Volume 10, Issue 5 F e b r u a r y 1 , 20 1 3
ROCKIES RUMBLINGS M E S S A G E F R O M T H E P R I N C I PA L By the time this newsletter is published, we will be starting term 2. It’s really hard to believe we are already half way done the school year. Before we reload and get ready for all that comes in the home stretch, this is a good time to reflect on the days that have gone by.
“WE MOVE MOUNTAINS”
increasing their reading level by 1.5 years or a Grade 8 student creating something innovative or a Grade 12 student graduating and moving on to post secondary, we can hardly wait to share in the pride the students will feel. Upcoming Events:
Perseverance and Respect INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Message from the Principal
1
Society News Rundle College VIPERS Entrepreneurial Spirit Project
2
Counsellor’s Notes World Record
3
Academic Fair
4
Speaker Series
5
Monthly Parent Survey In Their Own Words
6
TELUS Spark Science Centre
7
Intramurals Wrestling
8
Junior Girls and Boys Basketball
9
Junior Boys Basketball
10
Senior Girls Basketball
11
Senior Boys Basketball
12
Activities for the Month
13
Post-Secondary Education
14
LDAA - Parent / Educator Workshop
15
School Nurse - Kids’ Health
16
Picture This...Film Festival
17
From the beginning of the year, we have seen our students continue to develop their ability to persevere and to respect each other, themselves and the school. The evidence of perseverance and respect is everywhere. One excellent example of perseverance and respect is the dedication many of our students have shown towards their test preparations. It is not uncommon to walk the hallways before or after school and see classrooms that look like they are in session. Some classrooms have even been so full that not all the students were able to sit in desks. Weekends have also been busy times in the school with many teachers offering weekend test preparation for students. The activities are voluntary for teachers and students, but because they are respecting their need for preparation, they have taken the initiative and have consistently shown up to get ready for their midterms and finals. The perseverance the students have shown to their studies not only will benefit them during the ‘exam week’ but in life. Students who are able to persevere in a task are far more likely to be successful in the long run. Term 2 What We Are Looking Forward To
RUNDLE ACADEMY 4330 16 Street SW Calgary, AB T2T 4H9 Ph: 250-2965 / Fax: 250-2914 www.rundleacademy.ab.ca
Moving forward, we will continue to focus on our goals and get ready to celebrate the many accomplishments of our students. Whether it is a Grade 4 student
Monday, February 4, 2012 Grade 6-9 Midterm Mark Statements and Senior High Final Reports will be emailed home. Friday, February 22, 2013 Academic Fair – Grade 4-9 Monday, March 18, 2013 Term 2 Report Cards Thursday, March 21, 2013 Parent Teacher Interviews
Page 2
Volume 10, Issue 5
SOCIETY NEWS
Uniform Store Hours All Year Monday to Thursday - 8:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. Friday - 8:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M. 12:00 P.M. to 1:00 P.M. (store closed daily)
R U N D L E C O L L E G E V I PE R S Building on Success _____________________________________ Extraordinary opportunities to give, build and inspire
Dear Rundle College Society Member: I am pleased to report that the Building on Success capital campaign is off to an excellent start, with approximately $1.5 million of donations and sales of voluntary interest-paying education receipts (VIPERS). Thanks for supporting Rundle’s effort to finance the construction of a new primary/elementary school. During this RRSP season, I invite you to consider purchasing Rundle College VIPERS. These ten-year mortgage bonds provide a 3% rate of return. As of this writing, ten-year Government of Canada bonds yield 2.0%; and five-year Guaranteed Investment Certificates yield 1.6%. Please consider supporting Rundle College during this 2013 RRSP season. For more information please contact Leslie Tecklenburg, Director, Alumni Relations and Development at 403.250.7180 or tecklenburg@rundle.ab.ca
ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT PROJECT February marks the start of the Entrepreneurial Spirit Project, or ESP, in the Junior High. Creativity, one of Rundle Academy’s central CORE values, will take over the school in a project that will challenge the students to develop a waste item into a product that is environmentally sound and economically viable. What is the waste item students will be developing you ask? The answer is used Pringles Cans. In preparation, students should begin collecting this item and bringing them into their TAs. The culmination of the ESP, on March 18th, will have students participating in a Dragon’s Den style competition. Rumours are abuzz with who these Judges will be, perhaps an original cast member of Dragon’s Den will make an appearance...
Page 3
Volume 10, Issue 5
COUNSELLOR’S NOTES Mid-term exam time for elementary and junior high school students is over, and senior high students are finished with final exams in semester one courses. Now is the time for all of us (staff, students, and parents) to look back on the last semester and ask ourselves three questions: What worked last semester? That is, “What were we doing last semester that we should continue to do?” What problems did we encounter last semester that we did not foresee? That is, “What is that we were not doing last semester that we should start doing this semester?” What things were we doing that did not work? That is, “What is it we were doing that we need to stop doing?” These three simple questions can help us direct both our intentions and actions in a more useful and effective manner. Let us resolve, collectively, to keep doing the things
that work, stop doing the things that don’t work, and start doings things that will work better than the things we are doing now. Let’s start 2013 off with good intentions and even better actions. In the first week back after the winter break, every student in the high school received a copy of their second semester timetable, and was asked to see Student Services if they wanted to make changes to their timetables. Student timetable changes were thus accomplished before the beginning of the second semester. Thanks to all the parents and students for their cooperation and understanding. Grade nine students will begin the process of course selection for grade ten immediately after the spring break. This process will involve parents, teachers and Student Services. Dr. Miller, School Counsellor miller@rundle.ab.ca
WORLD RECORD Rundle Academy Part of World Record…. Confirmed! Back in October, the Grade 7 and 8 students participated in a Guinness World Record attempt to be part of the largest practical science lesson done in multiple locations. The students learned about Bernoulli’s Principle of fluid movement and performed experiments dealing with spraying water and balloons. This past week, we received confirmation that Guinness had in fact authorized the record attempt and now it is all official! Well done 7’s and 8’s – you are now World Record Holders! Thanks again to Mr. Palmer, Mr. Mellor, Ms. Scott and Mr. Maitland for their help on this event. A link to our picture on the site: http://blogs.science.gc.ca/blog/2012/11/16/rundle-academy/?lang=en
Page 4
Volume 10, Issue 5
Rundle Academy proudly presents our 2013
ACADEMIC FAIR Friday, February 22, 2013 9:30 A.M. to 11:30 A.M. - Viewing Student Projects (Judging) Main Gymnasium 12:15 P.M. – Awards Ceremony Elementary Gymnasium We would like to invite you to join us in observing and celebrating the elementary and junior high students’ projects. Academic Fair projects will be set up on Friday morning in the main gymnasium. Please remember that your child cannot bring their projects on the school bus.
Page 5
Volume 10, Issue 5
Rundle Academy’s Speaker Series Information Evenings For Parents and Students March 19, 2013 Discussions on ADHD and Learning Disabilities Implications for School & Home * Speakers TBA April 18, 2013 What to expect at Post Secondary Institutions Transition Planning * Dr. Brent Macdonald, St. Mary’s University College and Alumni Student Panel
Our Speaker Series are truly becoming a hot ticket item as of late. Last month saw many parents come to see Dr. Miller and Mr. Sylven speak about test preparation and even more came for the Junior and Senior High orientation talks. For the next month or so, we turn our focus to ADHD. Our March 19th, Speaker Series will be a talk on school and homework strategies for students and parents. Along with that there are a couple of other speaking events happening in our community around ADHD. The Learning Disabilities Association of Alberta will be hosting a parent night titled Beyond Just Medication: Assessment and Treatment for ADHD and LD. The talk happens in our own Assembly Hall and will be hosted by the LDAA and Marlis Krueger, Kristin Hansen and Karin Coles. Date:
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Time:
7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Location:
Rundle Academy, 4330 16 Street SW
Cost:
Free for LDAA-CC Members; $10/person for non-members
Your attendance and participation in these events has been greatly appreciated and any requests, ideas or RSVPs can go to Mr. James Burla burla@rundle.ab.ca
Page 6
Volume 10, Issue 5
M O N T H LY P A R E N T S U RV E Y Our January Parent Survey on technology once again saw nearly one-half of parents respond. Thank you for the great feedback on the survey questions, especially to so many of you that took the time to write your views, opinions and ideas on a variety of topics. Some highlights from those who responded to the survey include: 72% go to the Moodle calendar once in a while. 44% go to the ‘division portal’ once in a while. 32% regularly read the newsletter on Moodle, while 26% read it from the website. 37% read the daily announcements once in a while on Moodle. 30% have never accessed their child’s grades on PowerSchool, and 19% didn’t know what that is or where to find it. Twitter is not mainstream quite yet! Only 25% have seen @rundleacademy 84% regularly or religiously read the email summaries sent by teachers. And about the chocolates on Valentine’s Day, the most frequent response is that they all deserve them! We’ll be sure that each staff member gets their share of chocolate on the big day. The written feedback was prodigious and varied. We have space to respond to a few of those items: Thank you for the heaps of praised poured on our teachers and our program! It is so rewarding to know we are having such a positive impact on the lives and education of our students. Students wishing a quiet study space can always go to the Learning Commons. It has numerous carrels set up for an ideal working space. To the comments about the website, look for a brand new site that we are working to launch in September. For parents looking for guidance, we will host a Speaker Series session early in September for parents learning to navigate PowerSchool, Moodle, Gmail apps, the website and more. The topic of February’s Parent Survey is exams! Please talk to your kids and click on this link to take the survey. BONUS! Can you guess which teacher sailed across the Atlantic Ocean as a crew member on a sailing yacht? To find out, complete the survey to see the answer! February Survey https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dG44WTNTUWZmNURrR2x5RHUzRG9jcnc6MQ
IN THEIR OWN WORDS How Our Alumni Continue to Move Mountains Trevor Locking ’10 After I graduated from Rundle Academy, I married the love of my life, Janelle. She gave birth to our beautiful little girl named Lille. We built a house in Calgary and I worked at Volker Stevin doing heavy construction. I was later moved to help as an assistant project manager at the Runway Development Program at the Calgary International Airport. Volker is installing all the underground storm drainage for the new airport’s runway. I am currently enrolled in the Bachelor of Commerce Degree at Athabasca University.
Page 7
Volume 10, Issue 5
T E L U S S PA R K S C I E N C E C E N T R E On January 14, the grade 4 and 5 students went on a field trip to the new TELUS Spark Science Centre. In the morning students participated in a chemistry program called “Mix-it� where they looked at the different factors that can be used to identify chemical changes. In the afternoon, students explored the new galleries: Being Human, Open Studio, Earth and Sky, and Energy and Innovation. We also watched Tornado Alley in the new movie dome. Overall, it was a very exciting day with plenty to see and do!
Page 8
Volume 10, Issue 5
INTRAMURALS Intramurals finished on a high note with the Mountain Lions clinching yet another title as the Junior High 3-on-3 basketball champions, the Flint Michigan Tropics, went undefeated and secured their place at the top in a thriller over the rival Silver Turtles, a faction of the Grizzly squad. In addition to the sporting activities at lunch, house teams in all divisions have been earning points through their participation in monthly pep rallies and theme days at the Academy. Currently, the point standings have the Mountain Lions in the lead with 500 points; the Grizzlies and Rams are close behind with 560 and 550 points respectively. It continues to be a dog fight as house teams vie for a place at the top in pursuit of the Rockies Intramural Cup.
WRESTLING January has been a very busy month of training for both our junior high and senior high wrestling teams. The team continues to grow stronger as we look toward the Junior Olympics and senior high City Championships. Junior High wrestlers have done an amazing job, with Rundle Academy finishing second only to Rundle College in the CISAA championships! The Gold Medal winners consisted of Dylan Graham, Sadie Matus, Sierra AdamowBoudreau, Anthoney Stan, Payton Budd, Sam Adams, and Luke Empey. On behalf of the coaching staff, we would look to thank all the parents and athletes for your support this year, and we look forward to bettering our results next season. Great job, Rockies! Senior high wrestlers have been in training the last month in preparation for the second half of their season. Brock duBerger won gold at the University of Calgary Classic in December, and is a front runner for Cities and Provincials this year. Our other athletes are training hard to prepare for the U of A tournament, the Bulldog Classic, and City Championships, all happening in February. We look forward to seeing the team develop further in the months to come. Edmonton Wrestling Tournament - February 1 and 2, 2013 Rundle Academy is once again teaming up with the College and attending the Paperweight/U of A Invitational held on February 2nd. We are very excited about the prospect of wrestling in the most elite competition in Western Canada, and fun will be had by all at West Edmonton Mall the day before. Go Rockies! Coaches: Mr. Barry, Mrs. Hoehn, Mr. James, Mr. Mellor, Mr. Sylven
Page 9
JUNIOR GIRLS
Volume 10, Issue 5
AND
BOY S BASKETBALL
Double Gold for Rockies Basketball
On December 15th, both the junior boys and girls teams travelled to Drumheller to compete in the inaugural St. Anthony Invitational Basketball Tournament. Both squads played all their tournament games on Saturday and both teams came away with 3-0 records at the end of the day. This meant that both teams won the gold medal and the tournament championship!! It was an excellent day of basketball for Rundle Academy and we look forward to returning next year to defend our titles! Coaches: Mr. Paz, Mrs. Thompson, Mrs. Thomson
Page 10
Volume 10, Issue 5
JUNIOR BOY S BASKETBALL The 5-8 boys have been a David and Goliath story all year. With a team of half elementary students, the boys have been fighting hard and holding their own against much older and bigger teams. With three tournaments and five regular season games already under their belt, the team has been steadily growing and improving. Coaches Locking and Rogers have witnessed great strides taken in fundamental shooting, lay-ups, and rebounding, as well as offensive and defensive understanding of the game. As Coach Rogers has put it all season, “We may not have won many games on the score clock, but we are undefeated when it comes to playing with heart.” The Rockies have shown sportsmanship, competitive spirit, and teamwork all year, competing until the final whistle and focusing on personal and team development over the scoreboard. Older teammates have been great
leaders during practices and games, and look to be great additions to the 8/9 team next year. Younger players in Grade 5 and 6 have shown great potential for 2+ future years playing together. Point Guard Gannon Willson was asked to reflect on the season, “We haven’t been winning games, but it’s been fun. A learning experience, so that when you get to older grades you’ll be slamming dunks!” Point Guard Tal Preston added, “We weren’t the best at the beginning, but now we’re doing way better.” With four games left before hosting the final tournament at Rundle Academy on February 22nd and 23rd, we are excited to see how much better this young and enthusiastic team can get. Who knows, maybe by the spring we will see a slamming dunk competition. Good luck, boys! Coaches: Mr. Rogers and Mr. Locking
Page 11
Volume 10, Issue 5
SENIOR GIRLS BASKETBALL Rundle Academy’s Shooting Stars Morning practice, after school practice, game, after school practice, morning practice and we will finish off the week with a tournament in Castor, Alberta. This is a typical week in the life of a Senior Girls Basketball player. As a team, we have dedicated ourselves to becoming faster, more skilled and smarter players out there on the court. And for many of the athletes, the hard work has been rewarding. Although we had a timid start to our season with four tough losses, our tournament in Castor pulled the team together as they had to fight through adversity, injury and emotions in all three of those games.
The girls sup-
ported one another throughout the tournament, playing with sportsmanship, laughter and dignity that was acknowledged by the players and coaches of the other teams. Following the Castor tournament, the girls worked together and chalked up two decisive victories against league rivals Calgary Academy and Westmount Charter. The girls played a tight game against Master’s College as well, a school who defeated them soundly earlier on in the season. Led by Ally Duckworth, who has proven to be a leader with her tenacity, scoring ability and dribbling skill, the players have learned from one another and are beginning to work as one. We hope to see this unity and dedication continue for the rest of the season. The girls would love to have fans out to cheer them on, as five of their last six games will take place right here at Rundle Academy. Their final tournament of the season is this weekend in Claresholm, Alberta. Good luck, girls! Coach: Mrs. Vesey
Page 12
Volume 10, Issue 5
SENIOR BOY S BASKETBALL Senior Boys Leave It All on the Floor “A committed squad who play their hearts out,” is what you can expect to see if you come out to watch a Senior Boys basketball game this season. Coach Vesey continues to be impressed by the team of young men who have found a way to win. With four victories and three defeats in the regular season, their winning percentage may not be overly impressive, but a closer look at those games reveals a deep rooted competitive instinct. Their passion propels every member of the Senior Rockies to give everything they’ve got every time they hit the floor. After winning two close games to start the regular season, the boys lost a close one to Clear Water, got shut down against Chinook and were beat up by Westmount. The wind was taken out of their sails. Then they turned the ship around. A decisive win against the Islamic school, followed by an impressive showing at the Bentley Tourna-
ment set the stage for a great battle against Master’s Academy. The game was close with points nearly evenly exchanged. As the fourth quarter neared the midway point, Master’s held a six point advantage. Then the character, the grit and the choice to take what they had earned was made. Solid defensive efforts, critical battles and offensive finish prevailed through the actions of each and every member of the senior team. The 58-55 victory was testament to a complete team of gentlemen who shouldered the effort universally. If you want to witness the excitement for yourself, make your way to the Rundle Academy gym as we play the remainder of our regular season with Home Court advantage.
Home game schedule: February 4 - 5:30 p.m. - versus Chinook Winds February 6 - 4:00 p.m. - versus Westmount Charter February 11 - 5:30 p.m. - versus Calgary Islamic February 20 - 4:00 p.m. - versus Clear Water Academy February 27 - 5:30 p.m.- versus International School of Excellence
Page 13
Volume 10, Issue 5
ACTIVITIES
FOR
F E B R UA RY
February 8
School Rally (12:00 P.M.)
February 14-15
Teachers Convention (No Classes)
February 18
Family Day (No Classes)
February 19 & 20
Elementary Winter Days
February 22
Academic Fair
March 1
Dress Down Day Newsletter Sent Home
March 15
Talent Show Rally
March 18
Report Cards Go Home
March 19
Speaker Series (7:00 P.M.)
March 21
Parent/Teacher Interviews (1:00 P.M. - 8:00 P.M.) All Students - 12:00 P.M. Dismissal Elementary teachers will contact parents to schedule an Interview time. Parents of Junior and Senior High students please call 403-250-2965 to schedule an interview time.
March 22
Dress Down Day
March 23-April 7
Spring Break
REMINDER TO ALL PARENTS Our Classroom Moodle Pages and our Division Portals sites are accessible from our homepage (www.rundleacademy.ab.ca). Look for morning announcements posted on our Moodle Pages. Follow us on Twitter @rundleacademy for more information and upcoming events.
Page 14
Volume 10, Issue 5
Page 15
Volume 10, Issue 5
LDAA-CC Parent & Educator Workshop
Beyond Just Medication: Assessment &Treatment for ADHD and LD Presented By: Marlis Krueger, Krista Hansen & Karin Coles Date:
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Time:
7:00 to 8:30 pm
Location:
Rundle Academy, 4330 16 Street SW
Cost:
Free for LDAA-CC Members; $10/person for non-members
Marlis Krueger has been a Registered Psychologist for 20+ years and specializes in the assessment, treatment and long-term management of ADHD and learning disabilities. She will talk about assessment and treatment, including evidence-based treatment guidelines, the importance of accurate and thorough diagnosis, and longterm treatment/management of ADHD/LD. Krista Hansen is an Occupational Therapist and helps children and their parents develop strategies to selfregulate their emotions, behaviours, attention and impulses. She will talk about the complexities of selfregulation and what makes it so difficult for some children to effectively complete daily activities. Karin Coles has worked for many years with teens and adults with ADHD and learning problems, with a focus on helping them develop coping strategies to manage difficulties. She will be talking about executive functioning skills needed to plan and follow through with daily activities and the role of behavioural coaching/ counseling in developing and maintaining these skills to support academic and life success.
Page 16
Volume 10, Issue 5
Kids’ Health Making mealtimes more pleasant It is normal for children to be choosy eaters, but picky eating can make mealtimes tough. Remember that as a parent, you decide which foods to serve, and when and where to serve them. Allow your child to choose how much food they eat and whether they eat a certain food offered. This can help make mealtimes more pleasant. See the tips below to help with mealtime struggles: Do not be a short order cook! The whole family should eat the same foods. Your child will learn to like more foods by being exposed to them. Over time they will learn to eat and enjoy what you eat.
A good way to avoid your children from becoming a bit picky at mealtimes is getting them involved in meal preparation.
For more information... For help with mealtime struggles, visit www.ellynsatter.com/ Alberta Health Services school nutrition website: www.albertahealthservices.ca/2925.asp
Get rid of distrac-
Offer familiar foods
tions. Turn off the TV, sit down as a family and enjoy each other’s company.
with new foods. Even if your child won’t eat a new food the first time, keep
offering it. It can take a child many tries before they accept a new food. As a child gets older, try foods
again that they may not have liked before. Tastes can change over time. Avoid using food as a reward or punishment or bribing your child to finish his or her meal. This teaches your child that certain foods are better or worse than others. You want your child to enjoy all foods. Eating should be pleasant, not a duty or a chore. Involve your child in shopping for food and making meals. Children who help choose and prepare their food are more likely to eat it. Be a positive role model. Eat a variety of healthy foods. Do not expect your child to eat a food if you’re not willing to try it first.
Cut down the screen time in your children’s bedrooms One simple way to have healthier children is to ban the TV from their bedroom. Children with bedroom TV’s are more likely to get less sleep. Children whom do not get enough sleep tend to score lower on tests, have more mood disor-
ders and are more likely to be overweight. Many children also have other electronic devices in their bedroom like video games, computers, and mobile phones which can make it very difficult to get the recommended 10-11 hours
of sleep for a child between the ages of 7 to 12. Take the TV and other electronic devices out of their room, have them read a book or tell them a story before bed to help them unwind, relax and get ready for a good night’s sleep.
For more invormation about the above, or any other health-related topic, please visit www.albertahealthservices.ca kidshealthnewsletter@albertahealthservices.ca
12
TH
FREE PARKING!!!
ANNUAL
Picture this…film festival PICTURE THIS...FILM FESTIVAL
LOADS OF FREE POPCORN!!! TICKETS *$10 per day *$7.50 for seniors, students and low income *$20 for 3 day festival pass Prearranged group rates Call: 403.717.5610
Call out for Volunteers! E-mail director@ptff.org
or call 403.717.5610
When: February 11, 12 & 13th, 2013 Three great days of film 10:00 a.m. – Noon 1:00 p.m. – 3:30pm. 6:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Location: West Island College 7410 Blackfoot Trail S.E., Calgary
Check us out on line www.ptff.org or on our facebook page