The politics of unschooling: Raising independent trailblazers or lazy free-floaters?

Sarah Boesveld, National Post

Six-year-old Karina Ricci rolls out of bed around 7:30 a.m. She gets dressed, brushes her teeth and makes her bed before eating a leisurely breakfast in front of the TV. She gives her fledgling sunflower and snowpea plants a drink. Then she might play piano, or make something out of play dough. Perhaps she’ll help clean up the house or call a friend to hang out later in the day.
Anything goes, really.

Check out the full story here.

Guest Entry: More Appreciation

From Tammy C.

I would also like to thank everyone for making this luncheon work. Thank you first of all to all the ladies (and one gentleman) who brought in their favourite dishes - click the 'menu' for mouth watering details! A special thanks to Monika, Ramona, and Tracey for helping me with the setup and clean up, to Amber and Terry for working the lunch room so the regular lunch room ladies could eat the treats, and to Mr. Rochon for lugging the tables in and out of the staff room. By all accounts the luncheon was a big success and everyone was walking around this afternoon groaning about how full they were so that's a great sign! Also thank you to the Parent Association for their $ponsorship of some of the accoutrement.

Appreciation appreciated!

Staff enjoyed a spectacular spread, a fantastic feast, a magnificent meal, all prepared by Haultain parents for our Staff Appreciation Lunch. Our staffroom was transformed into a wonderful dining area, laid out with restaurant-style seating, centre pieces, and a buffet that was to die for. Starter appetizers, salads, main-course entrees, desserts and drinks filled the room! Needless to say, many a staff member left with a huge smile, a bulging belt line, and a go-box for tomorrow. Deep thanks go out to Tammy Campsall, Ramona Lind and Tracey Thompson for coordinating the effort, and to all of the parents who donated the delectable dishes. Thanks also to Terry Wyss and Amber Vergo, who braved the "elements" and covered in our lunchroom to allow our lunchroom staff to enjoy the meal as well.Thanks to everyone who made this special event possible. Your appreciation is DEEPLY appreciated!

A creative idea to increase funding?

Here's a quote extracted from a well written article from the U.S.:

"This is why I’m proposing to make my school a prison. The State of Michigan spends annually somewhere between $30,000 and $40,000 per prisoner, yet we are struggling to provide schools with $7,000 per student. I guess we need to treat our students like they are prisoners, with equal funding."

Interested in reading more?

Click here.

Water update

May 25, 2011

Dear Parents/Guardians,

As you are aware, Haultain Memorial experienced a water line break on Tuesday, May 17. Contracting crews, the CBE and The City have been working to repair the leak and had done so over the weekend. While preparing to test and flush the new lines, crews discovered a small crack and leak. Consequently, the pipe had to be replaced again. As a result, we are still without running drinking water.

Temporary, non-potable water service continues to be available and hose lines have been run from a nearby hydrant to provide running water for sinks and toilets. We continue to provide bottled water, however we are also asking that students continue to bring bottles from home.

Again, we apologise for this inconvenience and hope that all will be back to normal by early next week.

Sincerely,

Trevor Barkley, Principal

School Budgets Tied To Oil Revenue

Further to Nick's post about the province building new schools is this article talking about the ups and downs of public school funding. Presently, the cycles of dynamic oil price dictate the education budget allocation from year to year. It seems crazy to me that we can't get budget certainty for education. I agree with and applaud ASCA's efforts to get the province to provide predictable funding structure:

"The “dichotomy” between an infrastructure splurge and programming cuts is part of Alberta’s boom and bust cycle and leaves school boards frantically slashing or hiring from year to year, said Jacquie Hansen, president of the Alberta School Board Association. The group has pressed the province for long-term, predictable funding agreements." - Sharon Armstrong, ATA

What do you think? Should the province be tying the price of a barrel of oil to school budgets?

Stelmach unveils plans for 35 new Alberta schools

Premier Ed Stelmach announced today a total of 35 schools across Alberta will be built or modernized at an estimated cost of $550 million to cope with a student population expected to soar by about 100,000 new pupils before the end of the decade.

“This is part of a government investment to address growing student enrolments in some of the fastest growing communities in Alberta and responds to concerns we've been hearing for some time,” Stelmach said. “Our students are the future leaders of our province and deserve positive learning environments.”

Read more here.