Innisbrook Fundraiser

As your Fundraising Coordinator, I wanted to thank all of you who participated in our Fall fundraiser with Innisbrook. We were looking to raise $5000 with approximately half of those proceeds going to the school... and guess what... we raised over $6000!!! Way to go Haultain!!! Your support means more activities, supplies and fun extras for our school this year!!!

Look for delivery of your product around the 3rd week of November.

Thanks again!

Our Outdoor Rink Needs You!

The Queensland Community Association is looking for volunteers to help with the outdoor rink next to the school. Last winter the rink was in top shape because of some talented and dedicated volunteers.

They are asking for some assistance this year. The time commitment is flexible, from October to March: 2-6 hours per week. The pros from last year will provide training on site so you don't need any previous experience.

So if you don't mind working outside, can stand a little cold and want the opportunity to help out the community in a very real way, contact Aaron at pangstar@gmail.com.

For more information follow this link.

Great Meeting

Susanne Allan and Shona Foster are officially bloggers as Co-Key Communicators on the Haultain Parent Executive School Council. Thanks to Nick and his expertise. We will be reporting as much information of interest to the parents of the children at Haultain Memorial as possible, and welcome any comments and questions you may have. Thank you, from us both, for the wonderful opportunity.

Don't Forget!

... it's time for our monthly Parent Council/Association meeting tomorrow night in the Haultain library at 6:30pm.

Shane is out of the country, and won't be back in time to chair - so as my newly minted position of Vice Chair dictates, I'll be filling in.

Feel free to attend, with your questions, comments, or concerns - our meetings are always held to a punctual time schedule, and don't run over time. It's great to see what the Council/Association does - how it's run, and how your student benefits from the decisions that are made.

Hope to see you tomorrow night!

Welcome Back Ms. Bazinet!

It appears the bulk of our Board will look the same... Click here and here for more on the election results for the board of trustees.

Haultain Casino Update

Hi Parents,

I just want to give a very short update on the upcoming Casino we are running in November.

We needed a total of 40 volunteers to run the cash cages, count rooms, and various other casino jobs. The response from parents have been amazing, and we already have a full schedule!

I still need a few people "on-call" to cover sickness or emergencies, but this is on track to be a very successful fundraiser for us.

Thanks Volunteers!


Steve Antonchuk
HMSPA Casino Chair
403-651-1755
santonchuk@westjet.com

Another article of interest

Articles posted on this blog are posted to encourage comments and feedback. Yours are greatly appreciated!

This article was from today's CBC website postings. Are you concerned about this perceived shift? What do you think about standardized testing, and the use of the results as educational benchmarks?

Too much TV psychologically harms kids: Study

Hiding the TV remote and games console controller is a good thing to do to kids if it's the only way to limit the time they spend in front of a screen, according to a study published Monday.

The study, published in the U.S. journal Pediatrics, found that kids who spend hours each day in front of the TV or games console have more psychological difficulties like problems relating to peers, emotional issues, hyperactivity or conduct challenges, than kids who don't.

Click here for the full story.

School trustees fear being replaced as Alberta looks at School Act

By Sean Myers, Calgary Herald

Repeated assurances by the province have failed to quell the fear that local school board trustees could be replaced by a superboard or appointed governors.

Alberta Education Minister Dave Hancock and Premier Ed Stelmach have both said the upcoming opening of the School Act will not involve doing away with elected boards.

Read the full article here.

An Article from Roxane

Want to know which school in the U.K. recently got boarded by a famous movie pirate? Click here to find out.

Thanks for the article, Roxane!

Question to Candidates from the Haultain Parents Blog

I have asked a question of each of the candidates in our ward. Instead of trying to edit their answers and asking permission for the changes, I've decided to post the responses verbatim for you to read. Please click more for the whole email string. We would appreciate your comments on this topic as well.

School Board Secrets!

Gerry Gibeault served on the Edmonton Public School Board for 15 years. From 1995 to 2010 he represented Ward 1 in Edmonton and has seen his share of experience in public education. Newly retired from the board, he writes a very interesting blog at schoolboardsecrets.blogspot.com. Set up to give tips and advice for would-be public school board members. Even if you don't aspire to be elected - it makes for interesting reading.

Lunchtime COULD be worse...

Read here to find out how one elementary school in Quebec deals with noisy lunchtimes!

WTD 2010

Happy World Teacher Day to all the hard working and dedicated staff at Haultain. October 5 is World Teacher Day and is meant to be a time of opportunity to pay homage to the dedication, enthusiasm, and care that is the hallmark of a good teacher. We are lucky to have such a staff at Haultain and I would like to use this forum to express my personal gratitude as well as that of the Parent Association. As part of WTD; volunteers from the PA hosted a coffee break bagel and fruit snack for the teachers in the staff room. A small but heart felt token of our appreciation.

Read Alberta Education minister Dave Hancock's message as well. Just as heart felt, I'm sure, but much more verbose.

October Newsletter

Click here to read this month's school newsletter, and find out who, when asked, "What is the best part of a new school year?" answered, "the smell of fresh wax emanating from the school hallway floors!"

Also, read to find out which Haultain teacher was nominated for an APPEGA teaching award, what to do with your children's gently used pants, and how to volunteer at the November casinos.

Civic Election Wards 12 and 14 Trustee Candidates

The candidates for our wards are Carol Anne Bazinet (inc.), Wendi Ann Moore, and Malik Avery. Click on their picture or name to get to their website and read their bios.










Carol Bazinet,








Wendi Moore









Malik Avery.

Civic Election

With the civic election approaching, it's important to be in the know. Who's running for what position? What are the issues? Where do you vote? When do you vote?

The Calgary Herald has a comprehensive election website to help you, and the City of Calgary's website is also a great source of information.

Voting dates are all noted on the calendar below - make sure you find out where you need to go to cast your ballot a few days beforehand.

Want some changes made? Make your vote count!

Does Class Size Really Matter?

I found this article in yesterday's Calgary Herald - it has some interesting information where class size is concerned. Ever wonder what determines class sizes? Wonder what the CBE's current class size averages are now?

Click here to read and be informed!

Benefits of learning a new language early

By Manisha Krishnan, Postmedia News

Bilingualism is a unique part of Canada's national identity and that's reflected in the language programs offered at schools throughout the country.

The most popular of these is French Immersion, available at various schools on the North Shore.

Benefits to learning a second language are numerous, according to Robert Rothon, executive director of Canadian Parents for French, B.C. and Yukon branch, a non-profit organization that advocates for French programs for youth.

Read the full article here.

Articles of interest

The Haultain Parents blog has recently garnered interest for having re-posted articles written and hosted by the CBC website. One article, "School board's new home called too costly" (click the links to view) and another, "CBE chair defends new HQ cost" make for very interesting reads. These are also timely articles, in that the City of Calgary is moving toward an election - an election that will see new Trustees, Aldermen, and a new mayor.


The HMPA encourages all parents to read everything they can get their hands on - learn about the issues and make an educated decision when voting. Your input and engagement is crucial not only at the schools that your children attend - it also helps guide how our city is governed.


This (our blog) is a fabulous venue to have your voice heard, your comment read, and your questions answered. Please click the 'feedback' link on the right-hand side of this page, and let your Parent Council/Parent Association know what you have to say.


Your input is appreciated and encouraged.

AGM 2010/2011

We held our AGM meetings last night and they were well attended. We have a new Vice Chair, new Co-Key Communicators, new Co-Volunteer Coordinators, and the return of our secretary. Thank you to our new executive, I'm looking forward to working with you in the future. We also voted in the budget for the upcoming year during the Parent Association AGM. The school newsletter will have more detail and look for the minutes shortly. Thanks again everyone for a great start to the Association and Council's year.