Staff Appreciation Lunch: Help Needed!!!

Parents: Your Assistance is Required!

It’s that time of year when we show our appreciation for our staff. Friday, April 26^th is the date set for our Staff Appreciation Luncheon this year. In the past, parents have contributed their family favourites to create a hearty & sumptuous feast. If you haven’t time to cook or bake perhaps you could volunteer for set up or clean up duty.

Please let Tammy Campsall know what you can prepare at tammyjayne@gmail.com
Thanks!!!

What Makes Great Teachers?

What do you think makes a great teacher?

ABC news did a short story on teachers who are getting through to students, engaging them and getting their respect. 

Watch the short clip here.

Please comment with your opinion!

More students but fewer teachers at CBE schools

Calgary Board of Education faces questions and concerns 
 By Richard Cuthbertson, Calgary Herald

As the city’s public school board prepares to release its early 2013-2014 budget estimates this week, it is facing growing questions about its past spending and why schools are filled with fewer teachers than five years ago, even as enrolment soars.

The situation paints a concerning picture for the teachers union and education advocates. They worry about bulging class sizes and teachers dealing with more complex sets of students of varying abilities and learning styles. There are 2.4 per cent fewer teachers in Calgary Board of Education schools this current year than there were five years ago, according to an analysis of budget and statistical data by the Herald.

Read the full story here. 

Can A Playground Be Too Safe?

Have we gotten too protective of our children when it comes to risk of injury? Is it possible that the current generation of children are more afraid of getting hurt than willing to try something that has a small element of risk?  Are we raising a generation of "soft" children or are we protecting them from real danger?

I have done some reading about this topic and have discovered some interesting articles that tackle this issue.  The first, from The New York Times, is an article called "Can A Playground Be Too Safe?" It suggests that children need to encounter risks to overcome fears.  While some worry that a child who suffers a bad fall will develop a fear of heights, studies have shown the opposite result occurs. The article suggests that a child who’s hurt in a fall before the age of 9 is less likely as a teenager to have a fear of heights. "Paradoxically, we posit that our fear of children being harmed by mostly harmless injuries may result in more fearful children and increased levels of psychopathology.”

My favorite line in the article was said by a ten year old:

"If you just think about danger you’re never going to get ahead in life.”       


Read the full article here.

Key Communique

Come out to next Council of School Councils meeting The spring meeting will take place on April 17. Trustees will provide a summary of the Trustee-hosted meetings held in February, an update on the 2013-14 budget and information about getting involved in the upcoming school board trustee election. Read more Help the CBE strengthen its connection with school councils and parents All parents are invited to attend one of the upcoming sessions to share their thoughts about parent and school council communications, and how we can work together to improve the parent experience. Area II - April 24 - 6:30-8:30 p.m. - Mount View Centre, 2004 - 4 St. N.E. Area III - April 23 - 6:30-8:30 p.m. - Marlborough School, 4711 Maryvale Dr. N.E. Please RSVP to kldrummond@cbe.ab.ca, indicating which meeting you plan to attend. Read more Province invites input on review of individual program plan (IPP) components As schools and school authorities move toward a more inclusive education system, there remain high expectations for all students in Alberta, including those with diverse learning needs. Parents, school leaders, teachers, educational assistants, parents and students are asked to provide input through an online survey at www.banister.ab.ca/2013IPPsurvey. The survey will take approximately 10 to 15 minutes to complete. It will be available online until April 26. 2013 Community Report now available The 2013 Community Report is being presented a little differently this year. In previous years, the report was a print document only. This year, we have expanded the report to include more in-depth information about the progress we are making in achieving excellent results for our students. Read more Complete Alberta school council survey The purpose of this Alberta School Councils' Association study is to identify stakeholder perceptions of the effectiveness, successes and challenges in school council operations, structures, communications and outreach, working relationships, training and resources. The study will also investigate the influence of school councils on student learning. Complete survey Outstanding CBE teacher nominated for prestigious award Popular TV show Glee makes music class look so easy. In reality, it’s more involved than prompting students to burst into song. “I blame the TV show Glee for giving me a false understanding of how a music room works,” first-year teacher Brittany Jarema joked while speaking to the CBE Board of Trustees on March 19, 2013. Read more CBE teachers named semi-finalists for provincial excellence awards Nineteen Calgary Board of Education educators have been named semi-finalists for provincial Excellence in Teaching Awards. They join more than 100 nominees province-wide. Read more

CBE 2013 Community Report

"The 2013 Community Report is being presented a little differently this year. In previous years, the report was a print document only. This year, we have expanded the report to include more in-depth information about the progress we are making in achieving excellent results for our students.

In these pages and links, you will find information on how we continue to provide well-rounded learning for every student. For example, you will find links to our student results pages, Board reports and videos that tell you much more about what we are doing every day to ensure student success. As more information becomes available over the year, it will be added to these pages.

We invite you to join in the dialogue by telling us what you think. Your views are important to us, and your feedback will help us continue to improve."


Read the report here.

CBE Administration Freezes Salaries For Senior Leaders



The chief superintendent of schools for the Calgary Board of Education is freezing salaries for senior leaders for 2013-14.

“Faced with a difficult budget, we committed to keep students first by looking everywhere to balance the budget,” says Naomi Johnson. “In a week, we will present all of our strategies to balance the budget, including this decision about executive compensation.”

This decision applies to the superintendent team for the fiscal year starting Sept. 1, 2013.

The decision is distinct from possible increases that may apply to non-unionized or “exempt” employees based on performance last year and effective in the current budget year. An allocation for this potential expenditure was approved in May 2012 for the current fiscal year, which runs Sept. 1, 2012 to Aug. 31, 2013. The CBE’s exempt employees are a varied group that includes positions such as engineers, executive administrative assistants and advisors in Human Resources.

“We are still crunching numbers and weighing options to balance the budget,” Johnson adds. “Like our decision to keep transportation fees flat for next year, we are announcing this strategy early so we can all refocus on putting students first.”

For more information, go to www.cbe.ab.ca