STS Optimum magazine 2014

A STR ATHCONA -T WEEDSM UIR SCHOOL PUBLICATION VOLU M E FOU RTE E N | SU M M ER 2014

BUILDING FOR A BRIGHT FUTURE ANNOUNCING A $1-MILLION GIFT TO STS pg 20 WHAT OUR FUTURE LEADERS ARE THINKING ABOUT pg 31 CELEBRATING THE 2014 DISTINGUISHED ALUMNUS: RICHARD LINDSETH ’73 pg 42

CREDITS AND CONTENTS

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CREDITS

HEAD OF SCHOOL DR. WILLIAM JONES CONCEPTUAL DEVELOPMENT AND MANAGING EDITOR LARA UNSWORTH ’95 PRODUCTION SUPPORT AND EDITING DINNIE BAKER, CAROLINE BANADAR, DONNA BUIE, BARB JONES, GWEN NOWOSAD, KELSEY LOVELL, BRENDA THOMPSON, JANA WAGER CONTRIBUTING WRITERS DINNIE BAKER, TAYLOR FEWER ’15 GORDON FREIGHT, DR. WILLIAM JONES, KELSEY LOVELL, ALI POONJA ’12, VAL ROBBINS, SHIV RUPARELL ’15, PAUL STORWICK ’78, BRENDA THOMPSON, LARA UNSWORTH ’95, ROSANNE YASKOWICH-KLINKENBORG AND SEVERAL MORE STUDENTS, FACULTY, STAFF, AND ALUMNI. CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHY BETH ASPINALL ’88, JENNIFER CHIPPERFIELD, KELSEY LOVELL, THE STS ARCHIVES, AND SEVERAL MORE STS FACULTY, STAFF, ALUMNI, PARENTS AND STUDENTS.

GRAPHIC DESIGN JOSLIN GREEN PRE-PRESS AND PRINTING OIL CITY PRESS LTD. WWW.OILCITYPRESS.COM OPTIMUM MAGAZINE IS PUBLISHED BY THE ADVANCEMENT AND COMMUNITY RELATIONS OFFICE. PLEASE ASK PERMISSION BEFORE REPRINTING ANY PART OF THIS PUBLICATION. STRATHCONA-TWEEDSMUIR SCHOOL 2014 STRATHCONA-TWEEDSMUIR SCHOOL RR 2, OKOTOKS, AB T1S 1A2, CANADA 403-938-4431

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TABLE OF CONTENTS Building for a Bright Future...........................................................................03 Community Snapshots.................................................................................. 04 Preparing for an Ever-Changing World.......................................................10 From the Archives: The Foundation For Our Future...............................16 Investing in Our Future..................................................................................20 Future Generation of Caring Citizens........................................................22 A Game to Save Lives.....................................................................................24 Connecting Agencies Program with the Digital World.............................................................................................26 Playing at Work................................................................................................27 Educating for the Future................................................................................28 What Our Future Leaders are Thinking About..........................................................................................31 A School for Everyone...................................................................................34 Times are Changing and So is STS............................................................................................................35 Dreaming of a Better Future........................................................................36 Blackwatch 2014..............................................................................................38 A New Innovative Learning Environment..................................................40 Celebrating the 2014 Distinguished Alumnus Richard Lindseth ’73.......................................................................................42 2014 Nil Nisi Optimum Notable Alumni...................................................46 Alumni Website Launched.............................................................................48 The Future of Staying in Touch.....................................................................49 Honouring Our Past While Looking to the Future..................................50 The Future of the STS Alumni Association................................................51 Homecoming 2013..........................................................................................52 Alumni Dinner 2014.......................................................................................57 More Alumni Events........................................................................................60 2013 STS Alumni Events Calendar...............................................................63 Class Notes......................................................................................................64 Passings..............................................................................................................73

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LETTER FROM THE HEAD

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BUILDING FOR A BRIGHT FUTURE

BY DR. WILLIAM JONES, HEAD OF SCHOOL

Looking back over the history of Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School (STS), one sees the richness of meaningful traditions and deeply-entrenched values that have provided great stability and success for the School and its students over the years.

Interwoven into that enduring fabric we can also see the threads of change and the pivotal moments and sometimes bold decisions that were made by the School’s leaders of the day in an effort to position STS favourably within the context of a constantly evolving society. Those decisions include the amalgamation and relocation of Strathcona School for Boys and Tweedsmuir: An Academic School for Girls on a new country campus, major investments in fine arts, science and athletics facilities, technology integration and becoming an International Baccalaureate (IB) World School. These decisions and actions required vision and leadership as well as a commitment to preserving the defining attributes of the School and its unique culture.

It is now our time to write the next chapter in the history of STS. Once again, we will need to be bold and forward-looking, while being respectful of our origins and our history. The global landscape continues to change at an accelerating pace.

This increases the risk of becoming irrelevant or underserving the needs of our current and future students, who face an unpredictable future. What shall we abandon? What shall we preserve? What shall we reach for? These are the questions that we must confront if we are to continue our longstanding tradition of preparing our students to thrive and to lead in a world we can barely envision.

Education is entering a period of unprecedented change.

Research, new knowledge, economic, technological, environmental and political changes all present new challenges and opportunities for education. In the midst of all of these

DR. WILLIAM JONES WITH STUDENTS, MYLES CHASE ’15 AND JESSICA SHULTZ ’15

changes, the quality of teaching remains as the most potent factor in the education of our students. The role of the teacher is also rapidly evolving and so it will be essential for STS to attract, retain and develop the finest teachers. This will require a serious investment and we are currently working diligently to position STS as a Centre for Excellence in teaching by investing in, and creating high expectations for the ongoing professional learning and growth of our faculty. No other factor will have a greater impact on the success of our students.

To support changes in instructional practices and enable teachers to effectively incorporate current and new knowledge into their teaching, we must also provide them with facilities designed to enable and facilitate such practices. Many of the facilities at STS reflect 20th Century thinking, assumptions and design concepts. These present barriers and limitations that we will need to remove in order to create the kinds of learning spaces that are conducive to providing students with a more individualized educational experience and liberate our teachers with respect to applying new pedagogical knowledge.

Today’s STS community is now charged with the responsibility of building a bright future; one that will enable our students to prosper, contribute and shine in an almost unimaginable world.

We cannot simply follow the footsteps of our predecessors, but instead we must boldly forge a new pathway. Once again, this will require vision, leadership and reinvestment. Looking ahead, I have great confidence in the ability of our community to embrace the challenges and opportunities before us. In doing so, we will ensure that STS remains an exemplar within the community of Canadian independent schools and we will honour and extend the hopes and aspirations of previous STS visionaries, leaders and supporters.

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COMMUNITY SNAPSHOTS

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COMMUNITY SNAPSHOTS SHREK THE MUSICAL A RAVING SUCCESS STS was proud to present Shrek the Musical for the first time in Western Canada. Audiences were wowed at all five performances by the talent of the students, the beautiful sets, and the amazing music. This year’s production combined the unique and varied talents of more than 100 students, staff, teachers, and parents.

community members.

STS ADOPTS FAMILIES IN NEED The STS community decided to give back to others this holiday season – and to make it big. They “adopted” 24 families in need – and the entire school community – 640 students in Grades 1 – 12, parents, teachers and staff – gathered items to brighten the lives of Calgary and High River residents, many of whom were affected by the devastating floods in the summer of 2013.

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GIFT OF SONG FOR KERBY CENTRE MEMBERS The beautiful sounds of the STS choirs serenaded our guests from the Kerby Senior’s Centre for the 37th annual Kerby Centre Luncheon on Wednesday, December 11, 2013.

STUDENTS AND SENIORS SHARE SOME FUN Students in Grades 1 and 2 had fun visiting with senior citizens from the Kerby Centre as part of their Physical Education class. The children spoke with the seniors, asked them about the past, their favourite sport and if they cheered for the Flames. Students and seniors then participated in relay races and had lots of fun!

SUPERHEROES STAND UP TO BULLYING In recognition of National Bully Awareness Week, Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School students took a stand against bullying. Grade 12 students dressed as “Bystander Superheroes” to inspire younger children to step up when they see bullying.

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COMMUNITY SNAPSHOTS

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MARTI MCKAY WEEK The 29-year tradition of Marti McKay Week continued October 21 – 24, 2013. Students were treated to presentations from author and activist Chris Turner, illustrator Lorna Bennett, illustrator Gerry Rasmussen, and author Teresa Toten.

ON CAMPUS OPERA PERFORMANCE The Elementary School students had the unique and exciting experience of seeing the Calgary Opera perform Hansel and Gretel in the C.A. Smith Arts Centre. The students were amazed by the singing and the interesting props the performers brought with them.

SPOOKY TRADITION CONTINUES The halls of STS were overtaken by ghosts, princesses, rock stars and everything in between at the annual Halloween Parade.

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TERRY FOX RUN On September 13, 2013, students from all divisions, parents, and employees took part in the Terry Fox Run, dressed in medieval themed costumes. STS has supported The Terry Fox Foundation for close to 30 years, raising over half a million dollars during that time. As a result, STS is one of the top fundraising schools in the province. This year, we were proud to raise over $16,000.

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COMMUNITY SNAPSHOTS

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HOP STUDENTS HONOURED

BY FIRST NATIONS COMMUNITY Last September, Elementary HOP students were honoured by a member of the public who was touched by the students’ visit to the former Dunbow Road Residential School with a hand-made shaker box inscribed with a single word, “Remember”.

EXPLORING THE GREAT OUTDOORS More than 360 STS students explored the great outdoors on Outdoor Education (OE) trips this year.

STUDENT’S CREATION WINS ART COMPETITION STS student Aadam Nanji ’19 was the winner of the The Aga Khan Museum art competition. His creation reflecting Muslim Culture won the upper primary division across Canada with themes of his piece being: family, identity, popular culture, and fun. Aadam’s piece demonstrates strong global and cultural awareness.

GRADE 1 ART GALLERY The Grade 1 students showcased their watercolour paintings of the sky created during their unit of inquiry under the trans-disciplinary theme of “How We Express Ourselves” at the 2nd annual Grade 1 Art Gallery.

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DROP-IN CENTRE AND BRIDGELAND MANOR VOLUNTEERING

SKATEBOARD CLUB What’s a fun way to get around? Skateboards! Elementary art students in the Skateboard Club designed, built and decorated their very own skateboards to use.

Again this year, STS students in Round Square frequently visited Bridgeland Manor to assist senior residents. Elementary HOP Club members visited the Calgary Drop-In Centre to help the organization with meal preparation and serving patrons.

STS “LIFERS” GRADUATING THIS YEAR Students who have attended STS for their entire 12-year school career graduated in June, 2014.

These long-time members of our STS community are: Kelvin Hau, Tom Abbott, Jeremy Rose, Cameron Hands, Ryan Shah, Taylor Davis, Sara Taylor, Sawera Dhaliwal, Michelle Grant.

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PREPARING FOR AN EVER-CHANGING WORLD

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PREPARING FOR AN EVER-CHANGING WORLD At STS, we are always thinking about how best to prepare students for the future to ensure they are equipped with the skills they will need to thrive in the 21st Century. Through a wide variety of activities, STS students and teachers collaborate, innovate, adapt, create, challenge, communicate – and most importantly – have fun – all with the end goal of succeeding in a rapidly changing world and increasingly global economy.

STUDENTS BECOME ‘BEAKERHEADS’ Grade 8 and Grade 5 students kicked off the 2013-2014 school year by participating in the first Beakerhead activity at STS. The inaugural Beakerhead festival, focused on advancing an understanding of how arts, science and engineering work together, was held in Calgary in September, 2013. During the city-wide event, STS held their own Beakerhead activity, requiring students to test their knowledge in math and science, while working collaboratively in groups of five or six. For the first task participants were required to create a cheer, chant, song or a poem using more than one language. The second task required parent and teacher volunteers to help students test their math and science knowledge with a quiz. The third task required students to build a mouse-trap catapult, which they used to throw paint at a large canvas.

The end result was a beautiful piece of artwork.

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ANCIENT ART OF BREAD-MAKING TEACHES NEW SKILLS Grade 12 students working on their final Diploma Programme chemistry project were asked to make bread. Sounds simple enough, but STS students were tasked with making the bread completely from scratch – harvesting their own wheat, deriving sugar from beet roots, growing yeast in a petri dish, developing oil from canola and building their own clay ovens. The Grade 12 students were divided into groups and each tasked with a part of the breadmaking process. After baking the bread, students and teachers sat down to a tasty snack made from time-tested hard work and ingenuity.

NEW GLOBAL SCHOLAR DIPLOMA STS is pleased to announce a new Global Scholar Diploma option for our students who find themselves in an increasingly global world where their actions, and the actions of others, generate interconnected environmental, social, political and economic consequences. The new diploma will be piloted for the 2014 – 2015 academic year, and is poised to provide students with a framework within which they can analyze, evaluate and reflect on contemporary world situations, explore alternative solutions to current issues, and see themselves as an integral part of a positive change process. Their individual and collective experiences will support the development of competencies and mindsets necessary to grow into responsible global citizens. They will welcome challenges and harness opportunities to enhance the future of our planet. These experiences will be woven within the School’s value structure where our students will uphold and reflect on the basic principles of integrity and truthfulness, kindness, consideration, compassion, responsibility, respect and service – both to oneself and to others.

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PREPARING FOR AN EVER-CHANGING WORLD

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FINE ARTS COLLABORATION STS and the Fine Arts faculty were thrilled to host the first discipline-specific professional development day at STS on February 13, 2014. The Fine Arts teachers secured nationally recognized clinicians to present in the areas of visual art, drama, choral music, Elementary music and instrumental music. These eight leaders in arts education led more than 50 participants in an exploration of classroom applicable activities and discussion. We were pleased to host teachers from across southern Alberta, including many guests from Calgary charter and independent schools, positioning STS as a Centre for Excellence in Teaching. Guest art director Louise Chong, mother of STS alumni Jenna Meth ’03 and Leah Meth ’05, led some of the sessions.

ROBOT ARTISTS Grade 7 students recently completed a unit in their design class that focused on automation. They were challenged to rethink the traditional definition of “art” as an expression of human creativity, and built robots that were capable of autonomously producing abstract art. The students came to the conclusion that art can be automated; however, excellent debate resulted on whether the robot itself is actually an ‘artist’. Students taking part in the project were able to incorporate ideas from a variety of subjects into their designs. To be successful, they needed to apply skills from physics, math, art and design.

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INDIAN TRAIN CAR SYSTEM SOLUTIONS Grade 9 design students spent time inquiring as to how they might combat overcrowding on the train system in India. Currently, the Indian train system is overcrowded and citizens resort to sitting on the roof or hanging on the outside. Students investigated various methods to rearrange spaces in order to re-design the train cars to make them safer and more comfortable. Students conducted research, made blueprints of two possible options, and finally built a scale model of one of the designs, resulting in some very creative and interesting train cars. Some students added a second tier, while others came up with ways to add seats that fold away. Students learned that as our world becomes more populated, creative designs to optimize efficient ways of using space will be vital to our planet’s sustainable growth.

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STS BAND TRAVELS TO RUSSIA By: Ly-Anh Reid ’15 In March of 2014, after months of planning, the senior band headed off for a 10-day tour of Russia. Russia has such a rich music culture; home to famous composers such as Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff and Stravinsky.

Getting a chance to perform for locals and very accomplished music students was a great experience. The audiences were very appreciative of our performances, especially when we played the Russian national anthem and the Hockey Night in Canada theme song, and often presented us with flowers.

We attended a master class with a Russian conductor that helped our band with the interpretation of Russian music. The band members had a chance to improve with each performance and form a tighter bond. The trip wrapped up with another day of travelling back to Calgary, with some of us glad to be home, many of us wishing the trip would last a few more days, and all of us having learned a lot.

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PREPARING FOR AN EVER-CHANGING WORLD

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CAMPUS PROVIDES ARTISTIC MATERIAL By: Brianna Dawe ’01, Grade 7 Art and Design teacher Earlier in the school year, the Grade 7 students took advantage of our beautiful country campus by undertaking a study of the diverse plants and flowers found around the school. Students spent a week learning how to collect specimens without damaging the plant, and used books, websites, and the help of experts on Twitter to identify both the native and invasive species on campus.

STUDENTS DESIGN MOUSE TRAP RACERS Grade 4 students recently designed, built and tested mouse trap race cars as part of their IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) curriculum. Students developed graphs to chart the distances their racer travelled, made appropriate changes based on their results and, in the grand finale, displayed and presented their individual racers to peers, parents and staff at the Grade 4 Engineering Expo. Various aspects of learning were integrated into this project – with students first creating a rough drawing of their racer, learning about the forces that make the racer propel forward, implementing changes to their design in order for it to race faster, and articulately voicing the process to visitors. Students also decorated their racers to ensure their specific racer was full of personality.

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STS STUDENTS ARE 21ST CENTURY LEARNERS AND CITIZENS: • Intrinsically motivated and persevering, analytical and reflective, they seek innovative solutions to challenges.

• Effective communicators and lifelong learners, they are adaptable to change.

• Grounded in their communities, they collaborate as part of their responsibilities as ethical citizens of an interdependent world.

GUATEMALA SERVICE TRIP During Spring Break, 10 students and two teachers travelled to Guatemala for the annual Global Service Trip. The first two days in Guatemala were spent in the Lake Atitlan region, where the students participated in a dyeing and weaving workshop with artisans in a women’s cooperative in Panajchel.

Then the group traveled to Tecpán and started work at the Project Somos Children’s Village. They assisted in building a fence and began work on the foundation that will hold the village’s new library.

Students were amazed by the beautiful vistas and landscapes and were happy to interact with the wonderful people of Guatemala.

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FROM THE ARCHIVES

FROM THE ARCHIVES: THE FOUNDATION FOR OUR FUTURE

BY GORDON FREIGHT

St. Hilda’s School was established in 1905 and is recognized to be the first private school in Western Canada. In the 1936 Ammonite, the St. Hilda’s yearbook, Headmistress Miss Macdonald speaks to the girls about establishing new ideas and high ideals in education for girls and young women. “In many lines, St. Hilda’s and St. Hildians have set high standards by their achievements. For a long time now, in the Province, we have been the leaders in health and physical education for girls: from time to time our graduates have carried off coveted honours at the universities; some have won for themselves positions of leadership and responsibility; many have married and established happy homes in various parts of the world. How many of these loyal St. Hildians realize, I wonder, why they were able to enjoy the advantage of private school education in the Province of Alberta? The reason is simply that there has been a small group of interested men and women who have believed that education consists of things of the spirit, as well as of the things of the mind, and who, for this ideal, have made many sacrifices.

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“IT ISN’T THE CLASSROOM NOR THE BUILDING NOR THE TEXTBOOKS THAT MAKE THE STUDENT ALTHOUGH ALL THESE ARE NECESSARY. IT IS THE SPIRIT THAT EXISTS THERE.” ALFRED HOWARD

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Strathcona School for Boys, established in 1929, became known as a small private school dedicated to the all-round education of boys so that they may develop into good citizens. Headmaster Alfred Howard said that the important thing was that everyone participated to the best of their abilities and that they were supported in their efforts by the entire student body. In his speech at Sports Day in 1956, Mr. Howard told of a visit he received in hospital from three Strathcona Old Boys. “How grateful I was to think they’d leave the gathering on such a nice day to sit in a sick room with me. This, and such things made me think as I lay there in the hospital - what makes a Strathcona Boy? One boy told

me he envied the Strathcona boys and often wished he’d been favoured in early life by attending here. He said that he could name practically every Strathcona boy at university for they stood out. They didn’t wear the Strathcona clothes there but they did wear Strathcona atmosphere. They had something that others lacked – bearing, method of application and study. What a tribute.” Mr. Howard added, “It isn’t the classroom nor the building nor the textbooks that make the student although all these are necessary. It is the spirit that exists there. The desire that is created in the individual to progress and drive ahead -- to use the tools he has to the best advantage.”

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FROM THE ARCHIVES

“THAT ABILITY TO DO MORE THAN IS ASKED OR EXPECTED OF YOU IS WHAT WILL LEAD OUR SCHOOL” WINNIFRED WITHERSPOON

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Tweedsmuir, An Academic School for Girls was established in Calgary in 1959. Many of the same fundamental principles which drove St. Hilda’s can be seen reflected in the development of this private school for girls. One of these is the importance given to service to the wider community and contribution to the beauty and significance of the Canadian way of life.

Headmistress Winnifred Witherspoon talks of this dedication to service in her letter to the girls in the 1963 edition of Black Watch, the yearbook for the school. “Our Grade 10 girls won the second prize for the physics project for their Grade in the city and district science fair. That ability (which you have already shown in your enthusiasm for these Science Projects) to do more than is asked or expected of you, because you love do it, is what will lead our school – as it will lead each one of you in your individual lives – to become an influence for good in our city and province. Translate this same propensity into terms of character and we shall have something greater still, so that in future years the girls of Tweedsmuir and the women they will become, will be forces for good wherever they are. Those extra courtesies, that far-reaching helpfulness, that unlimited ambition and endeavor to achieve only the highest will serve to make a contribution to the beauty and significance of our Canadian life.”

It was in 1971 that the new StrathconaTweedsmuir School first opened its doors.

This school then inherited the traditions of its predecessors through their amalgamation.

Intensive academic studies, focus on the individual and service to the surrounding community can clearly be seen to have carried over into this new school. Headmaster Sandy Heard ’46 in his letter to parents in the newsletter sent in April 1981 speaks of the maintenance of high standards as the school contemplates further expansion. “Our emphasis will still be the development of the best in each individual student. The entire programme is aimed at the mind, the body and the spirit of each child placed in our care. We want all-round people graduating from STS, so we provide the necessary activities to do this. Our standards are high and we will not compromise them.

In order for the mind, body and spirit to be tough enough to handle ‘the world’, we must continually stretch ourselves to our maximum potential. We expect more from each and every pupil. We expect them to strive for their potential in every facet of their lives.”

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“WE EXPECT MORE FROM EACH AND EVERY PUPIL. WE EXPECT THEM TO STRIVE FOR THEIR POTENTIAL IN EVERY FACET OF THEIR LIVES.” SANDY HEARD ’46

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INVESTING IN OUR FUTURE

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INVESTING IN OUR FUTURE

BY DINNIE BAKER

Hard working. Involved. Passionate about education and family. Overwhelmingly humble. These are phrases that describe all members of the Kirker family.

Scott and Anne Kirker are also the first STS parents to commit a $1 million gift to Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School in two decades.

A marketing professional, a university professor, and lawyer, Scott brings valuable perspectives to the volunteer roles he plays at STS. Scott has served on the Board of Directors for five years and has chaired the Advancement Committee. Anne maintains a challenging legal practice at a global firm.

Like most STS parents, Anne and Scott chose to enroll Katie ’12 and Ryan ’14 at STS because they valued the well-rounded education. Years later, they now wonder what kind of young people their children would have turned out to be without STS. During their time at STS, Katie and Ryan have performed in the annual musicals, participated in athletics, acted as delegates at global Round Square service conferences, pursued full IB studies, and provided strong student leadership to their classmates and the entire school. Katie and Ryan understand that their STS alumni family now embraces them and encourages

their ongoing engagement – and they have both responded with a resounding YES! Katie returns to campus annually to impart her wisdom to Grade 12 students on how best to transition with success to university. Ryan has taken on the leadership mantle of being an alumni representative for the Class of 2014. They are committed to remain engaged members of our STS alumni community.

The Kirker family’s annual giving has been generous and impactful. In recent years, their generosity has been a lifeline to enhance bursary funding to enable deserving students to attend STS, benefiting our entire community.

From the outset, Scott has been a quiet supporter of the evolving visionary plans to position STS as a Centre for Excellence in Teaching in order to attract, develop and retain talented faculty who care and support students. He also recognizes that refreshing the facilities will enable teaching and learning to advance to new heights. To that end, Anne and Scott quietly pledged $1 million to help STS realize our bold goals.

After their pledge is paid, they have also agreed to establish a scholarship to bring deserving students to STS with the help of financial assistance via the Kirker Family Scholarship, which

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THANKS A MILLION! THE KIRKER FAMILY’S GENEROSITY INSPIRED OTHER PARENTS OF THE GRADUATING CLASS OF 2014 TO ALSO PAY IT FORWARD, RAISING AN UNPRECEDENTED

$278,000 IN ADDITIONAL DONATIONS.

they plan to fund with their ongoing annual gifts to STS. Why would a family commit this leadership gift with their last child graduating in June 2014? Because they recognize the benefits that their children had already realized due to the philanthropy of previous generations of donors, and they want to pay it forward for future students. They wish to ensure that STS is the best it can be for our students, our faculty and our community for generations to come, and to inspire other STS community members to do the same.

They believe our graduates have compassion, can think critically, and know how to get things done – and that they will play a role in bettering our global community. They are proud to play a role in continuing this legacy of creating citizens of character.

STS will always be a part of the Kirker family, and they will always be a part of ours. We are grateful for their generosity and selfless leadership.

Thanks a million Anne, Scott, Ryan and Katie!

“We have watched our children grow into responsible and engaged young adults in no small part because of the supportive learning environment provided by STS. In a place where all students are accepted for who they are and challenged to explore their abilities, our quiet daughter grew into a confident and gracious young woman and our creative son found his voice on stage. Together with teachers, friends and classmates, they learned to strive for and celebrate success – their own and that of others – in everything from algebra to outdoor pursuits.

We recognize that none of this would have been possible without the generous gifts of families who came before us. As grateful recipients of all that STS had to offer our children, we donate to ensure it is available for families that follow.”

SCOTT AND ANNE KIRKER

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FUTURE GENERATION OF CARING CITIZENS

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FUTURE GENERATION OF CARING CITIZENS BY:VAL ROBINS AND ROSANNE YASKOWICH-KLINKENBORG The Class of 2020 students and their families embarked on a remarkable journey that began five years ago and continues today. The goal was to provide a fun “real life” opportunity to augment the STS mission and guiding principles, IB curriculum and programs such as the Humanitarian Outreach Project (HOP) outside of school. This project allowed us to extend learning and character development beyond the school doors in a fun, exciting and unique philanthropy project.

In return for the time, energy and fundraising of our Class of 2020 families, the students shared in a cultural exchange through web chats and French pen pal letters with the village of Pa in Burkina Faso, West Africa. To date, the students and their families have raised over $12,000 for the village of Pa through novel and innovative means – from bake sales, to a STS community cookbook, and just about everything else in between. Also, locally they have contributed to many worthwhile and meaningful causes.

“I feel that I have so many privileges that I need to act in a way that benefits people who don’t have the things that I do. I have been able to do many good things as part of a group all working towards the same goal. Our goal is to raise money to help the families in Pa, and to get our community to know and see the people we are helping.

I want to always have philanthropy with me as I grow up no matter where I end up in the world.”

ALEX ROBINS ’20

Milestones achieved with the village of Pa: • Year one: 500+ mosquito nets provided to pregnant women and children under five. Due to STS, efforts a $50,000 AGFUND grant was awarded to continue malaria education/training in the region.

• Year two: tables and benches (school desks) provided, allowing 150+ more students to attend school.

• Year three and four: Pa fundraising monies held for larger project. Two students participated and awarded a medal in the Science Olympics with their project on bio-sand filters.

• Year five: Madame Goldsworthy invited students to explore “community” with HOP – a total of three years cumulative fundraising will go towards an addition to the Pa school and community center, allowing many more students to attend school.

“Pa has made a big impact on my life because I get to help people in another country. I also realize how lucky I am. But, they are still happy and fun and I like getting to know them and their lives. I really enjoy participating in this project.”

CARLY BLACK ’20

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Locally, the students have collected supplies for the Calgary Food Bank, the Drop-In Center, and Ronald McDonald House. This past year, the students supported families whose homes and communities were flooded with a message of caring and re-growth – they delivered garden seed packets door-to-door. The school received many heartfelt letters from the residents in response to the one-on-one conversations and the seed delivery.

Creating a relationship with the Pa community has allowed our students an authentic opportunity to use their French language skills, learn and connect with another culture, and be a driving force for philanthropy at home and abroad. The project

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has accomplished much in a short amount of time and has made a significant difference to the lives of the families in Pa. The project has strengthened relationships within the STS community and between students as our families have come together numerous times a year for service, or just for a fun evening out.

We are thankful to our school community and faculty who have supported the project and allowed it to grow and develop as it has. We are thankful to the villagers of Pa who were open to developing a relationship with our families, but mostly we are thankful to the Class of 2020 students who epitomize the potential of today’s youth in creating a better world one meaningful action at a time.

“The class of 2020 had been very special to me because I feel really amazing when I get a pen pal letter from someone around the world who relies on me and looks to me as a friend. I have enjoyed the project every step of the way and these memories will last a lifetime. I wish to someday meet my pen pal.”

ETHAN KLINKENBORG ’20

“The Class of 2020 Pa project has taught our son at a very young age that the actions of a few people really can make a difference in the lives of many. Through Skype and pen pal letters the kids were able to see first-hand the positive results of their fundraising. Being a part of the Pa project has inspired our family to travel to Africa in the future to participate in building a portion of a school in Kenya.

Many thanks to the Class of 2020 and their success with the Pa project for creating another generation of global philanthropists.”

KAREN ARMOR, PARENT

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ALUMNI PROFILE

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A GAME TO SAVE LIVES

BY KELSEY LOVELL

With 64 percent of working adults reaching a mean retirement age of 62 in the next 12 years in some sectors, the future workforce will be facing a dire loss of talent, experience and resource – both intellectually and physically. Imagine learning directly from your mentors, hearing their stories, what they did right, and where they went wrong all in the form of game pieces.

It’s your job to take the pieces and put them together into a cohesive event.

While STS alumnus Peter Gammell ’81 knows that people’s lives on the line is no game, he also knows that the knowledge needed to avoid making mistakes that cost lives, can be best learned on the job; making decisions that have consequences, which is the basis of game theory.

“Creds is an online platform that takes people’s real experiences and converts them into a gaming environment as a means to deliver curriculum based on real people’s experiences.” said Peter, whose business, Watershed Creative, houses the Creds project.

Creds is based on a wiki model, meaning that the program is an open source collaboration that resides behind a company’s firewall. Everyone within an organization is able to participate – from drill hands to CEOs, new hires to those about to retire, or have retired.

While many of us know that history often repeats itself, this learning model ensures that the scenarios leading up to closecalls or a negative event can be recorded and analyzed. That data can then be turned into a case study and those left in the future

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workforce can learn from the mistakes of others and – in the end – save lives, and accelerate the rate people acquire experience.

“Finding good people is not an issue with industry. There are a lot of good young people. The issue is getting them up to a level of competence where they can operate the businesses and facilities that they run. To get that experience, you essentially just have to go through the years – there’s no way around it.

So what we’re attempting to do is give people experiences, real experiences, before they actually encounter them on the job,” Peter explained.

His journey began at STS, where he believed he was set up for success by caring teachers, even if he wasn’t the strongest at academics.

“The teachers were very dedicated, so despite the fact I wasn’t a great student, I didn’t fall through the cracks” he said.

It was also the Outdoor Education program at STS that made Peter want to prove he could succeed.

“It (the OE program) was an environment in which you were challenged and pushed to your limits. It created self-sufficiency. It was an outlet

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to demonstrate my abilities.”

The OE program also propelled him into his post-secondary career – but not right away.

Peter began his education at the University of Calgary studying fine arts but soon realized he wanted to be more involved in the outdoors. He then moved on to Selkirk College to study forest resources technology. From there, Peter moved to the University of Toronto to study geology.

However, it was a traumatic event that led to the epiphany from which the Watershed Creative and Creds was born. Working as an environmental consultant, Peter’s actions led to an explosion that left him in the hospital for a month and a half. “Due to this humiliating oversight, a project was ruined, and I was a changed man,” says Peter. While lying in the hospital bed, he went over and over the event, trying to make sense of it, and even more importantly, how he could ensure it didn’t happen to anyone else. And that’s when he came up with the idea to create a game that would see people learning from experiences just like his own. “Embrace your failures” Peter says, “Our greatest challenges and humiliations can frame our greatest fulfillment and define a legacy.

That’s what I’m trying to do with Creds” “It changed how I saw my life. It changed my values. I couldn’t help but be amazed how an instant decision, a mistake, could change someone so profoundly. That’s when I started looking at games. How could I create something that could give someone else an experience as profound as I have without putting them in the hospital,” said Peter.

Now, post-secondary institutions like SAIT endorsed the competency acceleration project that eventually became Creds, which is designed for technical trades, safety, maintenance, incident response and management training.

International organizations in industries such as forestry, energy and rail are employing Creds to transfer knowledge to an incoming workforce with the experiences of more established employees.

“The supportive community at STS prepared me for the future. It prepared me as a citizen. The volunteer programs and class discussions helped to cultivate in me a sense of responsibility,” Peter said.

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ALUMNI PROFILE

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CONNECTING AGENCIES PROGRAM WITH THE DIGITAL WORLD

BY ALI POONJA ’12

MS. WENDY RODNEY STS TEACHER AND AGENCIES PROGRAM COORDINATOR, WITH SENIORS’ CONNECT CO-FOUNDER, ALI POONJA ’12

We have recently reached an agreement with Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School to share our new program, Seniors’ Connect, with several of the Agencies Program organizations where STS students are placed. Seniors’ Connect is a non-profit initiative that strives to combat social isolation in the elderly population. The program involves senior citizens at retirement homes and the use of computers as a method to integrate these individuals into the new technological era. We hope to accomplish this goal by installing computer labs in retirement homes and offering volunteer services to help teach residents how to perform basic functions on the computer, such as Skype calling, Microsoft Office and internet browsing. We believe that this will give the residents a better opportunity to connect with their family members and the rest of society, reducing feelings of loneliness.

As part of the STS Agencies Program, students will teach seniors in retirement homes how to enjoy computers. We are so grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with STS, as it will help us extend the reach of Seniors’ Connect.

I believe that the formation of this organization stemmed from the principles promoted by STS scholarship, leadership and character.

Sharing of time and knowledge is a core trait that STS strongly believes in,

which is exemplified through Round Square, the Peer Support Program at the Student Success Center, the Agencies Program and much more.

Participating in these activities demonstrated that we have the ability to empower and make an impact within our community. Participation in these programs allowed me to strengthen my leadership and social tools, and led to the formation of Seniors’ Connect.

Even though it has been two years since I graduated, I still feel a part of the STS family. I believe that this is because STS does not strive to be a school, it strives to be a home, and through this, STS demonstrates the importance of building a community.

Seniors’ Connect is an opportunity for the younger generation to inspire and create friendships with the senior population. It also provides an opportunity to expand our community with the University of Calgary and the elderly population of the City of Calgary.

STS has been involved with the Agencies programs for almost four decades. Volunteering at Emily Follensbee School in Calgary is one of the most memorable and satisfying experiences of my life. It is the program that has taught me the most about myself. We hope that Seniors’ Connect will be able to add to the powerful and rewarding Agency experience, while creating a better environment for seniors.

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PLAYING AT WORK

BY KELSEY LOVELL

When it comes to a different type of game – video games – STS alumnus Aidan Hanly ’07 has followed his passion and turned it into a career.

Aidan currently works at Electronic Arts (EA), a video game company that produces popular video games such as the Battlefield series, Madden football, FIFA soccer, and Mass Effect.

“I’ve always been a gamer, even in Elementary School. I got a Nintendo 64 in Grade 4 or 5 and I’ve been playing since then,” said Aidan.

With games becoming more cutting-edge and realistic, it’s Aidan’s job to program the

software that controls animation and physics – such as the way a football player’s feet move and their weight shifts when they run. This makes the game true to real-life situations and human movement.

Aidan graduated from STS with full IB classes before heading to the University of Waterloo. “The soft skills, work ethic and time management are all abilities I picked up at STS, especially from the IB Programme. It helped prepare me for university and the working world.”

His interests didn’t stop at video games; Aidan really enjoyed taking part in the yearly musicals. It was there he met his close friend

group, all of whom are still good friends.

“It was a good environment. I enjoyed being on stage and spending time with people with certain interests,” Aidan went on to say.

As for the students who may want to go into a similar field, Aidan shared this wisdom: “Try and dive in. It’s never too early to get involved with programming and the field. The more work you do, the more well-rounded you will become.”

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EDUCATING FOR THE FUTURE

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EDUCATING FOR THE FUTURE

THE BENEFITS OF IB FROM ALL PERSPECTIVES At the beginning of the 2013-2014 academic year, Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School was accredited as Southern Alberta’s first full International Baccalaureate (IB) World School, and Alberta’s only independent school, authorized to deliver IB Programmes in Grades 1 through 12. STS is now amongst a select group of six percent of IB World Schools across the globe, and one percent of North American IB schools, offering a continuum of all three levels of IB programming.

At its heart, the mission of the IB is to inspire learners to help create a better and more peaceful world – one where they understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right.

As a dynamic and forward-thinking school, one that focuses not only on

individual development, but also on the collective betterment of the community, locally and globally, the ideals embodied in both the School’s mission, vision and values, and the IB Learner Profile reflect a shared understanding of the attributes learners require to succeed in the 21st Century.

The STS mission of developing wellbalanced students for a life of purpose strongly aligns with the IB philosophy. As a dynamic and forward-thinking school, one that focuses not only on personal success, but also on the betterment of our community as a whole, the IB provides a framework for success in a rapidly changing and increasingly complex world – combining community action, service learning and a challenging academic program.

FULL IB CONTINUUM OFFERS: GRADES 1 – 6: PRIMARY YEARS PROGRAMME (PYP) GRADES 7 – 10: MIDDLE YEARS PROGRAMME (MYP) GRADES 11 AND 12: DIPLOMA PROGRAMME (DP)

IB LEARNER PROFILE: KNOWLEDGEABLE THINKERS COMMUNICATORS PRINCIPLED OPEN-MINDED CARING COURAGEOUS BALANCED REFLECTIVE

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“Throughout my involvement in the IB Programme I have grown as a student and a person. I have become more confident. This confidence has helped me when meeting new people and in public speaking situations. PYP teaches us attitudes that help us to demonstrate respect for our peers and teachers, to be independent in our approach to our studies, to co-operate and collaborate with others and to be committed to our schoolwork and our clubs. Finally, I have learned to work independently to organize myself, research new information, and to apply skills and concepts learned to new situations.”

ONELLI YAPA ABEYWARDENE ’20, PYP STUDENT

“The STS IB Programmes, including the PYP, MYP and DP, are internationally regarded and validated qualifications that provide an assurance of the superior academic quality of our institution. All three Programmes offer academic breadth and depth, vis a vis an academic experience that engages students in a rigorous, globally relevant curriculum.

IB Programmes develop students who are globally minded, engage in principled action and who are independent learners, prepared to gracefully tackle the next leg of their academic journey.”

ALANA WELLWOOD, STS TEACHER , MYP COORDINATOR

“Two years ago, when STS implemented the MYP, as a studious scholar, all I was worried about was how it would affect my grades; however, as the year progressed, I learnt more and more about myself, and how MYP prepared me well for the long term. Not only does it develop the student’s holistic being, allowing us to fully understand concepts thoroughly (ahah! moments), but we begin to genuinely fall in love with each subject.”

GAYATHRI PERINGOD ’17, MYP STUDENT

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EDUCATING FOR THE FUTURE

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“IB has offered me the opportunity to push myself academically and take control of my educational path. Though the standard Alberta Curriculum is absolutely an academic challenge, IB, for me, has provided a much broader selection of content that challenged me to both push myself individually and develop my collaborative skills with my fellow diploma candidates. IB also has provided me the ability to take personal control of my education through such activities as the self-guided extended essay and the plethora of internal assessments that push IB students to explore and problem solve. After completing the two-year Diploma Programme, I can confidently say that I have enjoyed my experience and feel prepared for university.”

RYAN SHAH, DP STUDENT, GRADUATED IN JUNE ’14

Not only did the IB Programme teach me good time management skills and study habits – which have been invaluable in university – but the IB curriculum itself was broad and opened my eyes to possible areas of post-secondary study that I might not otherwise have even thought about.”

KATIE KIRKER ’12, STS ALUMNI

“We chose STS for our two daughters specifically because it is an IB World School. Our older daughter, Charlotte ’18, has developed into a learner who is a real risk taker, not just academically, but in her extracurricular activities as well. IB has given her confidence and communication skills. Our daughter, Louisa ’20, will sometimes request feedback on a project. She insists, no matter how hard or how long she has worked on an assignment, that we give her feedback to “help make it even better”. I see both of my daughters looking to their future education with excitement and anticipation, and as parents, we could not be more thrilled.”

DEBORAH PETRIUK, PARENT

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WHAT OUR FUTURE LEADERS ARE THINKING ABOUT This year, our first group of Grade 10 students completed MYP Personal Projects, which provided them with an opportunity to pursue an area of interest, consolidating prior learning and skills, in order to produce a truly personal and often creative product.The diverse topics students decided to delve into are impressive – and are cause for hope for our civilization and world. Here is just a small sampling to demonstrate what our future leaders are thinking about:

INQUIRY QUESTION: HOW CAN WE PERSONALIZE SUSTAINABILITY CAMPAIGNS TO BETTER EFFECT CHANGE? BY: ETHAN KEMP ’16 INQUIRY QUESTION: HOW CAN I PROMOTE HEALTH BY ENCOURAGING CHILDREN TO MAKE HEALTHY CHOICES WHEN EATING PACKAGED FOODS? BY: NIKITA SRIVALSAN ’16 My MYP Personal Project research aims to promote health in children by identifying their gaps in knowledge when it comes to evaluating packaged foods. This study explored children’s nutrition knowledge with regard to packaged food products to uncover strengths and difficulties they have in evaluating the healthfulness of these foods, so that appropriate measures can be taken to help children navigate through the often misleading appeals that are used in food marketing to children.

One of my passions is cycling and it is something I would like to share with others. Through my personal project, I set the goal of increasing the popularity of biking within the STS community. The product I created was to help promote cycling and give people information on how they could increase the amount they cycle. I did this through the creation of surveys, trail maps, an assembly presentation and the submission of this article, all in the hopes of spreading my passion of cycling.

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INQUIRY QUESTION: WHAT EFFECT CAN COMMON PLANTS LIKE THE DANDELION HAVE ON THE HUMAN BODY? BY: MARY HOU ’16

INQUIRY QUESTION: WHAT CAN BE INNOVATED, BY THOSE WHO ARE MORE FORTUNATE,TO IMPROVE THE GLOBAL STANDARD OF QUALITY OF LIFE AND SUSTAINABILITY?

I have always been curious to know more about the world around me. This is why I have chosen to complete my personal project with the goal of completing a lab experiment on the effects of the dandelion plant. We see this common “weed” so often in our daily lives that we sometimes forget that even weeds can have interesting or even useful properties.

The goal of my project was to design and complete a lab on whether or not dandelions had antibacterial properties. With the help of Dr. Grothman from St. Mary’s University College, I was able to explore effects of dandelions on bacteria versus the effects of some known antibiotics.

BY: IMAAN KHERANI ’16 My goal is to build an inexpensive pair of eye glasses, out of recycled material, which can be distributed throughout third world countries. Uncorrected refractive error is among the leading causes of vision loss globally. The design will allow for individuals to selfadjust the prescription without physician or optometric support as medical access is limited in such areas. The goal of these glasses is to improve vision for those who cannot seek medical help nor can afford a pair of standard glasses. Throughout my childhood, I have always had a passion for medicine inspiring my dream to become a surgeon like my father as I believe he is truly an incredible role model. With a special interest in philanthropic medicine, I hope to travel to less fortunate countries and medically assist where the prevalence of physicians is low.

INQUIRY QUESTION: WHAT IS THE NATURE AND PURPOSE OF CREATIVE EXPRESSION? BY: REBECCA CLARK ’16 The goal of my personal project was to create a children’s picture book which would be printed and read to children at the Alberta Children’s Hospital. I fulfilled my goal and was able to donate six copies of my children’s book, “Louis the Line” to the Emily’s Backyard located in the Alberta Children’s Hospital.

What I really enjoyed about this personal project is that I was able to combine many of my hobbies in order to meet my finished product. I was able to use my artistic skills for the watercolour illustrations and line drawings, writing skills to construct the story and help the community around me by donating my book.

INQUIRY QUESTION: HOW ARE DIFFERENT CULTURAL IDENTITIES DEPICTED IN ART? BY: ELIZABETH DAYO ’16 My personal project is based on how different cultural identities are depicted in various forms of art. Our society has become more ethnically diverse that sometimes we become unaware of the different traditions and cultures that surround us. Based around human ingenuity, the overall purpose of my project was to explain significant aspects of the African, Chinese, and Australian Aboriginal culture, as well as to explicate on how they represent different traditions through art.

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INQUIRY QUESTION: WHAT PROCESSES ARE INCLUDED IN CREATING A PRODUCT? BY: LIAM OSTLUND ’16 The MYP Personal Project is a project that is meant to be based on something that we would consider a passion of ours. Hockey is the sport that I have always been interested in so I immediately looked at ways that I could create a project around hockey. For my personal project, my goal was to create a set of road hockey goalie pads from scratch. This means that I bought or found all of the materials necessary to construct a pair of goalie pads. I also had to stitch, sew or glue all of the components of the pad together, so that the structure of the pad remained sturdy and durable.

INQUIRY QUESTION: HOW DOES THE PURSUIT OF A NON-TRADITIONAL CAREER AFFECT THE FORMATION OF MY IDENTITY AS A WOMAN? BY: HALLE SHOPPERLY ’16 The goal of my personal project was to work towards becoming a private pilot. It required a minimum of 85 hours to attain my student private pilot’s licence; therefore it was necessary to accomplish my goal in steps. A significant step, which my personal project facilitated, was completing ground school and flight training to the point of soloing. I have flown in small aircraft my entire life and it has become part of my identity, therefore my project aimed to pursue a segment of my individuality that will become a life skill. I am proud to be the third generation pilot in my family.

INQUIRY QUESTION: HOW DOES WHAT WE WEAR AFFECT HOW WE EXPRESS OURSELVES? BY: DANIEL MOLYNEAUX ’16 The goal of my project was to make a presentation to the Head of School, Dr. Jones, about implementing bowties into the school uniform. If Dr. Jones were to approve of my idea I would move to the actual manufacturing and distributing of bowties into Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School. However, there are many other people that I would have to talk to before the bowties would become a reality. While doing my project I had made one bowtie, got one professionally made and used a Middle School bowtie from last year.

I had found a manufacturer that could make school bowties should the bowties be allowed. With the completion of my project, I learned a lot about how to “sell” and communicate a new initiative all while exploring how what we wear impacts our daily lives.

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A SCHOOL FOR EVERYONE

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A SCHOOL FOR EVERYONE STS DIVERSITY WEEK STUDENT ORGANIZING COMMITTEE WITH SPECIAL GUEST, CALGARY MAYOR NAHEED NENSHI

In April 2014, just as news feeds were buzzing with stories of intolerance in a number of Alberta independent schools, STS was engaged in the school’s first Diversity Week. The purpose of this week was to ensure that STS is a safe community that respects individual rights and differences with regard to sexuality, faith, gender, ethnicity, colour, and physical appearance.

The week consisted of a number of activities, workshops and presentations for staff and students recognizing and celebrating the diversity of our community and raising awareness about the challenges faced by students who are

sometimes marginalized in our society because of their differences. Activities were also designed to strengthen tolerance, understanding and inclusivity within our own community as we stand together in support of the human rights of every person.

A highlight of the week was our special guest speaker, Calgary’s Mayor Naheed Nenshi, who spoke to Middle and Senior School students. In his remarks, he emphasized the need to be vigilant about protecting diversity in Canada and referenced how the people of Quebec had acted against an infringement on diversity when they voted in the recent

provincial election. Students were extremely engaged during his speech and the question period that followed.

Diversity Week was a studentdriven initiative and we appreciate the leadership and character that we witnessed in those involved as organizers and participants in this special week, including Scarlett Sprung ’14, Taylor Fewer ’15, Stephanie Feldman ’15, Arissa Bachmann ’14. Special thanks to Shiv Ruparell ’15 for his personal courage and leadership in advancing this important cause.

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TIMES ARE CHANGING AND SO IS STS

BY SHIV RUPARELL ’15

Around late February 2012 when I was in Grade 9, I remember walking into my French class and sitting next to my good friend Austin.

I was terribly nervous. My anxiety didn’t stem from the test we had on the ‘past tense’ that day (though there was that to worry about too), but rather because this was my second day of being an openly gay student at STS. What was I going to tell him?

Before I entered the class I tried to think of ways to tell Austin, for it was better he heard it from me than from a peer. I could take the witty approach, the serious approach, the sad approach or the happy one; in the end, I said none of the lines I had practiced beforehand. I sat down, five seconds passed, then 10, then 15 until finally I looked at him ready to tell him the news (I had decided I would say it in French for dramatic effect) – before I opened my mouth he tapped me on my arm and pointed down to a sticker on his laptop that read ‘I ♥ Diversity’ with the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rainbow flag as a background. He looked at me, nodded, and it was over. No funny one-liners, no in-depth discussion and no questions whatsoever; he accepted me and that was that.

Looking back at that moment, I still criticize Austin for not letting me use my hilarious gay joke to communicate the news; but when I pause to think, what Austin did was remarkable and even more remarkable was the way he reacted became the way my entire grade reacted. “We accept you, we are here for you, nothing has changed” – this was the message I received from my STS community, (though granted, conversations with my friends shifted away from Victoria Secret models and towards the Calvin Klein ones).

STS is, without a doubt in my mind, among the most accepting institutions in the world.

We are leaders not only in scholarship and character, but also in our progressive views and inclusive principles. Like any school, there will always be prejudice and discrimination, along with a list of ‘isms’ and ‘phobias,’ but at the end of the day students at STS live in a warm environment with a support network that will carry through for the rest of their lives. I look to gay friends in other Calgary high schools; there are those who hide behind the closet door terrified that if they leave they will face the cold-shoulder of their families’ rejection and the torment that comes along

with being a sexual minority. There are those who are open with their sexuality, and every day face the type of bullying and harassment that one might see in a Hollywood film that looks too brutal to actually be true. I look to the news, where stories of increasing suicide rates among gay teens and the denying of basic human rights are rampant. Then I look to my own circumstances; not once in my life have I faced discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation. Not once have I been shoved into a locker or called a fag. Not once have I felt scared in the hallways of our school because people may not like who I am. STS is truly a great place to express oneself – and it has changed my life for the better.

Shiv Ruparell ’15 was the founder of STS’s first Diversity Week, and has been actively involved both in school and in the external community in promoting equality and acceptance for all.

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DREAMING OF A BETTER FUTURE

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DREAMING OF A BETTER FUTURE

BY TAYLOR FEWER ’15

I had big dreams as a little girl. I wanted to go to Oxford. I wanted to be a neurosurgeon.

And I was scared I was never going to get there.

I was born in Newfoundland and when I was nine we moved to Grand Prairie for my dad’s job as a safety consultant. I wasn’t being challenged in my old schools. I was bored in all of my classes, but still passed with flying colours. By age 10, I was already scared about making it into my dream university. I racked my brains for ideas on how to set myself up in the best possible position for success in my life. And that’s where Harry Potter enters this story.

I had always been jealous of Harry. His adventures. All of the opportunities he had.

Being away from home and having constant sleepovers with friends, not to mention getting to be a wizard. And so, I decided – I was going to be a wizard. No, I’m just joking, I decided I was going to be a private school student.

Every evening when I got home from school, I would go to the private boarding schools in England Wikipedia page and go through every website, one by one. I had a binder filled with information that I kept hidden under my bed, with my opinions, pictures, tuition fees changed into Canadian dollars, whether the boys looked cute or not in the pictures

they had posted on the website and the most important check: whether it was in a castle or not.

It finally got to be too much. While my evenings were filled with research and excitement, I was struggling to enjoy school. I was frustrated and felt like an adult at the little kids table. And so, I told my mother I wanted

to go to private school. I don’t remember her exact words, but they were along the lines of, “it’s never going to happen.” I cried some more, and then decided to prove her wrong.

Then fate intervened. It was suggested to me by the psychologist at my old school that a private school would be better suited to me, providing me with a more challenging academic education. I showed my parents the schools that interested me in England and finally they told me that maybe I could attend for Grade 11 and Grade 12. However, I did not want to wait that long so my dad suggested that I look at schools in Canada. I was outraged. There were no castles in Canada as far as I could recall, but I went back to my tireless research, which led me to STS. I liked the sound of Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School – it sounded quite posh and regal. I would get to go to school ‘upcountry’, not to a castle, but with a building with enough brick that I could pretend it was one. The deciding factor for me attending STS was because it offered the International Baccalaureate Programme.

I still remember coming down to do my entrance exam in November of Grade 9 and the Director of Enrollment telling my mom that I was a shoe-in. And I remember the plane ride

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back to Grande Prairie with my heart filled with hope only to experience the most frightful flight of my life in which I spent the majority of it yelling at God in my head demanding that he land me safely because I had a future to attend to.

When I found out I had been accepted – then came the next crucial piece of the puzzle.

Funding. I applied for one of STS’ Forever Woods Scholarships, and when I received the Marissa Staddon Scholarship I can tell you for a fact, I cried. I cried tears of joy and happiness and gratefulness. You see, it’s not that we couldn’t necessarily afford STS, it’s that it would be a stretch. I was starting to realize how financially burdening a private school education could be. There was even a point where I considered telling my parents I wasn’t going to come to STS, because I didn’t want something as accessible as education, to be such a burden on my parents. Receiving the scholarship I felt a weight lift from my shoulders. Money problems are something no child should ever have to worry about and the donors who give to scholarships and bursaries

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at STS made it possible for me to not worry about being able to afford STS – for that I will be forever grateful.

To attend STS my parents had to make significant changes in their lives. They decided to sell our house in Grand Prairie and we then made the move to Okotoks when I completed Grade 9. I am eternally grateful to my parents for everything they did to make my dream come true.

Since coming to STS, I have had the opportunity of a lifetime. Academically, I’ve been challenged and I’ve welcomed my struggles with open arms, always reminding myself when I’m tired with homework and frustrated that I could be back home in Newfoundland or in Grande Prairie, feeling like I’m going nowhere.

The dedicated teachers at STS have allowed me to feel independent in my studies but have also provided me with the support I needed when I wasn’t sure. I’ve made friends that will last me for years and years to come. I have been a member of Reach for the Top and field hockey, and I’ve had the opportunity to pursue

full IB. I’ve been a peer tutor, a volunteer, the Dragon in Shrek the Musical, a director for a Grade 9 play, a member of speech and choir and my most exciting accomplishment yet, I’ve become a Prefect for the next school year.

Being a Prefect will be my opportunity to give back to STS. My parents, the school and the scholarship donors have granted me the gift of a first class education, allowing me to feel secure and prepared for my future. I no longer fear not getting into the university of my choice.

I no longer fear seeing my dreams not come true and while my dreams for the future have changed, my dedication to my education has not.

Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School may not be in a castle in England, but it is still my second home and for that I will be forever grateful.

Taylor shared these remarks at this year’s Donor and Volunteer Appreciation Reception in May, 2014.

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BLACK WATCH 2014 A DAZZLING SUCCESS

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BLACK WATCH 2014, “INSIDE OUT” A DAZZLING SUCCESS Black Watch 2014, Inside Out, was a great fundraising success. A total of $145,000 was raised, which will go towards the building of the School’s new Aspen Lodge.

Inside Out, was staged at Heritage Park’s Gasoline Alley this spring. The biennial event is organized by the Parents’ Organization of Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School (POSTS). This year’s Black Watch was very well attended and guests enjoyed great food, décor, raffles, auctions and casino games. Volunteer co-chairs Wendy Ralph and Susan (Murray) Evans ’86 led a hard working committee of creative and committed parents. We are very excited about the new learning opportunities that this facility will provide. Once again, the strength of our community has shone through brilliantly in support of enhancing the student experience at STS.

Thank you to the dedicated parent volunteers who partner with STS in fundraising to enhance student learning.

BLACK WATCH HISTORY STS parents, through the Volunteer Association, organized the first Black Watch event in 1989. It was designed to be a social occasion for parents and members of the School community as a spirit raiser and a fundraiser. Black Watch events have become a beloved tradition in the STS community. The Volunteer Association became the Parents’ Organization of Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School (POSTS) in 2006.

Thanks to countless parents’ volunteer hours, Black Watch events

have raised close to $650,000 to enhance student learning at STS. For example, in 2004, $90,000 was raised to build the Forever Woods, a place where children play and our community members can enjoy quiet reflection. In 2006, $81,000 built new campus trails where students enjoy cross-country skiing and running.

With the $113,000 raised in 2010, the Peter B. Ditchburn Library underwent a major overhaul adding a breakout room, computers, furnishings to encourage group work and quiet study, a fireplace, new carpets, fresh paint and shelving,

all to provide a better place for students to study, collaborate, or relax and read.

At Black Watch in 2012, $158,000 was raised for Fine and Performing Arts programs, including choral risers, a band shell, lights, curtains, an LCD projector and audio equipment for the C.A. Smith Arts Centre, as well as computers and percussion equipment.

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GRADE 12 STUDENTS LEND A HAND FOR THE EVENING

STEPHANIE GOULD, JIM DOKTER

CHRIS SHOPPERLY ’80, VIRGINIA (WILSON) WEBSTER ’85, CAMERON WEBSTER, SHELLINA KHERANI

BRIGITE FOURNIER-HUBER, SLOAN PIPELLA-CLARK ’81, MELANIE PETRYK

PAWAN RANDHAWA, SHEMIRA LAKHU, BHAVINI RUPARELL

CHARLENE DUNN, KEVIN STASHIN, PATRICK MCLELLAN, MICHAEL CHASE

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A NEW INNOVATIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

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A NEW INNOVATIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT BUILT BY OUR COMMUNITY

SOME OF THE PLANNED ACTIVITIES INCLUDE: Using Aspen Lodge as a classroom for instruction before OE activities such as canoeing on the pond or crosscountry skiing Testing pond water, soil samples and vegetation as part of science curriculum Sketching wildlife and plants in art class ARCHITECT DRAWING OF ASPEN LODGE IN SUMMER

We are thrilled to announce that our new forest learning centre – or as it was named by students this year – Aspen Lodge – will open this fall.

With funds raised through STS community annual giving over the past two years, proceeds from the incredibly successful parent-organized Black Watch 2014 event “Inside Out”, revenue from our Tweeds and More on-campus clothing store, an Alberta Community Spirit Grant, and the sale of personalized bricks, we have reached our $340,000 goal and the Aspen Lodge

project is now fully funded.

This new, innovative facility will allow us to offer enriched learning experiences for all students, all year round, in all subjects – capitalizing on our beautiful country campus.

No other school in our region can offer students these unique opportunities – all without having to step foot off campus. We can proudly say that this facility will be built by our STS community – thank you to all who played a role in making this dream a reality.

Launching hand-made rockets built in design class Studying motion sensor camera footage to see local animals in our shared habitat Studying the changing seasons Journaling about the geography of our landscape Exploring insects in their habitats Composting to study how worms break down organic material Acting out Shakespeare scenes Holding town council meetings

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ASPEN LODGE GROUND BREAKING WITH STS STUDENTS, PARENTS, TEACHERS AND HEAD OF SCHOOL. ARCHITECT DRAWING OF ASPEN LODGE IN SUMMER

ARCHITECT DRAWING OF ASPEN LODGE IN WINTER

All STS community members – parents, students, alumni, alumni families and employees – are invited to join us for the Aspen Lodge grand opening, Saturday, September 20, 2014, during the Homecoming 2014 Fall Fair, on our beautiful country campus.

ARCHITECT DRAWING OF ASPEN LODGE INTERIOR

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CELEBRATING THE 2014 DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI

CELEBRATING THE 2014 DISTINGUISHED ALUMNUS: RICHARD LINDSETH ’73

BY LARA (HAMNETT) UNSWORTH ’95

PAIDIA 1970-71 YEARBOOK

Richard Lindseth looks back on his years at Strathcona School for Boys as transforming.

“I feel an enormous sense of debt and gratitude to the school – during a crucial time in my life it turned me from one direction to another and played a life-changing role.”

His teachers remember Richard as a young man standing out immediately because of his vast imagination, impeccable manners, and articulate way of speaking. They soon realized that he was also a gifted student, especially in the arts.

Richard’s artistic abilities and love of the finer things in life translated into an extremely successful career in architecture.

He has been recognized for his creative and imaginative designs in Calgary, across Canada, and internationally. Richard says that much of his design esthetic was inspired by his early childhood memories of living in South America. His homes often incorporate pools of water, courtyards, and long vistas, quite common in Latin homes of the 1950s. His devoted clients appreciate Richard’s clean lines, elegant style, and ability to make beautiful homes very liveable.

Much of Richard’s work was damaged by the devastating floods in Calgary last summer, but he was touched to see many of his clients staying put and rebuilding the homes the way he originally designed them – a true testament to the timeless designs he created for them.

As another way of personally contributing after the flood, he accepted a volunteer appointment by Alberta’s Premier to the Southern Alberta Flood Mitigation Panel, whose work wrapped up in May, 2014. He also serves as President of the Architectural

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Foundation of Alberta and has been named a Fellow of the Royal Architecture Institute of Canada.

“The school took me from an average, steady existence to one where I became more interested in everything I was doing – I became more inspired. The school brought out in me the best I could be.”

Richard fondly remembers his former teacher, Peter Ditchburn, guiding him to write beautifully and to debate eloquently – both skills he utilizes in his career today. When Richard reminisces about his beloved art teacher, Audrey Mabee, he credits her with allowing him to be inspired by interests beyond his career and to pursuing them with gusto, as evidenced by his appreciation of art, and his ongoing adventures in the food and wine world.

“I was fortunate to be born into a house with a good cellar, and certainly my parents imbued in me, from a very early age, a love for wine.”

Many years later the Kensington Wine Market was born – Richard designed the store and the logo, and then served as founding President of the highly regarded business for more than 20 years. During this time he also pursued his passion for cooking – and realized his dream of studying with the famous chef, Julia Child, in Venice, Italy. His skills of persuasion honed in school debating must have come in handy, because Richard subsequently had the rare opportunity to continue travel and work with Ms. Child, further developing his culinary skills.

“I look back at my roots at Strathcona School for Boys and can say that that self-direction

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CELEBRATING THE 2013 DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI

and drive was established while I was there – and it helped make those unique experiences possible.”

In addition to his demanding professional life, Richard has continued to demonstrate his enduring support for STS, serving as a member of the Board of Governors (1986 – 1992) and President of the STS Alumni Association (1987 – 1989).

“The school provided us with an understanding that we had a responsibility beyond just ourselves. I remember it was a given Strathcona boys would shovel the walks and rake the leaves of our Riverdale neighbours.”

That focus on community seems to have left a lasting impression on Richard as he continues to contribute his time, talent and treasure to his alma mater.

He often acts as a mentor to STS alumni

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pursuing careers in the architectural profession and has spoken to students on multiple occasions about the benefits of an STS education. He remembers the influence mentors can have on young students’ lives.

“My time at Strathcona was a pivotal time – not just for me personally but also for the school. It was probably the time of greatest change that the school has ever experienced.”

Soon after Richard left school, Strathcona School for Boys and Tweedsmuir: An Academic School for Girls amalgamated into one school, Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School, and moved to its current country campus location.

“It’s clear to me that the philanthropic giving of certain individuals made everything possible.

In their foresight they created the opportunity for the schools to amalgamate, through Mr. Atkinson’s bequest and the Cross family’s gift of land, and move the school to its current

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DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AWARD RECIPIENTS

Established in 2003, the Distinguished Alumni Award is the highest honour bestowed upon an alumnus of STS and our founding schools: Strathcona School for Boys, Tweedsmuir: An Academic School for Girls and St. Hilda’s School.

The recipients of this award embody the importance of the partnership between the school, current parents, and alumni for the school’s enduring success and sustainability.

These dedicated individuals give in a multitude of ways – with time, talent and financial resources – all for the betterment of STS.

2004 STEVEN JOHNSON ’74

extraordinary facility. That is going to probably be its greatest legacy in the future. That is why the school holds the highest regard in terms of where my own philanthropy will occur.”

As a testament to this, Richard has left STS a generous planned gift in his estate, which will support scholarships and bursaries, giving deserving students the same transformative experience from which he benefited.

Since those early days as a student Richard has accomplished what he set out to do – he has established himself as a leader in his field, he continually gives back to his community and generously supports those around him, and he pursues his passions with enthusiasm – all characteristics STS continues to instill in students today.

Eternally humble, Richard gives much credit for his success to all who have supported and guided him on his journey. He has surrounded himself with a loyal ‘family’ who are extremely proud of his accomplishments, including both the Ditchburn family and Audrey Mabee, who remain amongst his closest friends to this day.

Richard’s service to both STS and the community has indeed been exemplary, and we are proud to have him as a member of our alumni family.

Congratulations to Richard for being selected as STS’ 2014 Distinguished Alumnus.

2005 DON CROSS ’47 2006 SANDY HEARD ’46 2007 MARMIE HESS ’34 2008 DAVID DOVER ’48 2009 DAVID MCDERMID ’57

2010 FRED MANNIX ’56 AND RON MANNIX ’62 2011 JANICE HEARD ’75 2012 JOHN FRANCIS ’47 2013 GRETCHEN (CROSS) THOMPSON ’78 2014 RICHARD LINDSETH ’73

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2014 NIL NISI OPTIMUM NOTABLE ALUMNI

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2014 NIL NISI OPTIMUM NOTABLE ALUMNI Nil Nisi Optimum Notable Alumni are selected from a multitude of decades and professions and have brought great honour and pride to their alma mater. This year, two more alumni who have demonstrated notable accomplishments in leadership, service and dedication to their profession and/ or community, joined this prestigious group. Nil Nisi Optimum Notable Alumni are selected by a team of alumni, former faculty and parents.

Ryan Harris ’90 Ryan attended STS from 1985 to 1990. He went on to complete his Bachelor’s degree in Anthropology at the University of Toronto, then studied at East Carolina University, in Greenville, North Carolina, where he graduated with his Masters in Maritime History and Nautical Archaeology. Nicknamed the “shipwreck hunter” by Canadian Geographic, Ryan combined his passion for history and diving and now works for Parks Canada’s elite Underwater Archaeology Service. Combining in-depth knowledge, athleticism, and determination, Ryan searches for lost ships and the secrets they hold in some of the most remote areas of the world. He has participated in dozens of marine archeological searches, including exploring the War of 1812 shipwrecks Hamilton and Scourge in Lake Ontario, discovering 16th-Century Basque whaling vessels in Red Bay, Labrador, and aiding the recovery mission of the remains of an American aircraft and pilot that had crashed and sunk in the St. Lawrence River during the Second World War.

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PREVIOUS RECIPIENTS INCLUDE:

CRAIG ADAMS ’95 NHL PLAYER FOR THE PITTSBURGH PENGUINS AND HARVARD GRADUATE

SHANNON BOWEN-SMED ’82 PRESIDENT AND CEO OF BOWEN WORKPLACE SOLUTIONS

JAMIE CLARKE ’86 EXTREME ADVENTURER, EVEREST SUMMITEER, OWNER OF OUT THERE ADVENTURE CENTRE AND LIVE OUT THERE WEB BUSINESS

JUSTICE ROSEMARY NATION ’71 JUSTICE OF THE ALBERTA COURT OF QUEEN’S BENCH

JUDD PALMER ’90 OWNER OF THE OLD TROUT PUPPET WORKSHOP

DAVE PIERCE ’90 EMMY AWARD-WINNING SONGWRITER, COMPOSER AND PRODUCER

ALBERT SCHULTZ ’81 Jay Cross ’80 Jay attended STS 1972 – 1980, then received his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) from the University of Saskatchewan, a PhD from the University of Missouri, and a Postdoctoral Fellowship from the University of California-San Francisco. He is now recognized as an expert in animal reproduction and molecular genetics, and is a Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical Genetics, and Obstetrics and Gynecology, in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Calgary. Jay is also the founding Director of the Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Child and Maternal Health, a multi-disciplinary institute focused on biomedical, clinical and social aspects of child health, and initiated the Training Program in Genetics, Child Development and Health and the Clara Christie Centre for Genomics and Modeling of Human Disease. He is a member of the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research and a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences. Jay has received major awards including a Premier’s Research Excellence Award of Ontario, an Investigator of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, a Research Scientist of the Year Award from the Association of Professors of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and a Pioneer Award from the Frontiers in Reproduction Program at the Marine Biology Laboratory.

NICK GRAHAM ’76 OWNER OF THE 100 MINUTE COMPANY AND FORMER CEO OF JOE BOXER

DAN HAYS ’54 RETIRED SENATOR, MEMBER OF THE PRIVY COUNCIL OF CANADA AND PARTNER AT GLOBAL LAW FIRM

DR. JILL NATION ’70 PHYSICIAN AND PROFESSOR IN THE FACULTY OF MEDICINE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY

ACTOR, DIRECTOR AND FOUNDING ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF TORONTO’S CELEBRATED SOULPEPPER THEATRE COMPANY

HEATHER GILLEY ’78 PHYSICIAN AND HUMANITARIAN

HARVEY LOCKE ’75 CONSERVATIONIST, WRITER AND PHOTOGRAPHER, CO-FOUNDER OF THE YELLOWSTONE TO YUKON CONSERVATION INITIATIVE

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NEW ALUMNI WEBSITE SERVICES

NEW ALUMNI WEBSITE LAUNCHED RECONNECTION IS JUST ONE CLICK AWAY….

After listening to the requests of our alumni community and putting them into action, we are excited to welcome alumni to the newly re-designed STS alumni web portal at www.sts.ab.ca/alumni.

Our goals when designing this website were to ensure that it is user-friendly, reflects the STS “alumni feel”, and provides a medium that will enhance alumni collaboration, relationship building and affinity.

We’ve added some great new perks for STS alumni - a job board to help you land that perfect job or to assist you in finding some trusted STS talent, an alumni directory to get you in contact with your STS community, and a forum where you can have discussions with your fellow alumni.

Through the use of images and stories celebrating our alumni, graphical icons, videos and social media feeds, we hope you agree that the STS alumni homepage is now engaging, interactive and tells your story. Check it out!

The new alumni homepage is still open to the public to ensure that our alumni can continue to shine brightly.

The pages for many STS alumni events – Alumni Dinner, Homecoming, class parties – are also still available publicly.

If you have difficulty logging in, please contact webhelp@ sts.ab.ca. We look forward to your feedback.

WE NEED YOUR CONSENT! Did you know that Canada’s new Anti-Spam Law (CASL) went into effect July 1, 2014 and is considered to be the toughest anti-spam legislation in the world? This new law affects how we communicate electronically at STS, and we need your express consent to continue sending you alumni event invitations and newsletters.

We don’t want you to miss out! To ensure that we can keep letting you know about all of the fantastic STS alumni events and news please visit our new alumni website and click off “yes” to give us your consent. Thank you!

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THE FUTURE OF STAYING IN TOUCH Staying in touch isn’t just a one-way street – we want to hear from you! STS utilizes many social media platforms to make it easy for you to communicate with us. Use the hashtag #ExperienceSTS or #STSalumni to keep STS and our community in the loop.

Along with our Facebook accounts – Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School and STS Alumni Association – we’re on Twitter at @ STSConnections, and also on LinkedIn. Follow us for exciting updates on what extraordinary projects the students are working on, the many diverse achievements of our alumni, and a few Throwback Thursday photos to send you down memory lane.

www.facebook.com/ STSAlumniAssociation

www.instagram.com/ strathconatweedsmuir

Follow us on our brand new Instagram account as well @strathconatweedsmuir.

STS is proud of the work members of our community do and the difference they make in the world. We are pleased to share this news with you in a variety of different and interactive ways.

And don’t forget – we need your consent!

www.twitter.com/ STSConnections

www.youtube.com/ user/STSConnections

NEW ONLINE ALUMNI SERVICES: • A directory to help you connect with fellow alumni • A job board to help you land that perfect job or hire a trusted STS grad • An online store where you will find unique STS memorabilia • An open discussion forum where you can reach out to STS alumni

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HONOURING OUR PAST WHILE LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

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HONOURING OUR PAST WHILE LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

At this year’s Honour Day assembly, we continued our tradition of commemorating the loss of seven STS students in the terrible avalanche of 2003. In addition to our staff and students, we hosted family members, friends and alumni from the Class of 2005.

After a decade of memorialstyle assemblies, this year on the 11th anniversary of this event, we began a transition toward a more forward-looking gathering, which featured inspirational speaker Jamie Clarke ’86. Jamie is an adventurer, filmmaker, writer, business leader, an internationally-renowned speaker and an STS alumnus.

Many STS community members will remember that he delivered a moving and memorable speech at the Saddledome memorial service in 2003.

At this year’s Honour Day assembly, Jamie encouraged our students to reach for their dreams. As a metaphor, he used his own experiences on Mount Everest, which he summited twice after multiple attempts. Specifically, he used the metaphor of climbing over a crevasse on a series of ladders and encouraged us to focus on the rungs (the methodical steps toward the goal) rather than the crevasse below, which represents our fears of what might go wrong when we

stretch ourselves. Students were very engaged and related well to the message.

In future years, we will welcome other inspirational speakers who encourage and challenge our students to be the very best that they can be and to live their lives to the fullest. Along with more tangible memorials such as the tranquil Forever Woods located on the STS campus, and the scholarships that bear the same name, we believe that the inspiring speaker series will be an appropriate legacy and a meaningful celebration of the lives of our precious seven students.

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THE FUTURE OF THE STS ALUMNI ASSOCIATION BY: PAUL STORWICK ’78, INCOMING STS ALUMNI ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT

None of these alumni programs and events would be possible without the immense effort of our numerous alumni volunteers.We sincerely thank you for all that you do to build and support our special STS community!

“Building for our future”, the theme of this Optimum magazine, captures the essence of what your STS Alumni Association is on a path to do.

For the past few years, under some great leadership, our alumni community has grown and connected like never before. With today’s new, innovative tools, including our new alumni website and rapidly growing social media platforms, we are successfully connecting our global alumni community and providing ways for you to connect with friends, classmates of years gone by, and current students.

As we coordinate more alumni events and initiatives, I am encouraged by the high level of participation, as it continues to grow, especially among our young alumni.

Our goal is to continue to bring alumni together and to ensure that they are a part of our exciting plans. Alumni can play a vital role in helping STS to achieve future goals and build an even better school for generations to come. The future is bright – and I would like to thank you in advance for your participation, passion, and commitment to your school as we embark on this next exciting chapter in our school’s history.

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ALUMNI COMMUNITY CONNECT AT HOMECOMING 2013

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ALUMNI COMMUNITY CONNECT AT HOMECOMING 2013 Mark your calendars!

Homecoming 2014 will be held September 20 to 22, 2014.

More than 200 alumni, including some from as far away as Vancouver, Toronto, and the United Kingdom reconnected with classmates and reflected fondly on their years at STS at our Homecoming celebrations held on September 20 and 21, 2013.

Our annual alumni Homecoming weekend was kicked off with a warmup cocktail reception held at the Canmore Opera House in Heritage Park. This was followed the next day by our Homecoming celebration which included a variety of events on our beautiful country campus.

The first activity on Saturday was a brunch for former faculty/staff, alumni and their families. At the brunch, alumni were called upon to partake in a tie-tying contest and a fun STS trivia Reach for the Top competition, testing their knowledge on school history and

activities from the past. Our 2013 Nil Nisi Optimum notable alumni, Heather Gilley ’78 and Harvey Locke ’75 were honoured for their impressive career successes. An array of activities were offered in the afternoon including: school and trail walking tours, games for children, and our annual rugby and field hockey games which saw alumni players pitted against the student senior varsity teams. Class reunion parties were then held throughout the city – seeing friends from celebrating graduate years reconnect.

Thank you to everyone who participated! The success of Homecoming 2013 represents the strength of our ever-growing and vibrant community. Homecoming 2014 is slated to take place again on September 20, 2014.

HOMECOMING COCKTAIL RECEPTION CRAIG HARDING ’78, JOANNE HARDING, CIARA GLENDON ’98, PAUL STORWICK ’78, DANA (MENDHAM) LOUGHEED ’90

HOMECOMING COCKTAIL RECEPTION LUISA (ROTTIG) HLUS ’83, SIOBHAN CHANDLER ’83, VICTORIA (MINNES) MENDES ’83, STEVE TRIMBLE ’83, KATE ALEXANDER ’83, RUTH COWAN ’83

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BRUNCH WITH FORMER FACULTY AND STAFF

LAURA (MERCER) DELICHTE ’93, GARETH ADAMS ’93, EMELINE LAMOND ’93, BRANDY JAMES ’93

CAROLINE (WUENSCHE) HAAS ’88, CAROLINE’S FATHER ROLF WUENSCHE, MICHELE WILLIAMS ’85, CAROLINE BANADAR, DIRECTOR OF ADVANCEMENT, JANE KEARNS ’88, HEATHER HEASMAN ’88 HOMECOMING 2013 BRUNCH DON CROSS ’47, JAY CROSS ’80, GRETCHEN (CROSS) THOMPSON ’78, PETER SINGER

HOMECOMING COCKTAIL RECEPTION, CANMORE OPERA HOUSE, HERITAGE PARK

ALUMNI TOUR AROUND CAMPUS RICK WEISSENBORN ’88, KRYSTINA ROMOCKI ’88, JANE KEARNS ’88, BETH LINDSAY ’88, KAREN SCOULDING ’88, HEATHER HEASMAN ’88

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ALUMNI COMMUNITY CONNECT AT HOMECOMING 2013

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HOMECOMING 2013 CONTINUED ...

HOMECOMING 2013 – TIE TYING CONTEST

TEAM FREIGHT – ALUMNI REACH FOR THE TOP COMPETITION

TEAM DITCHBURN – ALUMNI REACH FOR THE TOP COMPETITION

NIL NISI OPTIMUM NOTABLE ALUMNI WALL PAM HEARD ’73 AND HEATHER GILLEY ’78

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FIELD HOCKEY - ALUMNAE VS. SENIOR VARSITY GIRLS: OWEN DELICHTE, LAURA (MERCER) DELICHTE ’93, BRANDY JAMES ’93, CAROLINE (WUENSCHE) HAAS ’88, CIARA GLENDON ’98, KAREN HAWITT ’88, EMELINE LAMOND ’93, MARY (ANGUS) HEYDE ’90, WILL CLARK ’15, GENEVIEVE SHEPHERD, FACULTY, MARIS SCHNEIDER ’15, IMARA DHALLA ’15, BRYNN MCLELLAN ’15, KATHRYN MCLELLAN ’15, MOLLY CALKINS ’16, LARA FOSSEN ’16

ALUMNI RUGBY TEAM VS. SENIOR VARSITY TEAM: (BACK) JON ZWIERS ’02, MIKE REID ’01, JOHN PAUL SMITH ’04, JEFF KAHANE ’89, MIKE O’BRIEN, FACULTY, WYATT HANSEN ’15, MACLEAN CLARK ’14, JACOB JANISCH ’14, TYLER WINTER ’14, CAMERON FULTON ’93, DAVID LOUGHEED, STS PARENT, JIM WALLS, FORMER FACULTY, ANDREW KIRKER ’93.

(FRONT) CHAD HALLMAN ’15, AUSTIN DISTEFANO ’15, CHRIS RUSKAY, FACULTY, CONNOR VAANDERING ’14, PETER STEWART ’90, TREVOR JULIAN, ASSISTANT HEAD OF SCHOOL AND MIDDLE SCHOOL PRINCIPAL, GARETH ADAMS ’93

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CLASS OF 1973 AND 1978: GEOFF MCMILLAN ’78, ROSS WILLIS ’78, CRAIG HARDING ’78, JOANNE HARDING, PAM HEARD ’73, VIVIAN HARDING ’81, MARILYN MCMILLAN

CLASS OF 1983: (BACK) GORDON BERKHOLD ’83, MITCH WILLIAMS ’83, STEVE TRIMBLE ’83, PAT VALENTINE ’83, ANNE TRALEIGH ’83 (FRONT) LUISA (ROTTIG) HLUS ’83, MURRAY BODOR ’83, MICHAEL THAKKER ’83, MIKE KELLER, FORMER FACULTY, CARSON HARDING ’83, KATE ALEXANDER ’83, RUTH COWAN ’83, VICTORIA (MINNES) MENDES ’83, FAROUQ MOHAMMED ’83

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ALUMNI COMMUNITY CONNECT AT HOMECOMING 2013

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HOMECOMING 2013 CONTINUED ...

CLASS OF 1988: (BACK) ANNELISE PEDERSEN ’88, KRYSTINA ROMOCKI ’88, BETH LINDSAY ’88, KAREN SCOULDING ’88, JANE KEARNS ’88, MARY LAWRIE ’88, KIM BOZAK ’88, DANA (ARNELL) FLEURY ’88 (FRONT) MARCUS PERRON ’88, RICK WEISSENBORN ’88, SANDRA ANDERSON ’88, SCOTT MCARTHUR ’88

CLASS OF 1998: (BACK) CIARA GLENDON ’98, WILLIAM JONES, HEAD OF SCHOOL, CHRIS KILLI ’98, DAVID KLEIN ’98, JIM WALLS, FORMER FACULTY, JAMIE BEDDIS ’98, SHARON GIBSON, ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PRINCIPAL (FRONT) MATT AND CHRISTY (PRICE) DALIDOWICZ ’98, JILLIAN WYNE ’98, WENDY RODNEY, FACULTY, CLAIRE (SMITH) O’CONNOR ’98

CLASS OF 1993: (BACK) ROGER BALM ’93, PATRICK STEWART ’93, CAMERON FULTON ’93, ANDREW KIRKER ’93, STEPHEN CAPLAN ’93 (MIDDLE) KEN HAYES ’93, T.O. WHENHAM ’93, BRANDY JAMES ’93, CLARKE HANNA ’93, GARETH ADAMS ’93, SARAH (HAWITT) CORMACK ’93, NAIM ALI ’93, JAMIE ORSTEN ’93, DEAN LITSAS ’93 (FRONT) TIM SPEDDING ’93, JENNIFER (BEHIE) RATZLAFF ’93, GLEN HAWKINS ’93, ALIM MITHA ’93, EMELINE LAMOND ’93, HEIDI (DINNING) HUGHES ’93, ERIN (SMITH) KENT ’93, VIVIENNE (HUISMAN) FEICK ’93, KEVIN BROWN ’93

CLASS OF 2003: (BACK) KEVIN LEMKE ’03, GRAHAM BOGLE ’03, JAKE THOMPSON ’03, ADAM SHEAHAN ’03, SHAHID JIWANI ’03, WILL HARES ’03, JONNY NIKOLIC ’03 (3RD ROW) MEECHER AYI ’03, JON RYER ’03, CAELIE FRYERS ’03, KRISTEN MONZINGO ’03, JOCELYN REIKIE ’03, TAHIR MERALI ’03 (2ND ROW) PETER SPENCER ’03, KATHRYN GRAY ’03, TERESA EDGAR ’03, SHAUNA DAVE ’03, JASON FONG ’03, JAY BYKOVETS ’03 (FRONT) MEGGIE LIVINGSTONE ’03, KATHRYN SWEETT ’03, LINDSAY KWASNICIA ’03, LAUREN CONNOR ’03, LAURA SCHMITT ’03 CLASS OF 2008: MARC BOULIANNE, SENIOR SCHOOL PRINCIPAL, KYLE CHRISTENSEN ’08, GABRIELLE FRENCH ’08, SAARAA PREMJI ’08, JAKE MACDONALD ’08, JUSTIN SMIDT, GUEST, GEORGINA DIBLEY ’08, ERIC THOMPSON ’08, STEVEN KOTOWICH FACULTY, FAIZAL RAGHAVJI ’08, BRENNA ORTYNSKY ’08, THOMAS MULLIE ’08, LENNARD FINK, FACULTY, CHRIS STONE ’08, BREANNE LEHODEY ’08, BETH MCFARLANE ’08, PAUL HLADYSHEVSKY ’08, MARK FRANKIW ’08, MONICA JEPSON ’08, JOE KENDAL ’08, MARK LE DAIN ’08, GILL GOOBIE ’08, MEREDITH CONROD, GUEST, KELLY AMUNDRUD ’08, CHRISTIE DYER, GUEST, EMILY JACKSON ’08, KIRSTIE HOOD ’08, HANNAH BRENNAN, GUEST, NICOLE BURMA, GUEST, JAHAN LAKHANI ’08, TOM HANSEN ’08, STEPHANIE LEWIS ’08, MEGAN WEBB, GUEST

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ALUMNI DINNER 2014 From across Canada and the USA, over 230 members of the STS community came together for an inspiring evening of celebration at Gasoline Alley, Heritage Park for the 8th Annual Calgary Alumni Dinner.

This year’s dinner, on Thursday, May 8, 2014, honoured Richard Lindseth’73, our Distinguished Alumni Award recipient, for his many contributions to StrathconaTweedsmuir School, serving as a member of the Board of Governors, President of the STS Alumni Association and mentor to STS alumni pursuing careers in the architectural profession, to name a few. His service and generosity to both STS and the community has indeed been exemplary.

Highlights of the dinner included: Pam Heard ’73, outgoing President of the STS Alumni Association being recognized for her tireless, creative efforts and dedication to her alma mater, a video showcasing the story of our Distinguished Alumnus and the inclusion of raffle draws for prizes donated by Alumni with proceeds going to the STS Family Bursary.

EMPERATRIZ ELLIS, RICHARD LINDSETH ‘73, ROY LINDSETH

ALUMNI DINNER ATTENDEES

DR. WILLIAM JONES, HEAD OF SCHOOL, WITH PAUL STROWICK ’78, RECOGNIZING PAM HEARD ’73 FOR HER LEADERSHIP OF THE STS ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

ANNUAL EVENTS COMMITTEE MEMBERS (BACK) AIMEE-JO (GIESBRECHT) BENOIT ’97, PETER STEWART ’90, BILL LORFING, FORMER FACULTY, ANNEMARIE PEDERSEN ’87, BRENDA THOMPSON, STS ALUMNI RELATIONS AND EVENT COORDINATOR, PAM HEARD ’73 (FRONT) AMY (GAN) PILLING ’92, LINNEA TURNQUIST ’87, LARA (HAMNETT) UNSWORTH ’95 STS COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING DIRECTOR

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ALUMNI DINNER 2014

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ALUMNI DINNER 2014 CONTINUED ...

PETER DITCHBURN, FORMER HEAD OF SCHOOL, TRACY BELL ‘79, PATRIZIA MAZZOLANI-KEMP ‘79, SPENCER PURDY ‘05

STS JAZZ COMBO

(BACK) JENNIE EVAMY-HILL ’12, LEIGH FARRAN ’12, GEORGIA FORBES ’12, ALI POONJI ’12 (FRONT) GRACE WALKER ’12, GEORGE LEITCH, KATHLEEN MCNALLY, LEN FINK, FACULTY

PAT SULLIVAN, FORMER FACULTY, KIM (SPROULE) WILLOUGHBY ’02, SCOTT WILLOUGHBY

(BACK) CHRIS MILNE ’96, DAVID BEDDIS ’96, DAVID HOWARD ’96, STEVE MANNIX ’96 (FRONT) JEFF HORAN ’96, RYAN VICKERS ’96, DALE GREENE ’96, IAN SHAW ’96

ANNEMARIE PEDERSEN ’87, LINNEA TURNQUIST ’87, STEVE MERCER ’87, SARAH DITCHBURN ’87, ALEC FERGUSON ’87, CHERYL DOOLEY ’87

LENNARD FINK, FACULTY, PATRICK MOUMDJIAN ’13, TAYLOR CHASE ’13, KATE MACFARLANE ’13, BEN ROSKEY ’13, GEORGIA VOGELI ’13, HAYDEN AMUNDSON ’13, MITCHELL BEACOM ’13, VICTORIA CLARK ’13, TARYN PLATER ’13

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TAYLOR KITCHEN ’09, ASHLEY VOGELI ’09, MARK LE DAIN ’08, FRASER DANIELS ’09

(BACK) DAVID LASKIN ’95, LAURA (MERCER) DELICHTE ’93, BARUCH LASKIN ‘90 (FRONT) BEN MERCER ’95, PATRICK STEWART ’93, ROB CENNON ’95

LEIGH FARRAN ’12, GRACE WALKER ’12, GEORGIA FORBES ’12, JENNIE EVAMY-HILL ’12

(BACK) JOHN STORWICK ’10, PAUL STORWICK ’78, LAURA CHAPMAN, MICHAEL TAYLOR, SHIRLEY STORWICK, KAT STORWICK ’08, MARK STORWICK ’13 (FRONT) LAUREN MILLS TAYLOR, DAWN ROSS, KEN CLAWSON

SUE WOODWARD, MICHAEL WOODWARD ’02, LAURA BEST, JONATHAN WOODWARD ’99, PHILIP WOODWARD ’04, CHRIS WOODWARD

TAYLOR CHASE ’13, PATRICK MOUMDJIAN ’13, GEORGIA VOGELI ’13, HAYDEN AMUNDSON ’13, BEN ROSKEY ’13, MITCHELL BEACOM ’13, KATE MACFARLANE ’13

RICHARD LINDSETH ’73 – ENJOYING THE EVENING

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MORE ALUMNI EVENTS JULY 2013 - JUNE 2014 STAMPEDE PARTY – JULY 8, 2013

CHAD ROBINSON, KAREN (UGGERSLEV) ROBINSON ’92, DREW HYNDMAN ’92, GREG SEALE ’92, MAYA GOHILL ’92, ASHLEY (SKIBER) DONOHOE ’92, BRANDY JAMES ’93, ANDREW DONOHOE

CASSANDRA THORBJORNSEN ’11, MICHELLE KULA-WILSON, ANDREW WILSON ’87, TRACY (TIDSWELL) THORBJORNSEN ’85, ERIN PEPLINSKI ’05, KAILI CASHIN ’06, JULIA KUGELMASS ’06

ADRIENNE (MA) GAUDET ’01, SITAR SHAH ’01, MIKE GAUDET ’01, KATELYN SILK ’01, AMANDA (DAVIS) KENNEDY ’01

ALEXA BURGESS ’10, LEE FERRIER, CORBIN STANILOFF ’10, HUSSEIN BHOJANI ’10, TOM JACOBS ’10, JOHN WHITTAKER

YOUNG ALUMNI CLASS REPRESENTATIVES GATHERING – AUGUST 13, 2013 (BACK) MIKE HENRY ’09, GEOFF EVAMY-HILL ’10, TANUJ DUTTA ’09, MARK LE DAIN ’08, TOM HANSEN ’08, TAYLOR CHASE ’13 (FRONT) BRITTANY GIRLING ’09, GRACE WALKER ’12, VICTORIA CLARK ’13, LEAH VAN SANT ’09 (MISSING) KATE MULHERIN ’04, CURTIS WETTSTEIN ’04

ST. HILDA’S LUNCHEON – SEPTEMBER 11, 2013 BACK) GORDON FREIGHT, FORMER HEAD OF SCHOOL, HELEN JULL ’48, SANDRA LEBLANC ’58, WILLIAM JONES, HEAD OF SCHOOL (FRONT) KATHERINE COUTTS ’43, MARMIE HESS ’34

TORONTO ALUMNI RECEPTION – OCTOBER 15, 2013 ASTRUM NANJI ’97, NIKHIL MEHROTRA ’04, SCOTT MCCAIG ’03, NICK KAPLAN ’04

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TORONTO ALUMNI RECEPTION OCTOBER 15, 2013

B.C. DOUGLAS ’88, JANE KEARNS ’88, TODD WORSLEY ’88 HALIFAX PUB NIGHT – NOVEMBER 13, 2013 (BACK) CHARLOTTE MCARDLE ’13, ARDEN SOMMERVILLE ’13, JENNIE EVAMY-HILL ’12, HELEN HARPER, FACULTY, SARAH JACKSON ’11, BENSON WEYANT ’11, LEAH VAN SANT ’09, CASSANDRA THORBJORNSEN ’11, PARKER SHAW ’11, SCOUTT PALFRAMAN ’13 , GEORGIA YOUNG ’13

GRACE WALKER ’12, CHRIS EDWARDS ’09, KATE MACFARLANE ’13

ALUMNI DINNER AT QUEEN’S UNIVERSITY – FEBRUARY 2014 FRASER DANIELS ’09, ADAM LE DAIN ‘10, SHAYLA PORTER ’10, ALEX DUDELZAK ’10, FAYAZ BUDHWANI ‘10, TOM JACOBS ’10

EDMONTON ALUMNI RECEPTION – NOVEMBER 14, 2013 (BACK) JESSICA NILES ’11, KRIS SCHONEBERG, CHARLES ROZSA ’12, KEVIN SEASONS ’11, PHILIP VAN DER POL ’11, ANTON WOOTLIFF ’90 (FRONT) ANNIE ABBOTT ’11, JON SAN AGUSTIN ’01, ASHLEIGH SANDUL ’12, HELEN HARPER, FACULTY, PAT SAN AGUSTIN ’89

WESTERN UNIVERSITY ALUMNI DINNER – FEBRUARY 2014 TREVOR HUNT ’12, KATIE HENRY ’11, ALEXANDRA WALKER ’12, ZAMAN SACHADINA ’11, CHRIS MESTON ’11, TANUJ DUTTA ’09

ALUMNI EMPLOYEE CHRISTMAS LUNCHEON – DECEMBER 10, 2013 (BACK) WILLIAM JONES, HEAD OF SCHOOL, BILL LORFING, MIKE KELLER, HENK KONING, BRUCE WILSON, JIM WALLS (MIDDLE) PAT ROPCHAN, JOAN SVEEN, BRENDA MORGAN, FRANCES (STUART) MACLEAN ’70, PAT SULLIVAN, ANNE THOMPSON (FRONT) TINA IERAKIDIS, CHRIS THOMPSON, BILL TAYLOR, BONNIE HEWSON, LINDA WIGGINS, WAYNE COLBORNE, SUZANNE COLBORNE, BRIGID STEWART

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MENTORING IN ACTION

MEDICAL MENTORING SESSION – MARCH 14, 2014 (BACK) BRITTANY JAMIESON ’99, HELEN HARPER, FACULTY, PATRIZIA MAZZOLANI-KEMP ’79, NII AYI AYI ’00, NATALIE WARD ’95 (FRONT) PAT SAN AGUSTIN ’89, AMY LITTLE ’95, PAULOSE PAUL ’90, JOANNA CARD ‘93

SENIOR SCHOOL STUDENTS AND ALUMNI SPEED MENTORING SESSION – NOVEMBER 1, 2013 (BACK) GORD HO, LIAM DINNING ’00, KAILI CASHIN ’06, BRANDY JAMES ’93, GILLIAN SELBY ’89, CAROLYN (ASH) LEVY ’99, LARA (HAMNETT) UNSWORTH ’95, DAVE HOWARD ’96, STEVE MANNIX ’96 (FRONT) LATIF JAMANI ’01, JOHN PAUL SMITH ’04, RICK WEISSENBORN ’88, LEW TURNQUIST ’86, SEBASTIEN GITTENS ’95, JOCELYN (ULLETT) RUSSELL ’01 (MISSING) FAYE (SIDORSKY) STEINBERG ’89

MEDICAL MENTORING SESSION – ALUMNI PANEL PRESENTERS

MONDAY SPEAKER SERIES BETH MCFARLANE ’08 MENTORS SENIOR SCHOOL STUDENTS

TALES FROM UNDERGRAD YEARS – FEBRUARY 19, 2014 LEAH VAN SANT ’09, CAMILLE BROCKMANN ’12, REBECCA MCCREEDY ’12, THOMAS DUNLOP ’13, ALICE DIBLEY ’11, KATIE KIRKER ’12, ELIZA MANZER ’13, ISAAC NILES ’13, KATIE HENRY ’11, MEGHAN SENGER ’13

ALUMNI MENTOR SENIOR SCHOOL STUDENTS AT MEDICAL MENTORING SESSION

SENIOR SCHOOL SPEED MENTORING IN ACTION

TALES FROM UNDERGRAD YEARS’ PANEL

SENIOR SCHOOL STUDENTS WITH DAVE HOWARD ’96 AT SPEED MENTORING EVENT

SENIOR SCHOOL STUDENTS WITH PATRIZIA MAZZOLANI-KEMP ’79

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UPCOMING ALUMNI EVENTS Don’t miss out on these upcoming signature STS alumni events in 2014!

HOMECOMING CELEBRATIONS 2014 EVERYONE WELCOME!

ALUMNI SPEAKER SERIES

October 20, 27, November 17, 24, December 8, 2014 Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School

ESPECIALLY REUNION YEARS: 1905-1970, 1974, 1979, 1984, 1989, 1994, 1999, 2004 & 2009

LONDON, UK RECEPTION

HOMECOMING CELEBRATION AND FALL FAIR

TORONTO RECEPTION

Bring the whole family for a day of fun! Children’s games, farmers market, BBQ lunch, and much more on our beautiful country campus. Don’t miss the ribbon cutting for the new Aspen Lodge! STS alumni, parents and grandparents of alumni, retired faculty/staff and current students and their families welcome.

University Club of Toronto

Saturday, September 20, 2014

REUNION CLASS PARTIES Saturday, September 20, 2014

Alumni classes celebratinag their reunions this year are: 1905-1970, 1974, 1979, 1984, 1989, 1994, 1999, 2004, 2009.

Alumni Golf Event

Monday, September 22, 2014 Join us for a fun afternoon of golf and camaraderie at the Sirocco Golf Club, followed by a delicious dinner and exciting prizes and raffle items.

St. Hilda’s School for Girls Alumnae Luncheon Wednesday, September 10, 2014 The Ranchmen’s Club

October 6, 2014 Home House

October 27, 2014

ALUMNI - GRAD SPEED MENTORING EVENT Friday, November 7, 2014

Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School

THE DROWSY CHAPERONE - MUSICAL November 26 - 29, 2014

Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School

YOUNG ALUMNI WELCOME BACK REUNION Friday, December 19, 2014

Joyce on 4th Irish Pub & Restaurant Calgary For more information about STS alumni events visit: www.sts.ab.ca/Alumni, or contact Brenda Thompson, Alumni Relations and Events Coordinator, 403-938-8318, thomps@sts.ab.ca

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CLASS NOTES

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CLASS NOTES 1970s

Richard Lindseth ’73 received the 2014 STS Distinguished Alumni Award at the annual Calgary Alumni Dinner in May. Richard is a world renowned architect and member of the Southern Alberta Flood Mitigation Panel.

PAUL STORWICK ’78, was inducted as a RCAF Honorary Colonel, 1 Air Maintenance Squadron, 4 Wing, Cold Lake Alberta

Congratulations to Harvey Locke ’75, recipient of the 2013 CPAW J.B. Harkin Conservation Award.

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1980s Albert Schultz ’81 is the recipient of the 2014 National Arts Centre Award, which recognizes work of an extraordinary nature and significance in the performing arts by an individual artist.

Beth Lindsay ’88 manages a dental office in Vancouver, volunteers at a long-term care facility for Veterans (music program), writes children’s books, and is working toward an Associate’s degree in English.

Ruth Cowan ’83 has been working at Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame as a Development Coordinator since 2012 after spending 12 years in the long-term care industry.

Annelise Pedersen ’88 and husband Chris Spafford live in Dallas, Texas with their son Erik.

Jackie (Paget) Pradko ’83 lives with her husband and son in a suburb of Detroit. She is a physician at an inner city health centre in Windsor, Ontario four days a week which contrasts greatly with the one day a week at her suburban Michigan medical practice.

Steve Trimble ’83, is President of Trimble Engineering and lives in Calgary. He is married to Susan and they have two children ages 16 and 14.

Annemarie Pedersen ’87 is now working for UFA as their Co-operative Communications Advisor.

Graham Young ’88 lives in Calgary and works at Enbridge as the Director of Commercial Law. He is married to Melissa (also a lawyer) and they have three children ages 10, 6, and 3.

Pat San Agustin ’89 is teaching and practicing emergency medicine at the University of Alberta. Pat and his wife Marieke have three beautiful daughters: Ava, Tia, and Lea. Pat visited STS in March to share his wisdom as part of the annual Student/Alumni Medical Mentoring event for Senior School students.

Sarah (Waddock) Koles ’89 is a radiologist, current chair of RCA Diagnostics and cochair of Mayfair Diagnostics. She is also a representative for Alberta’s community MRI providers. “Don’t be so quick to dismiss the value of MRIs” was featured in the Calgary Herald, November 19, 2013.

David Bourne ’88 (aka JR Bourne) is an actor. He is best known as Martouf from Stargate SG-1 and Chris Argent from Teen Wolf. JR recently visited the STS campus and spoke with performing arts students, causing a Twitter frenzy.

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1990s Peter Hoang ’90 and family now reside in Houston, Texas. Peter is the Managing Director, Innovations, at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and heads technology-based venture capital and new venture origination for the institution and the State of Texas. He has two boys, Alexander, 7, and Christopher, 4.

Paulose Paul ’90, Orthopedic Surgeon, spoke with STS students about the medical profession at the Alumni/Student Medical Mentoring event in March 2014.

Stacy Rozsa ’91 visited STS last fall to mentor our Elementary French students

Alexandra (Luckhurst) Van Tol ’91 works as a writer and editor in Victoria, B.C. She is currently finishing her first full-length young adult novel, as well as her seventh short novel for reluctant readers. Alex enjoys spending time in the outdoors with her two sons, ages 10 and 7.

Jennifer Upitis ’92 and Scott Wambolt are thrilled to announce the arrival of their first child, a son, Weston Stephen Wambolt, born on March 28, 2014, weighing 7 lbs.

Peter Stewart ’90, wife Stephanie and daughter Adelaide are thrilled to announce the arrival of their second child, Samuel Alexander Bruce Stewart on January 31, 2014.

Laura (Mercer) Delichte ’93 works as a creative director at a mobile software company designing apps for smartphones and tablets.

Anton Wootliff ’90, his wife and two girls (13 and 15) call Edmonton their home. Anton works as a Project Manager with the City of Edmonton and is the owner of an autobody collision shop.

Shannon Young ’91 was named one of Canada’s leading lawyers under 40 for 2013. Shannon works at Nexen Energy ULC as the Manager of Regulatory, Aboriginal and Community Relations for LNG.

Mercedes Stephenson ’99 travelled to Niger, Africa for an exclusive report about the Canadian Special Operations Regiment (CSOR) for CTV’s W5: “Canada’s Secret Warriors”. She spent years negotiating access for television coverage of this elite fighting force and was embedded with the unit during their African counter-terrorism training mission. It was the first time soldiers from this regiment were interviewed on national television.

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Imran Amed ’93 is the founder and editor of “The Business of Fashion,” in London, England. In February, he was the youngest ever recipient of the McGill Management Achievement Award.

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Patrick Stewart ’93 and his wife Anna welcomed the arrival of daughter Robin Margaret Brigid on November 5, 2013.

Nick Swierzy ’93 and family currently live in Singapore where Nick is the Asian head of M&A for a global telecommunications company. After leading the successful bid for a licence in Myanmar last year, he was also appointed as the Chief Strategy Officer for his company in Myanmar. Nick, his wife Larysa, their son Roman and daughter Anna, are enjoying living in sunny Singapore and hope to make it back to North America later this year to see family and friends.

Rachel Bond ’97 and husband, Ben Zadow, are pleased to announce the arrival of their daughter, Zoe Matilda Zadow, born September 4, 2013.

Aimee-Jo (Giesbrecht) Benoit ’97 and husband Kris welcomed daughter Francesca Marguerite on August 10, 2013. Big sister EdaRosalie is enjoying her baby sister.

Hafiz Ali ’95 married Aleya Karim in Marrakech this past fall. They currently are living in London where Hafiz is a Director at The Carlyle Group, in charge of all real estate acquisition in the UK. Jacqueline Burns ’97 now works as Head of Global Marketing and Communications, Government and Infrastructure at KPMG in Toronto.

Alim Mitha ’93 and his wife Billie are the proud parents of their first child, a girl, Alyana born on November 5, 2013.

Tim Spedding ’93, his wife Deirdre and their 2 ½ year old son Sam moved back to Hobart, Australia.

Tim has rejoined the Australian Antarctic Division, where he had previously worked from 2008-2012, as Manager of Field Operations responsible for field projects at three of Australia’s four Antarctic bases.

Tim works in Antarctica for two to three months each summer.

Robin Kovitz ’98 and husband, Sam Johnston, are pleased to announce the arrival of their son, Jake Kovitz Johnston, born on September 13, 2013. Big sister, Jill who is 3, is taking her new role very seriously!

The Woodward family, Jon ’99, Michael ‘02 and Philip ’04, together with their parents Sue and Chris and Jon’s wife Laura and her dad, summited Kilimanjaro Uhuru peak in October 2013 realizing a 30 year dream. Jon ‘99 recently won the Jack Webster Award for best television reporting.

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CLASS NOTES

2000s Christine Ierakidis ‘00 returned to Europe in May and accepted a global role within the Performance and Rewards team at Maersk Line in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Jon San Agustin ’01 married Kris Schoneberg, December 14, 2013 at Revelstoke Mountain Resort. Jon and Kris both work for BioWare, a Canadian video game developer in Edmonton.

Congratulations to John Fairbairn ’01 who competed in Skeleton and placed 7th at the winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia this past February. John spoke at the June 2014 STS Athletics Banquet, sharing his story and encouraging young athletes to pursue their passions.

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Congratulations to Andrea Wettstein ’02, one of Avenue Calgary’s 2013 Top 40 under 40.

Andrea is the 10th STS alumni to win this award!

Kim (Sproule) Willoughby ’02 had the opportunity to return to STS as a student teacher in Ms. Weber’s science classroom in November and December.

She had a fantastic time sharing her experiences in the biotechnology sector with her classes and telling stories about her time as a student at STS. Jacqui Stone ’05 graduated from Queen’s University in 2009 with a BSc in Life Sciences and a BPHE. After working in the healthcare field for two years, she moved to Toronto in 2011 to complete her MBA at the Rotman School of Management (University of Toronto), specializing in entrepreneurship and healthcare management.

Shortly after graduating in 2013 she was accepted to medical school at the University of Calgary, receiving the Nat Christie Foundation Medical Entrance Award, and is set to graduate in the spring of 2016.

Jon Zwiers ’02 married Arielle Birdsey-Bailey on April 12, 2014. While holidaying on Vancouver Island this past summer, Jon and Arielle visited with Tony Macoun, former Head of School, over lunch.

Rosh Sethi ‘05 and Roshan Sethi ‘05 graduated from Harvard Medical School in May 2014. Rosh graduated cum laude with a joint MD and Masters of Public Health degree. Both brothers were accepted to competitive training residencies at Harvard. Rosh will be pursuing a career in otolaryngologyhead and neck surgery at the Massachusetts General Hospital and Roshan will pursue a career in radiation oncology at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts.

Roshan has also been working as a writer and medical advisor on the new hit TV drama, The Black Box, currently airing on the ABC network in the United States.

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Alexandra Tucker ’05 and husband Joshua are the proud parents of their first child, a girl, Zoe Rose Norman, born on June 30, 2013.

Faizal Raghavji ’08 has moved to the UK to pursue his Master’s in Health Policy and Finance at the London School of Economics.

Kezia Morrison ’06 married Brett Grams on October 12, 2013.

Chris Stone ’08 graduated from Queen’s engineering (geology) and is currently travelling in India, Thailand and other south east Asian countries.

Bram Cole ’08 completed his Bachelor of Management from Dalhousie and is currently half way through film school.

Georgina Dibley ’08 is currently working toward obtaining her CA designation at LNS Chartered Accountants in Calgary, AB. She has been working with the firm since her graduation from Mount Allison University in the summer of 2012 and is excited about a future career in accounting.

Mark Frankiw ’08 graduated from the University of Calgary with a Bachelor of Commerce Degree in Petroleum Land Management and is now working at Cenovus Energy as a Mineral Land Negotiator.

Tom Hansen ’08 is back in Calgary working as a Chemical Engineer for Imperial Oil Resources Ltd. Paul Hladyshevsky ’08 a graduate from U of C with a Bachelor of Commerce degree, majoring in Finance is now working in Investment Banking with CIBC. Kirstie Hood ’08 graduated from Chemical Engineering at U of A. She is currently working as a process engineer with Fluor.

Sean Whitestone ’08 is currently a Business Development Manager at Sporting News Media in Toronto.

Emily Jackson ’08 graduated with her Bachelor of Science, Economics at Dalhousie University last spring. She will be starting her Master’s in Public Policy at the University of Calgary this fall.

Taylor Kitchen ’09 is working as a Project Engineer for Cenovus’s Foster Creek in-situ oil sands facility and working towards receiving his Professional Engineering designation.

Jake MacDonald ’08 has been busy creating novelty paintings for a charity art show to raise money for prostate cancer.

Julian Mannix ’09 won the US Open in polo this spring and his brother Frederick Mannix ‘01 competed in the finals of the Argentine Open.

Frederick is the second Canadian ever to play in the final. Their team name is Alegria.

Beth McFarlane ’08 has graduated from the Education program at the University of Calgary. Beth graciously volunteers as the assistant coach of the Senior Varsity Women’s volleyball team at STS. Jahan Lakhani ’08 is in her final year of medicine at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.

Andrea Olsen ’09, graduated with her Bachelor of Commerce in accounting this spring from the University of Calgary. Following graduation, Andrea and a group of STS Class of ‘09 alumni traveled to South East Asia.

Leah Van Sant ’09 spent three awesome years in Wolfville doing a BSc in Biology at Acadia University. Leah is now in Halifax, studying dentistry at Dalhousie University. In May 2012, Leah had the opportunity to travel to Honduras with Global Health & Medical Brigades to provide primary healthcare to rural communities.

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2010s

Jessie Niles ’11 has been keeping herself busy while attending U of A. She is a captain of the U of A Pandas Volleyball Team, Vice President of Communications on the University Athletics Board and trained last summer with the Junior National Volleyball team.

Geoff Evamy-Hill ’10, a Knowledge Integration (KI) student at the University of Waterloo, visited STS to speak with Senior School students about design thinking. Geoff will finish his degree in December and is currently applying to graduate school in the US and Europe.

Annalise Abbott ’11 is a member of the U of A Panda Volleyball team and is Vice President, Community Outreach for the University Athletics Board.

Emma Fu ’11 has been accepted into the International Genetically Engineered Machine competition (iGEM), a premiere undergraduate synthetic biology competition. Her team will be competing at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in November with teams from across the world.

Camille Brockmann ’12 keeps busy with “Let’s Talk Science” a Canadian outreach program that recruits university student volunteers to share their love of science with children and youth.

Joseph Deering ’12 is in his second year at Durham University. In his spare time, Joe has taken up scuba diving earning his PADI license.

He has also taken an active role at Hatfield College in organizing Hatfield Sessions, the first ever profitable beer festival at Durham.

Ceilidh Munroe ’11 went on a sailing adventure this spring with family members, aboard Meritaten, a Bristol 40 sailing yacht.

They ported in Sicily, Cadiz Spain, Canary Islands and then headed to New York on their way back to Toronto.

Philip van der Poel ’11 is currently in his third year of Mining Engineering at the U of A. During his spare time he plays sports and enjoys racing rally cars.

Ashleigh Sandul ’12 is off to Ecuador on a service trip this summer. Ashleigh is taking sciences for her second year at the University of Alberta.

Sydney Stashin ’12 is a second year Geology student at Dalhousie and loving it. Sydney’s fondest memories at STS are hiking and sleeping under the stars on the OE trips.

Natasha Adams ’13 is enrolled in law at the University of Manchester, United Kingdom.

Natasha visited STS in April to speak with our Grade 11 students regarding attending Universities overseas. Natasha plans to spend the summer working at a law firm in London.

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Brett de Bie ’13 has been awarded a UBC Major Entrance Scholarship, a prestigious award recognizing outstanding academics and leadership. This scholarship goes towards his education in a specialized first year program at UBC called Science One, which is sure to be extremely influential in his future career in science.

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FORMER FACULTY AND STAFF

Congratulations to Kara Chad ‘13 for being chosen to compete in Xalapa, Mexico on the Canadian Equestrian Show Jumping Team.

Congratulations to John Fennell ’13 who competed in men’s singles luge at the winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia this past February.

Darcy Foo ’13 completed his first year at the Canadian military academy, Royal Military College Saint-Jean. He is now an Officer Cadet with the Canadian Armed Forces and is working towards a degree in Engineering.

Ariela Karmel ’13 will be participating in a French immersion program at Laval University in Quebec City this summer, as part of a federal exchange and immersion program called Explore.

Maddie Milne-Ives ’13 traveled to Marietta, Georgia in November with Team Rockies Netball Alberta, winning the 2013 Callidus Cloud US Netball American Championships! Maddie is in her first year of studies, Bachelor of Arts and Sciences, at the University of Guelph.

Jim Schmit was our emcee at the 8th Annual Calgary Alumni Dinner held in May.

Michelle Roberts is now the top ranked Canadian female skimo racer, finishing first in the Canadian ski mountaineering championships held in March.

Bill Lorfing was inducted into the Alberta Football Hall of Fame this spring.

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ATKINSON SOCIETY Over the years, STS has benefited from the foresight and generosity of STS community members who have left a planned gift to our School. In fact, our current campus was seed funded through a $250,000 bequest from W.H. Atkinson in 1968. In tribute to this monumental gift in our School’s history (which today would be worth $16 million), we have named our planned giving program the Atkinson Society.

William H. Atkinson Bill Atkinson, or “Pickles”, as he was known by his boyhood friends, was born in 1921. He could read and write before he was five, skipped grades twice in public school and graduated from high school with honours before his sixteenth birthday.

Atkinson “had a love affair with the printed word that began the day he discovered the English alphabet and survived, literally, until the day of his death,” wrote John A. Scrymgeour in his book, William H. Atkinson: A Memoir. “He was a man of keen intelligence, remarkable memory and a tireless capacity for hard work. Business was his basic interest in life. He had a truly photographic memory that could only be appreciated in conjunction with what might be called his ‘instant insight.’ He needed only a cursory glance at the working papers of a chartered accountant to see the solution to any problem that seemed to be arising.”

By the time of his death in 1968, Atkinson had been a notably successful man in his short lifetime. Between 1948 and 1958, three men, R.A. Brown, Jr., John A. Scrymgeour and Bill Atkinson formed one of the most remarkable teams in the annals of Canadian resource development. Working through Brown’s father’s firm of Brown, Moyer, Brown Ltd., which Atkinson joined in 1948, they parlayed the two principal companies of Federated Petroleums and Coastal Oils into Canada’s most important independent oil and gas producer – Home Oil. Atkinson and Scrymgeour then developed the Commonwealth Group of Companies, which resulted in international expansion of their group and the formation of Westburne International Industries Ltd. The substantial donation that Atkinson left to the School in his estate made the construction of the School’s country campus possible.

“My family is honoured to see Bill Atkinson remembered through the Atkinson Society. While alive he was known for his business acumen and mathematical genius. As a child I remember my father as a keen reader, of anything from art books to spread sheets. I sadly did not inherit his math gene but was the beneficiary of his patience and willingness to explain division, science, and all things related to his love of gardening. He believed strongly in co-education, and in studies that spanned more than the “three R’s” and I know he would be pleased to see how STS has blossomed since I was a student.”

CYNTHIA (ATKINSON) BARNETT ’75

LEAVING A LEGACY We are grateful to the families who have planned for a legacy gift to STS. If you have included STS in your estate planning please let us know as we wish to steward your giving and ensure your wishes are fulfilled.

Dinnie Baker Executive Director of Advancement and Community Relations 403-938-8317, bakerd@sts.ab.ca

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PASSINGS James “Bryan” Anderson ’87 passed away on September 11, 2013. Bryan attended STS and pursued his passion and love of horse riding.

Ralphine Locke, Former STS Governor, Board Chair, parent of Nil Nisi Optimum alumnus, Harvey Locke ’75, and long-time sponsor of the Locke Poetry and Short Story contests, passed away March 7, 2014.

Kenneth Manning ’46 passed away on September 3, 2013. Ken attended Strathcona School for Boys and was later a Board member for SSB, playing a pivotal role in the expansion of the school to include girls and the amalgamation which created StrathconaTweedsmuir School.

Patricia (Riley) Waite ’48 St. Hilda’s School for Girls alumna passed away on December 18, 2013.

Adam Wood ’99 passed away on September 13, 2013. His parents, Gabrielle and Mark Wood, have established the A.I.R. Wood ’99 Achievement Award in memory of their son to celebrate his passion for ambition, integrity and results.

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PASSINGS

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PAY IT FORWARD Did you know?

Everything STS students benefit from today is due to the generosity of past generations of donors.

That is why every member of the STS family – including alumni, parents, and employees – is asked to make a donation to the school, every year. The STS operating budget alone cannot support the incredible STS experience we all hold dear.

Our goal is 100% participation – and we can’t do it without you. Every gift – no matter the size – makes a difference.

tuition

Please support one of these three priorities: • great students = scholarships and bursaries • great teachers = centre for excellence in teaching • a great environment = facilities enhancements

+ grants

+ annual giving

= one unforgettable STS experience!

Just as every family is asked to give, every student will benefit from your generosity.

Donate today: • visit us online at www.sts.ab.ca/giving • complete the enclosed giving card • or contact Caroline Banadar, Director of Advancement, 403.938.8344, banadac@sts.ab.ca

“STS is more than a school to us – it is a vibrant community that needs our support to continue providing the well-rounded education we want for our children. By supporting annual giving, we hope to contribute to the legacy of this wonderful community of learners beyond our children’s time here.”

KRISTINE MACDOUGALL, STS PARENT

ONLINE STORE OPEN FOR BUSINESS! Show your STS pride with style! Our online store offers a selection of high-quality, specialty items perfect for graduation gifts, and keepsakes for alumni, students, parents, and employees.

Visit: STS.AB.CA/ALUMNI/ONLINESTORE

EXPECT MORE SCHOLARSHIPS SMALL CLASS SIZES OUTDOOR EDUCATION ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE CITY-WIDE BUSING Alberta’s only Grades 1 – 12 full IB independent school.

What is different about Strathcona-Tweedsmuir?

Everything.