List of 15 news stories.

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  CDS 14th Annual Grade 5 & 6 Public Speaking Competition

  On Wednesday, May 1st, 2024, CDS grade four, five and six students, teachers and families gathered in the Paul C. Duckett theatre to celebrate the accomplishments of our Grade five and six public speakers and acknowledge their hard work and skill in communicating effectively at the 14th Annual CDS Public Speaking Contest. 

   

  Whether they deliver inspiring speeches, informative presentations, or engaging talks, public speakers play a crucial role in sharing ideas and shaping discussions. Through eloquent articulation and confident delivery, students captivated audiences and inspired peers with their powerful words and compelling presence on stage. Their dedication to honing their communication skills has truly paid off, setting a shining example for all.
  
  Photo Gallery
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  Grade 7 Art Trip

  On Friday April 26th the Grade 7 classes headed to the McMichael Art Gallery. The day began with a studio workshop where students explored the artworks of the Northwest Coast in combination with popular manga cartooning techniques. Students then enjoyed McMichael's natural setting with a one-hour hike. Students learned about the human impact on a changing landscape as well as the history of the grounds. 
  
  Photo Gallery
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  In The Flow: Grade 10 Art

  This month the grade 10's have been working on creating experimental paintings. They researched a variety of Flow painting techniques and based on the processes, planned a way to enhance and develop an image from the resulting combination of paint processes.

   

  Currently, they are completing the embellishments in acrylic paint. Have a look at this Video Slideshow and Photo Gallery of their work so far. 
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  Middle & Senior School Exams: What To Expect

  This afternoon, students from grades 9-12 participated in a study skills workshop “Unlocking your Brainpower-Strategies for Success”, hosted by our Student Services Department. Each student took part in four sessions focusing on different study strategies. The day culminated with a special guest speaker; Dr. Christine Lay who shared with the students how their brains, sleep, and healthy habits can be optimised going into exam time. 
  

  
  This workshop is a kickstart to the SSC’s exam support offered to students this month. The following “Preparation for Exams” provides more information to support your children during exams. 
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  Under-the-sea Adventure

  Our junior kindergarten students have been learning about under-the-sea animals and the importance of caring for our oceans.

   

  Last week they boarded the HMCS CDS submarine, with a ticket in hand,  and had an amazing under-the-sea adventure. They spotted whales, hammerhead sharks, angler fish, and some JS teachers swimming by the port holes. 

   

  Captain Wildberger ensured that everyone boarded safely with a huge smile, and Mrs. Gee ensured the sub was in top working order. Nothing is more magical than when our youngest students experience things using their imagination.

   

  Under-The-Sea Adventure Photo Gallery
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  Canadian Team Math Competition

  On April 15th, five Grade 10 and 11 students went to Pickering College for the University of Waterloo’s Math Team competition. The competitors were Luca Tchelidze, Jason Liang, Tiffany Chan, Andrii Bessarab, and Vincent Wang.

   

  First, Mike Eden, a professor from the University of Waterloo, gave a welcome speech and presented a few cool math problems to prepare our brains for the day.

   

  After a short break, the competition started with team questions. In this section, each team of 6 students was to solve questions strategically and work together. Although we were a group of 5, we did our best and worked together to complete most of the 25 questions given. 

   

   
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  CDS Debaters All Advanced to Finals at World Championships

  CDS experienced several firsts last week at the World Individual Debating & Public Speaking Championships (WIDPSC) held at Canberra Girls Grammar School in Canberra, Australia.

   

  Ethan Wahba ’24, Millie Steinmann ’25 and Sarah Croxon ’24 competed in a total of eight finals for CDS, with both Ethan and Millie emerging as World Champions.

  
  According to their coach Kerstin Wyndham-West, who has led the debating program for more than 20 years, “We have never had two students win their individual categories in the same year, and all three made it to eight of the possible 12 finals! That is a record for CDS.”

  
  In the individual events, Ethan is World Champion of Interpretive Reading and finished 3rd in Debating, and Millie is World Champion of Persuasive Speaking. Overall Ethan was the 3rd place speaker, Millie was 9th and Sarah was 18th out of 124 students representing 15 countries. 
  
  All three students chose thought-provoking topics and readings to present on. Here some
  highlights:

  
  “For my interpretive reading, I performed the short story Going Grapefruit by Ian Richards. This story follows a man who is hit by a car and incurs a traumatic injury which changes the way his brain processes language, in his new language words take on seemingly random meanings. I chose this piece because it reminds us that understanding others is much more than just the words people use, but rather the tone and emotion that comes with it.” – Ethan Wahba ’24

  
  “I presented a persuasive speech about the hidden dangers of energy drinks, particularly for teenagers. Companies like Red Bull specifically market to young people by hiring college students to handout free drinks on university campuses. I don’t think people realize just how much caffeine is in these drinks. Just one can contains as much as six cans of Coke, way more than the recommended daily allowance of caffeine for kids, which can have a really dangerous effect on your heart and long-term health.” – Millie Steinmann ’25

  
  “My persuasive speech looked at the growing problem of the tipping culture across North America. Ever since the pandemic, it has become a growing issue. I feel people should be able to do what they want when it comes to leaving a gratuity. I really enjoyed writing and performing this speech because it is a topic that everyone can relate to in some way.” – Sarah Croxon ’24
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  CISMF 2024 Did Not Disappoint!

  On Saturday, April 13th, the Conference of Independent Schools held their annual Music Festival at Roy Thomson Hall. CISMF 2024 featured 1400 students from 39 schools performing in three concert bands, three choirs, two string ensembles, a jazz band and a taiko drum ensemble.

  
  

  Students from all over the CIS auditioned for the various band and string ensembles, with the choirs having an open invitation to school choirs and individual students to participate.

   

  CDS had 36 students participate this year, having representation in the Junior Choir, Intermediate Choir, Senior Choir, Concert Band, Symphonic Band, Wind Ensemble, Jazz Band and the Chamber String Ensemble. 

  
  

  A hearty congratulations to all the students who participated, and a special thanks to Mrs. Baird, Ms. Ketterick, Mr. Barbanchon, Mr. Moore, Mr. Shields and Ms. Racine for preparing and chaperoning the students for this special event.

   

  JS Photo Gallery

   

  SS Photo Gallery
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  Senior Concert Band to Perform Commissioned Piece at Spring Concert

  Last summer, CDS’s new Head of Music, Larry Shields, reached out to a friend at Alfred Publishing about commissioning a song based on the school mascot – the Cyclone. As a huge proponent of Canadian content and new work – Mr. Shields felt it would serve as a fresh approach in his new role and be inspirational to our students as well.

   

  The result was a wonderful piece called Windstorm written by Vincent Gassi, which the Senior Concert Band will perform at the upcoming Middle/Senior Spring Concert on May 16th. Mr. Shields has worked with Gassi for many years and is thrilled to report that this commissioned piece will be published to sell worldwide in September with an inscription commissioned for The Country Day School.

   

  According to Shields, while the piece is challenging, his students are enjoying playing the work. The students were fortunate to have the composer work with them for a rehearsal in February to better understand Gassi’s concept and vision for the music.
  
  “It starts off with the students blowing through their instruments to mimic the sound of wind, then launches into an exciting rhythmic section representing the storm. This is followed by a calmer, beautiful melodic movement, possibly depicting the eye of the storm. The work ends with the fast paced, mixed measures and rhythmic complexity demonstrated in the earlier section, ending on a very exciting note – I think people will really enjoy the experience.”

   

  The front cover of the score has a windstorm depicted on it along with the dedication to the school and Vince’s autograph. Shields plans to hang it somewhere prominent and going forward, commission a Canadian work every year for different groups in the department. He envisions eventually having all of the covers plaqued and mounted along the Music hallway.

   

  Be sure to reserve your tickets for the upcoming Middle/Senior School Spring Concert. You won’t want to miss hearing the inaugural performance of Windstorm on Thursday, May 16th. It is our hope that Vince Gassi will also be there to watch!
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  CDS Hosts CITE Network Conference

  We are proud to share that The Country Day School will be hosting the CIS Ontario CITE Network Conference on Saturday, April 27th, where educators will explore "Literacy in the Digital Age" with keynote speaker Ramona Pringle from CBC. Ramona is the Director of the Creative School Innovation Studio at Toronto Metropolitan University and Director of the Transmedia Zone, an incubator for innovation in media and storytelling.

   

  This full-day event features 14 workshops (six led by CDS faculty members) and offers insights into integrating digital tools and fostering digital literacy skills in English education. It is open to teachers and educators from JK-12 in the independent school system who are looking to reimagine the future of teaching English in the digital era. There will also be interesting content about emerging forms of literature and trends in books for all ages.

   

  Thank you to Sarah Hudson, our Head of English, for hosting it at CDS!
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  Pascal, Cayley, & Fermat Math Contests

  On February 28th, a group of 62 Middle and Senior School students rose to the challenge of writing the annual Pascal, Cayley, and Fermat mathematics contests organized by the University of Waterloo.

  
  Certificates of Distinction are earned by those who achieve in the top 25% of participants at CDS and the school medal is awarded to the top score at CDS (please note that all certificates and medals have a minimum cut-off score that is set by the CEMC, and the school medals will be distributed once the shipment arrives).
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  World Individual Debating and Public Speaking Championships

  Exciting news from the World Individual Debating and Public Speaking Championships in Australia - our three debaters have all advanced to the finals! Ethan Wahba '24 will be competing in all 4 event finals, and Sarah Croxon '24 and Millie Steinmann '25 will compete in two each. We wish them all the best! 
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  Grade 5's Gather Inspiration From The Story of CDS's Heritage

  It has been the tradition for the Junior School to run a contest among the Grade 5 students for the next academic year’s agenda cover. This year, JS Visual Arts teacher Ms. Kuchmak sought inspiration from the recent opening of Burns Family Hall and the school’s decision to preserve its 1883 schoolhouse for years to come.

   

  Who better to share history of the legacy, heritage and magic behind this spectacular new building than Mr. Liggett – in a presentation to the Grade 5s on the Founders' Stairs outside of the Junior School Library on Monday.
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  La Semaine Du Français: Celebrating French Culture and Language in the Junior School

  Last week our Junior School celebrated the rich world of the French language and culture during la semaine du français. Here's a glimpse of some of the wonderful activities and experiences our young language learners enjoyed:

   

  Each morning, our announcements kicked off with the French rendition of 'O Canada' and intriguing tidbits about the language. Our 'word of the day' segment shed light on how certain English words, like 'harmony' or 'l'harmonie' in French, have roots in the French language.

   

  Grades 1-2 honed their French communication skills by exchanging letters with their pen pals in Calgary, fostering language practice and cultural exchange. Meanwhile, some of our Grade 4 students had a blast playing games with their Grade 12 buddies while reinforcing their vocabulary skills.
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  80th Anniversary Battlefields Trip

  During the spring break, a group of 26 students from our Senior School embarked on a remarkable journey to Europe, commemorating the 80th anniversary of D-Day by tracing the footsteps of Canadian heroes who played pivotal roles in both World Wars. Accompanied by dedicated faculty members, our expedition began with fervour and curiosity. Students were eager to dive into the rich tapestry of European history and pay homage to the sacrifices that brave Canadian soldiers had made for peace.

  
  

  Our adventure started in the City of Light itself, Paris, where we marvelled at iconic landmarks that have stood the test of time. From the awe-inspiring beauty of the Louvre to the timeless grandeur of Notre Dame Cathedral and the unmistakable silhouette of the Eiffel Tower piercing the sky, Paris embraced us with its charm and history. 

  
  

  However, our journey was not confined to the romantic allure of Paris.
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