Newsletter
SPRING 2010
IN THIS ISSUE
Webber Academy First Musical,
A ReSounding Success
Pg 02 Bye Bye Birdie!
This sparkling comedy played to sold
out audiences this past month
Pg 05 Sophia Sohn Shines at the
Canspell Spelling Bee
Maestro, gymkhana, jeremiad, zinnia,
tchotchke, elocutionist, obelisk...
Pg 11 Head Shave for Cancer
Teachers and students raise over $11,000
for the Kids Cancer Care Foundation
Pg 12 Don’t Cry For Me Argentina
Playing to sold out audiences, Bye Bye Birdie cheered in the hearts of those
The Argentina group reports back from
involved and those who attended. Congratulations go out to our entire Senior
a 10-day adventure in Buenos Aires
High Drama department for their intense work on the show.
w w w. w e b b e r a c aApril
d e 2010
m y.Webber
c a Academy Newsletter
1
Webber Academy’s First Musical,
A Resounding Success
By Ms. Deborah Ferguson
Bye Bye Birdie played to sold out audiences this past month! This sparkling comedy cheered the
hearts of those involved and those who attended. The crowd comments included “ better than
some shows out in the community” and “it was hard to believe these were only high school
student performers! “ Thank you to Tory Doctor, choreographer, Sheldon Zandboar, accompanist, Dr. Rix, corporate sponsor, and Dr.
Webber for making this show possible. Congratulations go out to our entire Senior High Drama department for their intense work on
the show. Without an entire team effort, a show of this size would not be possible. Thanks to those who helped with concession as
well – members of the high school student body.
Luis Pombo, Declan Routledge and Kyle Qiao and the bartender
Marketing: Geoff Fry, Ryan van Mechelen, Mark Broadfoot
was Chris Morrow. The frustrated adults were Deji Oluwadairo,
Box Office: Anila Umar. Arash Azar-Nejad
Katrina Brazzell, Robert Elofsson, Joel Krause, Ally Spring with
Photographers: Max Foley and Justin Prather
the mayor, Mo Mahgoub. Stephanie Symmonds and Katrina
Front of House: Dhruv Mayank, Curtis Leung, Jay Chillibecki, &
Brazzell were convincing 1950’s moms who also brilliantly un-
grade 9 ushers
Technical Crew: Justin Brant, Evan Longdo, Spencer Baker, Ha-
derstudied the lead roles. Comedy stylings by David Morgan as
Mr. MacAfee, Pam Austin as “mama,” Chris Huffaker as Harvey,
and Chelsea O’Byrne as Ursula
nadi Al-Saidi, Tariq Jomaa,
were fabulous. Comedy takes
Andrew Lee
techniques and timing which
Costumes: Kirsten Cole,
they worked hard to achieve.
Susan Cole, Alex Hrypko,
Thanks to Chloe Cappelletto
Andreina Carvello, Maddie
for her tap dance and to Taylor
Mount, Emma Mutch, Ms.
Adams and Chloe for their chore-
Fullterton, Dr. Rix, and
ography.
Maggie Archibald and
Bishop Pinkham JH
Special mention goes to our
Props: Nicole Elliott and
capable Stage Manager, Janine
Nicole Boczula
Elliott who pulled the whole
show together and gave over 110
hours or her time to the show.
Special congratulations
With her management skills, she
go to the actors without
can do any career in the future!
whose dedication, hard work and energy, a show is not possible.
As the director/designer I wish to thank everyone who sup-
Natasha Zacher and Chris Griggs were wonderful in the lead ro-
ported the show.
mantic roles. “Their dedication and brilliance in every rehearsal
was admirable. James Kim shone as Conrad” aka “Elvis” and Kelly
Deborah Ferguson
Upcoming Important Drama dates:
Webber was adorable as the Sweet Apple teen he was supposed
May 4 @ 7pm. One Act Shows
to kiss with Stefan Ross as the ignored brother. The other teens
May 7 Zone 9B Drama Festival at Webber Academy
sparkled in their 1950’s roles: Melanie Demetrick, Jessica Gray,
May 13-15 Provincial Drama Festival at Red Deer College
Lexi Wilson, Julia Kang and Taylor Adams. The jealous boyfriends
were Kristian Jackson as Hugo, Ben Lukenchuk, Andrew Shin,
2
Webber Academy Newsletter April 2010
Spring Ahead and Moving Forward
By Dr. Neil Webber
The spring is a very exciting season for the staff and stu-
I look forward to seeing all of you over the next several weeks
dents at Webber Academy. Returning to school from a well-
and I invite you to join us for a special President’s Breakfast Club
deserved break, we now look ahead applying ourselves to
event on Thursday, May 6, 2010. I am confident you will enjoy
ensure a successful final few months of the school year.
the comments and insight of Mr. Andrew Coyne, National Editor
Maclean’s Magazine. Ticket information is available from our
For our Grade 12 students the spring represents a time
front office.
of studying for exams, reviewing university acceptance
.
letters and preparing now for the future. For our teachers and staff, it is a time of working hard and striving for
excellence. The end result - the affirmation of a successful
school year, evident in the accomplishments, talents and
growth within our entire student population.
In moving forward, the Webber Academy building committee has been meeting weekly for a number of months and
is now in a position to submit the architectural drawings
for tender. The City of Calgary has approved the Development Permit for the construction of a 500-seat theatre
with a large foyer, band room, 2 music rooms and 2 drama
rooms. It is anticipated the construction company will be
selected by the middle of May with construction to begin
shortly after. Steps will be taken to accommodate parent
and staff parking prior to construction interfering with
the traffic flow. We are planning the theatre complex to be
completed by September 2011.
Construction for the development of a science centre on
the third floor of the high school will start in the summer of
2011. This new addition will feature Biology, Chemistry and
Physics Lab/classrooms and multi purpose areas. It will
also accommodate extra locker space for a growing high
school population. The Drama department will continue to
make good use of the undeveloped 3rd floor space over the
next school year.
April 2010 Webbery Academy Newsletter
3
Grade 6 Science Fair
By Mr. Bernie Dowhan
The Grade Six Science Fair took
place on Tuesday, February 16th
with 40 entries. The winners this
year were: Maryah Liepert for her project titled “A Breath of Fresh
Air”, Imaan Singh for his project titled “Saving the Bird One Bird at a
Time”, Ethan Gaiser for his project titled “Blade Design: The Key to
Wind Power”, and Corbin McElhanney and Michael Wright for their
project titled “Plants vs. Pollution”. Ethan Gaiser also had the distinct honour of being interviewed on CITY-TV’s Breakfast Television
in which his project was featured for its innovativeness.
Up next for the five students and their projects was the Calgary
Youth Science Fair, which was held on March 17th to March 20th.
Maryah Liepert won the President’s Award for Highest Score in
Grades Five and Six. She also won the Primary Care Healthy Living
Award for promoting healthy living and captured a gold medal for
her achievements. Ethan Gaiser won the APEGA Engineering Award
along with a gold medal. Ethan was also featured on the Breakfast
Television show in which he was interviewed in regards to his project. Corbin McElhanney and Michael Wright received a gold medal
in the Grassroots Environmental category. Imaan Singh captured a
bronze medal in the Grassroots Environmental category. Congratulations to these five remarkable students for their hard work and
dedication.
The benefits of doing a Science Fair project are numerous. Timemanagement skills, a comprehensive understanding of the scientific
method, meticulous editing, learning something new, and effective
organization are some of the many benefits learned from doing
a Science Fair project. These skills are easily transferrable to the
numerous projects that a student will have to encounter in their
academic career.
4
Webber Academy Newsletter April 2010
Webber Academy’s Sophia Sohn Shines at
the Regional Canwest Canspell Spelling Bee!
By Ms. Geri Meisinger
On Saturday, March 6, at the University of Calgary, 52 students from around Calgary were being recognized for their outstanding spelling abilities! To start off
the event, each speller was introduced onto the stage, presented with a Regional
Finalist medal, and given their placement position in the competition. Sophia Sohn was Speller # 36!
The words presented in the first round of the Spelling Bee seemed easy enough: package, fiesta, giraffe, deluxe, rotunda; however, one speller was disqualified with the word “hyphen.” As the rounds progressed, the
level of word difficulty increased – along with the nervous energy of the competitors! Sophia Sohn performed
with grace and poise, and was a magnificent ambassador for Webber Academy. Sophia spelled all of her
words correctly, but was eventually disqualified for an error in the presentation of her word, “succotash.”
As Sophia sat through the remainder of the ”Bee,” in
the audience with her mom, coaches and supporters,
she continued to write down the words her fellow
competitors were being asked to spell. Word after
word, Sophia spelled them correctly: maestro, gymkhana, jeremiad, zinnia, bromeliad, tchotchke, and
elocutionist.
The winning word for this year’s competition was,
“obelisk.” And yes, Sophia did spell that word correctly as well! When asked about her performance,
Sophia said, “ I had a lot of fun! I was a bit nervous,
but it was a good experience.”
Will Sophia join the Webber Academy Spelling Bee
Team next year, and compete for a spot at the Regional Finals again? “Yes! And next year, I will focus on
taking my time before I spell each word.”
April 2010 Webber Academy Newsletter
5
Top Honours for Webber Academy
Reach for the Top Team
By Ms. Karen Harris
During the past three months, a group of six Webber Academy students have been working on developing their trivia knowledge and putting it to the test. Recently, the team has competed in three tournaments against schools from the surrounding area including Rundle College, West Island College, St.
Mary’s and Oilfields High School.
Lead by Peggy Shyu, the students have met regularly honing their skills answering questions covered in competition ranging from the words
of famous philosophers to the voices of cartoon characters including information on the topics of science, mathematics, and history.
Congratulations to Peggy Shyu, Chris Huffaker, Stephen Johannesson, Nick Kuzmin, Xu Han and Christian Wong for their hard work and
dedication. Their efforts have paid off by capturing the league championship and qualifying for provincials in their first year of competition.
6
Webber Academy Newsletter April 2010
From The Bookworm’s Desk
By Mrs. Mariaan Camp
READ all about it…
During the month of March, Dead Frog on the Porch local author, Jan Markley shared her megabyte
first published mystery book with the enthusiastic and avid readers from Division Two. She also
inspired the Grade Six students to add humour and use their own experiences when writing a story
during a writing workshop. Jan Markley remarked on the students’ high interest level in reading and their vast knowledge of books.
Herewith, an excerpt from her letter of thanks, “Thanks for making my time in your school so welcoming! I enjoyed the enthusiasm the
students showed and all their insightful questions. I was impressed by the level of understanding they had about the elements of a
story that showed through the writing they did in the short exercise.”
Owl’s Nest Books from Britannia Shopping Plaza (815A – 49th Ave. SW, Phone #: 287 9557), was responsible for the very successful Book
Fair held during the Elementary Parent-Teacher interviews on March 16th to 19th. Owl’s Nest is a local independent bookstore that
carries a wide selection of adult, YA and children’s books. It is also the home to their Book Clubs for children from Grade 3 to Grade 12.
The people from Owl’s Nest felt it was wonderful to experience the enthusiasm from all the students for reading, and their excitement
over the selection of books at the Book Fair. The support from the Junior and Senior High students and teachers was very much appreciated. The staff at Owl’s Nest Bookstore would like to thank Webber Academy for hosting and promoting a locally owned independent
bookstore.
Grade 12 Students, Veenu Goswami and Pardeep Dhailwai bring home the hardware from a epic year in Debate
competitions.
Veenu Goswami (left) and Pardeep Dhailwai (right) pose with impressive awards after a very successful year in Debate competitions
Awards from the left:
1.
Top Speaker in the Province
– Veenu Goswami
2.
World Championship Trophy
– Veenu and Team Canada
3.
Calgary Regional Debate Champions
– Veenu and Pardeep Dhaliwal
4.
Senior Provincial Champions
– Veenu and Pardee
April 2010 Webber Academy Newsletter
7
Music Notes
By Mr. Brent Pierce
International Band Festival High School Honour Band. This
band was made up of select students from all the high
school band programmes participating in the festival. They
prepared a programme in three short rehearsals and per-
Jazz Band Season comes to a close
The Webber Academy jazz bands closed their season with a celebration of
formed at the festival showcase on February 23rd. Kirsten
Cole, Janine Elliott and Joel Krause are to be congratulated
on a job well done.
music on March 3rd. The junior high and senior high jazz bands performed
for a full house in the library. Congratulations go out to the members of the
Webber Academy Bands Strike Gold
jazz bands for all their hard work, which resulted in a fine performance that
was enjoyed by all.
The Grade Seven Concert Band, the Grades Eight and Nine
Concert Band and the High School Wind Ensemble each
Webber Academy Students Participate in Honour
Bands
This year, five junior high students participated in the annual Southern
Alberta Regional Junior Honour Band, sponsored by the Alberta Band Association. The band rehearsed intensively over two and a half days and put
received a gold award at this year’s Southern Alberta International Band Festival. This is the highest standing a band
can receive at this festival and they are to be congratulated
on a job well done!
The Grades Eight and Nine Concert Band also received the
honour of performing at the festival showcase on February 23rd. They received the invitation to perform in this
prestigious event because of the past successes of the
Webber Academy band programme. They were chosen out
of over forty junior high bands who participated in last
year’s festival. They gave a tremendous performance at the
concert and did a great job representing the school. They
also got the opportunity to meet the composer of one of the
pieces they performed because he was in attendance at the
concert, which was very exciting!
Grade Seven Concert Band Receives
Dennis Jackson Trophy
The Grade Seven Concert Band is to be congratulated for
receiving the Dennis Jackson trophy. This award is given to
on an excellent concert on Friday, February 12th. Justin Butler, Katy Dong,
the most outstanding beginner concert band in the South-
Joshua Fehr-Twaddle, Sabrina Huston and Kate Illing are to be commended
ern Alberta International Band Festival. The Grade Seven
for their all their hard work as participants in this event.
Concert Band was chosen out of almost forty beginner
concert bands for this great honour. Well done!
We also had three high school students participate in the Southern Alberta
8
Webber Academy Newsletter April 2010
The Real March Madness
By Mr. Joel Chalifoux
All you college basketball fans out there know exactly what I am talking about when I refer to
“March Madness.” However, at Webber Academy we have our own version of March Madness,
which packs as much excitement as any Div 1 college tournament game! It starts with the finals
for our basketball programs. You already know that the 7/8 and the 8/9 girls won the league
championships. The 8/9 boys lost the championship game in overtime but came storming back in the South Central Zones tournament
capturing Webber Academy’s first zone banner!
After a solid year of play, the Varsity Boys advanced to the league
to Mr. Dowhan and Mr. Carlgren and all the athletes in these
playoffs. They put in a valiant effort but fell short of beating
programs.
eventual champions West Island College. We were pleased with
Last year we had an incredibly successful soccer program. Win-
the results of this team who is almost complexly comprised of
ning 2-3 league championships and losing in the finals for the
grade 11 athletes.
other. Our students all want to be a part of this program which
Our Jr. Varsity boys program took it down to the wire to win the
is steep in winning tradition. After one week we had well over
league championships by 1 point. Thanks to a 35 point perfor-
80 students from grade 7-12 signed up to play on one of our
mance from Khalid Asaria,
three teams. We can only wish
the Wildcats and coach
Heather Gallagher, Sam Burke,
Shawn Lawrence were
Chase Cappelletto (alumnus ath-
able to capture a second
lete) and Daniel Mondaca good
straight league title.
luck with their team selections!
As if it were not enough
Our badminton teams were set
basketball, we are still
after a full week of tournament
offering D-League for boys
style play. The Jr. High team is
and girls, in grade 7-11,
jam packed filling every spot in
staff and alumni. We had
every category. The senior high
67 people sign up for the
team is full of familiar faces and
interschool developmen-
we look forward to watching
tal league that runs every
them perform. We truly look
Tuesday and Thursday
forward to watching some of
after school. Returning
- A BANNER YEAR-
our provincially ranked, Jr. High
students in grade 7-12 can also take part in free basketball “posi-
players advance their way through to the zone championships!
tion clinics,” being offered every Friday from 3:45-4:45 in the main
Good luck to Mr. Thornton, Mrs. Sun, Ms. Earle, Mrs. Ma and Mrs.
gymnasium. For our Elementary students we will be offering a
Celli with these wonderful young athletes. I hope you can find
new program on Sundays called D-League X! This is a camp style
time to come out and take in some of our many athletic perfor-
program being run by Mr. Chalifoux, Mr. Lawrence and various
mances this spring. Don’t forget we still have our volleyball
members of the varsity boys program.
H.I.T. league running every Monday morning at 7:00am. For fur-
Boys’ rugby has begun training and this eager team is looking
ther information on game locations, times or directions you can
forward to kicking off its season with a road trip to Manitoba
email me at [email protected] or log onto our athletics
to play in one of the largest high school rugby tournaments in
website or school calendar.
the country. Girls’ rugby will be taking part in the nine’s league
Joël Chalifoux
this year with hopes to build on past years success. Good luck
April 2010 Webber Academy Newsletter
9
News from the Art Room
By Ms Patricia Fullerton
Art Student of the Month is our amazing grade 9 student, Solomon
Chan!
Grade 9 art students created footwear in the style of a 20th century artist. Solomon created his footwear using packing tape the artist Wassily
Kandinsky as his inspiration. Well done, Solomon!
Below:
Artwork by Grade 7 students Priya Grewel and Chelsea Chan
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Webber Academy Newsletter April 2010
Head Shave for Cancer
By Mrs. Kasia Noworyta-Fridman
As an initiative of a few grade 9 boys, on March 15, under the leadership of Ahmed Al-Saidi, several students and teachers shaved their heads in support of the Kids Cancer Care Foundation. The front foyer,
where the event took place, was filled with supporters, cheering for the brave people who have raised
$11,180 for this worthy cause. We applaud the following participants:
Teachers:
• Aaron Szott
• Shawn Lawrence
• David Rose
• Paul Adolphe
•
•
•
•
• Ali Charanek
• Justin Butler • Carl Botha
• Vedad Mursel
• Sunreet Bakhshi
• Nicholas Hoy
Students:
•
•
•
•
Alexander Murray
Garrett Hughes
Bennett Leong
Manas Bindal (grade 4)
Ahmed Al-Saidi
Brennan Undseth
Mateo Lockley
Chuma Azoba
April 2010 Webber Academy Newsletter
11
“Don’t cry for me, Argentina.
The truth is: I never left you…”
By Mrs. Kasia Noworyta-Fridman
The Argentina group is reporting back home safe and sound. Our 10-day adventure was very
memorable, and it was a true privilege to share this special time with 21 students from grades
9-11 and two other chaperones (Señora Vásquez and Señora Sztabzyb). We were lucky to arrive
in Buenos Aires at the end of their summer, so that we could enjoy lovely weather, 28-30 degrees
and beautiful sunshine. Throughout the trip, the group bonded exceptionally well and students from different grades interacted very
positively. We traveled by airplane, bus and ferry, successfully tried the metro during rush hour, and we walked until our feet hurt.
What were some of the highlights of our trip?
Learning about Argentina’s history: Dirty War, Evita Perón,
Falkland War. We saw the Plaza de Mayo Square (and missed the
big demonstration of the Memorial Day), the balcony from which
Evita made her speeches to her beloved people, Evita’s tomb at
the Recoleta cemetery, the colourful La Boca area with brightly
painted houses and tango dancers and singers in the streets.
We had the pleasure of meeting the Canadian Ambassador to
Argentina and Paraguay, Mr. Timothy Martin, during a special private reception. Students found out about the role of our embassy
and learned about steps to a career in diplomacy.
At a rancho outside of the capital, we met gauchos, the Argentinean cowboys, and we spent the day “hanging out” at the historic
rancho, watching gaucho dancing, listening to some amazing
voices, horse back riding, enjoying the asado lunch and playing
bocce ball in the sand.
Did you know that in the last decade there has been a true revival of tango, and now even young people dance it and play it at
clubs? At first, it seemed that nobody but me was looking forward
to our tango lesson. Boys dragged their feet to the stage and
in big department stores, communication in Spanish was
required most of the time, and we were very pleased to see
the students’ efforts in communicating in Spanish. I believe
that everyone mastered the Spanish vocabulary related to ice
cream flavours, as we consumed huge amounts of delicious ice
cream everywhere we went.
Shopping in Uruguay (Colonia de Sacramento) was also a good
math lesson, as everyone had to do quick currency conversions. Colonia is a gorgeous town with cobbled-stone streets,
lighthouse, old caffes, Spanish and Portuguese architecture
and beautiful sunsets.
Most definitely, everyone’s favourite was our trip to the
Iguazú Falls, in the Misiones province, in Northeastern part of
the country. Taller than Niagara Falls, twice as wide, with 275
cascades spread in a horseshoe shape over nearly two miles of
the Iguazu River, Iguazú Falls are the result of a volcanic eruption which left yet another large crack in the earth, and it is a
sight that leaves one speechless. Although I must say, we were
not so speechless when the boat we took to one of the falls
actually took us under a cascade and we all got showered; I am
sure those were screams of delight…
tried all types of excuses (stomach ache, wrong shoes, two left
Another special trip came to an end. Now students will finish their
feet…). The first steps were rough, but you should see the group
Spanish trip journals, before handing them in, and hopefully, every-
dancing towards the end of the class! Everyone did very well, and one will retain wonderful memories of the amazing sites we visited
students admitted that they actually enjoyed it. Trying the few
steps helped everyone appreciate the spectacular tango show
that followed.
Shopping in Buenos Aires was a good language lesson. Whether
dealing with street vendors, small store owners or store clerks
12
Webber Academy Newsletter April 2010
and the great moments we shared.
Iguazú Falls
othy Martin
im
T
r.
M
g
in
t
Mee
Gauchos
Recoleta Cemetary
Tango!
April 2010 Webbery Academy Newsletter
13
China Chronicles
By Mrs. Bonita Ting
Webberites’ Top 5 Countdown from China
brought to you by the original (not imitated, not purchased in THOSE markets where you can bargain), China Trip Chronicles!
Number 5: ‘Ice Cream’ or ‘The Great Wall of China’? It was a
close vote…although ice cream, especially malt flavoured
Milo ice cream, won hands down as the chosen treat of several Webberites in the land of the middle kingdom, when the
final vote was measured, The Great Wall in fact immerged
the victor at number 5 by about 8,851.8 km.
to imagine one signal platform firing off a beacon, and the
others quickly following suit so as to alert the command
back in Beijing as to the strength of the enemy’s army –
even in the fog which so often covered the valleys of the
land in which the enemy would attempt to hide.
Number 4: ‘Panda Paraphernalia’ or ‘The Temple of HeavJust like a gigantic dragon, The Great Wall snakes up and
en’? Well, this time, it was no real contest. At least half of
down across deserts, grasslands, mountains and plateaus,
the Webberites succumbed to Panda Paraphernalia: the
and acts as the mighty protector from invading forces. With five, warmly dubbed, panda brothers, Alex, Nathan, Dhruv,
a history of more than 2000 years, some of the sections are
Il hae and Riley whose initiation involved wearing a panda
now in ruins or have disappeared. The section the Webberlike stuffy on the top of the head (to keep them warm), also
ites climbed is known as the Beijing Badaling Great Wall.
known as a panda hat, Cecelia, who favored the practical,
Seeing this restored section helped us imagine what the wall Halloween coloured panda gloves, Claudia, who preferred
was like long ago. The structure of the wall consists of huge what looked like the real thing: panda paws, and Mrs. Ma
bar-stones and bricks complete with the “No Graffiti” and
and Mrs. Ting who packed home giant panda balls that
“Do Not Climb” signs necessary for our time. The inside of the would make a viable substitute at a volleyball sleepover.
wall has been formed by tampering earth and small stones, As amusing as the panda paraphernalia was (did you
which makes the wall very firm and strong. Internally, the
catch those cute panda rocks?!!!), the Temple of Heaven
wall is about six meters wide, which would allow horses
clearly kept all 18 students’ attention and receives the
to gallop five abreast. A number of small holes have been
Webberites #4 vote.
drilled on the wall to allow archers to shoot arrows. There is
a barrel-drain and a moat both inside and outside the wall.
In ancient China, the Emperor of China was regarded as
The signal fire platforms are actually blockhouses that were the Son of Heaven, who administered earthly matters
built on the top of the wall. They were used to send warning on behalf of, and representing, heavenly authority. The
signals in the Ming Dynasty. The amount of smoke and gun- temple is a complex of Taoist buildings situated in the
fire released conveyed specific military information about
southeastern part of central Beijing, in Chongwen District,
the enemy. One release of smoke with one shot of gunfire
was built for ceremonies mostly comprising of prayers for
signified 100 enemies; two smoke releases with two shots of good harvests. Twice a year the Emperor and all his retigunfire meant 500 enemies; three smoke releases with three nue would move from the Forbidden city through Beijing
shots of gunfire indicated more than 1,000 enemies. Looking to encamp within the complex, wearing special robes and
out, we could see at least 12 of these blockhouses before the abstaining from eating meat. No ordinary Chinese was
wall disappeared into the hills towards Beijing. It was easy allowed to view this procession or the following ceremony.
14
Webber Academy Newsletter April 2010
China
The Great Wall
Bird’s Nest Stadium
April 2010 Webber Academy Newsletter
15
In the temple complex, The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests the centre building, is a magnificent triple-gabled
circular building, 36 metres in diameter and 38 metres tall,
built on three levels of marble stone base, where the Emperor prayed for good harvests. The building is completely
wooden, with no nails. To the Webberites, the most spectacular aspect about the Temple of Heaven, is what occurs
in the surrounding gardens just steps below the platform
on which sits the Taoist buildings. In an area once trodden
on only by the Emperor and his entourage, common people
now come to meditate, sing, play cards, dance and exercise. In a whirlwind of ancient history and crowds, this one
peaceful spot showed us the Chinese people in moments of
peaceful bliss – out for an afternoon in the park enjoying
loved ones and good friends.
Number 3: ‘Eastern Weaponry Art: the katana, daish,
switchblades, Chinese dragon swords, nunchucks and
shuriken’ or the ‘West Lake Cruise and Island Jaunt’? Although many of the gentlemen and the lady Webberites
shrewdly bargained for, and returned to Canada with their
fair share of Eastern Weaponry Art, the gray smog filled
days and nights, the freeways humming at night - blaring
by day, hawkers literally stepping in one’s path to make a
furious deal, (a Rolex!, lady; how about a set of 3 – two to
give to your family, lady?) and traffic filled days of cities
of 19 and 26 million made the island in West Lake seem
like a paradise on earth. In reality, southern Alberta has
similar spots of heaven, but it’s all about that to which you
happen to be comparing. Our Webberites found West Lake
and the island jaunt, literally, a breath of fresh, spring air
complete with strutting white peacocks, flowering plants,
idyllic garden paths, streams and lakes, hidden amidst a
towering arena of high rises, crazy drivers, bantering of
Mandarin, blaring horns and stress with a capital B, known
as Beijing. Webberites place the West Lake Cruise and
island jaunt at #3.
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Webber Academy Newsletter April 2010
Number 2: ‘McDonalds’ or the ‘Emperor’s Winter and Summer
Palaces’? There are days, this writer admits, that McDonalds
won this one hands down. Yet, once the students had their fill
of grease, salt, carbonation, and spinney bar stools – wisps
of that which drew our Calgary teens - the Emperor’s Palaces
made quite the impression, ranking them as our #2 site. Decadence and opulence were two words that came to mind. The
Summer Palace covers an area of nearly 300 hectares (2.9
square km) and includes more than 3,000 buildings, such as
temples, halls, pavilions and towers. 14,000 traditional hand
painted Chinese scenes from West Lake in HuangZhou, and episodes from Chinese classic literature, flowers, architecture and
landscapes line the beams and the crossbeams of the ‘Long
Corridor,’ a covered walkway, 795 yards (2,238 feet) long that
runs by Kunming lake– an area for his majesty and his empress,
who can’t even walk it because her tiny feet spanning less than
4 inches made it necessary for 12 servant men to carry her in
a lounge. And the Winter Palace, courtyard, upon inner courtyard, housing everyone associated with the emperor – from
his palace officials to over 5000 concubines for the emperor’s
pleasure, available only, our tour guide gleefully announces,
after the three mandatory days he spends with his empress
upon his arrival. These two palaces declared to each and every
Webberite, wealth, prosperity, and then the stark realization,
that every rock was dragged from elsewhere to the top of
these two hills, the lake, a manmade creation, the individual
stones patterned beneath the meters of paths, each and every
painting and carving, all created for the joy of one man, by the
emperor’s loyal subjects – upon the threat of death. One man’s
power – one man’s whim; all else are there to serve. It was a
sobering thought.
Number 1: ‘Celebrity Status’ or ‘Shopping’?: Although the
“ooohhs, aahhs,” giggles, mass flocking, hugs, bodily grabbing
and positioning for pictures by locals and other tourists alike,
and autographs took our Webberites by surprise, it took only
about 15 minutes of experiencing this kind of behavior before our students tired of their celebrity status of whatever
it was that drew the screeching masses: be it their skin tone,
or flawless English, or extraordinary height, or light coloured
hair. Each made them stand out and thus, made them attractive, in the land where Mandarin reigns supreme. As one
student so aptly stated, “this gets old fast!” and so, given
alternatives to yet another temple viewing or yet another
cruise down the river, the students readily chose shopping – but not in those real stores where the equivalency of
Canadian prices abounded, but in THOSE markets where you
can bargain a coveted, imitated item down from 900 Yuan to
a mere 24 Yuan – providing both fun and a sense of accomplishment for even the most reluctant of shoppers.
With the top five out of the way, the simple question remains: Would we brave the 11 hour flight into smog and
screaming masses, yet again? You can bet your Chinese
dumplings, fried crab, duck soup or Big Mac – whatever takes
your fancy – that we will!
April 2010 Webber Academy Newsletter
17
Springtime in Paris
By Mrs. Anne Marie Martin
Ten glorious days in France which included French food, shopping, historical sights and French
culture…need I say more? Twenty French students and Madame Chevallier, Ms. Conway and myself
started our tour in Paris where we visited the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, Versailles and of course,
the Louvre.
We continued our tour in the Loire Valley where we saw the castles of Chambourd, Chenonceau and Azay- le Rideau, former homes
of French royalty. We then stopped in the Samur region where we
saw troglodyte villages and had dinner in a cave which contained a
mushroom and snail farm. Students had the chance to try escargot
after meeting them!
We then traveled into the southern, sunny region of Provence
where we visited the Pont de Guard Roman aqueduct, and the
cities of Arles, Avignon, and Aix en Provence. In Cassis, we went on
a boat cruise to see the “calanques”. The tour ended in Nice and
Monaco, where we visited a perfumerie and students had an afternoon to explore Nice.
Our Webber Academy students were well behaved and were complimented on their courtesy. The positive attitudes of the students
made the trip to France a most memorable time enjoyed by all.
À la prochaine.
18
Webber Academy Newsletter April 2010
France 2010
The Eiffel
Tower
ise
u
r
c
r
Rive
April 2010 Webber Academy Newsletter
19
Choralfest Success
By Ms. Patricia Clattenburg
Choralfest Success
Congratulations to the Webber Academy Elementary Choirs who
successfully participated in both the Calgary Kiwanis Music Fes-
Choral Speech
tival as well as Choralfest this past month. At the Kiwanis Music
The Division I and Division II Choral Speech groups
Festival both choirs were awarded a top mark of Superior and
received highly anticipated news on March 17th. Both
once again have been invited to represent Calgary at The Alberta
groups have received the honour of representing Cal-
Provincial Music Festival on Friday, May 7, 2010.
gary at the Provincial Kiwanis Festival in Edmonton!
Choralfest 2010 was an excellent festival and both choirs were
The Division I Choral Speech group performed “Life’s
thrilled to receive a gold standing.
Not Been the Same in My Family” by Jack Prelutsky, a
poem about a disgruntled child whose family life has
recently been disrupted by the addition of a younger
sibling, and “Arithmetic” by Carl Sandburg, a poem
sharing the triumphs and tribulations of working with
numbers. This second selection proved to be quite a
challenge to learn and polish. In fact, the adjudicator
at the Calgary Kiwanis Festival commented that when
she saw that such a young group was performing such
a difficult poem, she thought we were either crazy or
wonderful. She was pleased to report she thought our
performance was wonderful! The 27 members of this
group are delighted to be traveling to Edmonton to
perform again.
The Division II Choral Speech Club also performed two
selections. The first was Maya Angelou’s “Life Doesn’t
Frighten Me”. This is a piece in which a child is faced
with some of the more common fears in a child’s life:
“shadows on the wall, noises down the hall,” but life
doesn’t frighten them. Their second selection, “The
We look forward to our upcoming spring concerts:
Case of the Missing Cookies” by Arden Davison, was a
Pro Arts SocietyPerformance
very fun piece to prepare and perform. We added our
Cathedral Church of the Redeemer, April 28, 2010, 12:10 P.M.
own special touches to it and really enjoyed ourselves.
Webber Academy Spring Concert, April 29, 2010, 7 P.M. (Elementary Gym)
Alberta Provincial Music Festival May 7,2010 Time TBA
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Webber Academy Newsletter April 2010
Thankfully, the adjudicator appreciated our unique
approach and invited us to Edmonton to share our
selections at the Provincial Festival next month.
Report from Student’s Union
By Chris Huffaker
Seven months ago, the high school’s student union, under the direction
of the teacher advisors Mrs. Ting and Ms. Huffaker, held high school-wide
elections for homeroom representatives and executives. This was only the
beginning of a fantastic year for the students’ union, in which we hosted a
very exciting Gangster-themed Winter Formal. We’ve also helped at school
events, such as the Junior High Boys Basketball Zones Tournament, where we made popcorn, sold concession and took pictures. Lately, we have been hard
at work advocating for the better treatment of the
privileges the school gives us for our student lounge,
and working on organizing a unique spring dance.
best Winter Formal ever.’ After deciding on a Gangster theme, the Webber Academy Senior Students’
Union (WASSU) tried our best to make this year’s
Winter Formal, an event to remember. At the door,
ladies were greeted with roses and gentlemen with
At the beginning of the year, the student body bechocolate cigars, helping all transpose themselves
came involved when elections were held. After some into the mindset of the theme. Once inside, an old
fierce competition and truly impressive speeches, an black and white movie flickered on the wall as they
executive council was elected: President - Thomas Li, had time to mingle, play cards, and enjoy drinks beVice President - Natasha Zacher,, Treasurer - Elana
fore dinner. Dinner was catered by Roma, and was
Hashman and Secretary - Chris Huffaker. Mr. Li won hailed as quite delicious. After dinner, the dance,
the hearts of the students with his speech, and has led by a professional D-Jay with an impressive light
since shown to be a conscientious leader. He has
show, took center stage. Students clearly enjoyed
been a central part of all of the events the student
it, as they filled the dance floor for the next couple
union has planned. As Vice President, Ms. Zacher’s
of hours. Overall, the night was a huge success.
main roles have been to liaison between the executives and the homeroom reps, and to act as Mr. Li’s
Since the formal, WASSU has pursued a number
right hand person. Ms. Hashman, as the incumbent
of different ways to improve the school. When
treasurer, has used her experience from last year’s
Webber Academy hosted the Junior High Basstudent council to manage the student union’s
ketball Zone Tournament, the Senior Students’
finances very effectively. In my capacity as secretary,
Union members and several members of the
I have been diligently keeping records by writing
high school student body supported the athletes
minutes every meeting and then sending them out
by selling concession items and taking, and sellto the members of students’ union. A fantastic set
ing pictures of the teams and players. We had a
of homeroom representatives were also elected
stand open both days of the tournament, selling
by their respective homerooms. These reps chair a
candy, popcorn, soda and junk food to compliselection of committees from Programming to Public
ment the healthier options provided elsewhere.
Relations, to Hospitality, to Decorations, to various
At the same time, our very own team of phoHumanitarian Committees.
tographers took team photos and action shots,
and made them available for purchase to the
With this efficient Student Union assembled, we
parents, grandparents, athletes and coaches.
spent the next few months planning and hosting
WASSU members would like to publically thank
what many students and teachers have called ‘the
Mr. Lorne Webber for his support of our efforts
in this event in terms of both ideas and for
April 2010 Webber Academy Newsletter
21
continued from page 21...
providing the equipment required. As well,
we would like to thank all of those students,
both council members and student body
members, who stepped up by coming out on
a weekend to make this event a success.
Currently, the student union’s main community building activities are trying to reduce
vandalism in the student lounge and to plan
a spring dance. The first is an attempt to
show our gratitude towards the school for
giving us the student lounge by advocating
better treatment of it by everyone. We tend
to forget that not every high school has a
pool table, a ping-pong table, and two foosball tables, and we want the student body to
show how much it both deserves and appreciates them! The dance, which, as I have
previously stated, is currently in planning
stages, is most likely going to be a Mexican
Fiesta theme, with an elected Rey/Reina pair
(King/Queen in Spanish) and piñatas. Most
importantly, delicious Mexican food will be
served.
These are only some of the efforts currently
in the works. WASSU has exciting plans for
the end of the school year, and elections will
be held for next year’s senior students’ union
in a couple of months. As it is, we’ll see you
around! After all, we are your Webber Academy Senior Students’ Union.
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Webber Academy Newsletter April 2010
Matt Traynor Represents Canada in NORCECA
Volleyball Championships
February, Webber Academy student athlete, Matt Traynor was
thrilled to hear that Volleyball Canada chose Calgary’s under - 17
Canuck Contact team to represent Canada in Guadalajara, Mexico
at the nine - country NORCECA (North America, Central America
and the Caribbean) men’s youth volleyball championships. Matt,
who, has been a member of this Canuck team for the last four
years, spent from April 4 -12th competing in this tournament which
was the qualifying event for the 2010 Youth Olympics in Singapore.
Canada was placed in a pool with Cuba and the USA, the two strongest teams in the event. While unable to defeat these national
teams, the experience was exciting for this local team making its
international debut. After winning the rest of its matches Canada
placed seventh. Ultimately Cuba took first place, the USA took second and Puerto Rico third. Other countries participating were the
Dominican Republic, Curacao, Guatemala, Costa Rica and Mexico.
With just days back in Alberta, Matt’s team, which is currently
ranked first, heads to Edmonton to compete in provincials this
weekend. We would like to congratulate Matt and wish him luck
for the remainder of his season!
Some More Webber Olympic Moments.
Grade 4 student Tegan Pierce and her father, Dave Pierce. Dave produced and directed the Opening and Closing ceremonies at the 2010 Olympics.
The torch he holds is Rick Hansen’s torch and it was a gift to Dave.
Oil Sands Study
Grade 4 student Denise Chu conducts an Oil Sands Experiment in Mrs. Celli’s class.
Silver and Gold
Webber Academy Brings Home SIlver and Gold
On the second weekend in April, while many students were enjoying their last bouts of freedom of spring break, four Webber students, senior team
Webber Academy, came together to battle representatives from other junior high and senior high schools in Calgary. The games were a struggle
of wits and skill without words: namely Chess. Mark Ting, playing 1st board, Aaron Ting, playing 2nd board, Andrew Lee, playing 3rd board, and
Stuart Sadler, playing 4th board, successfully battled their opponents in two divisions, bringing home the coveted titles of Best Junior High School
Chess Team in Calgary (Gold Medal), and Second Best High School Chess Team in Calgary (Silver Medal). Congratulations to the enterprising young
gentlemen and to Mr. Paul Holmes, teacher coach, and parent volunteer, Seng Ting, who were instrumental in the boys’ success. Once the engraving has been completed, Webber Academy will house the Calgary Chess Junior High School Team Cup until April 2011 when the next school team
championship tournament occurs.
April 2010 Webber Academy Newsletter
23
News from the Science Department
By Ms Monica Datta
The Sannofi-Avantis BioTalent Challenge is sponsored by
BioTalent Canada. The regional competition was hosted by
Bio Alberta (Association for Life Science Industries) on April
13 at University of Calgary Health Science Centre.
Students from across Calgary High Schools competed in this
challenge and presented their projects after months of preparation. University of Calgary faculty provide lab facilities
to the students to complete their projects and mentor them.
The projects are very sophisticated and usually require laboratory skills beyond the high school level.
This year our school participated for the first time and
Bernadette Prettegiani represented Webber Academy at the
competition. Bernadette and her partner researched The
Effect of Shiitake Mushroom Extract on Inflammatory Response of Colon Cells. They placed second in the competition
and were awarded $1500. They also presented this project at
the Calgary city Science Fair, and placed first in their Category. They will both be travelling to the National Science Fair
with this project as well. Congratulations Bernadette and
good luck for the national Science Fair.
Biology AP students have been busy with the Canadian Biology
Olympiad (CBO) challenge exam. Chris Huffaker and Lauren
Ruttle-Soon were among the top 40 (in Canada) in the first
round and have been invited to participate in round two. They
have been busy preparing their lab portfolio for submission.
The University of Toronto National Biology Competition (NBC)
will be written by all AP students on April 29th. Students who
participate in both, CBO and NBC, and are selected for the national team, will attend a training camp in the first week of July
in Oshawa, Ontario. They will represent Canada at the international Biology Olympiad to be held in Korea this year.
Lauren Ruttle-Soon and Chris Huffaker among top 40 in Canada
Grade 11 AP Chemistry students will be writing the Avogadro
Challenge exam in May. This exam is offered by University of
Waterloo to recognize top Chemistry students in Canada.
Congratulations and good luck to all of you who have taken
the time to stretch your imagination to new heights and have
shown a willingness to learn beyond the classroom instruction.
Grade 12 Student Bernadette Prettegiani
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Webber Academy Newsletter April 2010
Voices Update
By Jason Bickert
Greetings from the senior school’s Voices Magazine staff!
It has been a little while since our last appearance in the
newsletter, and quite a bit has occurred, since that time. For
starters, our staff now consists of a number of dedicated students. Let me take a moment to introduce them. The hearts
of the project, the editors, include Natasha Zacher, Danielle
Broadfoot, and myself. Chris Huffaker is our assistant editor.
Thomas Li and Robert Hamilton are in charge of layout and
design, and Mitch Goulet is our Director of Photography.
Additionally, we have three liaisons for the Webber student
community: Alina Lakhani and Serena Tejpar are our Junior
High Liaisons, and Luis Pombo is our Senior High Liaison.
Keeping all our notes and articles organized is our secretary,
Evan Longdo. Justin Brant and Gaya Narendran are fulfilling
the roles of Journalists, and Mrs. Ting and Mr. Burke are our
teacher advisors.
Our current staff, who meet regularly on day fours at noon,
have been able to power through several article submissions, and prepare many of them for magazine publication.
The estimated length of the magazine will be approximately
thirty-six pages long, and will be in full color. Our target
date to publish is early June. Currently, we have many Junior
High submissions, but are lacking in the Senior High section.
Nonetheless, we are aiming to produce a memorable magazine for every student to enjoy.
I would encourage the student body, especially those in Senior High, to submit their best poems, stories, photographs
and drawings, as there is still time to have work published in
this year’s edition of Voices. Being a published author has its
advantages in terms of a resume and for potential scholarships.
April 2010 Webber Academy Newsletter
25
2010 Parent Survey Results
Overall, how satisfied are you with the quality of education
that your child is receiving at Webber Academy?
Rank from 1-7, where 7 is the top rating.
50%
40.7%
40%
31.6%
30%
20.1%
20%
10%
0%
5.4%
0.6%
0.2%
1.3%
1
2
3
4
Response Percentage
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Webber Academy Newsletter April 2010
5
6
7
2010 Parent Survey Results
April 2010 Webber Academy Newsletter
27
Phone 403-277-4700
Fax 403-277-2770
www.webberacademy.ca