Do you remember your elementary school playground? Where the swings were? The colour of the slide? Playgrounds are the setting of many childhood memories, where new friendships are found and old ones are strengthened.

It’s a fitting location for Calgary Academy’s Junior Drama Production of Billy Bard and the Playground Tragedies. This year, buying a ticket means you can support CA students by adding a donation to your ticket cost. These donations will help directly fund a new CA playground!

Add a Dollar, Make a Difference at CA

Billy Bard and the Playground Tragedies, written by CA teaching alum Charlotte Nixon, tells the story of playground king, Billy Bard, who catches a rival school’s spy red-handed.

Through retellings inspired by Julius Caesar, King Lear, and other Shakespearean works, he tells the spy about the epic highs and lows of the “playground tragedies.”

The fast-paced comedy will hit the Black Box Theatre soon, and the community can support the story of Calgary Academy’s playground through the Annual Appeal. Add a small donation to your ticket cost, and your dollars will go directly to funding a new playground for the school and local community.

CA’s Executive Director of Advancement, Genine Neufeld, understands the value that play spaces have on young learners, teaching them valuable lessons as they play and explore.

“Playgrounds are the first stage where we learn life’s essential lessons: balancing fun, taking turns, and building community. They set the script for how we treat others and how we support the systems around us.

 

You can actively support and shape students’ future at Calgary Academy by adding a donation towards the new CA playground to your ticket. Your gift will teach children for years to come the foundational skills of friendship and cooperation.” – Ms. Neufeld

Buy Your Tickets Today

This year’s Junior Drama Production debuts on Thursday, Dec. 11. To learn more about the show, visit CA’s events website. Tickets often sell out quickly, so save your spot to hear about the playground tragedies.

Tickets are available on Rycor!

Showtimes

Thursday, Dec. 11: CAST A

• Doors Open: 6:30 p.m.
• Show Time: 7:00 p.m.

Friday, Dec. 12: CAST B

• Doors Open: 6:30 p.m.
• Show Time: 7:00 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 13: CAST A

• Doors Open: 10:30 a.m.
• Show Time: 11:00 a.m.

Saturday, Dec. 13: CAST B

• Doors Open: 6:30 p.m.
• Show Time: 7:00 p.m.

Whether it’s due to the Netflix hit show Stranger Things or the gaming hit Baldur’s Gate 3, Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) has gained increasing popularity. It’s evident when you enter one of the classrooms that hosts the Senior School D&D Club at Calgary Academy.

Here, students embrace their creativity and teamwork as they delve into (imaginary) ruins, temples, and villages in their (usually) fantasy world. A popular club at the school, students continue to flock to play, providing a space for them to make memories and flex their problem-solving skills.

An Epic and Collaborative Tale

Dungeons & Dragons is arguably the most famous tabletop role-playing game (TTRPG) of all time, with decades of history. The game can have several variations in how it’s played (mini figurines, online, homebrewed rules, etc.), but its core gameplay is strong.

You don’t technically need to spend any money to play D&D. All you need is a copy of the rules, players—at least one player and one Dungeon Master (DM)—and imagination. Theatre of the mind (imagining a scene based on the DM’s description) is the main way many players enjoy the game.

It’s also how you will primarily see Calgary Academy students playing together in D&D Club, huddled around a grouping of desks as soon as lunch begins. Together, the DM and participating players create a story, rolling dice to make attacks and decisions.

Senior School teacher Paige Stoffregen, who has helped run the club for several years alongside other teachers, sees the collaborative nature of D&D as one of its greatest strengths. Students get to create a story from scratch together.

“You are building something from the ground up with your friends, and no one knows how it’s going to go. The game always seems to end up where it needs to be in terms of themes and cohesive stories.” – Ms. Stoffregen

During play, the DM makes the situations, while the players devise solutions catered to their characters’ skills (strength, wisdom, intelligence, etc.).

This respectful partnership helps ensure that all students have a positive experience, regardless of the campaign they join.

Learners can be a part of a Lord of the Rings-esque high fantasy adventure, a thrilling political story of rivalling kingdoms, or hunt monsters in a haunted forest. The possibilities are endless, and Ms. Stoffregen has seen many different campaigns evolve.

“The students are all doing something different. Some of them are running pre-made modules. We also have some resources from D&D Beyond that they can use. Some have homebrew games, where they invent everything from the ground up.”

D&D = Creative Problem Solving

It may not seem like it at first, but the hijinks and hilarity that happen in Dungeons & Dragons can benefit a student’s learning, particularly with problem-solving. The adventuring party can encounter many different obstacles and scenarios, and they may not have a direct “best option.”

Ms. Stoffregen says that when students can make anything happen at the table, you see students flex their brains and creatively problem solve.

“Your imagination is kind of the limit… Because it’s such a narratively driven game and it’s so storytelling-based. The whole thing is about problem-solving, really—stories grow from conflict.”

Students like Lyndon S. enjoy creating stories with their classmates at lunch.

He joined the club after becoming interested in D&D through his brother. He had played a few one-shots (single-session D&D campaigns) and figured the club would be fun to join, liking how the campaign’s story could potentially play out.

“I like the freedom to be foolish at school. I like making characters and stories.”

Whether students are trying to infiltrate a local Thieves’ Guild or fight a stone golem in a fiery lake, the game provides the adventuring party with adversity. Just like in real life, when faced with a problem, it’s important to figure out how to tackle it one step at a time.

Ms. Stoffregen notes that she has seen many students’ confidence rise in this area.

“D&D is a great place to build that skill—leaping forward to try and think of, ‘okay, what is the starting point? How do I actually proceed from being at a standstill?’ I think that transfers into student skills in the classroom—we just see more confidence in their own problem-solving and their ability to figure things out on their own, in creative ways.” – Ms. Stoffregen

If students are interested in Dungeons & Dragons, a chair is always available at the D&D Club. The club typically meets on Mondays and Wednesdays, and is available to all interested Senior School students in HW20.

I am not sure how it is already the end of November, but here we are! I hope you have been enjoying the weather. Perhaps you are already looking forward to the December break. My daughter and I are heading to Mexico, and I am looking forward to that!

As staff, we have been learning more about neurodiversity and neurodivergence. As such, I thought it might be helpful to share some of that learning with you. This month, we will focus on a broad overview of neurodiversity affirming care. Next month, we will spotlight autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, and specific learning disorders.

Key Terms to Know

• Neurodiversity: An umbrella term used to describe all people and the unique ways their brains work! Neuro = the brain and how it works. Diversity = difference
• Neurotypical (NT): Brain functioning that is considered “typical” in processing and learning
• Neurodivergent (ND): A term used to describe an individual or group of people with a particular variation of diversity (ADHD, ASD, Specific Learning Disorders, etc.). These differences are characterized by variations in the brain or neurological functioning.
• Identity First Language (IFL): Research indicates that identity-first language is the preference among many neurodivergent individuals. For example, Peter is Autistic. However, others prefer person-first language. For example, Peter is on the autism spectrum. Always ask about and use the person’s preference.

The goal of neurodiversity affirming care and creating a neurodiversity affirming school is to view others through a lens of differences rather than deficits. It is about changing the way we think and speak about these differences. It is also about prioritizing a person’s strengths and interests. Often, in education (and in psychology), there is a reliance on deficit-based language. There is a focus on what the child can’t do, what skills they are lacking, what the problem is, what’s wrong, etc. It presumes that the child is broken and needs to be fixed.

Using neurodiversity-affirming language is one way to see and honour the whole child. It creates a space where children feel seen and heard. They feel safe to be themselves and stop “masking” in an effort to fit in with their peers. Neurodiversity-affirming language attempts to present neutral information, moves away from the notion of right vs. wrong, and, most importantly, presumes competence.

How do we presume competence? In Neurodiversity Affirming Schools, Emily Kircher-Morris and Amanda Morin suggest the following five ways:

• We assume every student is able to learn.
• We know all students are intelligent in their own way.
• We see differences as different, not less.
• We respect students’ independence and their right to be communicated with directly in age-appropriate ways, and we use language and examples they understand.
• We recognize there are multiple ways for students to show what they do.

As parents, this may mean changing the way we view our child’s ND profile. It may mean that we have to change the way in which we speak about their abilities. It may also mean that we have to look at parenting our ND child differently than we currently do. There are common differences among ND profiles that may help us better understand our own child. We will look at those in more depth next month, but here are some common differences we may see that may cause frustration and stress in the home:

• Neurodivergent individuals often have challenges with everyday tasks that seem easy for their neurotypical peers. They are not lazy; their executive functioning (EF) skills just need more time to develop. Teachers and parents need to be their surrogate frontal lobes whilst teaching them important strategies to manage and further develop their EF.
• Many neurodivergent individuals engage in stimming (self-stimulating behaviour), which may help with self-regulation and/or allow for the expression of feelings. Stimming may look like twirling hair, biting nails, rocking back and forth, flapping hands, arching, or tensing parts of the body, etc. If it is not dangerous, let them stim!
• Many neurodivergent individuals engage in masking (suppressing or hiding their natural qualities or differences to appear more “typical”). Masking can be stressful, exhausting, and create dysregulation and burnout.
• Many neurodivergent individuals experience differences in how they experience, process, and use sensory information (there are more senses than you think). When these needs are not met, this can cause discomfort and even pain. This is an excellent resource to explore with your child and possibly share with their teacher. While aimed at Autism, it is excellent for all ND individuals.
• Being neurodivergent in a neurotypical world can be extremely stressful and can cause dysregulation. This may lead to meltdowns (externalized behaviours such as hitting, screaming, or sobbing), shutdowns (internalized behaviours such as zoning out, avoiding tasks, or not communicating, or burnout (a continued state of overwhelm that can cause a loss of skills and decreased tolerance to demands).

My challenge is this: for the rest of the month, observe the language you use when referring to your child’s differences. When you see “challenging behaviour,” remember that all behaviour is communication. Start by assuming that your child is not being “lazy” or “defiant” and then ask yourself some questions. What may be causing this behaviour? Why might my child be dysregulated? Have they been at school all day, and their battery is empty? Do they need time to recharge? Do they need more EF support? Are they facing sensory challenges? Start noticing and asking questions!

Support

• One of my favourite resources is user-friendly, downloadable, and priced well: Neurodiversity Affirming Training Handbook – AdaptEd 4 Special Ed, Inc
• Sinneave Family Foundation did some work with us last year. They have many excellent resources that are targeted at all ND learners, not just Autistic learners: Resources – Sinneave Foundation | Sinneave Foundation
• EF supports all ages and stages: Activities Guide: Enhancing & Practicing Executive Function Skills

Counselling Services & Wraparound Support

We continue to have a counsellor supporting the needs of our learners in Grades K–6. If you would like to have your child connect with her, please reach out to Jenny Duffield.

I am here to support the needs of our Grades 7-12 students. If you would like your child to connect with me, please reach out to me via email.

Lastly, if you have any questions or concerns regarding your child’s learning journey, you can also reach out to our Head of Student Supports, Paige McDonald.

It was common for Warren Rylands (’03) to spend his childhood days travelling with his mother, surrounded by books and publishers. While reading was a challenge for him growing up, he now helps students with different learning styles access the supports they need.

Warren is the CEO of Lightbox Learning, helping students worldwide access educational tools that support their learning.

Tied to Education

Warren attended Calgary Academy for several years, graduating in 2003. He had always been close to education, with his mother being a teacher who became a textbook publisher and the eventual founder of Lightbox Learning.

He remembers travelling with her frequently as a child (he would now say that the industry is “in his blood”) to accompany her on business. When it came to school, Calgary Academy benefited Warren’s studies, helping him find strategies for his reading skills.

“My parents felt that Calgary Academy might be the best place for me to improve my reading skills. It’s something I think helped me… I had a very positive experience with Calgary Academy. That ability to focus on some of my weak points and make sure that I could improve them so that I’d be ready for university made a big difference for me.”  – Warren

After graduating from CA, Warren didn’t initially want to pursue university, preferring to work immediately in publishing. However, his mother encouraged him to pursue post-secondary education first, which he did—attending the University of Calgary and eventually graduating from Simon Fraser University.

Accessible Education

After graduating, Warren began working for Lightbox Learning, an independent Grades K–12 educational publisher. Over the years, he worked to grow the business in the United States and eventually helped implement digital products, supporting learners of all needs.

“One thing that’s unique about us is that when we make a printed book, inside page two is a book code. You go to our website, enter the book code, and get a full-blown interactive e-book.”

After years of hard work, Warren became CEO of Lightbox Learning. He oversees an international company that provides location-based educational media, helping learning stay relevant and engaging with textbooks broken down into slideshows, video, or audio narration when needed.

Operating in 52 countries and serving 20 different languages, Warren is proud of Lightbox Learning’s progress. He has brought the same determination to his work that helped him succeed in school.

“I think when you have a learning disability, and you struggle with something like reading, you have to work harder. You have to put your head down and find ways of becoming a better reader. I think I had the determination to put in more work.”  – Warren

Whether improving reading skills, running a company, or preparing to graduate high school, Warren understands the value of hard work. His advice to students and young adults is to tackle their goals one step at a time, no matter how big they may be.

He says, “the only way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time.”

“I think it’s a really important lesson for children when you look at something complex… People think of the end goal, and it’s hard to get there, so they’re just like, ‘I’m never going to do this. I won’t reach that mountain because I don’t know where to start.’ The way to start is one step at a time.”

In June, Parker Morisset (’25) crossed his graduation stage and received his diploma—capping off nine years at Calgary Academy. With almost a decade spent at the school, he left with a wealth of memories, friendships, and achievements.

Fast-forward to September, and Parker is attending Mount Royal University (MRU), building upon the legacy he left at CA as he begins a new journey.

The Foundation of His Future

Parker attended Calgary Academy from Grades 3–12, and he fondly remembers his time there, whether it was his Grade 6 trip to Edmonton, where he travelled without his parents for the first time, or his participation in Knights Athletics in Senior School.

Sports have always been a pillar of Parker’s life. He remembers wanting to be a professional hockey player and his parents pushing him to try out every sport he could growing up, and he loves watching football or hockey whenever he can.

Parker’s parents made the right call with their encouragement. Sports are Parker’s favourite CA memories, and two moments stand out from his final years of school—winning a championship banner with the senior boys basketball team and helping the Springbank Phoenix football team reach the provincial playoffs for the first time in years.

Parker finished his senior year winning the Legacy Award, which celebrates a Grade 12 student who exemplifies CA’s REACH (respect, enthusiasm, altruism, commitment, and honesty) principles, participates in school extracurriculars, and has enrolled in post-secondary studies.

He won the award after presenting to a panel of staff and former Legacy Award winners, who had themselves inspired Parker when he was in Grade 10.

“When I was in Grade 10, my brother was graduating, and I remember watching the person that year who won the Legacy Award, and I thought it was just a really cool award. Sitting in the ceremony and hearing about it, it’s like, ‘wow, I can actually fit the requirements.’ To win the award represents everything that I’ve done at CA.”  – Parker

The Beginnings of a New Journey

Now officially started at MRU, Parker attends the Bissett School of Business. Early in his post-secondary career, he hopes to eventually find his way into a sports-related field. Parker will choose his official major in his second year of university, helping him narrow down on a potential career in the future.

“I love keeping sports a part of my life, even if I’m not playing them, which is why I would like to do something revolving around sports in my career.”

When he isn’t at school, Parker is still participating in sports—he’s just on the sidelines now as a coach for the Springbank Phoenix, working with many of his former teammates.

As Parker continues his post-secondary journey, he carries the lessons he learned at Calgary Academy. He looks forward to diving further into his studies, choosing his official major, and continuing his love for sports through coaching.

“In the next couple of years, I definitely want to excel in school. I also want to increase my role on the Springbank team coaching… I would love to step up and start designing plays.”

Welcome back to school! I hope that you all had a wonderful summer and that you were able to spend time with friends and family doing things you love.

It has been a busy start here at CA! Our Fall Welcome and the Terry Fox Run were fantastic events aimed at creating connection among our community. September is all about Connection and Collaboration.

This year, I am focused on speaking to trends I am noticing in the students to provide some immediate “real time” support to you at home. With that in mind, I am going to focus on helping our students better understand and manage anxiety as we have already seen a number of individuals facing intense anxiety.

What is Anxiety Exactly?

• Anxiety is overestimating that something bad is going to happen and underestimating one’s ability to deal with it.
• Anxiety happens in the brain and is an automatic, instantaneous response to danger (real or perceived—the brain doesn’t know the difference). We can’t eliminate it and shouldn’t try!
• Our body surges with hormones and gets ready to fight or flee.
• The natural end to fight or flight is intense physical exercise. When there is no need to fight or flee, there is nothing to burn up the neurochemicals, causing the physical symptoms of anxiety. For example:
  • headaches, nausea, trouble sleeping, muscle tension, fatigue, dizziness, tightness in the chest, trouble breathing, rapid heartbeat, or sweaty palms.
• Anxiety is not dangerous; it is just very uncomfortable.
• Remember, anxiety can be very convincing. We think we are parenting our child and talking to them about going to school, or a tryout, or an activity, but really, we are talking to anxiety. How do you spot the difference? Anxiety talks about what is going to happen and focuses on future worries. When anxiety is not in charge, your child is able to talk about options, other possibilities, something that happened this morning, etc. Don’t parent anxiety. Name it. Say, “I think I am talking to worry right now. I would like to talk to you.”

What Do We Do as Parents to Help?

• From an early age, we communicate that we believe in our children’s abilities to do scary and hard things. We try not to rush in and rescue, or the message becomes, “you need me to solve this problem. You don’t have this. It is a really big deal.”
• We help our children learn how to sit with uncomfortable feelings, and we resist the urge to jump in and “make it all better.”
• We don’t enable anxiety by doing things for our kids that they can reasonably be expected to do at their given age and stage. When adults jump in, it changes brain development and makes kids more vulnerable. They don’t learn how to solve problems or how to experience manageable stress. This stunts confidence and resilience. For example,
  • Ordering for your child at a restaurant
  • Letting them skip an activity because it makes them anxious
  • Asking teachers to excuse them from tasks that make them anxious
• We monitor and limit time spent on screens, and we model this by limiting our own consumption.
• We listen and validate our child’s feelings without solving the problem. For example,
  • “You’re right, that was a tough assignment.”
  • “Sounds like it’s hard for you to ask questions in class.”
  • “That makes sense that you feel nervous about the test. You want to do well.”

Rewiring the Brain: What Our Children Can Do

How amazing it is that we can rewire our brains and make new neural connections over time and with practice?

Change the Script

• Stand up to anxiety.
• Welcome it here; acknowledge and accept it.
• Make fun of it for being so predictable.

Try New and Challenging Things

• Practice makes perfect.
• Build the brain muscle.
• Lean into discomfort; the fight or flight response will become less reactive.

Reality Testing

• Test your predictions.
• Check the facts.
• Keep track of every time the “bad thing” doesn’t happen.

Work to Eliminate Your Safety Behaviours

• Don’t avoid “the thing” that causes your anxiety.
• Don’t focus on getting rid of your anxiety; focus on changing your relationship with it.
• You can’t control your level of anxiety, but you can control your willingness to sit with it.

For further reading in this area, you may wish to check out:

• Breaking Free of Child Anxiety and OCD by Eli R. Lebowitz
• The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt
• Anxious Kids Anxious Parents by Lynn Lyons
• How do we deal with School Refusal?

Counselling Services and Support

We continue to have a counsellor supporting the needs of our learners in Grades K–6. If you want to have your child connect with her, please reach out to Jenny Duffield.

I am here to support the needs of our Grades 7–12 students. If you want your child to connect with me, please reach out to me.

Lastly, if you have any questions or concerns regarding your child’s learning journey, you can also reach out to our Head of Student Supports, Paige McDonald.

Serena Braun,

Registered Psychologist

News from Student Wellbeing

Hello, my name is Demetra Mylonas, and it is my pleasure to introduce myself in my new role as Student Wellbeing Specialist at Calgary Academy. My approach to student wellbeing combines my background in neuropsychology, educational psychology, and special education, along with extensive work in cognitive developmental research and practice, neurodiverse learning, and mental health in schools.

In my time at Calgary Academy, it has been an honour to work with our diverse learners as an educational assistant, and for the past two years, I have been a part of the Mental Health in Schools, Alberta government pilot project in various roles that broadened my knowledge and experience.

I am so excited to support the mental health and wellbeing of our students through collaborative work with our community, including staff, educators, students, families, and the community at large. I am a proud parent of three graduates and a current student of Calgary Academy, and have an unapologetic bias for CA’s mission, vision, values, and its people.

As part of a caring and dedicated CA team, we aim to centre on student and educator voice, family engagement, and deep social-emotional learning integration to continue building an inclusive, caring, and successful school community.

As part of our September theme of making connections and focusing on collaboration to help us all succeed and be well, I am so proud of our staff, students and families for a very successful Terry Fox campaign, our respect for Truth and Reconciliation Day and for the enthusiasm and commitment to our school spirit with the launch of our House celebrations!

In October, our school will focus on resilience and perseverance, and through classroom lessons and school activities, students will gain a repertoire of skills that help them continue to build on their strengths and reach for their goals, even when things are challenging or uninteresting.

If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact me. Until then, be happy, be brave, and know that you are part of a community of care!

On Sept. 18, Calgary Academy continued a longstanding Canadian tradition: the Terry Fox Run. A staple of Canadian fall, schools run yearly regardless of rain, snow, or sun to continue the Marathon of Hope.

With the school’s goal of 100% participation, this year’s event showcased the importance of community.

Terry Fox 2025

Coloured paper shoes stick to the windows of CA’s Junior and Senior School Learning Commons—artifacts from this year’s Terry Fox Run.

In the days leading up to the school’s run, students learned about Terry’s story, including his loss of a leg to cancer, his run for the cure, and this year’s theme, “finish it.” Learners were encouraged to decorate their shoes and share their reasons for running.

On Wednesday morning, everyone met in the Main Gym for an assembly, adorned in House colours. Nick Waterbury, CA’s head of athletics, introduced an alum guest speaker, who shared their experience with cancer treatment.

The school then kicked off this year’s House System (and the year-long race for the House Cup) before students and staff headed outside to run around the campus with their Houses, completing this year’s Terry Fox Run.

Each homeroom collected its “Toonies for Terry,” with CA raising $1,600 ($1,000 more than last year’s total)!

Mr. Waterbury emphasized how everyone’s efforts at Calgary Academy add to Terry Fox’s legacy and the $850,000,000 raised for cancer research.

“Every bit of money you raise increases that massive number of 850 million dollars. Every dollar we raise helps lead towards doing something to end this disease.”

A Community Standing (and Running) Together

While supporting Terry’s goal is why schools across Canada run each year, this event showcased the strength of CA’s community. Whether it was the staff members setting up this year’s route early in the morning or older students running with younger ones, everyone worked to make the day successful.

Demetra Mylonas, CA’s student wellbeing specialist and planner of this year’s run, was proud to see students and staff support each other Thursday morning.

“Our goal was to participate 100% in our Toonies for Terry campaign and show our school spirit by wearing our House colours! It was an inspirational day—everyone lent a helping hand to prepare for our event, our Senior School students helped our youngest students, parents ensured their kids were prepared, and our teachers engaged our students with meaningful lessons and activities.” – Ms. Mylonas

With the Terry Fox Run completed, the CA community looks forward to future all-school events throughout 2025–2026.

Calgary Academy’s Construction Lab allows students to get their hands (safely) dirty. One of the flagship units in Construction Lab is the Grade 8 bike mechanics module.

As the 2025–2026 school year begins, CA’s Construction Lab teacher, Graham Diehl, needs used bike donations to supply students with hands-on learning.

What is the Bike Mechanics Module?

In Grade 8 science, students explore the concept of simple machines. A bicycle is a great example—a complex machine composed of various simple machine subsystems. Students learn about various systems, subsystems, drivetrains, and linkages through this unit.

At a glance, a bike looks exactly like what it is. However, it’s actually a series of simple machines—levers, pulleys, wheels, and axles working together to push a rider forward.

Using the bike as a hands-on learning tool, students disassemble and service and reassemble the bicycle. In the process, they gain a deeper understanding of its mechanical systems and are introduced to the marketable skills of bike repair and servicing.

The Construction Lab has been restoring bikes for years, giving students access to unique skills. Mr. Diehl has noted that these skills can lead to a future in mechanics—whether it’s a part-time job or a career.

“The skills students learn on a bike are interchangeable, or at least an introduction to, mechanics. A lot of bike mechanics progress into car mechanics… So many different small pieces create this machine, and that’s basically what a car is.” – Mr. Diehl

All the bikes used in this program have been donated. They arrive in many conditions—some nearly new, others barely rideable.

Regardless of the starting condition, students use these bikes as learning platforms, refurbish them to good working order, and then donate them back to the community through various organizations.

When students have access to these used bikes, they can:

• Access hands-on learning tied to their coursework
• Restore used bikes to working condition
• Support the local community

Have a Used Bike to Share?

Currently, Calgary Academy is nearing the end of its bike supply.

The school is specifically looking for bikes with shiftable gears and hand-operated brakes, which are the most useful for teaching key mechanics skills. Adult-sized bikes are great for this unit, and child-sized bikes that have 20-inch wheels (or greater) are typically where multi-geared bikes start.

What Used Bikes are Best for the Construction Lab?

There is an easy way to know if you have a used bike best suited for the Construction Lab!

If your bike has a tire size (located on the sidewall of the tire) of 20 inches or greater, it would be a perfect fit for Grade 8 bike mechanics. While smaller bikes are still welcome, they’re less suited to this unit’s learning objectives.

If you have a bike you’d like to donate or plan to replace your child’s bike and would like to give the old one a second life, please contact Mr. Diehl.

June is a time to recognize Calgary Academy’s outstanding staff and students. The Exemplary Practice and Student Showcase awards help shine a light on exceptional members of the CA community.

These awards recognize the contributions of staff and students who demonstrate excellence, leadership, and innovation and ultimately support the school.

This year’s June awards feature four winners:

• Ms. Andrea Page
• Ms. Leeanne McLim
• Zeke M.
• River B.

Ms. Page and Ms. McLim

Ms. Page and Ms. McLim are the recipients of the Board’s Exemplary Practice Award for June 2025. This dynamic duo provides an incredibly rich and rewarding performing arts experience for our students and their families. Each year, they organize and lead multiple drama productions, dedicating countless hours after school with students, from early September through mid-May.

This year, we were fortunate to enjoy a Junior School production of Witchful Thinking, which allowed students in Grades 5–8 to shine on stage. At the same time, these two drama aficionados also directed our Senior School production of Little Shop of Horrors.

Many of those students began their drama journey in Junior School and have continued through to Grade 12. Leeanne and Andrea instill in them the values of dedication, hard work, and perseverance. This year, two of our long-time drama students are pursuing theatre in post-secondary education—a direct reflection of the time, mentorship, and energy these educators have invested in them.

Zeke and River

Two Grade 4 students, Zeke M. and River B., are the recipients of the Board’s Student Showcase Award for June 2025.

Zeke and River exemplify the qualities we hope to cultivate in every learner: character, service, and a deep commitment to the community. They are not only students of strong academic and personal integrity but also young leaders who have made lasting contributions to our school in ways that go far beyond the classroom.

Together, they co-founded the Elementary Clean-Up Crew—a daily initiative that began simply as a selfless gesture and has since become a symbol of their shared values. They took it upon themselves to support our custodial staff daily, not because anyone asked them to, but because they noticed a need and quietly stepped in to help.

Together, these two students exemplify what it means to live out the REACH values in everyday practice. Zeke and River are role models in their unique ways. They give their best, elevate those around them, and represent the very best of who we are as a school.

Congratulations to these deserving individuals on their achievements!

Calgary Academy’s Music Room sits just outside the school’s main building. Nestled between the Junior and Senior Schools, the classroom is a place for creativity, exploration, and risk-taking.

One of the staff members orchestrating the music program is Jory Kinjo, a music specialist who brings years of experience to the classroom.

Balancing Fun and Theory

Music is something almost everyone experiences when they’re young. Even without playing themselves, children can gain an appreciation for a particular genre or instrument.

When you nurture a love of music as learners grow, you see them excited to try anything. Mr. Kinjo noticed these differences between Junior and Senior School students. They all love music, but interact with it for different reasons in class.

“As students get older, they gain a deeper knowledge of music because they listen to it more in their everyday lives. They become more educated in genre and artists, and desire to go deeper… Meanwhile, the younger students aren’t quite as specific. They like what they like, but they’re open-minded to the other stuff, and they want to have fun in the classes, which is wonderful.”  – Mr. Kinjo

Mr. Kinjo strives for a classroom of creativity and respect, where students can try new things and see what inspires them. Whether it’s YouTube karaoke, percussion through Boomwhackers (long plastic tubes—a class favourite), or trying a new instrument, he always focuses on fun and exploration.

There are obvious foundations to learn in music class, but Mr. Kinjo doesn’t worry about all the rules. He finds a balance of theory and practice to encourage students to find their passion for music.

“My mom always said, in art, you learn all the rules so that you can break them. You need to be educated on the art form, and then at the same time, not let that box in your creativity.”

A School Year of Music

Mr. Kinjo has appreciated the chance to work at Calgary Academy this school year. As a professional musician, he’s typically on tour around this time of year. However, he jumped at the chance to support students in the classroom.

He has been impressed by his students throughout all grades, from seeing the confidence build in his Junior School students to recording songs professionally at OCL Studios with the Senior School students.

“I say that this is a safe space to create. Nobody here is perfect at music… It’s a testament to the students and how comfortable they are here that they’re willing to be creative and be themselves.”

As the end of June approaches, Mr. Kinjo has been proud to see the students’ hard work, and they have shown it off all year, performing at several events, including a Concert Band showcase in January and CA’s Fun Day on June 6.

Support and encouragement can mean the world to learners in the classroom, especially in the arts. When a love for music is fostered early, it can lead to a lifelong passion, something Mr. Kinjo knows from experience.

“The arts are something you can take with you, no matter what age. And just like sports, when there’s an imprint on you when you’re younger, it gets deeper.”