
New Blog!
Please visit our new blog at https://www.connectcharter.ca/professional-blog/. This blog will be discontinued in 2020. Continue reading New Blog!

Grade 5 EXPO Week
This year, the grade 5 classes are exploring the theme of change. Change in ecosystems, change in climate, change in identity, growth and change in self. … Continue reading Grade 5 EXPO Week
Grade 9 Identity Poetry Anthology
WHO AM I?: Identity Poetry Anthology Version 2.0 Jaime Groeller and Ivy Waite- Grade 9 Humanities Ivy and I are very excited to once again be team teaching grade 9 Humanities this year. We taught this curriculum in our first … Continue reading Grade 9 Identity Poetry Anthology

Evolution of Inclusive Practices at Connect Charter School
Abby Saadeh ~ Inclusive Practices Coach When starting the position of the Inclusive Practices Coach at Connect Charter School in 2012, I was asked time and time again, “What does Inclusive Practices mean exactly?” And to be honest, at first … Continue reading Evolution of Inclusive Practices at Connect Charter School

Re-thinking Inquiry-Based Practice in Physical Education
Deirdre Bailey ~ Physical Education While conventional education is often criticized for either segmenting learning into smaller pieces without ever giving kids the whole picture, or for letting kids read all about something without ever having an opportunity to engage in … Continue reading Re-thinking Inquiry-Based Practice in Physical Education

Using the Model Method in Math Problem-solving
by Kevin Sonico Mr. Cheng and I are conducting a research project in our classrooms on how using the model method or strategy in math improve students’ problem-solving skills. Effectiveness of the method will be measured in the increased … Continue reading Using the Model Method in Math Problem-solving
Poetry that Moves
Guest post by University of Calgary student teacher, Lisa Nguyen I cultivated a love for poetry at a young age, but for many people it is an inaccessible genre that is tedious to read, nonetheless teach. Although it’s not everyone’s … Continue reading Poetry that Moves
Inquiry Lives Here
GREG NEIL, Inquiry Portfolio Leader/Grade 9 Teacher Visit this post on our new website At Connect Charter School, inquiry-based learning doesn’t stop when the lunch bell rings. John Cadman, a Grade 4 Math/Science Teacher, recently started a lunch club called the Nerf Mod Club. This club provides students in Grades 4 and 5 the opportunity to explore a number of scientific and mathematical principles, all embedded within the joyful act of firing a Nerf projectile. As Mr. Cadman explains, the goal of the club is to modify the student’s own Nerf blasters to either fire faster or more accurately.In this … Continue reading Inquiry Lives Here
Grade 4 EXPO – Lougheed House
On a recent EXPO trip, the grade four classes visited the Lougheed House where they were immersed in the point of view of people who immigrated to Canada to settle in the West in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. Students had the opportunity to explore the stories of immigrants from a variety of countries by acting out short scripts provided by the Lougheed House. Each group acted out a skit pretending be a family in another country discussing their reasons for moving to Alberta, and their hopes for their new lives. This allowed students to inquire about the hard … Continue reading Grade 4 EXPO – Lougheed House
Discovering the Past – Grade 5 EXPO
During their recent EXPO trip, the grade five students left the classroom to explore the Glenbow Museum and Fort Calgary. At the Glenbow Museum, students learned about different native cultures from the north, east, west and south. The students were excited to explore the various ways of life and traditions that still remain strong, rich and diverse in each quadrant today. Next, the grade five classes hopped back on the bus to visit Fort Calgary. Students were able to learn about what makes something an artifact and what kinds of artifacts were found at the archeology site of Fort Calgary. Later, … Continue reading Discovering the Past – Grade 5 EXPO
Dr. Butterfield speaks at AEE on EXPO
Earlier this month, Dr. Butterfield, our school Principal was invited to speak the Association for Experiential Education’s (AEE) annual conference, which was held in Montreal. In the fall of 2017, Connect introduced an experiential education model that incorporates experiential and … Continue reading Dr. Butterfield speaks at AEE on EXPO

FreshGrade: Commendations, Recommendations & Limitations
(continued from earlier posts Deirdre’s Reflections, Kevin’s Reflection, the introduction to our action research, emphasizing student autonomy) -by Deirdre Bailey and Kevin Sonico A major advantage of the FreshGrade tool that has been touched on briefly above but merits further discussion was … Continue reading FreshGrade: Commendations, Recommendations & Limitations
FreshGrade: Emphasizing student autonomy, promoting conversation, and developing metacognition
by Deirdre Bailey and Kevin Sonico
Theme 1: Emphasizing student autonomy
The cultivation of student autonomy in an inquiry-driven space suggests that students should both understand their learning goals and be able to assess what they need to do to reach them (Chappuis, 2009, Black & Wiliam, 2004). Continue reading “FreshGrade: Emphasizing student autonomy, promoting conversation, and developing metacognition”
Inquiry Lives Here – A Video Series
Over the course of this school year, my role as Curriculum Portfolio Leader has allowed me to witness a wide array of strong Inquiry-based instruction happening here at Connect Charter School. I have been fortunate that our teachers have shared the accomplishments of our students with me and I have enjoyed translating this success into a series of videos that brings focus to the work we do here. The videos are available on the school’s YouTube Channel, but here is a convenient list of the videos that are currently available for viewing. I look forward to continuing this series over … Continue reading Inquiry Lives Here – A Video Series

Girls in the Backcountry
Deirdre Bailey and Jocelyn Monteith “I just feel really confident since the “all-girls” elective. I feel like I could go into the backcountry with boys or girls and do everything and feel strong. Knowing that I am capable is something I will for sure carry … Continue reading Girls in the Backcountry