Black armbands a charter right: B.C. teachers

(From the CBC website)

Some B.C. teachers say their charter right to free speech was denied when officials ordered them to take off black armbands they wore to protest mandatory testing.

The president of the Kamloops-Thompson Teachers Federation, David Komljenovic, said four teachers wore black armbands to school in the southern Interior community in a quiet protest last year, until school administrators told them to take them off.

Read the full article here.

Talking with Kids about Tough Issues

(An article of interest from childrennow.org)

Why is it important to talk with your kids about what they see on the news? As adults, we depend on “The News” as our primary source for information about the world we live in. Whether it’s the local newspaper, nightly TV newscasts, cable news networks, news radio, or Web sites, graphic footage and accounts of the latest happenings in the world are being delivered right into our homes 24 hours a day. This constant barrage can be overwhelming for adults, but it can be especially confusing and frightening for young children.

Click here to read the full article.

Who are the 'Gen XD' kids?

(An article of interest, found on the canada.com network.)
By Alexander Clare, Reuters

They've never known a world without the Internet, but they still prefer to meet their friends offline.

A new survey of eight- to 14-year-old Europeans by U.S. entertainment, film and theme park company Walt Disney Co. showed that today's children are web-savvy, video-game-playing environmentalists who love their parents.

Read the full article here!

Olympic Assembly

Another guest post! This one about the assembly yesterday, thanks Tammy:

"Today [yesterday] I had the pleasure to attend an Olympic assembly. Not only was it clear that the students have been learning a great deal about Canada’s athletes and the 2010 Olympic games; it was also apparent that our school has tremendous pride in Canada and our athletes.

In a sea of red, among huge smiles, parents were regaled with class projects, slide shows, poetry, songs, drama, jeopardy and riddles (thanks Andrew). The children were jubilant and charming. I especially enjoyed the grade 6 display of “What it Means to be a Canadian.” There were some very powerful pieces. Thank you for a lovely showcase of your work. Congratulations Haultain on another entertaining presentation."

CAPSC Meeting Tonight

Below is some information about the CAPSC meeting tonight, I can't make it but it looks very interesting. If anyone can make this meeting and report about it to the Council next week it would be very appreciated. Its at AE Cross School from 7pm - 9pm.

We are very excited to be hosting Dr. Stephen Murgatroyd as our keynote speaker at tomorrow night’s meeting. Dr. Murgatroyd is an educational policy consultant who – with more than 30 years researching and writing about education, assessment, and school administration – will shed light on the upcoming changes to the School Act, recent changes to math / science diploma exams, and shifts we might expect to see in our education system over the coming years. Dr. Murgatroyd currently consults for both the Alberta Teachers’ Association as well as the Alberta Government (Premier’s Economic Council), so has first-hand and very in-depth knowledge of the strengths and challenges of education in our province. We expect Dr. Murgatroyd’s presentation to be an excellent follow-up to the Minister’s presentation and Q&A last month, as Dr. Murgatroyd will be able to provide an inside look at the issues, limitations, and options facing Minister Hancock.

The Demise of the Dangerous Dog?

(Speaking of healthy lunches - it looks like the venerable hot dog no longer belongs in that category!)

Pediatricians in the United States are calling for hotdogs and other foods to be redesigned to reduce the risk of children choking on them.

In a new policy statement published in its journal Pediatrics on Monday, the American Academy of Pediatrics says hotdogs are the food most commonly linked with choking deaths among children.

Click here to read the full story.

Check out our new lunch recipe page

Click here to check out our new page, or use the link to the right. This is a page for parents to share great lunch recipes for kids. Your suggestions will help others when it's time to get some lunches made! Send your lunch recipe ideas to the 'contact council' link on the right (or click here), and we'll post them up on the new page for all to enjoy.