September 2011 Mini Gryphon

Vo lum e 3 Is s u e 1

Septe m b e r 20 1 1

THANKS FOR A GR EAT START TO THE SCHOOL YEAR!

IN T HIS ISSUE :

A STELLAR SEPTEMBER!

With an abundance of events for ever y grade to enjoy, September has set the s tage for a great year ahead. From the W WoW trips to Wild Play, Barker ville, Loon Lake, Bamf ield, Camp Summit, and Voyageur Adventures to Spirit Day, the Welcome Back Fair and the grand opening of the Gym C and the bouldering wall, s tudents, s taf f and families have ever y reason to be excited to be back. Have a look at pages 8 to 11 for photographs from some of our events.

From the Headmaster

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Annual Giving Update

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Athletics at Meadowridge

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People Making a Difference

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Gryphon Council Update

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Picture Gallery

10

General School News

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PYP Update

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Enrolment and Admissions Update

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Student Achievements

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Tech Talk

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News from the Parent Guild

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Headmaster’s Blog

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Meadowr idge Schoo l

Page 2 | SEPTEMBER 2011

FROM T HE HE A DM A ST ER . . .

The year began well at the school.

There were, as always, many details to work through, and timetables to sor t out, and the usual bits and pieces that take up time at the s tar t of a school year, and can cause some angs t and uncer tainty until things set tle down. The larger picture was a ver y good one, however: a record enrolment, great new s tudents joining our great continuing ones, refreshed teachers meeting some wonder ful new colleagues, and a spirit of goodwill that has carried us through the vicissitudes of the s tar t of a new year.

We begin the year with a number of renovated classrooms, new furnishings in many rooms, a new exercise room with a bouldering wall, new sk ylights to replace the old ones (which had s tar ted to leak), new gym s torage and of f ices, a redesigned entr y to the House, and much new technology and many books for the librar y, as well as new science equipment (for the Diploma Program) and a new piano! We have much to be thankful for…and the people whom we should thank are the families who gave

to Annual Giving, the Gala, and the Golf Tournament. They have paid for all of the ex tras in the school from which all of our children will benef it. This year, when the lis ts of donors go out, please take the time to note these people, and to perhaps thank them. It is not so much the size of their donation that mat ters, but rather the ges ture of suppor t which means so much. Las t year, over half of the families of the school donated, for which I am ver y grateful.

This year, we are a candidate school for the Diploma Program, and we expect a visiting inspection team in October.

These people are here to ensure that we are ready to of fer a Diploma program, and so earn accreditation. We expect this accreditation to go well. When that is over, we will join a community of about 180 schools in the world that of fer only IB programs from JK-grade 12. Even fewer have additional accreditations, such as our accreditation from CAIS. We will be fully linked into the network of both national and international schools, and will be a leader amongs t them.

Congratulations to all!

A ref lection: When our kids in grade ten went to Barker ville las t week, a s taf f member took a teacher aside, and told her that our school was consis tently the favourite school of the group up there – for their sense of fun, their behaviour, their respect fulness, and so on. We get these kinds of comments from Ar t Galleries, Museums, and a hos t of other sites. We can be jus tly proud of our kids…

Thanks to ever yone who organized or at tended las t week’s Welcome Back Fair. It was a day of sunshine, fun, and par ticipation, highlighted by the food concessions set up by parents, and by the opening of Gym C. It was a great s tar t to the year!

- Mr. Hugh Burke, Headmas ter

Page 3 | SEPTEMBER 2011

Las t year you helped us IMAGINE. This year, please help us DESIGN t he nex t 25 year s.

A N N U A L G I V I N G U P D AT E WHY INVEST IN MEADOWR IDGE Someone recently asked me to think about an organization in which I’m invested. For me that was easy “Meadowridge School”, I said. He asked me to tell him what around it encourages me and gives me conf idence about what might be possible for that organization in the future. It surprised me how quickly I was able to answer that question too: “Well, we have a long-standing, visionar y Headmaster, we have a great program and we know our children are wellbalanced and happy. We have a bold vision for the future of our school and we have wonder ful teachers who are experienced and who care about our children. We are fully accredited as an IB World School and we are a member of CAI+S, FISA, and ISABC. Our grade 12 students leave Meadowridge each year with the conf idence to pursue their

dreams. We have a diverse cultural, ethnic and religious community, where ever yone feels welcome. There are no insurmountable obstacles to moving for ward with our vision and we have no major competition. We have a kind and caring community of students, teachers, parents and staff, and that culture of caring is becoming our hallmark, people feel it when they come through our doors.

Maple Ridge is growing in size, accessibility and aff luence. We still have the option to buy land, we have the oppor tunity to build endowment, we have the oppor tunity to grow in numbers, and we even have the option to expand our facilities. We have a dedicated Advancement team who are qualif ied to meet the needs of our families and investors…”

He said that this was quite a compelling answer.

When you receive your Annual Giving Campaign brochure in the mail nex t month, and you ask yourself, “Why should I invest in this”, you are welcome to copy my answer, although I am sure you will surprise yourself in how easily you can come up with a list of great reasons, just as fast.

I thank ever ybody who has already suppor ted us this year.

The Annual Giving Committee will be holding its f irst meeting of the year on Thursday, October 6th at 7:00 PM. You are welcome to join us. If you’d like to f ind out more about this campaign or how you can invest in Meadowridge, please give me a call at 604-476-3043.

- Ms. Lyn Tyler Director of Development

Gy m C in use by a PYP g y m cl a s s . Gy m C n o t o nl y h a s a b o u ld e r in g w all , b u t a f u ll w all mir r o r fo r d a n ce , e xe r ci s e a n d ot her ac t ivi t ies.

Pic tures of s tudent s usin g f u r ni t u re a n d e q u ip m e n t ma d e p o s s ibl e by A n n u al Gi v in g .

Meadowr idge Schoo l

Page 4 | SEPTEMBER 2011

AT H L E T I C S a t M E A D O W R I D G E A review was conducted of athletics at Meadowridge by a commit tee that was formed with the interes ts of all spor ts and grade levels. Following the recommendations of this commit tee, we have moved ahead with changes to our athletics program that we hope will improve our focus and success, while s till giving both genders a number of options in all seasons.

In the Fall, the Grade 4-7 girls will focus on volleyball, rather than be split between both volleyball and soccer.

Rather than dividing up our athletes into two spor ts we have two levels of volleyball competition available. This has several benef its, mos t signif icantly a s tronger volleyball team. Meadowridge will par ticipate in the local public league and also the Independent Schools Athletic

Association league (ISEA). The coaches will be able to combine their k nowledge, energy and resources, as well as have a larger pool of experienced players entering the Junior and Senior teams.

The Senior (Grade 8-12) girls soccer team will not continue. This is due to the fact that players coming into their senior year will not have a development period from their junior year, because of the focus on volleyball. The Grade 8-12 girls’ spring soccer season is also the busies t time for IB s tudents. This would put the greates t demands on our mos t experienced, and often s tronges t players. For girls that are interes ted in continuing with soccer it is a great community spor t, with levels of play and oppor tunities available across all areas of the lower mainland and Fraser Valley.

In the spring the focus spor t is badminton.

For those who would like to s tay competitive in school athletics, we will also be of fering track and f ield. Typically there is not a conf lict between being involved in both track and f ield and badminton. This due mos tly to the fact that neither are a large team spor t, as is typical in the fall and winter seasons with volleyball, soccer and basketball.

The Grade 6/7 rugby team will not continue as there are already several options available to s tudents. In the spring there are the previously mentioned options of badminton and track and f ield for athletic options. With the Grade 6/7 rugby team no longer continuing, we have decided to open up badminton to the Grade 6 and 7’s. This will also allow fur ther development prior to high school competition.

The Grade 3-7 swim team will not practice during the altered club time as has happened in previous school years. So the actual team practice times will be reduced.

As swimming is an individual spor t and many s tudents par ticipate outside of school on club teams, we will continue to par ticipate in the two or three swim competitions available to us through the ISEA. We will require s tudents to train on their own with their outside clubs.

With a reduced number of teams we are able to assign more coaches to the remaining teams to work with more players. More specialization can occur and a greater focus can be given by the coaches.

If you would like to meet and talk about athletics in more detail please contact Mr. Scot t Spurgeon (scot t.spurgeon@ meadowridge.bc.ca).

Page 5 | SEPTEMBER 2011

Las t year you helped us IMAGINE. This year, please help us DESIGN t he nex t 25 year s.

SPORTS OFFER ED AT ME A D OW R IDGE FOR THE 2011-2012 ATHLETIC YEAR: GIRLS VOLLEYBALL

FENCING CLUB

(September to early November)

This will be offered every Friday after school from late September.

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Grade 4/5 Girls Intramurals (during lunch hour) with three game dates

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Grade 6/7 Girls ISEA and Local (two levels of play)

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Junior (Grade 8-10) Girls – GVISAA league

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Senior (Grade 11/12) Girls – GVISAA league

FITNESS CLUB This is being of fered year round by a number of s taf f members at various times throughout the week, including before school, noon and after school. The options include circuit training, pilates, yoga, TR X suspension training, s trength training, etc.

BOYS SOCCER (September to early November) •

Grade 4/5 Boys ISEA – ISEA league

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Grade 6/7 Boys ISEA – ISEA league

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Senior (Grade 8-12) Boys – GVISAA league and fraser valley playof f oppor tunity leading to provincials

BASKETBALL (November to early March)

RUNNING CLUB

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Grade 4/5 Boys and Girls Intramurals (during lunch hour)

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Grade 6/7 Girls - Local and ISEA (two levels of play)

Training is scheduled year round twice a week on Monday and Thursday. The f irs t session begins in September.

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Grade 6/7 Boys Local and ISEA (two levels of play)

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Junior (Grade 8-10) Girls – GVISAA league and Fraser Valley Playof f oppor tunity leading to provincials

Any Grade 11/12 Girls Basketball players will practice with the Junior Girls and some exhibition games will be booked. It is not expected we will have enough players for an exclusive senior team in 2011-2012.

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Junior (Grade 8-10) Boys

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Senior (Grade 11/12) Boys

BADMINTON CLUB

Grade 6-12

(Januar y to June) Players are given the oppor tunity to train with an outside group of elite coaches that we bring in from Shut tle Spor ts.

Some practices may begin earlier than Januar y as scheduling allows. The competitive season is after Spring Break and ends in May with the oppor tunity to play in a number of dif ferent leagues and go as far as provincials.

ELEMENTARY CROSS COUNTRY Fall and Spring practices at lunch time plus about 4 meets.

ELEMENTARY/SECONDARY TR ACK and FIELD (March-June) GVISAA and Fraser Valley Meets with the oppor tunity to qualif y for provincials.

PYP GOLF (April-June) This is an exhibition season that will involve a f inal invitational tournament with other schools.

SENIOR GOLF TEAM (Grade 8-12 competing in the spring) This will be a small group of dedicated players who are practicing on their own. It also requires at leas t one parent to be involved.

SWIMMING Grade 3-7 (ISEA meets in the winter) Athletes will need to prepare with their own clubs as our own practice time is limited.

WATER POLO Grade 8-12 The tournament is usually in early April and we will likely have some lead up matches and practice sessions together to prepare as a team. Players generally practice with their own club teams, but some new players with a swimming background are usually involved as well.

Meadowr idge Schoo l

Page 6 | SEPTEMBER 2011

PEOPLE M A K ING A DIF FER ENCE MRS. EILEEN K AR MALI

“People probably don’t k now that I sell eggs at the farmer’s market on Saturdays.

There are any where between 60 and 100 birds at any one time on the proper ty and we can have had up to 50 chicks living in the house. Until they are fully feathered, they cannot go outside” says Eileen. Raising chickens is a family af fair for the Karmali Family.

“Ever yone in the family is responsible for helping. My husband does the feeding and watering, I clean the coops and the children collect the eggs. The children help at the market on Saturdays and if they make a sale, they get 50 cents for ever y dozen. There are great skills to be learned selling a dozen eggs.”

Meadow r idge School is for tuna te to ha ve a communi t y of wonder ful Individuals w ho help our school to thr ive through their generosi t y and subs tantive wor k. We are gra teful to so many for their ongoing suppor t and contr ibu tions. This year we would like to showcase some of your fellow communi t y member s w ho make i t a pr ior i t y to give back and make a dif ference.

“Life is a watershed. It jus t keeps coming”, says Eileen. “There is no time to sit. You need to keep going on to the nex t thing.”

Vancouver and raised in Pit t Meadows, Eileen at tended local elementar y and secondar y schools.

And so begins my chat with Eileen Karmali. She is a proud Mom of three Meadowridge s tudents – Zain, Grade 7, Inara, Grade 5, Imran, Grade 4 - and wife to local physician Dr. Al-karim Karmali.

She wanted a place

Having the oppor tunity to sit down with Eileen is a pleasure, but jus t thinking about what she does in a day is an exhaus ting thought. Eileen describes herself as frank, hones t, outspoken and passionate. But a woman so busy and accomplished would need to be all of those things. There wouldn’t be time to mince words. What came as a surprise, though, is that Eileen can drive a tractor too!

nex t s tep and embedded

She grew up on a farm in Pit t Meadows with three younger siblings. Born in

w here univer si t y was considered the na tural progression – i t was the in the cul ture.

“We spent a lot of time watching my brother play hockey. Sometimes there were upwards of 90 hockey games a year. I took a bus to school but walked home. If I wanted to par ticipate in afterschool activities, it was up to me to work out how to get home. My mother was often heard saying, “Star t walking” So I walked. Of course, when you got home there were farm chores too.”

“All of my children were born on a Tuesday and I was back to work by Thursday. I grew up on a farm so you worked hard. We had cows.” Eileen pauses, “Yes, I can milk a cow”. “We had pigs, chinchillas and rabbits. It’s ironic, but the one thing we didn’t have was chickens and now I’m surrounded by them.”

She continues, “When I was growing up there wasn’t an expectation that you would go to university. It wasn’t a par t of the culture of the school. You left high school and went on to work to suppor t yourself. Usually people went on to Over waitea – it was a good job for mos t.

I worked in the Sears catalogue of f ice.

After a few years of that though, you realize that if you want more, you need to go back to school.”

Eileen worked as a clerk at Ridge Meadows Hospital to help pay for university. She s tudied Pharmacy but had dreams of becoming a dentis t. The world had other plans for her though. The hospital is where she met her husband.

He convinced her that business would be of benef it to her so he sugges ted real es tate. “That’s when I tried my hand as a Real Es tate Agent for Realty World” she says. The clerical skills, business acumen

Page 7 | SEPTEMBER 2011

and work ethic necessar y to balance school and day to day in a busy hospital came in handy when she ended up managing the medical practice.

When asked about what brought her to Meadowridge, Eileen says it was a

I t’s incredibly sa tis f ying to help and I feel i t is a cor ner s tone to my life – to give back – to contr ibu te, not to consume. You can’t jus t pay tui tion and walk a way. I don’t believe tha t you can jus t take and not give something back. few things. “I had a three-year old who had a mind of her own when it came to dressing. That was a s truggle. The uniform and pinafore for the girls was ver y appealing for that reason alone” she laughs.

Eileen and her husband wanted a school where their children’s mixed ethnic background and non-wes ternized names would be accepted. She didn’t want them to feel dif ferent. She wanted a place where university was considered the natural progression – it was the nex t s tep and embedded in the culture.

Working in the medical community, there were positive references but mos t of their peers had chosen French Immersion.

“That wasn’t an option for me. I did not speak French and didn’t k now how I was going to suppor t my children in learning the language. That’s impor tant.

There needs to be a team approach to education. It’s not jus t up to the school.”

Eileen continued, “It was also impor tant to us that we s tay in Maple Ridge. This community has been good to us, we wor k here, and we wanted to educate our children here.”

Las t year you helped us IMAGINE. This year, please help us DESIGN t he nex t 25 year s.

I asked about the things that make Eileen happy. Aside from the obvious answer of family, Eileen brightens and says, “Gardening – I love the creative aspect – you can see the possibility!” Explaining fur ther she says, “Another fact people wouldn’t k now about me is that I am a Mas ter Gardener. I have a Cer tif icate in Design from UBC. I would love to see the school focus on sus tainability. There is so much to learn from the living, growing, tangible par ts of planting something.”

It’s hard to imagine that a person as busy as Eileen can s till make time to suppor t the school through volunteering on a multitude of commit tees and for dif ferent one-of f tasks. But she does and always with enthusiasm and thought fulness…

Golf, Gala, Annual Giving, Grade Rep and helping with the Grandparents Luncheon, driving for f ield trips and a multitude of other activities. The Karmali Family also makes it a priority to give f inancially to these events and initiatives including the las t Capital Campaign.

“It’s incredibly satisf ying to help and I feel it is a corners tone to my life – to give back – to contribute, not to consume. You can’t jus t pay tuition and walk away. I don’t believe that you can jus t take and not give something back.” But surely, one or two things would be suf f icient.

Why so many activities? Eileen says she appreciates the interconnectedness of the groups in the school and how impor tant it was for her to ser ve on multiple commit tees.

“To be more ef fective and to legitimize my plat form, so to speak, I had to learn all that I could. A year and a half ago I did not k now what Annual Giving was all about. If you are ser ving and can speak with comfor t and conf idence about school mat ters, it gives what you have to say more weight.” She says she will always s tay involved as long as it doesn’t s top others from s tepping up. “We always need fresh ideas. As long as I have something to contribute, I will help, but you can’t be closed to new people and perspectives.”

“I think the Grade 6 – 10, MYP conf iguration is great. There is enough exposure to older s tudents, leadership oppor tunities are available, mentoring and the transition between what is traditionally elementar y and secondar y school is natural. There isn’t a problem and you don’t have to worr y. It is par t of the culture. You don’t have the same angs t about the courses your child will take, will the school be right for me and my children – you k now what is coming and what is expected.”

Las t year all three children played soccer, Zain and Imran were involved in hockey, they were in swimming, ball hockey, track and f ield and water polo. “We’re cut ting back a bit this year though. It’s impor tant

to encourage friendships outside the school. Meadowridge is a safe place but we feel it is impor tant to interact with all sor ts of people and be aware of other value sys tems. The children will always be involved in community activities too.”

Drawing our meeting to an end, Eileen jumps up and says, “Well, I have to go. I have eight, 12 year olds coming over to our house for a par ty.”

And then she was of f to help makes things a bit easier, a bit brighter, for someone else.

- Ms. Chris tine Bickle Director of Advancement

Meadowr idge Schoo l

Page 8 | SEPTEMBER 2011

G R Y P H O N CO U N C I L U P D AT E

On September 9, 2011 the Meadowridge School Senior Gr yphon Council hos ted the f irs t Spirit Day of the year! With all the s tudents showing house spirit it was a major success.

Face painting and cheering competitions, relays, Minesweeper, Reach for the Top and much more were some of the fantas tic events the s tudents par ticipated in. With all four houses competing to the bes t of their ability the f inal point s tandings were ver y close.

The Fraser Falcons f inished in f irs t with 2984 points, closely followed by the Kanaka Kodiaks with 2980 points. The Alouet te Alligators came in third with 2870 points followed by the Whonnock Dragons with 2799 points. Spirit Day isn’t always about who accumulates the mos t house points, as awards are also given for the Mos t Spirited and Mos t Spor tsmanlike house. This Spirit Day, Kanaka house won both of these awards!

The “Like the Gr yphon Council Page” has also come to a close and Kanaka came in f irs t with 32 “Likes”, Alouet te with 29, Fraser with 28 and Whonnock with 25.

Because of this, Kanaka and Fraser are tied for f irs t place with 3012 points!

Alouet te is now in third with 2899 points, followed by Whonnock with 2824 points.

As some s tudents have returned and some s tudents are s till going on their W WOW trips, there will be many more points to add to these totals, so f irs t place could change soon!

UPCOMING EVENTS Quickly approaching is this year’s Terr y Fox Run! The run will take place in the afternoon of September 30 rain or shine.

The Two Toonies for Terr y collections have now begun and will continue after the run.

Grade 5 s tudents and under, please give your donations to your homeroom teachers and grades 6-12 go to your block A teachers. It’s for a great cause and ever yone should come out, par ticipate and have a great time.

Keep looking at your e-mail and watch for pos ters about upcoming events that the Gr yphon Council will be put ting on in the coming months!

-Tyler Goudal, Media Gr yphon

Page 9 | SEPTEMBER 2011

Las t year you helped us IMAGINE. This year, please help us DESIGN t he nex t 25 year s.

Meadowr idge Schoo l

Page 10 | SEPTEMBER 2011

W E LCO M E B A C K FA I R P I C T U R E S On Saturday, September 10 Meadowridge welcomed ever yone back to school with bouncy cas tles, cot ton candy, face painting, and horseback riding! Have a look at some pictures of this fun event below.

Page 11 | SEPTEMBER 2011

Las t year you helped us IMAGINE. This year, please help us DESIGN t he nex t 25 year s.

Meadowr idge Schoo l

Page 1 2 | SEPTEMBER 2011

GENER A L SCHO OL NE W S CO-CUR R ICU L A R FAQ s 1. What are the intents of the co-cur r icular clubs?

Students have a wide range of oppor tunities to learn new skills and to pursue personal interes ts in the company of friends and classmates, outside of class time.

Having this new format with three or more co-curricular time slots, allows s tudents to have greater options for activities, and teachers/coaches to have more access to the school’s facilities and resources (i.e. gym space, theater, spor ts f ields, librar y, and classrooms).

2. What are the scheduled times for the co-curricular blocks?

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Co-curricular Block One: 12:25 to 1:05 (single block)

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Co-curricular Block Two: 1:05 to 1:45 (single block)

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Co-curricular Block Three: 3:45 to 5:05 (double block)

There may be some morning, and possibly evening and weekend meetings or practices as well, which will be arranged by the sponsor teachers or coaches.

3. When do the Grade 6/7 and Grade 8-1 2 s tudents meet for homeroom?

Grade 6/7 s tudents meet on Mondays on a weekly basis during co-curricular block two.

Grades 8-12 s tudents meet on Mondays ever y two weeks during co-curricular block two, beginning nex t Monday on September 26.

4. How do we k now w hich clubs we are in? I may ha ve forgot ten the ones for w hich I signed up.

Ms. Lewis has wor ked hard to enter all this information. The lis ts will be provided to the teachers, and copies will be pos ted in the theater/cafeteria bulletin boards.

Teachers and s tudents will be provided updated information via e-mail if there are any additions or changes to their cocurricular club lis ts.

5. If we sign up for co-cur r icular clubs, do we ac tually get t ime to eat our lunch and to relax?

Yes! Students will eat their lunch during the f irs t co-curricular block (12:25 to 1:05), unless they have a club during this time.

In this case, s tudents are expected to have their lunch in the cafeteria during the second co-curricular block (1:05 to 1:45).

In other words, s tudents will eat their lunch in either of the two co-curricular blocks, depending on when they have an oppor tunity to do so.

Impor tant Clarif ication: Unless s tudents are signed up for a co-curricular club that spans both sessions, s tudents should not be in two noon hour co-curricular blocks on any given day. One of the co-curricular blocks should be reser ved for their lunch

time. If this is the scenario for any of the s tudents, we ask the s tudents (with the suppor t from their homeroom teacher) to withdraw from one of the two-curricular blocks.

6. Are we ex pec ted to sign up for both co-cur r icular block one and t wo in the after noon?

No. It is bes t for s tudents to sign up for an activity during Co-curricular block one or co-curricular block two (not both sessions).

If there is a club that takes place over both noon hour cocurricular blocks, then the expectation is for the s tudents to take their lunch to this club, and to eat at the s tar t of the club or towards the end. Eating time will be built into this double cocurricular block.

7. When do we get to play outside and to socialize wi th our fr iends?

Lunch hour will take place as usual during co-curricular block one (12:25 to 1:05).

Students who do not have a club during co-curricular block two will meet in a designated area with teacher super visors present.

For the time being, this super vised area will be in the cafeteria, where s tudents can work on their homework/group projects or read for pleasure.

In the near future, we will be looking at the possibility of expanding the super vised areas in co-curricular block two to include other areas, such as the librar y, back f ield, atrium, and designated classrooms.

8. Are we ex pec ted to s tay in the same co-cur r icular clubs for the ent ire school year?

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Some co-curricular clubs will end at the end of a season (e.g. team spor ts).

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Other clubs will either end at Semes ter One or will run the entire year.

Page 13 | SEPTEMBER 2011

Las t year you helped us IMAGINE. This year, please help us DESIGN t he nex t 25 year s.

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A few co-curricular clubs begin at the s tar t of Semes ter Two.

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Students will have the option to change clubs at the end of a season or to join another club at the s tar t of Semes ter Two.

9. If we don’t like a par t icular co-cur r icular club, are we per mi t ted to s wi tch to another one?

Students are to choose their co-curricular clubs carefully. Unless there is good reason for changes, s tudents are expected to commit to their clubs until the end of a season or semes ter.

10. Will there be a ‘late bus’ a vailable for s tudents tak ing par t in the after-school co-cur r icular block?

On mos t days, there will be a ‘late bus’ available for s tudents who are heading into the Coquitlam area.

In addition, there will be a ‘Voice, Movement, Relaxation’ club being of fered to the grade 9 to 12 s tudents by Ms. Els ted.

Changes will be permit ted to sign up for these two new clubs.

15. I ha ve some ideas for co-cur r icular clubs w hich are not of fered. Is there a possibili t y of s tar t ing up some new clubs?

Yes! Send Mr. Jung an e-mail at tjung@meadowridge.bc.ca with your proposal.

16. Whom do we contac t if we ha ve more ques t ions?

Please see Mr. Jung when you have some time. He will be more than happy to meet with you.

If there are enough s tudents who sign up at the front of f ice on a par ticular day, a ‘late bus’ will also be available for those who are travelling eas t to Mission or south to Langley/Surrey. There needs to be enough s tudents taking the bus to book one.

All s tudents taking the ‘late bus’ mus t sign up at the of f ice by 2:00 of that day.

11. In previous year s, the grade 1 2 s tudents were per mi t ted to lea ve campus dur ing lunch hour for f ive days out of the week. Why are we get t ing less t ime this year?

The goal of our co-curricular program is for all of our MYP/GP s tudents to be involved, which includes our grade 12 s tudents.

Hopefully, the additional 20 minutes of f campus for lunch, during three out of the f ive lunch hours per week, will be of benef it.

12. Are s tudents per mi t ted to lea ve the school grounds after-school, and to retur n on the same day for a school ac t ivi t y or to r ide on the ‘late bus’?

No. Once s tudents leave the school grounds after school, they are no longer a par t of the co-curricular program for that day.

This means that the school is no longer responsible for the s tudents once they leave campus after school.

13. What if there are too many s tudents in a par t icular club, and this is causing the club not to func t ion ef fec t ively?

Option One: The sponsor teacher divides the large group into two smaller groups, and these two groups alternate weeks.

Option Two: The sponsor teacher divides the large group into two smaller groups. The f irs t group will take par t in Semes ter One only, and the second group, during Semes ter two only.

Students not having a co-curricular block during a par ticular week or semes ter will now have their lunch during co-curricular block one or super vised time in the cafeteria during cocurricular block two.

14. Are there any new co-cur r icular clubs that will be s tar t ing soon?

Yes! We are currently wor king out the details to see if a Wall Climbing Club can be of fered soon.

CR IMINAL R ECOR D SEARCH FOR VOLUN T EER S NEEDED Meadowridge recognizes that at various times of the year, parents are reques ted to volunteer and/or super vise at a variety of school based activities. Risk assessment management plays a role in all of these activities.

In order to minimize risk, we will be asking parents who super vise over-night f ield trips or volunteer on a regular basis and are left alone with children, to undergo a criminal record search.

The process will be managed by Mrs. Kalie Whitaker, our Director of Human Resources and takes a few weeks to complete.

Should you have any questions or concerns, please contact Mrs. Whitaker at 604-476-3042 or kalie.whitaker@meadowridge.bc.ca.

Meadowr idge Schoo l

Page 14 | SEPTEMBER 2011

P Y P U P D AT E News f r o m t h e Dire c to r of A cademics (PYP) Dear PYP Parents: All grades in PYP (JK to Grade 5) are well into their f irs t Unit of Inquir y for 2010-11.

To help you unders tand the complexity of our units of inquir y, I have added some frequently asked ques tions and answers.

1. Why is the IB Learner Prof ile so impor tant?

“The beliefs and values of the PYP are represented in the form of the IB Learner Prof ile. This prof ile lis ts, as at tributes, the learning outcomes of the curriculum and focuses at tention on the fact that s tudent learning is the purpose of schools.

The IB Learner Prof ile also represents a synthesis of the essential elements of the PYP. Throughout the primar y years, the s tudents engage in s tructured inquir y that synthesizes k nowledge, concepts, skills, at titudes and action. In doing so, they develop the at tributes described

in the Learner Prof ile. This Learner Prof ile provides power ful goals that ser ve learning across all areas of the curriculum.” (from Making PYP Happen)

2.What is the inquir y?

Inquir y is the pedagogical approach to teaching and learning that involves the learners asking ques tions, seeking answers and cons tructing meaning. This approach is ver y s tudent-centred with teachers being facilitators of learning, rather than merely delivering k nowledge and unders tandings. Within PYP, teachers s tructure the collaborative learning experiences, and s tudents work in groups and individually on a variety of tasks.

The process of learning is emphasized and valued more than the products of learning.

3. What are s tudents doing in an inquir y-based classroom?

•

Exploring, wondering and ques tioning

•

Experimenting and playing with possibilities

•

Making connections between previous learning and current learning

•

Making predictions and acting purposefully to see what happens

•

Collecting data and repor ting f indings

•

Clarif ying exis ting ideas and reappraising perceptions of events

•

Deepening unders tanding through the application of a concept

•

Making and tes ting theories

•

Researching and seeking information

•

Taking and defending a position

•

Solving problems in a variety of ways

4. What are s tudents not doing so often in an inquir y-based classroom?

•

Memorizing information

•

Completing an abundance of worksheets

•

Using one tex tbook as their only source of k nowledge

•

Producing work which all looks the same

•

Working alone

•

Sit ting in rows facing the teacher

5. What is a Central Idea?

Central Ideas are the enduring unders tandings, the “big ideas,” the answer to the “so what?” of s tudy. The Central Idea is subs tantial enough to generate in-depth inquir y, and should challenge and ex tend s tudents’ prior k nowledge. It should be of global signif icance.

Page 15 | SEPTEMBER 2011

6. What are transdisciplinary themes?

There are six transdisciplinar y themes that def ine the human commonalities and are considered essential for a programme of international education. These themes:

Las t year you helped us IMAGINE. This year, please help us DESIGN t he nex t 25 year s.

•

Contribute to the common ground that unif ies the curriculums in all PYP schools.

The six themes in PYP are: •

Who we are

•

Have global signif icance for all s tudents in all cultures

•

Where we are in place and time

•

Of fer s tudents the oppor tunity to explore the commonalities of human experience

•

How we express ourselves

•

How the world works

•

How we organize ourselves

•

Sharing the planet

•

•

Are suppor ted by k nowledge, concepts and skills from the traditional subject areas but utilize them in ways that transcend the conf ines of these subjects, thereby contributing to a transdisciplinar y model of teaching and learning Will be revisi ted throughou t the s tudents’ year s of schooling, so tha t the end resul t is immer sion in broad-ranging, in-depth, ar ticula ted cur r iculum content

7. What are the essential elements of a transdisciplinar y unit of inquir y?

In PYP, teachers and s tudents are guided by the six transdisciplinar y themes as they design units of work for exploration and s tudy. Students explore subject areas through these themes, often in ways that transcend conventional subject boundaries. In the process, they develop

an unders tanding of impor tant concepts, acquire essential skills and k nowledge, develop par ticular at titudes and learn to take socially responsible action.

I will be emailing a synopsis of the unit of inquir y your child is currently working on.

If you have any inquiries, please ask your child, your child’s teacher or myself. For each of the units of inquir y this year, I will be sending you a brief synopsis similar to this. Look for the nex t emailing in mdiOctober.

Sincerely, Mr. Terr y Donaldson Academic Director (PYP) terr y.donaldson@meadowridge.bc.ca

One of t he many area s of o u r s c h o o l t h a t v i s u all y d i s p l a y s t h e d i f fe re n t IB Le a r n e r Pr of il e s .

Meadowr idge Schoo l

Page 16 | SEPTEMBER 2011

E N R O L M E N T a n d A D M I S S I O N S U P D AT E As an Alumnus of the school I can recall my f irst year in attendance and the transition that preceded it. Having experienced this f irst hand, I know that our returning students and their families make that transition as easy as possible for those who are new; For that I would like to thank you.

Your welcoming attitudes and open arms create a world of difference and make Meadowridge a sought after destination for the students and families joining us from other schools, cities and countries around the globe. Your pride in the school is evident and makes the work that we do not only easy but rewarding.

This year we are pleased to announce a record enrolment of 538 students throughout the entire school including new students at ever y level from Junior Kindergar ten to Grade 11. We would like to wish a ver y warm welcome to all of the 103 new students and 63 new families that recently joined our community and encourage their involvement in the many activities that take place during the year.

It was my pleasure to meet with these families and students throughout the application process and it is my hope that they thoroughly enjoy the f irst full year and those to follow. In addition I would like to welcome back all of those returning students and their families and hope that the f irst month back to school was an enjoyable one.

If you have any questions about Admissions, a need to know any other

information or would like to inquire on behalf of anyone for nex t year, feel free to drop by the Advancement off ices and have a conversation over a cup of coffee. We would love to hear from you.

I am looking for ward to another great year!

Regards, Mr. Daniel Le Page Director of Admissions and Alumni Relations

S T U D EN T ACHIE V EMEN TS R ICHAR D LAUR IE Grade 7 This summer Richard won a silver medal for his sprint in but ter f ly and earned a spot on the Canadian regional team for the f inal relay, which won a bronze medal.

Congratulations Richard!

DA NIK A KOTYLAK Grade 11 This summer Danika made the 1994 Canadian Youth National Water Polo Team, which is an accomplishment since she was born in 1995!

Danika spent two weeks in Montreal practicing six and half hours a day for tr youts and another two weeks when she made the team.

On Augus t 2nd Danika left for the Junior Pan American Games in Puer to Rico, where she competed agains t teams such as Puer to Rico, Brazil, USA and more.

The Canadian team went undefeated in the tournament, winning the gold medal game agains t the US by one goal, with a score of eight to seven. Way to go Danika!

Page 17 | SEPTEMBER 2011

Las t year you helped us IMAGINE. This year, please help us DESIGN t he nex t 25 year s.

T E C H TA L K Over the summer, Meadowridge School launched a new website. This new site is s till under development as we continue to add more information, a password protected parent por tal, an alumni por tal and more exciting features.

One new feature is an improved calendar. We hope the new calendar will help with communication of the many events that happen at Meadowridge. The calendars have been organized into groups: Academics (all academic events and Field Trips), Advancement, Fine Ar ts (all per formances and rehearsals), Key Dates (Adminis trative, Advancement, Alumni and Board events), School Closures (Parent/Teacher inter views, Pro-D, and holidays), Senior Gr yphon Council, and Athletics (All Meadowridge teams).

Another feature is the news section. This is where we will pos t news and bulletins about Meadowridge. There will be links to documents, schedule of events and other impor tant information pos ted here.

HOW TO USE THE CALENDAR

Please go to w w w.meadowridge.bc.ca. This will bring you to the home page. On the top right side, you will see “Quicklinks”.

Hover your mouse over this word and a menu will expand. Select “School Calendar” by clicking on it. By default the month view is displayed. On the right hand side of the screen a lis t of all the calendars are visible. Each calendar has a “+” symbol nex t to it.

By clicking on “+” the calendar expands, allowing you to choose which calendars to display. This collection of calendars, unlike the previous version, can link directly with your personal Outlook calendar, Google Calendar or almos t any other calendar that uses s tandard iCal or RSS feeds. By having the calendar feed your personal calendar, you will be able to bet ter keep track of all the events taking place at school because the information is continuously updated.

Hover over Quicklinks, located here.

Once at the calendar, only a few more clicks are required. Scroll a lit tle fur ther down and click on the rectangle “ICAL 2.0” depending on the type of calendar you want to link to you will have to choose XML or iCal. XML will link to: MyYahoo!, iGoogle, MyMSN and Windows Live. iCal will link to Google, iGoogle, and Outlook . Hover your mouse over XML or iCal, depending on the type of personal calendar you use, then select the type of calendar. You may receive a security warning, but it is safe to allow the link to open the program on your computer.

At any time of the year, you can add, delete or modif y your subscription. We hope this helps to inform ever yone of the events that occur at Meadowridge.

HOW TO USE THE NEWS SECTIONS

Please go to w w w.meadowridge.bc.ca. On the top right side you will see “Quicklinks”.

Hover your mouse over this word and a menu will expand. Select “School News” by clicking it. You will now be at the general school news page. By default all the school news for the current month is lis ted. If you wish to see the news from a pas t month, select the month and year from the “Date” drop down menu and click “Search”. If you want to f ind a cer tain news items, e.g. information about ordering tex tbooks, type any key words, e.g. tex tbooks, in the “Key words” section and click “Search”. Your results will appear. To read the news item click on the title.

Should you encounter any technical dif f iculties, please contact Mr. Niwa at patrick.niwa@meadowridge.bc.ca.

Meadowr idge Schoo l

Page 18 | SEPTEMBER 2011

N E W S F R O M T H E PA R E N T G U I L D The 2011-2012 school year is well under way. On behalf of the Meadowridge Parent Guild, I wish to ex tend a sincere welcome to all of our families, both those who are new to Meadowridge and those who are returning. The s tar t of ever y school year is always exciting for ever yone. Adjus ting to the challenges of school schedules, spor ting events and the multitude of other family activities is shared by each and ever y one of us.

All parents of Meadowridge s tudents are members of the Meadowridge Parent Guild. It is our intention to promote your par ticipation with the Guild through the year. It has been shown that the more

involved you become in the school, the more satisf ying your family’s experience at Meadowridge will be, therefore we encourage ever yone to become involved.

Please take the time to look through the Volunteer Oppor tunity Handbook to f ind oppor tunities that might f it your interes ts and the time you have available.

Even volunteering a lit tle here and there through the year would be mos t welcome.

Please make note that the Parent Guild AGM is scheduled for Wednesday October 12th, s tar ting at 7:00pm in the theatre.

During this meeting the decision is made as to how the grant money given to the Parent Guild by the BC Government will

be spent. The school will submit a wish lis t of items and it is up to the parents in our community to decide what we would prefer to fund. In addition, it is at this meeting that the Parent Guild executive is voted in. Please come out to the meeting to have your voices heard and par take in this truly democratic group.

I, for one, am looking for ward to another fabulous year at our school and to working with so many talented and wonder ful people who make up our unique Meadowridge Community.

- Mrs. Carolyn Treger Parent Guild Chair

Some of our wonder fu l M e a d o w r id g e p a re n t v o lu n t ee r s . Fo r v o lu n t e e r o pp o r t u ni t i e s , p l e a s e s e e t h e v o lu n t e e r h a n dbook.

I N F O R M AT I O N , R E M I N D E R S a n d U P CO M I N G E V E N T S Parent Guild AGM Date: Wednesday October 12, 2011

Time: 7:00pm s tar t

Location: Theatre

What: Agenda will include elections for the Guild executive as well as a vote on how to spend the grant money.

Unwrapped 2011 A Charitable Night of Shopping at Coquitlam Centre Fundraiser. More information can be found at Coquitlam Centre’s Unwrapped 2011 website: w w w.coquitlamcentre.com/unwrapped.

See the Mini Gr yphon inser t for how to order or email unwrapped@meadowridge.bc.ca.

Uniform Consignment Shop The Parent Guild would like to share information regarding the Uniform Consignment Shop where gently worn school uniform items can be purchased at a reduced cos t. The shop is open the f irs t Wednesday of the month (October 5th) 3:00pm – 4:00 pm, in the house (by the PYP entrance). For more information please go to the school’s website w w w.meadowridge.bc.ca/page.cfm?p=417 or contact Mrs. Jessie Hill by email at gr yphonsemporium@meadowridge.bc.ca.

Page 19 | SEPTEMBER 2011

Las t year you helped us IMAGINE. This year, please help us DESIGN t he nex t 25 year s.

H E A D M A S T E R ’ S B LO G meadow r idgeheadmas ter.wordpress.com

Cons tant inquir y is what we do, and it is through inquir y with others that we bes t learn, especially when guided by a skilled teacher.

Compu ter s become a tool like the other s – a tool tha t is used, bu t does not become the point of the exercise.

In my las t blog, I asked about what our kids spend time doing. The point is this: Digital communications are all around us, and the Net, television, and phones are ubiquitous. These ways of enter taining, communicating, and doing things all have their own advantages, but whatever we spend time doing is what we learn and get good at, and what we do not do is los t to us.

Mos tly, digitally based media do not require us to move much. Mos tly, it is f illed with dis traction, and the sor t of information that can be measured in bits and by tes: largely unedited. We become, in the words of T.S. Eliot, “Dis tracted from dis traction by dis traction”.

We want our children to be ver y good at digital media, and at technological ability, as these of fer many advantages. But we also want them to be good at, and learn, many things. Studies in neuroscience sugges t that we benef it from doing many things, and the more we do – in a subs tantive way – the smar ter we get.

Since we want our kids to be smar t, we of fer a course called “Design and Technology”, in which kids face problems for which they mus t design a solution.

Through a cons tant process of design,

and ref lection, and tr yout, and redesign, they learn about how to think through a challenge. They may have to design a device to hurl an egg a given dis tance – without breaking it. Or they might design a small barge that can carr y a tin can across a lake. Computers can help, or course, but computers cannot build their devices, or ref lect on them, or work collaboratively with others. Computers become a tool like the others – a tool that is used, but does not become the point of the exercise.

At our school, we will engage proper ly wi th technology, wi th an under s tanding of how

Our children can learn through computers, but real learning means actually doing something with other people. The current fad to depend on technology in order to s treamline learning has lit tle evidence to suppor t it; some schools are engaged in an experiment without controls, and with only a fuzzy idea of where they are headed. At our school, we will engage properly with technology, with an unders tanding of how technology is bes t used: when, where, and under what circums tances, whether hammer or laptop.

To facilitate this well-rounded sor t of education, we will be creating the means of applying technology: a woodshop, space and tools for gardening, materials for sewing, k nit ting and crocheting, science materials for f ieldwork, and so on. And we will be ensuring that these learning situations are enhanced by good teaching.

and under w ha t

In my nex t blog, let us consider teaching for the real world, and how teachers prepare for the sor t of meaningful teaching and learning that seems so impor tant.

circums tances, w hether

- Mr. Hugh Burke, Headmas ter

technology is bes t used: w hen, w here,

hammer or laptop.

Las t year, a teacher and a group of s tudents designed and built a workbench – to help them do the other things they needed. They could have watched a f ilm about workbenches, but a f ilm would not teach much.

READ MORE ONLINE...

For more blog pos ts and to read the nex t blog, visi t the Headmas ter`s Blog online a t: meadowridgeheadmas ter.wordpress.com

THANK YOU

to our Welcome Back Fair Sponsors and Volunteers!

Welcome B a c k Fair Ev e n t S p o n s o r s Day a t the Races: Lynch Bus Lines

Cot ton Candy: Expert Electric (The Brunetta Family)

Car ica tur is t: CJP Architects

Quar ter back Bli t z: Uniglory Trading (The Jang Family)

Phase III Steel Drummer s: Brandee McWhinney

Pony R ides: Kildare Riding School (The Shanahan-

(DLC Mortgage Experts)

Sweeney Family)

Mons ter Wheels B ounce: The Ramada Inn, Pitt

Inf la table Mid way: The Jacob Family

Meadows (The Sunderji Family) Mini Golf: Blueghost Trucking (The Simpson Family) Cof fee Ser vice: Starbucks 240th

“Fr iends of t h e Fair ” Whal Ran Par k & Gye Ju Lee The B our nival-Clar ke Family

Velcro Olympics: Adventure Bay Fishing Co. (The Larsen Family) Slap Shot Hockey: Dr. Michael J. Herberts Big Top Toddler Tow n: Roy Choi, Keller Williams Elite Realty

In t e r n a t i o n al Fo o d Fair

Thank s to the Meadow r idge South Afr ican, Br i tish, Korean and Chinese Families and to Canuel Ca ter ing for the fabulous f la vour s of the food fair this year.

The De K ler k Family Chr is tine Bick le Da vid & Ly n Tyler w w w . m e a d o w r id g e . b c . ca