The Calgary Science School The
7
September 2009 • Issue 1 • VOL . 7
Principal’s Message
What a great (and
busy) start to the year!
As I write this article,
we aren’t even two
full weeks into the
year and we have had our new par-
ent orientation evening. Our Camp
Sweet meetings were well attended
and we have already had our grade
sevens paddling on the Glenmore
reservoir. The grade fives have had
their family picnic at North Glen-
more Park, and now we are packing
up to begin our fall outdoor educa-
tion program at Camp Sweet. Our
“meet the teacher” sessions at the
end of August were very success-
ful. We are confident that it will be
a dynamic, challenging, fun-filled
year at CSS.
I wanted to take the opportunity in
my first principal’s message of the
school year to welcome the 118
“It’s never Just an ordinar y day!” new students and six new teachers
to CSS. It is a testament to our pro-
28
September 2009 • Issue 1 • VOL .
The Calgary Science School
gram and the excellent work of our sion and innovation in an active
staff that we had only a 3.6% (18 inquiry-based learning community
out of 500) turnover from last year. by bringing learning to life and life
I am excited to see what all of these to learning.”
new people, with their fresh ideas
and enthusiasm, will add to our al- I believe that, with the assistance
ready vibrant community. I am sure of our incredibly supportive parent
that most of our new community community, we are making that vi-
members have already discovered sion come to fruition.
the roots of our informal school
moto – “It’s never just an ordinary Darrell Lonsberry
day!”
I also wanted to use
this opportunity to
remind everyone that
this is the first year un-
der our new charter.
We have a new vision
statement that I think
encapsulates very well
what we are working
toward:
The Calgary Science
School inspires pas-
1
September 2009
What’s in this issue...
Principal’s Message................1
Message from the Board........2
Message from the Office........3
Parent Survey Results............4
Message from
the School Council.................6
Transportation News..............8
From Your School Nurse.........10
Promoting Intrinsic
Motivation............................11
Allergy Awareness.................12
Student Drop-off
& Pick-up Procedure..............13
12 Things You Should Know
AboutThe CSS Website...........14
Challenge Day.......................15
New CSS Staff.......................16
2009/2010 Staff....................18
Library Report.......................20
Counsellor’s Corner...............21
Musical Notes........................22
Phys Ed News.........................24
Outdoor Education...............25
September Calendar.............26
October Calendar..................27
2 www.calgaryscienceschool.com
M
essage
from the Board
On behalf of the Calgary Science School Board I want to welcome
everyone to the 2009/2010 school year. We are very happy to once
again have such a fantastic community of learners and teachers
at the Calgary Science School. This will be our eleventh year of
operations as a charter school and our fourth year at our current
size of 600 students. Every year we strive to improve upon the
prior year and given the exceptional staff we have in place I feel
confident we will continue to accomplish our goal.
As with past school start-ups we have over 100 students and their
parents who are new to the school and may not be familiar with
the role of the Board. The Board meets once a month during the
school year to discuss a variety of topics. There is a special fo-
cus on school operations, facilities, communications, policies
and governance. All meeting dates are published in the Spec-
trum. This first month back at school can be quite hectic given
the frequent outdoor education trips trying to take advantage of
the nicer weather Calgary can have in the fall. As a result the CSS
Board typically will have its first meeting some time in September
once things settle into a routine and everyone is back around the
school. The public is always welcome to drop by if interested in
seeing what we are up to.
Enjoy the coming year here at CSS.
Dave Robinson
The
M essage
from the Office
In the event of an absence from school or late ar-
rival to school, parents are requested to contact the
school by phone (403-282-2890) prior to 8:45 a.m,
if possible, to indicate the reason for the absence
or late. If there is no one in the office please leave
a voice mail clearly stating the student’s name,
class and the reason for the absence or late arrival.
In light of the H1N1 pandemic, we will be asking
parents for the symptoms of any reported illnesses.
Thank you for your cooperation.
If you would prefer to email the teacher, please “cc”
the office at susan.m@calgaryscienceschool.com
so that we are also made aware of the absence.
When students are absent without prior notice, the
office will attempt to contact parents by telephone.
This procedure is undertaken to ensure the safety of
our students. It is also very important that parents
contact the office when there has been a change of
contact phone numbers. Personal information can
also be updated by logging into the website.
Students who are late coming to school must re-
port to the office prior to going to class.
If your child needs to leave school for any reason,
we require a parent to come into the office to sign
them out. Your child can sign him/her self back in.
The Calgary Science School is a “closed campus”.
Students are not allowed to leave during the school
day. If students live within walking distance of the
school, we will allow them to go home for lunch if
we have a signed note from a parent on file.
Thank you from your Calgary Science School office
staff.
Nola, Kathy and Susan
The
www.calgaryscienceschool.com 3

P
arent Survey Results
Overview
In June, 2009, the CSS Parent Survey was created
by a parent survey committee consisting of par-
ents and school administration with input from
the educational community (teachers, parents, and
school committees). Please find the full report on
the school website at the following link:
http://w w w.calgar yscienceschool.com/pub-
l i c a t i o n s / s p e c i a l _ r e p o r t s / Pa r e n t _ S u r ve y _
Results_2009.pdf
This survey was designed to give the school coun-
cil and the school administration information
about the 1) school’s awareness of, reflections
about, and involvement in the school council; 2)
needs around school networking and parent in-
volvement; 3) school’s effectiveness communicat-
ing with its school community; 4) types of parent
information-education that would be valuable; 5)
school community’s awareness of and involvement
in school planning/decision-making, board poli-
cies and school initiatives. The on-line survey was
designed through Survey Monkey, and the expec-
tation was that one person from each family would
complete the survey. This survey was created with
authentic questions unique to the school by stake-
holders invested in the local school community,
and will serve as baseline data for various school
4 www.calgaryscienceschool.com
committees and initiatives. There were 298 families
that were registered through the CSS Online Registra-
tion System (not SIRS) out of 461 registered families
that responded to the survey (64.6%). 83.5 percent of
these respondents were mothers. The majority of the
responses came from the younger grades and from
families that were newly admitted in the last three
years, in particular, 2008.
Survey Outcomes
1. It appears that the population would appreciate a
broader and more varied approach to communi-
cation with regards to the matters of school coun-
cil.
2. There is an identified need to have the school re-
cruit and coordinate various types of parent in-
volvement (through classroom parent represen-
tatives), for school-valued volunteer placements
(high-profile) and direct classroom involvement.
3. It appears that the school is effective in communi-
cating with the school community around matters
of education. Parents appreciate being involved in
the school directly and indirectly, and this type of
involvement is enhanced through two-way com-
The
munication (most notably, emails) and other
active communications/invitations made by
the school (educators and students) and school
council. The greater the sense of current, credi-
ble information that is relayed regularly and re-
liably, the greater the awareness of the school’s
work with the larger educational community.
4. Parents are interested in information that is
relevant to their children around the topics of
teen psychology.
5. The school community feels included in class-
room-based decision-making, but is not al-
ways aware of their decision-making role in the
school as a whole. As well, they are not very
aware of the key documents guiding the school
in terms of its vision, mission and goals.
Survey Research Trends
Around Parent Involvement
The emerging themes that continually arose in the
numerous responses from parents were the fol-
lowing points. The dominant theme was that this
school parent population is very busy, and these
parents endeavor to be involved (directly and indi-
rectly) in school activities as it pertains to the fol-
lowing:
• Parents want to dedicate time to their child’s/
ren’s best interests (direct impact on their chil-
dren);
• Parents make themselves available when they
have time and for purposes that have relevance/
meaning to their child’s schooling (curricular or
extra-curricular);
• Parents volunteer in areas that have been highly
profiled as “parent need areas” by the school;
• Parents volunteer when they have a sense of ef-
ficacy in the areas of involvement requested of
them.
Dr. Shelley Robinson
The
www.calgaryscienceschool.com 5
 Message from your
School Council
Welcome back parents! Summer vacation has
flown by and it is so exciting (as a parent) to have
the kids back into a routine. To help increase
parent participation this year at School Council
meetings we are introducing a new element to
the agenda: Food! We know - from the parent
survey results - everyone is very busy with work
and family activities and it is difficult to fit these
meetings into our jam packed schedules, but rest
assured the meetings will run efficiently while at
the same time providing an opportunity for you
to socialize and learn what’s happening at the
Calgary Science School.
School Council undertakes activities that pro-
vide enrichment for the school such as first day
of school welcome event, CSS clothing sale, staff
appreciation lunch, review and approval of stu-
dent fundraising activities, and communication.
Major School Council successes to date are the
improvements made by the Transportation Com-
mittee (maintenance and scheduling of student
bussing) and the construction of the Outdoor
Activity Center.
School Council meetings include informative re-
ports from the Principal and the Board.
There are many opportunities for involvement,
in addition to attending the regular school coun-
cil meetings, sitting on a short-term committee
or offering to share your skills with the group.
We welcome your participation in any way that
works for you.
Leann Meronek
Chair of CSS School Council
So what is School Council all about?
A school council is a collective association of parents, teachers, secondary students, the principal and community
representative(s) who work together to effectively support and enhance student learning. It is a vehicle for parents to
advise and consult with the principal and to advise the charter board on matters relating to the school.
6 www.calgaryscienceschool.com
Food for thought...
Roles & Responsibilities
School Council Members
School Council Positions
President – General supervision of all activities
of the School Council, presides at the meetings,
liaison with School Administration, and is the of-
• Encourage participation of parents and ficial spokesperson of the School Council.
representatives from the school community.
• Act as a link between the school council, Vice-President – Assists the President and chairs
parents and the community. the meetings in their absence, is also ready to
• Act in the best interest of the school and take over the President’s position, if necessary.
students. Secretary – Takes minutes at all School Council
• Ensure the executive positions of the school meetings and keeps school council records up
council are filled. to date. (This position can be shared)
• Maintain high ethical standards.
• Understand the policies of the local school Treasurer – Responsible for the financial af-
fairs of the School Council including depositing
board. of funds, issuing of cheques, is a signing officer,
and for providing proper accounting of all finan-
School Council cial transactions.
Members at Large – Act as a liaison between
• Advises the principal and board/charter Members of the School Community and the
board on educational issues that School Council. These people serve on any com-
• pertain to the school. mittees formed to enhance the school activi-
• Establishes and reviews school council’s goals, ties.
objectives, action plans
The agenda for the • and procedures. Board representatives – Act as a liaison be-
Fall meetings are as follows: • Communicates and consults with parents and tween the School Board and the School Council.
the school community. Attend Board and School Council meetings and
Wednesday, September 2nd:
• Meets regularly. communicate about issues that are relevant to
Wine & Cheese – AGM/Parent Survey Results either group.
(education.alberta.ca/media/615090/school_cou_handbook.pdf )
Wednesday, October 7th:
Chilli Cook off – Boy Smarts
Wednesday, November 4th:
Death by Chocolate – Girl Smarts
Note: All meetings are in the School Library at
7 P.M.
The The
www.calgaryscienceschool.com 7
 T ransportation
CSS busing is underway for another year. All 11
routes have permanent drivers who are now becom-
ing familiar with the stops and students. Now is the
time to initiate good routines and habits to enjoy
your year of using the CSS bus system.
Be on time for the bus
It is important to be at your stop in advance of
the bus. The stop time on your route sheet is the
time that the bus will pull away, regardless of who
hasn’t arrived at the stop yet. If all the listed riders
are on board, the driver may pull away in advance
of the listed time.
Arrive five minutes before the bus
Southland recommends that students arrive 5 min-
utes prior to the listed stop time. This is to avoid
the dangers of running for a bus that is already at
the stop. None of our CSS buses should regular-
ly arrive at the stop that much in advance of the
stop time. Students arriving at the stop 5 minutes
ahead of the stop time will have plenty of time to
watch for traffic as they proceed to the loading
zone and wait for the bus’s arrival.
Make sure your time
matches the driver’s time
Frequently, disputes about drivers leaving stops
early and failing to pick up a listed student are the
result of clocks not agreeing. Not all cell phones
display the same time so it is worth the effort to
make sure you have the same time as the driver.
Drivers use Telus time. You could call Southland
dispatch to make sure of the correct time or use
another source for Telus time. The drivers say that
the time displayed on Shaw Cable TV is a very close
approximation.
List your student at any
stop they will use regularly
Finally, you can avoid missing the bus by letting
the committee know which stops your student
8 www.calgaryscienceschool.com
will regularly use. If you do not have your child
listed at a stop, the driver may pull away in ad-
vance of the stop time. You may miss the bus in
such circumstances and unfortunately be incon-
venienced.
Sign Up for the
Delayed Bus Message System
CSS offers a message service to inform parents
when their bus is running late. Parents must
subscribe to this service in order to receive text
messages and/or emails. These messages are also
available on the home page of the CSS website.
Parents must re-subscribe each year. Please log
into your family account on the CSS website and
click “subscriptions” in order to enter your phone
number and/or email address. All prior data has
been removed and you must re-subscribe to re-
ceive messages. The messages system will soon
be fully operational.
Read the Transportation Handbook
Handbooks were distributed to students the first
week of school. These contain necessary informa-
tion and valuable contact numbers. If you have
not seen a copy, email the committee and we can
send you an electronic version. Please take the
time to read through the booklet, as much has
been updated from last year. Let us know if you
have questions about any of the material. It is
your responsibility to ensure your student under-
stands and follows the behaviour expectations.
The
Reduce Pollution
by not idling your vehicle
Many of our CSS students are driven to and picked
up from their bus stop. I’m sure, like me, many
leave the car idling while waiting for the bus. Here
are some interesting facts sent in by Hilary Losier,
who asks that we be more conscientious and turn
the engine off while waiting.
• Idle cars emit exhaust gases such as carbon
dioxide. A car’s engine idling for 10 minutes
produces about 90 grams of carbon dioxide
and consumes 0.14 litres of fuel. If all cars left
their engines running for a minute less each
day--or 365 minutes less a year--approximately
225,200 fewer tons of carbon dioxide would be
emitted, and 350 million litres of energy would
be saved among those vehicles.
• Most drivers may not know this, but excessive
idling can damage the engine. Idling causes
damage, because an idle engine is not oper-
ating at its peak temperature, therefore fuel
combustion is incomplete.
• Cars don’t really need to be warmed up unless
the weather is below -25 degrees. Even if the
weather’s below -25 degrees, it only takes 30
seconds for your engine to be warmed. Actual-
ly, driving your vehicle gently is the best warm
up for the engine.
The
www.calgaryscienceschool.com
Timing Adjustments
August busing is usually very smooth due to re-
duced traffic volumes. This year, construction
has caused some minor disruptions but overall,
service has run very well. After traffic resumes
normal patterns, we may need to have Southland
adjust some of the stop times. Typically, the big
change in traffic is after Labour Day. With the pub-
lic school systems starting earlier, we may have
heavier traffic before Labour Day as well. We will
let routes settle into a routine schedule before we
adjust the times in the hopes that only one time
adjustment will be needed.
Please contact us at transportationatcss@gmail.
com if you have any concerns about your bus ser-
vice. Keep in mind you have until Monday, Sept 14
to make any requests to adjust stop placement.
Margaret Mills
CSS Transportation Committee Chair
9
From your school
Nurse
H1N1 Information:
This virus is a new strain of influenza A which
can be transmitted from person to person. Hu-
man swine influenza cases in Canada to date
have generally been associated with mild illness.
Symptoms are similar to the symptoms of regular
human seasonal influenza infection and include
fever, cough, muscle aches, lethargy and lack
of appetite. Some people with swine influenza
have also reported runny nose, sore throat, nau-
sea, vomiting and diarrhea.
Children with the symptoms outlined above
should not attend school and should stay at
home for at least 7 days from the onset of symp-
toms. If symptoms last longer than 7 days, then
they should stay home until 24 hours after the
symptoms are gone.
If your child becomes ill, to help support your
child’s recovery:
• Ensure your child rests and drinks plenty of
fluids.
• Treat the symptoms of illness such as fever
and muscle aches as you normally would
• If you need to take your child to a doctor to
have him/her examined, please inform your
doctor that your child may have been ex-
posed to a case of Influenza A H1N1 (Swine
Origin Influenza Virus).
10 www.calgaryscienceschool.com
For more information call Health Link Alberta
at 1-866-408-LINK (5465) or visit http://www.
health.alberta.ca/documents/Influenza-Self-
Care.pdf
Encouraging your children to use respiratory hy-
giene (i.e., covering their mouth and nose with
a tissue or their sleeve when coughing and/
or sneezing, followed by hand washing), wash-
ing their hands often using soap and water, and
keeping their hands away from their eyes, nose
and mouth are very important to protect them-
selves and to stop the spread of the virus.
If your child is ill for any reason, when calling the
school, please indicate the type of symptoms
your child is experiencing. This will help us in de-
termining the illness patterns in the school and
take the appropriate measures to protect our en-
tire school community.
We will be communicating additional informa-
tion as it becomes available from Alberta Health
Services.
Thank you for your attention to this important
matter.
Nasreen Sunderani
School Nurse
The
W
P romoting Intrinsic Motivation:
A Synopsis from Teaching with the Brain in Mind by Eric Jensen
e are often interested in get-
ting students to be more
self-motivated, especially as we 1. The first is to eliminate threat. Teachers and parents need to
begin a new school year. Eric Jens- consider the experiences that inhibit learning for students/chil-
en, in his book Teaching with the dren. By collaborating with children we learn better how to pro-
Brain in mind, (1998) suggests that mote an optimally safe “feeling” environment in our classrooms
“[m]ost students are already intrin- and homes.
sically motivated; it’s just that the
motivation is very context depen- 2. Goal setting on a daily basis can provide a more focussed atti-
dent”. Instead of asking ‘How do tude. Outlining the course of the day by providing a class agen-
we motivate learners as teachers da on the board, or outlining the days events on a home white-
and parents?’, we should be ask- board can often set children up for success.
ing the question, “When students
are motivated, what’s going on in 3. “[I]nfluence positively in every way you can, symbolically and
the brain? Or, What conditions are concretely, students’ beliefs about themselves and the learning”
present that foster that precious (p. 67). Positive reinforcement is a powerful motivator.
inner drive?” The teenaged brain is
still developing its frontal lobe, and 4. Help students to understand how to manage their emotions.
therefore, the executive operations Help them to understand what works for them to overcome
that are responsible for regulating negativity and frustration.
memory and organization are not
functioning to their full potential. 5. Finally, feedback that is timely and constructive is one of the
Therefore, it can often appear that greatest ways to encourage intrinsic motivation. Children want
a student is disorganized or unwill- to know how they are doing and how to improve.
ing, when, in fact, their brains are
not supporting the types of opera- By anticipating the places in our students’/children’s lives that
tions that we, as their mentors, ex- might pose as difficulties for them, we can help set up environ-
pect. ments with the above conditions that will promote successful
learning outcomes.
It becomes critical to examine the
types of things that we can do to
encourage optimal learning from Dr. Shelley Robinson
our students/children. Jensen sug-
gests that there are five key strate-
gies to help students uncover their
intrinsic motivation:
The
www.calgaryscienceschool.com 11
A llergy Awareness
The Calgary Science School is endeavoring to be
sensitive to the needs of students with severe al-
lergies by being an “allergy aware” school. Because
we have to meet the needs of many students with
various sensitivities, it becomes virtually impos-
sible to make it an “allergen free zone”. CSS has a
set of severe allergy procedures that the teachers
work together to implement in order to prevent
serious incidents.
• Teacher information bulletin: Teachers are made
aware of the students that are communicated
clearly with pictures and medical information to
the entire staff. They adhere to a series of proac-
tive interventions that help keep the classroom
an allergy aware environment. Teachers are re-
minded each year of our procedures around ad-
dressing severe allergies.
• Emergency response procedures for severe al-
lergic reactions: The teachers are made aware of
the symptoms of severe allergies, and then are
trained to perform emergency response proce-
dures where necessary with an EpiPen and other
basic medical intervention.
• Severe allergy alert form: This form provides
teachers and bus drivers with information that is
necessary to recognize and address severe aller-
gic reactions in particular students.
As well, the staff will be reviewing these proce-
dures in upcoming staff meetings with the sup-
port of our school nurse and updating its first aid
qualifications as a full group. If you would like
to know more detailed information about the CSS
policy and procedures in this regard, please con-
tact one of the school administrators.
If your child has a severe allergy but you have not
received a severe allergy alert form, please con-
tact the office.
Dr. Shelley Robinson
12 www.calgaryscienceschool.com
CSS Welcomes Student
Teachers and Student Volunteers
This year we will be welcoming eight second-year
student teachers from the Master of Teaching Pro-
gram at the University of Calgary under the instruc-
tion of the field advisor Michele Jacobsen. We will
also welcome six first-year student volunteers from
Mount Royal College under the instruction of Ann
McLennan. These post-secondary students will
be working with our teachers to learn more about
the profession in our inquiry-based learning con-
text. We are excited to be hosting the university
students with an on-campus cohort in conjunction
with the Calgary Girls’ School.
We have found that our school focus of mentorship
and our charter mandate of professional collabora-
tive outreach encourage this type of work with our
post-secondary communities. We welcome these
new faces to our school campus, and if you have
any questions about these programs, please con-
tact Shelley.r@calgaryscienceschool.com (post-
secondary school liaison).
Dr. Shelley Robinson
The
S tudent Drop-off & Pick-up Procedures
To ensure that our students are as safe as possible, we
ask you to please use the following routes if you are
dropping off or picking up your children.
If you are entering Lakeview from Crowchild Trail,
please enter on 66 Ave. and turn north onto 34 St.
After dropping your child off in the designated zone,
which is along the playground on 34th Street SW,
please exit to 37 Ave. via 58 Ave. or leave via Lakev-
iew Dr. If you enter Lakeview from 37 St., please enter
the drop zone on 61 Ave. and exit on 58 Ave. This will
aid in creating good traffic flow. Student safety is in-
creased when they are dropped off on the east side
of 34 St.
We appreciate that our parents have heeded our re-
quest to not use Lewis Drive when dropping off their
children and we ask you to again follow these rec-
ommendations to maintain a safe environment.
Please note that our neighbors are finding some of
the congestion and alley driving disruptive, and we it reduces other drivers’ visibility of pedestrians using the
want to be courteous school neighbors. crosswalk. Vehicles must not park within five metres of the
crosswalk, even if they are only stopping to quickly drop
Another on-going safety concern is parking at CSS. off students. You can be ticketed for this infraction, result-
Parents sometimes park too close to the crosswalk on ing in a substantial fine.
the west side of the school grounds at 58 Ave. & 34
St. (see pictures below). This is dangerous because Thank you for your cooperation.
The
www.calgaryscienceschool.com 13

T
he Calgary Science School Website
12 Things You Should Know...
1. You can find student phone numbers and ad-
dresses (if the family signed up to share this in- 4. All students have email accounts which they
formation and your family signed up to share
your own information) by clicking “Login” (up-
per navigation bar), then click “Login As Fam-
ily” (link on the page), provide login informa-
tion, then click “Login” button, then click on 5. All classes have current websites. You can ac-
“Student Directory” (right hand “Family Zone”
menu). You can search by Last Name, First
Name, Grade and Homeroom. You can “PRINT”
any results by clicking on “Printable Version”
(link on the page).
6. Many Publications are shared and can be found
2. You can access any staff via email by clicking
on “Contact Us” link (upper navigation bar) and
then clicking on the link in the right hand col-
umn of the list of staff (you need to have an 7. Retrieve you password by clicking “Login” (up-
email program running on the computer you
are browsing the site with).
3. You can view any calendar information by click-
ing on “Calendar” link (upper navigation bar).
You will see a copy of the “Goggle Apps” calen-
dar which you can link to or view.
14 www.calgaryscienceschool.com
can use their school computer login names and
passwords for. To access this email simply click
on “Student Mail” link (upper navigation bar).
cess the class websites from the homepage
and then choosing the class from the “Class
Subject Pages” drop-down menu (upper right
hand side).
by clicking “Publications” link (upper naviga-
tion bar).
per navigation bar), then click “Login As Fam-
ily” (link on the page), then click “Forgot Your
Password” (link on the page), enter the email
address you created your account with and
then click the “Request” button. Your password
will be emailed to the account.
The
8. Ensure you get broadcast emails by clicking
“Login” (upper navigation bar), then click “Log-
in As Family” (link on the page), provide login
information, then click “Login” button, then
click “Family Information” (right hand “Family
Zone” menu), enter desired email address(es)
in Family Email textbox(es), click on “Update”
button. * You should also be sure to add the
“calgaryscienceschool.com” domain to your
“Safe Senders” list in your email program.
These same email addresses can be accessed
by staff to create their class email distribution
lists.
9. You can sign up for bus notifications as well
by doing the above but clicking on the “Bus
Subscriptions” link (right hand “Family Zone”
menu).
10. You can sign up for Emergency Messages as
well by doing the above but clicking on the
“Emergency System” link (right hand “Family
Zone” menu).
11. You can change what information your family
shares in the directory or to remove your fam-
ily from the service (if the family signed up to
share this information and your family signed
up to share your own information) by clicking
“Login” (upper navigation bar), then click “Log-
in As Family” (link on the page), provide login
information, then click “Login” button, then
click on “Your Directory Info” (right hand “Fam-
ily Zone” menu), then change any information
(including address, phone and email blanking),
then click on the “Update” button”.
12. You can change your password by clicking
“Login” (upper navigation bar), then click “Log-
in As Family” (link on the page), provide login
information, then click “Login” button, then
click “Password Change” (right hand “Family
Zone” menu), enter old and desired password
in textboxes, click on “Change” button.
Rob Pegg
The
www.calgaryscienceschool.com
CSS
Challenge Day 2009
The Calgary Science School will be
hosting a Challenge Day for its Grade 9
students on October 1, 2009. We have
external facilitators coming directly
from the Challenge Day Organization
in California. The focus of the day is
to become more aware of the Grade
9 relationships with each other and
the school at large, and to challenge
students to be thoughtful of each other
in new and innovative ways as they
attempt to set some positive directions
for their school experience. The focus
of this event is to afford students the
ability to feel safe and happy in their
adolescence at CSS. As well, we hope
that they can, in turn, be leaders in this
initiative across the school by mentoring
younger students using the Challenge
Day message and language.
We have many (approximately 30)
parent volunteers to help run this event,
plus several teachers (cross-graded);
our school counselor and all of the
administrators. We also have a selected
group of Grade 9 leaders (25) who
will help to make this day a successful
experience for everyone involved. If you
would like to have more information
about what this day will entail, please
check out the Challenge Day website at:
http://www.challengeday.org/
Dr. Shelley Robinson
15
Candice Shaw
I ntroducing our new CSS staff...
Candice is a Grade 5 Math/Science teacher. She recently earned her
B.Ed from the University of Alberta, and has a specialization in math
and science education. It is her first year teaching and she couldn’t
be more enthusiastic about all she hopes to accomplish with the
Grade 5’s this year. Outside of the classroom, she enjoys biking,
swimming, skiing, painting and relaxing! She is new to Calgary and
is always looking for interesting places to go and things to try. The
new school year has started great for her and she knows it will be a
success thanks to all students, parents and staff.
Marla Paxton
Marla has just returned from the living on the edge of the world
(literally), in Ucluelet BC. The closest continent to her was Japan.
Last year she taught at the high school in Ucluelet and the previous
4 years she was at the Calgary Girls’ School. She has a background
in Criminology and English and a passion for the outdoors. She is
part of a downhill mountain biking group, and an avid kayaker.
David Scott
David recently finished his Masters of Education at the University of
Alberta where he was teaching part time as a sessional instructor
in the undergraduate teacher education program. David has taught
for four years in the interior of B.C. and Quebec and also spent a
year teaching English in Japan. Beyond teaching, David has written
curriculum guides for the Critical Thinking consortium and more re-
cently for UBC's centre for historical consciousness. He enjoys prac-
ticing both his poor French and Japanese and reading philosophy
and history in his spare time. David is excited to be teaching Grade
8 humanities and is looking forward to working with the very dy-
namic and creative staff and students at Calgary Science School.
The
16 www.calgaryscienceschool.com
Shannon Mitchell-Flek
Shannon is the new School Counselor and Student Services Coor-
dinator. Mrs. Mitchell-Flek has a passion for learning, reading, be-
ing active and traveling. She has a background teaching in both
special education and regular classrooms at the elementary and
high school levels in Edmonton and Calgary. Mrs. Mitchell-Flek
has been working as a children's counselor and group facilitator
with the YWCA Sheriff King Home in Calgary for the past couple
of years after completing her MA in Counseling Psychology. She
looks forward to working with the staff, students and parents at
CSS this year and is excited to be teaching Digital Filmmaking
and Yearbook as part of the grade 7 Fine Arts options.
Lorrie Emin
Lorrie is our new Art teacher. She is returning to Calgary after
spending the last few years living in Central Mexico. While she
has taught a variety of subjects over the years, art is the subject
area that Ms. Emin is most passionate about. She holds a B.F.A. in
Art and Design and went on to specialize in art education at the
University of Alberta. Ms. Emin is looking forward to a wonderful
and creative year at C.C.S.
Heather Rattai
Heather is excited to be a part of the Grade 8 team at CSS, as a
Math/Science teacher. After completing her Bachelor of Educa-
tion at the University of Alberta in 2005, she began her teaching
career with Foothills School Division. Heather is seconded to us
from Foothills for the next two years. She looks forward to the
many unique teaching and learning opportunities that this sec-
ondment will present. She is also really looking forward to the
Circle Tour in October! When not in school, Heather enjoys spend-
ing time with family and friends, photography, and decorating the
space around her.
The
www.calgaryscienceschool.com 17
 CSS Staff 2009/2010 2009/2010 CSS Staff

Gordon Welch Darrell Lonsberry Phil Butterfield Shelley Robinson Scott Petronech Kevin Sonico Rachelle Savoie Heather Rattai David Scott Shannon Mitchell-Fleck
Superintendent Principal Assistant Principal Assistant Principal Educational Technologist 8.1/8.2 Math/Science 8.1/8.2 Humanities 8.3/8.4 Math/Science 8.3/8.4 Humanities Counsellor

Valerie Barnes Heather DeCarlo Louis Cheng Jacquie Moir Amy Peebles Jon Hoyt-Hallet Marla Paxton Garett Kutcher Shashi Shergill Donna K. Johnson Alden
4.1/4.2 Math/Science 4.1/4.2 Humanities 4.3/4.4 Math/Science 4.3/4.4 Humanities Drama/Dance 9.1/9.2 Math/Science 9.1/9.2 Humanities 9.3/9.4 Math/Science 9.3/9.4 Humanities Teacher-Librarian

Candice Shaw Mike Neufeld Greg Neil Tanya Stogre Lorrie Emin Dean Schmeichel Nola Shewfelt Kathy Babiuk Susan Miller Myra Penberthy
5.1/5.2 Math/Science 5.1/5.2 Humanities 5.3/5.4 Math/Science 5.3/5.4 Humanities Art Physical Education Administrative Secretary Receptionist Office Assistant Secretary Treasurer

Emily Brown Chris Dittmann Carolyn Armstrong Rick Fawcett Tammy Olson Rheana Fehr Linda Lamminen Neil Stephenson Krista Brenner Felipe Calasin
6.1/6.2 Math/Science 6.1/6.2 Humanities 6.3/6.4 Math/Science 6.3/6.4 Humanities Physical Education Communications Coordinator Library Assistant PD/Outreach Payroll/Benefits Facility Operator

Erin Couillard Jennifer Woodard Lisa Nelson Dan McWilliam Andrew Bolen Mingdi Fu Mirtala Campos Dila Galvis Oscar Lopez
7.1/7.2 Math/Science 7.1/7.2 Humanities 7.3/7.4 Math/Science 7.3/7.4 Humanities Music Caretaker Cleaner Cleaner Cleaner

The The

18 www.calgaryscienceschool.com www.calgaryscienceschool.com 19
T he Anne Tingle Library Report
Welcome to a new school year. The saying
“It’s never just an ordinary day” at Calgary
Science School continues to be an accu-
rate reading of the learning community
here - and that includes the library. Who
ever heard of a school library being closed
during the first crucial weeks of school?
Peek in and you’ll see shelves of books and
videos are all under plastic wrap, furniture
stored or bunched together, and big ar-
eas off-limits for the construction of new
vents going from the new addition at the
front of the school, through the library
floor, and up into the ceiling. This pause in
library services is temporary, and will not
last for much longer, and in the end, we’ll
have a wonderful new learning space at
the front of our school.
The library maintains a webpage that can
be accessed on the school’s website, lo-
cated in the class/subject pull-down area.
I invite you to check this out. You will find
guidelines for student library privileges,
hours of operation, as well as the purpose
and mission of a school library (different
than a public library), a description of the
roles of teacher-librarian and library assis-
tant, an explanation of the selection cri-
teria for books, clarification of the “young
adult” designation for fiction, and a blog
where different books, websites and tid-
bits of information are added on occasion.
As always, I am happy to receive your feed-
back, questions and suggestions. Most
parents reach me via the school’s e-mail
system. But feel free to phone me here at
school, or drop in and say hello (once our
doors are open again!).
Textbooks: We coordinate and man-
age textbook loans to Grade 7-9 students
through the library circulation system.
During the first three days of school, teach-
20 www.calgaryscienceschool.com
ers brought students in to take the re-
quired textbooks out through their library
C ounsellor’s Corner
Welcome Back! I am very excited to take on the role as the
school counselor and CSS Student Services Coordinator. I
have had the opportunity to work with many young people
accounts. Students are responsible for the
and parents as both a teacher and a counsellor as they work
textbook copies they borrow. Teachers of-
through the many challenges of childhood and adolescence.
fer various strategies to help students keep
Throughout the school year, I will use this space to address
track of their own copies, but the bottom
areas of interest that affect our student population and par-
line is that this is a student responsibil-
ent group as a whole. This month I would like to provide an
ity. Last year’s textbook returns were an
overview of the role of the school counselor and student
excellent testament to student respect of
services at CSS.
resources and sense of responsibility: all
grade 7 textbooks were returned, only two
The ultimate goal of the counseling and student services
grade 8 textbooks have not as yet been re-
program is to support and reinforce the school-wide objec-
turned. The Grade 9 record of returns also
tive of maintaining a safe and caring environment where
improved – it just wasn’t quite what Grade
all students have the opportunity to reach their potential.
7 and 8 achieved. The library can always
A school-based counselling program provides support to
provide students (and parents) with the
students, staff and parents in the early identification of so-
specific item numbers within a student ac-
cial, emotional, behavioural, and academic concerns that
count, if concerns or confusion arise.
may adversely affect the development or well-being of a
child. The early identification of such concerns allows us to
We operate on an open, flexible system,
proactively address these matters and develop a compre-
so full classes, various small groups and
hensive action plan to best meet the needs of the student.
individuals schedule time or drop in as
The school counselor works collaboratively with students,
needed. We do, however, schedule book
teachers, parents and other professionals to provide sup-
exchange times for Grade 4 and 5 classes,
port and strategies to address the needs of each student.
just to set the right pace, and totally famil-
When deemed necessary, a recommendation for parents to
iarize students with our space, resources
pursue further intervention may be made and outside refer-
and services. All students will have access
rals to appropriate professionals will be facilitated by the
to the library outside of instructional time,
school counselor.
once construction is completed and the
doors open in welcome. We look forward
I look forward to working with students individually and in
to that time.
small groups throughout the year. As we approach the end
of the year, I will be working with families to provide infor-
Upcoming in the early months of the fall:
mation and guidance on high school options to support spe-
The Scholastic Book Fair is here during Stu-
cific student needs and goals. Counselling intervention of-
dent-led conference times, and National
ten begins with a referral from the classroom teacher to the
Book Week comes in November. More on
school counselor to address specific concerns or identified
those events and others, next time.
needs of the student. Referrals regarding social, emotion-
al, and academic concerns can also be made by parents or
guardians by contacting me at shannon.m@calgaryscienc-
Donna Johnson Alden
eschool.com or by phone at 403-282-2890. The counselling
office is located upstairs, to the left of the library. Please do
not hesitate to contact me with any questions that arise as
I am here to support the student at CSS to ensure that they
can have a wonderful year ahead of them.
Shannon Mitchell-Flek
The The
www.calgaryscienceschool.com 21
 M usical Notes
We are back singing, dancing and making mu-
sic for another year and students are excited
to get together and show their stuff. We have
quite an array of classes this year. The Grades
4, 5 and 6 classes have music twice in a Six Day
cycle. This amounts to an average of 50 min-
utes per week for music instruction. As Camp
Sweet has already swung into action students
are singing campfire songs and learning new
songs connected to their new curriculum. Stu-
dents wishing to bring their instruments to
school are asked to inform Mr. Bolen and their
parents before discussing with their bus drivers
how they will get their instruments to school.
There is a limited amount of space is available
on the buses each day and larger items may not
be permitted.
New this year is the music tech complementary
classes for Gr. 7 & 8 students to learn the busi-
ness and production side of music technology.
Students in music tech will compose, arrange,
perform, learn about the art of producing mu-
sic, explore music studios and visit professional
music producers, sound engineers and per-
forming artists.
We are trying a new reporting system with Digi-
tal Portfolios. Students will be responsible for
creating, updating and maintaining a collec-
tion of their work during the school year. This
portfolio will be made available for teachers,
classmates and parents to view for feedback
and assessment. Student portfolios in the fine
arts will replace formal reporting on the report
cards (though only for the fine arts).
Students needing private instruction please
see the music website for music teachers in and
around the city. Also, any parents with musi-
cal talent(s) are encouraged to contact Mr. Bo-
len for volunteering opportunities to help with
music class.
22 www.calgaryscienceschool.com
B
!
ed in. This great camp was a wonderful opportu-
nity for band students to learn from highly skilled
professional musicians as well as collaborate with
other students who are at the same playing level.
Andrew Bolen
and The Lunch
"#$! Bell)$**!
%&'(#! Ltd will
%+,!once again 010.'!
-.**! /'($! be serving
2$!
“Each day we went we spend hot, nutritious
3$45.'1! #/+6!lunches to the
'&+4.+./&3! students
*&'(#$3! +/!at+#$!
Cal-
The band program is already in full swing this time in playing with other stu- gary Science School on Tuesdays and Thursdays
3+&,$'+3! 0+! 70*1048! 9(.$'($! 9(#//*! /'!
year. It will be a busy year with several perfor- beginning on Tues, Sept 8. On those few days
mances in the school throughout the year as dents playing the same instru- "&$3,083!0',!"#&43,083!2$1.''.'1!/'!
each month you can leave the chore of lunch
well as festivals and tours in the spring. This in- ments as us. We were taught "&$36! 9$:+! ;<! ! ='! +#/3$! >$-! ,083! $0(#!
preparation to us and be assured that your child
?/'+#!8/&!(0'!*$05$!+#$!(#/4$!/>!*&'(#!
formation will become available for parents on notes, songs and music theory. is receiving a nutritious, hot lunch. If you are
:4$:040+./'! +/! &3!lunches
0',! 2$!for
033&4$,! +#0+!
the band website prior to these performances interested in ordering your child(ren)
After lunch we were treated to 8/&4!(#.*,!.3!4$($.5.'1!0!'&+4.+./&36!#/+!
please visit our website at www.lunchbell.ca
and festivals. Again, any parents with expertise
in performing brass, woodwind, or percussion the professionals who played and have a look at what we have to offer. The
*&'(#<!!@>!8/&!04$!.'+$4$3+$,!.'!/4,$4.'1!
instruments can contact Mr. Bolen for volun- their instruments for us. We menus, order form and registration form are
*&'(#$3!>/4!8/&4!(#.*,A4$'B!:*$03$!5.3.+!
teering to help with band class. spent all week learning about available
/&4! -$23.+$! on the site.
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#05$! 0! *//C! 0+! -#0+! -$! #05$! +/! />>$4<!!
music performance, musician- Also,"#$!
we are?$'&36!
planning on introducing
We have three Concert Bands both Gr. 7 & 8 band /4,$4! >/4?!an environ-
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students in their 2nd year and Gr. 6 students in ship and practicing as a band. mental programme
4$1.3+40+./'! in order
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04$! 050.*02*$! /'! on
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beginning band. There is also a Jazz Band for It was a great program that amount of
3.+$<!!! non-biodegradable waste produced
Gr. 8 & 9 students. Also new this year was the sure taught me a lot and gave by D*3/6!
Lunch-$!Bell04$!
meals. Information
:*0''.'1! will be avail-
/'! .'+4/,&(.'1!
“Head start / Intermediate Band Camp” at Mt. able on our website.
Royal College certain band students participat- me a HEAD START!” - Jaime 6.3 0'!$'5.4/'?$'+0*!:4/140??$!.'!/4,$4!
+/! (&+! ,/-'! /'! +#$! 0?/&'+! />! '/'E
If you do not have web access or have any ques-
2./,$140,02*$! -03+$! :4/,&($,! 28!
tions, please feel free to contact us at 240 0606.
%&'(#! )$**! ?$0*3<! @'>/4?0+./'! -.**! 2$!
050.*02*$!/'!/&4!-$23.+$<!
The The @>!8/&!,/!'/+!#05$!-$2!0(($33!/4!#05$!
www.calgaryscienceschool.com0'8! F&$3+./'36! :*$03$! >$$*! >4$$! +/! 23
(/'+0(+!&3!0+!GHI!IJIJ<!
W hat’s Happening in Phys Ed...
O utdoor Education

The Grade 5 and 6 classes have been introduced to Ultimate Frisbee!

Although school has only just begun, the outdoor now includes a First Nations component at camp and
education season is already in full swing. The work the Grade 4 team has packed their two days and one
Grade 4’s have learned the new game of bee at Camp Sweet on Saturday August 22nd ensured night full of relevant and fun activities.
Grade 8-9’s are busy training for that the camp was set up and ready for the grade 6
Hollandball! It’s a handball game and is the Terry Fox Run.
super fun! classes that arrived two days later. Thank you to all Following is a schedule of multi-day outdoor educa-
the parents and students who helped out at the work tion programs that CSS students will participate in
bee. Grades 5, 6, and 7 have expanded their fall camp this year. Please note that if you wish to volunteer
schedules to a three day – two night format that al- on any school activity involving children, you must
lows for a wider variety of experiences. Grade 5 and 7 be registered with the office and have completed a
students will travel first to Rocky Mountain House to security clearance check.
visit the National Historic Site before heading south
to Camp Sweet later in the day. The Grade 6 program Phil Butterfield
.
Grade Program Dates # of students/trip Duration $/student
Sept. 16-17
Camp Sweet (fall) 50 2 days/ 1 night CSS
Sept. 17-18
4
Southern Alberta May 25-27 To be
50 3 days/2 nights
History Tour May 26-28 determined
Sept. 9-11
Stay tuned to the Physical Education Camp Sweet (fall)
Sept. 14-16
50 3 days/2 nights CSS

website for more information in the 5

Apr. 29-May 2
future! Fort Steele History Lab
May 2-5
May 5-8
25 4 days/3 nights $245
May 8-11
Volleyball tryouts are underway: Camp Sweet (fall)
Aug. 24-26
50 3 days/2 nights CSS
Sept.1-Sept. 3
The coaches this year are as follows: Jan. 25-27
6
Mrs. Nelson - Senior Girls Winter Camp – Ribbon Feb. 1-3
25 3 days/2 nights $210
Mr. Cheng - Senior Boys Creek Feb. 3-5
Feb. 8-10
Mrs. Mitchell-Flek (assistant coach) Sept. 22-24
Camp Sweet (fall) 50 3 days/2 nights CSS
Sept. 28-30
Junior Coaches: 7 Fort Steele
Apr. 29-May 2
May 2-5
Ms. Shaw, Ms. Emin and Mrs. Rattai Apprenticeship
May 5-8
25 4 days/3 nights $245
Program
May 8-11
Central Alberta Circle
Oct. 5-8 100 4 days/3 nights $310
Tour
The Terry Fox Run is coming up soon - It will be 8
Grade 7’s have been busy canoeing,
May 31-Jun 2
held on September 21st this year. Camp Sweet (spring)
Jun 2-4
50 3 days/2 nights CSS
dragonboating and kayaking on the Bamfield Marine
Sept. 21-26 100 6 days/5 nights $875
Glenmore Resevoir The Cross Country meet for grades 4-9 has
9
Sciences Center
Jun 7-8
begun. The meet is tentatively set for October 1. Camp Sweet (spring) Jun 8-9
33 1/3
2 days/1 nights CSS
(by gender)
Jun 9-10

The The

24 www.calgaryscienceschool.com www.calgaryscienceschool.com 25
September 2009 1 DAY 1 2 DAY 2 3 day 3 4 5
October 2009 1 Day 2 2 DAY 3 3

Gr 5 gr 9 girls School Gr 9’s at Challenge

vaccination Council world skills Day gr 9

AGM & Regular event PD

Meeting 7:00 Planning Day cross

PM country meet

Camp Sweet 6.3/6.4

→ No Classes

4 5 DAY 4 6 DAY 5 7 day 6 8 day 1 9 10

6 7 8 Day 4 9 DAY 5 10 DAY 6 11 DAY 1 12
Labour Day Gr 8 Circle

no classes
Tour parent
Meeting Volleyball Volleyball
circle tour. gr 8
→ Pd Planning
early bird early bird
tournament tournament Day

No classes
Camp Sweet 5.1/5.2
→ 11 12 13 14 15 16 17
13 14 Day 2 15 DAY 3 16 DAY 4 17 DAY 5 18 day 6 19

→
→
gr 9 p.a.r.t.y
program

Fall Break
Camp Sweet 5.3/5.4
→
Camp Sweet 4.1/4.2
→
20 21 DAY 1 22 DAY 2 23 day 3 24
Camp Sweet 4.3/4.4
day 4 25
→
26 18 19 Day 2 20 DAY 3 21 DAY 4 22 DAY 5 23 24

terry fox Lost & found

run pick up pd planning
PD day
8:00 am
gr 4-6: Planning Day
9:00 - 12:00 pm no classes
gr 7-8:
1:00 - 3:00 pm No Classes

27
Bamfield gr 9’s
28 Day 5 29 DAY 6 30 DAY 1
→ 25 26 Day 6 27 DAY 1 28 DAY 2 29 DAY 3 30 day 4 31

Challenge Museum of band concert Lasers

Day Prep regiments got talent
field trip
Gr 5

Camp Sweet 5.3/5.4

→

The The

26 www.calgaryscienceschool.com www.calgaryscienceschool.com 27