Sahar Salari, our Arts Prefect, is one such example. Under her leadership, girls throughout the school have found their inner artists during Arts Week. We saw wonderful performances and visual arts at Arts Night on Tuesday and the Junior School took the stage for their Festival of the Arts on Wednesday.

Grade 7 student Sophia Sweetenham is another one of Elmwood’s talented girls. She was given an honour award at the MusicFest Canada national finals this week. Congratulations also to all members of the Middle School Jazz combo, along with Mr. Gummeson, for their silver award at the competition.

Last week, the talented actresses of Grade 8 performed their musical, ‘A Dream Within a Dream,’ (written by the incredibly creative Ms. Noon) to rave reviews.

The members of Elmwood Theatre were also recognized last week for their inspiring work in The Trojan Women. Congratulations to Makanaka Ngwenya for her Cappies nomination for Lead Actress in a Play. Emma Dolhai earned two nominations; one for Supporting Actress in a Play and another for Costume Design. Erin Chapman was nominated for Featured Actress in a Play. Our Elmwood Theatre Marketing team were also nominated for Marketing and Publicity. Congratulations to Sarah Beltrame, Eleanor James-Beswick, Janan Lewars and Emmie Page for their nomination.

We wrap up this week of the arts tomorrow with our Elmwood Art Show at the Ottawa Studio Works at 160 Preston Street, curated by our own Mrs. Chun. We look forward to seeing many of you at the opening vernissage tomorrow evening from 7 – 9 p.m.

Best,

Cheryl

For me, the meeting was somewhat bittersweet. Although there was certainly much to celebrate, it was also time to say goodbye and thank you to Nancy Greenley as she steps down as PFAC Chair. Nancy has been an excellent Chair of our parents’ association. She has led with conviction and grace, initiating change where necessary, while also honoring Elmwood’s rich traditions and heritage where appropriate. Those who have chaired events during Nancy’s time know that she empowers others, encouraging them to make their mark on each event. I will miss her very much. However, I am confident that Nancy will never be far, as she will continue to manage the Eagles’ Nest.

Please join me in thanking Nancy and in recognizing her amazing contribution to our school community.

I am sure you will also join me in welcoming Raquelle Dupuis to the role as Chair of PFAC. Raquelle has been Vice-Chair of PFAC during Nancy’s tenure and is well-qualified to take on the Chair position. I know she will bring her boundless enthusiasm and creativity to the role and I look forward to working with her.

If you are interested in playing a role in our parents’ association, there will be a final meeting on Friday, June 1st at 3 p.m. If you can make it, we’ll be planning for next year and would be interested in hearing from parents who wish to get involved. You can also email pfac@elmwood.ca to register your interest.

Best Regards,

Cheryl

Candice has a passion for food and is a highly experienced chef currently working as the Resident Chef Instructor at the Urban Element, a culinary event studio and cooking school. She is a firm believer in seasonal and local farm-to-table cooking, the use of organics and the slow-food philosophy. Candice is a graduate of the Algonquin College Culinary Management Program. Previously she has worked as the Chef de Cuisine at Delish Fine Foods and Catering in Gatineau. Candice has also been the Chef de Cuisine at the Black Cat Wine Bar.

Candice is also mother to two daughters, so she has first-hand knowledge of girls’ palates and their nutritional needs. We feel that Candice will be a great fit with our Elmwood Bistro concept and our school community.

I know the Elmwood community will reach out and make Candice feel most welcome.

Best regards,

Cheryl

On Saturday, April 21, Elmwood family, friends and prominent Ottawa business and community leaders were invited to the iconic Studio 54 nightclub, complete with disco balls, a dozen Andy Warhols and a lot of gold lamé! Every detail was sublime and everyone had a fantastic evening.

I was so thrilled to hear earlier this week that the proceeds of the Gala exceeded the fundraising goal! These funds will support the Bursary Program, which allows us to offer the advantages of an Elmwood education to girls who show promise, regardless of their family’s economic situation. In addition, the proceeds will fund technology upgrades and classroom renovations. We’re also looking forward to the arrival of the Elmwood Bus, arriving in September, thanks to the generosity of those who donated to the initiative at the Gala, as well as our matching donors.

None of this would be possible without the tireless work of the Gala Committee, chaired by Christine Murray. Thank you to Christine, Geneviève Audet, Audrey Bond, Peggy Cork, Lorie Derraugh-Casarramona, Nancy Greenley, Catherine McLaughlin, Arlie Mierins, Clare Nippard, Sean Norton, Jeannie Polisuk, Elizabeth Thompson, Joanna Todd, Sarah Wallace and all the other parents who contributed. Our heartfelt appreciation for all that you do.

I must also thank the Elmwood staff and students who volunteered at the event. A special thanks to the Jackson family for creating the amazing Studio 54 entrance and Audrey Bond for producing the “School Bus” video (click here to watch it). Of course, it wouldn’t be the same without all of our sponsors, donors and guests!

Thank you all!

Cheryl

Our faculty and staff have also been busy preparing the spring midterm report cards, which will be sent home with your daughters tomorrow afternoon. If you have any questions or comments about your daughter’s progress please be in touch directly with her teachers. You will also find enclosed along with the report card a letter from me outlining some important information and recent School highlights.

In light of this, I will keep my message short this week. I look forward to seeing many of you at Studio 54 on Saturday night!

Best regards,

Cheryl

This is such an important fundraising event for Elmwood. The money raised this year will go into classroom renovations and technology upgrades, and will also support our Bursary Program.

I want to say a special thank you to Michael Potter, our Gala Patron. Michael has generously supported this event for years and this is his 3rd year as Gala Patron. I’d also like to welcome back WiLAN as Marquis Sponsor for their 2nd year, as well as thank all the sponsors who make this event the great success it always is. Please visit the Gala webpage for a complete list of all our generous sponsors.

If you haven’t already reserved your ticket be sure to visit www.elmwood.ca/gala today. This is a special evening for the Elmwood community—fine dining, great shopping, and catching up with friends. I look forward to seeing you on the 21st!

Cheryl

The Missing Half: Girls and Science Education
Why do girls not like science?
Tracking the reasons many girls avoid math and science

These results were accompanied by a range of programs aimed to encourage girls to discover a love and an aptitude for science. Thankfully, here at Elmwood, the opposite is true. Here girls love science and enjoy participating in our science program. I was delighted to hear how well our young scientists represented Elmwood at the recent Ottawa Regional Science Fair. Click here to read about their accomplishments. We are proud of all the girls who participated.

A special mention must go to Grade 11 student Tannya Cai who was awarded the Canada-Wide Science Fair trip, Silver in the Senior Division, the Partners in Research Award and an Ottawa University Admissions Scholarship. Her project was titled the Effect of Curcumin on Respiratory Syncytial Virus Replication and Virus-induced Cytokine Production.

Thank you to our excellent Science Department for your enthusiam, your support and encouragement of the girls, and fostering a love of inquiry in these young researchers.

Have a wonderful long weekend,

Cheryl

One of the key ways we engage our digital natives is our 1:1 laptop program in our Senior School. We have been running this program for over a decade. I was recently doing some research on the topic, and I was interested to see that our observations line up with empirical research. I thought I would share some highlights with you.

What the research tells us:

• Teachers and parents consistently report that students participating in a 1 to 1 laptop program are more involved in learning activities, spend more time on schoolwork at home, delve more deeply into learning topics, and communicate more effectively. (Lemke & Martine, Dec. 2003)

• Students with routine access to notebook computers score higher in writing assessments, demonstrate better analytical skills, collaborate more, and have lower absenteeism.

• 1 to 1 programs create a “level playing field” because each student is equipped with the same technology and support.

• Students who have their own laptop computers have been found to take greater pride and ownership over the knowledge they create.

• Research also shows that 1 to 1 learning programs have a significant impact beyond schools to families and communities, with students acting as mentors to parents, siblings, and other community members. (Lemke & Martine, March 2004)

• Moreover, 1 to 1 programs increase teacher retention and enthusiasm and improve teacher recruitment efforts. (Beaudry, Feb. 2004; Lemke and Martine, April 2004)

I also recently heard Bill Gates speak at a conference about the future of education and he feels that there are three main trends:

• It’s the end of the textbook as we know it. They will become digital and interactive.

• Social networks will be an essential part of the learning process.

• Through the use of digital tools, education will be more personalized.

As Bob Dylan said, “The times they are a-changin,” and I for one, look forward to seeing how our students embrace the influx of technology both in and out of the classroom and how this will continue to change the way we teach.

Best,

Cheryl

P.S. Our incoming Deputy Head, Senior School, James Whitehouse, will be visiting the School next week. I invite you to come meet him at a reception on Wednesday, April 4th from 4  5 p.m. in the Senior School library.

I am headed out to visit family and friends in England for a portion of my holiday. I look forward to catching up with everyone and taking the opportunity to unwind a little.

I hope you have an enjoyable and restful vacation,

Cheryl

P.S. Thanks to those who completed our summer program survey. We’re just in the early planning stages, but appreciate your feedback. It was most helpful. If you haven’t yet had a chance to complete the survey we ask that you click here to complete it by tomorrow.

Under the talented direction of Angela Boychuk, the audience is transported back to ancient Troy where the defeated Trojan women await their fate at the hands of their Greek captors. Their husbands and sons are all dead and their beloved city is in ruins.

What follows isn’t pretty, but absolutely compelling, as the full scale of the horror and devastation becomes apparent to the women. Grade 12 students Erin Chapman, Emma Dolhai, Maka Ngwenya, Fregine Sheehy and Lenishka Stubbs should all be commended for their excellent acting skills. It’s wonderful to see girls who have progressed through the Elmwood Theatre Program delivering such moving performances. A special mention goes to Grade 2 student Lauren Jane Hudson for her excellent portrayal of Astyanax.

Congratulations to the entire cast and crew. I hope the rest of the performances go as well as expected. Break a leg!

Warm regards,

Cheryl