Calgary police issue warning as sex offender released from jail

By Stephane Massinon, Calgary Herald

Police are warning the public about the release of a high-risk sex offender who has been released from jail.

Matthew Ralf Harks, 27, was released after serving his three-year sentence for a sexual assault.

"The public is warned that Harks is an individual who has criminal convictions for offences against young female children. Harks did not know his victims and has used manipulation to gain access to children," said police in a statement.

Read more here.

Coco Brook Fundraiser

The Spring Fund Raiser went off without a hitch thanks to the efforts of Kristie and Monika and the rest of the volunteers - thank you.

$1547.00 was raised!

The latest micro-survey is about Coco Brooks, please take the time to let us know how you felt about it by filling out the few multiple choice questions. If you want to say more there is room for comments at the bottom. Please click here to answer the survey - don't forget to click on 'submit' at the bottom of the page when you are done.

Thanks again everyone who helped with this fund raiser!

Spanking leads to aggressive behaviours in children

(Thought this article from the Canada.com website might be of some interest!)

Punishing your toddler with a few swats on the rear may come back to bite you, a new report suggests.

According to the study, kids who were spanked often were twice as likely as those who weren't spanked to develop aggressive behaviours such as getting into fights, destroying things or being mean to others.

Click here to read more.

Wednesday's Meeting

I thought a bit about posting a response to the various comments (those that were published on the blog and those that weren't) regarding our last meeting. There is a risk of continuing an issue that has already been put to bed. But I think there is value in defending Council members who may feel they have been unfairly criticized, and some points I'd like to clear up. So here goes...

Firstly (and most importantly), if there was anyone at the last meeting who felt that they were not taken seriously or that they were slighted, I personally apologize. I try to run the meetings with a sense of camaraderie and togetherness that may not fit into a stringent 'Robert's Rules' type of meeting because I think it attracts more people. That is our overall goal - more parental engagement. Sometimes the price of that informality can be hurt feelings, again I'm sorry - I take responsibility and I will try harder in the future to make sure it doesn't happen again.

Secondly, after careful consideration with the other blog authors, we've decided it would be best to moderate any critical comments that are submitted by 'anonymous' or 'x'. Putting your first name on any comment (critical or not) will ensure its publication. The entire Council shares our full

Contest Update

For those of you at the meeting last night who expressed your displeasure at the decision to extend the photo contest, please realize it was based on a relatively low entry count and the desire to get more parents and families involved.

If anyone has questions on how the Association is run, or suggestions on how to improve it please feel free to get involved - by commenting on this blog site, emailing the Association, or coming to the monthly meetings.

Please remember that everyone on the Association is working in a volunteer capacity - and that it's always a challenge to meet everyone's needs in the most effective manner - your Association works extremely hard on your behalf to maintain a high level of quality at your school, for your children.

Your input and opinions are valued and appreciated - as are your photographs. Keep them coming!

CONTEST EXTENSION!

As requested by many of the blog followers, the Association has decided to extend the iPod Touch "Haultain Families" photography contest for another two weeks. Based on the amazing entries received so far, the HMPA is looking forward to seeing a few more.

The final announcement of the winner will be on April 23rd - so get your finger on the shutter, and send your entries in.

Last Chance!

Judging for the Association's 'Win an iPod' photo contest takes place on Tuesday evening - if you want to be in the running to win an Apple iPod Touch (8 Gig) this is the last call for submissions.

Get them in as soon as you can!

The winner will be announced at the Council/Association meeting on Wednesday.