A New Series from the CGCS Community

[No More Mean Girls: The Secret to Raising Strong, Confident, and Compassionate Girls] 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.

The Calgary Girls Charter School shaped my life in a profound way. I went to CGCS from grades six to nine, which were foundational years in my life. The most positive thing about my experience at CGCS was the people: both the students and the teachers. I formed incredible and life-long friendships with people who have grown into inspiring women and whom I remain in touch with. I was able to form these incredible friendships because of the positive and non-judgmental environment that CGCS fostered. This was largely due to the openness, honesty, and creativity of the teachers, the majority of whom were young women.

I personally thrived in an all-girls environment. During my five years of enrollment, I was never concerned about what others thought of me. I was very relaxed about my personal appearance – while still pushing the envelope on what was appropriate uniform compliance during the grunge era. Most importantly, an all-girls learning environment set the foundation for eventually being able to be my true-self in my future role as an unwavering public servant. When I look back on the experiences and opportunities my attendance at an all-girls school offered me, I can offer three concrete outcomes that most parents would want for their daughter(s), the freedom to achieve self-actualization, the opportunity to lead, and the development of an inclusive mindset.