Calgary Conference Programming

Our CALGARY Schedule of Events and Presenters - Room allocations are now posted below. IMPORTANT - MINISTER OF EDUCATION ADDRESS AT 12 NOON.

Room and Program Changes as of October 23rd:

Session A20 - Alberta Child Services for Educators CANCELLED
Session B 3 - Teaching Virtue Through Stories CANCELLED
Session B19 and B20 Combined - PLC for Superintendents and Board Members ROOM 115
Session A7 - From Complexity to Capacity MOVED TO ROOM 406 (from 524)
Session B8 - Conceptual Understanding in HS Programming MOVED TO ROOM 406 (from 524)

Host Rooms - Full Day:

Presenters are welcome to use the PRESENTERS' ORGANIZATION AREA THROUGHOUT THE DAY - ROOM 118
Superintendents and Board Members are welcome to use the ADMIN HOST AREA THROUGHOUT THE DAY - ROOM 115

Charter Conference Agenda_Calgary (1).pdf

REGISTRATION - 8:00 am

WELCOME - 8:30 am

OPENING KEYNOTE ADDRESS - 9:00 am

Opening Keynote

LORIANN STIENWAND - Superintendent of Vahalla Charter School

The Superpower Within: Addressing Complexity in the Classroom

Biography

Loriann Stienwand is an accomplished systemic leader, educational consultant, and the Superintendent of Valhalla Community School. With nearly three decades of diverse experience across the Alberta educational landscape, Loriann has impacted student achievement, equity, and well-being at all levels of the system—serving as a classroom teacher, learning coach, school administrator, Director of Inclusive Learning, and a Mental Health in Schools Specialist with Alberta Education.

Loriann holds a Master of Education in Educational Leadership from Gonzaga University, along with degrees in both Education and Psychology from the University of Saskatchewan. Throughout her distinguished career, she has specialized in a systems-wide approach to inclusive learning, famously leading the development of foundational provincial frameworks for school authorities and advancing the strategic deployment of the Continuum of Supports. Loriann remains deeply passionate about bridging the gap between province-level policy and everyday classroom reality, empowering school leaders and collaborative teams to enrich their capacity through the holistic practice of Being, Knowing, and Doing.

Closing Keynote

ADRIANA KLASSEN - Superintendent of Westmount Charter School

Supporting Complexity from the Inside Out: How K-12 Superhero Facilitators Help Students Thrive

Biography

Dr. Adriana Klassen is the Superintendent of Westmount Charter School in Calgary, Alberta, bringing 20 years of rich experience in K–12 education, inclusive leadership, and gifted pedagogy. Over her distinguished career, she has served as a humanities teacher, an Assistant Principal (K–9), a Vice Principal (K–12), and an elementary campus Principal, giving her a deep, first-hand understanding of the diverse operational and instructional needs across all grade levels.

Adriana holds a Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership from Western University, where her research focused collective teacher efficacy to support staff well-being through a servant leadership model. She also holds a Master of Arts in Gifted Education and a Bachelor of Education from the University of Calgary, alongside a Bachelor of Arts in Social and Cultural Anthropology. A passionate advocate for collaborative school cultures, Adriana’s leadership has been recognized with the Alberta Distinguished Leadership Award. She remains deeply dedicated to empowering school authorities with research-based, practical toolkits that support educators and allow every student to thrive.

TRANSITION/WELLNESS BREAK - 10:00 am

BREAKOUT SESSION A - 10:15 am (75 minutes)

Note that the boxes collapse for session descriptions. THESE WILL BE TAGGED WITH THE CODES FROM ABOVE AND WILL BE USED ON THE APLC REGISTRATION SITE - eg. A1 Cultures of Belonging.

APLC

A1 - Cultures of Belonging: Nurturing Indigenous Ways of Knowing and Doing in Our Schools

Presenter: Barbra Deskin

Authentic reconciliation in education begins by creating spaces where First Nations, Métis, and Inuit perspectives are visibly valued and structurally woven into the fabric of the school community. In this 75-minute session, we will dive into The Consortium’s premier digital resources, Empowering the Spirit and Indigenous Culture-Based Learning in Alberta Curriculum.

We will examine how shifting our pedagogy to embrace holistic learning, kinship roles, and connection to the natural world fosters a deep sense of belonging for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous learners. Educators will discover step-by-step framework documents, multimedia stories, and community-engagement tools that support school leaders and teachers in building inclusive, culturally responsive environments.

Untethered Technologies

A2 - A workshop with AR and VR are demostrated with authentic Ingeneous Programs and Resources

A Workshop of Discovery - How can Alberta charter schools leverage cutting-edge technology to deepen student connection to Indigenous Studies? Join Jessica Hawryluk, Managing Director of Untethered Technologies Ltd.—a Calgary-based, Indigenous-owned technology company—to explore the intersection of digital innovation and cultural storytelling. Under Jessica’s leadership, her team specializes in software development, mixed reality, and marketing applications designed to promote and revitalize First Nations wisdom and culture. Notably, their community advocacy includes a collaboration with the Urban Society of Aboriginal Youth (USAY) to develop the IndigiTrails app, an interactive platform helping Indigenous youth engage with and showcase their history.

This session offers a holistic look at how your school can implement immersive tech across three main pillars:

In VR (Virtual Reality): Delivering tailored, immersive VR experiences through 360° technology to showcase interactive, culturally significant digital spaces.

In AR (Augmented Reality): Integrating groundbreaking AR into real environments, blending carefully crafted digital content into real spaces to shift how students comprehend and interact with the world around them.

In Support: Collaborating directly with your school to understand your primary goals for Indigenous Studies. Learn how to navigate technical tools, funding opportunities, marketing, and project planning resources to build a fantastic, accessible learning experience.

Carlos Gamboa (Calgary Classical Academy)

A3 - Friend or Foe of Education - AI?

Historically, technology has been essential in education. The role of technology has been that of a tool. However, the ubiquitous presence of a more sophisticated and invasive technology in the 21st century, specifically AI raises many questions and poses new challenges to education. Unlike other technologies, AI has the ability to alter human consciousness and the human experience. Currently, there is a wide range of opinions about the role of AI in education among teachers and administrators. There seems to be no general consensus about whether educators should or should not use AI in their practice. Consequently, the use of AI among teachers varies significantly. This presentation will explore the origin and telos (purpose) of both education and AI. Understanding their telos will shed some necessary light about the compatibility of AI and pedagogy. Having a dilated understanding of AI will assist teachers and administrators develop a confident attitude towards AI, one that is hopefully consistent with human nature.

Brett Toner (Connect Charter School)

A4 - Custom Apps for Every Classroom - Creating Your Own Digital Games and Management Tools

This is a hands-on workshop with no technical skills or coding required. We will use tools such as Canva and Google Gemini to build custom, functional apps you can use in your classroom right away. By the end of the session, you will be able to create custom interactive seating charts, classroom games, and unique utilities tailored specifically to your classroom community.ands-on workshop is designed to transform everyday educators into tech superheroes—absolutely no coding or advanced technical skills required. We will learn to wield user-friendly "power rings" like Canva and Google Gemini to rapidly build custom, functional apps you can deploy in your classroom right away.

By the end of this training session, you will possess the ability to create custom interactive seating charts, design engaging classroom games, and conjure unique utilities tailored specifically to your classroom community's needs. Join us and discover how to unlock the superpowers of modern ed-tech to boost engagement and streamline your workflow.

Wanda Dechant (APLC)

A5 - Language of Supports for the Complex K-9 Classroom

Preenter: Wanda Dechant

Mathematics is often described as a universal language, yet many students struggle to communicate and demonstrate their mathematical thinking. In today’s complex classrooms, teachers are supporting English as an Additional Language (EAL) learners, students with varied learning profiles, and a wide range of mathematical experiences—all while navigating the language demands of mathematics.

This practical K–9 session explores how intentional language supports can serve as powerful Tier 1 strategies for all learners. Participants will explore high-impact approaches such as Visual Scaffolds, Structured Mathematical Discourse, and Comprehension Checks that help students make sense of mathematical ideas, explain their reasoning, and participate more confidently in learning.

Aligned with the Alberta curriculum, this session provides practical, classroom-ready strategies, adaptable resources, and free tools that can be implemented immediately to make mathematical thinking more visible and accessible.

Jenna Gallow and Bree Crone (Fledge Health Inc.) APLC

A6 - Every Learner Belongs: Inclusive Strategies for Neurodivergent and Diverse Students

In today’s classrooms, educators are supporting an increasingly diverse range of learners—including students with ADHD, autism, sensory sensitivities, anxiety, and other neurodivergences. This hands-on, practical workshop equips charter school educators with evidence-informed strategies to build genuinely inclusive learning environments where every student can participate, feel safe, and thrive.Drawing on Fledge’s work in schools across Alberta and the latest research in neurodevelopment and social-emotional learning, participants will leave with ready-to-implement tools for designing flexible routines, sensory-friendly spaces, and engagement strategies that honor the full spectrum of learners in their classrooms.

Adelee Penner (APLC)

A7 - From Complexity to Capacity: Supporting Diverse Learner Needs in Alberta Classrooms

Today's classrooms are more complex and diverse than ever before. Join systems thinker and educational consultant Adelee Penner to design for inclusion. Drawing from her deep background in system leadership, trauma-informed practices, and mental health literacy, Adelee will challenge conventional assumptions about classroom management.

Andrew Siebert (Calgary Classical Academy)

A8 - Reclaiming the Habit of Attention - The Science of Training Student Focus

The Ancient Art of Narration in a Digital Age -

Attention is the foundational superpower of all learning, yet in today's digital landscape, it is under constant attack. While educators expertly deploy proven cognitive strategies—effortful encoding, semantic meaning, and spaced retrieval—the relentless barrage of social media and the internet acts as a modern "kryptonite." This digital noise fractures our students' focus, diluting the effectiveness of even the best memory-building tools. How do we help students rebuild their cognitive endurance and reclaim their habit of attention?

What if the antidote to our modern crisis is a simple, highly effective pedagogy that has been successfully utilized since ancient Rome?

In this session, we will explore the transformative power of oral and written narration. Rather than dissecting texts into fragmented worksheets or isolated trivia, narration requires students to focus deeply and "tell back" the whole story. We will examine the latest brain science behind why this works, guided by the groundbreaking insights of neuroscientist and psychiatrist Iain McGilchrist.

By shifting our instructional focus to "the whole" and activating the right hemisphere of the brain, we can actively repair fractured attention spans and foster profound comprehension.

Attendees will leave with a clear, practical understanding of how to implement narration in any classroom environment. Join us to discover how this ancient tool not only confirms the latest in memory science but equips students with the focus they need to truly appreciate the beauty, context, and meaning of the written word across every discipline.

Nicole Dalwood and Ryan Hayden (STEM Innovation Academy)

A9 - Surviving and Thriving in your Early Teaching Years

In this interactive session, you will have the opportunity to reflect on your current classroom management strategies—including routines, procedures, and discipline—and collaborate on best practices with your peers. Together, we will examine how intentional, structured environments lay the groundwork for effective teaching.

We will also explore the ICAP framework (Interactive, Constructive, Active, Passive) to analyze student engagement. You will learn how to shift your lessons away from passive compliance and toward deeper learning by making small, high-impact changes to your daily instructional habits.

Ornmadee Baxter-Lovo and Cassandra Godau (Calgary Girls' Charter School)

A10 - Spontaneous Interdisciplinary Quests - How to Listen and Use Student Interests

We would like to present on some of the ways we have thoughtfully (and spontaneously) created interdisciplinary studies within our grade team through thoughtfully incorporating student interest, feedback and a flexible year plan. We know that collaboration between disciplines can often look like one subject taking the hit on higher level thinking or students getting lost in the overall purpose of the study. Through carefully examining our students interests through observation and direct feedback, we were able to cater our studies to the people in the room, even if it looked different class-to-class. As a result, students all accomplished the same curricular areas while diving deeply into content matter in a way that peaked their interest. Attendees can expect to hear how we combined the study of the novel Animal Farm with Chemistry, Dimensions of Thinking with Scientific Research, Economics and Environmental Issues and many more "side-quests".

Krystina Kerr (Almadina Language Charter School)

A11 - Simple Strategies, Strong Connections: Building the Engaged Classroom

Student engagement doesn't come from flashy technology or elaborate lesson places, but with strong authentic relationships that create trust, vulnerability, and help students focus on learning rather than simply being "right." This session explores practical, low-prep strategies that can be implemented immediately to build classroom culture, increase student buy-in, and create meaningful learning experiences. Through intentional relationship building and incorporation of movement, atmosphere and creativity, participants will discover how simple systems and strategies can transform student engagement and foster a positive learning environment. Attendees will leave with a collection of engaging, adaptable activities for Grades 4-12 that promote critical thinking, collaboration, and hands-on learning. **Note that these activities can be adapted for a Math or Science classroom and have been at our school; however, my examples will be from an ELA classroom.

Cheryl Babin (APLC)

A12 - Fostering Competency Development in Diverse Classrooms

How do we ensure all students—regardless of their starting point—can meaningfully develop and demonstrate core competencies? Join educational consultant Cheryl Babin to explore practical, inclusive instructional frameworks that bring Alberta's competencies to life in diverse classrooms.

Arvin Tonolete (Calgary Classical Academy)

A13 - Harnessing the Power of Stories and Memories

Through an approach that uses a child's natural aptitude for remembering and each person's propensity to listen to stories, this pedagogical approach, taken from classical education, helps a student develop critical thinking and collaboration skills. In classical education, students listen to or read rich narrative texts and are asked to retell stories from these texts orally. The retelling is done by individual students within a classroom setting with other students adding on or clarifying, which provides an opportunity to build community and shared knowledge. Session participants themselves will be guided through this approach to teaching social studies and will hear the results from the presenter's classroom research, which tests and compares this approach with another. Participants will gain an understanding of the power of retelling and how to develop their students' memory while building community in the classroom.

Marylou Gammans (APLC)

A14 - Visible Thinking Routines: Simple Practices that Promote Reflection, Dialogue, and Agency

How can we help students think more deeply, consider different perspectives, and develop creative solutions? This session will introduce practical, easy-to-use routines that make thinking visible and encourage students to take an active role in their learning. Inspired by Harvard's Visible Thinking framework, these simple strategies can be integrated into any subject area. There is no need to change everything—choose a few routines and use them consistently throughout the year. The result?

- Richer discussions

- Engaged and curious students

- Meaningful learning that endures

Participants will experience several routines first hand and leave with practical ideas they can implement immediately in their classrooms. Discover how these simple approaches can transform your classroom into a vibrant space for authentic dialogue, reflection, and deeper thinking.

Mark Turner (Fusion Collegiate Academy)

A15 - Student Engagement Through Pathway Programming

Every learner eventually has to choose their specialty—will they fly, heal, build, or lead? For high school students, discovering that unique "superpower" requires more than just sitting in a traditional classroom. It requires hands-on, specialized training grounds that ignite their passion and connect their daily learning to real-world missions.

Join Mark Turner and the Fusion Collegiate Team for an immersive, interactive showcase that takes you directly into the heart of their advanced training facilities. In this session, you will step out of the traditional conference room and explore Fusion Collegiate’s cutting-edge Pathway spaces, each designed to cultivate specific, career-ready abilities:

- Animal Health

- Aviation

- Business & Entrepreneurship

- Human Health

- Skilled Trades

This is not a sit-and-listen presentation—it is a tactical tour. Participants will have the opportunity to explore these specialized learning environments, and engage in the student-centered tasks that make these programs so successful.

Attendees will leave with a powerful map for how to dramatically boost student engagement by providing clear, tangible career pathways. Join us to experience how giving students the right tools and a real-world mission equips them to take charge of their futures and become the heroes of their own educational journey, one that could embrace collegiate credits.

Ken Hoffman (STEM Innovation Academy)

A16 - Improving Science Learning Through Debate

This presentation examines how structured debate can deepen student learning, increase engagement, and strengthen systems thinking in junior high science classrooms. Drawing from STEM Innovation Academy’s Genetic Technologies and Energy Policy Debates, the session demonstrates how teachers can use authentic, real-world problems to transform Science 9 instruction into an active, evidence-driven learning experience.

Focusing on Science 9 Unit A: Biological Diversity, the presentation explores how students investigated contemporary genetic technologies and their scientific, ethical, environmental, and societal implications. Through structured debate resolutions connected to emerging issues in genetics and biotechnology, students evaluated evidence, analyzed competing perspectives, and defended scientifically grounded positions.

The session will showcase how debate backgrounders, guided research, expert participation, and public-facing discussion moved students toward authentic scientific discourse. Focus will be given to student motivation, interdisciplinary thinking, scientific literacy, and the role of authentic assessment in meaningful STEM education.

No prior debate experience is required. Participants will receive classroom-ready resources, backgrounders, implementation strategies, and opportunities for follow-up support and collaboration.

Participants will leave with practical tools for incorporating debate, systems thinking, and evidence-based argumentation into science classrooms while maintaining curricular alignment and academic rigour.

Hallie Caplan (STEM Innovation Academy)

A17 - Real World Problem Solving for High School Students

Teachers all know that students need to take ownership over their learning, they need to be engaged in the process of learning, they need to see themselves in the curriculum. In addition, teachers must follow curriculum and have limited time. In our everchanging world can teachers marry the two so that students have real-world exposure to problems while finding agency to solve them? In this session we’ll discuss strategies that go beyond current events to bring the world and its messy problems into the classroom. We will consider ways students engage when they are actively wrestling with meaningful, real-world ideas in visible, social, intellectually demanding ways. And, we’ll have lots of time to discuss and apply these ideas to our own classrooms.

PALIX Foundation

A18 - The Brain Story Certification Workshop - This is the first of two sessions.

PART 1

Session Duration: 150 minutes (Sessions 1 and 2)

Every student brings a unique, invisible architecture into your classroom—their brain. Understanding how that architecture was built is one of the most powerful tools an educator can possess.

This session is the first of a two-part collaborative workshop designed to help educators secure their official Brain Story Certification, an internationally recognized credential developed by the Alberta Family Wellness Initiative (AFWI) and the Palix Foundation.

What is The Brain Story?

The Brain Story synthesizes decades of cutting-edge research from over 30 leading neurobiology and mental health experts into an accessible, powerful narrative. It reveals that lifelong health and learning are determined by more than just our genetics. The experiences we have during sensitive periods of early development physically shape our brain architecture—for better or for worse.

In this session, we will begin our journey through the certification content, exploring the foundational concepts of the Brain Story:

Brain Architecture: How early life experiences physically wire the brain's foundation.
Serve and Return: The crucial back-and-forth social interactions that build strong neural pathways.
Executive Functions: The cognitive skills required to regulate flow of information, focus, and follow rules.
Toxic Stress & ACEs: How adverse childhood experiences disrupt brain development and increase the risk for lifelong physical and mental health challenges, including addiction.
The Resilience Scale: How we can buffer the effects of toxic stress and build coping skills to tip the scales toward positive health outcomes.

Join us to uncover the biological "why" behind student behavior and learn how to use this science to foster trauma-informed, resilient, and thriving classroom communities.

Alberta Education - Connie Ohl and John Bailey

A19 - How does Alberta Education work with Charters for Evaluations and Renewals?

Presenters: Connie Ohl and John Bailey

This session will guide participants through the charter evaluation process, including the steps leading to the submission of a Charter Renewal request to the Minister. It will also provide an overview of what to expect in advance of onsite meetings and preparation for the final report. The process is intended to support ongoing improvement for charter school operators, consistent with ministry assurance requirements and the priorities established by the charter school community. The final report serves both as evidence of compliance with provincial requirements and as a summary of the operator’s successes over the charter term.

Alberta Child Services

A20 - How do the Administrators work with Child Services in Alberta

Cancelled and to be Rescheduled

School administrators are often the first line of defense in identifying vulnerable students, yet navigating the intersection between education and Child Services can sometimes feel complex and siloed. This targeted session is designed specifically for school leaders, principals, and central office administrators looking to build clear, proactive, and collaborative pathways with Calgary Children's Services.

Rather than viewing the system solely through a lens of crisis intervention, this workshop unpacks how to position Child Services as an essential community partner in early intervention and holistic student care. Attendees will gain deep insight into the regional frameworks governing child welfare in Alberta, legal responsibilities under the Child, Youth and Family Enhancement Act, and standard protocols for communication.

LUNCH BREAK - 11:30 am - 12:00 pm

This will be the SUNTERRA bag lunch with an opportunity to visit Vendor Tables and Showcase Booths for Associations, Universities, and Charter Schools.

MINISTER'S ADDRESS - 12:00 pm - 12:30 pm

BREAKOUT SESSION B - 12:45 pm (75 minutes)

Note that the boxes collapse for session descriptions. THESE WILL BE TAGGED WITH THE CODES FROM ABOVE AND WILL BE USED ON THE APLC REGISTRATION SITE - eg. B1 Learning Through Play.

Jenna Galloway and Bree Crone APLC

B1 - Learning Through Play: Using Movement, Mindfulness & Playful Practice to Build Wellbeing in Classrooms

Presenters: Jenna Galloway and Bree Crone (Fledge Health Inc.)

Play is not a break from learning—it is learning. This interactive, experiential session explores how intentional play, movement, and mindfulness practices can be woven into the school day to support emotional regulation, focus, and mental wellbeing in students. Rooted in Fledge’s evidence-informed approach and Jenna Galloway’s decade of experience delivering nature-based and play-forward programming for children, this session gives charter school educators a fresh lens on what’s possible when we let children move, explore, and connect. Participants will experience and practice a toolkit of playful classroom strategies that are immediately usable—no special equipment or training required.

Marylou Gammans APLC

B2 - Oral Communication at the Heart of Learning

Presenter: Marylou Gammans

Oral language is the foundation of literacy, learning, and academic success. Through speaking and listening, students develop their thinking, make meaning, and connect with others. While oral language is recognized as a key organizing principle in Alberta’s language programs, many of the other organizing ideas within the ELAL curriculum also depend on students’ ability to communicate effectively and are often addressed less explicitly.

In this interactive session, participants will actively experience practical tools, strategies, and games designed to strengthen oral language skills and build student confidence. Through movement, discussion, and collaboration, they will engage in the same routines and activities they can immediately bring back to their classrooms. Leave with ready-to-use ideas that encourage meaningful discussion, support clear communication, and help students actively engage in their learning.

Craig Farlane (Calgary Classical Academy)

B 3 - Teaching Virtue Through Stories

CANCELLED SESSION

The Presenter must regretfully cancel this session.

How do we move virtue education beyond a list of rules and into the hearts of our students? This session explores why traditional narratives—fairy tales, folk tales, fables, and myths—serve as the premier vehicles for moral imagination and character development. We will examine the unique pedagogical strengths of each genre and discuss why the elementary years, particularly with my own fourth grade cohort, represent the ideal developmental window for this narrative approach.

Participants will discover how stories provide a safe, imaginative "buffer zone" where abstract virtues like fortitude, humility, and justice take on vivid flesh and blood. Finally, moving from theory to practice, the presenter will share concrete, classroom-tested case studies and lesson frameworks using specific stories that successfully ignited deep moral reflection and virtue cultivation in a Grade 4 classroom. Attendees will leave with actionable strategies to immediately enrich their own literature and character education programs.

Jonathan Bolton (Calgary Classical Academy)

B4 -Integration in History Studies - Key Dates, Dramatic Stories, and Philosophical Themes for Early Elementary

History is a demanding science and an art. Yet today, its core methods—chronology, cause and effect, and dramatic storytelling—have been largely eroded, its very name replaced by "Social Studies."

Even within classical education, a false dichotomy exists: telling great stories to younger students, then later burdening teenagers with dates in hopes of anchoring those early memories. This separation is unnecessary. If a child can understand basic numbers and classroom rules, they can easily grasp key dates and national laws.

Key dates are the indispensable threads stitching the fabric of history together. Without a clear chronological progression, we cannot truly understand cause and effect or make objective moral judgments.

In this session, attendees will learn how to bridge this gap, teaching history as a succinct, memorable story rich in both intellectual rigor and literary flourish.

Jackie Taylor - APLC

B5 - Bringing Financial Literacy to Life

Presenter: Jackie Taylor

How do we prepare students for the complex, real-world financial choices awaiting them? This interactive session supports educators in deeply understanding and incorporating financial literacy outcomes from the CEFL curriculum. Participants will explore how to equip students with the money management skills and career exploration tools essential for their future security.

Leveraging the core pillars of cross-curricular learning (Content, Cognition, Communication, and Connections), teachers will be guided through practical, problem-solving activities that weave authentic concepts from multiple subjects into a cohesive learning experiences, fostering deep thinking and transferable skills.

Kelsey Keilback and Melissa Davies (STEM Innovation Academy)

B6 - Quick Checks, Big Impact - Using Formative Assessment to Support Junior High Learners

In this session, we will discuss how formative assessment can transform everyday teaching and strengthen student learning. This session explores practical, engaging strategies that help teachers check for understanding, provide meaningful feedback, and adjust instruction in real time. Participants will learn how small, intentional assessment practices can boost student engagement, confidence, and achievement. Participants will leave with effective tools they can immediately implement to make learning more visible and responsive within their context. Whether you are new to formative assessment or looking to refresh your practice, this session offers strategies to support growth for every learner.

Rachel Phillips (Calgary Girls' Charter School)

B7 - Grade 8 Town Project - A Cross-Curricular Inquiry Study for Students

The Grade 8 Town Project is a giant student-directed “game of life” where students learn what adulthood can really look like. Students apply for jobs, create budgets, plan meals, support families, and make choices about needs versus wants; all while trying to figure out what it actually means to live a good life.

This cross curricular project connects learning across many subjects. In math, students use number sense, integers, graphing, and budgeting skills in real-life situations. Humanities focuses on communication, reflection, and expressing ideas through writing and discussion. Through the CGCS Go Girls Program, students explore feminism, leadership, social equity, and financial literacy. Students also examine Alberta Indigenous perspectives and Calls to Action while discussing the role of government, fairness, and community responsibility.

More than anything, the Town Project encourages students to think beyond just “making money” and start considering what happiness, balance, and long-term success really mean. They also learn that 'adulting' is harder than it looks.

Cheryl Babin -APLC

B8 - Conceptual Understanding Inside High School Programming

Presenter: Cheryl Babin (APLC)

How do we move beyond covering content to ensure that high school learners develop deep, transferable understanding?

In this interactive session, educators will explore the power of conceptual teaching and learning as a way to create greater depth, coherence, and meaning within the high school curriculum. Together we will examine practical strategies such as concept attainment, identifying the essential relationships between concepts, and intentionally designing learning experiences that help students build, connect, and apply conceptual understanding.

Within your subject, we will identify the concepts that matter most and consider how they can become organizing structures for deeper learning rather than simply another layer of curriculum to cover. We will explore how strong conceptual understanding supports learners in recognizing patterns, making connections, explaining ideas, and transferring their understanding to new and unfamiliar contexts. This session is applicable across all subject areas. Bring your content knowledge, and walk away with practical strategies, planning tools, and ideas that can be applied immediately.

Ryan Scruggs (Calgary Classical Academy)

B9 - A Critical Analysis of "Critical Thinking" - Introducing Lonergan

“Critical thinking” is a core competency within contemporary educational discourse. The government of Alberta, for example, claims that “critical thinking enables students to understand complex problems, develop creative solutions, gather and assess information objectively, and make reasoned decisions.” These are admirable goals, yet the means by which students attain them are often insufficiently understood. This presentation will first seek to examine “critical thinking” as it is articulated in curricular statements and learning outcomes to identify implicit assumptions about knowledge, reasoning, and intellectual formation. Following this descriptive analysis, the presentation will propose Bernard Lonergan’s four transcendental precepts—Be attentive; Be intelligent; Be reasonable; Be responsible—as an epistemic and pedagogical improvement, one that enables students to understand their own thinking and thereby cultivate authentic intellectual development.

Jeff Warner and Dean Kokonas

B10 - Structure Before Independence: Homework Accountability and Student Achievement

High school students are not consistently completing homework and review materials

Initial Assumption: Monitoring homework undermines responsibility.

Emerging Observation: For many students, monitoring homework actually supported responsibility by creating consistency, accountability, and communication.

Jeff Warner and Dean Kokonas, two experienced math teachers, share and contrast the systems they have developed for monitoring homework completion and their differing perspectives on the benefits and drawbacks.

APLC

B11 - Building Thinking Classroom - An Introduction for Grades 6 - 12

Presenter: Wendy Dechant

Curious about Building Thinking Classrooms but not sure where to start? This interactive 75-minute session introduces the research and practices of Peter Liljedahl and explores how Building Thinking Classrooms is a framework that can be used across subject areas to increase student thinking, engagement, collaboration, and problem solving.

Using a numeracy lens, participants will experience rich thinking tasks, explore several key practices, and discuss practical ways to begin implementation. While most examples will come from mathematics, we will also explore a Social Studies example and consider connections to other subject areas.

Whether you are new to Building Thinking Classrooms or just beginning your implementation journey, you will leave with practical ideas and next steps for your classroom.

Mark Turner (Fusion Collegiate Academy)

B12 - The Ready Framework and A Student Interest Survey Tool

Join Mark Turner and the Fusion Collegiate Team to discover how to guide students through this vital evolution using their proven READY Framework. Drawing on their extensive collegiate expertise, the Fusion team will demonstrate how career development is not a single, isolated event, but an ongoing, dynamic journey of self-discovery.

In this session, we will unpack the strategic architecture of the READY Framework, exploring how it serves as a "navigational compass" for students. You will learn how this approach actively supports learners as they uncover their innate interests and explore real-world industry opportunities, and set a meaningful, actionable direction for their lives after graduation.

Attendees will leave with a clear, tactical understanding of how to foster intentional career exploration in their own educational spaces. Join us to learn how to equip your students with the guidance they need to be completely "READY" to launch into their future missions with confidence.

Kathryn Roszell (STEM Innovation Academy)

B13 "Hope is the thing with feathers" - On bringing back the songbird into the ELA classroom

This session will be centered around the main question of: how do we move students forward academically while honouring the well-being of each individual student?

When students are regulated and safe (aka when they are operating from the "human brain" rather than the "reptilian brain") authentic learning becomes possible. Drawing on neuroscience research from Dr. Kimberley Smaniotto - Holmes, while combining it with FNMI ways of knowing and the holistic framework of the Medicine Wheel, this session will explore how ELA classrooms (and teachers) are uniquely positioned to support the whole person in every student.

Within this session, we will explore how student-driven units such as the "Book Club" unit (built on choice, buy-in, and genuine engagement) functions as a stronger alternative to traditional novel studies.

My hope is to leave teachers with practical, realistic, and engaging tools and teaching practices to foster authentic learning communities in their own classrooms.

John Cadman and Ivy Waite (Connect Charter School)

B14 - Your Teacher Wants to Take you Outside!

How do we "Do" Outdoor Education within our urban settings? This mixed team of educators has been using the City of Calgary as a back drop for outdoor adventure with students from Grade 4-9 for a decade. These adventures range from single day, to multi-day, and are a perfect avenue to approach themes including:

- Citizenship

- Life Skills

- Volunteering

- Sense of Place

- Outdoor Skills

- Team Building

- Relationships

- Perseverance

Come and join us for conversation, play, and to plan your next adventure!

Kayla Anstey (STEM Innovation Academy)

B15 - Off the Map - Teaching in Uncharted Terriory

As educators, we are constantly pivoting. We adapt to face new challenges and lead our students through to the other side. This session will explore how to remain steady through the unexpected and to navigate the unknown with greater ease. Throughout the presentation, there will be opportunities for reflection and discussion so that everyone can leave with something actionable. The content will likely not change your life, but hopefully it will change your Monday!

Casey Guy (Calgary Classical Academy)

B16 - "Not for the Faint of Heart" - A Stoic's Path to Optimal Work

The presentation explores a transformative idea: embracing challenge is the ultimate pathway to unlocking extraordinary strength in teaching and learning.

We will examine the Optimal Work platform—a modern tool for building mindfulness and emotional awareness—through the lens of Stoic philosophers like Seneca, Epictetus, and Marcus Aurelius. Just as a hero forges superhuman strength by pushing against heavy resistance, Optimal Work teaches educators and students how to reframe everyday obstacles into the very fuel that builds their resilience and academic success.

Stoicism is woven in because it anchors these practices in the deep wisdom of our classical roots, while tapping into a philosophy that is powerfully resonating in modern culture.

PALIX Foundation

B17 - The Brain Story Certification Workshop - This is the second of two sessions.

PART 2

Session Duration: 150 minutes (Sessions 1 and 2)

Every student brings a unique, invisible architecture into your classroom—their brain. Understanding how that architecture was built is one of the most powerful tools an educator can possess.

What is The Brain Story?

In this session, we will continue our journey through the certification content, exploring the foundational concepts of the Brain Story:

Brain Architecture
Serve and Return
Executive Function
Toxic Stress & ACEs
The Resilience Scale: How we can buffer the effects of toxic stress and build coping skills to tip the scales toward positive health outcomes.

Continue to uncover the biological "why" behind student behavior and learn how to use this science to foster trauma-informed, resilient, and thriving classroom communities.

(Note: Part 2 will build upon this foundation to complete our understandings and apply the learnings to our classrooms).

University of Calgary - Werklund School of Education

B18 - Research and Graduate Studies

In this session, we invite you to explore education at the University of Calgary. Consistently ranked among the top education faculties in Canada, the U of C offers an elite training ground for educators seeking to elevate their impact. Certificates to flexible Master’s (MEd) and Doctoral (EdD, PhD) programs across disciplines like Educational Psychology, Policy Studies, and School Leadership.

We will also explore the groundbreaking, real-world research currently driving the Faculty. You will get a glimpse into how U of C researchers are actively forging the future of education with the following examples -

Navigating the GenAI Era: Pioneering research on "postplagiarism" and how educators can ethically embrace Artificial Intelligence as a collaborative tool rather than a threat.
Math Minds: Innovative, research-backed strategies that are transforming how elementary students and teachers understand mathematics, turning math anxiety into undeniable confidence.
Masculinities Studies in Education: Critical investigations into gender identity, mental health, and how to disrupt toxic masculinity to foster truly inclusive learning environments.

Charter Authorities

B19 - On Networking with Charter Leadership

TO BE COMBINED WITH B20

LEAD TBD

DRAFT

Running a charter school requires a unique set of administrative superpowers. From navigating specialized charter mandates and managing lean operational budgets to leading innovative pedagogical teams, charter school administrators face a distinct set of missions. No single leader should have to face these high-stakes challenges in isolation.

This interactive session is structured as a Community of Practice (CoP)—a collaborative where charter school leaders can gather and share strategies.

A Possible Session Agenda

Welcome & Introductions

Objective: Assemble the group and establish the core focus areas for the session.

Charter Mandate & Accountability

Objective: Share best practices for maintaining the integrity of unique charter missions while meeting Alberta Education’s Assurance Framework.

Shared Resources & Solutions

Objective: Address the unique administrative, logistical, and staffing pressures felt across the charter sector.

Action Steps & Future Alliances

Objective: Solidify takeaways and build a future network of support beyond the conference walls.

Charter Authorities

B20 - On Networking with Charter Board Members

TO BE COMBINED WITH B19

LEAD TBD

DRAFT

This collaborative session is designed as a structured Community of Practice (CoP)—a dedicated space where charter school board members can connect, exchange insights, and share strategies to strengthen overall board efficacy.

Community of Practice Focus Areas:

The Charter Mandate & Assurance: Sharing governance strategies to preserve the integrity of your school's unique mission while aligning with Alberta Education’s Assurance Framework.
Strategic Stewardship & Solutions: Discussing sector-wide board challenges, including capital planning, lean operations, and long-term sustainability.
Building Future Alliances: Formulating practical, collaborative pathways to strengthen professional networks and support systems across the Alberta charter school sector.

TRANSITION/WELLNESS BREAK - 2:00 pm

CLOSING KEYNOTE ADDRESS - 2:15 pm

CONFERENCE CLOSURE - 3:00 pm

Note that prizes from sponsors will be given to attendees.

PLEASE REMEMBER THAT PARKING IS AT A PREMIUM IN THIS AREA.

CALGARY CHARTER HUB

MAP FOR CONFERENCE LOCATION AND CALGARY HUB FACILITY MAP FOR SESSION DIRECTORY

BACKGROUND:

The Calgary Charter HUB at 3636 Research Road NW in Calgary’s University Innovation Quarter has a dynamic history. It originally operated as the multi-storey SMART Technologies building and was built in 2009.

The site has since been entirely repurposed:

Charter School Revolution (2023): As part of an investment by the Government of Alberta to increase educational choices, the province purchased the 3636 Research Road building in spring 2023 to establish Alberta's first Charter School Hub.
Phase-In & Opening (2023–2024): The building was extensively renovated to convert office space into multi-storey classrooms, science labs, and shared collaborative infrastructure. The Stem Innovation Academy took up primary residence to host their junior high and high school students.
Campus Expansion (2024–2026): In May 2024, Fusion Collegiate secured space in the building. The facility houses multiple charter schools operating under one roof, allowing for shared infrastructure such as gymnasiums and lab spaces.
The Calgary Hub is also the host venue for the Almadina Language Charter School.

The banner website image was AI generated on June 14, 2026 as a composite of at least three layered elements from a detailed prompt. This image is to be used for a not-for-profit educational event, a conference, set for October 23, 2026.

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