A New Series from the CGCS Community

What is the name of a book/podcast/video you are into right now? " White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism " by  Robin DiAngelo. "Referring to the defensive moves that white people make when challenged racially, white fragility is...

[“The Moment of Lift: How Empowering Women Changes the World” by Melinda Gates is inspiring because] Melinda shares many stories in which women, when empowered, have made a difference in their lives and the lives of their families and communities.

[“No More Mean Girls: The Secret to Raising Strong, Confident, and Compassionate Girls” by Katie Hurley] aligns with our school’s philosophy of supporting the development of girls to be strong, confident and compassionate. As a parent to two daughters I also recommend this book to all our parents.

I am interested in how each child can feel affirmed by their daily experiences in school and how explorations of identity can live across disciplines and form the foundation upon which we create safer spaces to deeply explore curriculum. Nina Simone spoke about art being a reflection of the times in which we live, and I encourage students to use their art to make meaning and to explore how their own creative endeavours can be playful, personally meaningful, relevant and beautiful.

How did your experience at CGCS impact and influence you/your life?  My time at CGCS played an integral role in giving me the confidence and desire to pursue sciences in my continuing education. My years as a student at CGCS laid a strong foundation to dream big and...

What is your current role/position? Staff Development Consultant What is your community connection to CGCS? I have had the privilege of working this past year, virtually, with humanities teachers at CGCS. What are you reading? What are you watching? What are you...

The impact Calgary Girls Charter School (CGCS) had on me was immense, I felt that I came out confident, well spoken and passionate about what I have thrown myself into since then. I still have contact with the amazing teachers who taught me at CGCS, the role they played in being encouraging and inspiring has stayed with me since I started in grade 4 and left in grade 9. One teacher had told me she thought that I could be a writer, it was those words that pushed me to continue to write and publish my works. The lessons of integrity, passion and confidence that was taught at CGCS has stayed with me, I know that I am a stronger person because of it.

I won an Olympic Gold Medal for Canada in the 2006 Olympics in Cross-Country Skiing. I was 22 years old and totally focused on how much I love skiing and doing my absolute best. And you know what? When you do your best, sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, but you can always hold your head high and have no regrets! My hero was an older ski racer named Sara Renner who was so down to earth, friendly and successful and I wanted to be just like her (and still do).

My time at Calgary Girls Charter School shaped me as a young woman. Through the curriculum taught, and the values of the school, I was able to find confidence within myself. Teachers at CGCS are like no other. They care about the wellbeing, as well as the futures of their students. As a young girl, attending school every day was exciting, as I was challenged and my skills were celebrated. The Go Girls curriculum, taught me what it meant to be an empowered female, and lead my life with integrity and strength. It is amazing what an environment filled with encouragement, leadership and empowerment can do for a young woman.