Good evening Higgins Families,
Below is the update for the week of Monday, January 13, 2025:
Below is a Message from Your School Council (A Small but Mighty Group of Parents):
Join the School Council and Make a Difference!
Our next Parent Council meeting is on Tuesday, January 14, at 6:30 PM in the School Learning Commons, and we’d love for you to join us! School Council plays a crucial role in supporting field trips, sports events, instruments, and more for our students. This is your chance to share your voice, vote on what matters most for your kids, and help shape exciting opportunities.
On the agenda this month: planning a Pizza Day for February, a Sub/Wrap event, Kernels popcorn fundraising, GrowZone initiatives, and more! Come be part of the conversation—we can’t wait to see you there!
Winter Band Concert
Our Winter Band Concert will take place on Thursday, January 23. Participating students will arrive at 6:15am to warm up, and doors will open for parents and visitors at 6:40pm. The concert starts at 7pm, and will be approximately an hour long. We thank you in advance for helping us put all the chairs away at the end. You know the saying......Many hands......
Athletics
Monday, January 13:
- 2:45pm - 4:00pm: Wrestling Practice
- 2:45pm - 4;00pm: Girls' Volleyball Practice
Tuesday, January 14:
- Boys' Volleyball Practice
Wednesday, January 15:
- 2:45pm - 4:00pm: Wrestling Practice
- 2:45pm - 4:00pm: Girls' Volleyball Practice
Thursday, January 16:
- 5pm - 8pm: Wrestling Quad Meet at Higgins
- 2:45pm - 4:00pm: Boys' Volleyball Tryout and Practice
Celebrating the Northeast and a Message from Mr. Brar
Thank you to everyone who reached out to express their positive sentiments about our Higgins Speaker Series over the last 4 months. The speaker series grew out of an organic need to better celebrate our community and have our students realize the high achievements of those who have come before them in the Northeast. We also want to thank all the speakers who showed up every single week to inspire, guide, and encourage our students!
We look forward to continuing the Speaker Series in 2025!
The last guest speaker for the Grade 9 Business class before Winter Break was:
Ian Cantelo, co-owner/founder of Athletic Edge, assistant coach/strength trainer with CTA West – Basketball team, and safety advisor at Propak.
Ian who was raised in Northeast Calgary is a decorated veteran who would spend 12 years in the Canadian Armed Forces. In 2011, he was awarded the Sacrifice Medal for injuries sustained in combat while in Afghanistan. He has also been the honorary coin-tosser for Calgary’s high school City Championship football games for six consecutive years as recognition for all his years of service.
Ian would return to Calgary full-time in 2014 and be a founding member of Athletic Edge (Located in the Northeast). Athletic Edge is an athlete-development program to help young athletes earn post-secondary scholarships. Athletic Edge started with just six participants training in a rental gym. It has grown into 400-plus athletes of varying ages and sports stepping up their game in Athletic Edge’s own facility every month.
With Athletic Edge, he also serves as an accomplished strength, conditioning and skill development trainer. He believes that accountability and discipline are keys to success. His commitment to development and success is rooted in the belief that there are no shortcuts or substitutes for the necessary hard work. His motto for all his athletes is “You. Are. Never. Done.”
Additionally, his desire for coaching and supporting amateur sports in Calgary started with coaching basketball at Western Canada High School in 2014. Ian currently coaches basketball at Canada Topflight Academy (CTA) West. Between CTA West and Athletic Edge, Cantelo has helped more than 125 athletes secure post-secondary scholarships!
Earlier this year he was selected on Avenue Magazine’s 2024 Top 40 under 40 list as one of the most inspirational Calgarians!
The theme of Ian’s conversation with our Higgins Business class was focused on unlocking the power of perspective and having an undefeatable mindset. Additionally, he touched on the 11 Principles of Leadership in the Canadian Military. Ian left the class with the message that taking accountability for every part of your life will lead to the highest levels of success.
As a gift to our school for being the last guest for the Higgins Speaker Series in 2024, he gave our school the gift of a FREE basketball camp for the students of Dr. Gordon Higgins! Ian did this because he believes in our Northeast community and wanted to give them a high-level basketball experience before the winter break. Over 100 students joined Ian for the event!
Student Feedback
“The only way to become successful is to have adversity, otherwise you can’t build the skills or the habits necessary to know what to do when things happen”
“Ian inspired me with the way he speaks about others, he is always respectful and loves helping other people overcome their struggles”
“He inspired me to be more confident and work on self-improvement. Chase your dreams and learn to adapt over time! Life is full of lessons”
And the first speaker after Winter Break is.......
For the Higgins Speaker Series this week, Constable Rui Medeiros from the Calgary Police Service joined us in Business Class. However, most importantly, he is the Dr. Gordon Higgins - School Resource Officer. He has been with the police service for 24 years.
Dr. Gordon Higgins School is fortunate to be connected to Cst. Medeiros as a point of contact for all, and he has a strong background working with youth, families and community-based programs. As a School Resource Officer, he has provided a visible and positive image of law enforcement in our school, is considered a mentor to many students, and has provided advice and guidance for staff and students.
The students in Mr. Brar’s Business Class were inspired by Rui’s message focusing on having excellent behaviour in their teenage years because he has found over his career that there is a strong correlation that past behaviour is a strong indicator of future behaviour. For students to hear the message that the value of having strong manners and behaviour at Dr. Gordon Higgins School will be a great asset in future endeavours was very motivating. When we hear messages from our community leaders like Constable Medeiros that manners matter, the students understand their more profound level of accountability for our community.
Student Feedback
“He wanted to go to the University of Calgary with his friends but realized there were no programs he wanted to establish a career in. So, he decided to go to Mount Royal’s Criminology program. That showed me that you do not always have to be with close friends to achieve your dreams.”
“The way he explained the job process in becoming a Police Officer in simple terms was eye opening for me and rekindled my hope to become a Police Officer in Calgary.”
“I understand the habits and behaviours I’m intentional about now will establish my core identity for future success.”
Important Grade 9 Dates
This Thursday, January 16, our grade 9 students will be going to Lester B. Pearson to see and experience the school, so that they can envision the school as they work to achieve their dreams.
Sincerely,
Colin McCracken
Principal