march spectrum

1www.calgaryscienceschool.com

March 2012 . Issue 7 . VoluMe 9

The calgary scIence school

This last week of February is a significant one for css. you have hopefully heard about the school evaluation that is happening as part of the regular process around charter

renewal. The evaluation team is spending this week in the school, observing teachers’ practice, interviewing parents, teachers and administration on the performance of the school, and conducting a thorough review of our documenta-tion in order to compile a report that will list commendations, recommendations and mandatory changes to be made. This is an incredibly valuable opportunity for the school and one that I wholeheartedly welcome. not only will the evaluation point out those many areas where css is performing exceed-ingly well, but it will also give us some independent feedback on how we can get even better. Thank you to those parents who were able to respond to the school evaluation survey, and a big thank you goes out to those parents who were able to participate in a group interview. your time and feedback is very much appreciated.

The timing of the evaluation could not be better. Provincially, we are anticipating some changes to the legislation and regu-

lations around charter schools that may have some potential to allow charter schools to find even greater success and impact. With the recent release of the Fraser report on prov-incial achievement test results, I welcome the evidence that our school evaluation will offer in regards to the degree to which our students are achieving, as I see great limitations in how the Fraser report information is being used. rest assured, if css were included in that report our results would be very strong, but I would rather point parents to the results of the school evaluation or the vignettes of excellence shared through the connect! blog (http://calgaryscienceschool.blog-spot.com/ ) as evidence of the excellent work of our teachers and students. We have also recently seen a more focused and concerted effort from the non-supporters of charter schools to degrade public confidence in and support of charter schools. I anticipate that the results of the evaluation will only reinforce the idea that css is making a tremendous positive difference for our students and that we are doing an excellent job of meeting our mandate as a charter school.

Darrell LonsberryPrincipal

Principal’s Message

2 3www.calgaryscienceschool.com www.calgaryscienceschool.com

Wow! Thirty parents turned out for our February meeting to hear shannon Mitchell-Flek’s presentation on bullying. on behalf of school council, I’d like to thank shannon for put-ting together such an informative presentation. a copy of her slides will be available on the student services-counselling page on the css website, which can be accessed via “Quick links”.

also at the February meeting we voted to proceed with our second (almost annual) Parents’ conference, which will be held the morning of saturday, april 14. about one hundred parents attended our first conference in october 2010. This spring, we’re pleased to be welcoming back Julie Freedman-smith and gail Bell from calgary’s Parenting Power (heard on cBc radio). This year’s topic is “Teens and Attitude: Why Does it Happen and What Can I Do?”™ Julie and gail’s pres-entation will incorporate four of the ten most requested parent education topics according to our most recent annual Parent survey: setting boundaries with teens; communicat-ing when children “shut down”; nurturing independence in your children; and conflict resolution. although our younger students are not yet teens, much of the content is very applic-able to tweens and, let’s face it, they’ll all be teens eventually! so please mark your calendar for saturday, april 14. Watch for further details elsewhere in this newsletter, via email, and paper notices. registration will open the week of March 12.

Principal lonsberry changed things up at the February meet-

ing. Instead of a relatively formal verbal report, he circulated a written report and then opened the floor to questions. Those in attendance seized the opportunity to “Dialogue with Darrell”. The questions and answers can be reviewed in the meeting minutes, distributed via email on February 28th and also available on the css website under “Publications”.

I’d like to take a moment to congratulate all of our css stu-dents for the tremendous leadership they demonstrate through service learning. In particular this month, I’d like to recognize the efforts of our grade 8 students for their fund-raising activities. some students organized a dance for grade 7 – 9 students, with ticket proceeds going to the calgary humane society. others organized community support for donated building supplies and lined up expert help to con-struct dog houses, which they will auction off in support of the calgary humane society. Way to go!

our next regular school council meeting will be Tuesday, March 6 beginning at 7 pm in the anne Tingle library on the second floor of the school. Please watch for a formal meeting notice and draft agenda to be circulated the week of February 28th. as always, if there is a topic you’d like to see addressed at an upcoming meeting, feel free to email [email protected].

Denise Kitagawa, Presidenton behalf of your School Council

school council news March, 2012

MARCH 2012

in this issue

11

4

19

school council ............................................................... 3new gr. 6-9 electives and Fine arts Procedure... 3css science Fair 2012 ............................................ 4 - 5science Fair results ..............................................6 - 10Taking a stand on Bullying .....................................11Traffice safety around css ..............................12 - 13grade 6 Winter camp ........................................14 - 15Board of Directors highlights ........................16 - 18Transportation update .............................................18Democracy In action .................................................19Teachers as action researchers ....................20 - 21

anne Tingle library update ........................................21Parent engagement ..............................................22 - 23Parenting Power Workshop notice ...........................23a science adventure at The south Pole .................24senior girls Basketball ...................................................25css at The alberta Winter games .............................25outdoor education elective ..................................26-27learning coaches at css ..............................................28March calendar ................................................................29april calendar ...................................................................30

Cover Photo: css grade 6 students participating in mock legislature at the alberta legislature Building in edmonton on February 14. (photo courtesy chinook arch Photography)

In order to create a more efficient elective sign up process, a new registration system will be implemented for Term 3. elective sign up will now take place through the ‘Family Zone’ of the css website at: http://fz.calgaryscienceschool.com/myhome/familyoptions.asp

students in grades 6 will select one of the four electives offered and one fine arts course (either Drama/Dance or art, as Band is compulsory for all grade 6 students) from the options provided. grades 7 to 9 students may select one of the twelve electives and one of the three fine arts courses listed. you may preview the course descriptions prior to the sign up launch by visiting the link above. each course has a maximum number of students permitted and will reject attempts to register once the capacity has been reached. If this occurs, students must then choose another elective or fine arts course. unless otherwise indicated, students are not to sign up for an elective they have already taken this year. It is understood that within this ‘first come-first served’ system,

not all students will get their first choice, however as many of the elective offerings are repeated from year to year, students will receive preferred courses over time.

elective and fine arts registration for Term 3 will open at 6 pm on Thursday March 1, 2012. Parents are encour-aged to participate in the selection of elective and fine arts courses through this process in order to be aware of the optional courses being taken. If you do not have Internet access to complete the sign up procedure, please contact Phil Butterfield at 403-282-2890 ext. 116 to make alternative arrangements for course selection.

Please direct any inquiries or comments concerning this new process to [email protected].

Thank you,

Phil Butterfieldassistant Principal

New Grade 6-9 Electives and Fine Arts Procedures

mailto:[email protected]


http://fz.calgaryscienceschool.com/myhome/familyoptions.asp

http://fz.calgaryscienceschool.com/myhome/familyoptions.asp



This year proved once again that when it comes to the level of participation and quality of student work, the css science Fair just keeps getting bigger and better.

Tuesday, February 7th saw the gymnasium crammed with over one hundred grade 5 -9 students and their sixty five projects on display for judges, parents, and fellow students alike. In viewing each booth and watching and listening to students demonstrate a detailed level of understanding of their topic of choice, it was easy to forget that each project started the same way; with one big question.

sashwat r. of 5.4 explained the inspiration for his project, Optimizing Source and Condition of DNA Extraction. “The idea came from the fact that Dna defines our body. since I was young, a lot of people have said I look like my Mom. I wanted to see why by examing Dna,” he explained.

Mr. hoyt-hallett, who along with Mr. sonico coordinated this year’s science Fair, explained how science Fair provides students with the opportunity to put the inquiry skills they develop every day in the classroom into action. “science Fair provides students a platform to explore, learn, synthesize, and communicate their understanding of a topic that they find interesting,” he stated.

some science Fair projects are the product of classroom inquiry or explorer projects, while for some students, the idea and execution of a science Fair project was conducted out-side of class time.

Css sCienCe Fair 2012

Sashwat R. and his project investigating DNA

as a school focused on inquiry-based teaching and learning, along with a wealth of technology resources, science Fair is a natural fit for students to go deeper into a topic that interests them. “It’s another way for students to explore the scientific method, to practice their strong communication skills, and to develop the skills needed to critically analyze information and data,” Mr. hoyt-hallett added.

grade 9 student Julia c. wanted to see if students would be more likely to engage in handwashing if they were reminded of the health implications on others. “I read a study that was done in the u.s. about handwashing among hospital staff. The researchers found an increase in handwashing when staff were reminded about the need to handwash for patients. I wanted to see if students would be more motivated to wash their hands if they were reminded that it impacted others,” she described. Through a process that included putting up reminder signs in the school washrooms and measuring the volume of soap used in the dispensers, Julia learned that css students were more likely to wash their hands when they were reminded of the impact on their own health, rather than others. an interesting finding for her project, titled What’s In It For Me?

almost as impressive as the level of student participation was the tremendous support provided by the judges who spent the morning viewing and evaluating projects. In total, fifty-five judges participated. They included css parents, student-teachers, former css students, and even members of the general public in calgary who were keen to encourage and support the efforts of students.

ron neff, the parent of a grade 4 css student, seemed pleased that he replied to an e-mail from the css Parent council seek-ing judges. “students here have done an amazing job. It’s an incredible amount of work. The detail and research students are doing at this level is quite impressive,” he praised.

Fellow judge cameron anklewich, a current high school stu-dent and former css student who himself participated in virtually every science Fair during his time here, was simi-larly impressed. “It’s tough to differentiate between projects. There’s a lot of close scores,” he concluded.

student projects received recognition based on a number of different qualities. each grade featured special awards under criteria such as speaker, Display, enthusiasm, skepticism, and Better World. In addition, five projects in each grade, includ-ing the gold, silver, and bronze medal winners were selected for participation in the calgary youth science Fair, taking place in March.

science Fair is a big commitment for both students and teach-ers at css and though the coordinators certainly have the busiest job on the day of the science Fair, it’s truly a school wide effort. “every math and science teacher is involved in working with their students throughout the year, provid-ing feedback, guidance and assistance where needed,” Mr, hoyt-hallett stated. “and it wouldn’t be possible without the tremendous support of our parents, who volunteer to judge the event.”

Indeed, science Fair is one of those days that showcases what’s so special about our community of learners, teachers, and parents here at css.

Julia C. investigating what motivates us to wash our hands

Colby L. demonstrating The Power of Pulleys

Aidan J. explaining his findings from Earthquakes and Structural Design to the judges

Results of the 2012 CSS Science Fair are found on the following pages


Final Results for Grade 5

name(s) Project special award rank

luke a. how Tall is your cupcake enthusiasm award

ethan g. yeast: The Fungus among us enthusiasm award

nadine M. Molecular scissors Display award

sashwat r. optimizing source and condition of Dna extraction Display award cysF entry

silver Medal

austin l. clean, cleaner, cleanest speaker award

carson F. effects of soda Pop on Tooth enamel Display award cysF entry

alison c. under Pressure, can Zippered Plastic Bags Take the Pressure? speaker award cysF entry

Bronze Medal

annalise h. Taste The label speaker award

Matthew c. The Power of steam skepticism award

lauren g. The nose Knows! originality award

arhaam M. Portable Water Filter Kit Better World award cysF entrygold Medal

aaron a. electromagnetism in speakers enthusiasm award cysF entry

SCienCe fAiR ReSultS



stephanie c. and olivia D. Watch Them Wiggle Better World award cysF entry Bronze Medal

senna T. and adam l. Tsunamis and earthquakes Better World award

owen c. and Jonathan D. electricity and ph originality award

amanda c. and angela Z. light up the World – Part 1 Display award

edna T. light up the World – Part 2 Better World award

scott l. Impaired Driving originality award cysF entry silver Medal

stephanie B. yeast speaker award cysF entry gold Medal

Kunal K. and cameron h. Mars rover enthusiasm award cysF entry

simone P. and Danielle V. sweet Dream - or not enthusiasm award

Ben l. Best Fertilizer originality award cysF entry




christien a. What’s so soapy about soap? originality award cysF entry Bronze Medal

lekszi n. The current recycling Method enthusiasm award

scott P. slick Thinking Better World award cysF entry silver Medal

Mallory M. Thermal crime scene Investigation speaker award

Jenna F. What’s In our Water? Display award

Melanie D. genetically Modified or organic enthusiasm award

Karen T. exploring nanotechnology originality award

avery s. The Brilliance of Magnetics skepticism award cysF entry

christian B. home made Bio-diesel Display award cysF entrygold Medal

graydon y. & everett s. cars: electric vs. gas-powered enthusiasm award

alyssa r. Water, Water everywhere and not a Drop to Drink skepticism award

colby l. The Power of Pulleys Display award cysF entry

Daniel D. and adam c. reusing Kevlar originality award

Katelyn P. and leigh s. l. Beans and eco-friendly light Bulbs Better World award

harley D. loch ness Monster originality award

Jada P. and claire K. Do you see What eye see? Display award

Madeline K. Internal reflections speaker award



sanchit c. go “green”: Biofuels speaker award cysF entry

nicholas M. oil sands Display award cysF entry

Quinn K. hit the lights! skepticism award

alex K. and Philip K. stem cells enthusiasm award

aidan J. earthquakes and structural Design enthusiasm award

Maggie c. The green cure Better World award cysF entry gold Medal

Will s. graphene / carbon nanotubes originality award

amanda W. In the earthquake Zone speaker award

Julia c. and Danika V. neuroscientific no! to heat speaker award cysF entry Bronze Medal

alyssa l. and lauren n. root for roofs... a solution to global warming. Better World award cysF entry

silver Medal

Maxwell l. and Joel P. canada: our home and contaminated land Display award

Brianna c. energy on Fire skepticism award

Kellan K. earths heat engine originality award

grace h. and Meagan M. Beams and Beans enthusiasm award

steven h. strength of Wood Display award




graham F. and alex n. The gauss gun Display award

Jennifer K. and aidan l. growing organs Better World award cysF entry

Jamie c., stephanie M. and Jada a. oncolytic Biotechs Better World award

arash n. Pipeline corrosion and oilspills speaker award cysF entry gold Medal

rochelle V. Dream away enthusiasm award cysF entry

Tyler W. electromagnetic Fields speaker award

Julia c. handwashing Behaviours skepticism award cysF entryBronze Medal

cameron B. hydro-hearing originality award

edward K. and ashish K. Music and how it Impacts academic Performance enthusiasm award cysF entry

silver Medal

Mikayla J. Intelligence or Visual Perception originality award

taking a stand on bullyingFebruary 29th was national anti-Bullying Pink Shirt Day and a group of grade 8 and 9 students led the way in creating awareness of the issue throughout the month, culminating in an assembly challenging css students to take a pledge to stand up and stop bullying.

The grade 8/9 “Me to We” elective was created to encourage students to take on issues that effect both students in css as well as young people around the world. Previous projects have included raising funds to provide homes for child- headed households in south africa as well as seeing students spend an afternoon helping out at the calgary Interfaith Food Bank and collect necessities for the Mustard seed dur-ing Peace Festival week. When Me to We teacher Mrs leland, proposed focusing on the issue of bullying for the month of February, students jumped at the opportunity to shed more light on the issue .

“I’ve seen verbal bullying and excluding,” stated aidan I. of 8.3. “I hope to see bullying stop,” he added. 9.2’s sarah c. shared what she sees as the root cause of bullying. “I think bullying often happens because of jealousy. In grade nine, it’s more verbal abuse or cyber bullying, things like Facebook posts and comments in ichat,” she explained.

Though participating in Pink Shirt Day is not new to css students, the effort Me to We students put into creating awareness throughout February was unprecedented. stu-dents plastered the school in hand-made pink posters and banners while collecting and documenting views on bullying from both students and staff. In addition, student services and counselling coordinator shannon Mitchell-Flek facili-ated an evening presentation and dialogue on bullying for parents.These efforts ensured that when Pink Shirt Day arrived, the school community had insight into the issue of bullying. Following the assembly, students returned to their homerooms where each student had the opportunity to put their handprint and signature on a banner, pledging to do their part in standing up to bullying.

The idea for an anti-bullying “Pink shirt” day originated from the actions two grade twelve students in nova scotia took when a student was bullied at their school. a grade nine boy had worn a pink polo shirt on his first day of high school in september, 2007. a group of students harrassed him, call-ing him a homosexual for wearing pink, and threatened to beat him up. When the two boys got word of the incident, they had the idea of buying fifty pink shirts from a local dis-

Jada P., Dilyaad B., and Madison J. take a stand against bullying

count store. They spread word of their plan to create a “sea of pink” by email. The next day hundreds of students showed up wearing pink, many from head-to-toe. When the bullied student arrived at school and saw his classmates decked out in pink in support, students said it was a powerful moment. The bullies were never heard from again. The idea of wearing pink as a symbol of standing up to bullying has since spread throughout canada and beyond. see www.pinkshirtday.ca for more info.

In recent years, bullying and the effect it has on its victims has received greater media attention and society has become more aware of its desctructive impact. alberta’s recent edu-cation act contains a section specifically addressing the responsibilities schools have in dealing with bullying. Pink Shirt Day provided all of the css community with the chance to pledge to do our part to stop bullying.


Refrain from making U-turns in the intersection of 34th St. and 58th Ave. This action has resulted in many ‘near misses’ and the few seconds that may be saved by executing a u-turn are not worth the potential risk to student safety.

U-Turns

T r a f f i c S a f e T y

In recent weeks there have been an increasing number of concerns raised with respect to the safety of students crossing roadways during drop off and pick up times. Winter darkness adds another element of risk for students crossing roads that are already congested with buses and vehicles. In order to ensure student safety during these times, please adhere to the fol-lowing important guidelines.

The only authorized drop off and pick up zone for students in private vehicles in on the east (school) side of 34th st., south of the crosswalk at 58th ave.

** Please do not stop or park in the crosswalk, the bus drop off zones, or in the lane at the rear of the school.**

Drop Off/Pick Up Zone

Driving In The Bus Zone

If you observe any unsafe operation of a vehicle around the school, please record the license number and report it to the office. The cooperation of all driving parents in ensuring the safety of our students is greatly appreciated.

Phil Butterfield

assistant Principal

[email protected]

403-282-2890-ext. 116

Be extra vigilant (and extra slow) when driving along lewis Dr. in front of the school. The roadway is narrow and visi-bility is very restricted when buses are parked; there have been reports of stu-dents experiencing close calls as they are trying to cross the street at lewis Dr. and 34th st.

Please avoid parking or stopping in front of residential driveways; we enjoy cordial relations with our lakeview neighbours but they do not appreciate having their drive-way access impeded.

Respecting Our Neighbors

around css

It’s Never Just An Ordinary Day!


January and February are not months that we naturally asso-ciate with multi-day, outdoor education trips here at css. after all, the tents for camp sweet and the circle tours are nestled snugly in their winter storage beds and Fort steele is closed and in hibernation until spring. Indeed, fall camps are firmly in the rearview mirror and the spring trips still over the horizon. however, if you’re a grade 6 student here at css, you have good reason to beat the winter blues. January means Winter camp!

several years ago, the grade 6 teaching team decided to create an experience that took advantage of the unique edu-cational opportunities winter offers, while at the same time avoided the rush of commitments that spring tends to bring. and with that, css grade 6 Winter camp was born.

Kananaskis country, and specfically the hostelling Inter-national - ribbon creek hostel, has been the home of Winter camp for the past few years. The hostel comfortably hosted each of our grade 6 classes for their three day, two night pro-gram, lead by the well qualified and energetic instructors from company of adventurers.

students got a genuine taste of what it takes to survive win-ter elements in the wild by building “quinzee” snow huts. a quinzee is a winter snow shelter, which our students learned provides a surprising amount of space and warmth. The first step in building a quinzee saw students labouring for a couple of hours, piling up a huge amount of snow. once the snowy mound had sat over night and had a firm, frosty crust on it, our students began the process of digging the hut from the inside out. Teamwork was esssential to ensure that the soon-to-be quinzee kept its firm, outer foundation. once

dug out, several students at a time were able to crawl in and imagine spening a night safe from the howling winter wind inside their hand-made snow shelter. The challenge and camaraderie of building a quinzee, followed by the satisfac-tion of using it, makes this activity an oft-cited Winter camp highlight.

Peeking out the entrance of a newly built quinzee

Grade 6 Winter Camp students also learned about avalanche safety. as 6.2’s owen c. explains, there’s a lot to knowing how to stay safe in moun-tains. “We learned about the different layers of snow in an avalance. We were taught how to use an avalanche beacon and we did an activity where we found a transceiver buried in the snow,” he reported.

snow certainly has its dangers, but it also offers the chance for fun acticities, like cross-country skiing. This was a first-time experience for many students and it’s amazing how quickly they caught on. “It was my first time cross-country skiing and it was really fun!” explains Ben K. from 6.2. “I really liked the uphills and downhills.”

In addition to these outdoor activities, students continued their classroom exploration of sky science, with the clear, mountain skies offering great opportunities to star gaze on a night hike in the dark. When it was time to head back to the hostel, students then continued with their astronomy stud-ies by shining their “tin can constellations” on the dark ceiling and sharing the story of their constellation’s name.

each trip got great, mild weather, though 6.1 had to postpone their trip for a week to avoid the bone-chilling cold snap that arrived in January. all in all, it was another successful round of Winter camp. as for future grade six students, 6.2’s evan a. and Ben K. offer this advice. “The hostel is really nice and the bunk beds are comfortable. But pack lots of layers for your time outside!” they concluded.

spoken like true Winter camp veterans.

Avalanche Safety Training

The hard work at the beginning of a quinzee build

6.2 enjoying a hot meal inside the Ribbon Creek hostel 6.1 students and their stylish “dragon” quinzee


Board of Directors highlightsFrom the February 21 meeting

Science Fair ShowcasingMr. Jon hoyt-hallett, this year’s science Fair coordinator, introduced five gold medal recipients from the school sci-ence fair on February 7. arhaam M. (gr. 5), stephanie B. (gr. 6), Maggie c. (gr. 7), christian B. (gr. 8), and arash n. (gr. 9) served as representatives of all the students who par-ticipated in this school-wide demonstration of research, innovation, and creativity. The students presented high-lights of their projects to the Board before providing an opportunity for a more in-depth discussion of their dis-plays in the Instructional activity centre. commendations were expressed to science Fair coordinators Mr. Jon hoyt-hallett and Mr. Kevin sonico, the volunteer judges, and all of the teachers who were involved in organizing the event and working with students in developing their projects. as well, special recognition was given to the students who were selected to go on to the calgary youth science Fair in addition to all of the students who participated in the 2012 calgary science school science Fair.

Letter to the Editor from Mr. Neil’s Grade 5 Class a letter to the editor of the calgary herald written by grade 5 student lawrence T. was shared with members of the board. The letter described the leadership of Mr. neil and the work of his grade 5 students in taking on the unique challenge of demonstrating how their classroom can be off the electrical grid and sustainable for a week.

School Jurisdiction ProfilesThe Board was informed of a profile providing pertinent information relating to the operation of the calgary sci-ence school and every other alberta school jurisdiction which is available through the alberta education website.

Budget 2012Information was presented on budget 2012 which was recently released by the Minister of education. Provision is made in the budget to provide sustainable and predict-able funding with increases in instructional funding of 1%, 2%, and 2% over the three-year period. although there is an increase of 1% in the instructional grant for the cal-gary science school for the 2012-2013 school year, there were reductions in several grants which result in an overall reduction in revenue of $22,500. Work is now underway on developing a budget for the next school year which must be approved by the Board of Directors for submission to alberta education by May 30, 2012.

Gr. 6 student Stephanie B shares her science fair project findings with board member Dr. Torben Bech-Hansen

Off the gridCALGARY HERALD FEBRUARY 12, 2012Re: “Life without utilities isn’t so hard,” Jan. 23.My grade 5 class at the calgary science school was inspired by this article about university of calgary professor ralph cartar, who has been living off the grid in Bragg creek. We are learn-ing about electricity in science and we were inspired to take our classroom off the grid for one week. We think it is import-ant to go off the grid, because if we do not conserve electricity, greenhouse gases are going to harm our planet.When we grow up, we want to have fresh air, a lot of biodivers-ity and nice habitats for species such as polar bears or grizzly bears that are losing their homes.To go off the grid, we will be using a bicycle-powered gen-erator, which will hopefully produce enough electricity for our class. It takes a lot of time and energy to create electricity from the bike, so we will have to be very energy-conscious and avoid wasting any electricity.We are going to light our classroom with leD christmas lights, which are more efficient than the fluorescent lights in the class, and we will recharge our laptop batteries by pedalling the bike. By the end of the week, we will learn how to be more responsible and energy-conscious to do our part to help the planet.lawrence T, calgary

Gr. 5 student Lawrence T’s letter to the editor

Lesson Study Mathematics Professional Development Information was presented in regard to the involvement of the calgary science school in a very successful series of professional development activities in mathematics. appre-ciation was expressed for the leadership of css program facilitators Ms. erin couillard and Mr. Jon hoyt-hallett and the other css teachers who shared their teaching practices with teachers from several school jurisdictions in the calgary area.

Antarctic Exploration Presentation The board was informed of the presentation by antarctic explorer, geologist, and journalist Ms. susan eaton, on Feb-ruary 14 to grade 7, 8, and 9 students and teachers. Plans to engage the school in sharing the experience of her next expedition this spring through various online sources were also shared.

Destination Imagination - Roger Garriock, Executive Director of Destination Imagination a report was presented on the involvement of board members and teachers in a workshop on February 15 and 16 facili-tated by Mr. garriock highlighting strategies and programs for promoting creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, and effective communication. his presentation supported the focus of the calgary science school on promoting exemplary teaching and learning practices as well as serving as a centre of research and innovation. he stated his belief, with refer-ence to the calgary science school’s Descriptors of Exemplary Learning and Teaching, that the school is well-positioned to serve as a “crucible for preparing students as innovative lead-ers who will shape our future”.

Board of Directors Retreat - January 27 and 28 Members of the Board of Directors and the school leadership team took some time to discuss action strategies related to the January 27, 28 board retreat. In keeping with the sug-gestion that there should be a global focus relating to the strategic plan Lead-Share-Transform, two priority areas were articulated;

1. continuing to develop the calgary science school as a cen-tre for exemplary learning, teaching, and leading, and;

2. exploring possibilities for making the calgary science school facility a prototype as a sustainable, research and learning-oriented facility.

The next step will be to flesh out these goals. other ideas

generated through the retreat include;

• Developing strategies and a plan for marketing the school.

• Developing a fund development plan to provide financial support for implementing the two strategic priorities.

• reviewing the current communications strategies and developing a communications and marketing plan.

• Developing a long-range plan for outdoor education pro-grams.

• Implementing a plan for making the calgary science school facility sustainable (energy-efficient) and to serve as a prototype for restructuring and refocusing learn-ing in other school facilities and making provision in the organization of board meetings for student and teacher presentations which serve as exemplars of exemplary learning and teaching.

• efficiently addressing action items and providing time for an in-depth discussion of important issues.

The recent Board of Directors retreat provided an excellent opportunity for Board members to develop a better under-standing of learning and teaching in the calgary science school and to articulate a vision for continuing growth and development. The Friday afternoon session in which board members had an opportunity to spend time in classrooms and to learn more about the work of students and teachers was described as a highlight of the retreat. appreciation was expressed to the students and staff for contributing to the success of the board retreat.

School Information Sessions and Student Registration- January 30 and 31The Board was informed that over 450 parents (mainly parents of prospective grade 4 students) attended the information sessions facilitated by the school administrators. There is a great deal of interest among parents from various quadrants of the city in having their students attend the calgary science school and there continues to be a significant waiting list.

ConnectEd Canada Conference 2012 an update was presented to the Board on the first-ever ConnectEd Canada Conference 2012, which will be hosted in the calgary science school, May 25 to 27. It is anticipated that there will be 300 participants from canada and the us representing teachers, students, and parents who are inter-ested in sharing innovative practices that are happening all around canada. This conference will involve more than just

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t r a n s p o r tat i o n u p d a t e COLD WEATHER PLANS!• remember to dress your children appropriately! hats,

mitts, and boots are calgary essentials.

• Please have a back-up plan in case of bus delays due to weather, bad roads, etc. never leave your children unattended at bus stops, especially in cold weather.

• We’ve mentioned this before but it bears repeating. have you signed up for the bus notification system? This will inform you via text or email when your child’s bus is delayed and provide an estimated time of when it will arrive at your stop. check out the css website for more information or email the transportation committee if you need more information.

SPRING PLANNING!• Bussing plans are underway for the 2012/2013 school

season. refer to the Transportation handbook for our planning policy, ie:

- one stop/community - not all communities can be served - no walk limit and driving to stop may be necessary - maximum ride time is approx. 75 minutes each way

• register before the deadline (date to be determined) to be included in planning.

• e-mail the committee ([email protected])if you have any questions, concerns, or info not included in

the registration screen (ie, know you will be moving dur-ing the next school year).

• Fees are not yet set but should be lower than last year due to a fuel cost subsidy provided by alberta government.

• a late fee of $100 applies to all who have the opportunity for school registration before the deadline but sign up for transportation after this deadline.

• $100 of the payment made at registration is non-refund-able.

• all families will receive an email with the details as soon as fees/dates are set.

CALLING ALL VOLUNTEERS!one of the things that makes the calgary science school so great is our parent volunteers!!! We need your help. The route 6 Bus coordinator (covers nW quadrant of the city) and route 10 Bus coordinator (covers sW quadrant of the city) will be leaving this year as their kids will be graduating from css. We’d love for you to join us! only commitment is a will-ingness to help out and the ability to spare a small amount of your time. Please contact us by e-mail. Training will be provided.

Please don’t hesitate to contact our Transportation commit-tee if you have any bussing questions or comments. We’d love to hear from you!

Sincerely,

CSS Transportation Committee

presentations; the focus will be on promoting open dialogue and the sharing of ideas around key innovations in educa-tion. There will be a number of calgary science school staff involved in facilitating sessions. The Minister of education will open the conference with a keynote presentation and a number of other dignitaries have been invited to partici-pate in the conference. on the first day of the conference the participants will be guided by css students as they visit various classrooms in the school. registration information is available on the school website connect! Blog (http://calgary-scienceschool.blogspot.com/).

Calgary Science School Evaluationcharter schools are evaluated by alberta education every five years and the calgary science school was last evalu-ated in 2007. Mr. Bill hoppins, leader of the school evaluation team which also includes Dr. Jim Brandon and Dr. Dot negro-

pontes, attended the board meeting to develop a better understanding of the operation of the board and to involve the members of the board in an interview/information sharing process. Prior to the board meeting Mr. hoppins inter-viewed representatives of parents and the school council. students, parents, and staff members will be further involved in the process by providing feedback through surveys and interviews. The team will spend the week of February 27 to March 2 in the school observing the work of teachers and students while interviewing teachers, school administrators, the secretary-treasurer, and the school superintendent. The team will complete a school evaluation report on behalf of alberta education.

Approval of the 2012-13 School Year Calendar The board approved the 2012-13 school year calendar which can be found on the school website (http://www.calgary-scienceschool.com/about/publications/calendars/?did=132).

continued from pg. 17 democrac y i n a c t i o n

February saw grade 6 students dig into their studies of action and participation in democracy by getting up close with gov-ernment on two different fronts.

Friday, Feb. 10 gave students a chance to learn firsthand the duties and responsibilities of a city councillor. Ward 8 alder-man John Mar paid the 6.1 and 6.2 classes a visit and shared his journey as an elected representative, from running for election to his daily mission of making sure the issues put forth by his consitutents are heard loud and clear at city hall.

“he explained how he’s been trying to decrease the crime rate by getting the city to invest more in crime prevention,” explains 6.2’s Joey h.

There were also some surprises for students in regards to how tax revenues are divided among the different levels of gov-ernment. “I learned that only 8% of the taxes collected from calgarians actually stays in calgary,” states Victoria B. of 6.2.

alderman Mar memorably described life as a city councillor to being on three different reality TV shows at the same time. he said city council was like Survivor “because relationships matter”; The Amazing Race as “there’s always roadblocks you have to find your way around get to your destination”; and finally, American Idol for the reason that “people are voted off.”

Tuesday, Feb. 14, Valentine’s Day, saw grade six make a date with democracy and head up to the provincial capital for a day at the legislature in edmonton. upon arrival, the first order of business was a quick meet and greet and photo-graph with Premier allison redford, who also happens to be the Mla for calgary-elbow, the riding that includes the cal-gary science school.

now it was time for students to engage in the business end of their trip and participate in a mock legislature session, complete with props and costumes. each of the four classes conducted research prior to the trip on an issue that they felt pertained to the people of alberta. 6.1 did an anti-smoking law while 6.2 took a look at a bill that would end the wolf cull in alberta. classes 6.3 and 6.4 considered the idea of a smok-ing and driving act as well as revisting the public smoking ban. after spending almost a month putting various argu-ments together (for and against), it was time for each class to propose a bill to their fellow elected representatives. Vig-orous debate followed each reading of the bill, including opening statements, supporting arguments, rebuttals, and closing statements.

Ward 8 Alderman John Mar sharing his experiences in municipal government with grade six students

Following their own legislative assembly session, it was time for students to see the real thing and observe a session of the alberta legislature. It was especially interesting to see stu-dents recognize and understand the legislative process they were seeing played out before their eyes, just minutes after engaging in the same activities themselves.

Grade 6 students considering a bill during their mock session at the provincial legislature (photo courtesy chinook arch Photography)


In setting the direction for the calgary science school for the 2011-2012 school year, the Board of Directors adopted a strategic plan with four key strategies. one of the key strategies involves fostering research initiatives and build-ing research capacity to inform teaching practices for the benefit of students. This strategic goal is in keeping with the alberta education research and innovation mandate for charter schools. To support the achievement of this goal, the board established a research and Innovation fund. The fund makes provisions for teachers to access $2,000 to undertake an action research project or to implement an innovative teaching practice which is supportive of the school charter, strategic plan, and the calgary science school descriptors of exemplary Teaching and learning.

The fund recognizes that research informs teaching prac-tice and teaching informs research. The Board believes it is important to provide teaching staff with opportunities to conduct action research and/or develop innovative teach-ing practices. The fund is intended to support and promote a strong culture of research and innovation in the school, where teachers are encouraged to be researchers and innovators and to demonstrate an entrepreneurial spirit in collaboration with their students and peers. as well, consistent with the calgary science school’s focus on the science of learning and making meaning through inquiry, teachers seek opportun-ities to engage their students as researchers.

a research and Innovation committee, with representation of the Board of Directors and school leadership team, was established to review and approve proposals which meet the guidelines. submissions are accepted on a monthly basis throughout the school year. The basic criteria is that proposals reflect one or more of the calgary science school descriptors of exemplary teaching and learning and dem-onstrate the potential for benefiting teachers and students within the school and beyond. Teachers are encouraged to make provisions whenever possible to involve colleagues, students, and parents. as well, teachers are able to work individually or as teams. Provision must be made in each pro-posal for sharing key findings and highlights from the project within the school and with other schools through such plat-forms as blogging, presentations (at professional conferences or webinars), information sharing on the school website, as well as the completion of a project report as prescribed by the research and Innovation committee.

The response from teachers submitting research and Innova-tion project proposals has exceeded all expectations and the

quality of the projects is noteworthy. Twelve project pro-posals have been approved and each month there are new proposals to be considered by the committee. The members of the research and Innovation committee facilitate monthly project dialogue sessions which provide an opportunity for teachers to provide an update on their projects and to bene-fit from questions and suggestions from their colleagues and the committee.

To date, the focus of the projects approved has included:

• collaboration as a framework for success

• The impact of learning coaches on teaching practices

• The curricular potential of integrated digital inquiry resources

• enacting ethical citizenship within an inquiry-based con-text

• Developing an implementation guide for inquiry parent and community engagement and growing meaningful connections

• The power of collaboration to transform teaching and learning

• recorded conversational assessment and its impact on student (and parent) understanding in physical educa-tion

• Improving student problem-solving strategies

• The use of iPads to enhance learning and teaching

• Inquiry-based leadership: a new frontier

• creating opportunities and resources for teachers to teach about the environment within the alberta Program of studies.

grade 8 teacher Mr. scott focused his research and innovation project on the creation of a “digital textbook”. Mr. scott’s idea came about when he discovered apple’s new iBook 2 appli-cation, which allows anyone to create interactive textbooks for the popular iPad tablet. Mr. scott’s goal was to create a collection of rich reources for the social studies unit focusing on the renaissance.

By embedding video, inquiry questions, assessment rubrics, and accompanying strategies for students to respond to inquiry tasks, Mr. scott’s project created a “flipped classroom” environment where the physical classroom became only one site where meaningful learning could take place. Providing the opportunity for students to engage in meaningful inquiry outside of class time allowed students to enter class each day

teachers as action researchers in the calgary science school

prepared to discuss, give feedback, and synthesize ideas that cropped up during their learning outside the class-room.

Mr. Scott and 8.4 students Heidi S, Mallory M, and Rudra M delve into a “digital textbook”

We invite you to learn more about these research and Innovation projects by viewing the teacher and student blogs found on the the calgary science school Connect blog (http://calgaryscienceschool.blogspot.com) and par-ticipating in this exciting initiative by sharing feedback and suggestions.

Dr. Garry McKinnon Superintendent

A New and Different Book Display and SaleDuring the March student-led conference times we are explor-ing a book focus different from the usual “student book fair”. We are excited to host a book vendor who will feature parent resources that support and enrich those we have in the col-lection, as well as professional resources for teachers. logos Books here in calgary provides the major book display and sale at the annual calgary Teachers’ convention. They also carry a significant inventory of parenting resources, and are aware of what our parenting resources listings include. have you checked it out? http://web.mac.com/css_library/site/Par-ent_resources.html

logos have promised to have a great display for browsing, some books for door prizes and draws, and a small discount for anyone purchasing during this event. look for the display in the Iac March 8th and 9th, during conference times.

I would welcome any feedback you have to offer, following the event. We are hoping this becomes an annual event, and are open to revising this first attempt following parent and teacher involvement.

Donna Johnson-Alden

Teacher - Librarian

From the

anne Tingle library

s c ra p b o o k i n g s u p p l i es w a n t e d !In preparation for an upcoming elective, we are seeking any extra scrapbooking supplies you may have. We would love your leftover paper (even larger scraps), stamps, adhesives, letters, stickers, brads, etc. If you have any scrapbooking supplies you would like to donate, please send them to Mrs. nelson in 7.1. Thanks for your help!

http://web.mac.com/css_library/Site/Parent_Resources.html

http://web.mac.com/css_library/Site/Parent_Resources.html


I have had the pleasure, over the past five years, of working with numerous parents on a variety of projects at css. at our school, we have rich examples of parent and community involvement supporting the life and work of the school and enhancing the community through initiatives such as a com-munity garden.

Parent participation can be considered in terms of a con-tinuum from involvement to engagement. examples of involvement include activities such as creating bulletin boards and volunteering for field trips. an example of engagement would be the co-creation between parent(s) and teacher(s) of curricular activities such as building solar lights for nepal, which was done with the grade five students and css parent Karen cuthbertson.

however, working with parents and community members can be a source of anxiety for both teachers and parents. Teacher anxiety often stems from having parents in the class-room and feeling “judged.” In order to minimize this anxiety, it is important to have mutually established expectations that consider the parent perspective and not just what the teacher wants. consideration should be given to the skills and talents that each parent has to offer. unless parents feel they have some ownership in the school and their child’s education, the movement from involvement to engagement is unlikely.

The ideal is to engage all parents in the learning of their chil-dren. This is done through teachers providing parents with background information about what the students are learn-ing and in particular the big questions they are addressing. engagement also occurs by having students make a point of involving their parents through sharing their work and becoming involved in meaningful dialogue.

There is a wide range of what parents want to do, from preparing materials to assisting with outdoor education activities and serving as resources. The css Parent Volunteer committee has been instrumental in promoting parent and community involvement through a variety of means, includ-ing the following:

• The development of a volunteer handbook.

• organizing parent volunteer sessions.

• Making presentations to staff about working with par-ents and community volunteers.

• compiling a summary of areas of interest and special tal-

ents parents are willing to share.

• Identifying teacher resource needs.

• establishing a volunteer communication system through room representatives.

• sharing ideas for community volunteer involvement through the school and community newsletters.

• Facilitating matches for teacher needs and volunteer areas of interest and expertise.

In addition, Denise Kitagawa, Karen cuthbertson and other members of the school council facilitate the promotion of parent engagement through a number of effective strategies including guest speakers, conducting an annual parent sur-vey, volunteer appreciation events, and supporting initiatives such as the parent volunteer committee.

You may feel like a voice in the wilderness, but it is your voice we are waiting to hear…you are the determining factor. - neale Donald Walsh, author

communication is critical to the success of initiatives to engage parents and community members. some sugges-tions given to us at a recent conference presentation included the following:

• establishing a parent message board/blog • having teacher video clips of what students are learning

and suggestions for parents to continue the dialogue with their children

• Building on testimonials of parents and community members who have experienced the rewards of being engaged in volunteering.

In addition, specific attention needs to be given in com-municating to teachers the tremendous opportunities for enhancing learning and teaching through the involvement of volunteers and making every effort to promote teacher and parent ownership for volunteer initiatives.

also, we believe there is a need to make a special effort to

understand the various cultures that are represented by the parent population in order to facilitate more meaningful opportunities for their engagement.

The engagement of each and every parent is crucial if we hope to strive for the most meaningful and effective education of all of our students at the calgary science school. We welcome your input. For more information, please see my connect! Blog on what the research says: http://calgaryscienceschool.blogspot.com/2012/02/parent-engagement-what-does-research.html

Tanya Stogre

Grade Five Humanities TeacherHumanities Learning Coach

The development of a tree depends on where it is planted. - edward Joyner, yale university school

parent engagement growing Meaningful connections with Parents at the calgary science school

parenting

workshopSaturday, April 14Teens and Attitude: Why Does It Happen and What Can I Do? ™This workshop offers developmental reasons for your teen’s behaviour, how to set and express realistic expectations for your teen, and strategies (for you and your teen) to survive adolescence.

Schedule8:00 - 8:45 yoga in the Iac with leah roubekas of Back 2 Basics Fitness www.leahroubekas.com8:45 - 9:00 registration and continental breakfast9:00 - 9:20 Welcome and introductions9:20 - 11:50 Workshop: Teens and attitude www.parentingpower.ca11:50 - 12:00 Wrap up12:00 - 12:30 chair stacking, clean up, and informal networking.

Location: Calgary Science School GymCost: $5 per personTickets: Available in advance through Apr. 10 Order forms go home beginning March 8 Continental Breakfast ProvidedComplimentary on-site babysitting

http://calgaryscienceschool.blogspot.com/2012/02/parent-engagement-what-does-research.html




This year’s edition of the lasers senior girls Basketball team is definitely a title contender. Blessed with a mix of size, speed, and skill, the girls are entering the playoffs full of confidence, having finished second in regular season play. They under-lined their championship intentions with a hard fought tie in their last regular season game versus the first placed calgary girls school.

Watching the girls put through their paces by Mrs. Berry at a recent noon hour practice, there’s an air of energy and inten-sity to their play. When the girls work on in-bound passing plays, each repitition brings a whir of movement and a sym-phony of excited voices, each calling out instructions and support to teammates.

grade 9 student gabriella M., in her third and final season as a laser, is clear on the team’s goal for the playoffs. “We want

to come in first,” she states with confidence. “We’ve gotten stronger throughout the seson. There’s a lot more collabora-tion now.”

grade 8 team member annie h. is quick to give to credit to the team’s coaches, Mrs. Berry and former css student-teacher Ms. Bower, when asked the reason for the team’s improve-ment throughout the season. “Mrs. Berry is competitive but a good competitive. and Ms. Bower is very fair,” she explains. The coaches’ focus on teamwork and effort has had its effect on the players. “We’re working better as a team, talking more on the court,” annie concludes.

The coaches proudly echo their players’ sentiments. “They are very coachable and such respectful and hard-working young ladies!” exclaims Mrs. Berry. The team’s first playoff game takes place March 1. go lasers!

css Well represented at alberta Winter games

css Participants in the 2012 alberta Winter games

Name Sport ResultBrendan h. Boys hockey gold Medal

alec F. Boys hockey gold Medal

aaron K. squash gold Medal

Brooklyn M. girls hockey Bronze Medal

Jenny P. girls Volleyball 4th Place

Mac c. snowboarding 4th Place

graham F. Wrestling Ind. silver MedalTeam gold Medal

left to right: graham F., alec F., Mac c., aaron K., Jenny P., Brendan h., Brooklyn M.

The 2012 alberta Winter games took place Feb. 9-12 in spruce grove and stony Plain. css was well represented with seven of our student-athletes representing the calgary zone. congratulations on a once-in-a-lifetime experience!

a science adventure at the south pole

Susan R. Eaton at Salisbury Plain on the island of South Georgia, home to a colony of 300,000 King penguins. Photo courtesy of stephen henshall, uK

on the afternoon of Tuesday, Feb. 14, grade 7 - 9 students had the privilege of welcoming Ms. susan r. eaton to the css gymnasium as she shared her experiences as member of an antarctic science expedition team.

Ms. eaton has built a diverse career, with degrees and pro-fessional experience in biology, geology, geophysics, and journalism. she has combined these passions to create engaging stories of her experiences in the harsh and beauti-ful natural environment of the south Pole. her writing has been published in newspapers and magazines across north america. she is also a self-described “extreme snorkeler” and css students were privileged to share in her photographic documentation of ocean marine life in and around the south Pole.

Ms. eaton’s presentation centered around her 19 day jour-ney last year to the “bottom of the world” as part of a team of 57 explorers, representing 19 different countries. as she describes in one of her articles (http://www.aapg.org/explorer/2011/01jan/antarctic0111.cfm) “The team’s mis-sion was to undertake oceanographic studies and document impacts of accelerating climate change – both above and below the water – on the planet’s last remaining frontier. During the past 50 years, temperatures in the Antarctic Peninsula have increased by 3 degrees Celsius, or more than twice the world’s average warming trend. Because the Antarctic Peninsula has experienced the greatest temperature increase of any place on the planet, it’s an ideal outdoor laboratory to study climate change.”

In addition to her engaging stories of encounters with king penguins, leopard seals, and icebergs, Ms. eaton opened students’ eyes to what “doing science” looks like and the opportunities a career in science can offer. “I want to show students what you can do with a degree in science and show the opportunities, particularly for women,” she explained when asked why she chooses to share her experiences at local schools.

Ms. eaton’s adventures in science will continue on March 1st, when she boards a ship bound for antarctica as part of the International antarctic expedition 2012 and leadership on the edge program. she will be blogging her experiences at http://susanreaton.com

Photo courtesy of susan r. eaton (www.susanreaton.com)

Senior Girls

BasketballStanding (L-R) Mrs. Berry, Kira W, Gabriella M, Brooklyn M, Jordan B, Karen N, Holly M, Tintin Y, Sarah C, Stephanie M Sitting (L-R) Annie H, Lekszi N


Enjoying Our Do-It-Yourself Curling Rink at Lakeview Community Center

Conquering the Climbing Wall at Mount Royal University

outdoor education elective


at the end of the last school year, the administration at cal-gary science proposed the idea of modifying the existing role of curriculum lead to that of a learning coach.

Traditionally the curriculum leaders (one Math/science and one humanities) at css were in charge of the team budget, team meetings, and coordinating PD opportunities within their curricular area such as lesson studies. Within this role there was no formal instructional leadership component built in. That said, curriculum leaders did serve, in an informal capacity, as mentors within the school.

The shift from curriculum leader (cl) to learning coach was a deliberate move made by school administration to increase the leadership capacity within the school. The primary goal of learning coaches set out in the job description was “to pro-mote exemplary teaching and learning by providing sound instructional leadership.” It was recognized that in the job description that there are many definitions of instructional leadership, “but for the purposes of our learning coaches we can define instructional leadership as actions taken by colleagues to directly influence and improve the quality of teaching and learning in the classroom.” The job description made special note to ensure that applicants fully understood that the role of the learning coach is not evaluative but to operate as instructional support and guidance in working toward exemplary practice.

This coincides with the work of educational researchers such as Jim Knight of the university of Kansas center for research on learning. according to Knight, the “partnership approach to collaboration” is the model that most enhances the work that learning coaches can do with colleagues. he clearly states that “people will not embrace learning with us unless they’re comfortable working with us”. In his article, “What good coaches Do”, published in education leadership, october 2011, he considers seven partnership principles that coaches can use to describe how they strive to work with teachers. Two of these principles that stood out for me and most accur-ately describe the work we are doing at css include “equality”

and “dialogue”. equality in that “one partner does not tell the other what to do; both partners share ideas and make deci-sions together as equals”. and, dialogue in that “the goal is for the best idea to win…and the best idea wins most frequently when both partners think their way through a discussion”.

all teachers in the school were invited to submit a letter of intent in July of last year if they were interested in pursuing this role. specifically, the administration team was looking for teachers who had curriculum and discipline knowledge, a focus on relationships, knowledge of the change process, creativity, sound understanding of current technology, and excellent communication skills as well as patience and perse-verance.

Jon hoyt-hallett and Kevin sonico are the current Math/science team learning coaches with David scott and Dan McWilliam serving the humanities team. Tanya stogre and myself, erin couillard, served as learning coaches earlier in the year before stepping back to engage in other work in the school. recently, abby saadeh returned to css in the role of Inclusive Practices coach. This position was created as part of the Inclusive practices pilot project which the school is part-nering with alberta learning on. Mrs. saadeh’s role sees her working with teachers in developing differentiated teacing practices to better support students in their learning.

The main goals and activities of the learning coaches to this point have been supporting teachers in developing exem-plary practice through examining the student work process, assisting with the documentation of this process as well as assisting in publishing work accomplished through the con-nect! Blog.

Erin CouillardProfessional Development and Outreach Coordinator

sources cited: calgary science school (2011) Learning Coach Role Description

Knight, Jim (2011). What Good Coaches Do. educational leader-

learning coaches at css: The Very Beginning….

marCh 20121 2 3

4 5rePort cards go hoMe

6Parent council Meeting 7:00 PM anne tingle library

7gr. 6 band Kiwanis Music festival at jubi-lee auditoriuM 1:00-5:00 PM

8student led conferences 4:00-8:00 PM

9student led conferences 8:00 aM-1:00 PM

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11 12 13 14 15PerforMing & visual arts PerforMance asseMbly2:00-3:15 PM

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18 19 20band coMMittee Meeting 8:30-9:30 aM

board of direc-tors Meeting 5:00-8:30 PM

21 22Kids and drugs: Parent info session 3 6:30-8:30 PM(Pre registra-tion required)

23 24

25 26 27 28 29 30 31

S P R I N G B R E A K

Bullying Stops Here Assembly

30www.calgaryscienceschool.com

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8 9 10 11 12 13 14Parenting Power worK-shoP 8:00 aM-12:00 PMcss gyM

15 16 17board of direc-tors Meeting 5:00-8:30 PM

18 19 20Pd/Planning day

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22 23 24band coMMittee Meeting 8:30-9:30 aM

25 26Kids and drugs: Parent info session 46:30-8:30 PM(Pre registra-tion required)

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29 30Pd/Planning day

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S P R I N G B R E A K

march spectrum

Documents

school evaluation survey

evaluation team

support of charter schools

behalf of school council

charter renewal

annual parents conference

css website

fraser report information