The first Calgary Academy Staff versus Students ball hockey game is sure to become a classic. The staff team named the Knights played the student team — the Hornets – on Wednesday, June 4th, 2008 in an intense and hard fought 45 minute game.

The tournament was conceptualized by Grade 12 student Shaun S.. With intentions to raise funds for charity and raise morale within the CA community, Shaun designed and executed a fun and thrilling event.

The game was exciting from the drop of the ball, with the Staff scoring first, and the students rallying to tie up the game. The goalies for both teams were exceptional: Mr. Greiner for the Knights and Cameron L. for the Hornets; however, the Knights claimed the win against the Hornets by a score of 12 to 7.

With special thanks to Mr. Sawatzky, the Phys. Ed. staff, Ms. Thirlwall and Shaun S. for making this event a reality, we hope to see the students even the series next year.

An entire morning was devoted to the process of problem-solving, while students used their science skills and ideas to develop creative engineering solutions in a competitive class challenge. MechWave Engineering Ltd. brought 20 volunteers to assist in 5 events that demonstrated the fun side of exploring science concepts, through which our grade 8’s toured competing for class points. Our students were challenged to build the strongest chair possible, using only tape and newspaper - the winning team held up more than 20 Science texts with their chair. Budding engineers carefully planned structures that could support and elevate a golf ball to the highest height possible, and then implemented their designs with tape and straws. Marshmallows were launched across the gym as students modified catapult designs to create a launcher. Students applied what they learned about pressure and compressibility as they experimented with volumes of air and water to place in a pop bottle before it was launched. Teachers competed in this challenge, launching Barbie or Spider Man on large water cooler bottle rockets. Finally, our Grand Finale involved a “Fly on the Wall” challenge in which students, teachers, and MechWave engineers were taped to the wall by their homeroom teams.

A great time was had by all - the students worked collaboratively, exhibiting mature team spirit while the applied so many of our grade 8 Science concepts.

Fiona is a Grade 9 student here at CA as well as an accomplished equestrian rider.  She recently competed at the Royal Winter Fair in Brandon, Manitoba and was very successful.  With 7 days of competition, it was a very busy week but she learned a lot and increased her confidence every day.

She placed 2nd out of 31 riders in the 3 foot Open Low Hunter class on Wednesday, even beating her trainer and other adult riders.  On Thursday she was 2nd out of 23 riders in the Junior Low Hunter 3 foot class (18 years old & under).

 Her trainer was really pleased when she placed 2nd out of 12 riders in the Equitation Over Fences (a competition judging primarily the riders’ skill) class.  In the Equitation On the Flat class (a competition without jumping), Fiona placed 4th out of 14 riders.

Congratulations Fiona!

During our spring break, Miranda P., a Grade 7 student here at Calgary Academy, competed in two different music Festivals in Anaheim, California with her choir. The group performed at the “Festivals of Music”, “Music in the Park” and California Adventure Land. They won first place and a Superior rating in every category that they qualified for. This is quite an achievement given that they were competing against almost all Senior High bands and choirs. Great job Miranda.

Our journey began early on St Patrick’s Day. We were almost glad to be landing in Lima late, as it was still warm and humid from the heat of the day. After a quick sleep we made our way to Cusco and then through the Sacred Valley of the Incas to the little town of Pisaq. The hotel complex was quiet large and the kids had a chance to hang out until supper.

Mid-morning at our project school, we were warmly greeted by all the students and teachers. They performed traditional songs and brought flowers to distribute upon our arrival. After getting some instructions, the work began on the school garden. It took some back breaking effort and a lot of sweat to prepare the earth for planting. Many of the Peruvian students were in 2-3 layers of wool as we re-applied sunscreen on our bare arms and legs. At this altitude, a few of us were a bit pink after two days in the garden. The children lit up, as we delivered supplies and toys before we departed. Many, many hugs later - we were headed for the showers. It happened to be Thursday, which is when the town has its “big market” and the Peruvian economy saw a small spike after our kids were through.

Our trek to Machu Picchu started early Good Friday – 3:45am to be exact. We needed to be on the road and at the train station for 6:10am. The train followed the Urumbamba River for an hour and a half. The river is a tributary for the Amazon, flowing into the Atlantic. The train stopped at Mile 104. No station, just a path to the bridge we needed to cross to begin the hike. The elevation at the trail head was 2100m. With nothing but our water, cameras and rain slickers we started upwards. The guides had budgeted 4 hours for us to reach Winawayna (elevation 2650m). We made an impression as it only took us two and a half hours. Along the way, the views into the valley and up into the mountains were spectacular. We ate lunch early and had time to visit the ruins here and learn more from Jose about the Inca culture and how the Spainish affected Peru in the 1500’s. The next goal was to reach the Sun Gates from which you get your first glimpse of Machu Picchu. At this point we all had a well earned rest and took many pictures. After spending the night in Aguas Calientes we woke early to hit Machu Picchu at sunrise. It was a mystical morning in the clouds where we had a more in-depth tour of the inner city.

As we made our way back to Cusco we stopped at the ruins of Ollantaytambo. Massive rocks brought here from across the valley, gave insight into the engineering abilities the Incas had. Sheds for storing grain at a higher elevation were also used to avoid problems due to humidity. As the bus made its final journey back to Cusco we made one last stop at the Moray archeological site (3600m). Here circular terraces are used for gardening. Each terrace had its own temperature zone which allowed for a variety of plants to be grown.

We were back in Cusco for the Easter Sunday celebrations. In the main square, we had the opportunity to see some of the Peruvian military as well as cultural dancers. The economy of Peru saw another spike, as our students had a chance to hit some shops around the square. We toured the main Catholic Church, which contained many examples of architectural influences from Europe. Much of the gold inside the churches was taken from the walls that surrounded the city. Inca structures around Cusco have withstood earthquakes and the passing of time, all without the use of mortar. Later in the day we traveled to the higher hills of Cusco, to the ruins of Sacsayhuaman (Sexy Woman). One particular stone here is considered to be over 100 tons. It came from a quarry approximately 3 miles away. As the Incas had no concept of the wheel, they had developed a method of greasing poles to be used as skids. For our last night in Cusco, we had the opportunity to see cultural dancers at a dinner show. The buffet had a variety of treats to try, including guinea pig – a special dish served only at special occasions.

After another quick trip by plane, we found ourselves in Iquitos. This city can only be reached by plane or boat. It is late when we arrive, so the Amazon scenery would have to wait until morning. A beautiful sunrise was in store for those who awoke for the bird watching. Cranes, macaws, terns and many other species were seen. After breakfast, we explored through the jungle near a very small village. Swinging on vines, finding beautiful fauna and flora to photograph, swatting mosquitoes, and seeing many bugs was entertaining.

After sunset, the night sky was awash with stars and most everyone sat quietly in awe. Constellations of the Southern Cross, Orion, and the Big Dipper could be seen. Many of us looked forward to the night excursion. Now we could see fireflies, glow worms, frogs and a coral snake. As the small boat cut its engine and we drifted along, flashlights off, the sounds of the night where both thrilling and un-nerving. The next morning, the task was to catch Piranhas. Everyone had a rod in the water and soon many of us caught Red-bellied Piranha or Spiny Cat Fish. After lunch, our guide brought a authentic blow gun on deck for everyone to try. The teeth of the Piranhas are used to sharpen the darts. We left a few holes in the wall of the boat but no mishaps.

The boat continued to cruise down the Amazon to the town of Pevas. Here a famous artist named Fransisco Grippa resides. We had the opportunity to see his art and his studios. Most of his paintings are colorful and inspired by the Amazon. None of us had the $8000 needed to buy an original.

As we made our return journey back towards Iquitos from Pevas, we were lucky enough to see two sloth and pink dolphins. Once again a spectacular sunset awaited us and everyone was on deck for the show.

We were in Iquitos after lunch and we had enough time to email home, have an ice cream and do a quick city tour before flying back to Lima. Iquitos was booming during the 1800’s and early 1900’s. People came for the plantations to produce rubber. Today the major products are oil, wood and fish.

Our last morning in Peru was spent visiting the city of Lima. Due to the lack of rain in Lima, many wooden structures are preserved. Balconies from the colonial period can still be seen and used. The government buildings and palaces were impressive.

Our last stop was the catacombs under St. Francis of Assisi Church. Here 25,000 people have been buried over the years. Archeologists removed them from the cool caves, only to discover later that the bones had swelled in the humidity and therefore would not fit back in the catacombs. Our last lunch was in a restaurant overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. We ate and watched Dolphins play in the waves. We hit the open air mall in Miraflores to kill time and cause one more spike in the economy trying to get rid of Peruvian Soles. For most of the trip, we managed to avoid fast food. However, we did find a McDonald’s and a Pizza Hut to alleviate everyone’s cravings before heading to the airport and home.

Personal goals achieved

Everlasting memories

Reflection at Machu Picchu

Unparalled jungle nights