hall talk - Delta West Academy

Delta West Academy presents ... Hall
Talk
27 September, 2012
Welcome Back Students!
Hall Talk
2
page 2
Hall Talk is a monthly publication used to promote the achievements
of our students, enhance communication within the school
community regarding upcoming events and convey messages in a fun
and positive manner.
Hall Talk will be published monthly. It will be emailed to each family
on the last date of each month.
Hall Talk will consist of photos, articles and messages produced by
staff members, parents and students of Delta West Academy.
Hall Talk will not accept any advertising offers or promotions from any
businesses.
What’s Inside
page 2! !
What is Hall Talk
page 3! !
Message from Head of School
page 4!!
Mural
page 5! !
Golf Lessons / 20th year celebrations
page 6! !
Annual School Hike
page 7! !
Welcome Back BBQ
page 8! !
Meet the teacher — Bernie Dowhan
page 9! !
U of C visit, in Remembrance
page 10!
Nutrition Tips
Hall Talk
3
Greetings from Ms. Dutchuk-Smith, Head of School
Welcome to “Hall Talk!” Once a month “Hall Talk” will replace the usual
Thursday email. We are excited to have the opportunity to share with you the
events of the past month in greater detail including a sneak peak of upcoming
events. September was full of wonderful events, including a twist on our
annual parent BBQ which was foody-licious! Hall Talk promises to be an
exciting read.
As Head of School, I am very excited to see a return of the monthly newsletter,
something we have done in previous years but dropped in favour of the
Thursday emails. In keeping with our 20 year celebrations, several events and
activities that have been student and parent favorites will return.
Carola (Mrs. Tiltmann) and I started the school 20 years ago with the hopes of
creating a place where students wanted to be instead of had to be. School was
supposed to be “fun” for all grades not just for the little ones. I have to admit
that in the 20 years the school has been in operation there has never been a day
when we haven’t had laughter or smiles echoing throughout the school.
I am looking forward to October; it promises to be a fun-filled month with lots
of events including the return of the High School retreat.
Denise Dutchuk-Smith
Head of School
Hall Talk
4
Real-life Project for the High School Art Students
Last week, renowned local artist Kid Belo has been commissioned by the Head of School to
create a mural with our High School Art students. The mural will include a dragon, references
to our Pre ECS to Grade 12 programs and the Dynamic, Worldly and Accomplished aspects of
our school community. You may recognize Kid Belo’s work from Holt Renfrew, The City of
Calgary and our upper stairwell. We are pleased to have our students work on such a unique
project with an accomplished artist. This is a real world opportunity in keeping with Mrs.
Dutchuk-Smith and Ms. Tiltmann’s original vision for the school.
Hall Talk
5
Golf Lessons at National Golf Academy
The Physical Education classes had the
opportunity to learn the fundamentals of golf
during the month of September.
The lessons included tips on the grip, swing
alignment, putting and club selection.
Thank you to Ms. Dennis, Ms. Collins and the
instructors at the National Golf Academy for
their patience and skill in introducing the
game of golf to many of the students.
20th Year Celebrations
It’s hard to believe that Delta West Academy is
celebrating our twentieth year as a school. From our
initial 7 students attending classes in a downtown
office building, to our current population of over 100
students at the Bridgeland School, we have seen a lot
of growth and change! As co-founders of Delta West
Academy, Mrs. Dutchuk-Smith
and Ms. Tiltmann should feel a
great sense of accomplishment in
reaching this twentieth year.
To kick off our celebrations,
September
saw
some
fun
changes to some annual school events. Denise
Dutchuk-Smith, Head of School, and Carola Tiltmann,
Principal, led some students in a cake cutting
ceremony on the first day of school. Additionally, all
at the Annual Parent Barbeque welcomed the arrival
of YYC Food Trucks. As always, it was wonderful to
see our families enjoying the delicious food and
bouncy castles before the meeting.
Throughout the year, we will reference the
anniversary celebrations in our House league
Challenges, parent and family events and special
days at school. You may find some different faces in
the school as we will be encouraging our recent (and
not-so recent!) alumni to attend these events. This is
an opportunity for our Delta West Academy
community to come together, celebrate D.W.A. and
meet some of our Dynamic, Worldly and
Accomplished alumni. For current parents, this is the
chance to meet the alumni, and discuss with them
how our unique programs, real world experiences
and small classes have lead to their success into the
post secondary world and beyond.
Finally, our Commencement Ceremonies on Saturday,
June 22, 2013 will not only focus on the 2012-2013
School Year, but 20 years of Transformative Journeys.
We anticipate that this event will be the culmination
of celebrations big and small, and will acknowledge
the accomplishments of our Delta West Academy
community over the years.
by Ms. Forsch
Hall Talk
The Annual School Hike! A Refreshing Start to the School Year.
Interview with Maya Thaker, Grade 5
Q – What are your impressions of the
school hike?
A -- I found the school hike very enjoyable, and
a great way to start off a year. Being in nature is
exceptional.
Q – Why is the school hike important?
A – Along the way, there and back, is a great
way to catch up with friends, and to meet the
new students and teachers too!
Q – Any other messages or advice?
A – I sure was excited and I’m sure everyone else was as well!
6
Hall Talk
BACK
TO
SCHOOL
BAR-B-Q ...
FUN,
FRIENDS,
FOOD,
BOUNCERS,
SUMO’S,
HUMAN
FOOSBALL,
BALL-PITS !
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Hall Talk
8
Delta West Academy
welcomes Mr. Bernie Dowhan
Bernie Dowhan is the new Director of Admissions
at Delta West Academy. While he may be new to the
position, he is quick to point out that he is not new
to the field of education, “ My experience in
education is varied and notable. I have taught for
over 12 years in both public and private education,
in Calgary and in Manitoba. I spent the last six
years at Webber Academy where I taught Grade Six
science and Junior High social studies.”
Originally born in Calgary, Mr. Dowhan has lived in
a variety of communities in all three Prairie
Provinces. He received his B.Ed. from Brandon
University in 1999.
Mr. Dowhan and his wife, Michelle, have two
wonderful children, Grady (6) and Taylor (3). They
also have a pet dog named Leroy and a pet snake
named Bubba.
In his spare time, Mr. Dowhan loves to play and
coach sports including rugby, hockey and golf. He
is an avid reader, especially of Canadian history.
Mr. Dowhan is looking forward to meeting each
and every family of the Delta West Academy
community. Please do not hesitate to contact him
if you have a concern or know of a family
interested in attending Delta West Academy.
Hall Talk
9
U of C to visit DWA
Students in Grade 10 -12 are invited to a lunch hour meet and greet with Steven Kelly, a recruitment
officer with the University of Calgary.
Mr. Kelly will be highlighting the programs and explaining the benefits of attending the University of
Calgary.
Students are asked to bring a lunch to school on that day. The meeting will occur from 12:20 to 1:00
pm in room 4 on Tuesday, October 23rd.
While the primary focus for this information meeting is for Grade 12’s, it is never too early for
students in Grades 10 and 11 to be informed.
In Memory …
Baby Franco’s tree….
What does one say or do at a time of loss sometimes it’s without any words at all that we offer
support. Our family decided to plant a tree in the
name of baby Franco so his memory will be with all
of us forever, and serve as a reminder that life is a
gift for us to cherish.
I think Boris had the most eloquent words about our
gift…. “Thanks for the tree in Franco’s honor…we now
feel like we have roots in Canada”. It brought a tear
to my eye and I can’t think of a better way to sum up
the new tree planted in front of the school in honor
of a special soul taken too soon from us. Boris and
Tamara please enjoy our small gift and we hope your
“roots” keep growing here!
The Thannhauser Family
Hall Talk
Breakfast is A Must!
Parents strive to give their children every advantage when
it comes to furthering their education, yet many families
overlook a simple, and effective way to help their children
be better students—breakfast! By ensuring your child gets
10
good reason to eat breakfast, is that it helps ensure
children get enough vitamins and minerals, as research
has shown four out of five children do not get enough
from lunch and dinner alone. By adding breakfast, children
are more likely to get the vitamins and minerals they need.
a good breakfast each morning before heading off to
school, you will be giving them an essential start to their
day.
Everybody’s heard it before...breakfast is the most
important meal of the day, it’s true, but what you eat is
also crucial. When you wake up in the morning your body
has been fasting for a number of hours (hence, breakfast =
break the fast). Essentially, breakfast jump starts brains
and bodies. Some research shows that people who skip
breakfast on a regular basis are 400 times more likely to
be obese, than those that don’t. Eating breakfast regularly
is an important habit to instill in your children when they
are young, so that it lasts a lifetime, and is more easily
acquired if it is regular part of the household routine.
Eat breakfast yourself. “Showing” teaches more than
simply “telling.” Your child will follow what you do.
Sometimes, as parents we feel that grabbing a quick bite is
sufficient for breakfast. However, it is important to
remember that in school, students are learning new
concepts and ideas on a daily basis, requiring them to
have higher energy requirements than doing something
routine or familiar, which is what most people do at work
every day. In addition, in a work environment, the luxury
of getting up and “grabbing a bite” is always available,
however in a school setting this is not often the case. After
breakfast, the first opportunity students have to eat
something is at 10:40 am, making it even more crucial to
have a nutritionally dense breakfast. Children who do not
eat a good breakfast become tired in school and have
shorter attention spans, especially late in the morning.
Give your child time to wake up. Many kids aren’t hungry
right away. Rushing puts pressure on breakfast eating.
Wake up earlier, or try to prepare breakfast the night
before, so that it is ready to go in the morning. Another
Breakfast does not need to
complicated, or fancy, just
balanced and nutritious. A good
breakfast should include one food
from at least three of the four food
groups. Here are some ideas:
• It takes minimal time to put a slice of cheese
between two slices of whole grain bread on the way
out the door. Add a handful of raisins and breakfast
is complete!
• Keep convenient foods on hand, such as yogurt,
yogurt tubes, fruit, cheese sticks or cubes, quick
cooking oatmeal, bags of trail mix or nuts,
homemade bran muffins (freeze in dozens) and
whole grain bread.
• Have your child eat ‘breakfast-to-go’ on the bus, in
the car, or while walking to school. This might
include a smoothie with a whole grain muffin, or a
sliced apples with cheese cubes, and crackers.
• Peanut butter and banana sandwich and a carton of
milk - sandwich can be made the night before. Try a
whole wheat hot dog bun for variety and fun!
• Bowl of cereal (look for those with more than 4 g
fiber/serving), with fresh berries or cut up fruit with
•
milk
Oatmeal (try the quick cooking instead of instant,
they both cook in 1 ½ minutes in the microwave, and
you save on the salt), add raisins for extra fiber and
iron. Make it with milk instead of water.
by Ms. Raman Kapoor, Registered Dietician and DWA
Parent