We know you have questions – ask us!

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MCHS Counsellors Mr. White and Mrs. Porter

Have you ever wondered what a day in the life of a high school guidance counselor at Memorial Composite High School would be like?  It sounds like a great job, doesn’t it?  And it is!!  Mr. White and Mrs. Porter have their days filled with many interesting conversations, appointments, and tasks.  Here is a sample of the kinds of things that they do.

In September and February a great deal of time is spent looking at student timetables and making sure that timetables are balanced, courses are chosen appropriately, graduation and post-secondary requirements are going to be met, and that students are happy .

Students also speak to their guidance counselor about their plans after high school.  Career information and career counseling can be very enlightening and help to make informed decisions.  Guidance counselors can access interest / aptitude tests to ensure that students choose careers that are appropriate for their skills and abilities.

Grade 12 students often have great questions about post-secondary options, scholarship opportunities and student finance.  We can help students decide between a college, a university, or a technical school.  Students can complete part or all of their application with a guidance counselor present.  Students can search for scholarships at www.scholarshipscanada.ca or www.studentawards.com.  They can also link to scholarships on the school website at www.psd70.ab.ca/schools/MCHS/Students/StudentServices/Pages/Scholarships.aspx.  Scholarships  offered by local clubs and organizations for the graduates of Memorial Composite High School come out in the spring and Mrs. Porter and Mr. White talk to grade 12 students about these opportunities.

October and February are two favorite times in a guidance counselor’s life.  Being able to visit grade nine students in our 13 different feeder schools and help to prepare them for the transition from middle school to high school is very exciting.  We encourage students to choose courses that are academically appropriate.  We also encourage students to attend the Open House held in the spring of each school year.  Open House helps to solidify elective course choices.

The door to Student Services is always open to help students deal with personal issues.  Whether a student or a friend is dealing with stress, anger, depression, peer conflicts, grief, study habits, test-taking, organization, suicidal thoughts or other stressors in a teenage life, a guidance counselor is available.

The two counselors at MCHS are caring and supportive individuals whose goal is to help students in any way they can to make their high school experience a successful and enjoyable one.  Drop in to see one of them whenever you wish!

The Fourth R: (Social) Responsibility

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The ever-deepening snow, chilly nights, and few daylight hours can really play havoc with many people this time of year.  It’s cold, dark, and summer seems very far away.   At MCHS however, we see this season as an opportunity to showcase the fourth important R of learning.  School isn’t just about reading, writing, and arithmetic.  It is also about developing an understanding of one’s role in the world – of our need to help out where we can:  our social responsibility as citizens of both our school and our larger community.

Part of this social responsibility includes helping those who may be less fortunate.  Every year, MCHS contributes to the Kinsmen Christmas Hamper program – supporting the needs of over 40 local families who struggle to make ends meet at this time of year.  We provide food, clothing, toiletries, and gifts for many folks. We know that many of our community members are able to keep afloat throughout most of the year, but struggle with all the extra expenses that come around Christmas time. Any little bit we can contribute may allow a little child to get the Christmas gift he/she desires, or perhaps allow a dad to get a gift as well, when usually he would have spent all he could on his family.  We can all take great pleasure from the fact that, come Christmas morning, we will have made a little difference in at least 40 different families lives.

Another annual initiative we embark upon is the Shoebox gift program.  Each shoe box gift is filled with hygiene items, school supplies, toys, and candy and is distributed to children in countries such as Haiti, Sierra Leone, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica, to name a few.  This year, staff and students filled and shipped over 70 such shoe boxes.

All this giving always puts us in the Christmas spirit and reminds us how fortunate we are to live where we do.   Christmas is a time of celebration, joy, laughter, family, and friends.  At MCHS, December brings a big, beautifully decorated tree to our cafeteria, and plenty of concerts, celebrations, and plays.  On December 7, our PLACE classroom presented their Christmas celebration, including singing, and plenty of treats.  Our Choirs presented “The Ghosts of Christmas Past” on December 11, to rave reviews.  Our band will present their Christmas Concert on December 18, and our Drama students will showcase “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” on December 19 & 20.  It is always a pleasure to see the finished product of our students’ diligence, talent, and dedication.

All the students and staff at Memorial Composite want to wish all of our community members the best for the holiday season and for the new year.  Take time over the holiday break to relax and enjoy the company of family, friends, and loved ones.  Merry Christmas!!

 

Assessing Student Learning

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There has been a lot of talk in the media lately about the practice of giving high school students a zero for work that hasn’t been completed.  Many people have strong opinions on both sides of this argument.  I want to take a little time to explain some of what we do at Memorial Composite to fairly and accurately assess student learning.

What does a score really mean?  If a student completes an assignment and earns a low mark or a score of zero, the student demonstrates minimal or no understanding of the learning outcomes being assessed.  This is a huge message to the teacher – clearly something has to change.  This feedback loop is essential to the teaching and learning process. The teacher gets an answer to the question

The key is to have the student complete the assignment so that the teacher can make an informed decision.  The purpose of assessment is to inform educational decisions.  Does the teacher need to modify teaching practice?  Does the teacher need to re-teach, re-assess, or change the assessment tool?  Do we need to modify the learning environment for that student?  These are all big decisions that need to be made and they must be informed decisions.

If a student fails to submit an assignment and the teacher assigns the student a zero, no one (student or teacher) learns anything about that student’s level of understanding.  This means no one can make an informed decision.  The student needs to submit the work so we can assess his/her learning.

We plan and create assignments that accurately assess student-learning.  We as teachers are working diligently to assess in a formative manner – to build a strong understanding of the students’ learning.  Students who don’t complete those assignments deny themselves the opportunity to demonstrate this learning in a low-risk manner.  Assigning them a zero denies them further.  That goes directly against what we want to do as a learning institution.

So what do we do if a student does not complete an assignment?

1.  Implore upon them how important it is to complete the assessment and set up a schedule for completion.

2.  If that schedule is not met, we communicate with the parent and ask for their assistance.

3.  If the problem continues, we need to work with the student and parent to determine why the student is not motivated to do the work.  Is it because he/she is not engaged?  Is the work too difficult for the student?

4.  Then what?  We continue to make it more and more difficult for the student to avoid the work.  We want the student to understand that it is often easier to simply do the assignment than it is to avoid it.

All of this has to happen in a timely manner – a teacher needs to determine immediately what changes need to occur in the learning environment.  The best way to do that is to give meaningful feedback to students and have students give meaningful feedback to the teacher.  This cannot happen if we simply assign a zero – that’s too easy of a way out, both for the student and for the teacher.

The criticism I often hear is that not giving a student a zero doesn’t teach them about real life.  Honestly, I don’t understand this criticism. Of course I understand there are consequences in life if one fails to complete required tasks.  But a zero is not a consequence – it is a cop-out. Allowing a student to “take a zero” and move on makes it possible for them to get away without doing their work.  Where in the “real world” does that happen?

A the end of the day we need to ask ourselves, “Do we want to teach the kid a lesson, or have them do the work”?  I want them to do the work so they can learn their own lesson.  I don’t want punishment, I want engagement, learning, and ultimately, student-success!

Shauna Boyce

Principal

MCHS’ L.I.F.E. For Child Soldiers team presents an Evening with Lieutenant General Roméo Dallaire

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Imagine yourself on a hillside in the chaotic throes of war, with a sea of innocents behind you whom you are tasked by duty, honour, mandate and ethics to protect.  Your weapon is drawn, and you are prepared for the attack.  Over the hilltop, right in front of you, comes a troop of marauding rebel soldiers with rifles and machetes.  You raise your own weapon and peer through the magnifying gunsight at the leader.

Shock hits you as you realize this soldier is not a man nor a professional – not your equal in age, strength, training, understanding.  This soldier is a child, in the tattered remnants of a military uniform, with dozens more children behind him…. Do you treat this person as a soldier or as a child? (pg 2, They Fight Like Soldiers, They Die Like Children – Roméo Dallaire)

The plight of child soldiers in the world is astounding.  It is estimated that over 300 000 child soldiers are involved in over 30 conflicts worldwide.  Children are more likely to become child soldiers if they are separated from their families, displaced from their homes, living in combat zones or have limited access to education. Children may join armed groups as the only way to guarantee daily food and survival. (UNICEF)

L.I.F.E. (Life, Innocence, Freedom, Education) For Child Soldiers is a team of dedicated Memorial Composite High School students and staff who are committed to raising awareness and helping to eradicate the use of child soldiers in world conflicts .  Our work has been inspired, in part, by the commitment and dedication of Lieutenant-General (Ret’d.) The Honourable Roméo Dallaire.

Roméo Dallaire was first confronted with child soldiers in Rwanda during the genocide of 1994.  Since that time, he has been focussed on eradicating the use of child soldiers in armed conflict.  In 2000, Dallaire became a special advisor to the Canadian minister for international cooperation, tending to the plight of children in war-torn countries.

Please join us for an evening with L-Gen Dallaire as he discusses leadership and conflict resolution, illustrated with stories of his personal experiences.  He will inspire those in attendance to address the ethical and moral issues in conflicts and encourage you to insist we all put humanity above political and economic interests.

Our community event with L-Gen (Ret’d) The Honourable Roméo Dallaire is scheduled for

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Refreshments start at 5:30

Dinner at 6:00, followed by the keynote presentation by our guest of honour

Please join us at the Memorial Composite High School Main Gymnasium

Tickets:  $50 each (all proceeds go to the Child Soldier Initiative www.childsoldiersinitiative.org )

 

Contact Adele at the school aalbers@psd70.ab.ca or 780-963-2255 for tickets or for more information.

Please note:  Tickets are very limited, and we cannot guarantee availability after February 23!!

Act fast – our last community presentation sold out!!

 

We look forward to seeing you there!

High School Parents Can Still Get Involved!

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It is fairly common for parents to become less involved with their son’s and daughter’s schools as their children get older.  Often this is because it isn’t as readily evident how they can participate.  It is true, high school classrooms do not have a high need for parent-volunteers, and many opportunities to volunteer in other situations become more and more difficult to create.  And of course, there is the small but powerful desire of many students not to see their parents in the school.

That does not mean, however, that involvement in your son or daughter’s education becomes any less important.  There are ways you can be involved at Memorial Composite that reward experiences for all.

Here are a few (in no particular order):

  • Join our  School Council – School Council is a great opportunity to have input into school decisions and get direct information about what’s happening in school
  • Attend Sporting Events – our student athletes love to see the stands full of Marauder fans! Even if your son/daughter doesn’t play on the team, it’s still a great way to spend an evening for free.
  • Attend Music and Drama productions – every performance runs much better in front of a packed house!  We have some amazingly talented students here at MCHS who would love to showcase their abilities.
  • Volunteer to coach, or even drive a bus – we’re always looking for people to help out so we can offer all of our athletic programs.  If you’re not a talented athlete, perhaps you’d be willing to offer to drive a team to a game once in a while.
  • Is your occupation one that is immediately relevant to curriculum? Offer to Skype in or host a field trip in your place of work.
  • Is your son/daughter on a sports team or in music? Join the Green and Gold Society or the Music Parents’ Association - our fundraising committees for athletics and choir/band respectively.  We simply could not offer the calibre of extra-curricular opportunities we do without outside funds.
  • Do you have some construction, fabrication or artistic background?  Our Drama program will probably need assistance in set production for their performances.
  • We have a number of major citizenship events open to the community.  We hosted a very successful fundraiser for the Global Enrichment Foundation, and will soon begin to focus our efforts to raise funds for the General Romeo D’Allaire Foundation . Our first event went extremely well, but only through the amazing support of our students, staff, parents and community.  You would contribute greatly if you were able to volunteer time to prepare for our next event.

Of course, being involved does not only mean volunteering your time.  Being involved in your child’s education starts with becoming informed, thus opening the avenues of communication.

  • Touch base with your child’s teachers and grade administrator – email or phone and introduce yourself. Don’t wait until parent-teacher interviews, which by the way, are scheduled for November 3 and November 8 (5:00 – 8:00 PM).
  • Many of our teachers have facebook or twitter accounts they use to keep students updated and notify them of upcoming important dates. You can join those feeds too!
  • Read and review courses outlines your son/daughter brings home – they contain valuable information about procedures and how grades are calculated.
  • Check in about homework. Most students will have homework almost every day. Remain mindful of how much time your child spends on it and help them to balance school responsibilities with family/friends, and work commitments.
  • You can remain informed about school events and celebrations by “liking” our Facebook page:  www.facebook.com/MemorialComp or following us on twitter www.twitter.com/MemorialComp and of course, regularly checking our website www.psd70.ab.ca/schools/mchs 

The key to a successful high school experience, for parents and students, is communication.  We all want the same thing – for your sons and daughters to be happy, responsible, respectful, caring, and learned individuals. We want them to get everything they can out of high school and to achieve their potential.

 

I would love to hear your comments about other ways to get involved at Memorial Composite. Please feel free to add to the comment section below.

I look forward to seeing you at some of our events!

Memorial Composite’s Live Free Group Presents an Evening with Amanda Lindhout!

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Amanda Lindhout is a Canadian former freelance journalist who was kidnapped in Somalia on August 23, 2008.  She and two others were detained for 460 days by criminals, reportedly posing as freedom fighters, eventually being released on November 25, 2009.

After her release, Amanda founded the Global Enrichment Foundation (GEF) – an organization focused on education, economic, and community empowerment for citizens (especially women) of Somalia.  She has become a leader and a much sought-after speaker on the topics of forgiveness, compassion, and social responsibility. 

Inspired by Amanda’s story, students at Memorial Composite High School formed the Live Free group, dedicated to raising funds for the GEF and to inspire others to take action against oppression in the world.  These dedicated students have been working with the GEF to provide full university scholarships to extraordinary Somali women who have a clear vision of the kind of change they are going to create in Somalia.

Because Amanda’s influence has been so powerful for the members of Live Free, they wanted to share her message with the Stony Plain community.  As part of their work, Live Free is pleased and honoured to announce that

Amanda Lindhout will be speaking to the Stony Plain community on the evening of October 12, 2011, at MCHS.

Events include a silent auction (beginning at 5:00 PM) and dinner at 6:00, followed by an address from Amanda at 7:30. 

Tickets for this event are $25 each and are currently on sale from the MCHS school office.

We at Memorial Composite High are incredibly proud of the students who have worked tirelessly over the past six months to achieve their goals of raising $20 000 for the GEF and to share Amanda’s message with the Stony Plain community. 

Please consider joining us for this evening.  You will have the opportunity to meet and converse with Amanda, as well as meet the dedicated students who worked so diligently to bring her message to us.

For more information, to donate items for the silent auction, or to find out how else you could get involved with stopping oppression around the world, please contact Amanda Olson or Haley Larsen at 780-963-2255.

Welcome to Memorial Composite!

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Well, here we go – off to start another school year. Whether your child is in Grade 10, 11, or 12 and whether this is your eldest or youngest, the start of the school year always seems to bring a little bit of “normalcy” back to our lives.  Welcome back to another great year of high school!  Those of us at Memorial Composite are excited and eager to start another fabulous year with your sons and daughters.

Our administrators’ blog will be one of the methods we use to communicate with parents and other community members on a regular basis.  We are excited and eager to share information and ideas with you via this method of communication.  As parents, we want you to be as informed as possible about what happens at Memorial Composite High School, and hope you find this particular venue useful.

For this first blog, I want to introduce you to the administrative team at Memorial Composite.  We are

Shauna Boyce – Principal

Rod Strangway – Assistant Principal (Class of 2013 – Grade 11)

Mark Rose – Assistant Principal (Class of 2012 – Grade 12)

Karen Wendel – Assistant Principal (Class of 2014 – Grade 10)

Together, we bring a host of experiences as school administrators and educators.  We are a passionate and committed team, and are extremely pleased to work with such a talented and dedicated team of teachers such as those at MCHS – all of whom are committed to excellence in teaching and learning.  We promote a strong, collaborative culture based on learning, caring, and respect. Our fundamental purpose is learning, but we understand that this is more than an academic exercise. Our purpose includes helping students develop citizenship skills, empathy, and responsibility. We have created a supportive and accepting culture and atmosphere in which we actively promote students’ efforts to reach their maximum potential.

We encourage you to drop in to see us – let one of us tour you around our beautiful school if you haven’t yet seen it; stop by to watch a volleyball or football game; or, simply pick up the phone and ask questions!  You can also follow us on twitter:  www.twitter.com/MemorialComp  or on FaceBook at www.facebook.com/MemorialComp .  You can also check out the video that was created for us on the occasion of our Grand Opening in 2010: http://youtu.be/KiAaq2cnkP4

Together we are certain to create a fabulous environment in which your son or daughter can learn and grow.

Shauna Boyce