V o l u m e 9 , I s s ue 2 November 8, 2011
ROCKIES RUMBLINGS M E S S A G E F R O M T H E P R I N C I PA L
“WE MOVE MOUNTAINS”
INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Message from the Principal
1
Counsellor’s Notes
2
Society News Poppy Fund Food Drive Graduation Ring
3
Speaker Series
4
In Their Own Words
5
WE Day Conference Elementary Projects Kids for Kids Club
6
Fine Arts
7
Outdoor Environmental Ed.
8
Junior Girls Volleyball
9
Junior Boys Volleyball
10
Senior Girls Volleyball
11
Senior Boys Volleyball
12
Rundle College Football
13
Senior High Honor Roll
14
Moves Mountains Awards Citizenship Awards
15
Extra Curricular Awards
16
Activities for the Month
17
RUNDLE ACADEMY 4330 16 Street SW Calgary, AB T2T 4H9 Ph: 250-2965 / Fax: 250-2914 www.rundleacademy.ab.ca
November is a time when we pay tribute to our military and particularly our veterans for their efforts and sacrifices on our behalf. Remembrance Day is an occasion to remember and give thanks to our military personnel for keeping our world safe.
day is to allow teachers from Rundle College, Rundle Academy, the Elementary and the Primary an opportunity to meet and learn more about our technology initiatives this year.
Report Cards and Interviews
All students are to be congratulated on the excellent transition they made from “Summer” to “Winter” uniforms. I appreciate the efforts of parents assisting in the change and add a reminder that winter uniforms will be the required apparel until immediately after Spring Break, Monday, April 9th.
High School Report Cards were sent home on Tuesday, November 1st, and Parent/Teacher Interviews were Thursday, November 3rd (12:00 P.M. - 8:00 P.M.). Parents met with teacher advisors and subject teachers to discuss first semester achievements. The report cards for Elementary and Junior High will be sent home on Monday, November 21st, with interviews scheduled for Thursday, November 24th (12:00 P.M. - 8:00 P.M.). Professional Development Day There will be no classes on Thursday, November 10th, as all staff will be attending Professional Development sessions at Rundle College. The purpose of the
Winter Uniforms
AGM The Annual General Meeting will be held on Thursday, December 1st at the Academy. The meeting will begin at 7:00 P.M. All parents are welcome and encouraged to attend.
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COUNSELLOR’S NOTES Understanding the School Counsellor-Parent Connection All students are able to learn; however, a student who is troubled cannot learn as easily. Divorce, substance abuse, relationship issues, anxiety, violence, disordered eating, depression, and suicidal thoughts are among the social stressors placing numerous students at-risk of educational failure. Early intervention is crucial, and parents play a fundamental role. As a parent, your past experiences with a school counsellor may be vastly different than what your child has access to. Today, school counsellors are certified, specially trained mental health professionals who focus on prevention and wellness through a counselling program that meets the needs of all students, not just a few. The counselling program addresses three areas: academic, career and personal/social. School counsellors advocate, mediate, coordinate, consult and, collaborate with teachers, administrators and parents to help students succeed. Professional school counselors also help children to understand themselves. But just what do school counsellors do? Today’s school counsellors: Develop a guidance plan based on a campus needs assessment. Counsel students individually and/or in groups. Provide systematic and developmental classroom guidance to all students. Respond to student needs in crisis situations. Orient students to new school settings. Work with absentees, potential dropouts and other at-risk students. Refer students to special programs and/or services when necessary. Analyze test results to provide information about abilities, achievements, interests and needs. Help with individual school, college, and career plans; coordinate school-to-work initiatives and connections with post-secondary institutions. Coordinate efforts with other school specialists. Conduct conferences with parents and facilitate parent discussion groups. Coordinate staff support activities. Adhere to ethical and legal standards. Pursue continuous professional growth and development. Conduct an annual evaluation of the guidance program. All of these activities and duties can make a real difference in students’ lives, improving their self-understanding and self-confidence, motivation, decision-making, goal-setting, planning and problem solving, interpersonal relationships, communication skills, respect for others and more. Parents contact a school counsellor to help their children with a variety of issues, such as: academic achievement, orientation and transition, test interpretation, special needs, student crisis situations, family transitions, and higher education issues. By focusing on parents’ concerns and respecting why these concerns matter to you, school counsellors offer options, including better ways to communicate with your child. Both parents and counselors share information, an important part of establishing a helping relationship. Studies have shown that children have greater academic achievement when their parents are involved in their education. Students’ motivation, positive attitudes about self, and sense of control over their environment improve with parental involvement in the schools. You, the parent, are the most important resource for the school counsellor and others. Your involvement is critical in helping your child to be successful! (Adapted from http://www.schoolcounselor.org) Please feel free to contact me at 403-250-2965 (Ext. 103) or caines@rundle.ab.ca if you have questions or concerns regarding your child’s education or wellness. Ms. Jana-Lynn Caines, B.Ed., M.C. Registered Provisional Psychologist School Counsellor
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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)
POPPY FUND FOOD DRIVE Rundle Academy Poppy Fund Food Drive Rundle Academy will be running its annual food drive for Calgary’s War Veterans. The Poppy Fund Food Bank has come to depend upon Rundle Academy for its generous donations over the last seven years. Students are asked to bring in non-perishable food items to their TA classrooms during the month of November. Last year Rundle Academy students generously donated more than 1,500 items to the food bank. We hope to beat that record this year! Thanks for your generosity, Kids for Kids Rundle Academy Student Council WWI/WWII European Battlefields Tour 2011/2012
G R A D UA T I O N R I N G
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Rundle Academy’s Speaker Series Information Evenings For Parents and Students September 13, 2011 Meet The Teacher September 28, 2011 Technology and the Struggling Reader * Mr. Jason Maitland and Mrs. Nicola Buchanan October 13, 2011 Web 2.0 - Digital Citizenship and Keeping Our Kids Safe * Mr. Jason Maitland and Mr. Jason Rogers November 7, 2011 Open House * For prospective parents November 15, 2011 Career and Post Secondary Planning * Ms. Jana-Lynn Caines January 12, 2012 It’s Test Time! - Making these as successful with as little stress as possible…. * Ms. Jana-Lynn Caines February 28, 2012 Junior High School Orientation and High School Orientation * All Grade 6 and Grade 9 Parents and Students * Jana-Lynn Caines, John Wolf, Jamie Burla and Terry Hoganson March 20, 2012 Discussions on ADHD and Learning Disabilities - Implications for School and Home * Speakers TBA April 19, 2012 What to expect at Post Secondary Institutions - Transition Planning *Dr. Brent Macdonald, St. Mary’s University College and Alumni Student Panel
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IN THEIR OWN WORDS How Our Alumni Continue to Move Mountains Alumna Zakir Hussein ’07 Rundle Academy is starting a new newsletter monthly contribution called, “In Their Own Words – How Our Alumni Continue To Move Mountains.” Each month we will profile one alumni and let them share in their own words what they are up to now. This month’s alumni started at Rundle Academy in 2001 and graduated from Rundle Academy in 2007. He made numerous artistic and social contributions while attending. We are proud of Zakir’s accomplishments at Rundle Academy and beyond! Here is his account of what he’s up to now: Zakir will graduate in 2012 with his degree in Petroleum Geology at the University of Calgary, and he has started his second degree at a different University in Boston. “I was recruited during my visit to Harvard University, to attend the school of sustainability. I am currently doing a few courses online, and will be heading back down to Boston in a few months for my final exam. I have plans of moving for a while next year. I was a visiting student earlier in February at Harvard University to speak to faculty and members on biotechnology and the science behind reducing our ecological footprint”. Zakir is currently President of Calgary SIFE (Students in Free Enterprise), which is the world’s largest business competition organization. In SIFE, they focus on six projects that enhance the lives of individuals in our community by utilizing business principals. These projects range from entrepreneurship to immigration, and poverty issues and concerns. You can visit that site at www.SifeCalgary.com. “My business has been tough and took a lot of ground breaking over the summer. Organo Energy Inc not only focuses on Algal fuelled technologies but also is in the waste cooking oil business. I have created a sub-branch called Alberta Clean Technologies Ltd (www.AlbertaCleanTech.com). I was in Acme, Alberta where my warehouse had been with a few large tanks to collect waste oil. Tomorrow, I am getting four tanks delivered to my new warehouse, which will hold 10,000 gallons of waste cooking oil. I have about three staff members that help run the business. Our goal has been to reduce green house gas emissions and turn this fuel into biodiesel. Currently, the plant we supply the crude oil to is in the United States. After this fuel is converted, it is returned to Canada where consumers, under the regulations of Canada, purchase it. My new project that is in the works is closing a deal with one of the largest rail transportation companies in North America. I will be collecting their used engine oil for refining purposes. I really hope to be a moderate player in our nation to provide an economical, environmental and efficient well being for all. “I have never forgotten what Ms. P told me while at Rundle Academy, “Zakir, stop procrastinating and get things done”, and I live by that each and every day and I thank you. This might sound corny, but you helped motivate me and change my perspectives on life. I thank you sincerely for your patience with teaching and understand me as an individual.” Rundle Academy would like to congratulate Zakir Hussein for all his accomplishments. We wish him the best in all his future endeavours.
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WE DAY CONFERENCE On October 13th, Rundle Academy took eight high school students to Vancouver to attend the Free the Children’s WE Day Conference. WE Day was created to bring together youth from across the country to discuss and celebrate positive actions they can take to make a difference in their communities and communities around the world. The conference is high energy, and students listened to inspirational speakers such as Mikhail Gorbachev, Mia Farrow, Shaquille O’Neal and watched the bands Down With Webster and Hedley perform. Mark and Craig Kielburger, the creators of Free the Children, were also there to remind us of how important it is to take action! Our students took away a lot from this conference and hopefully this is an event we can attend every year! To find out more about WE Day: http://www.weday.com/?gclid=CNvo9fDTlawCFQJ8hwodJETfvw
E L E M E N TA RY P R O J E C T S Grade 4/5 students participated in a workshop called “Rock, Paper, Scissors” on October 27th. Grade 6 students participated in “Claymation”. The students worked in small groups to create and pitch their ideas for the next blockbuster hit. The students turned their very creative ideas into a stop motion animation movie. The movies were complete with sound effects, music, titles and voice overs.
KIDS
FOR
KIDS CLUB Kids for Kids is collecting gently used winter gear for Calgary Jacket Racket. These items can include jackets, snow pants, hats and gloves. Please bring any gently used winter wear to Ms. Kapitza or Ms. Williams by Monday, November 14th.” Kids for Kids is once again selling poinsettias. Forms have gone home and are due back by November 30, 2011. Poinsettias can be picked up on December 8, 2011. Proceeds from the sale will go to ‘Room to Read’ organization (http://www.roomtoread.org)
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FINE ARTS Rundle Academy Proudly Presents “A Night of Shakespeare......with a twist”
December 6- 9, 2011 7:30 p.m. Rundle Academy Fine Arts Centre Tickets on Sale November 28th
Featuring “A Comedy of Errors” and “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”
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O U T D O O R E N V I R O N M E N TA L E D U C A T I O N
The Junior High Outdoor Education Class has had a fiery start to the year. We started the semester learning cycling skills, common outdoor emergency shelters and completed our camping trip to Alford Lake on October 27th – 29th.. We started the Alford Lake trip off with lessons on the three minute fire, emergency shelters and signal fires. Dinner was a smorgasbord of culinary delights. Each group of students participated in an Iron Chef contest and we had dinners ranging from gourmet burritos and quesadillas to scallops wrapped in bacon. At the bonfire, many dough boys and marshmallows were devoured. Thursday morning we participated in archery lessons and got dressed for the accumulating snow and dropping temperatures. In the afternoon, individual groups were sent off in isolation to “survive” with a basic emergency shelter, a flint and steel and six matches. All groups survived and had an entertaining afternoon building their home away from home. The Gourm-en-gash dinner was outstanding, thanks to Mrs. Palmer’s can opening ability. A wildlife identification lesson with the staff from Alford Lake was the last session of a very long day. A big thank you goes out to Mrs. Palmer for her attendance and assistance on the trip. Congratulations OEE students on a very successful camp. We are off to the Zoo this week to take in the “Canadian Wilds” exhibit. This is followed by an in-class visit from the Calgary Wildlife Rehabilitation Society. Archery, snow shelter building and snowshoeing will complete the semester later in December and January. Our full day snowshoe trip to Peter Lougheed Provincial Park is on Thursday the 12th of January. Students will need to have ski poles, winter pants, jackets and snow boots. A full equipment list will be sent out later in the semester.
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JUNIOR GIRS VOLLEYBALL What a Season! Another year of Junior Girls’ Volleyball has come and gone and what a year it was. Once again the girls worked extremely hard and both teams were very competitive. The Grade 6/7/8 team won most of their games through the season and played very well in the final tournament. Beating Louis Pasteur and Menno Simons (down 13 points one game and ending with the win 27-25), they positioned themselves in the gold medal match. Losing their opening game against host Waldorf, they rallied back to win the second game and send the match into a third game tie breaker. Although they came up slightly short of the win, it was not due to lack of effort or skill – it could have gone either way. All the silver does is set us up nicely for next year. The 8/9 team had an equally impressive season that saw them make the playoffs as well. Their first match was against heavily favoured Menno Simons and we lost two close games, both by 25-23 scores. Needing a back door way into the zones tournament, the girls battled a see-saw match against Waldorf. Although it, again, went to a third game tie breaker, the ball just didn’t bounce our way. The team is primarily made up of Grade 9’s who will all be sorely missed next year as they move up to high school. That team will be one to watch in the years to come. The three Grade 8’s on the team will be a powerful and intelligent foundation for next year’s squad. Thanks parents for the support and time this year and thank you so much girls for a great season. Coaches: Mr. Burla and Mr. Maitland
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JUNIOR BOY S VOLLEYBALL
A great season continues ‌ Mr. Bucher, Ms. Carberry, and Mr. van der Meer would like to congratulate the grade 8/9 team on their recent victory over Menno Simons to win the CISAA League Championships and bring home the banner! Brilliant effort guys! The grade 6/7 team competed well in their year-end tournament and improved their skills significantly throughout the season. We invite everyone to come out on November 10 and 11 as the grade 8/9 team hosts and hopes to win South Central Zones. See you there!
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SENIOR GIRLS VOLLEYBALL
October was a great month for Senior Girls’ Volleyball. The girls participated in a couple of tournaments and made it to the playoffs in each. The highlight was the “Dig Pink” Tournament where all the proceeds went to breast cancer research. In this tournament the girls each decorated themselves in all things pink and played their hearts out in each game. This tournament was highlighted by the great number of fans that came out to support us!
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SENIOR BOY S VOLLEYBALL The Senior Boys Volleyball Team has continued their success through the latter parts of the season. They have had very strong showings in tournaments in Olds and Lethbridge, and are currently tied for first place in the division. Playoffs are on Monday, November 14th, at Master’s Academy. The winner of our league then qualifies for 1A Provincials in New Norway, Alberta. Come out and cheer on the boys!
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RUNDLE COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Congratulations to the Rundle Football Team on an outstanding season so far. The team had to come from behind in the final minute of play to win the Tier III Provincial qualifier against Olds High School to solidify our spot in the Tier III Provincials. The next step is the Provincial Quarter Final game against Crescent Heights from Medicine Hat on November 12th. In the Olds game, the team opened the game with a great defensive stand, followed by a quick touchdown, to put Rundle ahead 7-0. Then disaster struck as what should have been a 20 yard loss turned into a touchdown for Olds. We were able to enter the half ahead, but in the fourth quarter after a chess match of possessions, Olds marched on us and scored to make it 15-14 Olds, with less than two minutes left to play. With 47 seconds left, on third down and 12, we were able to run a lateral pass to our back-up quarterback, who then threw a long bomb to a wide open receiver, to complete the 60 yard trick play for a touchdown. Our stalwart defense was able to end the game by stopping Olds’ drive and we downed the ball with a final score of 20-15. Special mention goes out to Steve Timlick playing Centre for an excellent game in the trenches. Thank you to all the students, parents and staff for their encouragement and support for that game and throughout the season. We now set our sights on the Tier III Provincial Championship. Go Cobras!
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SENIOR HIGH HONOR ROLL REPORT 1 - 2011/2012 Excellence (90% - 100%) Halwas, Darian (Gr. 10) Maybee, Tristan (Gr. 10)
Breton, Rosemary (Gr. 12) Brintnell, Troy (Gr. 12)
Gold (85% - 89%) Gardner, Doug (Gr. 10) Scott, Ryan (Gr. 10) Smith, Drake (Gr. 10) Wood, Struan (Gr. 10) Breton, Sebastian (Gr. 11) Midkiff, Will (Gr. 11)
Tate, Liam (Gr. 11) Alvarez, Hugh (Gr. 12) Driscoll, Dan (Gr. 12) Gold, Virginia (Gr. 12) Matthews, Ben (Gr. 12)
Silver (80% - 84%) Adams, Sam (Gr. 10) DeJager, Bailey (Gr. 10) Faraj, Bader (Gr. 10) Heaton, Natalie (Gr. 10) Hockey, Jonathan (Gr. 10) Jones, Charlotte (Gr. 10) Matlo, Emily (Gr. 10) Rasch, Conner (Gr. 10) Ruck, Alexandra (Gr. 10) Sampson, Lucas (Gr. 10)
Street, Emily (Gr. 10) Tempel, Oliver (Gr. 10) Andreychuk, Loren (Gr. 11) Empey, Luke (Gr. 11) Hartwell, Alex (Gr. 11) Klimek, Grayson (Gr. 11) McColl, Will (Gr. 11) Rabik, Sarah (Gr. 11) Sikora, Kara (Gr. 11) Abels, Michael (Gr. 12)
Cartmell, Ryan (Gr. 12) Dowling, Sarah (Gr. 12) Fowler, Justin (Gr. 12) Gall, Carter (Gr. 12) Janzen, Megan (Gr. 12) Magee, Darian (Gr. 12) Morrison, Andrew (Gr. 12) Rose, Amber (Gr. 12) Vanderbeek, Danielle (Gr. 12)
Bronze (75% - 79%) Dean, Jake (Gr. 10) Duckworth, Ally (Gr. 10) Jones, Marisa (Gr. 10) Patel, Miran (Gr.10) Shideler, Matt (Gr. 10) Belot, Aaron (Gr. 11) Buckley, Jason (Gr. 11) Dirks, Ian (Gr. 11)
duBerger, Brock (Gr. 11) MacKichan, Carson (Gr. 11) Marston, Stephanie (Gr. 11) McNally, Evan (Gr. 11) Salahor, Drewe (Gr. 11) Shearer, Hunter (Gr. 11) Timlick, Steven (Gr. 11) Tyson, Will (Gr. 11)
Brodylo, Alex (Gr. 12) Luca, Matt (Gr. 12) Macdonald-Jasper, Megan (Gr. 12) Wright, Joe (Gr. 12)
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M O V E S M O U N TA I N S A W A R D S Awarded to students who overcome challenges academically or personally while displaying appropriate and positive behaviour.
David Samuels Grade 5
Jared Fischer-Essar Grade 5
Rachel Crossfield Grade 7
CITIZENSHIP AWARDS Awarded to students who display an aptitude in leadership, contribute to positive school climate and have a genuine concern for the well-being of others.
Matthew Hopkins Grade 4
E. Faircloth-Nunn Grade 5
JJ Bruyn Grade 9
Shelby Stephenson Grade 12
Natalie Heaton Grade 10
Andrew Morrison Grade 12
Oliver Petti Grade 6
Ryan Holan Grade 6
Jason Buckley Grade 11
Victoria Duckworth Grade 12
Will Berry Grade 8
Rosemary Breton Grade 12
Dan Driscoll Grade 12
Ramy Abdel-Keriem Grade 9
Joe Wright Grade 12
M. Macdonald-Jasper Grade 12
Troy Brintnell Grade 12
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EXTRA CURRICULAR AWARDS Awarded to students who exemplify the values of sportsmanship, participation, cooperation and team work.
Olivia Leaver Grade 6
Bram Bouma Grade 6
Gracie Guterson Grade 8
Taylor Quantz Grade 9
Dan Driscoll Grade 12
Natalie Heaton Grade 10
Dan Hohmann Grade 11
Matt Luca Grade 12
S. Adamow-Boudreau Grade 7
JJ Bruyn Grade 9
Madison Hillstead Grade 8
Carmen Farmer Grade 9
Doug Gardner Grade 10
Sadie Matus Grade 7
Mia Berloni Grade 9
Charlotte Jones Grade 10
Troy Brintnell Grade 12
James Provost Grade 12
Sarah Reeder Grade 7
Sydney Almond Grade 9
Carson Brennan Grade 10
Ben Matthews Grade 12
Jake Kinzer Grade 12
Kennedy Huntley Grade 8
Bryce Hall Grade 10
Michael Abels Grade 12
Matt Vician Grade 12
Zach Woolf Grade 12
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ACTIVITIES
FOR
NOVEMBER
November 7
Open House
November 9
Remembrance Day Ceremony (9:00 A.M.)
November 10
Professional Development Day (No Classes)
November 11
Remembrance Day (No Classes)
November 15
Speaker Series – Career Planning (7:00 P.M.)
November 21
Elementary / Junior High Report Cards Home PAC Meeting (7:00 P.M. - 9:00 P.M.)
November 24
Elementary/Junior High Parent/Teacher Interviews (12:00 P.M. - 8:00 P.M.) Senior High PD – 12:00 P.M. Dismissal
November 25
Dress-Down Day / Rally
December 1
Annual General Meeting (Academy – 7:00 P.M.)
December 6-9
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
December 15
Christmas Music Performance
December 21
Last Day of Classes before Christmas Break
January 5
Classes Resume
REMINDER TO ALL PARENTS Look for morning announcements posted on our Moodle link Our Classroom Moodle Pages and our Division Portals sites are accessible from our homepage (www.rundleacademy.ab.ca).