Lolita at 5?

ZOSIA BIELSKI
(From Tuesday's Globe and Mail)

They troll gossip blogs, pore over Miley Cyrus videos and eyeball toy store shelves. They're not preteens, but a crew of early childhood educators on a mission: to show parents and teachers what their five- to 11-year-old charges are ingesting.

The educators from the University of Toronto's Ontario Institute for Studies in Education are meeting with teachers across North America to drive home the message that consumerist culture is sexualizing girls, and early onset puberty is worsening the problem.

The educators want to deepen elementary school teachers' understanding of media. They will present their research, entitled the Pink Project, at a U.S. National Association for the Education of Young Children gathering in Charlotte, N.C., next week.

Read the full story here.

Chatting to kids about cheating

By Lauren La Rose

It’s a matter typically dealt with behind closed doors, but in recent weeks, tales of confirmed and alleged infidelity involving high-profile couples have loomed large in the headlines.

Elizabeth Edwards, wife of former Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards, has been on a media blitz promoting her new book and speaking candidly about her husband’s extramarital affair.

Meanwhile, Jon and Kate Gosselin of the hit reality series “Jon and Kate Plus 8,” which follows their life raising sextuplets and twins, have seen their already public relationship become sordid tabloid fodder with allegations both are entwined in romantic relations with outsiders.

Click here to read the full story.

Preventing dropouts can start in Grade 4

By Beth J. Harpaz

It’s graduation time, but not for everyone.

One out of every four students fails to graduate from high school in four years, according to the U.S. National Center for Education Statistics.

Risk factors for dropping out include low academic achievement, mental health problems, truancy, poverty and teen pregnancy.

But here’s a shocker from Lynne Strathman, director of Lydia Urban Academy in Rockford, Ill., a small faith-based alternative program for dropouts.

Click here for the full story.

Skateboard Presentation

(Thanks to Trevor Barkley for this update!)

Haultain students and staff enjoyed a special presentation on a sunny Wednesday lunch hour as members of the City of Calgary Skate Park Crew visited to provide a glimpse into skateboard safety. Students watched as team members hit the ramps and rails, all the while stressing safe boarding skills. The City will be setting up a park, complete with ramps and rails, in the Queensland Community Centre arena in mid to late August. Watch the blog for more details.

Learning Update!

(Thank you, Patrick Murphy, for this submission!)

The students in Room 8 and 9 have been learning about animal life cycles through first hand experience of raising painted lady butterflies in their classrooms. At the present time approximately 15 butterflies have emerged from their chrysalides and are working hard to dry their wings in order to prepare for their first flight. Students have been keenly researching and observing the painted ladies from the very early larva stage through to chrysalids and now the emerging butterflies. Up close observations have been made easier by using the schools video cameras and projectors to zoom in and see an enlarged view projected on the large classroom screens. Much like the viewing of the performances during the Christmas concert.

Students generated their own questions that they were most interested in researching and were sent on a quest to discover the answers. Using the internet, D2L and books they were able to share many fascinating facts with their classmates.

Prior to the arrival of the caterpillars room 8 used the new purchased digital cameras to explore the abundant insect and bird life we have right here in our own school yard. Students zoomed in and snapped pictures of a many different creatures that they then tried to identify using books and the internet.

Sports Figures in the Gym

The Association has commissioned Ramona to outline some giant sports figures in the gymnasium. She got a great start yesterday and is busily working on it again today. If you're in the school, stop by and check out the progress.

I'm sure she'd really appreciate some pointers as well...

Haultain Newsletter - June 2009

Here is Mr. Barkley's newsletter for June, please give it a little time to load into the viewer. If you want it to be larger and easier to read, click on the box near the top right corner of the square below.

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