june 2012 . Issue 10 . Volume 9
The Calgary Science School
Principal’s Message What an incredible month it has been. I strongly encourage all CSS parents to take some time to go through this month’s Spectrum, as it is a great summary of some of our more notable events and achievements. I would like to highlight one event in particular as being very significant for the school. We hosted the ConnectEd Canada Conference on May 25-27. As you will read later in this Spectrum, the conference put CSS on a national stage and allowed us to share much of what we are learning about how to deeply engage students. There was even recognition from our new Minister of Education that CSS is a place of innovation and sharing. One of the most extraordinary things about the conference actually happened before it even started. Two of our teachers were working with a large group of grade 4-9 CSS students to prepare them to act as tour guides and student ambassadors for the conference. Part of that preparation included asking the students to reflect on what learning through inquiry means. This is just a small part of what they said: “Inquiry is about not being afraid to make a mistake or get the wrong answer. You always get a second chance.” “Inquiry is about sharing our learning with our classmates and with the world and using their feedback to improve.”
Students understand that it takes courage to push oneself, to try new things, and to accept responsibility for learning in a different way. They understand that learning is collaborative; more than that, they understand that the world they are inheriting demands a level of collaboration that is foreign to many adults. When asked to reflect about the teachers and the teaching, they said, in part: “Teachers here treat you like you’re greater than you are and expect the best.” “Teachers here interact with the students throughout the entire learning process, not just at the beginning and the end.” The students clearly appreciate how they are pushed to dig deeper in their learning and they have a good understanding of the role of the teacher in supporting learning in an inquirybased setting. There is a lot more to what they said, but every single statement and idea reinforced what we know about our students; they are a remarkably insightful, talented and responsible group. If you spend just a few minutes going through the Spectrum you can read more about the ConnectEd conference and you will see many, many examples of how incredible our students are and how supportive and dedicated our teachers are.
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JUNE 2012
in this issue Transportation Update.......................................................3 Parenting Conference Report...........................................4 School Council News...........................................................5 Getting ConnectEd ..........................................................6-7 CSS Outdoor Gear Swap.....................................................8 Christian B. at the Canada-Wide Science Fair..............9 Lost and Found Update........................................................ 9 Our Dynamite Debaters..............................................10-11
Grade 7 - 9 Concert Band and Music Update..............11. No Imagination Required - Author Don Aker..............12. Grade 5 at Trican Well Service...........................................13. Grade 5 at Fort Steele................................................... 14-15 Grade 7 at Fort Steele................................................... 16-17 Grade 4 Southern Alberta History Tour.................. 18-19 Badminton........................................................................ 20-21 June Calendar.........................................................................22
Cover Photo: 4.3 and 4.4 students taking in a badlands sunset on the Southern Alberta History Tour
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Transportation Update
June, 2012
2012/2013 Registration Update
Other Changes
We have 426 registered riders for next year. Some routes have only limited space still available. Please let the committee know if things have changed for you and you would like to use a school bus.
Sending a NW bus into Signal Hill meant re-arranging the NW routes. All four NW routes are different although the change in service will be minimal for most.
There are more west side riders than ever, 185 for next year compared to 173 for this year. During registration it quickly became apparent that three buses would not be sufficient to serve all those needing west side service. It was decided that a fourth bus would be used to pick up west side riders and that all riders would be given a stop close to home.
We also have more riders from what we call the central zone; the area north of the school and east of Sarcee Trail. We have added several new stops including ones for Scarboro (east of Crowchild), Glendale, Lincoln Park, and the east side of Lakeview as well as a stop along Sarcee Rd, south of 33 Ave. Service will likely continue to improve in this area as more CSS students live here and require busing.
West Side Changes
New Route Schedules
As with just about everything to do with transportation this decision has positive and not-so-positive aspects. We have been able to assign almost all returning west side riders to their current stop location. Most families will notice little difference in their stop location and pick up/drop off times. The committee strives for continuity of service as much as possible. A few west side families who had chosen stops other than the closest to them may find that their preference could not be accommodated due to lack of space.
Planning is in its final stages and the new schedules will be ready to email to riders the week of June 4. Please watch for your copy. It is important for the committee to know which stop you will use so let us know if you are listed at the wrong stop.
Some stops are assigned to a different route than they were this year. This is usual for the west side as we work to plan routes that can seat everyone. The biggest change will be for the Simcoe area riders who will be picked up by a bus coming from the NW and then get a direct ride to school. Their pick up times will be later and their drop off times will be earlier. For some this will be an improvement and for others it will require unwelcome schedule changes. Hopefully families have little trouble making the adjustment.
Families can email to request use of another stop or route after the new schedules have been sent in June. We can easily accommodate requests to change stops on the same route. All requests to use another route will be held in the order received. If and when we are sure there is space available on the requested route, we will let you know by email. This usually works out for everyone in the end and I hope it is the same for next year.
Contact Us You can email the committee at any time, including over the summer break at: transportationatcss@gmail.com
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Parenting Conference Report The Calgary Science School Council held its 2nd (not quite annual) Parenting Conference on Saturday, April 14. To start things off, Leah Roubekas led about twenty early-bird parents through a series of yoga moves. Leah’s business, Back-2-Basics Fitness, has provided lots of volunteer instruction to CSS students through the “parent expert volunteer” program and we appreciate her support of the CSS parent community, too. Most people started to arrive about 8:45 and by the time our program started at 9 o’clock, more than 100 parents were in the CSS gymnasium, keen to take part in an interesting, inspirational, humorous and emotional session on parenting teens and tweens. A short introductory activity generated a whole list of ways parents at CSS like to connect with their teens (and younger children), including: •
Family supper time – include teens in the meal planning and preparation
•
Shared activities – watch a favourite show together; take a family walk; go biking together; take part in a sport with your teen; go shopping together; play a video game, board game or card game for an hour or so; read the same book and discuss the characters; learn something new together.
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Family rituals – share the best/worst thing that happened today; share what we’re grateful for; rotate responsibility for a “joke of the day.”
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Travel – include teens in planning outings, day trips and family vacations; consider a “no electronics” rule for shorter trips and prepare to start some conversations by bringing up current news items (a great way to start a talk about drugs, gangs, sexuality, etc.).
Julie Freedman-Smith of Parenting Power™ started off her keynote presentation with an overview of how the human brain develops (to age 25), and layered onto this wellresearched foundation an overview of teens’ social and psychological development. Combining humour, personal anecdotes and other research, Julie described how teens
need love, structure, organization, support, guidance and patience. Notwithstanding how they act or what they say, she made a convincing case that teens want their parents to stay current and stay involved. All conference attendees received a copy of Julie’s presentation for future reference. If you weren’t able to attend, feel free to stop by the Parents’ Corner bulletin board outside the CSS main office to read through the presentation. The tremendous success of our Parenting Conference would not have been possible without the support of the CSS community. Student volunteers looked after the set-up and take-down of tables and chairs in the gym and staffed our complementary babysitting service. Darrell Lonsberry provided unwavering support, arrived at 7:30 Saturday morning to open up the school for us and ably handled the sound system squawks. Felipe Calasin, one of the CSS Facility Operators, helped out before and during the event. The team in the office handled ticket sales on top of everything else they do. Chris Dittmann put together the advertising for the event. Donna Alden organized a display of some of the parenting resources available through the CSS library. The group of parent volunteers who organized the event did a terrific job, taking care of everything from the continental breakfast to check-in and door prizes to the icebreaker activity. On behalf of the Calgary Science School Council, thanks to all of you for your time, energy and support.
“It’s never just and ordinary day!”
Fort Steele 2012
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School Council News
June, 2012
Our May “Dialogue with Darrell” topic prompted about 30 parents to come out to learn more about looping – the term applied when the same group of students stays with the same teacher for two or more years. Calgary Science School students have been looping at the grade 6/7 level for several years and the CSS leadership team is looking at a looping arrangement at the grade 8/9 level for the upcoming school year. Darrell’s presentation covered the academic and social/emotional benefits of looping, as well as the potential drawbacks of looping. Darrell’s experience is that a perfect loop never happens! Teachers quite regularly move between grades at CSS. There may be compelling reasons one or two students are shifted to a different class. And each year a few students leave and new students arrive to fill the class list. Also, in looking at how to implement looping at the grade 8/9 level, the CSS leadership team wants to ensure there is appropriate teacher continuity for the Bamfield trip, etc. So stay tuned for more information as the details are worked out.
set-up, market, govern and run the bi-weekly operated inschool branch. In terms of next steps, Darrell is looking for a teacher to volunteer to sponsor this program.
Also at our May meeting, Paul Norris from ATB Financial provided an overview of the Junior ATB Program. School Council invited Paul to make this presentation primarily as a result of the March round-table discussion on Outdoor Education, where parents asked, “What else can be done to help manage the cost of Outdoor Education trips?” One option is to run the Junior ATB Program at CSS, to facilitate students helping to save for the cost of their trips. The program would establish an in-school “branch” of the ATB, where students could deposit birthday money, savings from allowance, money earned from odd jobs, etc. into a savings account. Then, when it’s time for an Outdoor Education trip, families could visit any ATB branch or ATM to withdraw funds from their student’s account to help pay for the trip. Aspects of the program are aimed at improving students’ financial literacy. The in-school “branch” is run by student volunteers who gain work experience through seeing what it’s like to
A volunteer committee is working to finalize questions for the 2012 Parent Survey. Your responses will be used to plan our guest speaker topics for the 2012/13 school year, set School Council priorities for the upcoming year and inform the advice that School Council provides to the CSS leadership team and Board. Watch for a link to the survey to hit your inbox in early June.
Our superintendant, Dr. Garry McKinnon, also made a presentation at the May meeting. He went over highlights from the recently completed school evaluation undertaken by Alberta Education (a copy of the report will be available on the CSS website once the final version is received). Garry also talked about efforts underway to submit a 15-year charter renewal application to Alberta Education prior to the end of the school year. Further details can be found elsewhere in this issue of the Spectrum. May 15 was the pick-up date for the second Balzac Meats fundraiser this school year. On behalf of School Council I’d like to thank Karen Morrison and Carolynn Vodden and their team of volunteers for another successful fundraiser that brought in $9,783 for the school.
Our next regular School Council meeting will be Tuesday, June 5 beginning at 7 pm in the Anne Tingle Library on the second floor of the school. A meeting of the CSS Parent Fundraising Society will follow immediately afterwards. As always, if there is a topic you’d like to see addressed at an upcoming meeting, feel free to email schoolcouncil@calgaryscienceschool.com Denise Kitagawa, President on behalf of your School Council
End of Year Reminders If your child is leaving school before the end of the school year and you would like their report card mailed to you, please provide the office with a stamped, self-addressed envelope. Please have children take all of their belongings home on their last day of school (shoes, desk contents, etc.) – we don’t have room to store any of these items as the entire school is cleaned over the summer to be ready for the new school year.
from the school office
Also, please let the office know if you are going on vacation before the end of June or if your child will be starting school after August 15, 2012. Thank you. Nola, Kathy and Susan Calgary Science School Office Staff
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getting
ConnectED
May 25 - 27 saw educators from across western Canada come together at CSS for the very first ConnectEd Canada conference. By the end of the 3 days, it proved to be not so much a conference but rather an ongoing conversation amongst educators looking to share their practices. When a group of educators, including CSS staff members, conceived the idea of a national gathering, they were determined to not do a “usual” teachers conference. Though the idea of ConnectEd evolved, these teachers were adamant that this would not be a place where teachers came to listen to a few expensive keynote speakers, passively attend a workshop or two, and then return home without a clear plan to change what they’re doing in their classroom. From the beginning, ConnectEd was aiming to be an extension of many conversations that are ongoing in education. Indeed, in essence it was a gathering of educators who have long been blogging and tweeting their attempts to innovate in their classrooms as they encouraged students to inquire into the world around them and make formal education more like learning in the “real world”.
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Naturally, the first day of ConnectEd saw a radical departure from the usual conference format. Every CSS classroom was opened to the 150+ attendees. Every few participants were paired with two CSS student guides and simply toured through the classrooms, talking to CSS students as they went about their learning. It was a fairly unique exercise but one that many ConnectEd participants cited as a highlight of their time. David Truss, a vice-principal in Coquitlam, B.C. blogged about his time with his student tour guides.
The highlight of the day was a full morning tour of the building with Grade 7 students Kirsten and Julia, which I shared with (fellow attendee) Shelley Wright. I wish that I was recording Kirsten when she explained what was different about the CSS compared to her previous school, (she moved here for Grade 6). Kirsten very eloquently told us about how teachers are more like guides, and that the questions come from students, and how they don’t do work sheets. Throughout the tour it became evident that the work she shared was a product of her own exploration and interests. Julia, too, shared incredible enthusiasm and interest
in providing us with a detailed and comprehensive tour of this amazing school… but what shined through more than anything was that this was a place these students were proud of, and one that they helped to create.
Educators David Truss (B.C.) and Shelley Wright (Saskatchewan) with their CSS student guides Julia and Kirsten
working together toward a greater understanding, on an individual and collective level, of each other, the world around us and our society. Social networks as a tool for connecting professionals and the sharing of educational ideas and resources, whether in your school building or online, are key components of a growing culture of collaboration. As Garry McKinnon, superintendent of Calgary Science School said in the last session of the conference, “Where do you start with collaboration? It begins with collaboration between student and teacher.” These conversations and sharings went beyond the walls of CSS and into the Twitter-sphere. For those using Twitter, a search using the hashtag #connectedca is highly recommended to see the response from ConnectEd participants and the ongoing flow of ideas. As ConnectEd organizer and former CSS teacher Neil Stephenson tweeted, it was the days immediately after ConnectEd, when teachers were sharing the new things they were trying in their classrooms, that was the greatest testament to the success of the event.
The idea of opening up CSS as a living laboratory of educational practices served as an example of the spirit of ConnectEd. The idea of encouraging educators to make the ideas and learning in their classrooms public was a major driving force for the entire weekend. On Saturday and Sunday, the breaks between sessions found CSS hallways clogged with groups of teachers, huddled together dicussing ideas that had been sparked. Many participants spoke of ConnectEd as the best professional development they had yet to experience. The opportunity to also put faces to the Twitter names and blog posts was something most participants relished. The idea of bringing the eyes, ears and critical thinking of educators far and wide into one teacher’s project ideas and educational challenges was a primary goal of ConnectEd and something that many participants latched onto. Vancouver, B.C. teacher Blair Miller shared his experience on his blog Education is a product of sustained, respectful relationships with open communication. The primary relationship is between student and teacher, but almost equally important are the supporting and surrounding relationships; student to student, teacher to teacher, parents with teachers/administration and teachers with school administration. Regarding the idea of collaboration in education, he went on to say this: Education should draw on the social nature of humans and encourage collaboration between students, between teachers and between students and teachers. We will all benefit from
Already plans are underway for next year’s ConnectEd Canada. Organizers plan to move the venue to a different Canadian school each year. Mr. Stephenson feels that CSS will be a tough act to follow. “How many schools can you open up every single classroom and provide attendees with living examples of this type of teaching and learning,” he stated. “I’m not aware of any other school like this.”
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Save that outgrown, outdoor gear for the CSS Outdoor Gear Swap
Drop off gear to be sold Wed. August 15 8:30 - 10 am & 7 - 8 pm OR Thurs. August 16 8:30 am - 9:30 am
Buy bigger gear at the SALE Thurs. August 16 from 4 - 8pm
Fort Steele 2012
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Christian B. at the Canada-Wide Science Fair
lost and found 233.5,
that is the number of pounds of clothing and lost items that have been in the Lost and Found from December to May. Shocking isn’t it? Or maybe not!
Grade 8 student Christian B. recently returned from the 2012 Canada-Wide Science Fair, which took place the week of May 12 -19 in Charlottetown, P.E.I. Christian qualified for the Canada-Wide Science Fair after receiving a Gold Medal at the Calgary City-Wide Science Fair for his project Homemade Bio Diesel. He and 11 other Calgary students, along with 3 adult delegates, joined almost 500 hundred other grade 7 - 12 students from across Canada. In his project, Christian took five different vegetable oils, converted them into bio diesel, then tested their respective energy outputs using an alcohol burner. Prior to his trip to Charlottetown, Christian was required to submit a five page summary which was read by the judges prior to viewing his project. During the judging process Christian was asked questions based on his presentation and the summary. “I found the feedback helpful. They complimented me on my communication and also identified other variables that could have been taken into account,” he stated. Christian’s project was awarded a Bronze Medal. Christian came away impressed with the level of projects on display. “All the projects there were unique. They were all innovative. Brand new ideas that haven’t been attempted before,” he recalled. But the trip wasn’t all work and no play. “Most of what I’m going to remember is the full day tour of PEI. Especially eating lobster,” he reflected.
Items are returned to individuals if names are located on the item. They are also returned if inquiries are made and the item is located in the boxes. Lost and Found is held for 1 week and then given to charity. It will be held for 1 week after the return to school after a break (eg. Winter break starts December 20, therefore items will be held until January 11). This gives those going away an opportunity to still claim items. So please be sure to put names on your items and they will make their way back to you. Initials don’t work as there could be several students with the same initials and it makes it difficult to discover whom they may belong to. Items such as phones, jewellery, electronics, eye glasses, and keys (small valuable items) are kept in the office and can be claimed there. The following list below is a schedule for pickups for the upcoming school year (this will be placed in September’s newsletter as well). Please make a note of these dates and check for items prior to pickup. Emails will not be sent out prior to each pickup as we don’t want to add more notes coming out. Pickups are done at 8:30am on the date listed. If you find that you haven’t found your item(s) you may contact Carolynn at voddens@shaw.ca or call (403)285-2023 to inquire if it was discovered in the picked up items. There will be one more pick up date this year on the last day of school at the end of the school day. LOST AND FOUND DATES FOR 2012-13 SCHOOL YEAR August 15 December 20 May 16 October 4
February 13
November 8
March 21
June 28
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OUR DYNAMITE DEBATERS
Grade 9 students Swarochish and Ashish are the latest CSS students to make their mark in the debating world. The boys capped off another successful CSS debate season with a 1st place finish in the Junior Open category of the procincial debate championships. This earned the boys and their coach, Mr. HoytHallett, the right to represent Alberta at the Canadian Debate Championships, held in Montreal, April 25 to 30.
This spring marked the end of another debate season here at CSS. Under the fine tutelage of Mr. Hoyt-Hallett, CSS students, grades 6 - 9, participated in several city-wide debate competitions, including one hosted here at CSS last November. From there, students qualifed for the regional competition.
After debating both sides of their prepared topic, “This house believes that the 21st century will be ruled by China,” the boys won the Junior Open (Gr. 8/9) category and qualified for the Canadian Junior National Debate Championships, in Montreal April 25 - 30. Mr. Hoyt-Hallett, accompanied the boys as well as the rest of Team Alberta as coach/chaperone.
After a second place finish at the regional debate, Grade 9 students Ashish and Swarochish qualified for the provincial championships, hosted by Western Canada High School.
The boys’ week in Montreal saw them tour old Montreal, wander up the St. Lawrence River to Quebec City, eat their fill of poutine and make new friends from all over Canada!
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It’s almost easy to forget they also participated in a national debate championships! The boys put in a strong showing in both the impromptu and prepared topic (“This house believes that D’Arcy Magee should be considered a Canadian hero”) debates. They advanced all the way to the quarterfinals where they lost a close split decision to finish 5th. This was Swarochish’s fourth year debating and his second trip to nationals. Surprisingly, this was the very first year that Ashish has participated in debate. “Swish has always had older debate partners before this year. He asked if I would be his partner,” recalled Ashish. Swarochish’s offer clearly caught him off guard. “I didn’t take him seriously at first. I thought it was too much effort and too much time.”
After eventually accepting Swarochish’s offer, Ashish never looked back. “It’s quite a bit of time but it was easy to manage. We go to each other’s houses to prepare and practice. We spent months preparing. Probably over a hundred hours,” stated Ashish. He plans to continue on in debate in high school. “I’m glad I took up debate. It was a lot of fun and Swish and I got to hang out together. We’ll probably debate each other in high school since we’re going to different schools,” he noted. Ashish was also quick to give credit to Mr. Hoyt-Hallett. “Mr. H. was great. Really supportive, even when we lost. We’d have team meetings, all of the debate team together. If someone needed help preparing, he would help and point us to resources.” And so ends another great CSS debate year!
Grade 7 - 9 Concert Band and Music News The Grade 7-9 Concert Band Participated in the "Festival of Bands" in Red Deer at the college May 22. The band performed our most challenging repertoire to date and the students rose to the challenge. We were also able to listen to some high school bands while attending the festival. Our students were exposed to some great music and bands. After playing, the students were challenged to sight read new music and perform it after only 5 minutes to look at it. The highlight of the season for sure is always the festivals and a sense of pride and accomplishment is what our students felt when coming off the stage after their performance. Job well done! Thank-you to all parents and families who attended and supervised. A quick note regarding students playing instruments in grades 6-9. If students are deciding to play in the band next year they should take their instruments home and possibly
get them cleaned and maintained. If students are unsure of returning to the band next year they should decide by the end of June whether they should return their instruments or not. For students not returning to band next year please return your instruments to the appropriate store. Thankyou to all of our parents for supporting the band program at CSS. A special thank-you to the Band Parent Committee for doing a tremendous job this year supporting and helping out wherever needed. A truly great team of volunteers! Our next performance including the Grade 6 Beginning Band, Grades 7-9 Concert Band, and Jazz Band will be June 12 at the CSS gym @ 7pm for our final concert of the year. See you there! Andrew Bolen Music Specialist
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NO IMAGINATION REQUIRED?! ....and other suprising views from an award winning author On Monday, May 7, CSS welcomed award winnning Canadian author Don Aker to the Anne Tingle Library. Mr. Aker conducted 3 sessions with grade 6-8 students where he shared his path to becoming a published author, writing for a teenaged audience. He also challenged students to see the events, relationships and challenges in their lives as rich ideas, waiting to blossom into written stories. Mr. Aker shared how all writers share a common curiosity of people and events. He discussed how he observes different people going through unique experiences and asks himself, “What must that be like?” He took students through a specific real life crime that ultimately became the plot of one of his books. He spoke of how the events caught his interest and how he subsequently explored the perspectives and backgrounds of the different participants. Mr. Aker certainly surprised his audience when he dismissed the importance of imagination to a writer. “I have NO imagination!” he confessed. Instead, he highlighted the importance of his most important tool; the writer’s notebook. He shared how he’s on his 13th notebook, in which he jots down his observations and thoughts. The notes become the basis for his story ideas. As he described, it’s the events and personalities he observes every day that feed his story ideas. Not his imagination. CSS teacher-librarian, Mrs. Alden, pointed out that Mr. Aker’s books are based on realistic plots and characters. No vampires or black magic, just simple ideas picked out of people’s real-life experiences. Mr. Aker noted that in his time as a school teacher, (his “real job” alongside being a writer) students often resisted writing by stating ‘I’ve got nothing to write about!’ He feels nothing could be further from the truth. “Being a teenager is a tough time. There’s so much change,” he explained. He also stated how modern fiction can broaden our perspectives by putting the reader into another human’s thoughts and feelings. “You don’t have one life to live. You have as many lives as books to read,” he concluded.
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Students also discovered that a writer needs a lot of determination and patience. “He shared how his first book got rejected 11 times,” stated grade 8 student Jada P. “He also told us that his first book only sold 12 copies. And 2 were returned!” she exclaimed. Mr. Aker’s impact on CSS students was best summarized by grade 6 student Palveen B. “He made me more interested in writing a story,” she concluded. For more information on Don Aker and his writing, please see www.donaker.com
Grade 5 at TRICAN Well Service
Our visit to the TRICAN research facility was exciting and informative. There were tonnes of ‘favourite activities’ incorporated into the interactive demonstrations given by some of TRICAN’s chemists, and chemical and petroleum Engineers. This outing illustrated many of the connections between the learning from our Chemistry unit and some authentic, real world applications in inquiry, research, and development. All our lab guides were keen and enthusiastic and easily kept students engaged and enthused. And, the ice cream treat in the boardroom was a wonderful way to wrap up our experience! Many thanks again to the parent volunteers, and a huge thank you to TRICAN for their generosity in providing an ideal enrichment opportunity for our students. Mrs. Barnes
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The
grade 5 fort steele
Experience
The 5.3 Fort Steele History Lab was an amazing way to experience how people lived and worked during the late 1800s and early 1900s. Our trip to this ‘living museum’ had us immersed in a great variety of activities. The learning on our first day began with a scavenger hunt tour and orientation around Fort Steele, a hike to the cemetery, an introduction to some pioneer games, a lovely trek around ‘Turtle Echo Lake’, and finally, a candle-log campfire with the grade 7s in our barracks before falling asleep on our straw mattresses (called straw ticks). The second day had us off-site most of the time as we participated in a rigorous guided hike through the remains of the historic ‘Fisherville’ goldmining town. Fisherville was the first of many townsites that popped up along the Wild Horse as prospectors flooded into the area during the 1864 gold rush. Fisherville’s inhabitants vanished almost as quickly as they came once the opportunity to get rich quick died. We ate a creek-side lunch and then did some real gold panning! After this busy day it was lovely to have a hearty beef stew dinner made and served to us in the International Hotel by the hard working grade 7s. We then headed in to the recreation centre in Cranbrook for some pool fun (water slide, swimming pool, diving boards and wave pool). When we returned to Fort Steele, we were treated to the first presentation of the ‘Fort Steele Follies’, performed by the grade 7 students in the Wild Horse Theatre. After another rousing campfire, we once again welcomed some sleep.
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The lively pace continued on our third day as we moved around Fort Steele in our troops taking in a variety of presentations and activities, including the Pioneer Home (with clothes washing duties as well as the making of johnny cakes, butter, and ice cream), the museum archives, Blacksmith shop, Rail yard, and, the old schoolhouse with ‘Miss Paddlebottom’ (yours truly). Dinner this day was homemade pizza, again prepared and served by the grade 7s. This was followed by some lively square dancing, more entertainment with the ‘Fort Steele Follies’, and our final campfire. Everyone slept soundly. On our last day, we went about the task of packing up all our gear in the morning before each individual troop finished rotating through the Fort Steele presentations and activities. By lunchtime, the 5.4 students had arrived and we proudly showcased our troop marching drills, uniformed in our new red Fort Steele shirts, as we handed-off our troop banners to the new crop of NWMP recruits. It was time to get on the bus and wind our way home to Calgary, stopping for a welcome soak in the Radium Hot Springs en route. Please encourage your child to share his or her experiences of this historic trip with you. Mrs Barnes
fort steele
2012
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grade 7 at fort steele Apprenticing in the kitchen.
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The “women” of old Fort Steele www.calgaryscienceschool.com Workin’ on the railroad.
“On our way, the bus broke down and we were stuck for over an hour until a new bus came!” - Darren 7.1
7.1 in another epic production of Fort Steele Follies.
7.4 spot a bear on the ride home.
Apprentice tinsmiths
Learning the searing hot precision of the blacksmith.
7.3/7.4
“Jacques taught us how to preserve meat. Once the meat was carved up, it went into the smoker.” - Maxwell 7.4
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The Living History
of Southern Alberta CSS grade 4 classes recently returned from a whirlwind 3-day Southern Alberta History Tour. Day 1 saw students arrive at the East Coulee School Museum and immediately get a taste of old schoolhouse discipline. “You couldn’t talk at all. If you did, you might have to sit in the corner and wear a dunce cap or else stand with your nose on the chankboard!” described 4.1’s Brandon. “Miss Morrison was mean!” added Ethan of 4.1. Following class, students got a good workout pushing each other in a coal cart on the railways tracks. Day 2 saw students tour the Royal Tyrrell Museum. Students learned that fossils come in all sizes and there is a lot of time and effort put into preserving them. They soon found themselves making dinosaur fossil casts. “I was surprised at how delicate the fossils are,” explained Brandon. A badlands hike brought one group a thankfully not-too-close encounter with a badlands predator. “We saw a bull snake!” exclaimed Yashriya. The snake, all 8 feet of it, wasn’t keen on joining the hike and soon slithered away. Soon after lunch, students were back on the bus and on their way to the Frank Slide Interpretive Centre. On their guided hike along Frank Slide trail, students learned of the geological factors that contributed to the massive rockslide that all but completely
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wiped out the town of Frank. They also learned of the precautions that can be taken so that another possible slide won’t have near the devastating effect. Day 3 found everyone up bright and early and heading for a tour of the Bellevue Underground Mine. Students experience the life of a miner deep below the ground. With the headlights on their hardhats glowing, students learned how coal was extracted and transported, with all agreeing that the highlight was learning how to light an old miner’s carbide lamp. After lunch, students boarded the bus again, this time for the North West Mounted Police Museum in Fort Macleod. Students split into groups to take part in different activities. Some took the role of the NWMP in “Red Coats vs the Whiskey Traders.” Other activities gave students the chance to learn Blackfoot words and take part in some traditional Blackfoot games. Finally, it was time to board the bus one last time and begin the two hour trek back to CSS. The 2012 Grade 4 Southern Alberta History Tour was complete. Now, how did this lump of coal end up in my pocket?
“The teacher was very strict! She inspected our finger nails and told us she was very disappointeed that the boys’ nails were cleaner than the girls’!”
“Back then, kids had to push the coal carts, even uphill!
“Although a lot of dinosaur bones are huge, some fossils are as tiny as a speck”
“The Frank rockslide happened at 4:00 am. The Blackfoot people had warned of its danger. Scientists believe there will be another rockslide some day .“
“We were allowed to take a small piece of coal home!” “As punishment for misbehaving, you had to hold out two heavy books for a half hour!”
“We got to experience what it was like for the coal 19 miners. We even put fake coal dust on our cheeks.”
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Lasers Badminton There is perhaps no sport that the Calgary Science School seems to consistently dominate in as much as badminton. Each spring competition is fierce for each of the 5 boys and 5 girls spots in each grade, 7 through 9. Year after year, CSS returns from the Calgary Charter Schools Athletic Association with the overall team title, often winning all 3 grades en route. This year was no exception as our Lasers once again won the overall title, taking the grade 8 and 9 titles in the process while finishing 2nd in grade 7. Big thanks goes out to the coaches; Mr. Fawcett (Gr. 7), Mr. Neufeld (Gr. 8), and Mr. Sonico (Gr. 9). Please find tournament results below. Please note that alternate team members competed in more than one category. Grade 7
Grade 8
Grade 9
Girls Singles
Heather N - SILVER
Megan L - BRONZE
Andrea F - BRONZE
Girls Doubles
Lauren L and Katie W - GOLD
Annie H and Heidi S - GOLD
Nicole K $ Karen N - BRONZE
Mixed Doubles
Paige M and Matt F - BRONZE
Jada P Noah V - SILVER
Paula and Sheldon - GOLD
Boys Doubles
Phillip K & Michael W - SILVER
Luke E and Sterling W - SILVER
Nick B and Alex N - SILVER
Boys Singles
Aaron K - SILVER
Nic H - BRONZE
Cole L - SILVER
Alyssa L and Isaac P
Jenna F and Terran F
Aidan L and Swarochish G
Alternates
Grade 7
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Back Row: Isaac P, Aaron K, Mr. Fawcett, Michael W, Phillip K, Matt F Front Row: Paige M, Alyssa L, Lauren L, Katie W, Heather N
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Grade 8
Back Row: Luke E, Sterling W, Terran F, Noah V, Mr. Neufeld Front Row: Heidi S, Annie H, Megan L, Jada P, Jenna F Missing: Nic H, Mrs. Berry
Grade 9
Back Row: Mr. Sonico, Andrea F, Nicole K, Nick B, Cole L, Alex N Front Row: Aidan L, Karen N, Paula N, Sheldon V Missing: Swarochish G, Mrs. Barnes
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day 5
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8.1/8.2 Rocky mountain tour 8.3/8.4 Rocky mountain tour
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4
day 6
5
day 1
6
day 2
Grade 9 grad celebration 5:00 pm
Camp Sweet Gr. 9 girls
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day 4
day 3
Camp Sweet 9.3/9.4 boys
Camp Sweet 9.1/9.2 boys
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7
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day 5
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day 6
Fine Arts Summer Solstice Celebration
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day 1
Gr. 6 PAT
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9
pd/planning day no classes
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day 2
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Gr. 6 PAT
(social studies)
(Language Arts Part B)
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1:30 - 3:00 pm & 7:00 - 8:30 pm
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day 3
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Gr. 6 PAT
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day 2
Gr. 9 PAT (math)
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day 5
day 6
Gr. 6 PAT
(math)
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day 4
day 3
Gr. 9 PAT
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Gr. 9 PAT
(science)
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day 1 (science)
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day 4
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day 5
Gr. 9 PAT
Last Day of School
Gr. 9 in-school celebration 1:00-3:00 pm
Dismissal 11:30 am
(Language Arts (social studies) Part B)
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