Enjoying the Journey

It is the last day of school!  Whatever you have planned this summer, hopefully it will be fun, safe and relaxing.  In his book, Almost There, Curtis Gillespie writes about family vacations.  He recalls his own childhood experiences on road trips in the 1970's, as well as recent family vacations with his own children.  Gillespie reminds the reader to enjoy the journey along the way and not to put all the attention onto the destination.  Click here to read more about his book and have a great summer!  Remember, the journey is the destination! 

Clever or Defiant?

A twelve year old boy was suspended from his school in Manchester UK, after being caught selling junk food to his class mates.  The little entrepreneur was allegedly making an average of $94 a day profit. Read the article here.

Kinder-"garden"!

The seeds of Haultain have sprouted!  On Thursday, June 21, the kindergartners had a little celebration in the gym, recognizing their growth this past year, as well as their up and coming advancement into grade one.  Parents, grandparents and guardians were entertained by two songs, "We'll be Going Off to Grade One Pretty Soon" and "Kindergarten, Kindergarten."  Each child had their moment in the spot light as they were individually introduced by their teacher, while pictures of them were projected on a large screen.  Highlights of their year were also shown on the screen, including what they learned during the past school year and what they aspire to be when they grow up.  Thank you Ms. Kerr and Mrs. Dobson for a heart warming performance by our little seedlings.  They are sprouting into beautiful flowers that will brighten the classrooms of grades to come at Haultain Memorial School!

Daddy Dearest? How about Uncle Dearest?

After posting the article, "Daddy Dearest?" from the Calgary Herald last week, it made me reflect on my own upbringing.  I was raised by a single mom.  However, I was fortunate to have caring, involved and positive male role models in my childhood.  Although dads are important, children raised by a single mom can still benefit from a positive male influence, like an uncle or dear friend.  This article, from Today's Parent Magazine, outlines the impact males have on school aged children.  Read it here !

The Importance of Dad!

For all of you Haultain Dads, this post is for you.  An article from the Calgary Herald expresses the importance of your role in your children's lives.  Click here to read it and keep up the great work for being an engaged, involved and loving Dad.

Happy Father's Day!

Sick of Hot Dogs?

For all of you camping families, if you are getting tired of eating hot dogs during your get-away, here is a great article to read!  Calgary's Child Magazine offers tips for healthy and diverse meals to serve while in the wilderness.  Click here for some great meal ideas on your next camping menu!

Ms. Dilov's Field Trip to the Wetlands

On Tuesday morning, Ms. Dilov’s grade four/five class ventured to Heritage Park for a full day field trip.  We spent the morning at the man-made wetland, learning about the importance of wetlands and exploring the creatures that live in the water.  As we walked down to the wetland, the students were paired up, to take turns carrying a sixteen litre pail of clean water, picking up garbage to place into the bucket.  When we arrived at the first location of the wetland’s water purifying process, we poured the dirty water into the rocks. This gave us a visual and tactile way of understanding the wetland’s purpose.  The wetland was a thriving ecosystem of birds, trees and water.  The students were encouraged to collect samples of the water with nets and observe the inhabiting invertebrates under microscopes.  The boys and girls were really excited about this process.  After learning about the several species that live in the marsh, we made our way back to the park for lunch.  The kids were thrilled about being able to make a quick visit to the candy store on our break.  The afternoon was spent in a classroom in the Gasoline Alley building.  A video was shown and then the students got to design and create their own invertebrate (or bug) out of craft materials.  Their energy and excitement matched that of the morning activity during this creative process.  The field trip was a success.  Our Heritage Park representative was energetic, patient and knowledgeable, the weather cooperated for us, the students (and adults) learned valuable information about the wetlands and the boys and girls had fun!

Starting School Later

Beginning this September, Mapleridge Elementary students will be starting school at 9:15 am, every morning. This new start time is a result of the CBE's plan to cut transportation costs.

Read Global's full story and watch the video here.

Calgary Schools Okay With Zero... as a last resort

An interesting follow up to Roxane's last story.

 

 "Ronna Mosher, a director in the office of the Calgary Board of Education’s chief superintendent, said decisions on student assessment are laid out by school principals — the same practice is used in Edmonton — however, no CBE school she was aware of has outlawed zero grades. Instead, she said teachers will identify struggling students and work to help them find success." - source.

No Zero Policy

Many schools have "no zero policies" for grading students.  Recently, an Edmonton high school teacher was suspended from his job because of his refusal to comply to the policy.  What do you think?  Is the "no zero policy" a good idea for grading students?  Click here to read the full story.