november spectrum

THE CALGARY SCIENCE SCHOOL

NOVEMBER 2011 · ISSUE 3 · VOL. 9NOVEMBER 2011 · ISSUE 3 · VOL. 9

On October 5 and 6 our students enjoyed a unique experience that was the epitomy of innovation. The Forging Connections Conference, which you have likely heard much about through the Spectrum and other means, was

a tremendous opportunity for our students because it brought together teachers, artists, mathematicians and scientists to plan unique and engaging learning opportunities for CSS students. The event was a resounding success. The driving force behind the conference, and the people to whom I owe profound thanks and appreciation, were two parents who worked tirelessly over the course of approximately 15 months to bring the conference to a reality. Thank you very much, Jackie Stewart and Wendy Baillie, for your incredible commitment and creativity on behalf of our whole school community.

In addition to the Forging Connections Conference, October also brought a landslide of data on our school’s performance. We received our provincial achievement test results, our accountability pillar results, the parent survey results are in and can be added to the mix, and we also look forward to trimester 1 report card marks. If I can summarize the school’s results on virtually every measure or indication of success, I would say our students and teachers are exceptional. Of course, we need to be cognizant when inter-preting results such as the provincial achievement test results that we are limiting our interpretation to the scope and intent of the tests themselves (rather than, for example, using the results to compare one school to another). When I consider all of the data in it’s entirety and I look for trends and patterns, I am reassured that we are doing most things very well and have a little work to do on a small number of other issues.

Our student achievement numbers, including both the PAT results as well as the trimester 3 report card marks from last year are very strong. Overall, almost 6 in 10 CSS students achieved the standard of excellence on grade 6 and 9 PATs. On the trimester 3 report cards last year, approximately one-third of our students achieved fours in the inquiry and knowledge building categories, with a further sixty percent achieving threes. As important as the measures of student achievement are the results of the accountability pillar surveys and the annual parent surveys, which give us more detailed

information on school culture, relationships and students’ sense of safety and security. While there is always room for improvement, our teachers, students and parents overwhelmingly report that students feel safe at school, they are learning the importance of caring for others, are learning respect for others, and are treated fairly in school (92.4% agreement). I could write pages and pages detailing the results, but instead I encourage you to attend the upcoming school council meeting, where more of the data will be shared and discussed.

The results from surveys, report cards, provincial achievement tests, and other sources are used by the staff of the school to improve the culture and learning environment within the school. Given the most recent results we have received, we should all be proud of the incredible work our students are doing and the success they achieve as a result.

Darrell Lonsberry

On October 5 and 6 our students enjoyed

Principal’s Message

In This Issue:

November 2011

www.calgaryscienceschool.com 2

1 Principal’s Message

3 School Council News

4 Annual General Meeting

17 Accountability Survey

19 Forging Connections

22 Upcoming Events

10 Annual Parent Survey

11 Anne Tingle Library

12 Inquiry–Based–Learning

5 School Nurse's Info

7 Transportation News

8 Community Garden

13 Fundraising Update

14 Physical Education

16 Provincial

Achievement Tests

In This Issue:

November 2011

www.calgaryscienceschool.com3

School Council News

We enjoyed another strong turnout for our October School Council meeting. The agenda covered a wide range of topics, with the 2011 Annual Parent Survey results generating quite a bit of discussion. For details of the survey results, please read the separate article in this edition of the Spectrum or visit the school website to view the 2011 survey report.

• School Council-initiated fundraising brought in about $35,000 last school year, with proceeds going to support the band program, dance and drama, the new community garden, Camp Sweet, the recent Forging Connections Conference and for new PE / DPA equipment. About $6,500 was uncom-mitted at the end of June. This balance will be allocated by the fundraising committee, along with the funds raised this school year. Thanks to everyone who helped organize these activities and to all families who supported our fundraising programs with their purchases.

• Fundraising is off to a strong start again this year, with the first Balzac Meats sale bringing in about $11,000. Thanks very much to Carolyn Vodden,

Karen Morrison and the crew of volunteers who handled all the orders. Watch for another Balzac Meats sale in the spring, just in time to stock your freezer for the summer barbeque season!

• Due to the dedicated efforts of another small group of volunteers, our annual SUTP coupon book sales program netted about $6,500 this fall. If you see Drue Robinson, be sure to thank her for once again leading this initiative. These efforts are very much appreciated!

• The third major fundraising program run by School Council volunteers is the always-popular fun lunch / snack attack program. Funds raised through snack attack support our programs. (NOTE – the optional, twice-a-week hot lunch program is offered for the convenience of CSS families, with all proceeds going back to the local service provider, “The Lunch Bell”).

This year’s fun lunch program runs from November through April, wrapping up just as the spring outdoor education program gets underway. By now, you should have seen the order forms for the first half of the program. We’ve added a new food vendor to this year’s program – Extreme Pita provides menu options that align very nicely with the CSS Health and Wellness Initiative and they’re even able to handle most

food allergies (make note of any allergies on the top of your child’s Extreme Pita order form). Please help make the ordering process as easy as possible for our fun lunch crew – send one cheque per child and get your order forms in on time. Thanks to Nadine Jones, Shelly Young and Drue Robinson for leading a roster of about 20 volunteers to deliver this program to our student community.

Just before fall break, school staff, students, artists, scientists and many volunteers came together for an amazing two-day experience: the Forging Connections Conference. I had the opportunity to sit in on two sessions and really enjoyed watching the students’ reactions to the artists and scien-tists as they brought their different perspectives together to create truly engaging activities. Your School Council provided financial

More Highlights From � e October Meeting:

17 Accountability Survey

19 Forging Connections

22 Upcoming Events


support for the conference and the Parent Volunteer Committee coordinated a huge volunteer effort. On behalf of School Council, I’d like to thank Jackie Stewart and Wendy Baillie for their eighteen months of tremendous leadership. And thanks to our all of our last-minute parent volun-teers for the set-up and take-down, for supporting our students throughout the Conference and to those who worked closely with the artists and scientists to ensure each session was a success.

Speaking of volunteers, Dean Schmeichel is looking for a couple of parents to join the staff and student members on the committee for the CSS Health and Wellness Initiative. If you’re inter-ested, please email Dean directly.

The next School Council meeting will be Wednesday, November 2 beginning at 7 pm in the Anne Tingle Library. The November meeting will begin with an intro-duction to the “kids and drugs” program that will be offered in the new year. Darrell Lonsberry will

Annual General Meeting5:30 pm, Tuesday November 22, 2011

All parents are cordially invited to attend the Annual General Meeting of the Calgary Science School Society which is being held in accordance with Society By-laws.

Agenda 1. Approval of Agenda

2. Approval of AGM minutes November 23, 2010

3. Receive and approve the 2010/11 Audited Financial Statements (The auditors will be in attendance)

4. Election of 2011/12 Directors

5. Other business

Please note that the newly elected Board of Directors will meet immediately following the AGM.

Myra C. PenberthySecretary-Treasurer

be talking about last year’s PAT results. And we’ ll be discussing the updated plan that lays out School Council’s priorities for the balance of the year and into the next school year. All parents and guardians with students attending CSS are welcome to attend these meetings and/or to propose agenda items for these meetings. If there’s a topic you’d like to see addressed at an upcoming meeting, please email [email protected]

Denise KitagawaSchool Council President


In Canada, seasonal influenza usually affects people during the winter, between November and April. Influenza viruses change slightly from year to year. Every year, seasonal influenza infects millions of Canadians. This has a significant impact on the health care system and school and work absenteeism.

An Influenza infection lowers the body’s ability to fight other infections.This can lead to Pneumonia and Bronchitis.

How is Inf luenza spread?

The Influenza virus passes from person to person by droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Droplets travel through the air up to two meters (6 feet) allowing the virus to enter the eyes, nose or mouth of people nearby. The virus can live on hard surfaces such as door handles, telephones, computer keyboards, light switches, countertops and soft surfaces such as clothing. Viruses can live on hard surfaces for up to 48 hours.

Infection can occur when people touch any surface contaminated with the virus and then touch their own mouth or nose, or someone else’s mouth or nose , before washing their hands.

People usually develop symptoms of Influenza within four days after becoming infected. They are usually contagious for seven days after the symptoms start. Younger children, individuals with weakened immune systems and those with severe illness may be contagious for a longer period, up to 10 days.

Symptoms Of Inf luenza

• Fever of 38Cor higher that star ts suddenly

Information From Your School Health Nurse

• A dr y cough that can last for weeks• Headache, pain in legs and lower back• Feeling weak and tired• Some people may also ex perience

nausea, vomiting and diarrhea

Other symptoms can include:

• Chil ls• Loss of appetite• Sore throat and • Runny or stuf f y nose.

How To Protect Yourself Against Inf luenza

The Influenza virus is always changing. The seasonal influenza vaccine is updated each year based on the recommendation of the World Health Organization.

The seasonal influenza vaccine contains the three virus strains most likely to circulate in the coming year. This means you need to be immunized every year. The best time to be immunized is during October and November, just before the influenza season starts. It takes about two weeks for the vaccine to work. However it is never too late to be immunized; even after influenza arrives in the community.

The vaccine does not protect against other respiratory illnesses such as the common cold.

Where to get immunized?The Inf luenza clinic in our district is:R ichmond Road Diagnostic A nd Treatment Centre (The old Children’s Hospital)

Monday – Thursday1130am – 700pm

Friday, Saturday and Sunday0930am – 500pm

Nasreen SunderaniR .N. B.N. CCHN(c)

Influenza (often called the flu) is a respiratory disease. It affects the nose, throat and lungs. It is caused by a virus that is easily passed from person to person. As with other viral illnesses, antibiotics do not work against an Influenza virus. Various strains of Influenza virus circulate throughout the world each year.


Item #1: Changes To RoutesThe Transportation Committee met on Oc-tober 3, 2011 to review all bus route change requests that the committee had received from parents. The established busing guide-lines directed the discussions at the meeting, and a vote was taken for each issue present-ed. All accepted changes were then relayed to Southland Transportation for final ap-proval, and changes were instituted follow-ing the Fall Break in October.A great deal of attention and detail goes into route planning in the Spring (based on the students who have registered for busing for the upcoming Fall). Therefore, policy

dictates that the committee will generally be unable to accommodate requests for major changes along the estab-lished routes, other than very minor ones. Although it is not always known, bus drivers choose their own routes, based on what is established in these Spring route planning sessions. It can be very disruptive to bus drivers when the committee changes a route and its timing after school begins, since the drivers have made personal arrange-ments to accommodate their route schedule.

Item #2: Changes To Personal InformationPlease be sure to email the committee if your informa-tion changes throughout the year. We need to have your current info in case of any emergency. Once again our email address is: [email protected]

After the busy route-planning efforts of Spring , Fall is the second busiest time for the Transportation Committee, and the CSS Transportation Analyst. Here’s what we have been working on:

Transportation NewsNovember 22, 2011

Item #3: Reducing Delays!Be In The Loading Zone Before The Scheduled Stop TimeOur buses need to load and pull away from each stop as quickly as possible. Please ensure your children are at the sidewalk area where they board bus, before the scheduled time. W hen cold weather forces your child to wait in a vehicle, please continue to be considerate of the driver 's need to get the bus to school on time by adhering to the following:

• Have your chi ldren ready to leave the vehicle quickly. Stay bundled up w ith mitts on and jackets done up. This practice w il l also enable you to turn off your engine and not create pol lution through idling. Remove seatbelts and have the backpacks handy! • Keep a watch for the bus and move to the loading zone as soon as you see the bus or other students mov ing to the stop. Remember though to stay safe and watch for traf f ic.• If you have received a delay notice from the CSS Bus Notif ication System that you signed up for, go to the loading zone when the bus is ex pected at the new rev ised time. If you need help signing up for this system, please contact us v ia email and we would be happy to assist you. (Please note at this t ime some cel l phones are not able to receive the text messages such as: Mobilicity, PC Mobile, 711 Speak Out and Wind Mobile).

Remember the whole system works better with everyone’s cooperation. Please don't delay the bus by having it wait while your children exit the vehicle. Children at later stops will be kept waiting longer, perhaps outside. As well, the bus may be blocking traffic as it waits for you. Thank you in advance for your cooper-ation and consideration!

The Transportation Committee/Transportation Analyst


L AKEVIEW COMMUNITYOn Saturday, October 22 Lakeview Residents and Calgary Science School volunteers met to clean up the community garden in prepa-ration for winter. Most beds were cleared of vegetation and prepared for winter, while work on the periphery of the garden continued.


Garden CommitteeLake view Community

Compost bins were arranged and prepared and potato bins were placed within the garden pathways.

The committee organ-izers and current gardeners are excited for the next planting season. A few gard -eners are planning some winter planting, and CSS students in grades 4 and 7 will be working towards planting their beds in the spring.

For further information, please contact the garden committee at [email protected]


Other survey highlights are as follows:

• Parents who attend School Counci l meetings do so primari ly because they are informative – the monthly meetings are a great way to learn about school initia-tives and to hear from guest speakers. A s a result , our monthly meeting agendas w il l continue to include reports from the CSS Board and Principal . And several of our meetings this year w i l l feature a parent education session from a guest presenter or other topics of interest presented by CSS students and/or staf f.

• Compared to the prev ious year ’s sur vey, parents reported higher levels of work schedule conflicts and extra-curricular activ ity conflicts, which interfere w ith the abi l ity of many parents to attend School Counci l meetings, to attend other school meetings, and to volunteer in the classroom or for f ield tr ips. This result is consistent w ith recent mainstream media reports that people are busier than ever! In response, School Counci l continues to share the highlights of monthly meetings in regular Spectrum articles so that parents who don’t make it out to the meetings can stay informed on their own time.

• In terms of activ it ies and committee work , respon-dents indicated that School Counci l should continue to place a high priority on supporting the Camp Sweet and other work bees, the parent volunteer committee,

Participation rates varied between grades and between classes within the same grade. The overall response rate was 61%, a bit of a drop from the previous year, but still very high when compared to other surveys.

A summary of the survey findings was shared at the October School Council meeting. The topic that generated the most discussion was digital portfolios (also referred to as student blogs). The overall theme of that discussion was that parents

Highlights from the 2011 Annual Parent Survey

For about 10 days last June, the 3rd annual CSS Parent Survey was open for response. Out of 599 students “actively attending CSS” at that time, 368 had surveys filled out by a family member.

would like more guidance on how best to support this relatively new assessment approach used by students taking fine arts classes at the Calgary Science School. School administration and the fine arts team will be addressing this as the school year progresses.

the transportation planning committee, fundraising , the year-end celebration w ith BBQ, and the outdoor education committee.

• W hen it comes to fundraising , sur vey responses show the most preferred purposes for which School Counci l and the CSS Parent Fundraising Society should be raising funds are: information technolog y equipment, classroom-based technolog y, outdoor education equipment and dai ly physical activ ity (DPA) equipment. Going for ward, this w i l l inform decisions made by the fundraising committee.

• Parents strongly prefer to receive infor-mation from School Counci l , school administration and the parent volunteer committee v ia email . In fact, this preference has been grow ing stronger each year we’ve done this sur vey.

• Two-thirds of respondents reported they or their spouse/partner volunteered at CSS during the 2010/11 school year. This amazing volunteer ef fort makes a real dif ference to our students’ ex periences at CSS and we THANK YOU!


Survey results are used to update School Council’s rolling 3-year plan, to guide School Council operations and to provide a basis upon which School Council fulfills its advisory role to school adminis-tration and the Board. The full set of responses is shared with school administration. Select portions of the survey responses have been shared with the parent volunteer

committee, the band parent committee, the outdoor education committee and the Board’s fund development committee.

Please visit the CSS website and check under “publications” to view the complete 2011 Parent Survey Results Summary. Any questions should be directed to

Phil Butterfield or emailed to s c h o o l c o u n c i l @ c a l g a r y s c i e n c -eschool.com

2011 Parent Survey Committee(Phil Butterfield, Ray Caddy, Laura Foran, Robert Pegg ,

and Denise Kitagawa)

Anne Tingle Library@CSS

and its collection is the foundation of our policies and procedures. An overdue (or lost) book prevents access to other students, and so it is something to which we pay attention. If a book is significantly overdue (or damaged) an invoice is sent home with the details. If the book(s) can’t be found, a replacement charge is levied. In the event that a book is located after payment, and in a reasonable time, a refund is given.

Hopefully that clarifies some questions about this aspect of our library. As always, if you have any questions, or would like to offer me feedback, I’ ll be happy to hear from you.

Donna Johnson AldenTeacher Librarian

Overdue library books: now there’s a topic that raises some people’s emotions and elicits numerous interesting excuses!

Students are introduced to our library with a welcome, and then a clarification of their privileges and responsibilities. Obviously, returning or renewing fall within responsibil-ities. Parents may only be aware of overdue books when their child’s homeroom teacher emails them for assistance in returning a book from home, or worse, when an invoice is received for a book that’s assumed as lost. Not surpris-ingly, most often the response to the invoice isn’t money, it’s the book!

Homeroom teachers receive overdue reports once a week. Students are welcome to renew a book for as long as they need it. An overdue status on a student’s library account results in a partial or full suspension of loaning privileges until the books are returned.

A school library supports and enriches the Alberta Program of Studies, and we are focused on teaching and learning. The student is central to the library, and access to the library


teachers. Students and parents have access to a large inventory of books sold at reduced prices, and with bonuses teachers use to enrich their classroom collections, or offer as gifts or prizes. Buying books this way offers better value for students and parents.

W hat other options could we consider? Some possible alternatives include a parent resources book fair hosted by a local book vendor, or a book fair for students from a different vendor. W hat else? Parent feedback and suggestions are welcome. Please feel free to email me, and we can begin the conversation.

Donna Johnson AldenTeacher Librarian

Traditionally, we have hosted a Scholastic Book Fair during student-led conference days in the fall, and Usborne Books in the spring. This year, we are happy to host Usborne Books November 17 and 18th.

Usborne Books will offer a wide range, from early childhood through to middle school reference type books, as well as a small selection of fiction. Unlike Scholastic, there are no novelties such as funny pens, giant erasers, or such. Usborne’s books also have the added value of recom-mended websites that extend and enrich a book’s content, a great plus for our technologically astute readers.

For a number of reasons, we would like to explore an alternative to the Scholastic Book Fair next spring. The Anne Tingle Library is an integral part of the school, and as such, we are supported with qualified staff and a budget for student resources. Profits from the Scholastic Book Fairs are, for the most part, Scholastic books, many of which are already in the collection, or are available through library wholesalers. Furthermore, most homeroom teachers in the elementary grades participate in the Scholastic Book Club, and the option is available for middle school grade level

One of the foundational principles of the Calgary Science School is an approach to education called inquiry-based learning.

Parent Information Session on Inquiry-Based Learning

Inquiry is one of the three main pillars of our school and is central to all the guiding documents and strategic plans for the school.

But what is inquiry-based learning? Inquiry is a complex idea and one that is prone to many misconceptions, both within education circles and in the popular media. W hile inquiry is not a new ‘educational fad’ (it has been included in Alberta Curriculum documents for decades) it is not consistently implemented in many classrooms across the province. Over the last number of years CSS has been building a reputation, both within Alberta and beyond, as a place where inquiry is utilized in effective and engaging ways to enhance the learning experience of our students.

With that in mind, we are hosting a parent information night on inquiry-based learning. This event will take place on December 1, 2011 (6:30 – 8:30) and will cover:

• Background information and def initions of inquir y

• How current education research supports inquir y• W hat strong , inquir y-based learning looks l ike in

practice• How assessment is dif ferent w ith inquir y• The supporting role that technolog y plays in

inquir y• How to support your student in an inquir y-based

classroom

Neil StephensonP.D. & Outreach

Anne Tingle Library@CSS


All three were tremendously successful, thanks to the efforts of key members of our school community and the generosity and spirit of our whole school community. I am very pleased to report on the results.

The Terry Fox run at CSS, held on Friday, September 9th raised $9,023. I want to mention also that, once again, our students represented the school exceed-ingly well during the run itself. Well done. Thank you to all of our volunteers who helped with the

water stations, assisted in getting students safely to and from North Glenmore Park, and those who were able to support the effort with your donation.

All funds raised through the SUTP, balzac meats and other campaigns are spent according to the priority list that is set by a committee of school administration, school council representation, as well as one Board member. The priority list is shared with and approved by the school council prior to money being allocated. Specifically, monies raised go toward outdoor education equipment and site maintenance and repair at Camp Sweet, we purchase band instruments and uniforms, we support the health and wellness initiatives by purchasing equipment for daily physical activity, and there is money allocated to support community development initiatives such as the Forging Connections Conference and Community Garden.

Darrell LonsberryPrincipal

Fundraising UpdateCSS parent volunteers continue to do amazing work in raising funds for our school. This Fall has seen us do our annual Student Union Ticket Pak campaign, our Balzac Meats fundraiser, and the Terry Fox Run.


Css Athletes Have Been Extremely Busy Throughout The Summer And Fall.

The CSS Wrestling Team began its season in late October. Our CAAA League Championship will be hosted by CSS on November 30. It is a short but intense season. The wrestlers will be competing in 3 events in November.Congratulations, thank-you and good luck to all of our athletes and coaches!!!

Mr. Schmeichel and Mrs. Berry

Congratulations and thanks to all of the CSS Volleyball players and coaches. Our Senior teams end their seasons on November 4 and 5 with the CAAA League Championship tournaments. Our Junior teams will finish up the following week with some matches with Junior teams from other schools.

Congratulations to the Cross Country Running Team on a very successful season. The league championships were postponed from October 6 until October 26. Thanks to all of the athletes and coaches who extended their training and commitments to the team this year.

THIS MONTH’S PHYSICAL ACTIVITY


Research has shown that girls tend to fall behind in their science education because of lack of exposure, not lack of interest. A study by the University of Michigan found that hands-on activities are an important tool because “girls tend to respond more favourably to co-operative, small group environments.” CAGIS seeks to bridge that gap and to give girls exposure to a wide range of STEM fields, and allow them every opportunity to pursue their interests.

The CAGIS Calgary chapter will be hosting an Open House event on Saturday, November 19, 2011 from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM at the Calgary Girls’ School (School Gym) – located at 6304 Larkspur Way SW, Calgary, AB, T3E 5P7 – for girls aged 7-16 interested in joining CAGIS. There will be lots of fun experiments, hands-on activities and a chance to see what’s involved in being a CAGIS member.

For additional information on the new CAGIS chapter in Calgary and how to get involved as a member or a volunteer, please contact Nikkita Sahay, or Nadia Chamberland at <[email protected]> or visit www.cagis.ca. CAGIS

outreach activities from coast to coast. This expansion continues CAGIS’ vision of exposing girls to the creative and fun side of science.

Since its inception in 1992 by (then 9-year-old) Larissa Vingilis-Jaremko, CAGIS has striven to promote, support, and encourage

confidence and interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) among girls. “ We try to expose girls to the fun and exciting side of science by doing fun, hands-on activ-ities in a warm and supportive environment. This helps to build positive associations, confidence, and understanding of the sciences

Canadian Association For Girls In Science To Start New Chapter In Calgary, A B Calgar y, A lberta, October 20, 2011

The Canadian Association for Girls in Science (CAGIS) has announced a plan to start a new chapter of their successful science outreach program in Calgary, Alberta. This is part of a broader initiative to expand their

among the girls.” There are now eight CAGIS chapters across Canada including Vancouver, Toronto, and Ottawa. The new Calgary chapter is an exciting possibility for expansion for CAGIS as it strives to encourage interest and confidence in the sciences among young women.

is extremely grateful for their accomplished team of enthusiastic women volunteers from various walks of life, including students who often juggle their volunteering with their undergraduate or graduate work. They are wonderful role models for our young CAGIS members.

About CAGIS: CAGIS is a club for girls 7-16 who meet once a month to do fun, hands-on STEM activities. Events are led by men and women who have chosen to pursue careers in a variety of science-related fields and can be as diverse as the physics of skating, the chemistry of cooking or the engineering of bridges. CAGIS was awarded the Michael Smith Award for excellence in science promotion by the Canadian government.

CAGIS National

THIS MONTH’S PHYSICAL ACTIVITY


All percentages are based on the number of students who actually wrote the tests, not the number of students who are enrolled in that course.


Our 2010-2011 provincial achievement test results are in and we have spent some time analyzing them in order to inform our planning and instruction. The results are provided in the tables below. We should be very proud of the results, as they reflect a lot of hard work and learning. It is important to remember, though, that the tests are designed to assess the degree to which teachers are teaching the Alberta Programs of Studies; as such, people need to be wary about using the results to compare schools. The results are important for us to consider as a part of the overall picture of student learning and achievement. If you would like to hear more about the results, please attend the upcoming school council meeting, on November 2 at 7pm in the school library.

Provincial Achievement Test Results*Results in brackets are provincial results


Accountability Pillar Survey Results

The results are very strong, though there is the element titled Program of Studies within the Student Learning Opportunities category, which is below provincial results. One of the survey items within that category asked respondents whether they feel they have

Last February, CSS took part in the annual accountability pillar surveys. These surveys are administered province-wide and they are intended to measure of the very important characteristics of schools and school improvement.

Measure Category

Measure Category

Evaluation Measure Calgary Science

School Alberta

Current Result

Prev Year

Result

Prev 3 yr

Average

Current Result

Prev Year

Result

Prev 3 Yr

Average Overall

Safe and Caring Schools

Excellent Safe and Caring 92.4 92.5 91.7 88.1 87.6 86.6 Excellent

Student Learning Opportunities

n/a

Program of Studies 80.4 80.5 79.8 80.9 80.5 80.1 Good

Education Quality 94.7 96.2 95.7 89.4 89.2 88.9 Excellent

Drop Out Rate 0.0 0.0 1.0 4.2 4.3 4.7 Excellent High School Completion Rate (3 yr)

n/a n/a n/a 72.6 71.5 71.1 n/a

Student Learning Achievement (Grades K-9)

Excellent

PAT: Acceptable 98.8 98.5 97.0 79.3 79.1 78.0 Excellent

PAT: Excellence 59.3 45.5 44.4 19.6 19.4 18.5 Excellent

Preparation for Lifelong Learning, World of Work, Citizenship

n/a

Transition Rate (6 yr) n/a n/a n/a 59.3 59.8 59.3 n/a

Work Preparation 89.5 93.0 92.1 80.1 79.9 79.8 Good

Citizenship 89.5 90.1 87.4 81.9 81.4 79.9 Excellent Parental Involvement Excellent Parental

Involvement 90.0 87.6 86.6 79.9 80.0 79.4 Excellent

Continuous Improvement Excellent School

Improvement 84.9 86.6 85.6 80.1 79.9 78.8 Excellent

The results inform our planning and school improvement processes, with the results being reported in our annual education results report that we submit to Alberta Education in November. Below is a summary of the results from the 2010-2011 school year. Each category is an amalgamation

adequate access to a second language. Since CSS does not offer a second language program, our results for that item are very low, which drops the result for that whole category. If that one item is omitted, the results would have exceeded provincial results.

If you have any questions about the results, or would like further detail, I encourage you to attend the upcoming school council meeting on November 2 at 7pm in our school library.


of a number of survey items, or a synthesis of achievement test results. Students, staff and parents were all surveyed as part of the data gathering process.


Friends For Life– Introductory Session for Parents of Students in Grade 4

Thursday, November 3

6:30pm in the I.A.C.Presenter: Shannon Mitchell-Flek(School Counselor)

Upcoming Parent Information Sessions at CSS School Counsellor’s O� ce

All students in Grade 4 will be participating in the FRIENDS for Life program as part of the Health curriculum. Information will be provided about the program and offer tips for parents to help

support their child’s progress through the program.

Thursday, December 1

6:30pm in the GymPresenter: Neil Stephenson (Professional Development/Outreach Coordinator)

• Background information and definitions of inquiry• How current education research supports inquiry• Examples of strong, inquiry-based learning from our

classroom• How assessment is dif ferent with inquiry

• How to support your student in an inquiry-based classroom

Parent Information Session on Inquiry-Based Learning

6:30pm-8:30pm in the

Library*all sessions will be from Presenters: Stacey McRae-Arbuthnott (AHS) & Shannon Mitchell-Flek (School Counsellor)

Part 1– The Power of Parents– Thursday, January 26

Part 2– Talking With Your K ids– Thursday, February 23

Part 3– Helping Your Child Make Good Decisions–Thursday,

March 22

Part 4– W hat Parents Need to K now About Drug– Thursday, April 26

Kids and Drugs: A Parent’s Guide To Prevention 4 Part Workshop: dates below

The goal of these workshops is to equip parents with the infor-mation and resources they need to make good decisions and help

Topics in the New Year with dates to be announced:

• Gaming • Study Ski l ls and Organization (Grades

4-6 and Grades 7-9)

• Bully ing

Please see this PDF online from Alberta Health Services for more information:

Shannon Mitchell-Flek (School Counsellor)

http://fcrc.albertahealthservices.ca/pdfs/newsletter/November-Newsletter-2011.pdf

their child avoid problems with drugs. We hope to provide you with some tools you can use to effectively talk to and work with your

children in the area of drug prevention.


On October 5 and 6 CSS, together with profes-sional Calgary-based artists and scientists, hosted a one-of-a-kind Conference for students and teachers. “The Forging Connections Conference…..The Art of Science and the Science of Art” was a two-day event providing hands-on learning oppor-tunities for students, professional development for teachers and collaboration with the greater Calgary community. Nothing like this event had ever been done before in Calgary.

2011 FORGING CONNECTIONS WAS A HUGE SUCCESS.


Since April 2011 Fine Arts teachers from CSS collaborated with artists and scientists to develop unique workshops in drama, dance, visual arts and music to integrate how art and science are taught to students. Working together, an artist, a scientist and a teacher developed a show/tell/do-style workshop to demonstrate the science behind the art and the art behind the science. Groups were supported by the University of Calgary, Mount Royal University and Let`s Talk Science.

After the sessions, students commented they didn’t realize how much science was involved to create art – music, visual art, dance or drama – nor how much art exists in science. As students moved from session to session you could feel the excitement in the school.


We would like to acknowledge the generous support of $15,000 from the CSS Society to sponsor this unique event. Thanks to our experts for sharing their time and talents with CSS. Special thanks to Wendy Hutchins from Let’s Talk Science (www.letstalk-science.ca) for sourcing our science experts. Thanks to the teachers Andrew Bolen, Amy Vercleyen, Lorrie Emin, Candice Shaw, Jenny Trin, Carolyn Armstrong and Valerie Barnes and to parents Susanna Law, Canary Lo, Maureen Stewart, the Parent Volunteer Committee and the many parent volunteers who helped with set-up and during the conference. Together your work made Forging Connections a huge success. This conference proved that once again, “it’s never just an ordinary day” at the Calgary Science School.

Wendy Baillie and

Jackie Stewart


November 201130 31 1

Organizational Day–No Classes

2– Day 1School Council Meeting 7Pm

3– Day 2Friends for Life Introductory Session for Gr. 4 parents 6:30pm

4– Day 3 5

6 7– Day 4Picture Retakes

8– Day 5 6:30–8:30pm High School Info Session Gr.9

9– Day 6 10– Day 1Remembrance Day Assembly 10:30–11:15am

11Remembrance DaySchool Closed

12

13 14– Day 2 15– Day 3 16– Day 4Vaccinations– all gr. 6’s, gr. 9 girls Wrestling Tournament

17– Day 5 18– 19

20 21– Day 6 22– Day 1Board Meeting 5:30pmBand Commitee Meeting

23– Day 2 24– Day 3 25– Day 4 26

27 28– Day 5 29– Day 6 30 – Day 1

Student Led Conference4pm–8pm 8am–1pm

League Volleyball Tournaments


November 201128 29 30 30 1– Day 2

Parent Info Night: Gaming

2PD–No Classes

3

4 5– Day 3 6– Day 4 School Council Meeting 7Pm

7– Day 5 8– Day 6Winter Concert Showcase

9– Day 1 10

11 12– Day 2 13– Day 3 14– Day 4 15– Day 5 16– Day 6 17

18 19– Day 1 20– Day 2 21– Day 3 22– Day 4 23– Day 5Last Day of Classes

24

25Merry Christmas

26 27 28 29 30 31

Jan 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

December 2011

SCHOOL CLOSED

SCHOOL CLOSED

Peace Festival

november spectrum

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