend to give a most precious gift to the wedding couple – their time. Many of the particulars of the day will eventually fade from memories, but the way Ted and Caroline felt as they met friend after friend from around the world will never be forgotten. It said to Ted and Caroline that they were cared for and loved. It said that what they were doing was important. Their friends didn’t need to say a word – their mere presence made a simple and elegant statement. Their friends turned Ted and Caroline’s wedding day into a profound example of the power of showing up. And we can do that too. Perhaps not in tuxedos and long dresses, but we can give a similar positive jolt to a friend by simply
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Therefore, I would challenge all of us here, teachers and students, to try to show up a little more this year. I would hope that we could all pledge to give a little more of this precious personal commodity – TIME – to some other people. We should expect nothing in return, except the satisfaction of knowing that our showing up sent a laser like message of care and respect to our friend, our student or our colleague. Rodger Wright, Headmaster
the gift of time
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New student day
On Tuesday, September 3rd, we welcomed all of our new students to Collingwood for a special New Student Day. Our new JK - Grade 7 students stopped by with their parents at our Wentworth campus to meet their teachers and visit their classes, while our new Grade 8-12 students enjoyed a full slate of activities at the Morven campus. Thank you to our fabulous Student Hosts at the Wentworth campus and to our wonderful Buddies at the Morven campus. You’ve done a great job in ensuring that our new students feel welcome and supported. Our new students come to us from local schools as well as from international destinations including Australia, China, El Salvador, England, India, Korea, Singapore, Spain, the Netherlands and the USA. We wish all of our new Collingwood families a year full of wonderful opportunities, rewarding experiences, and memorable moments. Welcome to the Collingwood family! Janis Clark
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WELCOME BACK BBQ
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SUMMER RENOVATIONS
The former staff room was converted into a much needed faculty workroom. The walkway and staircase from the lower parking lot was relocated and redesigned making for a safer crossing, particularly at drop off and pick up. A new stone retaining wall and steps were constructed around the JK – Gr. 2 playground. The base was constructed for the placement of our beautiful totem pole and a new garden was established around the base, creating a striking front entrance for the Junior School campus. The JK – Grade 5 areas of the school were freshly painted and more space was created in the library by removing the office.
While many of us were relaxing
and enjoying the sunshine this summer, our building and property manager, Kevin Zweep was busy overseeing a number of summer projects at both Wentworth and Morven. The focus at Morven continues to be the new School building, but this summer it also included the major renovations to the Science Domain. Scheduled to be completed by the end of September, the new Science Centre will include major upgrades to the Biology, Chemistry and Physics labs, two new general Science labs for Grades 8 and 9, a new Robotics lab and a Science demonstration/teaching theatre. We can’t wait to use these new facilities! There was lots of activity this summer at the Wentworth Campus too. A brand new staff room was constructed on the 2nd floor, making it more central for teachers. [Top:Bottom]The newly renovated faculty/staff room at Wentworth
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Top: The new Robotics lab in progress
summer renovations continued Exciting new furnishings, including Mediascape centres were installed in the Wentworth Learning Commons located in the Grade 6/7 area of the school. Finally, outdoor sports courts were built. These will be completed later this month and will have four basketball hoops and can also be used for tennis. Special thanks to Kevin Zweep and his team for overseeing all these wonderful upgrades for our students and teachers.
Mediascape set up in Grade 6/7 Learning Commons at Wentworth
the totem goes up At the beginning of September, the Wentworth Legacy Totem was raised! On September 19th, the Wentworth community was joined by members of the Squamish Nation to celebrate and bless the Wentworth Legacy Totem Pole. Thanks to the generosity and vision of the Collingwood parent legacy team, this deep learning project came to life. The Wentworth Eagle, designed and carved by parent and local artist Klatle Bhi represents – honesty, leadership and vision.May the Wentworth Legacy Eagle stand proud for many years! To read more about the Wentworth Legacy Totem Pole Ceremony, click here. Ian Kennedy
grad & kindie visit
our teachers: continous professional development over the summer, many of our teachers and staff were engaged in course work, conferences, workshops and seminars all focused on the best in educational practices, learning and leadership. We are pleased to share with you and celebrate their accomplishments. Several teachers attended Advanced Placement (AP) Institutes to learn the latest techniques and information from experts in specific subject areas: Braden O’Donnell, English; Denise Brabben – Calculus; Vlada Vidic – Statistics; Mahasti Mofazali – French; Patricia Castaneda – Spanish; Holly Scofield – Psychology; Jen Hobson – World History Mahasti Mofazali continues to be in demand as the lead teacher for the AP French Language Institutes. The CAIS Leadership Institute, designed to prepare participants for senior leadership roles in independent schools, was held this summer at St. John, New Brunswick. Collingwood participants were Rheanne Stevens, Jacqui Johnson, Kate Ayotte and Steve Lamorie. We congratulate Amy Camblin who graduated this summer with her Diploma in Independent School Leadership. Ian Kennedy and John Reid were both participants in the CAIS Learning National Forum. Ian also acted as a facilitator. John Reid also participated in the CAIS “Next Step Program” for senior administrators. Edel Vo, who was recently appointed President of the BC Association of Physics Teachers, attended the Women in Physics Canada Conference, held in Vancouver at SFU in July. Presentations covered different aspects of Physics such as condensed matter, biophysics and astrophysics and participants from a wide spectrum of the Physics field from across Canada had opportunities to tour both the Physics and 4D labs at SFU. Benila Ninan went on tour with the Kokopelli choir to South Africa.
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Susan Hazell, who successfully completed the International Advancement Certification Program in March, was a member of the ISM (Independent School Management) Advancement Academy faculty in Stowe, Vermont this summer.
She presented a series of seminars on various fundraising topics and mentored ten Heads of School and Advancement Directors during the week long summer academy. Cory McLean completed the Principles of Financial Accounting at BCIT in July. Shauna Weiss, Alexa Grivakes, Heather Dow, Helen Gould, Maureen Duteau, Peter Brampton, Peter Davidson, Sarah Thompson and John Reid attended the St. George’s Brain Institute here in Vancouver in late June. The theme of this year’s conference was ‘Brain Learning and Applications’ and included sessions such as “Brain Mechanisms for Language Processing and Their Influence on Education” and “Mindsets in Education”. Helen Gould, Rheanne Stevens, Christine Stuart and Pauline Ursic attended the Atlas Curriculum Mapping workshop in Portland, Oregon in late June. Helen Gould also attended the NCTM Math Conference in New Orleans in July. The theme ‘Connecting Numbers and Operations in the Classroom’ was geared specifically to JK – Gr. 5 educators to help give them strategies and tactics to nurture and develop number sense in their students. Jacqui Johnson and Richelle Forbes attended the Lausanne College Learning Institute in Memphis, Tennessee in July. This is an annual international think tank for schools. Over 100 breakout sessions (usually with a technology focus) – from hands-on events to lectures, discussions and networking were offered with many educators (K-12) collaborating with peers and learning tips for using laptops, iPads, and tablets in their classrooms. Congratulations to Keleigh MacKinnon who received her Orton-Gillingham Tutor Certificate this summer. Lynn Brown also completed her Orton-Gillingham Level 1 in July. Meaghan Harder and Ellen Keiser attended the AIM Institute for French program/methodology in August here in BC. Lisa Evans attended the ISM (Independent School Management) Summer Institute workshop “Attracting, Evaluating, Rewarding & Developing Faculty in the 21st Century”in Stowe, Vermont in July.
explore-ing bc
grade 8 fall explore began sept 16th. Week 1 students experienced an amazing adventure at Cheakamus Lake, Manning Park or Stein Valley. As many past Explore students know, Stein Valley is one of our favorite locations due to it’s dry weather, beautiful scenery and rich First Nations history, as evidenced by the myriad of pictographs seen among the rocks on the canyon walls.
Fall Explore is a time for students to apply new found cooking skills while on their wilderness adventures, develop their skills in teamwork and leadership, and connect to our beautiful natural environment. With two more weeks of this program left to enjoy, we look forward to creating more profound and lasting memories for the students. Brei Souza
Our other location, Manning Park, is equally enjoyed, as we arrived to snowy terrain on Wednesday and glorious sunshine for the rest of the trip. Manning Park is a beautiful alpine location and as the students will attest, the vistas up there on a clear day are breathtaking. The third group spent their days at the beautiful and popular Cheakamus Lake near Whistler. A student highlight was the solo experience where students fell into bliss sitting beside the lake listening to the tranquil sounds from the Singing Creek.
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terry fox run
a single dream. a world of hope. On September 26th, Collingwood School continued Terry Fox’s goal by running, walking and jogging to raise money for cancer. Last year, we reached a whopping $21,494 surpassing our 2011 funds raised by 44%. This year, the students are running to continue Terry’s legacy in the race to conquer cancer.
robotics workshop Thank you to all of our donors to last year’s Tartan Fund Campaign- our students are reaping the benefits!
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Summer Break Instagram Photo Contest #wishyouwereherecwood Sept 11th - oct 2nd TAKE A PHOTO
From your summer vacation
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Share a photo of yourself on summer break to win Collingwood merchandise!
welcome to collingwood
We have some of the best teachers in Vancouver. Join us in welcoming our new faculty.
Left:Right Taehoon Kim ‘05, Andy Wong
taehoon kim, b.a., m.a. ‘05
facultymorven and Taehoon Kim is an award-winning photojournalist whose work has been new recognized in publications film festivals in the United States. Most recently, he worked as a photographer for The Concord Monitor in New Hampshire. Prior to pursuing photojournalism, Tae spent two years teaching students in elementary school through the university level in Hong Kong and Mainland China. Tae has fond memories of being a student at Collingwood and is excited to return and give back to this wonderful community. andy wong, B.A., B.ED. Andy received his B.A. in English and Psychology and B.Ed. from Simon Fraser University. He completed his M.Ed. from the University of British Columbia, focusing on Curriculum Instruction in a Senior Math Classroom. He has taught Math and English for the past eight years, including the past four years as an International Baccalaureate Diploma Program Mathematics SL teacher. Andy has a strong passion for athletics, particularly basketball and tennis. For the past 12 years, he has coached basketball, highlighted by a 2nd place finish at the Senior Boys AA Provincial Championships in 2008. He has also coached tennis for four years, including a 5th place finish at the recent 2013 AAA Provincial Championships. Andy is excited to join the staff at Collingwood.
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associate faculty Left:Right Samantha Lyzun, Maggie Austin, Amanda Clark, Caroline Rance
SAMANTHA LYZUN, B.A., B.ED. Samantha Lyzun, a former varsity athlete, completed her undergraduate degree in History with teachable subjects in both English and Physical Education & Health. She has been a teacher on call in the independent school system for the last two years in Vancouver, as well as a dedicated field hockey coach for the West Vancouver Club and a number of school and high performance programs. Her passion for sport and education has given her the opportunity to be part of many adventures as an athlete, coach, and teacher. Samantha is looking forward to a great upcoming year as a member of the Collingwood Community.
margaret austin, B.ED. Margaret completed her Bachelor of Education in 2012 at the University of Ottawa and went on to complete her Masters in teaching, learning and evaluation in 2013. Margaret is originally from Toronto but has been lucky enough to travel the world, going to school in England and Italy and exploring Mexico, Scotland and Australia. In Australia, Margaret was able to carry out one of her favourite Canadian pastimes: skiing! Margaret also enjoys biking, reading and art and is looking forward to exploring the city of Vancouver and getting to know the students of Collingwood in September.
AMANDA CLARK, B.ED. Amanda was born and raised in Victoria, B.C. She aspired to be an educator after her Grade 1 teacher created an inspiring, creative and engaging classroom experience. After completing her degree, Amanda spent a year teaching and supporting adults with developmental disabilities. After some rewarding experiences teaching Kindergarten, Grade 1 and Grade 4/5, Amanda is very excited to be back in the Grade 1 classroom. Amanda enjoys horseback riding, triathlons, competitive swimming, sewing and Suzuki piano lessons. She hopes to instill a love of learning in her students and looks forward to a productive and fulfilling year in the classroom.
CAROLINE RANCE, B.A., B.ED. Caroline is a recent B.Ed graduate from the University of Ottawa and she is excited to bring her passion for teaching to Collingwood. Caroline grew up in Toronto and she is very excited to now be living in Vancouver. She loves to ski, and her other hobbies include baking, playing softball, running, travelling and reading. Caroline has also done work with the charity, Movember Canada, in Toronto. She believes it is important to find a balance between learning, athletics and helping others, and looks forward to her year at Collingwood and getting to know the students.
VIRGINIA HUDSON, B.a., B.ed. Virginia graduated from Concordia University in Montreal where she completed her Bachelor of Arts in History and Environmental Geography. Her love of the outdoors drew her to outdoor education and she has worked with the Centre for Urban Ecology in Toronto, the Museum of Nature in Ottawa, and Eco-Adventure Camps with Mount Seymour. Her interest in outdoor pursuits and education brought her to Vancouver where she completed her Bachelor of Education at the University of British Columbia. She can be found cycling, hiking or skiing in her spare time. She hopes to foster and inspire a love for active and healthy lifestyles for her students at Wentworth. 14
new staff 2013
Left:Right Samantha Johnson, Lisa Humphries, Katie Schmidt, Virginia Hudson, Timber Monteith, Bridget Couture, Meaghan Harder, Keleigh MacKinnon
SAMANTHA JOHNSON, B.MUS., B.ED. Samantha graduated from the University of British Columbia where she completed her Bachelor of Music and Bachelor of Education. She grew up in Coquitlam and was involved in a musical theatre program both as a performer and an instructor. She was also an avid member of her middle school and high school music programs. She has taught private voice lessons for over 10 years. Samantha is excited her year at newforfaculty-wentworth Collingwood and looks forward to working with such fantastic teachers and students.
lisa humphries, B.Sc., B.Ed. Lisa Humphries became part of the Collingwood community in 2001 as an Explore teacher. She then moved into the classroom as a Grade 6 teacher, followed by a few years teaching Grade 3-5 Math and finally Grade 4. In 2013, she became part of the Learning Resource Department, working with students in Grades 1-5. Lisa has a Bachelor of Science from the University of Victoria and a Bachelor of Education from UBC. She also has training in the Orton-Gillingham approach to teaching and tutoring. When not in the classroom, Lisa can be found adventuring in the great outdoors.
KATIE SCHMIDT, B.A., B.ED. Katie grew up on Vancouver Island and completed the French Immersion program. She went on to study at the University of British Columbia where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Linguistics. During her time at UBC she went on exchange to Lyon, France. Motivated by a keen interest in how children learn language, Katie went on to complete a Masters in Child Studies and Education from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto where, in addition to gaining her teaching certification, she conducted research on children’s early writing abilities. Katie enjoys running, riding her bike and hiking. She is very excited to be a part of the Collingwood community.
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new staff 2013 TIMBER MONTEITH, B.A., B.ED, M.A. Timber taught elementary school in the North Vancouver school district for five years before beginning an 11-year adventure overseas. He taught 5th grade in Cairo, Egypt for three years, then moved to China where he worked at Shanghai American School. Here Timber taught 5th grade before moving into a middle school counseling position. He is passionate about helping students reach their personal and academic potential. In his spare time, Timber likes to run, play softball & volleyball, and read biographies. Timber has heard great things about Collingwood, and is looking forward to being part of the dynamic school community.
BRIDGET COUTURE, B.A., B.ED, M.ED. Bridget graduated from Simon Fraser University where she completed her Bachelor of Arts and then went on to complete her B. Ed. in the elementary program from the University of British Columbia. In addition, she has received a Masters of Education in Imaginative Education with a focus on French as a second language. Her love for languages and travel has taken her to many places over the years including Australia and Quebec. A highlight was meeting Bonhomme during the Quebec Winter Carnival and visiting the famous ice hotel. She looks forward to her year at Collingwood, getting to know the students and sharing her joie de vivre.
keleigh mackinnon, b.a., b.ed. Keleigh received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Mount Allison University and a Bachelor of Education from Queen’s University. After spending time teaching in Japan and Australia, Keleigh returned to the East Coast to teach in Halifax. She gained a great deal of experience supply teaching in Learning Centres/resource, in addition to classroom teaching. Keleigh’s love of travel spurred her to move from one coast to the other and last fall she found herself at Collingwood working as a Grade 1 Associate Faculty. Keleigh is eager to put her Special Education experience into action in her Learning Support role. Keleigh also has a love of dance, drama, and music and looks forward to sharing these interests with her students.
SHARON KEMBLE, B.sc., b.ed. Sharon has been teaching for over 20 years between Victoria and Vancouver. Her passion lies in teaching math and science to students who need more support in their learning. Outside of the classroom, Sharon is an avid cyclist, photographer and lover of all things creative. She spends much of her spare time enjoying camping and hiking, and wandering with her camera. Sharon loves to travel and has recently moved back to Canada from Barcelona and Florence, where she had been working and traveling.
katrina tucker, b.ed. Katrina came to Vancouver from Australia five years ago having decided to travel the world for one year. She enjoyed Vancouver so much that she decided to stay. She previously worked part-time at Collingwood, and is back this year teaching Physical Education, coaching Cross Country and Track and Field full time. When she is not at school Katrina can be found swimming, biking and running, and just completed her 3rd Ironman competition in Whistler this year. She looks forward to getting to know the students, and working with the dynamic PE department and staff at Wentworth again.
returning faculty Collingwood welcomes back Sam Marriott and David Hughes from a short leave, Laurie Geddies from maternity leave, and Courtenay Spencer from completing her Masters in Artist Teachers and Contemporary Practices at Goldsmiths University of London.
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UNIVERSITY INFORMATION EVENINGS CANADIAN APPLICATION INFORMATION SESSION WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 2nd / 6:30pm- 8:00pm / LECTURE THEATRE, MORVEN CAMPUS Families and students considering applications to Canadian universities are encouraged to attend this information session. Topics will include an overview of the major Canadian universities, the application process, academic requirements and student finances.
CANADIAN UNIVERSITIES EVENT THURSDAY, OCTOBER 3rd / 6:30pm-8:00pm / Rockridge The Canadian Universities Event is a great opportunity for students in Grades 10-12 to gather information and ask any questions they may have directly to any of the universities in attendance. Parents are welcome to attend this event.
ALL PARENTS AND STUDENTS IN GRADES 9 TO 12 ARE INVITED TO ATTEND THESE IMPORTANT FALL EVENTS, HOSTED BY UNIVERSITY GUIDANCE
GET READY, GET INFORMED!
upcoming events • • • • • • •
Canadian Application Information Session- 10/02 Canadian Universities Event- 10/03 First House Sports Day at Swangard- 10/04 Gr.6 Camp Summit- 10/01-10/04 Thanksgiving, School Closed- 10/14 Province-wide ProD Day- 10/25 Parents’ Council Family & Friends Carnival- 11/16
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a collingwood education
priceless