Do You Let Your Child Play With Toy Guns?

This is an interesting article from Today's Parent magazine about the debate over toy guns for children.  Both perspectives are offered in the article: that from a parent who allows toy guns and that from one who doesn't.  Read the story here and share your opinion about the issue in the comment section below.

Anti-trolling lessons set for schools in Australia

by Lauren O'Neil, from the CBC website

Students in Australia already learn about the negative effects of schoolyard violence as part of the national curriculum, but top authorities aren't satisfied with the extent of their anti-bullying education.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard has personally asked the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority to include anti-trolling and anti-cyber abuse lessons in a new, expanded curriculum.

"Whether it's physical violence or online intimidation, we need to ensure that our kids learn the lesson early in life that this conduct can cause great harm and have real consequences," she said to the Herald Sun.

Read the full story here.

CBE rejects setting ratio of lunch supervisors to students

By Richard Cuthbertson, Calgary Herald

For some parents, supervising two children during lunch can be a handful.

But at many Calgary public schools, a single lunch monitor can be keeping an eye on more than 50 children at time.

According to an internal report obtained through freedom of information, one-fifth of Calgary Board of Education schools have a ratio of more than 50 students for every noon supervisor.

But even with sometimes stark differences in supervision numbers across the system, the CBE has decided not to impose strict lunch monitor-to-student ratios in schools.

Read the full story here.

Santa Quits Smoking

An independent publisher is being accused for 'over the top' political correctness because of her updated version of Clement C. Moore's poem, 'Twas the Night Before Christmas. Do you think she has gone too far or is her new image of Santa a good thing?  Read the full story here.

Playground Committee Volunteers Needed

Hi, Parents -

At our last Association meeting, we carried forward our intent in creating a committee soley for the purpose of fundraising and co-ordinating for a new playground.

Haultain's existing playground has a few years left in it, but it's important to employ forward thinking where projects like this are concerned.

Parents of Kindergarten, grade one and two students would be ideal candidates for this project, as their children are the ones who will benefit from a new playground when the time comes for the old one to be retired.

Please consider donating some of your time and effort toward the realization of a new playground for the kids - your help is always appreciated. You can contact the Association via the link at the right hand side of this page for more information.

Foods high in protein, whole wheat sustain energy for a morning at school, work

By Lois Abraham, THE CANADIAN PRESS

No matter how busy life gets, it’s important to make time for breakfast.

“It helps children in every aspect of development -- socially, emotionally, physically, intellectually. Eating breakfast is an investment in their lifelong well-being,” said registered dietitian Carol Harrison of Toronto.

“I think sometimes it can be underestimated. We spend so much time thinking about signing kids up for expensive lessons for this and for that and something as simple as making sure they have breakfast every day can make such a difference.”

Read the full article here.

Ground Beef Recall: E. Coli Alert

Although not education related, this is an important community issue.

The recall of ground beef from XL products in Edmonton has been vastly expanded.  Read details here and here.