The Spectrum
JANUARY 2014 . issue 5 . VOLUME 11
Connect Charter School
Principal’s Message November was an historic month for our school. As you are all hopefully aware, the Calgary Science School Board of Directors passed a motion at their November 19th meeting to change the name of the school to Connect Charter School. The change does not come into effect until January 1, 2014. After January 1, we will officially be using the name Connect Charter School, so don’t be surprised if you call the office and hear a new greeting from our wonderful office staff. Upon returning from the Christmas break, you will see a number of indications that we have a new moniker. We are also planning an official event in mid-February, at which point we will have finalized the transition to Connect Charter School. We will send out more information as the planning progresses. I am very excited about the name change and I wholeheartedly believe that the school has evolved beyond the name Calgary Science School. I have been a part of this school since the very beginning, from when it was called the Science Alberta School and shortly thereafter Calgary Science School. I have a tremendous respect for the achievements we earned as a school community under the
name Calgary Science School, and I will always respect that name. I also appreciate how far we have come since those early days and now I feel our name no longer fully represents our school community. The word Connect allows for many interpretations. Personally, I believe it represents the work we do in trying to connect students to the real world, how we are trying to connect teachers here to teachers in other schools to continue to develop our practice, and it represents the significance of everyone in our community feeling connected to each other. I encourage you to have a discussion around your dinner table about what the name means to you, so that the name will take on an increasing level of significance. I am sure that we will soon enough find that Connect Charter School is a name that better reflects who we are and what we are trying to do. Regards, Darrell Lonsberry
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Parent Volunteer Committee Update Due to the school’s recent name change this past month, we have decided now would be the perfect time to update our Volunteer Handbook. The new document will reflect our new name and logo as well as updated volunteer procedures. Our email address will also be changing to reflect the school’s new name. Thank you to the parents and staff at CSS who made 2013 such a sucessful year! Happy Holidays from the PVC! Parent Volunteer Committee
transportation committee update Winter Is Here!
January 2014---------------------
in this issue
Parent Volunteer Committee Update.............. . 3 Transportation Committee Update .................... 3 Celebrating Connect Charter School............... .4 - 5 Jingle Bells And More - Winter Concert........... . 6 Junior ATB Grand Opening................................... 7 Peace Festival - 2013 ................................. 8 - 9 ..
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Peace Festival Sock Stuffing............................. . 10 Wrestling Club ................................. ................... 11 Term 1 PVA Showcase........................................ . 12 Christmas Recipe................................................ . 13 January Calendar............................................ 14 February Calendar................................................. 15
As you all know too well, we have been experiencing bad weather and associated traffic delays. On the whole the buses ran quite well considering the very difficult conditions. We found at times the delay messaging system is not perfect, however, we are working closely with Southland Transportation to improve this service. A reminder that directions to sign up for Southland’s notifications can be found at the bottom of the transportation page at http:// www.calgaryscienceschool.com/transportation. Thank you to all the parents for your patience and understanding. A special thanks to those who took the time to send kind words of understanding to our parent route volunteers and transportation analyst via email during the poor weather days. As the winter season will continue over the next few months, please ensure you and your children remain prepared for the elements and potential delays.
Route Updates In regard to our beloved Calgary Science School please note effective January 1, 2014 the new name will be: Connect Charter School. As such you will be receiving updated Route Sheets to reflect the name change. Please remember to use
this name when contacting Southland with any inquiries once the change comes into effect.
Contact Us If you have any busing questions/concerns contact us by email at transportationatcss@gmail.com. Please remember to include the route number in the subject line so your email gets forwarded to the correct volunteer route coordinator. Additionally, you can contact us by accessing our “ Online Request Form”. Just login to the Family Zone on the home page of the CSS website at (http://www.calgaryscienceschool. com) and on the right-hand side click “Contact Transportation” to access the form. We look forward to a safe New Year for our students, parents and bus drivers. Happy New Year! The Transportation Committee
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CELEBRATING CONNECT CHARTER SCHOOL New Year’s Day, 2014, had special significance as Connect Charter School officially replaced Calgary Science School as the name of our school. This is the third time the name of the school has been changed and the name change reflects its ongoing evolution. Originally when the charter school received approval in 1999, through an application by the Science Alberta Foundation, the school was known as the Science Alberta School. The belief by the founding members was that there was a need for a charter school which fostered cross-curricular learning with an emphasis on the scientific method, research, inquiry and the enhancement of learning and teaching through the use of technology. In 2003, in recognition of its growing independence and the shift from being an extension of the Science Alberta Foundation, the name of the school was changed to the Calgary Science School. Through the years, although there continued to be an emphasis on learning through inquiry and research with the enhancement of learning and teaching through the ubiquitous use of technology and the one-on-one laptop program, students were provided opportunities for authentic learning experiences beyond the classroom, through a rich variety of outdoor education experiences. As well, learning was made more meaningful through reorganizing social studies and language arts as the humanities and enriching the school program through the development of specialized learning experiences in art, drama, dance, music, band, physical education and a variety of electives. Clearly, the school had become much more than a science school; although there continued to be a strong foundation of science, technology and mathematics. Members of the Calgary Science School community began to describe the school as much more than a science school and to make reference to the shift emphasizing the science of learning in everything that takes place in the school. There was also a growing recognition of the mandate as a charter school to take learning beyond the school and to seek
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opportunities to learn together and learn from each other. The commitment to promoting collaboration within the school and beyond with other colleagues in education was reflected in the Board of Directors’ budgetary allocation for a Professional Development and Collaboration Coordinator position. Through the leadership of the various teacher leaders who have served in this role over the past six years, there has been a growing emphasis on creating a culture of collaboration in the classrooms among students and their teachers, throughout the school among students, staff members and parents and among the significant number of visitors to the school and beyond the school through social media, including the Connect Blog, interschool visitations and a rich variety of joint ventures and partnerships with colleagues in education. The impact of this emphasis on collaboration and professional learning was highlighted in the February 2012 report on the evaluation of the school by an external team on behalf of Alberta Education with the following observation: Collaboration is seen as a “hallmark” of the relationships in the Calgary Science School community and particularly within the professional learning experiences of the staff. Staff members are encouraged to be producers of professional learning through “co-creating, co-labouring, co-teaching and co-reflecting”. Calgary Science School is a very positive, engaging and focused school community. All stakeholders are learners and work in collaborative ways within this caring school culture. As the collaboration yields results for enhanced teaching practice and improved student learning, there is an excitement to share the “good news”. Authentic inquiry leads to results, which the learners want to share. This exciting good work has placed Calgary Science School at the center of many innovative approaches to learning, leading and transforming. Describing Calgary Science School as a “hub” of the science of learning and exemplary teaching practices is not only well founded; it is well deserved.
In response to the changes in the renewal process regulations for charter schools announced in April 2012, the Calgary Science School Board of Directors and administration began a process of preparing a proposal for a 15-year charter renewal. The proposal incorporated the input generated through a process of consultation and open dialogue involving students, parents and community members in reflecting on the original charter guiding principles and goals and articulating a new vision for the school. The proposal incorporated the very positive feedback that was generated through the Alberta Education school evaluation. As well, key ideas from Inspiring Education, including the emphasis on providing opportunities for every student to experience success as engaged thinkers and ethical citizens with an entrepreneurial spirit, were incorporated in the process of articulating guiding principles, a vision and mission, and goals for the school for the next 15 years. The approval by the Minister of Education, the Hon. Jeff Johnson, for a new 15 year charter (2012 – 2027) for the school represents a very significant milestone in the history of the school. In reflecting on the vision of the Board of Directors strategic plan to lead, share and transform and the challenges of setting a new direction for the school in keeping with the new charter goals, there was renewed discussion about the name of the school and whether the Calgary Science School adequately and appropriately reflected the changing context and evolving vision for learning, teaching and leading in the school. A number of possibilities for a new name were considered and rejected. It was recognized that the Calgary Science School had an excellent reputation and there was, “strong brand recognition” associated with the name. However, the desire for change in the name persisted and after a comprehensive consultation with students, teachers and parents, the name Connect Charter School was chosen. The Board chose Connect Charter School as the name which best represents our school, its goals and guiding principles and the emphasis of the school on: •
Connecting with and engaging all students and striving to have every student succeed as an engaged learner and ethical citizen with an entrepreneurial spirit;
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Connecting learning and teaching while making learning experiences authentic and meaningful through a disposition of inquiry;
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Connecting learning experiences to real life experiences and understanding the interconnectedness of the world in which we live;
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Connecting and enhancing learning and teaching through the appropriate use of technology;
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Connecting to the environment through a rich variety of outdoor and environmental learning experiences;
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Connecting as researchers and developing a deep understanding through research and;
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Connecting through collaboration in the classroom, throughout the school and beyond.
It was felt that the new name accurately reflected what is experienced in the school every day and Connect Charter School effectively tells the new story of the school and the addition of the word charter defines our unique role in public education in Alberta. For students, we stress the importance of making connections between their learning and the real world, staying connected to the environment and realizing that our culture of collaboration and mutual respect is based on everyone having strong connections to the people they are learning with and from. Teachers are tasked with connecting ideas across curricula, ensuring they are connected to their colleagues through collaboration and that we are building a network of connected educators across the province and beyond who are working to build greater capacity for learning, teaching and leading through a disposition of inquiry. Our parents recognize the need to be connected to their children’s learning and that connecting with other members of our school community is vital, particularly because we are not a traditional community school. We believe that Connect appropriately describes our emphasis, in keeping with our mandate as a charter school, on promoting collaboration, developing exemplary and innovative practices in learning, teaching and leadership and providing opportunities to connect with colleagues in education and to learn together and learn from each other. On January 1, 2014 we celebrated the official new name of the school – Connect Charter School, and we will begin the process of using the new name to make meaning of our new vision and new directions as we continue to build on all that has been achieved since the origin of the school in 1999.
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Jingle Bells and More!
Take It To The Bank!
What do you get when you put the holiday season, 2 amazing music teachers and nearly 240 students together? The school Winter Concert! If you have heard about this, seen it, or even played in it, then you know that this concert is amazing. This year’s performance was no exception. The winter concert was conducted by our 2 music experts; Ms. Nesbitt and Mr. Bolen. They made sure all the students did well and performed with each other. Even though the Grade 6 Band only did 3 songs, Song for Peace, Up On The Housetop, and Jingle Bells, you could already hear that they were doing well and were improving by the minute. Ms. Nesbitt did a great job keeping the band in tone and made sure they all played together. The Grade 7’s did a very good job playing Abominable Snowman Chase, Frosty, Caribbean Holiday and many more great songs in rhythm, keeping a beat. At some points they sped ahead of the conductor, only very slightly though. Along with the Grade 6 Band, they did a very impressive job. The Senior and Junior Jazz Band did an astonishing job, playing nearly perfect. Outgoing music student-teacher, Ms. Nesbitt, had the following parting advice for our music students.; “I think as long as they keep a steady beat and follow the conductor, I think they will do great,” she offered. Overall the students did a very great job and this concert was one of a kind and proudly represented our “new” Connect Charter School!
CSS students open the school’s first Junior ATB branch. This year a totally new opportunity was introduced to Connect Charter School students. During a Tuesday lunch recess, the school’s very own Junior ATB Financial branch was officially opened by student-CEO Sydney E, which was closely followed by an eager group of CSS students, ready to each make their first deposit. In operating the branch, students applied for real banking roles such as Marketing Manager, Secretary, Back Cash and CEO. Under the leadership of Mr. Lonsberry and Mr. Cadman, as well as ATB Financial emplyees, the program teaches students what it’s like to work in a bank with all of the real life responsibilities that comes with operating the branch. It is a great opportunity to improve your math, leadership, and teamwork skills. Deposit days are every Tuesday. Students are encouraged to bring their money in order to open an account and deposit their funds into their very own ATB account.
What’s it like working at our school’s very own bank?
You work as a team together and you have to co-operate with each other so things work out evenly. - Chloe, Secretary Students are getting more educated about finances, which has not happened before. It also educates the students working for the bank about what those jobs are and gives them a taste of how they are done. - Micheal, Marketing Manager 6
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Peace Festival 2013!
The annual Peace Festival is a way to bring our school community together as we celebrate our differences, as well as what ultimately unites us. This year end event helps us reflect and look back on what has gone by in the past year. The theme of this year’s Peace Festival was “We Live Together”. As a school, we also use this time to raise money for worthy causes, both in our city and beyond our borders. This event started in 2002 and has been going strong since. The Peace Festival was planned and organized by the Grade 9 classes, under the leadership of Ms. Groeller and Mrs. Waite. They brought us an amazing experience throughout the week.
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Peace Festival Sock Stuffing
The Sock Stuffer event is when all grades bring in different toiletries and socks, and stuff a large, school sock with all of these items. All of these items are donated to the Mustard Seed which will then go to the homeless and people in need. Our school has been doing this for 3 years and it is an important part of the yearly Peace Festival, which happens on the last week of school before the Winter Break. Our school does this because it is a motivational way to help those in need and to inspire kids to donate and help make change. All
of the grades have been assigned a few items to bring in. The Grade 4’s bring in toothbrushes and toothpaste, the Grade 5’s bring in handwarmers and earplugs, the Grade 6’s bring in mini shampoos and conditioners, the Grade 7’s bring in tissues, lip balm and band aids, the Grade 8’s bring deodorant, and the Grade 9’s bring in playing cards, crossword puzzles and books. Our school’s goal is to have at least 600 items, because it will mean that everyone will have brought at least one thing.
Wrestling Club Wrestling at Connect Charter School currently consists of two parts. One is the beginning wrestling team, and the Lakeview Wrestling Club, both taught by Dean Schmeichel, Phys. Ed. teacher at the Calgary Science School and a former Olympic wrestler. The CSS team goes on until November 28 and has three tournaments, while the Lakeview Club goes on until March 15 when they have their final tournament, the Alberta Open. They practice on Monday and Wednesdays from 7:30 to 8:45 and on Fridays at lunch when they don’t have a tournament that week. Wrestling at Connect is a way of learning a new sport and having a fun time.
Allen: Grade 7 Gold Medal Wrestler “It’s fun because we get to learn wrestling in a fun way and we also get to play awesome games. You can also improve and grow in confidence at the tournaments. You can get to know your opponent’s moves in the second round and find their weak spots. It’s also a fun way to learn and socialize.”
James: Grade 7 Wrestler “The wrestling club is a good way to get your exercise and have fun. We learn wrestling moves and what to do in situations like being on your back. Its also a good way to learn more about others and people in other grades.”
Term 1 PVA Showcase November 27, 2013
Christmas Recipe Candy Cane Popcorn Crunch Ingredients - 26 cups of popped popcorn - 3 cups of white chocolate - 2/3 cup of crushed candycane 1. Crush the candy canes in a plastic bag with a rolling pin. 2. Melt the white chocolate in the microwave 3. Put the popcorn in a large bowl and mix in the white chocoloate until the popcorn is fully coated 4. Add in the candy can and mix around with hands until it is evenly distributed 5. Serve and enjoy with a cup of hot coco!
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January 2014 29
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31
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2
3
February 2014 4
WINTER BREAK 5
6
Day 6 7
Day 1 8
SChool resumes
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13
Day 2 9
Day 3 10
FUN LUNCH EXTREME PITA
Day 5 14
Day 6 15
Day 1 16
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Day 3 21
Day 4 22
6.1 Depart for Winter Camp
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27
Day 2 17
Day 3 29
6.3 Depart for Winter Camp
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Day 4 30
Day 2 28
Day 3 29
Day 4 30
Day 5
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Day 6 1
Day 4
7
Day 5 8
Fun Lunch Mr. Sub
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3
Day 1 4
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9
10
Day 2 5
Day 6 11
pd/planning day no classes
Day 6 24
6.1 return 6.2 Depart for inter Camp vaccinations Snack Attack grade 5 & some kernels popcorn grade 9
Day 2 28
new parent orientation 6:30 - 8:00 pm
Day 5 23
27
Day 3 6
School Council CSS Science Fair Meeting 7:00-8:00 PM
Fun Lunch COCO BROOKS
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Day 4 11
26
Day 1 25
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Day 6 1
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18 Family Day No School
Day 2 13
Day 3 20
pd/planning day no classes
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Day 6 25
Day 1 26
Day 4
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Staff Retreat No School
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Day 5 22
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Day 4 1
grade 7 at glenbow museum
Board Of Directors Meeting 23
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Staff Retreat No School
Board of Directors Meeting 5:30 - 9:00 pm
6.2 return
Day 5 31
Day 1 12
Day 2 27
Day 3
6.3 return new parent orientation 6:30 - 8:00 pm
6.4 Depart for Winter Camp
6.4 return
Fun Lunch mr. sub
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