Newsletter May 2012

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May ~ 2012

J R / S R Sports, Taste of Diversity, Senior High Citizens, Wrestling & The Day of Silence pages 2-3

H I G H Junior High Citizens, Athletes, Fine Arts Students & Intramurals page 4

N E W S L E T T E R McLean Creek, Edgewater, Student Services, Prefects, 30 Hour Famine & Track pages 5-7

Model United Nations Conference

Languages Trip, Graduation, Leadership Programs & Guatemala pages 8-10 office hours Fro n t O f f i ce Mo nd ay -Fri d a y 7 :45 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

S en i o r H i g h O ffice Mo nd ay -Thursda y 7 :30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Fri d ay 7 :30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

St uden t Att end a nce P l eas e c o nt ac t t he office with y o ur c hi l d ’s ab s enc e a t 403 -2507 1 80 o r emai l to: Juni o r Hi gh Sc ho o l - Mrs. La idla w ( l ai d l aw @rund l e.a b.ca .)

Seni o r Hi gh Sc ho o l - Ms. M oodie (mo o d i e@rund l e.a b.ca )

On Friday, April 27, 14 students from Rundle College attended their first Model United Paren ts wi l l be c o n ta cte d if a ny s tuden t i s abs en t wi thout pa re nt/ Nations conference at Strathcona Tweedsmuir School. This conference was designed for g uardi an p erm i ssion. grade 9 students and over 80 students from both Rundle and Strathcona participated. MUN is an authentic role-playing activity where students research, debate and build solutions to MARK YOUR complex global issues. Students take on the perspective of countries from around the world CALENDARS! and defend their position in a committee-style debate. The goal of this conference was to engage in the contentious issue of climate change and collectively build a resolution for Gently Used Uniform Sale reducing greenhouse gasses. Keynote speaker, Deborah Yedlin, provided students with a Tuesday, May 22 great introduction to the energy sector, challenging them to think outside of the box for 2 - 4pm greenhouse gas solutions. During the committee sessions, students had to debate among Grade Six Orientation their peers and navigate the consensus building process. Real-time crises were thrown in where students had to react to the kidnapping of two delegates by eco-terrorists, an Tuesday, June 19 earthquake near a carbon capture facility and a biological disaster. Overall the conference 2:30 - 7pm was a huge success; congratulations to all students who participated! Michael Broodo, Noah Cooke, Morgan Gregg, Safira Keshavjee, Connor Killackey, Tessa Krause, Daniel Krayzel, Evening of Junior High Sam MacLennan, Mateo Mendez, Jonathan Phung, Morgan Saunders, Michael Sherbut, Awards Sadie Tims, and Nikki Zanesco.

May ~ 2012

G r a d e 7 / 8 B a s ke t b a l l Te a m

Ta s t e o f D i v e r s i t y

The Grade 7/8 Girls Basketball team had an excellent season, winning two tournaments and taking the CISAA Championship. The team started the season with two losses at a Grade 9 tournament and then never looked back. The girls won twenty consecutive games after that, including the Rundle College Cobra Cup, the Clearwater Academy Tournament, and the CISAA Championship tournament.

The team gelled right from the start of the season. Speed, passing and a tenacious defense were their keys to victory, holding many teams to single digit scores. The championship was a total team win with every member of the team contributing on the court.

Mr. Lake would like to thank the team and their parents for their effort, dedication and commitment throughout the season. Mr. Lake and the team would also like to thank Hunter Sykes for her time and expertise as the team’s Assistant Coach this year. Well done, Cobras!

On Wednesday, April 18th, the Peer Support Team hosted an event in order to increase the awareness and appreciation for diversity within our school. The “Taste of Diversity” aims to do this though the celebration of food! Students from both the junior and senior high school were able to purchase tickets for $.50 or 5 for $2.00 which allowed them to buy sample sized portions of different foods from all over the world! Students also wore one item of clothing that represented their cultural heritage or country. This annual event is one of many that Peer Support puts on in order to create a positive school climate, support positive decision making, foster positive peer relationships and raise awareness on social issues. A special thank you to the following staff and students who brought in food this year: Amanda Burwash, Amanda Lambie, Ashifa Hassam, Christine Bodell, Elizabeth Church, Inara Dattadeen, Jinny Cho, Joanna Yip, Kelsey Cooke, Lisha Yu, Maddy Crilly, Ms. Dunsford and Ms. Stepaniuk.

Team Members: Hallie Brown, Christiana Bellusci, Elise Buck, Karlin English-Schneider, Emily Graham, Renae Lapins, Jenna Magus, Natalie McVicar, Erin Seto, Natalie Terriff, Anna Watt, Megan Williams Coaches: Mr. Lake and Hunter Sykes

Senior High Badminton Senior Badminton has been fast and furious like the play of Andrew Miles and Will Carter in the CISAA Senior High doubles championship final. Their badminton skills were amazing to watch and unfortunately they lost two very close games that really could have gone either way to finish second. Lisha Yu played in the junior girls category and had a strong showing, finishing third overall. Melissa Guenette played in the intermediate girls category and won all her matches to finish first overall. Amanda Lambie, Raveena Gill, Sam Sirianni and Medina Jomaa played in the intermediate double girls category and showed true spirit and grit in all of their matches. They had a great deal of fun and were happy to tell me that they did not finish last! Ethan Leier played in the junior boys category against some strong competition and lost two close games 15-14 and 15-13 to just miss the medal round. Last but not least Nick and Justin Chan played in the junior doubles championship. Their matches lasted for close to an hour and they ultimately lost 21-17, 19-21, and 19-21. After their games, which were watched by many athletes and parents, the referee spoke to both teams and told them that in 14 years of coaching badminton he had never watched two teams exhibit the level of sportsmanship and competitive spirit that he witnessed in this final. This was amazing praise for both teams and their respective schools.

Melissa Guenette, Justin and Nick Chan will be competing in the zone qualifier this Friday for the right to go to the provincial tournament on May 4 and 5 at the highly desirable location of Grimshaw, Alberta.

Senior Badminton Coach, Mr. Hardie

Grade 7 Badminton Congratulations

to

this

year’s

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7 badminton team. The team played extraordinarily well at the CISAA tournament and our girls doubles team (Anika Leitl and Lauren Poelzer) placed second and were awarded silver medals. They will compete on April 26th to determine if they will move on to represent Rundle College at the South Central Zones to be held in May. Congratulations, girls!

May ~ 2012

W r e s t l i n g

Senior High Citizens of the Month Justin Chan is a very deserving recipient of Citizen of the Month. Over the past few months he worked diligently creating the program for the CISAA Boys and Girls AllStar Game. He was able to get all CISAA School logos and he created a document that was complimented often during the event. Justin has also spent the spring playing badminton. Along with his partner, Nick Chan, Justin played in the CISAA junior doubles championship. His matches lasted for close to an hour and he ultimately lost, but the games were very close. After the games, the referee told both teams that in 14 years of coaching badminton he had never watched two teams exhibit the level of sportsmanship and competitive spirit that he witnessed in this final. This was amazing praise for Justin and it proves why he is worthy of Citizen of the Month.

Sam Stewart made a strong positive impression on me from the first day I met him at Rundle College. He represents himself well with his excellent manners, immaculate dress, and positive attitude. His leadership in the classroom quickly became apparent.

He works hard in class, one of his goals is to complete as much of his work in class as possible in order to free up a few extra minutes to fulfill his busy extracurricular commitments and still maintain his high academic standing. Outside of the class Sam seems to be involved in everything. I first meet him in semester one where our team won the flag football championships.

He also plays rugby and is competing in track and field. Perhaps the most surprising was his role in the play where I certainly enjoyed his acting skills and quirky faces.

- Mr. Hardie

Ben Guinan is having and incredible spring in his Grade 11 year. The teachers on the Peru trip were impressed with his maturity, hard work and interaction throughout the trip. In sports, he has caught the attention of his coaches for his impact out on the rugby pitch.

He also was involved in the wild week known as ‘The Sting’ where he put many hours into the show, while continuing to be a consistent worker and achiever in his regular classes. Congratulations on setting the standard for the travelling, athletic, artistic students!

Lauran Cole is the true definition of hard work and determination. She is someone that knows what needs to be done to be successful in every way.

Lauran holds an honours academic standing, participated on the Senior Girls Varsity volleyball team, is part of Prefects and dances almost on a daily basis. Lauran’s compassion and thoughtfulness is well known among her teachers and peers...simply put she IS outstanding! She truly defines what a Citizen of the Month is and should be!

Anthony Terrien has stepped up his game to become a real integral part of Rundle College. He has a gentle manner and strength of character that became very apparent and made him a real stand-out on the Peru trip. He is a genuinely kind, considerate and respectful individual. As a student, athlete and person he is very positive and polite, always demonstrating a strong sense of responsibility and integrity. In addition to being a highlevel tennis player, he has displayed excellent time management skills balancing school, rugby, badminton and track and field practices and competitions. Congratulations to a very deserving citizen of the month.

Kayla Barry is a young lady who is truly admired by students and staff. She sets high expectations of herself and gives nothing but her best in everything she undertakes. While she is widely known for her skill, competitiveness, and sportsmanship on the volleyball and basketball courts and soccer pitch, there is much more to this young lady. No one is more empathetic, compassionate, or supportive of others than Kayla. This was very evident while Kayla was in Guatemala building stoves in Mayan homes. She has a heart of gold, and she is not afraid to step outside of her comfort zone in order to contribute and help others and she will challenge her peers to do the same. It is very easy to see why others follow her; she is a natural leader.

The Day of Silence The Day of Silence occurred on April 20th, 2012. On this day, students across North America vowed to be silent in order to bring attention to bullying in schools, particularly directed towards the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) community. By staying silent, participants created awareness about the problem and that there should be more done to stop it. About 15 Rundle students in the high school and junior high participated in the Day of Silence this year. This event was led by the Peer Support Team in the senior high. It is one of several bullying prevention initiatives this group has led this year with the goal to decrease bullying in our school and in our community. Thank you to those who participated and those who continue to create a safe and accepting environment for every student at our school.

Written by: Inara Dattadeen

Provincials The wrestling team ended the season as strong as they started. Mr. Sylven and Mr. Domstad were particularly impressed with the dedication and support shown by both the Jr. and Sr. High school teams this year. Rundle qualified 4 wrestlers for the high school provincial championships in Okotoks. Brittney Giacchetta and Duncan Allison put forth a strong effort almost making it into the top 6 position. Justin So made it to the final in a very strong division, ultimately taking home the silver medal.

Patrick Tapuska capped off the perfect season in another very competitive weight category bringing home the gold medal and title of Provincial Champion. Patrick also did something not often seen in that he went undefeated in competition this year. Lastly, the boy’s team won the 1A/2A ASAA High School Provincial Team Championship. The following weekend we had a group of wrestlers compete at the Alberta Open age category provincial championships in Ponoka. Again, great results were seen. Justin Bedford and Ellis Johnson brought home the bronze medal, Alex Mah battled his way to a silver medal finish and Jolene Wong and Meghan Lim came home with the gold medal and title of Provincial Champions.

Thank you to all wrestlers and parents for your support and outstanding efforts this season.

May ~ 2012

Junior High Citizens of the Month Shruthi Karthikeyan is such a wonderful young lady. She is an intelligent student with a gregarious and engaging personality.

Her delightful sense of humour and her wit are a gift to all that have had the privilege to know her. As Shruthi is now embarking on a new journey in India, we wish her all the best and we want her to know that she will be greatly missed.

Olivia Patton’s positive nature and infectious smile make her a pleasure to be around. She is hard working and diligent in her school work and is truly involved and engaged in each class. Olivia was part of our fall cross country team and was also an asset to the grade seven girls basketball team this past season. She has been a helpful, contributing member to her Ralph Klein Park group and shows great leadership skills working with her peers. Keep up the great work, Olivia!

A t h l e t e s o f t h e m o n t h

Evan Lambie is an outstanding student here at Rundle College. His involvement with track and field and badminton most recently has been great. He is described as a versatile player who gets along well with everyone on the team.

Evan is a model student who works hard at all he does. His contributions on the Edgewater trip were also very appreciated. His friendly demeanor with all students, staff and crew and his willingness to help out wherever possible earned him crew-member of the week honours. Evan is a well respected student who exemplifies what a citizen should be.

Kendal Ruzicki joined us after Christmas break from Springbank Middle School and had the formidable task of settling in and immediately preparing for midterms. She worked hard and excelled, which showed her hard work and strong academic skills.

In the classroom Kendal exudes a quiet confidence and works patiently and efficiently with others. She is a competitive soccer player outside of Rundle and devotes a lot of time to the field. Kendal is a welcome addition to Rundle, Congratulations!

F i n e A r t s S t u d e n t s

Lauren Poelzer (7)

Nicholas Lamb (7)

Renae Lapins (7)

Katherine Holroyd-Leduc (8)

Veronica Bodell (9)

Alex Mah (8)

Allison Chan (8)

Michelle Sutton (7)

Idaresit Thompson (8)

Meg Buchanan (9)

Veronica Bodell (9)

Gianfranco Sartor (9)

Alex Mah (8)

Alex Ferguson (9)

Adam Klassen (7)

Angel Najjar is new to Rundle this year and she has been a force to be reckoned with since her arrival!

She has been a leader on Student Council, most recently spearheading a 30 hour famine for the junior high school that was an overwhelming success. She put hours and hours into planning and implementing this incredible fundraiser, where we raised over $12,500 for World Vision!

She is also a member of the Connect group, bringing amazing school spirit to the masses. Angel has been a cast member in both the junior and senior high productions, snagging a starring role in the junior production of “Babes in Toyland” where she dazzled the audience with her amazing singing voice! She brings a positive energy to Rundle College, gaining respect among her peers and teachers alike.

Alyssa Barry is passionate about everything she puts her mind to. She is a confident, respectful, kind and intelligent individual that leads by example. What is most admirable about Alyssa is that she embraces each day with a very positive and contagious attitude.

I n t r a m u r a l T e a m H a n d B a l l C h a m p i o n s C r o w n e d The intramural hand ball final game between Team Ball and Hands Off was a fast paced, back and forth battle of two very determined teams. After 20 minutes of regulation play, the score was deadlocked at 13-13. This would need to go to a shoot-out. The teams remained tied in the shootout after 6 shooters, on the seventh shot Team Ball was able to put the ball past the net minder to lay claim to the championship trophy and bragging rights for hand ball supremacy for the next year. Thank you to all who came out to play. Last intramural activity for the year will be floor hockey starting in April.

Grade 7 Project - MacLean Creek

May ~ 2012

We are the Grade 7’s from Rundle College Jr. High School. Our goal is to bring

Edgewater

awareness to the people who off-road and ride their ATVs out at MacLean Creek. We want them to be educated about the damage that they’re doing to MacLean Creek. This damage affects the water quality of MacLean Creek, and ultimately the Elbow River (Calgary’s drinking water source). We will be presenting our project June 12, 2012, at RKP (Ralph Klein Park). We will be showcasing the projects that we have been working on. All the Grade 7’s have been divided into six groups: People, Plants, Animals, Pollution, Water and Land.

The people group will be creating brochures, letters, images and presentations.

The plants group is creating collaborative kinetic art projects - prayer flags. All the flags will be different colors and will consist of a message. The animal group is creating animal cartoons. These cartoons will be displaying the effects and life of the animals at MacLean Creek. The pollution group is creating two models of wetlands. One wetland will have plants, and the other will have no plants.

What they are trying to do is see what will happen to MacLean Creek in the future when all the plants are dead and run over. The water groups will create several topographical maps. The maps will show elevation, land formations and vegetation in MacLean Creek. Geocaching is a form of treasure hunting. The point of the activity is to find treasure and educational information in a box, which may also contain other informational items. In these containers there will

My opinion of Edgewater was that it was amazing. It was so good, I could go again for a week, or so. I got to grow as a person, meet new people, and see sights I never have seen before.

For me, the trip started off great. The day after we got there, we set sail to the Gulf Islands. I couldn’t believe that I was going to live on a boat for 5 days with my close friends and also my classmates. I met people I would have never talked to at school, and I even made a couple new friends.

The food was awesome, the sights amazing, and I also learned all about how endangered our environment is. On the boat, we kept switching water duties such as bridge, science, galley, deck, and engine. On the bridge, I learned how to navigate, drive a ship, and learned what deadheads are. For science, we learned about tides, fresh and salt water, and different sea animals. On galley crew, I learned how to wash dishes and set a table. For the deck crew, I learned how to clean toilets and wash windows. Lastly, for engine, I learned to mop up oil and learned what an engine is made up of. I loved this trip and I hope everyone else did too!

By: Emily Graham

also be a small gift and a logbook where you can record things. In the logbook you could record a phrase such as “Jim was here, March 2nd, 2012”. The land group will be hiding the geocaching boxes around MacLean Creek.

R u n d l e St u d e n t E xc e l s I n B i at h lo n Keep an eye out for grade 7 student Gillian Gowling, who is rising in the ranks of biathlon in Canada. Recently competing in the Alberta Winter Games, Gillian faced some tough competition and won two silvers and a bronze medal. On March 3-4, she competed in the Calforex Cup in Camrose, winning two golds. Originating in Norway, Biathlon was an alternative training exercise for the military in the 1800’s, and made its first Olympic appearance in 1924. In Albertville in 1992, the event was expanded to include women.

The biathlon is a race which consists of skiing around a cross-country track, which is alternated with either 2 or 4 shooting rounds with a small bore rifle. In each shooting round, the competitors must hit five targets. Depending on the shooting performance, extra distance or time is added to the contestant’s total, and whoever has the shortest time wins.

Gillian is a member of the Foothills Nordic Biathlon Club and has competed throughout North America. At 12, she is currently the Alberta champion in the 17U category, and has aspirations of making the 2018 Olympics in South Korea.

Rundle College Shines at National Conference Rundle College and West Island College teamed up to host the ‘2012 CAIS Assistant Heads Conference’ on April 25-27. CAIS is the ‘Canadian Accredited Independent Schools’ organization and the ‘Assistant Head’ title is for senior high faculty that support the Headmaster. Mr. Gary Sylven from the 17th Avenue Campus and Mr. Jason Rogers from Rundle Academy comprised the Rundle contingent on the planning committee alongside two faculty from WIC. The theme of the conference was “Frontiers of Education” and included keynotes from Mr. Brian Keating and Mr. George Couros as well as workshops from the faculty of various independent schools including our own Mr. Wayne Schneider, the Principal at 17th Avenue Campus. Our guests from coast to coast were also entertained at Rafter Six Ranch, and by fiddling phenom Ana Lucyshyn (Grade 9), a Rundle vs WIC rugby game on our athletic field, and an outing to the Canada Sports Hall of Fame.

The fantastic mix of work and play left the Assistant Heads exclaiming, “Best Conference Ever!”

STUDENT SERVICES NEWSLETTER May 2012

Alexander Rutherford Scholarship Students can be awarded up to $2,500, with a maximum of $400 awarded in Grade 10, $800 in Grade 11 and $1,300 in Grade 12. Students must have an average of at least a 75% to be eligible for the minimum amount granted in each grade. The recommended deadline was May 1st for this scholarship, however students can still apply. Applications can be found at http://alis.alberta.ca/pdf/scholarships/RutherfordScholarship.pdf.

Transcripts: All institutions outside of Alberta require that a final transcript gets send directly from Alberta Education to their Admission office after June diploma results are released (mid July). This request MUST be made online through Alberta Education at http://www.education.alberta.ca/students/transcripts.aspx SCHOLARSHIP NAME & AMOUNT Calgary Italian Sportswomen’s Dinner Association Scholarship Award two $5,000.00 scholarships to deserving athletic female students of Italian descent from Calgary Schools.

Dr. Ernest and Minnie Mehl Scholarships Value: $3,500 Purpose: To encourage students to pursue a post-secondary education and to recognize and reward exceptional academic achievement at the senior high school level.

The Alberta Milk Never Stop Scholarship Value: $1,000 each

CRITERIA The criteria for choosing candidates are as follows: Female and of Italian descent, in grade 12, has demonstrated excellence in athletics, academics and school or community leadership, has good academic standing, is an exemplary citizen. Preference with financial need.

Eligibility: Applicants must be continuing their studies at a degree granting post-secondary institution in Canada. Financial Need is a consideration.

Selection: Applicants are ranked according to the average on Diploma in ELA 30, French 30, SS 30 and three other subjects. Recommendation of the school principal and financial information will be considered.

Eligibility: Must be a grade 12 student who is active in athletics, demonstrate fair play and sportsmanship and show personal development in sport.

Awarded to one male & one female Requirements include: applications, resume, two letters of reference, an essay (min 250 words) on given topic

DEADLINES & CONTACTS If you have any inquiries, please call Gabrielle Enns at 403.500.2047.3.348# or email gabrielle.enns@cssd.ab.ca.

Deadline: May 31st

Application is online at www.alis.gov.ab.ca/scholarships Application forms also in Student Services.

Deadline: June 1st

Application in Student Services.

Must to mailed to: Alberta Schools’ Athletic Association Alberta Milk Never Stop Scholarship Committee 11759 Groat Rd. Edmonton, Alberta T5M 3K6 Deadline: June 30th

Ms. Sarah Dunsford, Director of Student Services 403-250-7180 ~ dunsford@rundle.ab.ca

Prefects 2012-2013 The Prefects is a student leadership group first started at Rundle College in 1999 after two Grade 12 students attended a leadership conference. They returned to the school excited and filled with ideas of how to make their school a better place. One of their ideas was to establish a form of student council, known as Prefects, that would help to facilitate activities, fundraisers and special events in the school.

If a student is not selected as a Prefect in their Grade 10 year, there is the opportunity for them to apply in both their Grade 11 and 12 year. As part of the application process, current Prefects need to apply each year. The Prefect group accepts students with a variety of interests, who have a strong desire to take on the demands of a leadership role and contribute to the school.

Do you want to be a Prefect next year? Do you want to be an ambassador to the school and influence school culture? Would you like to help plan school events? If so, send in an application letter to Mr. Goettel or Mrs. McClements by Friday, May 18. Your application letter should include: • Past leadership roles you have taken on in the school and outside the school.

• How you are going to give to the school community • What you see your role as a Prefect will be o i.e. maybe you are going to help lead the school in being more environmentally conscious, maybe you are going to help out new students. Etc. After reviewing all applications, you will be contacted for an interview with administration and the Prefect Teacher Coordinators. After the interview your application will be posted in the school, for the school body to read. During the beginning of June, the grade 10’s, grade 11’s, administration, and teachers will vote on who will be the Prefect representatives for grade 11 and grade 12 next year. If you have any questions, please talk to Mr.Goettel or Mrs. McClements.

Junior High 30 Hour Famine On April 26th, at midnight, almost 40 junior high students began a 30 hour famine. These students made a commitment to help fight hunger by raising pledges to help support children who are starving. Together, these students raised almost $12, 500!!! This is enough money to feed 33 children for a year!!!

On April 27th at 4 pm, the junior high student council began many group activities that went on throughout the evening (almost midnight!). Some of the highlights included the game “Avoid Poverty”, karaoke and our concluding candle ceremony. Probably the biggest hit of the event was the breakfast the next morning at 6 am! Thanks to many kind and generous donations from parents, these famished students were treated to a glorious spread of scrumptious foods. We would like to take the time to thank those parents who contributed food, supplies and drinks for our hydration station. We also want to thank the teachers who helped us out through supervising or allowing us to use their classrooms. Finally, we want to thank the Aspen and Westhill Safeways for their contributions.

Senior High Track & Field Track and Field practices are still going strong. It is great to see so many students coming out. The practice schedule will be posted in both gyms. Just a reminder that to tryout and qualify for the track and field team athletes must contact the proper event coach to tryout for events and attend practices as attendance will be taken. If you are unable to attend practices due to other team commitments, but would still like to compete with the team, talk to your event coach.

Track and Field Meet Dates: Senior High CISAA Championships: May 16 at Glenmore Athletic Park Senior High City Championships: May 26 at Glenmore Athletic Park Senior High Provincial Championships: June 1-2 Edmonton

May ~ 2012

Grade 10 Languages Trip Over the first week of spring break, forty-eight grade 10 students who are currently taking French or Spanish travelled to Europe for a 10-day cultural immersion experience. We were in Barcelona, Spain, for 3 days and spent the next 5 days in France in Orange, Nice and Paris. We also spent an afternoon in the principality of Monaco. As French students, we loved being in Barcelona because it was filled with culture and language most of us had no experience with, so it was something new and interesting. Being in France was also outstanding because we were able to speak the language we’ve been working so hard to learn. Another awesome part of being in France was seeing all the places and things Mr. Kippax talks about all the time, such as Avignon and Pont du Gard.

Personally, my favorite day of the trip was our final day in Barcelona when we went to a chocolate factory and the Barcelona aquarium.

Another highlight was going to Versailles and Euro Disney in the same day, and of course eating dinner on the Eiffel Tower was spectacular beyond words. Overall, this year’s Second Languages Trip to Europe was fantastic, and I will remember it for the rest of my life. On behalf of all the students who were on the trip, thank you very much to Ms. Fitzgibbon, Ms. Armstrong, Mr. Kippax and Mr. Mendes for making the trip such a wonderful experience.

By Erin Osler (French student)

F R O M TA PA S T O C R E P E S L A N G U A G E T R I P R E P O R T Every day was packed full with exotic foods, breath-taking scenery, and great times with friends. All of the students really showed off their language skills while they were in “their country” and when we traveled to the countries where some travelers did not understand the language, like in the case of the Spanish students in France, the French students were always willing to help translate. Some highlights of the trip were: dinner on the Eiffel Tower and watching a light show sparkle in the Paris night sky, playing and swimming in the chilly ocean water in Barcelona, a trip to EuroDisney, and all the bus rides when we got to hang out with our friends. We all learned lots of interesting facts about places like the Louvre, the Palace of Versailles, La Sagrada Familia Cathedral, and the French town of Carcassonne. Our trip was even better since we had such a great tour guide, Marcello. He was the cause of many laughs among the group because every time we would be not paying attention, he would get on the microphone and make a unique noise, kind of like: chicachicha! On behalf of all the students that went on the trip, we would like to thank the teachers that put in so much time and effort to make it the best trip ever! Thank you! And remember, as Marcello says.. always look on the bright side of life!

By: Ethan Stobach and Kathleen Ross (Spanish Students)

Grade 12 Graduation Plans continue to be made for the 2012 Graduation Ceremonies and already the admin team has met with the grads. The afternoon ceremonies at the Jubilee Auditorium will be on June 4, commencing at 1:00 pm. All parents, friends, and students are welcome to attend the ceremony and will have designated seating. We hope that you can all come and support this year’s graduating class! The evening program, including the dinner and dance, will be held on June 8 at the Red and White Club.

Questions regarding these events should be directed to Ms. Baird. Letters containing the details about the graduation ceremonies were mailed to parents April 23, and we hope that requests for additional guests are submitted as soon as possible so that we can do our best to accommodate your needs. We look forward to congratulating the Graduating Class of 2012.

Grade 9 Graduation All grade 9 students should mark May 28 on their calendars as this is the date for the grade 9 graduation. It will be held at Stage West and will include a dinner and formal program. Ms. Baird met with the students on April 26 to discuss the graduation, and families should have already received letters home detailing the event. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Ms. Baird.

May ~ 2012

S u m m e r L e a d e r s h i p P r o g r a m s We are very pleased to announce that once again this year we will be offering bursaries to students attending summer leadership programs.

During our May assemblies we will explain to the students the criteria and procedures for applying for these bursaries.

Deadline for applications to be submitted to Ms Baird is Friday, May 18. Should you have any questions about the bursaries or leadership camps, please do not hesitate to contact Ms Baird (403-250-7180).

May ~ 2012

Guatemala 2012 Hello there, everyone! Recently, I was part of the group of grade twelve students that went to Guatemala over spring break. Our purpose for going was to build stoves with the Hearts and Hands Foundation, as well as sponsor a student through 5 years of education. In Guatemala, abject poverty strikes its rural areas, where families cook over open flame.

This results in one out of every five children, under the age of five, dying due to pulmonary related disease. What started out as long plane rides and running through airports quickly transformed into a worthwhile and eye-opening adventure.

We landed in Guatemala City and stayed there over night before venturing on to a town I still cannot pronounce, Chichicastenango.

Our training day was somewhere in between Guatemala City and Chichi; it was hot and the cinderblocks were heavy. However, seeing what we were going to do for people was incredibly exciting, and we left the stove factory eager to get to work. When we did arrive in Chichi, we saw that it was a beautiful city. Unfortunately we had to rise early to travel onto Uspantan.

En route to Uspantan the fan belt on our bus broke. In fairness, the bus had conquered mountains which rivaled the Rockies. If we had to break down anywhere, we were very glad we broke down in front of a school. A few of our students bought soccer balls for 3 cents a piece, and a match between our group and students from the school quickly ensued. We lost.

At the dance we managed to bring down a little bit of the Calgary Stampede, and taught the students a line dance. Yeehaw! The next day we had to leave Uspantan. On our way to Panajachel, our vacation village, we stopped at Collegio de Mayo and met the student we sponsored, Jose. He was very kind, and very appreciative of his opportunity. In Guatemala, most students do not have access to education past elementary school, so he was ecstatic to be able to gain a proper education.

An hour or so later, we were off again and arrived in Uspantan. As we pulled up to our hotel, we heard what sounded like a band playing. The local junior high school was dancing and playing beautiful music for us. If that wasn’t enough emotion to overcome, we realized that they had waited for us all day, even though we had been so late.

We stayed in Uspantan for a week, and we worked in local villages surrounding the city.

After the first day, I don’t think anyone thought we could reach our goal of building 150 stoves.

The stove building was hard, but hiking the mountains to get to the remote houses was nearly impossible. When we got to the houses, there was always a warm reception and we were welcomed with open arms. Often, the families gave us Pepsi as a thank you; however, sometimes we got sugarcane, watermelon, corn, or tortillas. Every group had different experiences, problems, and adventures, but we lived up to the challenge. After we built all 150 stoves, we had a rally day with the local high school, which was amazing. We played tug of war, had a water fight, and were absolutely destroyed in soccer. We ate pizza, which has never tasted so good, and got ready to say goodbye to our Hearts and Hands helpers. Before bidding goodbye, we danced the night away, along with the students we had met earlier in the day.

Once we got to Panajachel, we were officially on vacation, which felt incredible. We stayed in a beautiful hotel, and shopped to our heart’s content. We had a wonderful boat ride across Lake Atitlan to get to another small village called Santiago, which was also breathtaking.

We spent a few nights in yet another town, Antigua, where we hiked up an active volcano, and made s’mores at its peak. For some reason, I was the only one terrified of certain death.

Over all, our trip was a life changing experience. Each one of us took something different away from it. The extensive list includes how fortunate we are, how wonderful our education system is, and how sick a person can get of corn tortillas. One of the most important things we learnt was that Vivian Greene had it right when she said, “Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass, it’s about learning to dance in the rain.”

Ayleigh Henderson

Travel Club - Peru It is hard to believe that it has already been a month since Peru. After spending most of the year preparing and waiting in anticipation, the trip went by far too quickly for anyone’s liking. However the time we spent there was incredible. Most of the students would agree that it was one of the most eye opening experiences we will ever have. During our week volunteering at Matinga school we learned what is was like to truly work hard. Our tasks varied from digging trenches to painting with chalk and alpaca skin, and despite the language barrier we made some amazing friends. All that hard work helped us to prepare for the hike up to Machu Picchu which involved four hours of scrambling up well over two thousand stairs at an altitude three times that of Calgary. It was all worth it though when we walked through the sun gate and the clouds parted to reveal Machu Picchu.

The beautiful scenery didn’t end there, as we continued down to the Amazon where we not only canoed, but also swam in the Amazon River. We saw monkeys, spiders, alligators, snakes, jaguars, and of course birds!

Unfortunately this marked the end of our trip, and after a farewell dinner at the airport and a few delayed flights later we landed safely back in Calgary left with only photos, memories and more than a few bug bites.

By: Sam, Alex, and Margaret on behalf of the grade eleven Peru travelers.

ALUMNI RETURN TO RUNDLE Annually Rundle College hosts the much anticipated Alumni Reality Check, wherein, graduates from the previous year, return to Rundle as young alumni, to pass on their first-year university experiences to our current grade 12 students.

On May 10th, Rundle College welcomed back eight of our Alumni, representing a variety of universities and faculties.

Each spoke about the transition from high school to university, the balance between studies and extracurricular and even gave some tips on rationing cafeteria food and how to get a private room! Our students were eager to learn what it takes to survive and thrive in their first year at university.

We would like to thank Nicole Gellner, Megan Willox, Evelyn Anderson, Alexa Scarcello, Brittany, Shewchuk, Thomas Moult, Taryn Knorren, Erin Biberdorffor participating on the panel and for their continued commitment to Rundle College.

May ~ 2012

CAIS

From April 17th to April 22nd, three grade 11 students took part in the Canadian Accredited Independent Schools (CA+IS) Leadership Conference hosted

by Selwyn House School in Montreal, Quebec. Erin Anderson, Taylor Caldwell, and Tyler Bull, along with teacher supervisor Mrs. McClements, spent five days learning leadership skills alongside hundreds of other students from independent high schools in various provinces across Canada. The students heard speeches from Olympic athletes Alexandre Despatie and Dom Gauthier, and participated in their choice of leadership workshops with professionals Ian Tyson, Stu Saunders, Kate Whitfield, Hal Hannaford, Louise Raymond, and Dave Conlon. Other activities during the conference included social service trips, an “amazing race” activity through the tourist spots of Montreal, a trip to the ski village St. Sauveur, a night at a “cabane à sucre”, and dinner in Old Montreal. The conference was an amazing opportunity for the students to improve their leadership and teamwork skills while taking part in exciting activities and making new friendships with students from across the country.

May 5, 2012 Dear Parents: This years Art Show Opening Celebration is being held on Thursday, May 24, 2:00-4:00 p.m. We are looking for hosts for the event. If you are interested in helping out please indicate this in the space below.

Thank you for your support.

Sincerely, Ms. Levesque ___________________________________________________

Name: _______________________________ Number: __________________ I am interested in helping to host the Art Show 2012 Opening May 24th, 2:00-4:00 p.m.

I can provide the following: ____ Food ____ Beverage ____ Dinnerware ____ Cash donation