January Newsletter

I hope that everyone is having a healthy, safe, fun holiday.

Please follow this link for the Haultain newsletter for January. Read it this month for the Holiday best wishes, the incredible and lucid grade 6 descriptive writing from Bird School, the fabulous art samples, alternative programming information, some 'learn-to-read' resolutions, and the updated calendar.

Best wishes for Christmas and a Happy New Year.

last Key Communiqué of 2009

Please share the information you receive in these emails with your school councils and parent communities.

This is the last Key Communiqué of 2009. I hope you all have a wonderful and restful holiday spent with loved ones. See you in the New Year.

System Meetings:

The PowerPoints and link to the November 4, 2009 webinar can be found here under the 'Meeting Follow-Up' drop-down menu.

Foyer Cabinet

During the Christmas concert I overheard a few people chatting about the cabinet in our front foyer. The cabinet was the result of fine workmanship and a lot of hard work but even more importantly some serious generosity.

A good friend of mine, Joe, heard that we wanted to update the front of the school a bit in hopes of attracting attention to our students incredible art work. We had considered a display case of some sort but it was dismissed as far too expensive. He said that he would be happy to help us out with their construction. The Parent Association accepted Joe's proposal of design and asked him 'how much'?

Grade 6 Bird School

Recently the PA subsidized the student's portion of their latest field trip to Petro-Canada's 'Bird School'. The Parent Association's mandate is to support the learning environment with funds that we raise.

With this in mind, I asked Mrs. Summers to 'poll' the students after the field trip to find out what they thought they learned from the experience. I wanted to share the responses with you. After you read them, I think you'll agree that our mandate was well met and that the grade six class are literate beyond their years... not that I'm biased or anything!

Ms. Summers responded with their comments and this: "I can also share my educational perspective and say that the time spent outdoors has indeed changed both their outlooks and their output. They have evolved into a hardy group that is inspired by the time they spent alone outside. I have writing samples taken from their journals which shows the dramatic improvement to both the quality and quantity of their writing. Those samples are being sent to both Petro Canada and the Open Minds coordinator."

See the responses by clicking the ...

Don't forget!

It's the 2009 Haultain Christmas celebration tonight beginning at 7pm, in the gymnasium at Haultain.

Please remember to bring a new, unwrapped toy for Toy Mountain.

Schools' repair costs skyrocket

Maintenance backlog jumps more than $100M in last year
By TARINA WHITE, SUN MEDIA

The backlog of maintenance requests at Calgary public schools has ballooned by $100 million this year to a whopping $742 million.

Calgary Board of Education trustees last night heard the maintenance backlog has grown by $119 million since last December.

This year's $742-million tally includes $363 million for deferred maintenance and life-cycle replacements of $379 million.

Frank Coppinger, superintendent of facilities, said each year the CBE injects $16 million into deferred maintenance requests.
But at this rate, it will take 20 years to clear the current backlog.

Read the full story here.

Calgary school board cautions parents as bitter chill puts kids at risk

By Gwendolyn Richards, Calgary Herald

CALGARY - Parents are being warned to bundle their children with extra layers as a new school week starts amid a bitter cold snap that is likely to cause school bus delays.
The Calgary Catholic School District also warns that schools just outside the city -- in Airdrie, Cochrane and Chestermere--may be closed depending on conditions this morning.

Click here to read the full story.