Key Communiqué

(Our monthly newsletter, from Karen at the CBE.)

School and Parent Communications
For the next year, you will be receiving the Key Communiqué from Karen Drummond. Karen will be handling parent and school communications for the next year while Katie Young is on leave to further her education.

Karen was working as a Communications Advisor in the Office of the Board of Trustees at the CBE prior to taking on this role. She has two children, a boy in Grade One at Fish Creek School and a girl who is three years old. She worked at SAIT Polytechnic and the University of Calgary prior to joining the CBE.

Please feel free to contact Karen at any time with any questions or comments that you may have.

System Meetings
Our first System Parent Meeting will be held as follows:

Date: Thursday, September 30, 2010
Time: 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. (doors open at 6:30, with light refreshments provided)
Place: Central Memorial High School, 5111 - 21 Street S.W.

This meeting will include presentations about:

- CBE's Career and Technology Strategy
- Services provided by the Calgary Association of Parents and School Councils (CAPSC)
- Key things you need to know about serving as a School Council Chair or Key Communicator

You will also have an opportunity to meet and talk with other parents and CBE representatives at this meeting.

A complete agenda will be sent out in advance of the meeting. We look forward to seeing you there!

The other two System Parent Meetings are scheduled to take place on the following evenings:

January 12, 2011
April 27, 2011
Please mark your calendars. Location information and other details will follow later in the fall.

2010-2011 Area Key Communicator Meeting Dates
Area I: Information coming soon
Area II: Information coming soon
Area III: November 17, 2010 from 6:30-8:00 pm at the Area III Office - H W Riley 3743 Dover Ridge Drive S.E. Topic TBA. Also, March 3, 2011 from 6:30-8:00 pm, same location, with the topic TBA as well.
Area IV: November 15, 2010 at the Area IV Office - Lord Shaughnessy 2336 - 53 Avenue SW - Topic TBA. Also on March 21, 2011, same location. Again, Topic TBA.
Area V: November 3, 2010, from 7:00 - 8:30pm, at the Area V Office - Haysboro Centre
1123 - 87 Avenue SW. Topic TBA.

Career and Technology Centre Opens - First of its Kind in Alberta
The first students to enroll in the Calgary Board of Education’s new Career and Technology Centre started classes Tuesday, September 7. They are studying in programs that have been mapped to industry standards and that will provide them with credentials for their future. Read more.

Election 2010 and Your School CouncilThe 2010 Calgary civic election is coming up on October 18, 2010. Citizens will be voting for mayor, aldermen and school trustee.

If a trustee candidate approaches your school council and requests to speak at a council meeting, the Calgary Board of Education recommends that you invite all Trustee candidates,running in your school’s ward, to either present their platforms or to debate. It is okay if all candidates cannot attend, but they should all be invited.

By taking this approach your school council and parents will have the opportunity to hear each candidate’s views and opinions on topics important to your school. Your council members and parents will be better prepared to make an educated decision on whom to vote for on election day.

Learn More About Trustee Candidates at CAPSC Calgary Public School Trustee Forums
CBE Trustees fulfill an important role for our schools and our students. It’s important that you are involved in setting the vision for the upcoming Trustee team by making an informed vote on election day. Find out more here.

Make Your Voice Heard Through Inspiring Action Surveys
Alberta Education recently released “Inspiring Action,” a report that will help guide the final draft of a revised School or Education Act. Inspiring Action outlines broad directions in several key areas and calls for further public input in online surveys and forums. You have the opportunity to provide your opinion on themes captured in the “Action” document.

By taking the time to provide your input, you are ensuring the Calgary voice is heard regarding the future of education in Alberta. The CBE is the largest school system in Western Canada, serving a diverse student population and as such, we have specific needs that must be represented in this conversation.

Please take the time to visit the the Inspiring Action website and encourage your colleagues, parent communities and community members to do the same.

Complete the surveys in this link, and learn more about them.

2010-2011 School Year Curriculum Handbooks for Parents Available Online
Alberta Education has posted this handbook online for your information.

Click here to view.

Back2School Parent Survey
Help us help you - complete this short survey and let us know if you had all you needed for back to school this year.

Complete survey.

Update School Council Chair and Key Communicator Contacts Online for 2010-2011
As people in the roles of School Council Chair and Key Communicator change at your school this year, you can now update the information online.

If you will no longer be representing a school as Key Communicator or School Council Chair, you can remove yourself from the list by hitting the Unsubscribe button at the bottom of this list.

New Key Communicators and School Council Chairs can click here to add themselves to the list to receive Key Communiqué. For Company, please enter the name of the school you are representing and for Job Title, please note if you are a School Council Chair or Key Communicator.

If you need to update your contact information, please e-mail Karen Drummond.