How Do You Connect in Your Culture?

We are so excited to welcome our school community to Family Cultural Night on Thursday, April 17. Our school community is very rich and diverse! We hope that many of our families join us to share and learn about others. Details can be found here: Link

You may be wondering: What is culture? Does my family have culture?

A simple definition is: a pattern of behavior shared by a society, or group of people. Our culture is shaped by where we live and who we interact with. All societies have ways of dealing with relatives, telling good from bad, making art, playing games, choosing leaders, and raising children. (from www.kids.brittanica.com)

Mme Lina and Mrs. Schmitt would like to teach you about our cultures and we hope to learn more about your culture at Family Cultural Night!

Multicultural or Blended Cultural Identity?! By Mme Lina

I was born in Bulgaria, which is a small country located in Eastern Europe. At that time (communism era) travelling abroad and learning languages was not easily accessible or financially feasible for my parents. So, we all had a strong Bulgarian identity. Celebrated our beautiful country, our traditions and history. I was a proud Bulgarian!

Democracy arrived with a big BANG! And overnight everything changed! I was accepted in a late English Immersion Program, which opened my eyes to the beauty of languages and cultures. By the time I graduated high school I was fluent in English, proficient in Russian and comfortably communicating in Spanish.

Immigration to Canada is a stressful process and I selfishly chose a city that would feel comfortable, reminding me of my European heritage. Bonjour Montréal! I was surrounded and experienced for the first time the face of multiculturalism. A delightful mixture of diversity blended with the Québec culture. Not to mention the perfect place to learn French.

According to official statistics, Calgary continues to be the number one choice for secondary immigration in Canada and attracts the largest interprovincial migrants since 2001. The University of Calgary accepted my application, and I completed two degrees in Education- Bachelor and Masters. And had officially claimed a blended identity because I can function in more than one culture due to my heritage and life experiences.

Today, I see the faces of our students who a growing example of blended identities. Some of our students are either first- or second-generation immigrants. Others have purposefully chosen to learn French in our Immersion program. Many students speak multiple heritage languages, flawlessly transition between home and school cultures and successfully navigate the world of diverse languages and cultures.

Born in Canada By Mrs. Schmitt

I was born in Calgary. I am a 5th generation settler. My mom was born in Edmonton and my dad was born in Calgary. Grandparents on both of my parents' sides were born and raised on farms in the prairies of Saskatchewan and Alberta. My heritage is Ukrainian, Norwegian, English and Swedish. I have lived in Calgary for most of my life and also spent a year teaching in Japan.

My culture is influenced by living in Calgary, near many amazing natural areas. Wide open spaces and spending time in nature are important for me. My extended family connects by camping together, sharing special meals (roast turkey and pie), playing games together (cribbage, Uno, golf) and showing up for family members' events and achievements (sporting events, celebrations). We are proud supporters of Canadian teams and love to hear about the contributions that Canadians make in the world.

I am proud to be a Canadian and value diversity and equality. I believe that it is important to help others and contribute to society. Working in public education and finding ways to give back to the community are ways that I can help make our community better. One of my heroes is Terry Fox because he has positively influenced the lives of so many people in Canada and the world!

I love our school culture at Janet Johnstone and am honoured to work with such caring people who work hard to help students feel like they belong. We have a large team of dedicated volunteers who support us daily. Learning from each other and working together are important at JJ. All members of our school community have important things to share and are valued!