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Vol. 02

Fall 2023

Foothills Alumni Magazine

Table of Contents 01 02 03 05 09 11 15 17 18 19 20

Alumni Message A message from Kathleen What's New Alumni Profile: Dustin Milne (‘04) Staff Appreciation Alumni Profile: Curtis Prokopchuk (‘09) Coming Soon to Foothills Perkopolis Upcoming Events Pay it Forward Stay Connected

Page 01

Foothills Alumni Welcome you to the second edition of the Foothills Academy Alumni Magazine. Time has flown by since our last edition, and we are excited to reconnect with our growing group of accomplished students, staff and alumni families. As we gather the stories and memories that will fill the pages of this magazine, we are reminded of the incredible journey each of you had during your time here. Foothills Academy has always been more than just a school; it is a place of connection and support to help young people like you find understanding, build confidence and maximize potential before heading out into the world. In this edition, we aim to foster a sense of community among our alumni, allowing you to connect with your peers, look back on shared experiences, and discover the diverse paths your fellow alumni have chosen. We invite you to read about the latest updates at Foothills Academy Society and the exciting initiatives we have undertaken for current and future students. Foothills Academy remains committed to its mission of fostering excellence in education and maximizing the potential of every student. Your continued support and involvement are important in helping us achieve this goal. Whether through serving on a committee, being a monthly donor, attending an event or volunteering, your contribution makes a difference in the lives of the students who follow in your footsteps.

Karen MacMillan PhD, R. Psych Executive Co-Director Foothills Academy Society

Simon Williams

MSEd, LQS Executive Co-Director Foothills Academy Society

Page 01

A note from Kathleen It’s Fall, Y’all! I hope everyone had a great summer and enjoyed the start of their fall. To our Calgary Alumni, what a fall we had! For those of you now across the globe, it was a very non-Calgary fall, including mild weather through Thanksgiving. Welcome back, Falcons, to our Alumni Magazine. I am excited to share the stories of two Alumni - Dustin (’04) and Curtis (’09) - who have both won awards and rubbed elbows with the entertainment industry since their time at Foothills. I am hard at work setting up events for Foothills and some just for our wonderful Alumni, including a tour and taste at Banded Peak Brewery on Friday, November 24, from 5 - 7 PM. We have more in the works, so keep your eyes open for what is next.

Kathleen Gurski

Kathleen Gurski Manager, Community & Alumni Engagement

What’s New At Foothills Academy The Beehive We're thrilled to introduce you to one of the exciting new additions to our school's extracurricular activities: "The Beehive" Gardening Club. This club has quickly become a buzz-worthy group among our students, helping them learn about plant life cycles, share in the care of our new school garden, and practice valuable teamwork and social skills. "The Beehive" Gardening Club was founded with two things in mind: provide our students with a hands-on experience of the natural world, and to foster a sense of responsibility, teamwork, and social interaction. The role bees play in the natural world inspired the club's name, highlighting the connections of all life on earth. Through their involvement in the club, our students have had the opportunity to learn about plant life cycles, from seed to harvest. They have learnt about the nurturing and care required to create a thriving garden. This hands-on experience has allowed them to develop a deeper appreciation for the environment and the importance of sustainable practices.

04 Jay Knopf Joins the 2023/24 Minister's Youth Council

Jay Knopf, a student at Foothills, has been chosen to serve on the 2023/24 Minister's Youth Council. Jay will be representing the perspectives of junior and senior high school students from Alberta as they contribute to shaping the future of education in the province. Out of a highly competitive pool of 183 talented and dedicated young individuals across Alberta, Jay Knopf was selected as one of the 40 youth on the 2023/24 Minister's Youth Council members. This selection recognizes Jay's commitment to academic excellence, leadership qualities, and passion for advocating for Alberta's youth. Read the press release here. Truth and Reconciliation Day

Foothills Academy observed Truth and Reconciliation Day on Thursday, September 28, and closed on September 29 in observance of Truth and Reconciliation Day on September 30, 2023. Our students and staff participated in educational sessions over the week that covered a variety of topics, including: What Reconciliation means Indigenous history Indigenous perspectives Outside of our dedicated Truth and Reconciliation week, Foothills Academy has ongoing education, cultural awareness, and collaborations with Indigenous partners to build bridges of understanding. Visit our website here to learn more.

Alumni Profile

Dustin Milne 2004 Graduate As the world becomes a more technical space for artists, events and performances, Foothills Alum Dustin Milne is one of the first calls made to support these projects. His passion and vision for high-end audio-visual systems and installations have brought him to some interesting places and to work with some interesting people, and it all started right here at Foothills. While at Foothills Academy, Dustin began exploring his interests in the audiovisual (AV) world. In 2001, he helped plan and set up “Footstock,” a music festival that included Foothills students who were in bands. Since then, Dustin has expanded beyond just “Footstock,” being involved in the Juno Awards and concert tours with artists such as Paul Brant, the Rolling Stones, Aerosmith and comedian Dane Cook. Here in Calgary, Dustin was the production manager for the Beacons of Hope event, being a part of the Calgary Police Services (CPS), which shows support for the efforts of CPS to help keep our communities safe. Dustin loves the Beacons of Hope event and invites all Foothills alumni to join in May for the free event with live music and to see all the equipment and technology our Calgary Police Services use. Stay Tuned! We will include that information in our April magazine release.

In November of 2022 Dustin received the Award of Exceptional Recognition from the Calgary Police Services for work with the Beacons of Hope campaign. Pictured with Calgary Police Chief Mark Neufeld.

After graduation, Dustin worked at Allstar Show Industries to learn the ropes of the Professional Audio and Video world. In 2010, he started his own audio-visual company, Digital Media Integrations, which has a team of over ten people working on various projects. Some of his work can be seen in places like Major Tom Restaurant, the National restaurant chain, and many other churches, schools, and restaurants. Dustin also played a key role in designing and building the Calgary Police Services' new mobile command truck. He is currently working at the Fairmont Palliser Hotel to update the entire events and meeting room's AV systems. When Dustin isn't at work, he is at home with his partner (Kelsi) and dog (Dexter). He also holds many volunteer roles, such as the event planner for the Alberta Ghostbusters, a group of fans who dress up as Ghostbusters and raise money for the Alberta Children's Hospital. Over the last five years, the group has raised over $60,000. When supporting the community a little closer to home, Dustin hosts an annual event in his community of Panorama Hills named the "Haunted Panton Way Halloween Block Party." Now in its 10th year, the event hosts around 3000 people and has appearances from Star Wars Storm Troopers, Ghostbusters and Disney Princesses, food trucks, pyrotechnics and a large audio and visual display. According to Dustin, the best parts of the event are seeing the smiles and excitement from the kids each year and buying 3000 pieces of candy to hand out. You can find more in the events section of this magazine.

Dustin has been busy with Digital Media Integrations, the company he started in 2010.

Dustin and team with Tom Hanks at Chicago Cubs First Pitch Ceremony

Dustin on set of The Ghostbusters Afterlife movie

With Dustin’s life-long Ghostbusters fandom, he jumped at the opportunity, first working on the “Proton Cannon” props and finishing as the production manager for the wrap party hosted by Director Jason Reitman and Producer Eric Reich. Dustin is currently working on the production of a digital show called Props to History, which dives deep into the world of movie props, their history and what we see on our screens. You can watch PROPS TO HISTORY here. We are immensely proud of our Alumni Dustin and all he has accomplished since his graduation in 2004, and we cannot wait to see what comes up for him next. Dustin would like to give a shout-out to Earl McLauhglin and Dylan Proctor, whom he spent many hours with at Foothills, building computers and editing film.

Staff Appreciation

Staff Milestones

With immense joy and pride, we extend our warmest congratulations to our staff who have reached significant milestones with Foothills Academy. Their dedication, hard work, and unwavering commitment to our students have shaped the lives of countless young minds and enriched our school community in immeasurable ways.

20 Years

15 Years

10 Years

5 Years

Sean Horton Colleen Hnatiuk

Bani Puri Gina Brown Dianne Eberhardt

Dimple Shetty Claire Kroshus Danny White Melissa Byrnes

Megan Russell Melissa Beaupre Susie Lefebvre Kathy Laycock Liam Reardon Evangeline Yu

Retirees Kim McLean

Heather Blackwell

Dot Conne

School Principal

Information Technology Services Manager

Van/Bus Driver

As they embark on the next chapter in their life, we want to say farewell and express our gratitude for the years of dedicated service to Foothills Academy by these staff. Their retirement marks the end of an era, but it also signifies the beginning of a well-deserved journey of relaxation, exploration, and new adventures. Throughout their tenure with Foothills Academy, they have been educators, mentors, friends, and pillars of support to our students and fellow staff members. Their wisdom, experience, and passion for teaching have left an indelible mark on the hearts and minds of those they’ve touched. As they step into retirement, remember that their contributions to Foothills Academy will always be cherished and remembered. They leave behind a legacy of excellence and a legacy of caring deeply for the growth and development of our students.

Alumni Profile

Curtis Prokopchuk 2009 Graduate Upcoming Golf Tournament Sponsor

It was a big adjustment when Curtis joined Foothills Academy in the 11th grade. Coming from the public school system, Curtis found himself with no math credits, and looking back at it, he felt he was a victim of the public school system. But all of that changed; his mother, Candace, worked tirelessly to find a place for Curtis at Foothills Academy and ensured he could attend.

“I appreciate the role that Foothills Academy played in changing my trajectory and helping me find a way to utilize my intelligence. I accomplished more in the 2 years at Foothills than I had in the public school system.” Sitting in the back of Mr. Mehan’s class, working at his own pace with teacher support and educational assistants, Curtis began to thrive at Foothills Academy. He made great friends, like Armondo, who, when they had a spare together, would wander the halls and classrooms, playing guitar until they were asked to move along, which they did, to the next classroom, like a pair of travelling musicians. After graduation, Curtis attended Mount Royal University for a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing and a certificate from SAIT in New Media Production Design.

In 2011 Curtis’s technology won “Most Potential for Commercialization of an Information & Technology Company” for the product Q-Me from Start Up Calgary

With his post-secondary complete, Curtis began working in the digital media space, first working for a larger organization and then with a few close friends, creating his own company, Hollow Earth Media, which worked in marketing, digital media and technology. This led to the creation of software called Q-Me, a technology well ahead of its time, allowing restaurants to create a virtual waitlist, where you could sign up for a waitlist and then be texted when your table was ready. A technology we are all familiar with today, primarily used during the pandemic. Curtis and his team were far ahead of their time, and in 2014, they won ‘Most Potential for Commercialization of an ICT’ for the technology from TRLabs. Curtis then sold his company and returned to working in the private sector with the Deerfoot Inn and Casino. He began as the Social Media Manager and left over four years later as the Events and Marketing Manager. Curtis worked with Tanya Tucker and numerous other Canadian musical talents and even had his high school musical partner Armondo play at Deerfoot Inn and Casino.

Curtis with a happy client and their puppy who has sold their home.

Curtis uses his passion for people in his work in Real Estate, finding great homes for his clients, and helping them move to their next home. These days, Curtis is a successful real estate agent with eXp Realty, winning the Sapphire Chairman’s Excellence award in 2022. Curtis appreciates working with his friends and clients to find the right home and, when it is time to move, helping them find their next home. His highlight was helping fellow Alumni Matthew find and purchase his home in Red Deer. Curtis would like to give a shout-out to Mrs. Cameron, Mr. Paulovich, Ms. Roberts and Mr. Anderson for not seeing me as the kid with a thick IPP or the troubled kid but for who I really was. Curtis is joining the 45th Foothills Academy Anniversary Events, including coming on board as a sponsor for the 2024 Gordon Hoffman Charity Golf Classic in support of Foothills Academy Society.

Coming Soon To

Rock Climbing Wall A BIG THANK YOU to everyone who helped raise money through the 2023 Calgary Marathon. We raised over $50,000, and we could not be more proud of our Foothills community. The funds raised will go towards a rock climbing wall here onsite. Next steps: An internal committee has been formed to direct the work while engaging with our community to ensure it fits our needs. Our builder has been selected, and we are working to integrate the committee plans with their work. Stay tuned for exciting updates along the way!

45th Anniversary We are quickly approaching the 45th anniversary of Foothills Academy Society. We cannot wait to share what we have planned. We want to hear from YOU to let us know what you are keen to see as a part of the 45th Anniversary of Foothills Academy Society.

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Upcoming Events October

28-29 CADDAC Conference Join us for CADDAC’s 15th Annual ADHD Conference. Topics include Mindfulness and ADHD, ADHD and Comorbidities, and MORE! SEE MORE HERE. October

31 Join Alumni Dustin Milne for his annual Halloween Extravaganza We will be hosting the 10th annual Panton Way Halloween Block Party on Halloween night, Tuesday October 31st, from 6pm until 10pm. You can expect, lights, music, fog, candy, ghouls, ghosts and a great time for all ages! See more details

November

Alumni Tour and Taste We invite you to join us for an Alumni Tour and Taste event on November 24th at Banded Peak. This will be a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with classmates, network with peers and enjoy some drinks and light snacks. Tickets are $30 each. The event is from 5 - 7PM. Each Alumni is welcome to buy up to 4 tickets. Buy Tickets Here

Pay it Forward to Foothills It feels good to give back! As a graduate of Foothills Academy Society, you know better than anyone the impact our school can have on the lives of its students. Your donations today can impact students like yourself for years to come. We are proud of the work we do, and we know that much of our success is due to the incredible support we receive from our generous donors. Your contributions are important in ensuring that future students have the same opportunities that you did. Whether a one-time donation or a recurring gift, every contribution makes a difference.

Did You Know? If you donate $20 or more throughout the year, you qualify for a tax receipt.

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