sts express · sts students will be collecting non -perishable food items when they trick or treat...

OCTOBER 28, 2016

STS Express Weekly Newsletter

CONTENTS MESSAGE FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL........................................................................................... 3

THIS WEEK AT STS ....................................................................................................................................... 3

IMPORTANT DATES ........................................................................................................................... 4 OCTOBER ..................................................................................................................................................... 4

NOVEMBER ................................................................................................................................................. 4

SCHOOL CALENDARS ................................................................................................................................... 4

UPCOMING EVENTS – MARK YOUR CALENDAR! .............................................................................. 5 JUNO HOUSE PARENT PRESENTATION – UNDERSTANDING CHILD ANXIETY ............................................. 5

RSVP TO AN UPCOMING TOWN HALL – NOVEMBER 2 AND 10 ................................................................. 5

SENIOR SCHOOL STUDENTS AND ALUMNI SPEED MENTORING EVENT – NOVEMBER 4 ........................... 6

RSVP TO YOUR GRADE SOCIAL(S) ............................................................................................................... 6

LEGALLY BLONDE, THE MUSICAL ................................................................................................................ 7

FULL SCHOOL ANNOUNCEMENTS .................................................................................................... 7 A MESSAGE FROM MRS. HEATHER PROVENCHER ...................................................................................... 7

VOTE FOR STS! ............................................................................................................................................ 7

STUDENTS SCARE HUNGER THIS HALLOWEEN ........................................................................................... 7

LOOKING FOR SOMETHING? ....................................................................................................................... 9

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ANNOUNCEMENTS .................................................................................... 10 HALLOWEEN CELEBRATION – MONDAY, OCTOBER 31 ............................................................................. 10

FAMILY FUN NIGHT FOR GRADES 1-4 – NOVEMBER 17 ........................................................................... 10

PYP CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS LAUNCH PAD ...................................................................................... 11

MIDDLE AND SENIOR SCHOOL ANNOUNCEMENTS ........................................................................ 12 GRADE 8 QUÉBEC/OTTAWA LANGUAGE TRIP .......................................................................................... 12

SPRING BREAK SERVICE LEARNING IN COSTA RICA OR GUATEMALA: IT’S TIME TO APPLY! .................... 12

FALL INTERIM REPORT CARDS .................................................................................................................. 12

BOOKING WITH MS. CAINES DURING PARENT-TEACHER INTERVIEW TIMES ........................................... 13

SENIOR SCHOOL STUDENTS AND ALUMNI SPEED MENTORING EVENT – NOVEMBER 4 ......................... 13

CLASS OF 2017 - BABY PHOTOS NEEDED .................................................................................................. 13

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED ..................................................................................................................... 14 ELEMENTARY YEARBOOK PHOTOGRAPHY ASSISTANTS ........................................................................... 14

BLACK WATCH 2017 – SPRING, 2017 ........................................................................................................ 14

______________________________________________________________________________________________________ STS EXPRESS – Weekly Newsletter Page | 1

RECENT EVENTS .............................................................................................................................. 15 GRADE 3, AND 7 SOCIAL UPDATE ............................................................................................................. 15

MARTI MCKAY WEEK 2016 ....................................................................................................................... 15

STUDENTS ENGAGE IN SHOWCASING PUBLIC SPEAKING SKILLS AT THE INTERNATIONAL INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS PUBLIC SPEAKING COMPETITION (IISPSC) ................................................................................ 16

WESTERN CANADIAN INDEPENDENT SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIP A SWEET DELICACY .......... 17

THANK YOU STS BILLET FAMILIES! ............................................................................................................ 18


MESSAGE FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL

THIS WEEK AT STS

In an effort to showcase the many learning activities and accomplishments of our students, I thought that over the next few weeks, I might offer a few highlights from among the numerous examples that our well-balanced students and inspiring teachers produce together on a regular basis. A highlight of this week has been the Grade 7 band concert; the first in the band career of these young musicians. It always amazes me to see how much progress has been made in the first few weeks of school by these beginners. Unlike an instrument such as the piano, on which one can produce a pretty nice sound on a single note, even if you’ve never touched one before, playing a wind instrument requires students to learn a great deal before they can produce a single, pleasing tone. The key word here is “pleasing.” Producing the correct embouchure and then synchronizing this with proper breathing techniques and fingering positions is a fairly complex task that requires the coordination of many different muscle groups. Those of you who have band students in your homes can surely attest to the challenges of listening to the squeaks and squawks of those early days as they wrestle with their sound production technique. I am sure you will agree that it is quite remarkable to hear them come together in the fourth week of October to perform a short concert. Although there are typically a few rough edges, in a very short period of time the students have been able to refine their individual sound, read pitches and rhythms, and perform musical arrangements together as members of an ensemble. That is amazing progress! While the students’ performance would have been enough on its own to entertain and impress the audience, this was augmented by the incredible acting abilities of some of our Grade 7 teachers. Mr. Carlson dressed as a goose was certainly a stand-out, but Ms. Harrison and Mr. MacDonald delivered their dramatic roles in an equally convincing manner and with the ease and panache of seasoned thespians. Bravo! And congratulations to Ms. Willmon and Mr. Uzick for their fine instruction and musical directing. Stay tuned next week for another STS highlight. In the meantime, don’t forget to mark your calendars for other upcoming musical performances, including Legally Blonde in the last week of November and the seasonal band and choral concerts in the 2nd week of December. Dr. William Jones Head of School


IMPORTANT DATES Be sure to check for new events throughout the year online.

OCTOBER

October 31, 2016 Casual Dress Day/Halloween Costumes

NOVEMBER

November 1, 2016 Juno House Parent Presentation – Understanding Child Anxiety November 2, 2016 Town Hall with Dr. Jones Glencoe Club @ 7:00 pm November 10, 2016 Town Hall with Dr. Jones Peter B. Ditchburn Library @ 6:00 pm November 11, 2016 Remembrance Day Assembly Formal Uniforms

SCHOOL CALENDARS For more important dates and upcoming events, the following school calendars can be found on the STS website: 2016 – 2017 School Calendar Upcoming Events Calendar


https://www.sts.ab.ca/mysts-parents-calendar

http://www.sts.ab.ca/document.doc?id=1411

https://www.sts.ab.ca/mysts-parents-calendar

UPCOMING EVENTS – MARK YOUR CALENDAR!

JUNO HOUSE PARENT PRESENTATION – UNDERSTANDING CHILD ANXIETY

Just a reminder that today is the last chance to RSVP for this informative session! This presentation will take place at STS on Tuesday, November 1, from 7:00 – 9:00 pm. Please RSVP to [email protected] before midnight Friday, October 28. Please be sure to include the number of people attending and add 'Juno House' in your subject line. You will not want to miss Tasha Belix when she visits our community to educate us about anxiety and how it manifests in children and adolescents along with a clear five step approach for parents to help you support your children as they ride the emotional rollercoaster that is their life. You will leave this presentation with valuable insights and strategies to support your children no matter their age! Tasha, a registered psychologist, has been practicing for over 20 years. Her field of experience ranges from working with The Alberta Alcohol and Drug Abuse Center; a counselling center focusing on play therapy for children; helping children and families within the foster care system and a counselling service supporting families dealing with depression, anxiety and trauma. She currently has her own practice as well as being affiliated with Juno House, a Calgary counselling group that focuses on supporting the mental health of adolescent girls.

• Five steps you can use as you coach your child in dealing with their emotions. • An understanding of anxiety and why/how it shows up in our children. • An understanding of your child’s fight/flight response and how to coach them

through it. • Some tips on guiding technology use.

RSVP TO AN UPCOMING TOWN HALL – NOVEMBER 2 AND 10

Seize this opportunity to speak with teachers directly about what they are most excited about in the new facilities and what they think the biggest impact on student learning will be. Please join us for a special faculty panel discussion hosted by Dr. Jones, Head of School. Inspired STS faculty presenters include: Ms. Brigid Taylor, Grade 1 teacher and curriculum leader Mr. Mark Race, Grade 4 teacher, curriculum leader, and chair of the STS “maker movement” Mr. James Wick, Grade 6 teacher and curriculum leader Mrs. Heather Provencher, artistic director, choral programming


mailto:[email protected]

This is an exciting time at STS. Don’t miss this opportunity to visualize your children thriving in our new inspiring building! Sign up now for one of only two Town Halls being held this fall! Please RSVP to [email protected] or call Caroline Banadar at 403-938-8344 to indicate which Town Hall you plan on attending. Wednesday, November 2 at 7:00 pm at the Glencoe Club or Thursday, November 10 at 6:00 pm (following Middle and Senior School Parent-Teacher Interviews) in the Peter B. Ditchburn Library. The faculty look forward to sharing their vision and passion. See you there! Refreshments will be served.

SENIOR SCHOOL STUDENTS AND ALUMNI SPEED MENTORING EVENT – NOVEMBER 4

Senior School students are invited to attend the 6th Annual Alumni Speed Mentoring session on November 4, 2016, in the Peter B. Ditchburn Library from 1:30 to 3:30 pm. Alumni from various professional backgrounds will be on campus to talk about what to expect in university and the professional working world that follows. Space is limited. Click here to register today. For further information, please don’t hesitate to contact Brenda Thompson at [email protected] or 403-938-8318.

RSVP TO YOUR GRADE SOCIAL(S)

We are pleased to invite all STS parents to your child(ren)’s grade social where you can socialize with returning parents, welcome new families, and find out how you can be involved with the STS community. Join us for an evening of delightful conversations and cocktails, 7:00 – 9:00 pm. You should receive an e-invitation from your grade’s parent host four to six weeks prior to each grade social. If you have any questions regarding the socials, please contact Caroline Banadar at 403-938-8344, [email protected]. Grade 9 Friday, November 4 Jonathan and Val Robins Grade 12 Saturday, November 5 Alec Clark and Sloan Pipella- Clark ’81 Grade 6 Saturday, November 12 Moez and Salima Lakhani Grade 10 Friday, November 18 Kent and Andrea Cochrane


https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2016AlumniMentoring



Are you interested in getting involved? We are currently looking for parent volunteers to join our STS Community Ambassador and Mentor Committee. If you’d like to find out more about this opportunity, please contact Caroline at 403-938-8344 or [email protected].

LEGALLY BLONDE, THE MUSICAL

A fabulously fun international award-winning musical based on the adored movie, Legally Blonde, Legally Blonde, the Musical will take you from the sorority house to the halls of justice with Broadway and STS’s brightest new heroine. Legally Blonde, the Musical will be performed November 30, December 1 and 2 at 7:00 pm and December 3 at 2:00 pm. Tickets go on sale November 7 and will be available through our website.

Equal parts hilarious and heart-warming, this musical is so much fun, it should be illegal! Mark your calendar…we’ll see you at the show!

FULL SCHOOL ANNOUNCEMENTS

A MESSAGE FROM MRS. HEATHER PROVENCHER

This is an exciting time at STS. Don’t miss this opportunity to visualize your children thriving in our new inspiring building! https://youtu.be/Ju8AXMjfZ-0

VOTE FOR STS!

STS is in the running again this year to be voted best private school in Calgary Herald’s Readers’ Choice Awards. Help keep our 2015-2016 title alive! Vote before October 31. https://contests.canada.com/calgaryherald/readerschoice/index.html

STUDENTS SCARE HUNGER THIS HALLOWEEN

STS students will be collecting non-perishable food items when they trick or treat on Monday, October 31. They will be letting their neighbours know ahead of time with ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ STS EXPRESS – Weekly Newsletter Page | 7


https://youtu.be/Ju8AXMjfZ-0

https://contests.canada.com/calgaryherald/readerschoice/index.html

posters, and will be wearing “Scare Hunger” badges on their costumes on Halloween night. All food donations will go to the Calgary Food Bank, the Okotoks Food Bank, and the Veterans Food Drive. This initiative was originally started by the We organization – calling on kids across Canada to use their superpowers for good on Halloween to help stop hunger in its tracks. Two STS students, siblings Griffin ’20 and Maddie ’17 el Baroudi, took up this fight and are now challenging their classmates to gather as much food as they can on Monday. Download the We Scare Hunger poster and Spartans Scare Hunger sticker logo here to help support this initiative:

SPORTSWEAR SALE CONTINUES AT TWEEDS AND MORE!

Save 50% off selected gym wear:

• Adidas athletic wear including pants, jackets, and shirts in available sizes

• Adult-sized sweat pants

• Adult-sized gray hoodies • Navy, long-sleeved cotton gym t-shirts

This is a rare opportunity! Top up your student's gym wear, be a proud STS parent and consider something for yourself, or start your holiday shopping early.


Come into Tweeds and More during the store's regular hours, Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 11:00 am – 1:00 pm., OR shop during our NEW Friday afternoon hours. (We heard you!)

For a trial basis, and to give parents another opportunity to purchase STS uniform and merchandise items for school as well as upcoming holidays, Tweeds and More will be open from 2:30 – 4:30 pm on November 4, 11, 18, 25, and December 1, 9.

See you on Friday afternoons!

If you have questions, email us at [email protected].

LOOKING FOR SOMETHING?

Check the Lost and Found. Open Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 11:00 am -1:00 pm, and Friday 3:15 – 3:45 pm. If you require further assistance please email us at lost&[email protected].


mailto:lost&[email protected]

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ANNOUNCEMENTS HALLOWEEN CELEBRATION – MONDAY, OCTOBER 31 Calling all witches and goblins! The Elementary School Halloween Celebration will take place on the afternoon of Monday, October 31. We are asking children to dress in casual dress and bring their costume to school so they can change for the afternoon festivities. We are very excited to see the children’s costumes and just a gentle reminder to leave play weapons which may go with their costume, at home. The always anticipated Halloween parade and optional Prefect Haunted House will begin at 1:15 pm starting in the Elementary School wing. The afternoon will conclude with a Halloween concert by the Grade 9 band in the C.A. Smith Arts Centre (theatre), starting at approximately 2:50 pm. Please see the information in the Full School Announcements regarding the pumpkin carving contest organized by this year’s Prefects!

FAMILY FUN NIGHT FOR GRADES 1-4 – NOVEMBER 17

Looking for an opportunity to be active with your kids? Look no further. On Thursday, November 17, 2016 from 3:45 - 4:45 pm the Grades 1-4 students and their families are invited for Family Fun Night. Please come dressed and ready for activity. With the gyms set-up for enjoyable games like scooter scoop ball, doctor dodge ball and other favourites, you are in store for a night of both activity and great memories! The electronic consent has been sent home and is due Novemebr 10 at 12:00 noon. If you have any questions please contact Ms. Emily Ford ([email protected]).


https://www.sts.ab.ca/my-sts/sts-express/FullSchoolAnnouncements

https://www.sts.ab.ca/my-sts/sts-express/FullSchoolAnnouncements


PYP CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS LAUNCH PAD

Welcome to the Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School PYP Curriculum Connections Launch Pad. What is happening in our PYP? Please click on the links below to access information about the inquiries taking place within many different aspects of our Primary Years Programme.

Primary Years Programme

A whole school approach to curriculum design

Click here for our Programme of

Inquiry: an overview of our

Units of Inquiry from Grades 1 to 6

Grade 1 Unit of Inquiry







https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9My_XsrxS0qc25CUmhvRFllS3M/view?usp=sharing



https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9My_XsrxS0qTmdtTG1ZX0xpQUE/view?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9My_XsrxS0qTmdtTG1ZX0xpQUE/view?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9My_XsrxS0qUVNNem9RallKcDA/view?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9My_XsrxS0qUVNNem9RallKcDA/view?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9My_XsrxS0qbVh4eFZJSzd4TlE/view?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9My_XsrxS0qbVh4eFZJSzd4TlE/view?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9My_XsrxS0qZVFsZnVHZ19KR1U/view?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9My_XsrxS0qZVFsZnVHZ19KR1U/view?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9My_XsrxS0qNmxXUmRZQ0gxUm8/view?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9My_XsrxS0qNmxXUmRZQ0gxUm8/view?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9My_XsrxS0qNzRKbFBPaUdxV2c/view?usp=sharing



MIDDLE AND SENIOR SCHOOL ANNOUNCEMENTS

GRADE 8 QUÉBEC/OTTAWA LANGUAGE TRIP

Did you know that La Capitale-Nationale is situated in Québec, but the Nation’s Capital is found in Ottawa? This year’s Grade 8 French-language students will have the opportunity to explore that interesting fact and much more during our week-long trip to Québec City and Ottawa in April of next year. To learn more, please join us on Tuesday, November 1 at 6:00 pm for a brief, but important, informational meeting concerning the trip. The rationale, itinerary and other details will be discussed. You will also have the opportunity to ask any questions you might have. The meeting will be over before the Juno House presentation scheduled at 7:00 pm that evening, allowing you to be in attendance for both if necessary.

SPRING BREAK SERVICE LEARNING IN COSTA RICA OR GUATEMALA: IT’S TIME TO APPLY!

For the past five years, STS has been providing service learning opportunities for Senior School students in both Costa Rica and Guatemala on an annual basis, during the Spring Break holiday period. I am pleased to invite applications for the March, 2017 projects at this time. Students have positive, enriching adventures, and I would welcome the support of parents in encouraging broad participation. To express interest in either project, students can submit a single paragraph that describes the nature of their interest, and specifically addresses the phrase “When I have completed the project in ______, I will be better able to __________”. Students can email Mr. Mercer directly at [email protected]. Aside from being great fun, the projects help students understand their places in the world, and foster global mindedness and philanthropic outlooks. Please contact Mr. Mercer at 403 -938 -9117 (direct line) if you would like more information about any aspects of the projects.

FALL INTERIM REPORT CARDS

Fall Interim Report Cards for the Middle and Senior School will be published via Managebac on Thursday, November 3 between 3:00 and 5:00 pm. Parents with Managebac accounts will be notified via email when reports are published. Booking appointments for the Fall Parent-Teacher Interviews will be live as of October 31 at 3:30 pm at https://sts.schoolappointments.com. Click here for instructions for how to book appointments via this system. If you need any assistance or run into any difficulties, please contact Mrs. Alanna Wellwood at [email protected] or 403-995-5464 (during school hours) or 403-630-3047 (after school hours).



https://sts.schoolappointments.com/

http://www.sts.ab.ca/file/SchoolAppointmentsInstructionSheet.pdf


BOOKING WITH MS. CAINES DURING PARENT-TEACHER INTERVIEW TIMES Due to the nature of conversations around university planning, Ms. Caines will not be booking short appointments through the usual system. Rather, if you would like to book with Ms. Caines during any of the time designated Parent-Teacher Interviews, please email her directly at [email protected] at your earliest convenience. Interview times are: November 8 from 4:00-8:00 pm November 10 from 1:00-6:00 pm

SENIOR SCHOOL STUDENTS AND ALUMNI SPEED MENTORING EVENT – NOVEMBER 4

Senior School Students are invited to attend the 6th Annual Alumni Speed Mentoring session on November 4, 2016, in the Peter B. Ditchburn Library from 1:30 to 3:30 pm. In attendance will be at least 10 - 15 alumni mentors who will provide students with information and advice as to what to expect in university and in the professional working world that follows. Professions currently being represented are listed below: Liam Dinning ’00 – Engineering Mike Mannix ’00 – Commercial Real Estate Sarah Black ’00 – Law Katherine Stewart ’00 – Marketing and Communications Ian Graham ’93 – Business Jason Fong ’03 – Accounting Mark Le Dain ’08 – Finance Aimee-Jo Benoit ‘97 – Arts Patrizia Mazzolani-Kemp ’79 – Dentistry Sloan Pipella-Clark ’81 – Nursing/Psychiatry Rachel Bond ’97 – Medicine Paul Storwick ’78 – Family Business Space is limited. Click here to register today. For further information, please don’t hesitate to contact Mrs. Brenda Thompson at [email protected] or 403-938-8318. CLASS OF 2017 - BABY PHOTOS NEEDED In preparation for June’s Grad Breakfast slide show, we are asking parents of Grade 12 students to search their photo albums for two photographs of their graduate - one as a baby and the other in their early school days. Please scan and forward both photos ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ STS EXPRESS – Weekly Newsletter Page | 13


https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2016AlumniMentoring


to [email protected] by Monday, December 12, 2016. Please remember to indicate the students name in the subject line and on each photo. Thank you!

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED POSTS welcomes all new and returning volunteers! Just a friendly reminder that all volunteers (new and old) must fill in the volunteer registration form prior to any volunteer duties.

ELEMENTARY YEARBOOK PHOTOGRAPHY ASSISTANTS

We require one or two parents per grade to assist Elementary School yearbook staff with taking photos throughout the year.

BLACK WATCH 2017 – SPRING, 2017

Every two years, POSTS organizes a wonderful evening for the Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School parent community. If you are looking for a place to share your creative, organizational and event planning talents, and spend your time with a group of energetic, committed and social people, please volunteer for the Black Watch committee. We need your skills to help plan this major event including generating sponsors, organizing auctions, selling tickets, finding entertainment, marketing the event and much more. Email [email protected] to indicate your interest to volunteer as soon as possible or if you have any questions. Please fill in and return this year's volunteer registration form prior to any volunteer duties. Details about all volunteer opportunities are available in the Volunteer Handbook.



http://www.sts.ab.ca/POSTS-Volunteer-Registstration


https://www.sts.ab.ca/POSTS-Volunteer-Registration

https://www.sts.ab.ca/POSTS-Volunteer-Registration

http://www.sts.ab.ca/file/Volunteer-Handbook-2016-2017.pdf

RECENT EVENTS

GRADE 3, AND 7 SOCIAL UPDATE

Thanks to our hosts Susan and Cameron Brauer for hosting the Grade 3 social, and Patti Simpson and Dino De Luca for hosting the Grade 7 social this week! New and returning families mingled and shared stories and conversations, all while enjoying delicious appetizers and drinks. Thanks to each and every one who attended, we so appreciate you taking advantage of the opportunity the parent socials provide to build connections and relationships with the STS parent community. These socials wouldn’t have been possible without our generous hosts who opened their lovely homes to welcome our parents and for that we are grateful.

MARTI MCKAY WEEK 2016

This year marked STS’ 32nd annual Marti McKay week, a celebration of the literary and creative arts. Marti McKay was an STS student who started at the school in 1979. She excelled in the creative arts and had a passion for writing. In 1981, a tragic asthma incident ended her life, but in order to honour her memory, a fund was established to bring artists-in-residence to STS every year. This gift to our school community reflects the spirit of Marti McKay and offers enrichment opportunities in the literary and creative arts to all of our students. A beautiful display wall celebrating Marti McKay Week was created by STS parent, Bhavini Ruparell. The theme of the display is “What is Happiness,” and staff and students have been adding their reflections to this question on the curved wall facing the Black Watch Bistro. The large Marti McKay image also displayed on the wall is made up of smaller pictures of all our STS students and everyone has enjoyed finding themselves within the larger image. Students were fortunate to enjoy presentations this year by three distinguished presenters. On Wednesday, October 19, students in Grades 4-9 heard from David Bouchard. Mr. Bouchard is a Canadian Metis author who has written over 50 books. He is a well-regarded Canadian figure with a public school in Oshawa, Ontario named after him and he has been awarded the Order of Canada. Mr. Bouchard is a storyteller and is passionate about inspiring young people to read. David Bouchard engaged students with legends and stories, and for the older students, he focused on Truth and Reconciliation. The students thoroughly enjoyed his humour and passion for storytelling. On Thursday, October 20, STS hosted Renata Liwska, a children’s book illustrator Ms. Liwska presented to Grades 1-3, and her wonderful drawings can be found in the New York Times best-selling picture books, The Quiet Book and The Loud Book. She has


been a finalist for the Canadian Governor General’s Award for Children’s Illustration three times and was awarded a gold medal from the Society of Illustrators in 2010 for Original Art in Children’s Book Illustration. Our younger students are very familiar with her books, so it was a big treat for them to meet her! Finally, on Thursday October 20, we also hosted documentary film maker, Chris Temple. Chris presented to Grades 7 and 8 and 10-12 and students enjoyed a film screening of his newest documentary, Salam Neighbor, as well as a post-screening discussion and question period about the process of creating the film. Chris and his partner, Zach Ingrasci, founded Living on One, a social impact studio dedicated to creating films and educational videos to raise awareness and inspire action around pressing global issues. The goal of their film, Salam Neighbor, is to tell the story of our world’s refugees, in this case Syrian, so that people better understand refugee life and how the right programs can support and empower refugees as well as reduce the stress on host countries. The students were really moved and engaged by the film, and asked excellent questions after the presentation. A number of our students also stayed through lunch to speak more with Chris and learn about his projects and foundation. It was a great week with fabulous presentations. Our students were entertained, but also inspired. Marti McKay Week continues to have such a positive impact on our students!

STUDENTS ENGAGE IN SHOWCASING PUBLIC SPEAKING SKILLS AT THE INTERNATIONAL INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS PUBLIC SPEAKING COMPETITION (IISPSC)

Last week three students, Ben Spilak ’20 Chelli Shapiro ’20 and Brynne Stewart ’19 travelled to Vancouver participating in the IISPSC hosted by Collingwood School in West Vancouver. Eleven different countries, including Canada, participated at the tournament with a total of 42 different schools competing. All students must compete in three categories and perform their selections twice. The total points for all rounds are tabulated to determine top schools. We are proud to report the STS team were ranked in the 6th position out of 42 schools. Special congratulations go to Brynne who advanced to the finals in Impromptu Speaking and was ranked in fifth spot going in. Chelli also advanced to the finals in Dramatic Interpretation and Parliamentary Debate where going into the finals, she was ranked in third place. Congratulations also to Chelli who won silver in Dramatic Interpretation and won third overall in the Under 16 Category! To place sixth place, all three students demonstrated outstanding public speaking skills and were wonderful ambassadors for Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School.


WESTERN CANADIAN INDEPENDENT SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIP A SWEET DELICACY

Determination, perseverance, effort, and team work, key ingredients not only to run a successful Western Canadian Independent School Volleyball Championship (WCISVC), but also to create a flourishing team. From October 12-15 the Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School Senior Women’s Varsity Spartans hosted this prestigious tournament accommodating teams from across Western Canada and competing in challenging matches against spirited and resilient competitors. More than a volleyball tournament, WCISVC had many highlights. The cheering from our whole school, and the encouragement cards that were written by our Grades 1-9 students were very much appreciated and were commented on by both athletes and coaches alike. Opening ceremonies featuring Spartacus, music videos, piano performances by Kevin Tucker ’18 and Alix Tucker ‘21, and lots of humour from our two emcees, Glen McArthur ’17 and Thomas Melvin-Smith ’17, cooked up some fun. Serving up delicious snacks and meals, POSTS, many parent volunteers, and our Bistro fueled and nourished the teams, coaches, officials, and the many Junior and Senior Varsity volleyball hosts and student helpers. The entertainment continued with all athletes participating in their own Mini Pod Olympics organized by STS Prefects that featured games like human bowling and a team-legged obstacle course. In addition, many families opened up their homes to billet our out of province guests. The generosity of these families and how they lived our school mission “Nil Nisi Optimum - nothing but our best” definitely was the icing on the cake. Further, the banquet dinner at Canyon Meadows Golf Course celebrated team’s successes, inspired with our alumni guest speakers Janice Heard ’75, Beth MacFarlane ’08, and Erin Rathwell ’00, and praised athlete’s prowess. A great ambiance, delicious food, and engaging company always makes for a nice evening. Two highpoints for the Spartans involved watching the excitement and humble surprise as Sarah Clark ’17 was chosen as the WCISVC Tournament’s Most Valuable Defensive Player, and also the joy and pride the Spartans had when our captain Nicole Shah ’17 was given honorable mention in the categories of Tournament Most Valuable Blocker and Tournament Most Valuable Hitter and was selected as our team’s Most Valuable Player for the tournament. With our Calgary rivals, Rundle taking home the gold, York House silver, and bronze going to Crofton House, the Spartans are working hard to serve up some tougher defense and offense before we head into league playoffs and the run for another zones banner and a berth to provincials. Although the tournament’s outcome was not in the Spartan’s favour, the girls gained game experience against fast-paced, intense volleyball teams, learned perseverance and mental toughness in dealing with injuries, and they are working on finding their hunger to dig in and play.


Thank you to the faculty, staff, parents, and student community that made this tournament memorable and special. Without their dedication, creativity, and hard work this tournament would not have been possible. Not quite satiated, the Spartans head into playoffs and finals looking forward to some tantalizing results; please check out future express editions for some tidbits on the team’s progress.

THANK YOU STS BILLET FAMILIES!

For four days, 23 STS families billeted 63 Senior Varsity volleyball female athletes, proving the hospitality of our school once again. There were benefits all around… it was pretty easy to do; one dinner, three breakfasts, busing available or a few rides to the School, in return for meeting these lovely, respectful, appreciative young women. They were awestruck by their billeter’s care, support and hospitality. Billet families embodied the School and its values by giving quality time and the warmth of a home to these young athletes. Everyone had a great time and they enriched STS families’ lives for a few days. Teresa Klotz said, “I was very glad I participated in this. I had very nice kids and it was great to host them for a few days. I had both sets of parents comment that knowing their kids were with a family gave them reassurance that they were in good hands. As well, they appreciated the cost savings that billeting provided, as they didn't have to pay extra for meals, hotels, etc. on top of the flights to Calgary. Billeting also developed a connection between the girls and my daughter, which is nice from an interpersonal point of view.” Thanks to the billet families for their commitment, which helped make the WCIS tournament great and a wonderful reflection on the School.


sts express · sts students will be collecting non -perishable food items when they trick or treat...

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