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MARCH 2011 • ISSUE 7 • VOL . 8
THE CALGARY SCIENCE SCHOOL
Attention Parents:
Registration and re-registration for the 2011-2012 school year begins on March 16.
Principal’s Message Report Cards and Student-led Conferences - March brings with it a couple of regular, but important milestones for us. Trimester 2 comes to an end, which means that report cards and student-led conferences will follow. I encourage you to contact your child’s teachers if you have any questions about their achievement and progress. I also strongly encourage all families to attend the student-led conferences on March 17 or 18, even if there is the feeling that everyone is up-to-date on what has been happening in the classrooms. Student-led conferences are a time to celebrate students’ hard work and achievement, so I hope to see everyone celebrate with us.
Registration for 2011-2012 - March is also registration time. The fee structure for the 2011-2012 school year is likely to be approved by the Board at their March 15 meeting, so registration for new students and re-registration for current CSS students will be opened the following day. Registration or re-registration and fee payments will again be completed on-line. Calgary Science School Parent Fundraising Society - The last item I want to touch on is the hard work of our school council. They are an incredibly motivated and talented group. One of their priorities as of late has been to pursue the establishment of a registered society so that the society might apply for a casino license.
It is the reality in the province right now that casinos and grants are the two primary ways that government is funding registered not-forprofit community groups such as those that have been established by many school councils across Alberta. I support the work of the council to provide this supplemental funding and encourage anyone who would like to discuss it with me to join me at my Dialogue with Darrell on Thursday, March 3 at 9am in the staff room. Darrell Lonsberry
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IN THIS ISSUE
MARCH 2011
Pr i n c i p a l ’s M e s s a g e. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .....1
Cell Phone Use and Prank Calls........14
An n e Ti n g l e L i b ra r y R e p o r t. . . . . . . . . .....3
From your Parent Volunteer Committee..14
B o a rd O f D i re c to r s R e p o r t. . . . . . . . . . . .....4
Compound Interest........................15
Tra f f i c S a fe t y Co m m i t te e. . . . . . . . . . . . .....6
CSS S cience Fair............................16
Tra n s p o r t at i o n An a l y s t. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ....8
CSS Featured Ar tists......................22
Co m m u n i t y G a rd e n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .....9
6.3 & 6.4 Winter Camp...................24
C S S i n Af r i c a U p d ate. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...10
March 2011 Calendar....................26
S c h o o l Co u n c i l Ne w s. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...12
April 2011 Calendar.......................27
Fro m Yo u r S c h o o l N u r s e. . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...13
Robot G ames................................28
C S S B a n d Pa re nt Vo l u nte e r s. . . . . . . . . ...13 THE
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ANNE TINGLE LIBRARY REPORT New additions to our Parent Resources from well-known authors this month: The Curse of the Good Girl: Raising Authentic Girls with Courage and Confidence (2009)
Author Rachel Simmons (Odd Girl Out, and Odd Girl Speaks Out) argues that in idealizing the Good Girl, we teach girls to embrace a version of self that curtails their power and potential. “Unerringly nice, polite, modest and selfless, the Good Girl identity is an identity so narrowly defined that it’s unachievable.” Real-life experiences such as conflicts with peers or mistakes in class can cause these girls to become paralyzed by selfcriticism, and thus inhibit the natural development of social skills and habits. Simmons provides a guide to reverse this trend. From the book inside cover flap: “At once illuminating and prescriptive, The Curse of the Good Girl is an essential guide to contemporary girl culture and a call to arms from a new front in female empowerment.”
Girls on the Edge: The Four Factors Driving the New Crisis for Girls (2010) Psychologist and physi-
cian Dr. Leonard Sax identifies and discusses four key factors he believes teenage girls face today - sexual identity, the cyberbubble, obsessions and environmental toxins. Following his discussions of these four
factors, Sax offers strategies for empowering girls to grow to become independent and confident women. He believes “social connectedness” is critical for girls within our society to reach their full potential, by ensuring they are involved in communities of women that bridge the generations. Of equal interest is Sax’s 2007 publication:
Boys Adrift: The Five Factors Driving the Epidemic of Unmotivated Boys and Underachieving Young Men. The five factors Sax identifies are video games (disengagement from real-world pursuits); teaching methods (current trends in education have unintentionally turned boys off ); prescription drugs (overuse of ADHD medications and the irreversible damage to motivational centres in the brain); endocrine disruptors (environmental estrogen from plastic and food, and the impact on boys’ development); and, the devaluation of masculinity (the shifts in popular culture of role models for boys). These titles are included in the parent resources listed within the library website: http://web.mac.com/css_library/Site/Welcome.html Wishing you all a great month of March, as we anticipate the arrival of Spring. Donna Johnson Alden Teacher-Librarian
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BOARD OF DIRECTORS REPORT
Ms. Lori Wilhelm-Einsporn (Board Chair and Chair of the Governance Committee) Mr. Harold Lemieux (Board Vice Chair) Mr. Dave Robinson (Board Past Chair) Ms. Cheryl Lemieux (Chair of the Finance Committee) Dr. Torben Bech-Hansen (Chair of the External Collaboration Committee) Ms. Lorraine Chan; Ms. Catherine Cook (Chair of the Fund Development Committee) Ms. Stephanie Davis; Mr. Tim Edwards (Chair of the Facilities Committee) Dr. Sharon Friesen; Ms. Teri Henderson; Ms. Lindsay Hogan; Ms. Debra Pylypiw (Chair of the School Operations Committee) Mr. Dale Ronsky; Mr. Tom Short (Chair of the Communications Committee) Dr. Norm Vaughan The past few months have been very busy for the Board of Directors. The New Year began with our annual Board of Director’s Retreat in early January which was quickly followed by the “Action on Research and Innovation” online survey initiated by the Government of Alberta and a conference in Red Deer sponsored by The Association of Alberta Public Charter Schools. At the same time, we welcome a number of new members to the Board. Specifically Dr. Sharon Friesen, Associate Dean, Faculty of Education, of the University of Calgary, Teri Henderson from Meyers, Norris and Penny, Lindsay Hogan from Conroy Ross and Dale Ronsky, our parent representative from School Council. We have a number of Subcommittee initiatives underway. The External Collaboration Committee is in the process of developing a five year plan which visualizes the Calgary Science School as a centre of research, innovation and excellence in teaching and learning. A significant portion of our Retreat this year was dedicated to discussing the future vision for the Calgary Science School. The guiding principles for this vision encompasses the ideals of Alberta Education’s vision for transforming education in the 21st Century through the promotion of engaged learners, ethical citizens and an entrepreneurial spirit. We are strongly committed to the continued development and sharing of our innovative practices with respect to our three Charter goals: inquiry-based learning; effective technology integration and Environment and Outdoor Education within a Global framework. As a
charter school we recognize the importance of fostering the development of exemplary teaching practices, promoting student engagement and developing research-focused relationships that enhance teaching and learning practices at the Calgary Science School. A number of goals are being discussed at this stage and will be shared with our School community at a future date. The Fund development committee was established to build funds to enhance, support and disseminate the development of a centre of research, innovation and excellence in teaching and learning. This committee has been developing action strategies for funding specific infrastructure capital projects which would enhance our ability to fulfill the vision for the Calgary Science School. The Facilities Committee, after a very busy year, with the construction of the Instructional Activity Centre (IAC) and a new multi-purpose kitchen/staff room for the school, is actively considering a number of new projects. The list includes a project to engage students and staff in research to determine physical factors that affect learning, including wall color, lighting, air movement, physical arrangement of instructional spaces, and layout of school grounds and game layouts to promote physical activity. As well, a comprehensive energy audit to determine the feasibility of investing in energy reduction technologies and to promote the involvement of staff and students in the implementation of energy conservation strategies and a grounds audit to ensure the physical building and grounds are safe, secure and well maintained will be undertaken. THE
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The School Operations committee continues to monitor, review and update the policy manual to reflect intent and practice. This committee will also continue to monitor the sustainability of the transportation system. The Communications Committee has been working on the ongoing update of the website. A working model of the website was demonstrated to the Board of Directors at its last meeting and we hope it will be up and running in the near future. This website was designed to take the Calgary Science School to a new level of technology use, as well as provide a much wider scope of information for its stakeholders, which includes parents, students, alumnae, interested individuals and corporations. As a Board, we strongly support professional collaboration and providing opportunities for our teachers to develop professionally, while fulfilling our Charter Mandate. The last few months have seen a number of initiatives where our teachers have had the opportunity to participate or lead in a number of areas.
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Ms. Shashi Shergill, Ms. Rachelle Savoie, Mr. Jon Hoyt-Hallet and Mr. Garett Kutcher were invited by the Apple Corporation to participate as a team in a unique problem solving activity promoting innovative teaching practices. They were the only Canadian team of the 16 teams from various locations in the United States and one team from Australia who participated in this unique learning experience.
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Mr. Neil Stephenson has been involved in giving several presentations relating to inquiry-based learning and the work of the Calgary Science School to students involved in the teacher preparation program at the University of Calgary.
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Mrs. Brown and Ms. Groeller, together with some of their students shared exemplars of learning at the Calgary Science School through a presentation to first year students in the Master of Teaching program.
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Dr. McKinnon, our superintendent was a member of a panel presentation dealing with the landscape of education in Alberta and expectations for new teachers, for the 400 second-year students who will be graduating from the University of Calgary, Master of Teaching program in April.
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Dr. Shelley Robinson worked with 40 teachers from the Calgary Board of Education on the topic of assessment as it pertained to some of our Alberta Initiative for School Improvement (AISI) research and project work at CSS.
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Mr. Jon Hoyt-Hallet (grade 9) and Ms. Natalie Down (grade 7) teamed up with two teachers from Arbor Lake School for a collaborative team teaching experience in which they will spend two days in each school. As well, there will be opportunities for the administrators to benefit from learning about leadership in each school.
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Dr. Shelley Robinson presented at the February 2011 AISI Conference showcasing the work of our school on the topic of assessment.
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In highlighting examples of exemplary teaching in the Calgary Science School at the Feb 15 board meeting, commendations were extended to: grade 7 teachers Mrs. Carolyn Armstrong and Ms. Natalie Down who facilitated the active and enthusiastic involvement of their students in researching and interpreting the statistics of NHL hockey players through Internet sources and using the information to determine the level of success of their hockey draft teams; grade 8 humanities teachers Mr. David Scott and Ms. Jaime Groeller who had students prepare their own graphic novel in comic book format based on the key elements of the original novel and Mr. Scott Petronech who provided an overview at the board meeting of the use of technology to enhance learning and teaching in the Calgary Science School through the years, a description of his involvement in working with other schools and school jurisdictions and a discussion of his vision for the use of technology in the future.
We believe there is tremendous potential for our teachers and students in promoting teacher collaboration within the school and beyond. Lastly, we would like to thank all parents who completed the online Alberta Education survey on the future of charter schools. The future of the Calgary Science School and all Charter Schools in Alberta is dependent on the voice of Albertans. We are most appreciative of your ongoing support of the work of the Calgary Science School. Lori Wilhelm Einsporn Chair of the Board
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TRAFFIC SAFETY
COMMITTEE UPDATE
The Traffic Safety Committee recently conducted an online survey of CSS parents to gauge driving patterns around the school during student drop off and pick up times, as well as to determine safety concerns identified by parents. The survey resulted in 183 responses and provided a great deal of useful information that will assist the committee in implementing a safety awareness program. As the committee reviewed the anecdotal responses on the survey, a few key concerns emerged repeatedly with respect to driving and parking habits in the vicinity of the 58th Ave. and 34th St. intersection. (See photo above.) Parking in the crosswalk, executing U-turn’s, and disregarding the required parking clearances for stop signs were noted as frequent occurrences that compromise the safety of children, primarily during the after school pick up time period between 3:20 and 3:45 pm. Over the next month a safety awareness program will share reminders of safe driving practices that will ensure the safety of CSS students as they are dropped off in the morning and picked up in the afternoon. In ad-
dition, the City of Calgary will be providing temporary ‘No U-turn’ signs that will be positioned on 58th Ave. and 34th St. as a visual reminder for motorists to refrain from this maneuver. Large orange pylons will also be evident to indicate a buffer zone on either side of the crosswalk near the pedestrian gate on the west side of the school grounds. The committee is also exploring the viability of a school safety patrol sponsored by the Alberta Motor Association and will be seeking Board approval in March (a requirement of the AMA) to pursue further discussions and possibly arrange a safety audit of the streets around the school. In launching the safety awareness campaign, the following traffic guidelines are provided as a reminder of the expectations for drivers as students are being dropped off and picked up from school:
U-turns
• Avoid making U-turns on any roadway surrounding
the school. This is a dangerous practice at any time and is made more so when children are crossing the roads. THE
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Speeding
• The playground signs that dictate a
maximum speed of 30 km/h from 8:30 am to one hour after sunset govern the speed limit around the school. • As we have many students arriving before 8:30 am, we request that drivers voluntarily extend the 30 km/h limit to 8:00 am in the interest of safety. While we can appreciate that many people are in a rush to drop off or pick up children and get them to extracurricular activities, patience and courtesy for others will go a long way in ensuring our students are safe while going to and from school. Thank you to all who participated in the survey; your responses and comments are appreciated and valued. If you have further comments or suggestions to improve traffic safety around the school, please contact Phil Butterfield at phil.b@calgaryscienceschool.com. Phil Butterfield
Parking
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(please see map for reference) Park in designated areas only. The east (school) side of 34th St. from the stop sign at 58th Ave. south to the Lakeview Community Center is the approved drop off and pick up zone. Parking within 5 meters of a stop sign or crosswalk is a bylaw infraction as well as a profound safety hazard and should therefore be avoided. The stretch of 34th St. from 58th Ave. to Lewis Dr. and the south side of Lewis Dr. in front of the school is reserved for school buses and is not designated as a drop off / pick up zone for students. Avoid obstructing our neighbour’s driveways; they have been very tolerant but did report in the community survey their concern with vehicles blocking access to their properties on occasion. The alley at the rear of the school is not a designated drop off / pick up zone as the flow of traffic cannot be controlled and student safety is therefore compromised. THE
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TRANSPORTATION ANALYST Transportation Analyst, a New CSS Position
CSS Transportation has grown considerably since the school moved to Lakeview for the 2002/2003 school year. Currently, over 420 students, or over 70%, are registered riders. The task of organizing and managing the bus system has become too large for a group of volunteers. The CSS Board created the position of Transportation Analyst to assume those transportation duties that cannot be covered by either the committee or existing CSS staff. After resigning as Chair of the Transportation Committee in October, I was hired as the Transportation Analyst starting in Nov, 2010. About the same time, CSS began using new software, Edulog, to store all transportation data. The transportation committee volunteers have no access to this software, so a large part of my work is using Edulog to keep track of students, bus stops and routes. I continue to liaise with Southland Transportation. As well, I am to ensure that CSS bussing runs on a sustainable basis by working to keep expenses down while providing a reasonable level of service to as much of Calgary as possible. A key aspect of my work is to work closely with the committee to develop new routes each year.
New Role for Transportation Committee
The Transportation Committee remains a vital part of CSS bussing. The volunteers continue to be responsible for communicating with parents in order to provide them with better service. They will update parents in the monthly Spectrum and will email parents directly as needed. Parents can still contact the committee via transportationatcss@gmail.com with any comment, question or concern about bussing. The current members have committed to checking gmail twice a week. Please don’t send any urgent message to gmail, rather contact Kathy Babiuk. The process of yearly route development will be changed by both the Edulog software and the work of the transportation analyst. Exactly what the new process will be remains to be determined. Likely, each year the volun-
teers will decide how much input they are able to provide and how many of the analyst’s recommendations they will follow. The goal is to get valuable input from the coordinators while keeping their time commitment at a manageable level. There will be several openings for route coordinators next year. We invite anyone interested to contact the committee by email. By getting involved now, you will benefit by being mentored by the current route rep as well as participating in route planning. The only requirement is to be willing to provide fair service for all. We are looking for reps from the NE and the SE as well as the part of the NW east of Nose Hill Park. If you live elsewhere and are interested please contact us as more openings may come up.
2011-2012 Registration & Route Planning
Registration should begin mid-March and route development for next year will begin shortly after the registration deadline. CSS will communicate those dates once they are decided on. We plan routes for those registered so please make sure you register before the deadline in order to be included. The new routes should be published in early June and the committee refrains from major changes after that. We always try to accommodate late comers but only if that can be done with minimal impact on existing routes and times. Please note that space is limited on our west side busses, for those living west of Sarcee Trail. and south of C.O.P. We will plan for all who register before the deadline but those who register late may be put on a waiting list. If you are planning to use the bus next year and will live in a community that does not currently have a stop, please email me at transportationatcss@ gmail.com, attn: Margaret Mills. I will be happy to advise you on the likelihood that we can provide for your needs. THE
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COMMUNITY
GARDEN
Mar y, Mar y quite contrar y, how does your garden grow? This and other questions can be
Transportation Fee
The fees for next year will be announced at the same time as the registration dates. Please watch for this important information. The transportation fee covers the cost of bussing and includes the administration cost associated with registration and withdrawal, if applicable. This portion of the fee, sometimes referred to as the admin fee, is non-refundable for any who withdraw but is not an additional fee. For 2010-2011, the transportation fee was $810 and $100 of that was nonrefundable. There is also a late fee • for those who choose not to register for bussing by the spring deadline • for those offered a place at CSS after that and who don’t choose bussing when they initially register for CSS CSS does not offer a reduced fee for part time usage of the bus system. This has always been a Board policy. Part time usage could take many forms: one way (either AM or PM), alternate weeks, half weeks, etc. The CSS system is too small to assume that another part time rider will share a seat and therefore share the cost of providing that seat. In order to guarantee a space, we have to provide the seat on a full time basis and so we charge the full fee. This is more applicable than ever as we seek to reduce costs by filling busses to capacity. Using small busses on some routes helps to reduce costs precisely because it reduces empty seats. Feel free to email with any comment or question about these topics or anything else to do with transportation. Regards, Margaret Mills CSS transportation Analyst
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investigated by students and the community at large as we embark this Spring on building and planting our first community garden. The Calgar y Science School (CSS) and the Lakeview Community Association (LCA) are collaborating to build a community garden beside the Lakeview Community Center. The initial building of the garden is being funded by a grant from the Alber ta Healthy School Community Wellness Fund, and is being generously matched by a do nation from CSS. A joint committee composed of representatives from CSS teachers and parents, LCA members, and the Lakeview community residents have been work ing, along with students at CSS, to plan the garden.
Now, we need your help with the actual construction of the garden.
April 16, 2011 is the first planned build date with April 30 and May 7 as backup dates if the weather is uncooperative. Here are some opportunities for participation:
Pre-build – Week of April 4, 2011 • •
v olunteers for pre-cutting the wood for the boxes tools required (measuring tapes, drills, and a power saw)
Build - April 16, 2011 (weather permitting) • •
v olunteers for construction of the boxes, filling the boxes with soil t ools required (backhoe, drills, wheelbarrows, shovels, rakes)
Open Houses
For more information on the garden and the construction, please visit us during: 1. Student-led conferences: March 17 (4 - 8 pm) & 18 (8am - 1pm) in the IAC at the Calgary Science School 2. Lakeview Community Association March 23 at Lakeview Community Association 7pm 3. Contact the committee via email: lakeviewcommunitygarden@gmail.com Tanya Stogre & Karen Cuthbertson Co-Chairs, Community Garden Project
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From left, Ernest, Bawanile, Careworker Siyabongile, and Sthembiso. Missing is 13 year old Thobile.
CSS in Africa Update At CSS, we strive to discover what it means to be a global citizen. This year, through an African charity organization called Hands at Work in Africa, we are connecting with communities in South Africa that have been most affected by the HIV/AIDS pandemic and have the fewest available resources to deal with it. CSS Humanities teacher, Mr. Dittmann, is spending a year with Hands at Work as a volunteer. Due to your amazing generosity during the month of December, CSS is funding a number of projects to improve the safety and security of orphaned and vulnerable children. This month, we have the opportunity to learn the story of a child-headed family of four that we are partnering with. Ernest is a nineteen year-old, grade eleven student. He and his younger brother, sixteen year-old Sthembiso, head their household, which includes their younger sisters; thirteen year-old Thobile and eleven year-old Bawinile.
The four children lived most of their lives with their mother and father in their current house. The house is really just a small, one room shelter consisting of sheets of scrap metal, patched onto wooden poles found around the community. There is no electricity or outhouse toilet. The children fetch water from the community pump, like most households in the community. The gaps in the roof and walls are easily penetrated by rain and the flimsy door provides little security, a particular concern as the girls get older. In 2007, their mother became very ill and passed away the following year. Though losing a parent is devastating on its own, in many poor communities in South Africa, people often deal with terminal illness without access to hospitals or doctors. Children watch parents die before their eyes and the emotional wounds that result are as difficult for the children to deal with as having to move on without their parent. Given that the family lived together in one small room, the children were likely not spared any aspect of their mother’s death. THE
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However, these are not the only challenges the children have faced. Shortly after their mother passed away, their father left the family with no explanation. He simply disappeared one day. He is still living in the community but has taken another wife and has little contact with the children. The children rely on food parcels provided by their local care workers and money that Ernest makes doing yard work for neighbors on weekends and during school holidays. The three younger siblings also participate in a government-feeding program at their primary school. The children receive regular visits from Siyabongile, a volunteer care worker with the local community organization that Hands at Work partners with, called Senzhokule Home Based Care. Siyabongile cared for their mother during her illness and has continued to be the most constant adult in the kids’ lives. She asks them how school is going, whether they have enough food, and just what’s generally on their mind. Without her, Ernest stated that there would be no one speaking on their behalf. It was Siyabongile who brought the children’s living conditions to the attention of Hands at Work.
A recent development has created tension between the two boys. A neighbor they have known for years has taken in Ernest. He sleeps at the neighbor’s and shares their meals. Ernest explains that their house is just too small for all of them and he no longer wanted to share a bed with his brother while his sisters slept on a foam mattress on the floor. The day-to-day role of running the house has now fallen to Sthembiso. It is obvious that Sthembiso feels abandoned by his brother. However, the family will soon be living together again. A portion of the $13,000 raised by Calgary Science School will provide a three-room house for the children along with basic furniture and house wares. The cost of this project has been projected at $6,650. By the time you are reading this, the foundation for the house will have been dug and the walls begun. The children are excited about having “a real home” and it is so great to see their usually stoic faces change to smiles when they talk about the house. Senzhokule Home Based Care and Hands at Work in Africa wish to express their gratitude to Calgary Science School. You are changing the lives of these children. Stay tuned for more updates on this project and others. Chris Dittman
The children’s current home. THE
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SCHOOL COUNCIL NEWS
There was a good turnout for the February meeting of School Council. We were fortunate to have Dr. Garry McKinnon as our special guest speaker. Dr. McKinnon spoke about the future direction that Charter Schools may take in Alberta with the upcoming changes in the new School Act. He stressed that there are a significant number of unknowns ahead with the current political party leadership race and the Province facing yet another deficit budget. Dr. McKinnon discussed the three pillars on which Alberta Education is focusing: Engaged Learners, Ethical Citizens and Entrepreneurial Spirit. Dr. McKinnon gave clear examples of how CSS is well positioned to lead the way on these pillars. Darrell Lonsberry and Dr. McKinnon then led a group discussion with regard to the Alberta Education Survey on the Future of Charter Schools in Alberta. The discussion was well received by those in attendance and at the end, we asked if Dr. McKinnon could join us again for a future meeting to continue the discussion on the future of charter schools and more specifically CSS. We will be scheduling Dr. McKinnon to return later this school year or early next fall.
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The Garden Committee is working hard on preparing for the first spring planting!
FUNDRAISING CSS Parent Fundraising Society Update Acting on the mandate by Parent Council and the result of the 2010 Annual Parent Survey where 84% of respondents supported fundraising and over 67% supported casino fundraising, the CSS Parent Fundraising Society has been created and held its first meeting in early February. At this meeting, officers and directors were elected to operate the society until the annual general meeting next fall. The first initiative of this new Society is to pursue an application for casino fundraising with the Alberta Liquor and Gaming Commission. Parents with concerns regarding social responsibility with casino fundraising are invited to contact Marc Koole (marc. koole@gmail.com), Ray Caddy (rvcaddy@gmail.com), or Darrell Lonsberry (darrell.L@calgaryscienceschool.com).
Elections results for the CSS Parent Fundraising Society
IN OTHER NEWS
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LOOKING AHEAD
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Our second Balzac Meat sale was a success! We are still tallying the final numbers, but it raised at least $5000 for CSS! Unfortunately, we will not be able to have a third sale this school year as Balzac Meats is fully booked. Stay tuned for our dates for next school year’s sale(s).
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Please remember to pick up your Balzac Meat orders on March 17th from 7:00-8:30pm! Many thanks to our volunteers Karen Morrison and Carolynn Vodden for their efforts to make this another successful fundraiser.
President: Marc Koole Vice-President Ray Caddy Treasurer: Allison Earl Secretary: Karen Cuthberton
Director: Faye Strong Director: Gail Swystun Abbi Director: David McKenzie
Hope you all have a great spring break! See you at the May 4th Parent Council meeting. Ray Caddy On behalf of your Calgary Science School Council
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ABC
RECIPE FOR FAMILY MEALTIMES CALLS FOR 3 INGRIEDIENTS: ABC A University of Illinois scientist reports that family mealtimes containing 3 ingredients in the right amounts are linked to many benefits for children, including a reduced risk of substance abuse, eating disorders and obesity.
A ction - eliminate distractions such as cell phones, hand held games and television B ehavior Control - use discipline that is not harsh and teaches table manners C ommunication - show genuine interest and concern about what is going on in each others’ lives. Any good recipe is specific about the amounts of each ingredient. Communication is by far the most important ingredient. The average family meal takes 18 minutes, it is recommended that about 2 minutes be allotted to action, 4 minutes to behavior management, and 12 minutes to positive communication that lets kids know how important they are, helps them resolve troublesome issues and verbalize their concerns.
Recent research suggests that poor organization, a lot of chaos in the family environment disrupt learning and predicts poor social and emotional development. Families’ mealtimes that follow ABC guidelines are an important ritual that parents can use to counter this trend.
Sharing meals with the family:• • • • • • • •
Improves family communications Increases sense of security in children Improves eating habits of children Enhances sense of family values Helps children do better in school Saves time in meal preparation Teenagers are less apt to use alcohol and drugs Children understand their family values and traditions
Nasreen Sunderani School Nurse
We are looking for parent volunteers to join the parent band committee. If you are interested in joining, we welcome you to attend our next meeting held on March 22, 2011 at 8:30 AM at CSS. Please email: Carolynn Vodden at voddens@shaw.ca for more information or to confirm your attendance.
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CELL
Phone Use and Prank Calls
Cell phones have evolved as a key means of connecting parents with their children in the event of emergencies or to plan after school activities. When used as such, cell phones serve their purpose well, providing a sense of comfort and convenience that your children are never more than a phone call away.
the phone to see what numbers have been dialed or texted. If you would like further information on monitoring the use of cell phones or instant messaging devices, please do not hesitate to contact the school. Phil Butterfield
Unfortunately, some students use their cell phones inappropriately by making prank calls during the bus ride to and from school. Several incidents of this nature have been reported, including calls to the Kids Help Phone that then occupy a crisis counselor who needs to attend to legitimate callers. Other prank calls have been made to randomly dialed numbers or those seen on the sides of passing commercial vehicles that result in residents or businesses being subjected to swearing and nonsensical comments from students. If your child has a cell phone for emergencies, please review the appropriate use of it with respect to phone calls, text messages, or instant messaging (i.e. – Twitter). It is also a sound idea to check the call log of
FROM YOUR PARENT VOLUNTEER COMITTEE Did YOU volunteer in the month of February? Did YOU sign-in and record your hours? John Cadman did and he is our Volunteer of the Month for February. Congratulations! To be included in next months draw please remember to sign in, wear a volunteer badge and log your hours every time you volunteer. Thank you to all the volunteers who: • helped judge science fair this year • are working with Mr Scott’s grade eight Renaissance project • have provided great resources for Ms Bailey’s Phys Ed enhancement program “Volunteers do not necessarily have the time; they just have the heart..” - Elizabeth Andrew THE
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COMPOUND
INTEREST
The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly “The most powerful force in the Universe is Compound Interest”
or example, take the Inventor of the Chessboard fable. If you are not familiar with it, follow along:
--- Albert Einstein.
When the creator of the game of chess showed his invention to the ruler of the country, the ruler was so pleased that he gave the inventor the right to name his prize for the invention. The man, who was very wise, asked the king this: that for the first square of the chess board, he would receive one grain of rice, two for the second one, four on the third one and so forth, doubling the amount each time. The ruler, who was not strong in math, quickly accepted the inventor’s offer, even getting offended by his perceived notion that the inventor was asking for such a low price, and ordered the treasurer to count and hand over the rice to the inventor. However, when the treasurer took more than a week to calculate the amount of rice, the ruler asked him for a reason for his tardiness. The treasurer then gave him the result of the calculation, and explained that it would be impossible to give the inventor the reward. The ruler then, to get back at the inventor who tried to outsmart him, told the inventor that in order for him to receive his reward, he was to count every single grain that was given to him, in order to make sure that the ruler was not stealing from him.
LET’S MAKE A DEAL. There are 3 doors and be-
hind each door there is a deal that will result in a stack of cash after 30 days. You have 1 minute to choose the door of your preference.
DOOR 1
On Day 1 you will receive $25,000. The amount, $25,000, will double on Day 10. The Day 10 amount will double again on Day 20 and the Day 20 amount will double again on Day 30.
DOOR 2
You will receive $10,000 every day for 30 days.
DOOR 3
You will receive 1 cent on Day 1 , 2 cents on Day 2, 4 cents on Day 3, etc. The number of cents (pennies) will continue to double every Day for 30 days. If you know about compound interest you know there is a clear door to chose!
WHICH DOOR DO YOU CHOSE? Mr. Bob Rahn came to speak to the grade 8 classes on Thursday February 10, 2011. His presentation was titled Compound Interest: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. In this presentation Mr. Rahn explained the pros and cons- or, in his words, The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly - of compound interest. The presentation was both in sightful and interest-ing, pun intended. Mr. Rahn explained that compound interest has both pros and cons. Interest is basically “your money working for you”, but it can produce extraordinary results and illusions, which may fool people into believing what the bank wants them to believe.
The amount of rice is approximately 80 times what would be produced in one harvest, at modern yields, if all of Earth’s arable land could be devoted to rice. This story truly shows the effect of compound interest. It was one of the many examples that Mr. Rahn gave. As you can see, compound interest really does have its pros and cons. Oh, and that problem I gave you earlier? The one with the three doors? Which door did you chose? Door 1- $200 000 Door 2- $30 000 Door 3- $10 737 418.20 Julia C (8.1)
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CSS SCIENCE FAIR On Tuesday, February 8th, CSS held its 11th Annual Science Fair. Fi f t y- t h re e p rojec ts were featured from grades 5 through 9. Judges were wowe d by t h e s t u d e nt s’ k nowledge and depth of understanding of their topics and thei r e f fe c t i ve co m m u n i c at i o n sk ills. Thir t y projec ts were selec ted to move on to the Calg a r y Yo u t h S c i e n ce Fa i r which will be held M arch 16-19 at the Stamp ede G rounds. A b i g t h a n kyo u to a l l o f t he judges who gave their time and exper tise to our students. Co n grat u l a t i o n s o n a j o b well done to all par ticipants. Please note that the grade 4 sc i e n ce f a i r wa s h e l d s e p a rately and will be repor ted in the nex t Spec trum.
Grade 5 Name(s)
Project
Special Award
Erik S Liam A
Are All Balls Equal? Don’t Cry Over Spilled Oil
Enthusiasm Better World
Daniel
Do The Eyes Have It?
Enthusiasm
Stephanie B
Hidden Rainbow: Paper Chromatography
Speaker Award
Delaney H
The K9 Nose Knows
Skepticism
Scott L Evan A
Ice Ice Baby Glasses for the Colorblind?
Display Display
Madyson E
Gushing Geysers (need electricity)
Speaker
CYSF Gold
Anchita S
Warding Off Windchill
Enthusiasm
CYSF
Hannah R & Jovana G
What’s Haunting Your House?
Better Award
CYSF
Jon B
Wacky Windmills
Originality
Amanda C & Mackenzie L
Twisted Turbines (need electricity)
Better World
Jameson B
Carrots in Space
Originality
Victoria B
The Blind Side
Display THE
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Rank CYSF CYSF Silver CYSF Bronze CYSF
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GRADE 6 Name(s)
Project
Special Award
Rank
Julia C
Freezing Forests, Tropical Trees
Skepticism
Rylan and Kirsten C
Gliders and Aerodynamics
Display
CYSF
Joel P & Maxwell L
Lighter than Air
Originality
CYSF
Danika V
Plant Defenses
Speaker
CYSF
Sean H & Adrian H
It IS Rocket Science
Enthusiasm
Makenna W & Alyssa L
Hands Off!
Display
Aaron K
Do we need a Moon Base?
Speaker
Maggie C
Ornithopters
Originality
Amanda W
Dynamic Air
Enthusiasm
Peter R
Mountain Pine Beetle
Better World
Michael W
Airfoil Aerodynamics
Skepticism
Karthik D
Helicopters
Enthusiasm
Sanchit C
Hydroponics: Food for Mars
Better World
Emma S & Leah Matthews
Silent Witness
Originality
CYSF Bronze CYSF Silver CYSF Silver CYSF Gold CYSF
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GRADE 7 Name(s)
Project
Special Award
Rank
Joseph M
Growing Limbs
Speaker
Gold
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Name(s) Evan K Jennifer K & Aidan L Graham F & Rocky W Julia C Gabriella M Selena K Edward K Taylor G Cameron B Samantha H & Sonja G Haley Y & Emily McD
Project Fibre Optics: Keep It Clean Bombs Away! Detecting Landmines Piezoelectricity: Nature’s Battery Vivaldi Helped Me Get an A in Math! Tense Water: How Elevation Affects the Surface Tension of Water Sensory Receptors: Can you sense that? Delicious DNA Air Today, Liquid Tomorrow Phasinating Photons Aiding The Blind Run Forrest Run
Special Award Speaker
Rank CYSF/Bronze
Display
CYSF
Display Display
CYSF CYSF/Gold
Display Enthusiasm
CYSF
Speaker Sick, N/A Speaker Enthusiasm Enthusiasm
CYSF/Silver CYSF
Grade 8
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Name(s) Zoe W & Wesley P Carson W Nick L Jusleen S & Eric T Jasmine W & Gabrie W K Quinn B & Josh H Jasmine C & Natalie Y Brandon B & Brant L Cameron A & Lyndon B Iwona A Jeremy S & Mark W Duncan P
Project Blinding or Bland? Medicine vs Ethics: How Far Should We Go? The Aerodynamics of Golf On the Tip of My Tongue Migraines: Pain in the Brain Your Brain on Music Singing Spoons Dreams Training Tirade Stem Cells Aerodynamics Beans and Genes
Special Award Display Award
Rank
Speaker Award
CYSF
Enthusiasm Originality Better World Originality Better World Skepticism Enthusiasm Speaker Better World Enthusiasm
CYSF CYSF/Bronze CYSF CYSF/Silver CYSF CYSF/Gold
Grade 9
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CSS Featured Artists K ate ly n (9. 2)
Katelyn started drawing at the age of three when her sister decided to teach her. Katelyn, wanting to please my sister, would practice drawing everyday. When she was six, she began professional art classes. However, she didn’t enjoy them because the teacher forced her to use direct reference and only allowed her to create art in the style of realism. After three months of aggravation, She dropped out. Katelyn decided that art would become something that she would do for her own pleasure, and not to please others. Ever since that fateful day, she has kept to this principle and does not create realistic art unless it is on her own terms. Surrealism is the style of art that Katelyn has been trying to master over the past two years and she believes that she will
be creating it for many years to come. Katelyn is currently creating a wire sculpture of a tree, and although the beadwork on the tree is not yet complete, she is pleased with the direction she is moving with this project.
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CSS Featured Artists
K e lly H (9. 3) Kelly is fourteen years old and has attended the Calgary Science School for two years; she is currently in grade nine. She is serious about her academics and dedicates much of her time to ensuring she realizes her potential in this area. She also enjoys participating with her classmates in school competitive team sports. Kelly devotes much of her free time developing her passion for the visual arts. Currently her favorite medium is working with oil paints. Her long term goal is to integrate her passion for art with a fulfilling career. Independent art classes at CSS and lessons at Swintons Art Supplies have helped her to develop her art skills. Kelly hopes to continue her Visual Arts learning by attending the PVA Program at Central Memorial High School. This year Kelly is working on attaining a more realistic look in her paintings and sketches; she is also working on mood development in her subjects and portraits.
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6.3 & 6.4 WINTER CAMP
RIBBON
CREEK By E.J (6.3) Boys & girls of 6.3 headed for Ribbon Creek on January 25 2011. We stayed for 3 days and 2 nights 6.3 got to Ribbon Creek around lunch time, and were super excited to do all the fun activities like avalanche training, and snow shelter building.
We’re Here! We finally reached Ribbon Creek around 12:00 pm. We went over a couple of rules, moved into the dorms, then had some lunch. Right after lunch we headed right into activities. The activities were so much fun. Over the 3 days we did lots, we played the animal game, went skiing, built quinsy’s, & had a lot of hot chocolate!
The experience was amazing. We all loved Winter Camp. It was an amazing experience because we got to experience so much things we haven’t before, like skiing & quinsy building. The dinners were delicious, and everything else was just amazing. Free time & hanging out in the lounge was also very fun. Winter Camp was forever memorable. I definitely recommend experiencing it for yourself. THE
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AMAZING
PEOPLE By Maanasa D (6.4)
On February 2-4, 2011, Company Of Adventurers guides, Dino, Jenna and Elsbeth came to Winter Camp with CSS’s 6.4 to teach them winter survival skills. As experts in this area, they taught 6.4 all that they knew. The Winter Camp took place at Ribbon Creek Hostel, Kananaskis. Some of the interesting things they taught were avalanche rescue skills, survival skills and how to build a fire. “The guides were nice, funny, taught good stuff and motivated us!” said Paige M, a 6.4 student. Heather N (6.4) stated that, ”The guides were a special treat to the wonderful experience and they were very likable and nice.” The Company of Adventurers has been introducing people of all ages -from school children to senior citizens - to adventure in the outdoors for over 25 years. If you are in grade 5, you should be very excited about going to Winter Camp next year because the guides are amazing. Visit the Company Of Adventurers, website at: http://www.companyofadventurers.com. THE
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March 2011 1
Day 5b
School Council Meeting 7:00 - 9:00 PM
6
7
Day 3a
Gr 6 PE Field Trip at Mount Royal
Day 4a
8
Gr 6 PE Field Trip at Mount Royal
Day 1a
2
Outdoor Ed Elective field trip - Kananaskis All Day
Day 5a
9
Day 2a
3
Etiquette for Success 12:15 PM
Day 1b
10
Etiquette for Success 12:15 PM
14
Day 3b
Report Cards Go Home
20
Day 2a
Day 4b
15
Board of Directors Meeting 5:00 PM - Library
21
Day 3a
22
Day 5b
16
Day 1a
23
DAY 5a
24
Parent Band Committee Meeting 8:30 AM
27
28
29
Day 2b
19
No Classes Student Led Conferences 8:00 AM - 1:00 PM
DAY 1b
25
31
Spring Break THE
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12
18
Last Day of Classes before Spring Break
30
11
Org Day No Classes
17
REGISTRATION & Led RE-REGISTRATION Student Conferences BEGINS 4:00 PM - 8:00 PM
DAY 4a
5
Gr. 6/7 Beginning Band Kiwanis Festival
Etiquette for Success 12:15 PM
13
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APRIL 2011 1
2
8
9
15
16
22
23
29
30
Spring Break 3
4
5
6
7
Spring Break 10
Day 2b
11
Day 3b
12
Day 4b
13
Day 5B
14
Day1a
Band Meeting (for gr.5 parents) 6:30 PM - gym. Fort Steele parent info meeting 7:00 PM - gym
17
Day 2a
18
DAY 3a
19
DAY 4a
20
DAY 5a
21
Class Photos
24
Good Friday No Classes
25 PD Planning Day No Classes
Day 1b
26
Day 2b
27
Day 3b
28
Day 4b
Parent Board Committee Meeting 8:30 AM
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