The 14th Annual Dig Pink Volleyball Tournament in support of breast cancer research took place this weekend. This was our first fully in-person tournament since 2019, and the support of the CA community over Dig Pink Week was tremendous! A full spirit week was organized by our student leadership group, the Calgary Academy Student Executive (CASE), who arranged for door decorating contests, classes "sponsoring" Volleyball players, and a week of fundraisers, all in support of breast cancer research. The overall tally is not fully in yet, but with sales, registration fees, and donations, we are over the $10,000 mark of funds raised once again! On the courts, the CA Volleyball teams played hard! Grade 9 girls played in the JV tournament and showed their determination against older, more experienced players but were eliminated in the round robin. Our Senior Girls team put in a tremendous effort and were eliminated in the quarter-finals in three sets by eventual silver medalists, Webber Academy. The girls fought so hard, and we should all be tremendously proud of them. They lost the first set, won the second in decisive fashion, and lost the third 15-12. Senior Tournament
- Stirling School
- Webber Academy
- Bearspaw Christian School
- Stirling School
- Webber Academy
- West Island College
It was a ten-year glow-up with the Class of 2012!
On September 17, our class of 2012 reunited at CRAFT to celebrate 10 years of growth since graduating from CA. Twenty-five of our esteemed alum shared stories of the past, reminisced about the good times within the CA walls, and even got to toast some familiar faces from the faculty. All grown up now, these individuals have accomplished so much. The room was a collection of teachers, entrepreneurs, artists, scientists, and everything in between. Though their paths differed greatly, they all shared one thing: the spirit of REACH vibrated off them. There was such care for their peers and pride in their accomplishments, and it was clear to see that the lessons and character-building that they learned from their time at CA stayed with them no matter what path they took in life.
One of the students celebrating the 10-year reunion was Sean Fetaz.
Graduating in 2012 Sean went on to study Theatre at MRU. He has a passion for art and expression, and a natural ability to communicate that to others.
Through his study of theatre, Sean discovered a love for photography. To him, this was just a different way of storytelling. He took to the craft quite naturally and has been working as an independent photographer since around 2016. While he prefers portraiture his work also includes studio sessions, travel and commercial pictures - one of his notable clients is the Banff Springs Hotel.
You can see Sean’s work, and how far he has grown in the past 10 years here:
Seanfetazphoto.com
Another friendly face we encountered was Keith Aubrey.
CA Alumni and Class of 2012 Keith was keen to catch up with his peers, he has been working on a lot since leaving the Calgary Academy walls.
Post-high school Keith went on to further his flair for all things scientific by obtaining a Master of Science through Quest University and the University of Lethbridge, with a focus on Biochemistry.
This educational path was quite clear for Keith, as he had a love for laboratories and biology and wanted to translate that into a profession. This brought him to where he is now. Keith currently works as a genetic engineer for FREDsense in Calgary. There, he works with a team that produces genetically modified bacteria that help to detect arsenic in water. Keith hopes to continue his work as a biochemical engineer well into his very bright future, hoping one day to work on a bacteria that has the potential to create bioplastics.
CA is so proud of everything Keith has accomplished in the 10 years since graduating!
We are so excited to have our first full year of athletics underway – for the first time since the 2018-2019 school year! September Highlights
- The Senior Golf Program came and went, with 10 different students playing warm-up rounds and two students representing our school at the League Championship on September 19.
- The Junior Golf Program exploded with 48 golfers heading out to the driving range. The finished off their season with a fun 9-hole round and BBQ at Springbank Links, and 4 golfers will be representing CA at the League Championships next week.
- The Senior School Boys that have been playing football with Springbank High have had three games and are enjoying their experience out their on the gridiron!
- Cross Country Runners had two races, including the most recent one this week held here at CA. It’s amazing to see so many smiling faces giving it their all!
- Volleyball Teams are up and running, with ice-breaker tournaments going on last week and league games starting this week. Pay attention to the weekly parent emails for home game updates!
- Volleyball season in full swing. Home game will be happening every week, so stay tuned!
- Cross Country High School Provincials: We will find out who is going after the Calgary city championships in early October.
- The 14th Annual Dig Pink Volleyball Tournament will be held on October 20th-22. More information on events for the week to come. If you would like to volunteer for events during the week, please contact Sarah Hoag.
- Grade 6 Volleyball Challenge will take place at the beginning of November. Training for that will begin at the end of this October!
Allow us to introduce you to Nick Waterbury, Head of Athletics, and Senior School math teacher. Nick’s booming voice is matched only by his larger-than-life personality. He has an undeniable ability to motivate and excite a room just with his presence. Born and raised in Calgary, Nick has always been involved in sports. It was a rugby injury and the surgeries that followed that inspired him to originally want to become an orthopedic surgeon. His education started with a Bachelor of Science and Kinesiology at the University of Calgary. From there, he went off to Grace College in Indiana for his Master’s in Science and Athletic Administration. He was Pre-Med when a former teacher encouraged him to get involved with volunteer coaching. It was then that his path took a turn and brought him to where he is now: a passionate educator, an enthusiastic coach, and most importantly, CA’s biggest fan! Nick joined CA four years ago. He had known about our school and community through connections in the education sports world and always thought it was a cool place filled with even better people. He leapt at the opportunity to be part of our crew and since joining, has made many positive changes to our athletics at CA. Nick has led the student athletics experience during his time here but has also focused on further developing a community where our school celebrates every form of student achievement possible. He’s been instrumental in driving the We Are All Knights campaign, which has taken the swag, branding, and celebration typically surrounding athletics, and expanded it to include clubs, drama productions, and other student activities. In his words, “teams and events are just foundations for relationship building.” Outside of CA’s walls, Nick is a devoted father and husband, an athlete, ally, and friend. He enjoys taking his kiddos for a swim or a skate, getting a babysitter and enjoying date nights with his beautiful wife, playing badminton and squash, and never turning down the opportunity to cheer on the Calgary Flames and Green Bay Packers. CA is proud to have Nick on our team, as our peer, teacher, coach, and pal!
Welcome to another year of Knights Athletics! We are excited to start this year's athletics season without restrictions on sport and cannot wait to see what our student-athletes can accomplish in the months to come! If your child is interested in being a part of Knights Athletics in the Fall, please click on all of the forms that would interest them. Information on specific tryout and practice dates will be sent to those who fill in these forms.
We also have the opportunity for students in grades 10-12 who want to play football to join another local school to play this season. If this is of interest to you, please contact Nick Waterbury as soon as possible.
Cross Country Running Golf Volleyball- Grade 7 – Boys
- Grade 7 – Girls
- Grade 8 – Boys
- Grade 8 – Girls
- Grade 9 – Boys
- Grade 9 – Girls
- Grades 10-12 – Boys
- Grades 10-12 – Girls
Year 1 of the 2021-2025 Strategic Plan is nearly complete, and it is time to review progress and look to planning for Year 2! Share your feedback on Year 2 Strategies by May 13! Collaboratively developed throughout the 2020-2021 school year through online surveys and feedback sessions from 547 individuals, the Strategic Plan sets out three ambitious goals for Calgary Academy:
- Learners are successful
- Learning is engaging and innovative
- Community is nurtured and celebrated
- Amending of several strategies to recognize additional time needed to design or engage new initiatives
- Adjusting "scope and sequence" to "progression" for competency development in learners
- Moving the K-12 Leadership Model from Goal 3 to Goal 2
- Clarifying the review of Academy, Collegiate, Blended+, and Early Years program will extend into year 2, and be completed through close collaboration with the school community.
Calgary Academy proudly presents the Senior School drama production of All Shook Up!, a jukebox musical that intertwines Elvis Presley and Shakespeare in a light-hearted musical love story. Take the music and rebellious ethos of Elvis Presley and add in a storyline based on Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, with just a dash of Romeo and Juliet for extra spice. The production launches May 2 and continues until May 6, and is the Senior School's first return to the stage in over two years. Creative Director Leeanne McLim is bursting with pride at the upcoming performance.
What you are about to see is not just a labor of love on so many levels, but also a lesson in leadership, mentorship, community, and learning from each other. The product of this show truly represents the heart of what we do at CA.The production has been supported by an extensive creative team, including: Student Choreographer: Anne Marie S. Anne-Marie is one of our graduating students this year from CA. She is also one of our lead performers, Dance Captain, and student choreographer. She joined the Senior School play way back in Grade 9 for Calgary Academy's production of “The Wedding Singer”. Since then, Anne-Marie has been the cast Dance Captain and performer for not only that show but also “The Addams Family” where she was also given the opportunity to choreograph. This year, Anne Marie is one of two student choreographers for the show, working collaboratively with her best friend of 10 years (Allison). This dynamic duo teamed up and worked together to create the dances you will see today. Anne Marie is grateful for this amazing opportunity and would like to thank the team for giving her this chance to explore her creative potential. Student Stage Manager: Kaia W. Kaia’s first experience as a stage manager happened during her final project in Grade 11. She was handed the task of being a stage manager in an extremely difficult group where she had to take on the role of director, stage manager, and at times an actor. At the end of her final project, she was taking over the entire show. This led Kaia to believe that being a stage manager is something that she would like to continue to do. Kaia is now in her final year of high school working as the stage manager for the senior high production of “All Shook Up”. Through the months of work into this play, it has been a roller coaster of emotions, but all in all, it has been such an amazing experience and truly something to look back on for years to come. Leeanne McLim Ms. McLim’s dance and theatre obsession began many moons ago when she kicked her heels up and sang her heart out on many professional stages across Canada and the US. McLim had many opportunities to work with professionals in the capacities of directing and choreography over the past 20+ years. When she is not teaching at CA she is a dance teacher, choreographer, and performing artist for various studios and theatre companies throughout town. Currently, she is the drama teacher for grades K-12 at Calgary Academy. She has been working with the Educational Theatre Association of Canada to bring opportunities that will shape lives through theatre education. Jamie Lafond Mr. Lafond began his career as a practicing artist in the 1980s working in video and performance art. For the last 30 years, he has turned his focus to abstract and referential painting. Jamie has been the resident Art teacher at Calgary Academy for the last twenty-five years and has worked on props and sets for the many theatrical productions during that time. Charlotte Nixon Ms. Nixon teaches Grade 10 humanities at CA, but she has been a theatre kid since her first performance of "Charlie Brown's Christmas." She was five and she played the wobbly tree, so being an assistant director is a step up from her acting days. Ms. Nixon is very excited to be part of the production team and cannot wait to share this year's school play with family and friends. She hopes you enjoy the show. Hayley Jonason Ms. Jonason began her journey of dance at the young age of three. Since then, her love for the performing arts and dance has grown immensely. Throughout her junior high and high school years, she was active in musical theatre, being cast in leading roles and choreographing musical numbers. By 17, she began her dance teaching career and was able to share her passion and creativity with her students. This is Ms. Jonason's first time working with the Calgary Academy Senior High Production. She has been extremely lucky to join forces with hard-working and dedicated student choreographers and believes that collaboration is key to bringing together an amazing show. Jane Conrad Ms. Conrad can't remember a time in her life when music, theatre, and the arts haven't played a role in her life. Over the years, she has participated in community choirs and theatre projects where she increased her confidence and skills as an amateur artist in several productions. When she became a Humanities teacher, she looked for ways to volunteer in the dramatic creative process, co-writing student productions, and lending her abilities wherever she could. Most notably, Jane enjoys learning from her students and colleagues in a spirit of collaboration and mutual respect. Andrew Rigby Mr. Rigby is thrilled to be a part of All Shook Up this year! As a student, he fell in love with participating in drama, band, choir, and improv throughout high school. As an adult, Mr. Rigby has participated in community theatre productions and searched for any opportunity to remain involved in the arts. This is the first time he has collaborated as an acting director for a production. He is honoured to have worked with an extremely flexible and dedicated team and cast. Becky Funk Ms. Funk’s life has revolved around music for as long as she can remember. Her passion for her main instruments - piano, flute, piccolo, and voice - has been a driving force that has enabled her to travel around Canada and the globe, and to form relationships with other inspired creatives. Although music is a defining aspect of Ms. Funk’s involvement in CA’s music theatre program, her favourite part is the community that is created amongst the staff and students. She is grateful to be a part of this musical family. All Shook Up! is inspired by and featuring the music of ELVIS PRESLEY Book by JOE DIPIETRO All Shook Up is presented through special arrangement with and all authorized performance materials are supplied by Theatrical Rights Worldwide 1180 Avenue of the Americas, Suite 640, New York, NY 10036 (866) 378-9758
After a rollercoaster first half of the school year with multiple event postponements, Calgary Academy is thrilled to announce updates to its anniversary celebrations.
40th Anniversary Reunion – Saturday, May 14
The Reunion is a go! This free, family-reunion style event will feature activities for all ages, a homestyle BBQ, and the opportunity to reconnect after two long years of physical distancing. Current and past students, families, and staff will be joined by alumni, board members, and community partners for a large, outdoor celebration of 40 years of Calgary Academy. Activities include:- Dunk tank
- Bouncy castles
- Carnival games
- Photo booth
- Public unveiling of the 40th Anniversary Mural
- Archive
- Student work displays
40th Anniversary Stories
We've been hard at work unveiling stories from CA's past. You can watch the films on our Youtube Channel. We will be publishing more stories throughout the remainder of the school year!40th Anniversary Mural Project
The Mural Project launched in February has had a number of important milestones over the last month. Local artist Carl White has been hard at work and we are excited to unveil the finished project after Spring Break.40th Anniversary Gala
The 40th Anniversary Gala has officially been moved to September 2022. Watch this space for more information in the coming months.
Back for a second year, Calgary Academy is pleased to offer a number of in-person 30-level Summer School courses for students looking to get a head start on their Grade 12 year. Open to students in the public as well as Calgary Academy, this four-week program is taught by experienced CA teachers and offered from 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m. daily. These courses do have a provincial Diploma Exam requirement. For more information and to sign up, visit summer.calgaryacademy.com.
The Arlette Parent Speaker Series continues in March, with special guest Dr. David Tranter – Professor, Faculty of Social Work – Lakehead University. Dr. Tranter will be speaking virtually about the key strategies that all of us—parents, caregivers, and educators—can use together to further create a caring and connected school community in a post-pandemic world. From Languishing to Flourishing: 10 strategies to support student recovery and resilience is a free, virtual event is open to all Calgary Academy parents and friends. To sign up for the event, click here!