The STS Blog

STS qualified as one of four Canadian teams to compete at Finals Day in Oxford this past weekend. The team of Zaki L. ’20 and Chelli S. ’19 were one of 116 teams to compete at the prestigious tournament that plays host to the best debaters in the United Kingdom (U.K.), Western Europe, Hong Kong, and the United States.

This past week we continued the work of two STS alumni, Scott Wilson ’15 and Myles Chase ’15, who created Open Arms to promote mental health awareness

It is a commonly known fact that many people fear public speaking more than death, but you will not hear STS students sharing this sentiment, due to the culture of public speaking that has evolved over our long history. 

The unit of inquiry “How the World Works” is taught throughout all grades at STS. For Grade 5 in particular, the unit focuses on how technology can be used to solve problems.

Senior debate students Chelli Shapiro ’19 and Zaki Lakhani ’20 are one of four Canadian teams traveling to the U.K. to participate in the Oxford Finals Day at the Oxford Union.

On February 10, Stephanie P. ’20, Kirk S. ’20, Griffin E.B. ’20 and Zaki L. ’20 travelled to St. John’s Ravenscourt School in Winnipeg to compete in the Senior National Public Speaking Competition.

When Mr. Keller joined STS in 1972, no Outdoor Education (OE) program was being offered. Because Mr. Keller was an avid outdoors-man, students soon began asking Mr. Keller to take them along on his trips and he agreed.

On Saturday, February 2, STS hosted 330 people for the Provincial Speech Tournament. This final tournament of the year qualifies students for both the junior and senior national speech tournaments. For the first time this year, Alberta is able to send 14 representatives to the National Tournament and we are pleased to announce that 9 of the 14 students attending will be from STS and in the senior division, 4 of the 7 students representing Alberta are from Strathcona-Tweedsmuir!

STS hosted over 250 young basketball players and their coaches from independent schools across Canada. STS is the ONLY Canadian Accredited Independent School(CAIS) to host and billet these many athletes! It is a true testament to the strength of our community when we have well over 60 families open their homes to host these 11 and 12-year-old boys visiting our school. Almost one-third of our entire school faculty and staff were directly involved in this fabulous event.

As anyone who has hiked pathways with young children will attest, children, with their boundless curiosity, see much that their older companions miss. They can spend an entire day on a journey that travels deep rather than far. Watching bugs on the ground, picking and devouring wild strawberries, wondering how birds fly... their questions know no end. So many wonders and so much to learn. 

It is our pleasure to announce that Mrs. Sloan Pipella-Clark '81 has been selected as the recipient of the Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School (STS) 2019 Distinguished Alumni Award – the highest honour the School bestows upon its alumni. 

Computational thinking is a fundamental skill that is developed through the STS curriculum – a skill where students view the completed product and work backwards to fully understand the process leading to the finished product. As part of this skill, students must understand the five steps of the design cycle –ask questions, imagine, plan, create, and improve. These steps guide students as they design a solution to a problem. 

We received some exciting news just before the holiday season from the Alberta Schools’ Athletic Association (ASAA) that our Senior Varisty (SV) Boys Volleyball Team were awarded the Sportsmanship Banner for their performance at the 2A Provincial tournament!

Throughout Grade 10, students work on a personal project as the capstone for their International Baccalaureate (IB) Middle Years Programme (MYP). Personal projects focus on a passion that revolves around a challenge that is motivating and interesting to the individual student. Each year, students produce unique projects that are completed during a six-month independent research process with the ultimate goal being that students appreciate the process of learning, create a project that meets their learning style, and produce a product or outcome they can take pride in.

The wide variety of co-curricular clubs and activities offered at STS allows students to discover their passions. This can definitely be said for athletics. Many students who choose athletics may do so to explore their abilities, compete and challenge themselves, but joining a sports team also fosters growth and development in character and leadership. 

It's the feeling STS alumna Aimee-Jo Benoit '97 has every time she comes to the School that has kept her coming back. And it's the memories of her experiences and the nostalgia it creates that spurred Aimee-Jo to take on the role of Chair of the Alumni Events Committee. 

In support of this season's winter giving campaign, STS collected goods for Stephen's Backpacks Society. An initiative that began 10 years ago in Calgary, Stephen's Backpack offers hope in a Christmas backpack gift for children in need.

On December 6, Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School hosted Paul Davis, nationally recognized expert on social media and online safety.

Congratulations to Ali Poonja '12 who was awarded the Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award in late November.