TheThe Olympic Olympic Spirit Spirit School District 45 West Vancouver Volume 1 Issue 2

On Friday, March 27th, Westcot hosted an afternoon with Olympian Tom Velisek. Tom is a 2006 Olympian in Snowboard and Olympic competes in the discipline of Fever Hits Snowboard Cross. He is currently Westcot! training for the 2010 Olympics where he will compete for Team on Cypress Mountain. Our Grades four through seven students spent the afternoon session with Tom, learning about his experiences as an Olympic . His tale is one of dedication, sacrifice and hard work. It was an inspirational event and we will certainly all be cheering Tom on in February 2010 as he competes for our country!

During the , our autographed Westcot poster will hang in the Petro Canada Olympic House in Olympic Village. All of our upper intermediate students had an opportunity to add their autographs and show their support of our Canadian Olympic .

1 Ridgeview Elementary Grade Six Class Code of Ethics

At the start of each school year, teachers are asked to review the Code of Conduct for the school with their students. With this in mind, Ridgeview Elementary, Grade Six students came up with their own Code of Ethics based around the Olympic philosophy. Initially, they talked about the Olympics and what the games meant to each of them. They spoke of honour, of doing their best, accepting win and loss, accepting others for who they are and giving to others. The students then researched the principles of the Olympic Movement and modelled their Code of Ethics, following the Olympic guidelines for ethics and behavior. This is what they came up with:

Code of Ethics

* In sports, arts, academics – and in life – if you participate, you win * Do your personal best, with the knowledge you have given everything * Friendship and helping others is how you get there * Treat everyone the same * Be honest with yourself and others because fairplay is everything

As with the Olympics, school districts, and individual schools across Canada have mission statements and/or shared values to outline their philosophy of education. From to British Columbia, all statements share similarities that include goals for students to build pride in self through participation and achievement, realization of their personal best and awareness of a global community. The students, in essence, not only wrote a code of ethics but their own mission statement.

Irwin Park Sledge Hockey Experience by Canadian Olympians by Borguesse Ingrid White, Grade 2, Irwin Park Mozaffarian, Grade 7, Irwin Park

On February 24th, 2009 all the staff and students at Irwin Park On the first Friday back to school, after Spring Break, there was went to see a Sledge Hockey Game at UBC s newly completed a special treat planned for the students of Irwin Park Thunderbird Arena. At 400 people strong, the Irwin Park crew Elementary School. Two Canadian Bobsleigh Olympians, enjoyed the unique experience as a school community. named and Heather Moyse, came for a visit Students cheered for both the Japanese and American athletes. to tell us about their careers and their dedication to the sport Ingrid White, a Grade Two student recounts the experience: they love, bobsleigh.

On February 24th, the whole school went to UBC to watch a Kaillie Humphries first showed us about her duty as a pilot. She sledge hockey game. Each of the players had a disability. They is expected to steer the bobsled and lean where the track turns, had a lot of courage because even though they had a disability as Heather, the brake person, must assist the pilot by pushing they followed their dreams, and when they fell they got back at the beginning of the track and to push the brakes towards up. I think they are talented and brave. Also, I can t believe the the finish line. The two Olympians explained they train 11 whole school went out to the UBC Thunderbird Arena. Our months a year, five hours a day, coming to a total of 35 hours a class was close to the front. Finally, Japan won. They were week of training. playing against USA. My friends and I were cheering for Japan. We wore red and white.Those are the Japanese flag colours. Starting at only 16 and 26, they have dedicated their lives to Sometimes I and my friends shouted a bit, especially when being Olympians, and winning at the 2010 Olympics. To get the Japan scored. I would love to go back because it was as fun as crowd even more excited than they had been, they started the having your birthday everyday. wave throughout the entire gym. When concluding their presentation, they told us the most important thing to have when reaching for your dreams and achieving your goals, is family.

Family will always stand behind you and support you, no matter how far-fetched your goals or dreams are. Whether it is becoming a scientist, fashion designer, writer, or even a Gold- medal Olympian, as Heather and Kaillie said, we can be anything we want to be. No matter what shape, size, height, hair color, or personality, we truly can be anything we want.

2 Lots More Opportunities – COMING SOON! Student Leadership Conference

Last fall, close to 400 students gathered at the West Vancouver West Vancouver 2010 Pin Design Competition Student Leadership Conference, at Rockridge Secondary, to hear Marc Kielburger speak and to participate in the Me to We In May, elementary students across the district will have the Leadership Day. This November, the Leadership Conference opportunity to design pins that will be distributed at the West returns to Rockridge with the theme “Going for Gold”.Ifyou Vancouver 2010 Celebration Sites. Full information will be are interested in helping plan this event, please e-mail Chris available on the West Vancouver 2010 website – Kennedy at [email protected] www.westvancouverr2010.ca and in all our elementary schools beginning this May. There will be a similar competition for Parents – We Need Your Help! secondary students in the fall. Schools are looking for parents to be their Olympic Parent Contacts. There are many opportunities connected to the West Vancouver Banner Design Competition Games, and more coming up. Check with your local school and sign up as the Olympic Contact; help connect all of our The West Vancouver School District, in partnership with the students and schools to the Games. Park Royal Shopping Centre, is planning a Banner Design Competition for the fall. This will be open to individual students, student groups, or full classes to enter. All banners Adopt a Country will be displayed in the mall as part of a Games Art Show. Winning banners will be displayed in and around the Park Royal Adopt a Country is a school based program promoting global Village. Full details will be available in September. citizenship and awareness by encouraging students to learn about other counties, and by connecting BC students with peers North Shore Youth Film Festival around the world. Download the Adopt a Country School Guide for details on how to register your students adoption of one of the participating countries in the 2010 Olympic and Students in Grades six to 12 are invited to submit films that will Paralympic Games. There are also suggestions on how teachers be showcased for an international audience during the Games, can integrate this program into existing class work. Schools are at the West Vancouver Celebration Site. Students will be encouraged to register to receive updates such as opportunities challenged to use their creativity and talent to define the to connect with schools in their adopted country or to meet richness of the North Shore: the art, culture, history, nature Olympic and Paralympic athletes. Full information is available and sport. Full details will be available in the early fall. at: http://www.sharingthedream.gov.bc.ca/adopt-a-country/ Do You Want to Help Plan Youth Events Connected to the Games? Can’t find the Olympic Program you are looking for?/EDU is the If you are interested in being part of the student committee 2010 Portal for educational designing plans for youth, leading up to and during the Olympic opportunities connected to the Games, contact Chris Kennedy, West Vancouver Assistant Olympics and Paralympics. All Superintendent, at [email protected] related programs are available at: www.vancouver2010.com/edu Work Experience/Volunteer Opportunities

There will be lots of these opportunities for students leading up to and during the Games. Coming soon to your school, more information about being a volunteer, or a performer at the Celebration Sites.

Do you dream of being a reporter? There will be opportunities See Whistler Olympic Park Up Close for a limited number of students to document both the and Paralympic Games. These students will The Callahan Valley is home to the Whistler Olympic Park, and attend events and report on them for students across the the Whistler Spirit Run & Festival; a two day cross country and province, Canada and the world. Full contest details soon! trail running event for people of all ages and abilities, is a great way to see it first hand. This year, the event takes place on September 26 and 27, 2009. There are discounts available for school registrations. Full details are available at: www.whistlerspiritrun.com

3 Your Class Could Carry the Torch!

CONTEST PERIOD: March 10, 2009 – May 12, 2009

Be a part of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay by making a group pledge to create a better Canada. The RBC 2010 Olympic Torch Relay School Team Torchbearer Spot Contest prizes: Photo courtesy Victor L. Chan Grand Prize – over 13 years of age: Invisionation Exercise - Irwin Park

All team/group grand prize winners are required to be 13 years As Olympic Information becomes available it is of age by October 30, 2009. Only contest submissions meeting distributed through the School Olympic Champions. the specified criteria will be considered. Team torchbearer spots are awarded to the educator, or group leader of each David Langmuir/Liz Hill Bowen Island team selected, who will then select 19 other members of their Julie Rogers Caulfeild team to carry the Olympic Flame with them. Jessica Hall Cedardale Geoff Hamelin Chartwell Grand Prize – under 13 years of age: Krista Koke Cypress Park Val Stevenson Eagle Harbour One of Eight Run Jump Throw kits to be delivered to the Carol Phillips Gleneagles winning classrooms by an RBC Olympian (one winner per Aron Campbell Hollyburn region). Run Jump Throw kits teach running, jumping, throwing Michelle LaBounty Irwin Park skills and the technical skill progressions for track and field Sheri Sheppard Lions Bay events. It is designed for students between the ages of six and Stephane LeBlanc/Alysia Francis Pauline Johnson 12, and has progressions for older athletes and can be adapted Denise Beck Ridgeview for special needs. Andrea Layzell West Bay Sarah Mackenzie/Bonnie Morgan Westcot Find all the information at www.olympicshool.ca/torchrelay Daphne Lambie Rockridge Glen Johnston Sentinel Diane Nelson Sentinel - Sports Academies Leslie Buchanan/Christy Baker West Vancouver Cindy Dekker Board of Education Chris Kennedy West Vancouver School District

Teacher Resources — Lesson and Unit Plan Ideas The 2010 Winter Games are from February 12 to 28 2010 and the Paralympic Games from March 12 to 21. There is an online teachers' The Canadian Olympic Committee has great resources for forum for Vancouver 2010: http://eduforum.vancouver2010.com/ Grades K - 10 to connect students to the Games and the Olympic Movement. Their 2008-09 elementary curriculum focuses on literacy (through a series of Olympian stories) and numeracy (through a financial literacy project pack).

Olympian stories focus on the Olympic values of excellence, fairness, respect and leadership. Secondary curriculum comprises cross curricular project packs where students solve real life Olympic Games problems. Each project pack contains handouts, teaching tips, an evaluation rubric and a list of links to provincial learning outcomes. Recently posted resources can also be used in connection with the Torch Relay. Information is available at: www.olympicschool.ca Photo courtesy Victor L. Chan Invisionation Exercise - Irwin Park

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