CONNECTS October 2013
ROUND SQUARE WAVES OF CHANGE
CAPILANO WATERSHED PROJECT IN OUR OWN BACKYARD
EXPERIENCE THE WORLD SUMMER IN EUROPE
COLLINGWOOD SCHOOL
Megan C. makes a new friend while helping local Bahamian children with Math and English during Service Day.
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
OCTOBER 2013
happy halloween Every month our students are busy learning, volunteering, winning games, debating topics and challenging each other to accomplish great things. This month our students traveled to Florida and the Bahamas representing Collingwood at a Round Square Conference, participated in a shoreline cleanup in our community and students at Wentworth challenged themselves to try new things at Camp Summit. We hope you enjoy this issue.
3......... Morven’s First House Sports Day 5......... Waves of Change 7......... Experience the World: Summer in Europe 9......... Tall Ships 11...... In Our Own Backyard 12...... Performing with the Kenyan Boys Choir Cover: Alina J. dancing along a lane in London Back Cover: Wentworth teacher, Helen Gould, with Grade 4 students at Camp Summit
wright on teacher’s grit We are talking a lot about “grit” these days on both campuses at Collingwood. Although dogged determination has always been a laudable human characteristic, author Paul Tough, whom we’ve studied as an entire faculty, has moved the term into the educational realm in his book How Children Succeed. Tough cites “grit” as one of the several non-cognitive skills that are more highly linked to success in children than intellectual prowess, or cognitive skills. He also talks about self–regulation, optimism, delayed gratification and zest as other attributes evidenced in the most successful children. But let’s talk about grit: that plucky, tenacious nature often found in kids who emerge as the leaders in the classroom, on the sports field and inevitably in life. At Wentworth we are talking about how grit can be intentionally taught at different ages. What does it look like in a JK class, in Grade 3 or Grade 7? How can we recognize and reinforce it on the playground or in the choir.
These conversations are ongoing at Wentworth and Morven, and we are anticipating that this very intentional examination of the genesis of grit in kids will result in tangible learning outcomes for all our students. As we all know, modeling is a very effective teaching strategy and our students need not look any further than the Morven faculty to learn a lot about grit. With the comprehensive Morven construction moving into its second year, no other cohort in our school family has had to display more grit than our teachers at Morven. Ponder running a PE and Athletics programme with no gym and no field. Contemplate offering a rich Science curriculum for a month with no senior Science facilities. Imagine adding at least a half hour each way to your commute and having to hit precise times for arrival and departure from work every day.
wright on
Now, add a young family into the mix and you get an idea of the type of grit that might be required. I’m proud to say that our teachers have responded to all these inconveniences with creativity, resourcefulness, alacrity and good cheer.
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Thank you Morven teachers for demonstrating “True Grit”... apologies to John Wayne. Rodger Wright, Headmaster
happy halloween morven
Click here to watch Grade 8 and 9 students surprise flash mob dance
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waves of change
L:R Sara C., Meghan C., Cherry Z., Silver M., Tyentyen C., Meg Chamberlain
Meghan C. and Cherry Z. making new friends in the Bahamas.
From October 1-12, 2013, five Collingwood School students participated in the Round Square International Conference in Boca Raton, Florida as well as a pre-conference at the Island School in the Bahamas. Collingwood School is a member school of Round Square and every year our School sends delegates to participate in Regional and International Conferences. At international conferences more than a hundred member schools worldwide come together to learn and focus on the Round Square IDEALS.
service
This year, the conference was held at Saint Andrew’s School and the theme was Waves of Change, challenging young people to enact positive change within their communities and around the world. Inspiring Keynote speakers such as Adam Braun, the founder of Pencils for Promise and Marc and Craig Kielburger, the founders of Me to We and Free the Children presented.
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While in Florida, we participated in a Habitat for Humanity project, spotted alligators in the Everglades, and helped to clean up a local beach. Seeing what other schools were doing in their communities inspired us to enact more change within our own. Prior to the conference in Florida, we participated in a five-day pre-conference with two other schools at
Students from GNS, Collingwood and Deerfield Academy addressed responsible ways of travel and assessed their impact on the Bahamian environment and economy.
the Island School in the Bahamas. The Island School is an inspiring institution dedicated to environmentalism, research, and outreach. The school offers programs for high school students where they can spend a semester learning about sustainability, marine biology, and environmentalism.
During our stay, we dissected lionfish, attended lectures on the effect of policy on research, and participated in a plastic survey. We learned so much about marine biology and were inspired to make more sustainable choices in our everyday life. We also participated in a service day with the local Bahamian children, helping with reading and math. Many of us made lasting friendships all while learning more about the environment, sustainability, and the Bahamian culture.
- Cherry Z, ‘15
Students from GNS, Collingwood and Deerfield Academy about to leave to partake in marine ecology research.
memorable moments The experiences I’ve had on this Round Square trip have taught and exposed me to a great range of new, exotic, and challenging things. -Tyentyen C., ‘14 Through this experience, I grew my relationship internationally and made new friends from over 60 different countries. By making new friends, I was able to learn more about their culture and how differently they live and talk compared to us. - Sara C., ‘15 I strongly encourage anyone who attends Collingwood to take the time to go on a Round Square conference because the knowledge you gain can both help you give back and the memories you shared develop friendships with people from around the world. - Silver M.,‘15
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EXPERIENCE the world
summer in europe
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The Experience the World to Europe trip was extremely memorable. Not only were the places we saw and the experiences we had amazing, but also, and perhaps more importantly, the people I was with made the trip even more exciting. I began with only a few close friends, and was unsure about how I would get along with some of the other kids who were travelling with me. Yet after a few days into the trip, we all seemed so comfortable around each other, and all my doubts washed away. In fact by spending so much time with the people around me, most of us became very close. Even though Mr. Hughes and Mr. Waterhouse made it explicitly clear that this was an academic trip, we still had an incredibly fun time. From touring through 2000 year old buildings and towns in Spain and England, to renting a boat for the day and touring the Mediterranean, our group had a taste of almost everything. My personal favourite, and I think many people would agree with me on this, was the FC Barcelona game we watched at Camp Nou. Watching one of the best football clubs in the world play was truly a great experience, and the atmosphere was like nothing I had ever experienced. I can certainly say I had a well-spent summer, and if you would like one as well, I recommend you sign up for this trip and experience the world to Europe. Liam H.
Top to Bottom: Part fortress, part palace and part garden the Alhambra is situated on a plateau overlooking the city of Granada in southern Spain.� Allen W., Mr Rose, Georgina P., Angus R., Anniqa K., Jake D., Emma M. Anniqa K. and Quinn V. at Camp Nou for a Barcelona football match vs Santos (from Brazil) Big Bus tour in London - Michael L., Quinn V., Nick L., Liam H.
finding clean energy sources The AP Environmental Science class took their learning to new heights on a field trip to Grouse Mountain. On a sunny Vancouver day, the students walked from Collingwood to the base of the mountain where they reviewed various uses of energy on the mountain and went up the ‘Eye of the Wind’. The focus of this trip was on sustainability and conservation. In this course, students have been learning about wind energy as a clean source of energy. This field trip was a great opportunity for them to ask questions and explore this subject in the natural environment.
intertidal ecology & the salmon run
outdoor education
Biology 11 students explored the shores at Lighthouse Park to study where organisms live between low and high tide lines.
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the wind in their saILs Students go aboard the Tall Ship learning teamwork through sailing. Go to Headmaster’s Video Gallery for a video of Dall’s porpoises by Greg Shea and Brandon Harvey.
Photos by Brandon Harvey Photography
camp summit
Grade 4 students attend outdoor school to play, explore and build life-long skills in the great outdoors.
in our own backyard Grade 8 students learn explore water issues while visiting the Cleveland Dam.
environmental citizenship
For the last three years, Collingwood School has participated in the Capilano Watershed Project, an integrated curriculum program based on David Sobel’s theory of place-based education. Students learn about the world water crisis in a variety of subjects using the local landscape as their classroom. Jessica Richmond, an outdoor education teacher at Collingwood School, spearheaded the program with the goal to teach students about the scarcity of water around the world using the local Cleveland Dam to examine the topic in a real-world situation.
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During the project, students discussed where there water comes from, how much they consume and how it gets to them. Over the course of two weeks students examined maps of fresh water availability in Geography, discussed First Nations history in Social Science, calculated their water usage in Math and learned about salmon spawning in Science. During a full day at the Cleveland Dam, students discovered the ecology of the Capilano River, the watershed that supplies our water, and visited the salmon hatchery to learn more about the salmon spawning process. Using the local community and environment as a classroom to discuss water issues is the basis of place-based education. With an emphasis on hands-on, real-world learning, this approach to education helps students connect to their local community, increase academic achievement, gain a better appreciation for the natural world, while highlighting their commitment to serving as active, contributing citizens.
Leaving the classroom and visiting the Cleveland Dam helps to humanize the issues of water scarcity in the world, while connecting to the topic in each of their classes helps them better understand the issues from different perspectives. Over the last three years the program has grown to include participation from more departments at Collingwood and initiatives from school clubs like the ‘Bring your Own Water Bottle’ campaign. The ultimate goal of this project is to positively influence our school community to understand water issues and make changes in their water usage now and in the future. If students walk away asking themselves what they can do to affect change then the project is a success.
-Sharifa Samuels
Students prepare to perform a play based on what they learned during their field trip at the Capilano dam.
shoreline cleanup
On Saturday, September 21st, the Round Square crew scoured Hay Park and the surrounding area for garbage and recyclables. We found everything from cigarette ends (many of them) to children’s toys. A big kudos to all who came out to help and thanks to Ms. McCracken for organizing it!
every little bit counts It was a “big one” and a “not so fresh “ one.... Bottles from June, a large load from Whistler water, containers from the “Back to School BBQ”, and bags from the cafeteria. You name it, it was there. But along came a smiling group of Junior Round Square students and their trusty leaders, who were not afraid of a little work, and voila the job got done. Thanks goes to: Katie H., Joy H., Kaya B., Genny K., Morgan B., Daniella P., Maegan B., Katie Geale and Sam Weiss.
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morven’s FIRST house sports day
On Thursday, October, 3rd, the Morven campus launched Collingwood’s House Sports Day, held at Swangard Stadium in Burnaby. Sunshine, House spirit, and good natured rivalry were prevalent throughout the various events such as 100m, 400m, 1200m, long jump, softball throw, tug-of-war and our feature event, the 4x100m relay. The students and faculty in attendance definitely gave the experience a thumbs up. After all of the events were completed, the final standings were announced:
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1st
SENFT
4th
MACKENZIE
2nd
GROOS
5th
GEER
3rd
HOUSSIAN
6th
BYRD
pumpkin carving with my buddy
Kindergarten students enjoy carving pumpkins with their Grade 12 buddies.
musical harmony On October 19th, the Collingwood Chorale Ensemble performed with the Kenyan Boys Choir at Grouse Mountain.
upcoming DATES/events • • • • •
11/4 - Remembrance Day Assembly 11/6-7 - Gr. 8-12 Parent/Teacher Meetings 11/8 - Term Break, School Closed 11/11 - Remembrance Day, School Closed 11/16 - Parents’ Council Family & Friends Carnival • 11/18 - Deadline for 2014-2015 Junior Kindergarten and Kindergarten applications
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spooky ghouls & goblins wentworth
Grade 8 Rugby, Collingwood vs. Rockridge