Mom's the word

Our practical survival guide for moms
By Lisa Kadane, Calgary Herald

Raising children is hard work. Add to that the societal pressure to be a 21st-century supermom, and something's gotta give. Like sanity.

"I think moms are very stressed," says Judy Arnall, a mom to five and founder of Calgary-based Professional Parenting Canada, an organization of parent educators.

"Moms are overwhelmed with other people's expectations, their own expectations."

Click here to read the full article.

Another interesting read...

I've been following this article in the news, regarding a family in the United States that has been the subject of a music piracy lawsuit recently. With our kids getting more and more acquainted with the computers in our houses, it might do us well to keep Canada's current music sharing laws (and the proposed new law, bill C-61) in mind. Click here to read a brief history of file sharing laws in Canada, starting with bill C-60.

There seems to be a lot of confusion where file sharing legality is concerned, so having an idea of where you and your kids stand is a good idea.

Don't forget!

At noon today, it's the Grade One Math Club. At 6:30 tonight, the Celebration of Learning takes place. The teachers and students always put on a fabulous display of what they're working on, and projects they've recently completetd.

Also, Tomorrow's lunchtime is modified, running from 11:50 to 1:14.

Enjoy your Wednesday!

It's your call, kid

ADRIANA BARTON
Globe and Mail

One morning last September, Melanie Leavey's six-year-old daughter, Savannah, insisted on wearing a Halloween cat costume instead of normal clothes. She wore it all day long, and the next too. Eventually, she agreed to take off the costume so it could be washed, but the minute it was laundered, she pulled it on again. Weeks passed, then months. It wasn't until February, almost six months later, that Savannah finally decided to put the cat costume to rest.

Click here to read the full article.

Baxter To Develop Swine Flu Vaccine Despite Bird Flu Scandal

(A follow-up posting to Shane's recent missive regarding the Swine Flu)

Steve Watson
Infowars.net
Monday, April 27, 2009

Baxter To Develop Swine Flu Vaccine Despite Bird Flu Scandal 270409flu2A U.S. based pharmaceutical company that just weeks ago was involved in a scandal involving vaccines tainted with deadly avian flu virus has been chosen to head up efforts to produce a vaccine for the Mexican swine flu that has seemingly migrated into the U.S. and Europe.

Click here to read the full article.

Swine Flu - Questions and Where to Find Answers

The recent outbreak of swine flu or H1N1 virus is of great concern to all of us. The administration at my company has forwarded a couple of links that I'd like to post here. They have also forwarded a document from our health care insurer with some tips on avoiding the flu and some specific information about identifying Swine Flu. See the embedded document below for more information - if you have trouble reading it, just click the small box in the upper right hand corner to see it full size.

It's especially hard to impress on our kids the importance of some of these tips but I think with consistent monitoring (read pestering) they can develop good habits.

For WHO (World Health Organization) updates go here.

For Health Canada and a video message from the Chief Officer of Public health go here.

Swine Flu Symptoms

Publish at Scribd

Micro Survey #2

Our second survey is about the monthly newsletter that Mr. Barkley presently loads to the CBE/Haultain website. Please follow this link to let us know how you would best like to receive the newsletter.

For those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about - here is the link to April's iteration.

Micro Survey #1 (in case you missed it)

Facebook blamed for lower grades

By Lauren La Rose, Canoe website

The time students spend “poking” friends, posting photos and updating their status on Facebook may bear some relationship to how they’re faring academically, a new study suggests.

Researchers found that students who use the popular networking site spend less time studying and have lower grade point averages compared to those not on Facebook.

Click here to read the full article.

Micro Survey #1: Result

Thank you for answering the micro survey question from last week. Its helpful to know how people feel about programming.

The results show that Alien In-line remains very popular. 82% of you reported that 'The whole family enjoyed it' and 64% chose 'Lets do again before the end of the year'. Some of the highlights from the 'comments' section:

"We just moved to Calgary from the UK in late January so it was a good fun evening for us and it was good way to meet other parents..."

"We loved it! The kids look forward to it every year!"

"...always a big hit."

"...lets mix it up and do something else just as awesome..."

"I had a great time blading... one of the suggestions from my kids was that there should be a beginner's skate followed by and advanced or intermediate skate... to reduce the risk of injury."

Thanks again. Look for the next micro survey soon.

CBE Parent Survey - from Mr. Barkley

This entry is from Mr. Barkley:

Dear Parents,

We want to know how well we are doing in providing your child with a quality education. Your feedback is necessary and desired. The results of this survey will be reviewed in detail and will contribute significantly to the creation and evaluation of the School Development Plan for next year. We'll be sending home a paper notice for those non-bloggers (with a link) and a paper copy for those without access to the 'net.

If you have more than one child currently attending our school, we ask that you pick one child and complete this survey based on only that child's experience. If you feel you need to provide additional information. Please complete the survey for each child separately. Please return your completed survey to the school by Thursday, April 30th, 2009.

This survey is also accessible online here or you can click the Parent Survey graphic on our homepage here.

Thank you!

Trevor Barkley,
Principal Haultain Memorial School

Fill out the survey on line and save a tree!

Don't forget!

Today, Haultain's choir performs for the residents of the Canyon Meadows Retirement Residence at 11 a.m., and the digital photography club is at 3pm.

Also, the Alberta School Councils' Association Annual General Meeting takes place in Edmonton this weekend. Sherry, Sherri, and Annika will be representing Haultain's Council interests - let's hope they have a great time, and learn a lot!

Score one for girls/women's hockey!

This entry was submitted by Tammy.

Today Mrs. Winters and Mrs. Summers took their students to see the Edmonton Thunder play hockey against the New Brunswick Northern Stars. Can you believe that this is the first ever national championships for Triple A Midget girls aged 15 to 18? The students were excited to participate in this fully funded field trip sponsored by Esso. We were dazzled by the luxury bus liner, the 'thunder sticks' (supplied by Telus - thank you Telus) and the caliber of hockey. The final score was 5-0 for the Edmonton Thunder. Brittany Esposito (#7) dominated the game and came close to achieving a hat trick but her third goal was disallowed near the end of the game due to a net off its moorings. My thanks to Mrs. Winters and Mrs. Summers for the yummy game snacks and to Esso for giving our children an opportunity to witness such an auspicious event.

Thank you Tammy, for the post. For more information about the Esso Female Midget Hockey Championship and Calgary's team entry click here.

Do today's kids have "nature-deficit disorder"?

(Thanks, Roxanne - here's a follow-up to your comment:)

A new book argues that children desperately need to be able to play in the woods -- and that our culture's sterile rejection of nature is harming them in body and soul.

by Sarah Karnasiewicz

In the not-so-distant past, kids ruled the country's woods and valleys -- running in packs, building secret forts and treehouses, hunting frogs and fish, playing hide-and-seek behind tall grasses. But in the last 30 years, says journalist Richard Louv, children of the digital age have become increasingly alienated from the natural world, with disastrous implications, not only for their physical fitness, but also for their long-term mental and spiritual heath.

Click here to read the full article.

Let parents be parents

By Naomi Lakritz, The Calgary Herald

The Quebec dad whose 12-year-old daughter successfully sued him last June for grounding her has just lost his appeal.

The appeals judge agreed with the lower court judge that forcing her to miss a Grade 6 graduation trip as punishment for allegedly posting trashy photos of herself on the Internet and chatting on blocked websites, was too harsh.

Click here to read the full article.

How to move kids from cyberspace to green space

By Katherine Dedyna, Victoria Times Colonist

The BlackBerry makes it into the latest Oxford Junior Dictionary; the blackberry bush that grows all across Canada does not. Ditto for heron, willow and even dandelion. Instead, techno-terms such as MP3 player, blog and broadband are deemed relevant to kids under eight.

Some advocates of outside play view the changes as one more challenge in the battle between green spaces and screen spaces.

Click here to read the full article.

Getting the kids off the couch and on the move

Tax credit slim incentive, but better than nothing

By Garry Marr, Financial Post

A gym membership for $500 a year hardly sounds exorbitant if you are going to use it. If you go twice a week and spend 90 minutes each time, that's less than $5 each visit. Who would balk at that? That's the plan behind Bulldog Interactive Fitness, a state-of-the-art fitness franchise with a twist: It is aimed at kids. Strangely enough, there is no better time to talk about getting your child in shape and away from video games and television than tax season.

Click here to read the full article.

Volunteer Appreciation Week

(Found on the CBE website)

This week is national volunteer week and the Board of Trustees wants to express its deepest appreciation for the many volunteers who contribute to the success of our students and schools through their countless hours of service.

Our schools could not offer the variety of extra-curricular activities, field trips or off-campus activities without the support of parents.

(Click here to read more.)

Here's to Volunteers!

Submitted by Tammy who attended the volunteer tea today:

I want to say a special thank you to the students and staff for the lovely morning tea. As usual the volunteers had a wonderful time. The student servers were polite and attentive, the greeters were warm and welcoming and the entertainment was priceless. Each time I have attended these teas it is obvious to me the amount of care and consideration that has been shown in order to garner such a heartfelt thank you. Many thanks to Mrs. Dobson, Mrs. Purdy, Mrs. Brosh, and Mrs. Joziasse for their extra efforts with their classes and choirs. A special thank you to Mrs. Thompson for the lovely piano accompaniment and Mrs. Cote and Mrs. Nichols for their beautiful decorations. Lastly, a huge thank you to Mrs. Kipp for spearheading the event and Mr. Barkley for the kind words.

Thank you to the organizers for another successful 'Volunteer Tea'.

Your children can be upstanding citizens - but it's up to you to inspire them

Author Michael Ungar gives tips on raising socially conscious kids in his latest book, "We Generation: Raising Socially Responsible Kids"

Tralee Pearce (From Tuesday's Globe and Mail, April 21, 2009 at 9:16 AM EDT)

An elementary-school principal, driving home after work, passes by one of his students playing road hockey. The principal waves. Instead of a reciprocal wave, the student shouts, "F*** you!"

The next day, the principal calls the 11-year-old boy's parents, and the mother's response is: "You have no right to discipline my son. He was off school property and it was after school hours. You have no say over what he does."

Click here to read the full article.

The Education Arms Race

It’s that time of year, when families across the nation are anxiously watching their mailboxes for the envelope, fat or thin, that holds the key to a child’s future. Or so we are all convinced.

Click here for the full story.

How to raise the IQs of a new generation

By Nicholas D. Kristof, Times Colonist

Poor people have IQs significantly lower than those of rich people, and the awkward conventional wisdom has been that this is in large part a function of genetics.

After all, a series of studies seemed to indicate that IQ is largely inherited. Identical twins raised apart, for example, have IQs that are remarkably similar. They are even closer on average than those of fraternal twins who grow up together.

Click here to read the full story.

HOJA on YouTube!

HOJA Performance

Tammy sent this in as feedback regarding Hoja:

Today the Haultain students, staff and parents enjoyed an enthusiastic presentation with HOJA. This energetic a Capella group managed to wake up the entire student body along with some sleepy parents in the back row. They regaled us by performing popular songs that they created using only their voices. Each of the group's members sang a variety of different voice parts, including bass lines, lead vocals, tenor and baritone, vocal percussion, instrument sounds such as guitars and other assorted sound effects.

Their message included a recap of our 3 pillars of care and a surprising appearance with Mr. Murphy who showed off some previously undisclosed musical talents. Mrs. Huska wowed everyone with her aplomb and grace as she was serenaded by two of the group's members with the song 'Pretty Woman'. The entertaining group left CDs in the office for purchase at $15.00 for any students or parents who are interested. I highly recommend this group.

Thank you Tammy, for the post. If you saw this performance or your kids have talked about it - leave a comment to let us know how it went.

Micro Surveys

As some of you on the Council Email List may already know, we are starting a feedback program to make it easier for the association to make decisions that representative as many of the parents at Haultain as possible. From time to time we will ask your opinion through 'micro surveys' using Googles online 'Forms'. Its a quick and simple way to give your thoughts. Simply follow this link for the first survey we're trying this way regarding Alien Inline Skating program: Cick Here

Thanks for your participation.

An Evening with Barbara Coloroso

Tonight, join Barbara Coloroso, author in the areas of parenting, teaching, and non-violent conflict resolution as she explains bullying. First Alliance Church 12345 40 Street SE, April 20, 2009; Doors open at 6:30pm. For tickets visit www.calgarycommunities.com

Also, ask your Children how they enjoyed the Parent Association sponsored "HOJA" performance which takes place this morning at Haultain!

It's nice to be appreciated

Just a reminder that today is the last day to RVSP to Mrs. Kipp for the Volunteer Tea which will be held on Wednesday, April 22 at 9:45am.


Every year, the students and staff at Haultain officially recognize the dedication of its volunteers by hosting this charming event. Students are chosen as hosts and hostesses to serve tea/coffee and treats. Samples of student art are displayed and there will be performances by the morning kindergarten students, the junior singers and the school choir.

Please plan to attend. I promise you will have a tea-riffic time!

Calendar

There were some comments last night that sometimes the calendar is unavailable for detailed viewing, too small, and too far down the page. If you don't want to deal with any of the above, you can now click on the 'calendar' link on the right for a full page view of upcoming events. Let me know if you have trouble viewing this.

Meeting Last Night

A few notes on the meeting last night:

First of all - thank you to everyone who came out, it was very well attended. Mr. Barkley, Mr. Murphy, and Mrs. Brewis represented Haultain's staff.

1. Mr. Barkley mentioned that the Accomodation group at the CBE will be meeting by April 24th to discuss the future of our communities' schools. They will hand a preliminary proposal to the the Board which will be considered along with community input.
   
2. Mr. Barkley also mentioned the surplus of teaching staff that Haultain will be faced with next school year. At this point there is a surplus of 11 positions. Obviously this is a very tough situation and a lot of present staff will be sorely missed next year.
   
3. We also received an update regarding a Council proposal for a writing initiative, it will be a write-a-thon and teaching staff is working on rolling that out.
   
4. We have some tentative dates for our new Artist-in-Residence program; in mid to late May, Ramona will start working with our students.
5. Earth Day is April 22nd and there will be classroom activity encouraging environmental stewardship. The lunch program students will be asked to do their best to bring a 'zero impact' lunch.
6. The full results of the parent survey were reviewed, it seems that the spending decisions echo the general feelings of our parent population. More survey details will be posted shortly.
7. Mrs. Kipp will be off for 6 weeks shortly so everyone should be patient with whichever poor soul is hired to try to fit into those ever-capable shoes.
8. Our monthly financial report was a little tricky this month as we had many items from last month's spending spree to get through - thank you Sherri for your hard work on this.

Thanks again to everyone who attended for your valuable input. The full minutes of this meeting will be ratified next month and then posted to tend to your edification.

School Zone Safety - A Friendly Reminder

This is a reminder that there is a large length of road in front of our school that is a 30 Km/H zone for the bulk of the day. We also have two cross walks that we can't park near at any time of day, and there is no parking in front of the school before 5pm. Just a friendly reminder that infractions in these areas can be very expensive!

Council Meeting Tonight

The Council and Association are meeting tonight at 6:30 in the library. Among other things we will be discussing: the spending initiatives we started last month, the ASCA AGM, the year end wind-up, the parent surveys, feedback from the inline skating events, a staffing update and our recent Artist-in-Residence program. If you would like the full agenda and haven't received it via the Council Email List please let me know.

The roles on the Council and Association executive are by their nature a revolving door. As volunteers come and go, there is a continuous need to fill very important positions. Unfortunately, Sherri, who has been our stalwart and dedicated Treasurer, will be leaving us next school term. So we are making a general call for a volunteer to fill the role of Treasurer on our Association. If you feel you can help out in this capacity starting in September 2009, please contact me for more details on the responsibilities and expectations of the position.

On another note, I have received many email addresses through the parent survey that went home. Unfortunately, through either typos or hard-to-read writing, a few of those have 'bounced' back to me. If you didn't receive an email from me yesterday (April 14) and signed up for the list, please re-send me your address.

Next CAPSC Meeting

The next CAPSC meeting occurs the same day as our Council/Association meeting - Wednesday, April 15th, 2009: 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. For those who are interested, and not attending the Haultain Council/Association meeting, here are the details:

It will be in the style of a 'Conversation Cafe' (multiple small group presentations) with the following topics:
- CBE's involvement at WorldSkills 2009
- CBE's new math curriculum
- New 'Walk Zones', bussing and transportation planning, and school accommodation issues
- Improving Student Literacy
- Talk to a Trustee x 3.

Having someone attend, and provide a meeting summary would be great.

(This is the regular bulletin for Key Communicators & School Council Chairs, to be shared with your school councils and parent communities - sent by Katie Young, the CBE Communications specialist.)

Thank you to all who attended the System Information Session last week. I will be posting the summary of Janice Richardson’s presentation and Cindy Seibel's PowerPoint on the Parent Portal here as soon as I receive it. It should be up by mid-week at the latest.

If you are interested in becoming involved in the Parent Portal, or have questions regarding the presentation, you can email Cindy at cgseibel@cbe.ab.ca.


Area V Meeting
Thursday, April 16
6:30-8:30 p.m.
Area V Conference Room (Haysboro Centre) 1123 - 87 Avenue S.W.
Topic: Student Accommodation and Transportation

Key Communiqué Archives:
If you ever wanted to find information in previous issues of the Key Communique, they are all archived on the CBE Parent Page under School Councils. Click here to find the archives.

International Certificate:
The International Certificate is a way of recognizing and valuing the significant contributions, work, and experiences of an international nature that students have accomplished throughout their CBE journey. The CBE began piloting the International Certificate in October 2008 and it will be available to all students for September 2009.

Students completing the International Certificate are:

1. Second Language Learners - ESL Students, International Students, students with a passion for second language learning and study (Spanish, French, German etc), students participating in weekend language classes (Swedish or Chinese School for example), students studying American Sign Language.
2. Students with a passion for International Social Justice issues - Students bringing awareness to the school body on international issues such as Child Soldiers in Northern Uganda, or Women's Rights in Afghanistan.
3. Students passionate about international studies or intercultural studies (Model UN).
4. Athletes with opportunities to train and compete internationally.
5. Students with access to international travel (with family, school, or by participating in a student exchange).

You can find out more by visiting www.cbeglobalconnect.ca and clicking on "International Certificate".

WorldSkills Calgary 2009:
The CBE's Worldskills website is continually being updated as we receive more information regarding our schools and this exciting event. You can check it out here or visit the WorldSkills Calgary 2009 homepage at http://www.worldskills2009.com/

You may contact Marsha Levy at mlevy@cbe.ab.ca with any questions you may have that have not been addressed on these websites.

Resources:

CAPSC:
CAPSC is Calgary’s city-wide, public school parent association. CAPSC’s primary goal is to keep parents up to date and involved in their children’s education, and to help make individual school’s Parent Councils as effective as possible. CAPSC provides parents with resources, learning and sharing opportunities, and representation of parent concerns to the CBE and all levels of government. For more information or to subscribe to their newsletter, visit www.capsc.ca.

School Council Development

School Council Development (SCD) provides workshops and resource materials to assist school councils.

School Council Development provides the following services:

• Workshops for school councils anywhere in Alberta
• Toll Free School Council Consultation Line - 1-800-661-3470
• Instructor training to deliver workshops to school councils
• Resource manual and materials for school council

Alberta Education

School Council Resource Manual

School Council Website & Hotline:
The School Council website is a great resource for information. Check it out at http://www.cbe.ab.ca/Parents/schlcouncils.asp. I have also been regularly updating our Key Communicator and School Council Chair Hotline. If ever you don’t have access to a computer but want to find what is going on, call 403-294-8244.

Health Canada recalls children's clogs with wheels

(From the Canada.com network site)

Parents are being warned that a line of clogs for toddlers and infants bearing decorative wheels are dangerous because the wheels could come loose, posing a choking hazard, Health Canada warned Monday.

Pagoda International Footwear Ltd. has received one report of a child choking on one of the wheels when it came off the infant version of the shoe. Health Canada says the child was not harmed.

Click here to read the full article.

Learning Connections - Celebrating Student Engagement

Alberta Education invites you to celebrate Education Week 2009 in our schools and communities across the province. This year’s theme, Learning Connections - Celebrating Student Engagement, provides us with an opportunity to celebrate the past successes and bright future of education in Alberta.

Click here for more!

Alberta announces energy rebates

Found this on the CBC website, and thought Haultain Parents might find it interesting:

The Alberta government is making rebates available to homeowners who buy new energy-efficient furnaces, washing machines and hot water heaters.

The incentives are retroactive to the beginning of the year, Alberta Environment Minister Rob Renner said Thursday.

"The advantage is to the environment and quite frankly in many, if not all cases, to the homeowner, because the almost coincidental consequence of reducing CO2 emissions is you also reduce your utility bills," Renner said.

Click here to read the full story.

MTSPA

The McKenzie Towne parents now have a blog similar to ours where they will be posting information and news regarding their new school.

http://www.mtsparents.com/

Haultain Skate Night

Another successful Inline Skate Night by Alien Inline Skating - fully funded by Haultain's Parent Association! All the kids have really improved since last year - good for them for trying so hard and being diligent. Thanks also to Alien Inline Skating - for putting on another great skate night.

Kids' sleep issues may affect mental ability later

Another good story found on the CBC website:

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A new study suggests an association between sleep problems in childhood and mental functioning in early adolescence.

Click here to read the full story.

Worried parents eco-proofing nurseries

I just read this on the CBC website, and thought it might be of interest to some Haultain parents:

When Pamela Davis was pregnant with her daughter Meaghan, she started to worry about contamination from the lead paint in her Hoboken, N.J., row house. Then she started reading about chemicals in plastic toys and baby clothes treated with flame retardant.

Soon her entire nursery seemed to pose some mysterious threat to her impending bundle of joy. She was surrounded.

Click here to read the full article.

Fluoride to stay in Calgary drinking water

I caught this, pursuant to the earlier discussion on the blog:

Fluoride will remain in Calgary's drinking water after city council voted down a motion to remove it.
A proposal to refer the motion for more study, including an assessment of whether a plebiscite could decide the contentious issue, was also rejected Tuesday.
Five aldermen supported the motion to remove the substance from Calgary's water supply in part to save money, but it was voted down 7-6.

Click here to read the full story.

MTSPA

Last night a dedicated group of parents from McKenzie Towne got together to discuss an action plan toward the creation of their own parent association. This will be a group of parents dedicated to fund raising and organizing volunteers to help fund programming at their new school.

A very good framework and path forward was created and they are looking for as much help and input as possible. They are welcoming all parents of children who will be part of the McKenzie Towne K-4 program next year. A lot of work is required to get this organization off the ground - please send me your contact information to forward on if you can help out in any way.

They will be: applying to the Alberta Corporate Registry for official status, applying to the AGLC for a Casino license, looking for any and all suggestions for other fund-raising ideas, building a web site/blog similar to ours as an informational gathering point and discussion forum, deciding on an AGM date to get the democratic ball rolling and choose an executive.

They will be having another meeting in about 3 weeks time and then monthly meetings after that. Stay tuned for details...

Don't forget!

Today is the Choir and Grade 1 Math Club at noon, and in the evening - starting at 5:30, it's the Haultain Parent Association sponsored "Family Inline Skate Night". Come out for a skate with the kids!

At 6pm, for those of you who are interested, it's the CBE's System meeting at John G Diefenbaker High School (6620 - 4 Street N.W.) Here's the agenda:

5:45 p.m. Registration/ coffee and cake
6:30 p.m. Welcome/Housekeeping items
6:35 p.m. Greetings from CBE – Chief Superintendent Bev Hubert
6:40 p.m. The CBE Parent Portal – Cindy Seibel, Director of Information Technology Services
7:00 p.m. Safety and Security in Schools – Janice R Richardson, System Assistant Principal, System Suspensions & Sue Stretton, Specialist, Student Response Team/Calgary Community Conferencing.

The meeting will conclude at approximately 8:00 p.m.

Pitfalls in Rumour; Stick to the facts

This is a post to discuss the pitfalls inherent in rumour. As an engaged community of parents involved in a fabulous school - it is only natural to be passionate about our issues. I know that a lot of conversation is inevitable and everyone is wondering what will happen next year. There are many things that are unknown at this point and speculation is bound to happen. This is the where we all have to be careful. It is important that when speculation about the future occurs that it isn't passed off as fact. That's how rumours start and rumours at this point are detrimental in all cases.

The CBE understands that the communities served by Haultain, Queensland, Deer Run, and Diamond Cove have many families, all those families have a keen interest in doing what it best for their children. At this time we have to trust that the CBE has the same interests. Your Council and Mr. Barkley are staying on top of the issues as they arise and all that we learn goes out to our community through the school, the email list and this blog.

With that being said, we want to be involved in the engagement and planning process that the CBE goes through when they plan for future accommodation. Mr. Barkley has assured me that we will have a voice when the time comes for community input. Until that time speculation is only that - we simply don't know for sure what will happen beyond next years school term. Here is what we have been told so far:

1: there will be a full school year at Haultain next year.
2: the McKenzie Towne kids, their principal, their teachers will all ship out as one unit in January of 2010 to move in to their new school.
3: Haultain will carry on with the school year and our remaining students.
4: Haultain will not be adding to the school's population from any community in January of 2010
5: the principal's position for MT has been posted and will be filled soon.
6: there has NOT been a decision to close any school in the area as of yet.
7: the CBE will make a decision (with eventual community input) for future planning and accomodation for our students and the students of Queensland/Deer Run/Diamond Cove ... sometime.

If you are confused or have heard rumours about closures or just want clarification on anything that is going on - send me an email and I will get you all the answers that are available.

Board of Trustees

The regular meeting of the Board of Trustees takes place tonight. Click here for full details. Also, don't forget that it's an inline skate night, and the CBE system meeting tomorrow night. Please see the calendar below for details.

Small But Mighty!

Our little school did tremendously well this past weekend at the City Wide Youth Science Fair held at the Big Four Building, Stampede Park.

Participating elementary schools are allowed to submit 1 project for every 15 students enrolled in grades 5 and 6. HMS was allowed to send three projects.

Representing HMS were:

Jake T. (grade 5) with his project entitled: "In Search of Vitamin C"

Samantha N and Nicole N (grade 5) with their project entitled "Freezing Point Depression"

and

Rita D. (grade 6) with her project entitled "I've Been Growin' - Where Have You Been?"

Our students were entered in different categories depending on their topic.

Jake won a silver medal, placing second in his consumer goods/physical sciences category.

Samantha and Nicole won gold medals, placing first in their physical sciences/earth sciences category.

And Rita won a gold medal, placing first in her life science/biology category.

We can be extremely proud of the efforts of all our Science Fair Club participants and particularly proud of the successes these students experienced at this level of competition.


Susan Summers

Science Fair Coordinator

Protest dropped after Calgary confirms breastfeeding allowed in pools

I found this on the CBC website this morning, and know of a few Haultain Moms who might find this interesting:

A group of Calgary mothers cancelled a protest over breastfeeding in a public pool after meeting with city staff on the weekend.

The women had told CBC News it's their right to breastfeed wherever they want, but lifeguards at Killarney pool had asked them to get out of the water or use the change room.

Click here to read the full story.

Mom's Itsy Bitsy music complaint bounces girl from T.O. dance school

- taken from CBC's website:

A five-year-old girl has been dropped from a Toronto dance school after her mother complained to school officials about the use of the classic 1960 song Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini in class.

Click here to read the full article.

CAPSC's next meeting

Wednesday, April 15th, 2009: 7:00 - 9:00 pm

'Conversation Cafe' (multiple small group
presentations) with the following topics:

- CBE's involvement at WorldSkills 2009
- CBE's new math curriculum
- New 'Walk Zones', bussing and
transportation planning, and school
accommodation issues
- Talk to a Trustee x 4

These meetings are always interesting and informative - and are worthwhile to attend. They're especially valuable to attend when a trustee is also there to speak to - the more parents who let our trustee, Carol Bazinet, know that we care for our school and don't want to see it leave the community, the better. (There are no details, however, as to which trustees will be there.)

Also, don't forget that the junior singers meet over the lunch hour tomorrow, and that the Inline Skating program is in full swing.

Haultain has formula for success!

Haultain sent three entries to the Calgary Youth Science Fair over the weekend of April 3-5th - and came away with three medals! Coached by teacher Mrs. Summers, the four students Jake, Rita , Samantha and Nicole (who were partners on their project) worked diligently at their projects - and to their credit, took home hardware.

Congratulations to all of the students who attended the fair! Good job - and keep up the good work!

Edmonton AGM - April 24 - 26

We are still in need of volunteers willing to go to the ASCA AGM. The Alberta School Council Association represents parents to Alberta Education and gives us a direct voice to the government. We would like to have someone there to represent Haultain.

There are some seminars you are welcome to attend on the Saturday and the AGM itself where parents vote on issues is on the Sunday. Some seminar topics include:

1. School Council Operating Basics (should be of great interest to McKenzie Towne parents)
2. Respecting Diversity
3. Social Networking Sites
4. Internet Safety
5. Assistive Technology for Learning
6. and an Open Computer Lab (drop in)

Your expenses will be paid by the Association and you are welcome to bring your family with you. Everyone that I know who has gone has had a great time and met some interesting parents from around the province.

Please let me know if you are interested in representing us or want more information - scampsall@gmail.com.

Key Communiqué for April

An email bulletin from the CBE for Key Communicators & School Council Chairs, to be shared with school councils and parent communities.

System Meeting is Next Week!

Safety and Security in Schools: Presentation by Janice Richardson, System Assistant Principal of School and Community Supports

The CBE Parent Portal: Presented by Cindy Seibel, Director of Information Technology Services

When: April 8th, 2009 registration begins at 6:00 p.m. Meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. (Join us for cake and coffee before the meeting begins to show our appreciation for your great work!)

Where: John G. Diefenbaker High School (6620 - 4 Street N.W.)


Area V Meeting

Thursday, April 16
6:30-8:30 p.m.
Area V Conference Room (Haysboro Centre) 1123 - 87 Avenue S.W.
Student Accommodation and Transportation


Waiver of Student Fees:

With the elimination of Alberta Health Care (AHC) premiums this year, the CBE had to review its processes for determining which families are eligible for a waiver of student fees (before the elimination of premiums, eligibility included the application and approval of families whose AHC premiums were subsidized).

The new waiver application process for parents is as follows. Parents are encouraged to complete an 'Application for Waiver of Fee(s) form if any of these situations apply (proper documentation must be included in the application):

• They receive assistance from Provincial Social Services;
• They are low income but not on Provincial Social Services. New this year, applicant must provide a copy of their Alberta Works Child Health Benefit card and letter confirming renewal for the applicable school year;
• They are Government Sponsored Conventional Refugees; or
• They are Treaty Status families.
• Please note that to qualify for a waiver of student transportation fees, students must meet the CBE transportation eligibility requirements.

WorldSkills Calgary 2009:

The CBE's Worldskills website is continually being updated as we receive more information regarding our schools and this exciting event. You can check it out here or visit the WorldSkills Calgary 2009 homepage at http://www.worldskills2009.com/

You may contact Marsha Levy at mlevy@cbe.ab.ca with any questions you may have that have not been addressed on these websites.


Key Communiqué Archives:

If you ever need to find information from previous issues of the Key Communiqué, they are all archived on the CBE Parent Page under the School Councils section. Click here to find them.


Barbara Coloroso Comes to Calgary:

Just a reminder that April 20th, 2009 world renowned author and parenting expert Barbara Coloroso is coming to Calgary for a truly insightful evening. She will be discussing the topic of Bullying and the three roles that are played in the process: the bully, the bullied and the bystander.

The event will take place at First Alliance Church (12345 40th Street S.E.) and doors open at 6:30 p.m. For more information, visit www.calgarycommunities.com


Resources:

CAPSC:

CAPSC is Calgary’s citywide, public school parent association. CAPSC’s primary goal is to keep parents up to date and involved in their children’s education, and to help make individual school’s Parent Councils as effective as possible. CAPSC provides parents with resources, learning and sharing opportunities, and representation of parent concerns to the CBE and all levels of government. For more information or to subscribe to their newsletter, visit www.capsc.ca.

School Council Development

School Council Development (SCD) provides workshops and resource materials to assist school councils.

School Council Development provides the following services:

• Workshops for school councils anywhere in Alberta
• Toll Free School Council Consultation Line - 1-800-661-3470
• Instructor training to deliver workshops to school councils
• Resource manual and materials for school council
  
  

Alberta Education

School Council Resource Manual


Contact Information

Katie Young, BPR
Parent/School Communications Specialist

Calgary Board of Education http://www.cbe.ab.ca/

Email: klyoung@cbe.ab.ca

T (403) 294-8566
F (403) 294-8172

515 Macleod Tr. SE
Calgary, AB T2G 2L9

We are always looking for ways to improve communication so if you have any suggestions or comments, please feel free to email them to me.

School Council Website & Hotline:

The School Council website is a great resource for information. Check it out at http://www.cbe.ab.ca/Parents/schlcouncils.asp. I have also been regularly updating our Key Communicator and School Council Chair Hotline. If ever you don’t have access to a computer but want to find what is going on, call 403-294-8244.

MTPA meeting

For all McKenzie Towne parents:

There will be an organizational meeting at the McKenzie Towne Firehall on Tuesday April 7th at 6:30pm. The purpose of this meeting will be to establish Council and Association priorities for parents of future students at the MT school. Hopefully, the outcomes will be a new Parent Association ready to incorporate with the Registry, a clear path toward the establishment of a Council, and the beginnings of a volunteer base that will see you through some fund-raising efforts in the near and far future.

All parents who will be joining the McKenzie Towne School in September of this year are welcome.