Rundle College Awards Night

June 14, 2017

It’s nights like these - nights where we come together to celebrate the success of our students that are so necessary to lift our spirits, to further reinforce our belief in the mission of Rundle College Society and to remind us of what success looks like.  Whoa - hold on a minute - did you catch that last point, because as I speak it, it actually gave me pause.  

I’m left with the dangling question - what does success look like?

To be honest, students, parents and faculty of Rundle College, I have to admit I’m a little conflicted when attempting to answer this question these days.

1. I know success looks like the students who sit in front of me - those who won awards for academics, for their character and for the overall well rounded achievement.   And for this, I applaud each and every one of you - congratulations!

2. That said, I also know that success may be bigger than a medal, a plaque or a speech.  Earlier this week an article was circulated to me referencing a 75 year research study that has just concluded at Harvard University.  The longitudinal study was looking for the answer to this question, “what is the secret to leading a fulfilling life.”  
1. Here’s what they found:
1. “The clearest message that we get from this research is this: Good relationships keep us happier and healthier. Period.”
2. The findings go onto say: “It’s not just the number of friends you have… it is the quality of the close relationships that matters.”
3. Finally, and I might like this part the best, when speaking of quality relationships and the essence of those relationships, the study says, “[the quality of our relationships depend on] how much vulnerability and depth exists in them; how safe you feel sharing with one another; the extent to which you can relax and be seen for who you truly are, and to truly see another.”

So in the spirit of the values of our Rundle community and the findings of true fulfillment.  Students, I implore you to

Come together:

Be Kind to One Another,

Always Be Curious  

and, more than anything,

Be well.  

To be well, you will need to continue to build strong and deep relationships.  

For the Grade 7-8 students - I can simply say - I can’t wait to see you in next years of junior high.  You will soon have the responsibility of leading the junior high into another year filled with growth, learning and laughter.

For our Grade 9 students - please take what you’ve achieved in your junior high years and use the skills and knowledge as a springboard to your important high school years.  The coming three years will be filled with challenges and hard work, but rest assured it is all worth it in the end.  About this time of year, three years from now, each of you will be planning to enter the post secondary institution of your choice.  The journey to that destination officially begins for you in two months.  

Thank you:

• Entire faculty here at Rundle College - your commitment to each other and your students is unrivaled

• Parent community - thank you for your ongoing support of all things Rundle.  We have built a ‘one of a kind’ school culture and it has been a team effort.  Your participation in this positive and safe community is not overlooked.

• Student body - for making Rundle such a great place to work and learn.  

Thank you - and good night.

Grade 6 Celebration

Rundle College

June 2, 2017

My whole life, I’ve been totally enthralled by the idea of superheroes.  Literally, it is the one thing I have always been most curious about.

It all started when I was about 6 years old.  At this age, I had discovered cartoons and comic books.  My favourites cartoons and comics were Hercules, The Incredible Hulk, and, of course, Superman.  Some of my earliest memories were when I wanted so badly to be superman that I used to make my younger brother pretend to be in danger and I would pretend to fly around my backyard and save him.  Now, don’t try this at home, but I actually wanted to fly so badly that I used to jump off the third stair of my house wearing only a grocery store plastic bag on my back.  It never worked.  But truth be told, I think what I loved most about Superman was that he was a normal guy until something bad occurred and then he needed to go to a phone booth, change into his cape and then save the day.  I loved that there was something about his inner strength that made him invincible!

When I was a little bit older, it occurred to me that maybe there were real life superheroes in my community.  I remember a time when my family was in a small car accident.  Within seconds, the police and the fire department arrived and made sure everybody was okay.  It seemed like a miracle that they could arrive so quickly and exude such kindness.  It was shortly after this, that I decided that I wanted to be a firefighter, because they were the true superheroes.  There was something about the kindness the were able to show us, when we needed it most, that made me want to be just like them.

Later in life, as I progressed through high school, my interest in becoming a firefighter shifted.  I think it was mostly because I was struggling with some of my high school classes.  Throughout my struggles, my teachers were always there to help me.  I remember in highschool I would show up to school at 7:15 AM and get extra help from my teachers, just so I would graduate and be able to attend university.  It was my teachers, much like your teachers, that teach us how to reach our potential and remain resilient.  It was their help that inspired me to become a teacher!  To this day, I believe teachers are some of the most amazing superheroes ever!

Which brings me to the fall of 2016 - and up to that point, I have to admit, I still believed teachers were the only true superheroes.  Now to be clear, I haven’t changed my mind - they are true superheroes.  That said, what changed this school year is that I have a brand new perspective on who are superheroes.  I still believe that like superman - superheroes need to have an inner-strength, and like the firefighter, they need to be kind and like the teachers, they need to support us in resilience….. But what I learned this year is that the real superheroes - the most strong, kind, and resilient people in the world, sit here in front of me.  Yes, Grade 6 students, you are the real superheroes.

Grade 6 students, you have demonstrated what it means to have an inner strength, you have come together as a group and are learning the lessons of what it means to be kind to one another and you have demonstrated resilience in the face of the ultimate adversities.   Sometimes, I have no idea how you did it… but I am guessing it must have been your secret superpowers.  

Thank you - and congratulations.  

Rundle College

Grade 12 Graduation Speech

June 6, 2017

Student body, faculty, parents, honoured guests and grade 12 graduates, it is my honour to address you today.  I am really excited to be here to celebrate with you!

I drew the inspiration for today’s talk from a note I recently received from a friend, here’s what it said:

“Today I was biking with my family at Goat Creek Trail and when we were just approaching Banff, I looked up at Rundle Mountain and thought how much it had seen and endured over the years.”

He went on to state:  

“This has been a tough year for the staff and the students at Rundle College, and like Rundle mountain, you have weathered it.  In addition,  like Rundle Mountain, together your community continues to stand strong.”  

After reading his note, I knew what I needed to do today, I need to speak about Rundle Mountain. I thought we might be able to learn something from the history of it’s name, what the climb up Rundle requires from an individual who attempts it and the view from Rundle’s majestic summit.

First, let’s start with the History of Rundle Mountain’s Name:

• Rundle Mountain gained its namesake from Reverend Robert Rundle and his legacy was the creation of a small church in Alberta around the year 1850.  The church’s purpose was to support a wide variety of people including the settlers, the cree, the stoney and the blackfoot individuals who lived nearby. The church’s goal was to introduce everybody to reading, writing and growing crops.  

• Over the years the church changed locations and it’s congregation grew.  In the end, it came together with other congregations to form what is now known as the United Church of Canada.  Beyond teaching reading, writing and growing crops - the small Rundle congregation, started by Reverend Robert Rundle, built a solid foundation of relationships and uniting people.

• Much like the lessons from the small Rundle Church, I hope that at Rundle College in elementary you learned you to read and write, and junior high, if we count the occasional moldy sandwich in your school lockers, some of you have learned to grow crops too.

• And most importantly, in your high school years you have continued to fostered strong relationships: Graduates, you can mark my words on this one, the greatest gift you will receive from your education and your time at Rundle College are those relationships which united you and provide you with friendship and purpose as you move into the next chapters of your lives.  You will always remember the relationships you’ve formed during your time at Rundle.   

Secondly, Let me discuss the climb up Rundle:

• To climb Rundle Mountain, the actual mountain, you need to ascend 3255 feet, it is a scramble that extends beyond 6.5 km, one way.  It is an unpredictable ascent which can only be achieved by those who are skilled and who have the stamina to overcome the challenges they face during this arduous ascent.

• Graduates, on your scramble to the top of your Rundle College’s educational mountain, you have done all the things you would have needed to do if you were seeking to climb Rundle Mountain - you have become skilled and you have demonstrated great stamina.
• With respect to skill, I want to draw on the work of Cal Newport, in his book, “So Good They Cannot Ignore You.”  What I have learned from him, is that ‘nobody is born an expert, at anything.’  To get good at something, whether you are climbing a mountain or learning to be a doctor, it takes time and hard work.  As you put the time and hard work into whatever you are pursuing, you are developing a thing called professional capital.  In time, and after some hard work, you can then take that professional capital and cash it in for the work or career you always been pursuing.  

• Now in climbing the mountain, I suggest you also need to show great stamina.  I won’t belabour the stamina part as I suspect your stamina for speeches is diminishing  - but I will say this, I put it into the speech to remind us all, we still have 3 weeks left… so hang in there and keep the energy up for the those inevitable opportunities to demonstrate achievement (aka: your diplomas) and the many celebrations that are yet to come!

Finally: What you see from the summit of Rundle:  

From the top of Rundle Mountain, you get a stunning 360 degree view of the Rocky Mountains and the Bow Valley.  It’s as though you are standing on top of the world.

Today, graduates, you have earned your place on top of the educational world.  You are graduates of Rundle College.  If I might, let me take a second to brag for you, because I know as a group you are too modest to do it for yourself.  In my opinion, here are a few of the items you would see if you took a 360 degree panoramic view from where you sit today:

• University and College Acceptance Abound: As a group, you have gained nearly 300 university acceptances.  This is a really big number for just 84 graduates.  These universities and colleges range from the top schools in Canada to those around the world, they are both academic and technical, they are big and small.  What the common thread is, they are the universities and colleges of your choice.  Join me in congratulating our graduates on this amazing achievement.  

• Curricular and Co-Curricular Accolades are literally scattered everywhere: You have earned local, provincial and national praise in areas ranging from volleyball and basketball, to reach for the top, to track, to band, to wrestling, to business competitions, to CAUSE, Prefects and Peer Support, to Golf, to travel to service and to to cohort of students who piloted Rundle’s Leadership Program.  It is literally impossible for us to keep on top of your achievements, if I were to list them all, we’d be here well into the evening, and for the sake of brevity, I’ll just say this, you are simply an amazing group of talented individuals. Once more, please join me in congratulating our graduates.

• Next, let’s discuss the Scholarship Numbers: Back to academics for a second, and this one may take a few moments to digest, together, the 84 of you you have earned $800,000  in scholarship money to date.  One more time, $800,000,.. Wow.  I fully anticipate, for the first time in Rundle’s history, this number will approach or exceed $1,000,000 by the fall.  Grade 4-11 students - this is a record that will be tough to beat!  I think that’s worth a round of applause too.

• Finally, if you were to look down from the metaphorical summit of a Rundle College education, you’d see something more often than acceptances, accolades or scholarships, I suspect what you’d see most is exceptional character traits.  Graduates, you are men and women of true character.  The true demonstration of character comes in the smallest of conversations we’ve had over the past days, the times when you’ve stopped in the hallway and asked your teachers or each other, from the bottom of your hearts, “How are you doing today?”  

Graduates, your character will be the trait, along with relationships, skill and stamina, that will differentiate you from everybody else.  I have no doubt, that you are fully prepared to climb whichever mountain lies in front of you, in the next chapters of your lives.

To close, let me re-articulate what my friend said in his letter, “Graduates, you have seen a lot and endured a lot over your years - but, as I address you today, you stand strong and proud.  This is a testament to the strength of each and every one of you, the strength of our Rundle community and the strength of your graduating class.”

All members of our Rundle College Community, please join me in congratulating the graduating class of 2017 - we are so very proud of each and every one of you.

“Smash!”

This clatter was followed by the sound of a car’s shattered bumper hitting the asphalt.

What we hear next are vehicle doors opening and the exchange of raised voices and frustrated words.

“What were you thinking?”

“I don’t have time for this!”

“I can’t believe this just happened!”

“This is just my luck!”

We came to understand that a 2015 Audi A4 had rear ended a Dodge Ram.

This was the start of my first ‘Sandwich for a Story’ experience. When the two cars collided, I was standing with Sam Sawchuk and Joey Hubbard, two members of the ‘Sandwich for a Story’ team, at the corner of Edmonton Trail and Memorial Drive in Calgary preparing to walk the downtown streets of Calgary.

When the accident happened, Sam, Joey and I jumped back slightly, assessed the situation and determined no one was injured and continued to cross Memorial Drive to start distributing sandwiches to Calgary’s least fortunate. We walked onto the Langevin Bridge and across the Bow River towards downtown Calgary. In our hands were bread bags filled with ham sandwiches made by the students of Rundle Academy’s Kid Helping Kids group.

The Langevin Bridge took us from the luxury cars of Calgary’s downtown culture to the reality worn out shoes possessed by those sitting and standing outside the Drop In Center. As we approached the heart of the downtown we met one individual after another and asked them if they would like a simple sandwich. To a person, everyone did.

What struck me about each of the individuals who accepted our goodwill token was their warmth and generosity of spirit. They were willing to stand and talk about the weather, about their day-to-day frustrations or their hopes and dreams.

Maybe most memorably, under one of the flyover overpasses we came across a woman who is in her mid twenties. She wore a single shoe, was wrapped in a worn blue fleece blanket and was surrounded by remnants of her daily life; a toothbrush, a can of soda, a lighter, and a jacket she was using as a pillow. We asked how her day was going and she indicated that it was actually going pretty well. She went onto tell us that her day would be better if the people at the Drop In Center would just give her some toothpaste and shampoo, she really wanted to ‘clean up.’ During the course of our conversation she said she just wanted to do the ‘normal things’ like going to the gym for a run and being able to go to work. As the conversation evolved, the subject of personal dreams came up and she said she wanted to act and maybe even become famous one day.

Listening to her concerns brought several thoughts into my mind. It reminded me that the first step to success is being afforded personal dignity; the opportunities to have two shoes, to wash your hair and to brush your teeth. In addition, it was impossible to ignore the fact that the human soul is hard wired to have dreams and aspirations; our new friend was no different. The image of her sitting with one shoe and no toothpaste but still having a ‘pretty good day’ is imprinted on my memory.

It took us less than 30 minutes to deliver several bags full of sandwiches and hear a dozen stories of loss, homelessness, wishes and dreams. In the same way we came, we left. We walked back across the Langevin Bridge and past the stranded Audi A4 that had been in the accident when we first left. The owner of the car was red in the face and still furious about his misfortune. As we walked passed him, he exclaimed, “Can you believe my luck!?!”

After experiencing what I had experienced for the prior half hour, I could.

Heads Up - Your Monthly Communication From the Headmaster View this email in your browser Heads Up Your Monthly Communication From the Headmaster  Dear Parents, Welcome to 2016! It is exciting to see our students arrive back to our College and Academy programs for another year filled with learning and celebration. This month, I thought I would focus on the value statement - “Together: Be Kind, Be Curious, Be Well.” Together: Progress Reports: Be sure to stay informed by regularly checking our website for updates. In addition to our website, you will also be able to see the most recent photos from inside the school by following the Twitter handles: @rundlecollege or @jasonbrogers   Primary Family Skate: I am excited for the upcoming Primary Family Skate where we will once again see our Academy student leaders coming along to enjoy an afternoon of skating with some of Rundle’s youngest students!   Be Kind  Snow Angels: Before Christmas, Rundle Academy sent their students into the neighborhood to clear the walks around the school and the homes in Marda Loop. This unsolicited act of kindness warmed several hearts that day! Thank you to all the students and staff who took part. In fact, this tweet was retweeted by Mayor Nenshi and was viewed by over 16,000 people!  How to get into Harvard: I stumbled upon an interesting article in the Washington Post this past month that addresses a changing admissions landscape for some of North America’s top universities. If you are curious as to how kindness factors into garnering admission into some prestigious institutions, take a moment and give this article a quick read. Be Curious Campus Life: It has been really exciting to see how our student body has embraced co-curricular academic pursuits. Over the course of the past month, and in the coming days, we will see our students take part in Elementary Chess Competitions (involving over half the school), Speech and Debate Competitions (already having earned a Provincial Title!), TEDx Rundle Academy, STEAM robotics/coding labs, and a spectacular Elementary Science Fair. Needless to say, our students are finding ways to be curious and, ultimately, it is this curiosity that will allow them to innovate and make our world the best place it can be! Articles on Curiosity: Here are two articles from this past month that relate directly to the importance of curiosity in learning. How our brain works & Lessons from Pixar - failure, resilience and creativity. Be Well Wellness Week at Jr. Sr. High: We all know exam week can be a trying time for students. This past month, I was inspired by the efforts that Rundle College Jr. Sr. High Peer Support put into creating the conditions for student wellness in the face of stressful exams. Bullying Prevention - Wear Pink initiative: Thank you to all who are supporting the Society wide ‘Wear Pink’ initiative. As result, in late February, our campuses will be flooded with over 500 students wearing pink to raise awareness towards bullying prevention! Thank you for all your ongoing support during the first month of 2016.   Be well, Jason Rogers, Headmaster Rundle College Society  Books on the shelf this month:   “Work Rules” by Laszlo Bock “Grit to Great” by Linda Kaplan Thaler and Robin Koval “The One Thing: The Surprising Truth Behind Extraordinary Results” by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan