A World of Learning… - Calgary Catholic School District will return from Spring Break on Monday, April 3rd and we hope you all have a restful break, feel renewed and ready to return

ST. MICHAEL SCHOOL APRIL 2017

The most up-to-date information about our school is always available at: http://www.cssd.ab.ca/stmichael

IN THIS ISSUE

Dear Parents/Guardians, We will return from Spring Break on Monday, April 3rd and we hope you all have a restful break, feel renewed and ready to return to move forward in the school Year! With the onset of spring, our views and attitudes appear to be renewed and rejuvenated with growth and new experiences. From the somber looking scenery of a dreary winter day, the advent of spring flourishes before our eyes with brilliant colors and the birth of new life. Thank you to all who attended our O’Mikey’s Fundraising night at Donegal’s on March 10th! $4000.00 was raised to support programs at our school. We are so fortunate to have a hard working dedicated School Council at St. Michael and they did a fantastic job of hosting. This is an annual event and we are always looking for other dedicated parents to join our team. Please email our School Council Chair, Monika Newsome at [email protected] , or join us at our next meeting, for more information on how you can make a positive impact at your child’s school! We have many exciting upcoming events with Badminton season continuing, rehearsals for the Musical and our Danceworks performers will represent St. Michael School at the Bishop Carroll Finals. Go Warriors!!

Please take a few moments to complete the online Parent satisfaction survey that was distributed the week of March 13th, 2017, at http://tinyurl.com/CCSD-SatisfactionSurvey . The survey will close April 21st, 2017. Parents that do not have access to the internet were sent a hard copy. If you still require a hard copy please contact the office. Survey results reports for each school will be compiled and sent to the schools May 8-12th. School principals share the information with the school community and use in their next year school plans. Happy Easter season! We will end our Lenten Journey on Holy Thursday, April 13th. Please join us for our Liturgy in the gym at 10 a.m., hosted by the Grade 2 classes of Mrs. Lalonde and Ms. Franklin. We will then begin Easter break, with no classes Good Friday April 14th and Easter Monday April 17th. God bless, Mrs. Nadia Verna Mrs. Natasha Johnston Principal Vice Principal

IT’S NOT TOO

LATE TO ORDER A YEARBOOK!!

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GET YOUR HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL

TICKETS!

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YEAR END EVENTS

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4511 – 8th Avenue SW, Calgary AB, T3C 0G9 Phone: 403.500.2021 Fax: 403.500.2221

A World of Learning…

Jesus promises that whoever follows him will not walk in the darkness but in light, the light of life.

Let us not forget that “to follow” or “to walk behind” means “to be a disciple.”

Join us for our next School council

meeting: WEDNESDAY,

APRIL 19th at 6:00 p.m.

Congratulations to the senior girls’ basketball team and Mr. Heffernan

for making it to the city championship for the 2nd year in a row! Although we came out with a

silver this time around, their dedication and teamwork

embodied all the attributes of a warrior and we couldn’t be more

proud! Great season Warriors!

http://www.cssd.ab.ca/stmichael

mailto:[email protected]

http://tinyurl.com/CCSD-SatisfactionSurvey

http://tinyurl.com/CCSD-SatisfactionSurvey

ST. MICHAEL SCHOOL APRIL 2017 | 2


St. Michael Term Awards March 2017

These Characteristics develop the whole child to become Leaders of a Better World In March, staff recognized students that have exemplified characteristics for successful learning. Our Awards focus on the building blocks of developing the

WHOLE child and ALL students have the opportunity to achieve. • Knowledgeable: They explore concepts, ideas and issues that have local and global significance. In so doing, they acquire in-depth knowledge and develop

understanding across a broad and balanced range of disciplines.

• Reflective: We thoughtfully consider the world and our own ideas and experience. We work to understand our strengths and weaknesses in order to support our learning and personal development.

• Risk taker: We approach uncertainty with forethought and determination; we work independently and cooperatively to explore new ideas and innovative

strategies. We are resourceful and resilient in the face of challenges and change.

• Gr. 6-9 Work Ethic: They consistently demonstrate respect for others, positive attitude, organization and use of time, initiative and responsibility for learning when completing all assignments in the required timelines. They take care and pride in the work and contribute to class activities

• K-5 Work Ethic: They consistently demonstrate respect for others, organization and use of time, take responsibility for their actions and stay focused on

tasks assigned. They take care and pride in their work and contribute to class activities

Gr. 6-9 Awards

K-5 Awards Class Knowledgeable Reflective Risk Taker Work Ethic

K Sternloff-AM Beckett S Alexia N Daniel B-A Sarah M K Sternloff-PM Maxwell B Evan D Scarlett M Sheryi J- A

1 McInnis Luna A Isabella M-V

Cayd F Isla N

Camryn R Graham B

Leila S Veya M

1 Drury Kian M Jacob

Michael J-R William O

Petra K Nevaeh N

2 Lalonde Kevan C Aaron C Christian B Zoe O 2 Franklin Rehoboth Y Trystan C Katherine B Paige M

2 Montanini Liam C Karlo K Zacharia H Winnie T Charlotte-Leigh C

3 Waddell Fares A Fiyinfoluwa A

Aisha C Kiana L

Arlise S Sofia B Kennedy C

3 Rogers Frelcher B Giovanna C Ella De S Siemon D Zuzanna B

4 Jenkins Harrison D Taryn W Ella R Jacob San B 4/5 Dove Elijah C

Ariah P Addison C Fabian S

Tai L-M Devyn Redl

5 Stricker Dominic A Julia Otero

Zaina Z, Vareed V

Zac L Monydhar A

Mikayla W

Class Knowledgeable Reflective Risk Taker Work Ethic 6 Marcotte Raphael D

Kimberley B Guot M Joan R

Jad N Teresa W

Kyle U Isaac M

6 Grant Eriond M Clyde N Andrei M

Esther C Adut T Gillian K

7 Ansell Shaye D Nathalie A

Simon N Charlotte T Kayla N Olivia J

7 Csikos Graciela M Simisola A Grayce H Karyl N Hannah C

7 Carrier Allih S Danae W Elizabeth B Daniela S 8 Klotz Brielle S Sam N Evelline Br Aira S 8 Dunne Sky S Caleb S Douna K Benjamin L 8 Trapp Abigail W Darlene B Sophia L

Kaaya W Tanit B

8 Amour Zachary M Emma T Joulie K Charles B Sophie B

9 Longhi Grace W Gabriela B

Guadalupe R Aiden L Isabella S

9 Boyle Mojisola A Sam B Toisin J-A Nicholas L 9 Robertson Kent B

Aliah C Esther-Mae L Rochelle L Michael Wince




PATROL NEWS The St. Michael Patrols are a small, but

dedicated group. There are only 10 students who patrol the crosswalk across 45th St. after school. Dominik is in Grade 6 and has been a Patrol for 2 years. He patrols on Tuesdays and Fridays and is always willing to help out on other days if needed. Dominik and all of the Patrols are eagerly anticipating the annual Patrol Picnic at Heritage Park in June.

2017 CALENDAR

MAY 9 TUES Grade 9 ELA Part A PAT 11 THUR Grade 6 ELA Part A PAT Grade 9 FLA Part A PAT 19 FRI Professional Development Day (No Classes) 22 MON Victoria Day (No Classes) JUNE 19 MON Grade 6 LA Part B PAT 20 TUES Grade 6 Math PAT 21 WED ABORIGINAL DAY – No Exams (1/2 Day Junior High) 22 THURS Grade 6 Social Studies PAT 23 FRI Grade 6 Science PAT

French Language Arts Final Exam English Religion Exam (NOON DISMISSAL FOR JUNIOR HIGH) 26 MON Junior High SS Final Exam (NOON DISMISSAL FOR JUNIOR HIGH) 27 TUES ELA Exam

(NOON DISMISSAL FOR JUNIOR HIGH) 28 WED Junior High Math Exam

(NOON DISMISSAL FOR JUNIOR HIGH) 29 THURS Junior High Science Exam Year End Mass 1 p.m. at the Church LAST DAY FOR STUDENTS Progress Reports Distributed 30 FRI Teacher Organizational Day

(am only) SEPTEMBER 4 MON Labour Day (No Classes) 5 TUES First Day of Classes 14-15 THURS/FRI

Parent Teacher Conferences

DRESS FOR THE WEATHER!!!

In April & May, there could be snow, rain, sunshine or all three in one day! You never know in Calgary! Please have children bring appropriate outdoor clothing for -2 to +20 weather. This means a waterproof jacket with hood, or a hat, and waterproof shoes. It may not be shorts and t-shirt weather until well into June. Unless there is a severe thunderstorm, students will be going outside in the month of April. Thank you for assisting in keeping the children dry and warm!




Scholastic Book Fair 2017 Hooray! We exceeded our goal

of 500 books!

Here are all the people we would like to thank for the success of the book fair:

Thank you to K. Mitchell for all the hard work and many years she has put into the book fair.

Thank you to all the volunteers for helping out with the book fair.

Thank you to all the students who did the Geronimo Mascot. Thank you to all the parents,

students and staff for supporting the book fair.

Congratulations to the book fair winners:

For the Family event draw: J. Otero - Grade 5

Winners for the Baskets: A. Ragusa - Grade 2 and T. Miller – Grade 1

Winners for the Gumball guess: J. Boese and R. Yeo – Grade 2

Congratulations to all the Golden Coin Winners!

We thank you all for your support in making the Book Fair such a success.

~Ivy Nahas, Learning Commons Librarian

Maker March 2017 Design Challenge! This year our school is doing a Maker Space Challenge and competing with 30 other schools! This will include 8 students, Ms. Matos and the Learning commons Librarian, Mrs. Nahas We welcome our Maker March Challengers, Team Warriors!

• K.R. Tabios – Grade 9 • C. Orina – Grade 9 • J. Villaruel – Grade 9 • C. Villanueva – Grade 9 • Al Zayadi - Grade 9 • J.M. Rambongga – Grade 9 • J. Lee – Grade 9 • D. Bannag – Grade9 • Teacher: A. Matos

The Maker Space Challenge design this year is the

Rube Goldberg Machine! The purpose behind Maker March is to introduce the concept of Making in the Learning commons, connecting students and staff to meaningful hands-on service projects! The month-long challenge in March enables students to tinker, play and develop their unique prototype for the challenge. Our challenge design is due April 13, 2017. There will be 3 teams from the district to be awarded. The winning team will be invited to the Learning Commons Celebration and will receive their award on May 11, 2017. Congratulations and good luck to all participating students!!




Grade Two Explore Liquids!!

The grade two students have been learning about water as part of their "Exploring Liquids" unit. To further their understanding, they were visited by Ryan Roberts, a Water Treatment Engineer! The students learned about where our water in Calgary comes from, how it is cleaned, and what happens to it after it is used. They also brainstormed ideas about how we can help conserve water in our everyday lives. Thank you to Ryan for generously sharing his time and knowledge with our students in grade two! ~Ms. Montanini




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Flag football: Flag football season starts April 11 (weather permitting). Flag football is unique in that it is co-ed, and each grade has its own team. An interesting fact about our Calgary Catholic Flag Football Finals Tournament- it is the largest youth flag football tournament in North America!

Teams must field a minimum of 2 female players at all times, with a total of 5 players on the field at any one time. Flag football is a non-contact sport, but like many sports, accidental contact occasionally occurs. This sport is a great opportunity to try out a new sport, or to continue playing to develop skills needed in high school football. The football season lasts until May 24, where the finals will held at McMahon Stadium for grade 9’s, and Shouldice Park for grades 7 and 8. Exact dates and times will be posted in the May Newsletter for football finals. Please listen for announcements as soon as we return from Easter break regarding when tryouts will be held. Coaches for the season: Grade 9- Mr. Csikos, Grade 8- Mr. Heffernan/Ms. Montanini and Grade 7- Mr. Amour/Mr. Stricker. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Mr. Csikos.

Our dancers have been practicing hard and are preparing to perform their dance on April 4th at Bishop Carol. This is such an amazing opportunity for them to showcase their hard work and talent to the other schools in the district! Entry to the dance performance is by school supply donation and the event starts at 4:30. The audience is expected to stay for the duration of the show in respect for all the dancers. Should be a fun celebration of dance! We hope to see you there! Go Warriors! ~Ms. Rogers and Ms. Drury

Track & Field: Track and field season begins on May 1st and our divisional track meet will happen during the first or second week of June. We will be in need of some parent volunteers for the event so please contact Mr. Heffernan, Ms. Rogers or Ms. Klotz if you can help. Events included in this year’s meet will be: long jump, shot put, discus, 4 x 100 m relay, 100m, 200m 400m and 800m., and Turbo Jav. Try-outs and practices will mostly be posted on the school website later in April. Go Warriors!

BADMINTON Badminton is now under way. We were thrilled to have had so many students come and tryout!

Congratulations to Sofia B, Hannah R, Georgia T, Amber W, Avery B, Aliah C, Kiana G,Bronson G, Ben P, Kai S, Blake C, Cyrell V, Krizzneil T, Jansen V– Grade 9

The Grade 8 badminton team is training hard every Monday after school and Tuesday and Thursday Morning! Our team has been chosen and we have also lined up a roster for the City Finals that we are still refining. The following members are on the team: Boys- Adedayo A, Ezekiel E, Samuel N,EJ M, Jherold C, Lance S, Zachary M Girls- Emma C, Genessa C, Teresa P, Aira S, Jezykielle C, Yasmin C, Shayla N Tri-Meet dates (games start at 4 pm, end 5:30-6:00 pm)

• April 5 – Our Lady of Assumption • April 19 – St. Joseph • April 26 – Home (St. Michael)

St. Michael will be hosting the grade eight finals, so we will need some parent and student volunteers to help out at the tables for score keeping and recording—please contact Mrs. Waddell or Mme Longhi to volunteer or for more information. Grade 7 -Andre, Aiden, Eric, Tyler, Allih, Graciela, Aira, Val, Hannah and Karyl. Practices are on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons from 3:30- 4:30 and on Thursdays from 12:10 to 1:00. We have 4 tri-meets scheduled:

• Wednesday, April 5th@ St. Joseph • Wednesday, April 19th@ St. Monica • Wednesday, April 26th@ Madeline d’Houet

City Finals: City Championships: Bishop Carroll at 4 p.m. May 2 (Grade 7), May 3 (Grade 8), May 4 (Grade 9) Ten members of the team will represent St. Michael’s, eight who will be assigned positions and two who will be ready to fill in as substitutes in case of injury or other unforeseen events.

Go Warriors!!!




The Community of Caring class has been very busy planning their personal community based projects the last 2 months. Please read this newsletter and those in the near future for information regarding the plans of the 18 Leadership student’s projects coming to life.

The Leadership students have visited and toured the downtown office, shelter and apartments organized by the Mustard Seed. It was very interesting to learn how the Mustard Seed is organized to help people stay off the street and find employment as quickly as possible. Along with the visit, we delivered 106 pairs of men socks! As the month of March rolls to its’ end, we also have a visit to the downtown offices of Inn from the Cold; a plaid day spirit activity and a Throwback to the 80’s dance!

This has been a big month for Canstruction! We are over halfway to our fundraising goal of $2000. Thank you to everyone who has been supporting us through popcorn sales, silent auctions, and hot chocolate sales. We are still accepting cash donations and a tax credit receipt will be issued for donations over $20. In the coming month we are selling Italian pasta dinners for $10 and frozen homemade pizza for $4. Check out the school website for the link to the order form. If you were interested in seeing the Official competition, the Food Bank build will be happening at South Centre Mall on March 24, 2017 and will be on display until March 30, 2017. The structural ingenuity, passion and engineering that occurs is amazing. Our build is scheduled for May 2017. It promises to be very interesting! Stay tuned for more news in April!

Hey St. Michael’s Community! I want to make a positive impact on our community and I am planning a winter clothing drive for the end of winter beginning of spring. I know that when spring rolls around the last thing on your minds is the problems of the cold weather. However, the need for warm clothes is sadly larger than expected in Calgary. I am hoping that as spring comes and children grow out of their winter clothes we can distribute these clothes to EXIT- a homeless shelter for youth ages 12-17, Rowan House a shelter for women and children escaping domestic violence and the Salvation Army. Using the clothes that are donated hopefully the homeless teens and adults on the street will be better prepared for next winter when it rolls around. This clothing drive will take place from April 4th – 12th. Please donate clean, lightly used winter clothes. There will be a collection box at the office where the clothes can be dropped off. The aim of this fundraiser is winter clothes but other seasonal attire is welcome as well. Thank you and I hope we all donate what we are able to and positively impact the lives of many. ~Rory

Parents, on May 15-18 there will be an eyeglasses blitz drive for the Canadian Lions Eyeglass Recycling Center (CLERC). You can start donating your used (not broken), glasses (includes sun glasses, reading glasses, children’s glasses) now, there will be a box set up in the office. Please look for more information in the upcoming newsletters and agendas. ~Leah

Hi everybody, I am going to be collecting CLEAN old sheets, rags, cloth scraps, blankets and comforters. These items will go to the Daughters of the Nile who will use them to make new blankets for the Shriners Hospital for Children. The Shriners Hospital for Children helps with Orthopaedics, Burns, Spinal cord injuries and Cleft lip & Palate. Every child who leaves the Shriners Hospital for Children receives one of the blankets made by a Daughter of the Nile!!! The collection will be happening from May 1-12; there will be a box in the office for the donations. Thank-you all very much. ~Raquel

Parents, I am collecting unmatched/odd clean socks, I will sort them out and pair them to similar colours & patterns, and later donate them to an organization in need of socks. I am doing this because I think this is a perfect idea for a service project since a majority of us all have that one single sock in our laundry or dresser drawer. So kids can start bringing the socks in when we come back from spring break, I will put a box in the office so students can put it there. Thanks for your help! ~Jing

LEADERSHIP COMMUNITY PROJECTS: CAN YOU HELP??




St. Michael School Water Warrior’s ~Water Walk May 12, 2017 @ 10:15 am

Water Talk to follow the Mothers’ Day Liturgy at 1:15pm The St. Michael Water Warriors will participate in a water talk and lead a water walk to the Bow River as part of CAWST’s World Water Day celebrations. The Water Warriors will showcase and discuss our new retro-fitted water fountain project. The Water Warriors will lead the Jr. High students to the banks of the Bow River to collect water for our outdoor classroom. The elementary students will use the water to nourish the outdoor classroom this spring. Join us in the walk to collect water, explore local and global water issues and be inspired.

Raise a glass and make a global splash!

ATTENTION GRADE 9 MATH STUDENTS AND

PARENTS: A new grade 10 math prep course is being offered in summer school. Please see Mrs. Dean if you have any questions about this or any other grade 10 summer school course. Competencies in Math 15 (5 credits) (LDC) This course is recommended for students who: - demonstrated basic achievement of Grade 9 Math curriculum - have been challenged by Algebra, Exponents, Fractions and Problem Solving in Math 9 - Intend to take Math 10C This 5 credit course aims to build the mathematical skills and confidence necessary for students to be successful in future high school mathematics courses. This course will provide learning opportunities that will develop students’ critical thinking, problem solving and communication skills while focusing on the core mathematical concepts required for success in Math 10C and beyond. * Please note that Competencies in Math 15 is a Locally Developed Course. It counts as a 5 credit option towards the required 100 graduation credits but does not count as 5 credits in mathematics. Students will still need to complete 10 credits in Mathematics courses after the completion of this course.

In April our French Immersion students will have the opportunity to watch a wonderful French movie in the learning commons.

We will be watching L’ÉLEGANCE DU HÉRISSON.

We will open our Café Bistro for students to treat themselves to some delicious French food.

We will also have a student improvisation activity where the students will challenge each other in public speaking which all be done in French.

Students in grade 9 have the opportunity to write their DELF exam in April. This is an international French exam that provides students with a recognition of their French level that is valid for life.

Levels and skills assessed: A1 to B2 – Oral and written comprehension and expression.

The DELF include both written and oral components, designed for secondary school students (between the ages of 12 and 18). The DELF is intended for secondary school students who want to have their French language skills assessed and recognized by an internationally-recognized diploma, outside of a classroom environment.

Grade 9 French students leave for Quebec on April 28th for 6 days!!! Bon Voyage!

French NEWS







GRADE 8: Invention Convention will be taking place Tuesday, April 11 at the Schulich School of Engineering at the University of Calgary.

6 projects (3 from 8Trapp/8Amour and 3 from 8Klotz/8Dunne) will be chosen after the Spring Break to represent St. Michael at this amazing showcase. Stayed tuned to the May newsletter for highlights.

GRADE 9: On Monday, March 13, the Grade 9s attended a fabulous presentation by National Geographic Live! called ‘Beauty and the Bizarre with Anand Varma’ at the Jack Singer Concert Hall.

Mr. Varma delighted us with 4 stories he has photographed for National Geographic Magazine – parasites, honeybees, bats and humming birds – that offered us a rare glimpse at our world’s small wonders.

You are invited to…

Saturday, April 22 9:00 am – 12:00pm At the Olympic Oval

The following projects selected from St. Michael School’s 5th annual Science Fair will be completing:

From Grade 5:

Ty Sinclair & Dominic Akpan – Which detergent cleans the most stains?

In Grade 6:

Olivia Cook & Bailey Hrstic – Fight or Flight Danica Regacho – Effects of Gender

Differences in Smoking Garrett Hauser & Teresa Wells – Do video

games have an effect on our body?

In Grade 7:

Elaine Maimba – What type of food allows mould to grow the fastest?

Tyler Houston – Mining and Selenium: Managing Impacts on Our Waters

Michael Lundie – Can you read backwards?

Elizabeth Bailey – What type of water makes plants grow most effectively?

In Grade 8:

Emma Towers – What is the difference between cosmic rays and gamma rays?

Charles Balicanta – Gassy Beverages Kaaya Wiens & Ivan Baron – A Heated

Situation

GRADE 7 Science Trip To Drumheller!

On Tuesday, April 25, students will be attending an all-day field trip to the Royal Tyrrell Museum in Drumheller. Students will have the opportunity to put their powers of observation to use by solving a Cretaceous crime, experience the landscape of Alberta first hand with a hike through the badlands, and explore the world-class museum. We will be leaving by bus at 8:00am, so students will need to arrive at the school by 7:40am. We will be returning to the school between 4:45pm and 5:00pm. Information letters and permission forms were sent home prior to Spring break. For more information, please contact Ms. Robertson at [email protected]

THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF SCIENCE!!


mailto:[email protected]



This month we celebrate the

Beatitude of Mercy within our faith formation. Our community is called to think about what it truly means to be merciful as God has been merciful to us and decide how we can incorporate the works of mercy into this Lenten Season. Mme Ansell’s Grade 7 Class has worked together to create a presentation that allows our community to discover mercy and what it means in our daily lives. Together with Ms. Lalonde’s Grade 2 Class they have selected a creative activity for our Catholic Community of Caring Activity. Students will be collaborating on creating door hangers that show their message of faith & mercy or depict how they will be demonstrating mercy this Lenten Season. As the Lenten Season continues and we look towards the coming of Jesus, let us find the strength to show mercy to those in our community.

AMAZINGNESS! In amazing race to recess, our Peer Mentorship program, we are thrilled to be back out in the sunshine. Each young person in the program is partnered up with a Junior High Mentor. They spend one month together, first building a relationship and then the older helping their

younger buddy with some of the social conflicts that can arise on the playground. It amazes me how open and honest the little people have been with their buddies, often telling them of things that have been bothering them or things that worry them about the unstructured time of recess. And of course, I am continually amazed at how patient and empathetic our Junior High Mentors are. Often they tell me “I understand what my buddy is going through because I remember what it was like at that age on the playground.” This Lenten season when I reflect on the sacrifice that Jesus made, I am grateful that I have been able to witness these young people make this program a success. It is no easy task to give up your lunch hour as a Junior High Student and devote it solely to someone else, and through this sacrifice they are truly the hands and feet of Jesus on our St. Michael playground. ~ Mrs. Dean




Spring is here and the counselling office is a busy place, students stop in frequently to have a chat about their academics, friends and sometimes family issues. As a school counsellor I always embrace conversations about conflict and one of our goals as educators is to help students see how learning occurs even in the toughest of times. It is a unique privilege that we have to work with a student, watch them struggle and then help them reflect on what they have learned and how they came through it. Often teenagers talk less and less to

their parents as they strive to find an identity that includes outside influences and sources of motivation. This can be frustrating for parents and they can be left feeling that all they do is fight or nag at their teens at the expense of their most cherished relationship. I came across this article the other day and thought it was written perfectly for parents (myself included) to see that conflict can be a source of great learning and that fighting (if done the right way) can be a blessing in disguise in terms of a teenager’s ability to learn how to cope with conflict.

By LISA DAMOUR

March 16, 2016

When raising teenagers, conflict usually comes with the territory. A growing body of research suggests that

this can actually be a good thing. How disagreements are handled at home shapes both adolescent mental health and the overall quality of the parent-teenager relationship. Not only that, the nature of family quarrels can also drive how adolescents manage their relationships with people beyond the home.

In looking at how teenagers approach disputes, experts have identified four distinct styles: attacking, withdrawing, complying and problem solving.

Adolescents who favor either of the first two routes — escalating fights or stubbornly refusing to engage in them — are the ones most likely to be or become depressed, anxious or delinquent. But even those teenagers who take the third route and comply, simply yielding to their parents’ wishes, suffer from high rates of mood disorders. Further, teenagers who cannot resolve arguments at home often have similar troubles in their friendships and love lives.

In contrast, teenagers who use problem solving to address disputes with their parents present a vastly different picture. They tend to enjoy the sturdiest psychological health and the happiest relationships everywhere they go, two outcomes that would top every parent’s wish list.

So how do we raise teenagers who see disagreements as challenges to be resolved?

Compelling new research suggests that constructive conflict between parent and teenager hinges on the adolescent’s readiness to see beyond his or her own perspective. In other words, good fights happen when teenagers consider arguments from both sides, and bad fights happen when they don’t.

Conveniently, the intellectual ability to consider multiple outlooks blossoms in the teenage years. While younger children lack the neurological capacity to fully understand someone else’s point of view, adolescence sparks rapid development in the parts of the brain associated with abstract reasoning. This leads to dramatic gains in the ability to regard situations from competing viewpoints. We also have evidence that parents can make the most of their teenagers’ evolving neurobiology by being good role models for taking another person’s perspective. Adults who are willing to walk around in their teenagers’ mental shoes tend to raise teenagers who return the favor.

But research findings rarely translate cleanly to the realities of family life. Conflict comes with heat, and we can only contemplate another person’s viewpoint when heads are cool. Imagine an adolescent announcing his plan to spend Saturday night with a former friend known for serious wrongdoing. Any reasonable parent might respond “Absolutely not!” and trigger an eruption,

retreat or gloomy submission in a normally developing teenager.

An interaction that ends here is an opportunity lost. But hard starts can be salvaged if we allow for the possibility that first reactions can give way to second ones. The parent in this scenario might soon find a way to say, “I’m sorry that got ugly. I need you to help me understand why you want to spend time with Mike when you don’t even like him that much. And can you put words to why I’m so uncomfortable with the idea of you hanging out with him?”

No parent or teenager can, or needs to, turn every dispute into a thoughtful consideration of opposing outlooks. And some families weather toxic battles that go far beyond the squabbles inherent in raising adolescents. Still, the balance of research suggests that garden-variety disagreements offer the opportunity to help young people better understand themselves and others, building in them the lifelong skill of finding room for civility in the midst of discord.

No parent looks forward to fighting with his or her teenage child. But the friction that

comes with raising adolescents might be easier to take when we see it as an opening, not an obstacle.

Lisa Damour is a psychologist in private practice in Shaker Heights, Ohio, a clinical instructor at Case Western Reserve University and the director of Laurel School’s Center for Research on Girls. She is the author of “Untangled: Guiding Teenage Girls Through the Seven Transitions Into Adulthood.” Follow her on Twitter: @LDamour.


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http://psycnet.apa.org/journals/dev/50/4/1219/

http://www.drlisadamour.com/

http://www.amazon.com/Untangled-Guiding-Teenage-Transitions-Adulthood/dp/0553393057



https://twitter.com/LDamour









MUSIC NEWS!!

The Band 6/7 students are fresh off their experience at the Alberta International Band Festival, and they have exciting news. We received 3 marks of Excellent for our performance!! There are 5 different levels: Developing Band, Fair, Good, Excellent and Superior. Receiving an overall Excellent is like getting an AB on report cards! They’re very proud and will have a little treat to reward their hard work next class.

Now that festival is over, we move our sights to the Spring Fundraiser and Spring Concert. We will be selling various spring baskets and plants through DeVry Greenhouses. Order forms available at https://stmichaelschool.growingsmilesfundraising.com/home Orders are due by May 1, and will be available pick-up at our spring concert. We hope you consider purchasing your garden bedding, veggies, herbs and hanging baskets from us this year!

Our final concert will be on Thursday, May 25. We will be celebrating Canada’s 150th birthday by performing an all Canadian music concert. The concert will be held at St. Michael School at 7:00 pm. General Music 6, Band 6, 7, 8, 9 and choir will perform.


https://stmichaelschool.growingsmilesfundraising.com/home







April 2016

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1

2 3 Day 3 First Day Back

4 Day 4 Danceworks Finals-Bishop Carroll HS at 4:30 p.m.!!

5 Day 5

6 Day 6 NOON DISMISSAL

7 Day 1

8

9 10 Day 2 Round #3 gr. 5 and gr. 9 vaccinations Child Safe Class Stranger/Danger K-3 noon hour

11 Day 3 Gr. 8 Invention Convention

12 Day 4

13 Day 5 Holy Thursday Liturgy at 10 a.m. NOON DISMISSAL

14 GOOD FRIDAY- NO CLASSES

15

16 17 EASTER MONDAY- NO CLASSES

18 Day 6

19 Day 1 School Council mtg 6:00 p.m

20 Day 2 NOON DISMISSAL Leadership to Mustard Seed Sorting center

21 Day 3

22

23 24 Day 4

25 Day 5 French DELF Exams Gr. 7 on Tyrell Museum Field Trip Drumheller

26 Day 6

27 Day 1 LAST NOON DISMISSAL OF THE YEAR!!

28 Day 2 Gr. 9 French students on Quebec Trip!

29

30 May 1 2 3

Documents

A World of Learning… - Calgary Catholic School District will return from Spring Break on Monday, April 3rd and we hope you all have a restful break, feel renewed and ready to return