Jack Leslie Youth Environment Grant: Leaves and Literature

Mrs. Stiles, Mrs. Leslie, Dominic, and Cameron

Two Wilma Hansen students shone recently in a bid to win a cash grant.  Cameron Edwardson and Dominic Peterson (with guidance from Mrs. Stiles) submitted a proposal to the Jack Leslie Youth Environment Grant committee with the hope of getting some help making the school a better place.  Click here to read the acceptance status and the bid for the grant. Look for the upgrades and additions to the school library garden, its going to be a great place to relax/read/study.  Stay tuned for pictures and updates as the project progresses. 

Join the Parent Association and the school in congratulating these young leaders for their great work.

The following is the write up from the awards banquet

Wilma Hansen School Leaves and Literature - $1000

·         Wilma Hansen School has been undertaking several environmental projects within their school, the latest will be creating an indoor garden in the school library.  Students will design, plant and ultimately care for the garden, all while promoting literacy within their school by encouraging students to use the space.   Wilma Hansen students will research appropriate plants, purchase all of the materials including a fountain to maintain humidity for the plants to survive and will ultimately care for the garden.   Students will learn about eco-friendly spaces, planting and transplanting and the importance of plants in their environment.  

 

As an interesting aside to this post - read about John Clifford (Jack) Leslie: the visionary mayor/veteran/pilot/environmentalist/businessman here.

CBE Fee Structure Input... Again

Although the CBE has obtained parental input from many sources in the past few months about the new fee structure, they have given everyone another opportunity to make themselves heard.  Please see below for the details on tomorrow night's meeting.

 All parents are invited to attend the system parent meeting on May 31. At this meeting parents can discuss possible fee structures for 2012-13 and have a final opportunity to share their thoughts and ideas before decisions are made regarding 2012-13 school fees. We look forward to hearing from as many parents as possible.

If you have not RSVP’d yet and plan to attend this meeting, please RSVP by ... phoning 403-817-7951.

May 31 7-9 p.m.

Cafeteria, Western Canada High School

641 - 17 Avenue S.W.

CAPSC recently held a meeting to discuss this issue as well and this link will lead you to the summary of that discussion.  As well, the Key Communicator from the Haultain Memorial School Council blogged this yesterday - an excellent summary.

Mark Kelly and the CBC: Bullying

For a week in the spring of 2012, CBC-TV's Connect With Mark Kelley set up a video booth in a school in Gatineau, Que.  More than 150 students streamed into the booth to pour out their personal anecdotes about bullying.  Some of these are sad, some emotional, and some will make you angry; all of them are compelling...

Watch the show all this week as Gemini award winner Mark Kelley explores the pervasive issues surrounding bullying.

CAPSC Notice

Please join the Calgary Association of Parents and School Councils for our last meeting of the school year.  Our meeting will be held this Wednesday May 16th 7:00pm AE Cross School library.  We welcome all to attend and would like to encourage our members to bring along other parents from your schools.

- This month we welcome Lois Robb president of the Staff Association

- Jenny Regal, current president of the ATA Local 38, will be speaking

- Following the presentations we will be presenting questions to our membership regarding school fees.  The executive would like to gather recommendations from school council representatives that can be shared with senior administration at the CBE to improve dialogue and help minimize complaints.

The Calgary Association of Parents and School Councils is an incorporated not-for-profit association that provides relevant and ongoing information and support to parents and school councils in the Calgary Board of Education. Our monthly meetings offer a forum for discussion of important education issues amongst parents and with key education stakeholders such as trustees, CBE administration and Alberta Education.  Check out our website at www.capsc.ca and make sure to sign up for our monthly e-newsletter.  Please feel free to forward this information to any interested parents.

Leanne Long
Communications Coordinator
Calgary Association of Parents and School Councils

Parents Protest Fee Hike

A few weeks ago, parents of kids in the CBE were asked to fill out a questionnaire about school fees to give the CBE an idea of how we felt and what would be fair.

One of the questions pertained to bus fees for students in alternative programs. Another asked about lunch fees for kids who can walk to school and those who are forced to take the bus.  Presumably the answers to these questions helped inform the decisions that were made by the CBE about the fees.  The new structure has raised the ire of some parents who will be paying almost double the cost for a bus ride and lunch supervision:

"Under the new model, fees are scheduled to jump to $430 next school year for students bused to alternative programs. Those in regular programs will pay just $215, but all bused students will now be charged an additional lunch supervision fee." - source.

Naomi Johnson, Chief Superintendent at the CBE has heard the complaints and is holding 5 more community input meetings to address all concerns. The dates: May 14, May 22, May 23, May 28, and May 31.  All meeting details here.  

What do you think?  Should families who opt for alternative programs (like Montessori, an all girls school, or the science school at Langevin for example) get subsidized busing so their kids can take advantage of a program offered outside of their jurisdiction? Or should they foot the bill for the choice they make?

Please note that the Wilma Hansen School Council and Parent Association meetings originally scheduled for May 15th have been re-scheduled to Tuesday, May 22 at 7pm in the Library.  

Topics include the Principal's report on our new Design Centre and its positive effect on student learning for next year, and information about upcoming Bingo and Casino fundraising opportunities.  

This couple of hours connects you closely to the school and community.  Hope to see you on the 22nd!