CBE Year-end Financial Report

The Calgary Board of Education delivered the year-end financial report Monday. Although the budget anticipated a $19.2 million deficit, the result was a surplus of $49.8 million.

Read the full report here.

Should Alberta Fund Private Schools?

Do you think your tax dollars should fund private schools?

Liberal MLA Kent Hehr said Monday that the province could save up to $50 million a year by stopping the subsidies. Hehr believes in the public system and states that although it is a right to not take part in the public school system, it is not a right for taxpayers to fund that choice.


Read the story here.

Some Important Upcoming Dates

Showcase Assemblies November 30

Grade 9 9:05-10:05

Grade 8 10:25-11:25

Grade 7 11:40-12:40

Field Trip

Ms Stiles and Ms Williams are taking grade 7,8,9 dance and drama students to the musical grease at Strathcona Tweedsmuir School the afternoon of November 29. Students are leaving at 11:30 and returning for the end of the school day. Thank you to all parent volunteers who are supporting this  enrichment program.

Grade 8 Science Field Trips

The grade 8 science classes under the direction of Ms. Stiles/Ms. Caceres and Mr. Jackins will be attending a Zoo school for the day as an enrichment activity connected to our current unit of study-Fresh and Salt Water Systems. This year the new  penguin exhibit will be our focus. If you have not already returned your acknowledgement of risk and payment of 20$ please do so immediately to your science teacher.

8C/D will be attending December 3

8A/B will be attending December 5

Thank you to those parents who have already volunteered to attend. We would welcome anyone else who would be able to support their child’s class.

See the handy-dandy calendar at the bottom of the page for these and other important dates and information.

Anti-Bullying Program

On Tuesday, November 20, parents at Haultain Memorial School had the incredible opportunity to listen to an informative, interesting and helpful talk on bullying. Expert Lisa Dixon-Wells facilitated the session, Dare to Care: Bully Proofing Your Child. On a personal note, when I arrived at the school Tuesday evening, I was not looking forward to sitting in a chair, in the gym to listen to someone speak about one topic for over two hours. However, almost immediately after Lisa began to speak, I became completely engaged with every word she said.

The time flew by, as she spoke with so much knowledge, energy and passion. According to Lisa, the two biggest issues today surrounding bullying are, what she called, "the girl issue: the hidden culture of aggression" and cyberbullying. Before getting into details about the issues, Lisa clearly defined the meaning of bullying, pointing out that the word can be overused which, inevitably, minimizes the real issue. She also acknowledged that bullying is a learned behaviour from home and can be corrected if parents are open to work with their child.

Lisa addressed three major changes in bullying that has happened over the past twenty years. The first change is that children are presenting more challenging behaviors than before. The second change is the younger age at which bullying behavior is occurring in children. The final change in bullying Lisa pointed out is the maliciousness that now exists. Factors such as media, breakdown of families and breakdown of communities have contributed to these changes. The good news is that parents and communities have the power to control these factors and inevitably fight bullying.

An interesting segment of Lisa's talk was centred around, what she calls, "provocative victims." These are children who often are bullied or are misunderstood to be bullies themselves. A provocative victim is often gifted, bright, bored, complex, restless, academic and has a strong sense of fairness and justice. These children socially struggle and tend to be avoided by others because of their lack of understanding with concepts such as personal space and the ability to read body language and tone of voice. Provocative victims will often take a long time to explain things and may tend to make silly noises and gestures. Again, however, the good news is that parents have the power to help these children by teaching social skills. Lisa highly recommends the books, Nobody Likes Me Everybody Hates Me by Michele Borba and Perfect Targets by Brenda Smith Myles for parents of provocative victims.

Other books recommended by Lisa are Odd Girl Out by Rachel Simmons, for parents of girls and Odd Girl Speaks Out by Rachel Simmons, for girls of grade four and up. These books address the issue of bullying amongst girls. For parents of boys, Lisa recommends Real Boys, by William Pollack. She also highly recommends children, parents and educators see the movie, Odd Girl Out, available from amazon.com. Lisa suggested a website for parents, www.getwebwise, that breaks down the lingo children and teens are using with their digital communications. The site reveals the meanings of hundreds of acronyms now used for texting, on line chatting and emailing.

Lisa ended the talk by addressing a concrete formula victims of bullying can use. The acronym, "HA HA SO", stands for: Help, Assert, Humor, Avoid, Self Talk and Own It. Each word is a tool that victims can use in situations of bullying. Our children were taught these valuable tools when Lisa worked with them in the school. She had the students role play and practice the different techniques, depending on the bullying situation.

Thank you to Haultain's Parent Association for funding this invaluable program and thank you to Mrs. O'Connor for bringing the idea to the floor. Finally, thank you to Lisa Dixon-Wells for sharing the Dare to Care program at Haultain and teaching staff, students and parents the life changing skills, facts and concepts around the issue of bullying.

For more information on the Dare to Care program, go to www.daretocare.ca

Important Due Dates for Fundraising

Fundscrip Gift Cards

Dollar for dollar you get your gift cards, and the school benefits.  We all buy groceries and gas so this is an easy way to help the school with your day to day purchases.  Find the order form on the school webpage, in the important dates section http://schools.cbe.ab.ca/b685/ or click here to go straight to the order form.  All orders due by noon on Friday, Nov 30. (no exceptions)

Silpada Jewelry

Ordering online is easy, just follow these simple steps:
1. Go to www.mysilpada.ca/dalyn.sjogren
2. Click on Shop Silpada Catalogue to view the jewellery

3. Select Wilma Hansen as the party/fundraiser by clicking on:

Invited to a Party? Find your Hostess Now

THIS STEP IS IMPORTANT TO ENSURE ORDERS ARE PUT TOWARDS THE FUNDRAISER
4. Click on Continue Shopping to view the catalogues and jewellery

5. Add the items to your Shopping Bag and check out when you are ready

Support Wilma Hansen and place your order by December 7^th to guarantee arrival before Christmas!

Hawks Sports Update

The weather played havoc on the girl's soccer schedule and they had to end the season prematurely.  They were slated to play in a 4 team final to determine the winner of the school season but snow and ice and wind and grey days in general shut it all down.  If improvement, hard work, sportsmanship, and fun are measures of success then the Hawk's girl's soccer team had a very successful season. Thanks to the coaches for volunteering their time and fielding such an exciting side.


Further sports news has been forwarded by Ms. Stiles and Ms. Taylor who compiled the following for the blog:

Grade 9 girls Volleyball Team:

Congrats to the senior girls volleyball  team for winning the league pennant the second year in a row-defeating Mountain Park. The members of the team are as follows:

Helena G and Abbey S –team captains

Emma H, Charly B, Brittney E, Sarah K, Erika S, Merrit K, Lauren W

A special thank you to the amazing parents who supported the girls throughout their season.

Basketball Tryouts!!

Basketball tryouts for the week of November 26^th

Jr. Girls                 Tuesday Nov. 27^th @ 7:45am and Thurs. Nov. 29^th @ 3:45pm

Jr. Boys                 Mon. Nov. 26^th @ 3:45pm and Thurs. Nov. 29^th @ 7:45am

Sr. Girls                Mon. Nov. 26^th @ 7:45am and Wed. Nov. 28^th @ 7:45am

Sr. Boys                Wed. Nov. 28^th @ 3:45pm and Fri Nov. 30^th @ 1:15pm

Coaches for Basketball

Jr. Girls: Lindsay Taylor and Darlene Reynold

Jr. Boys: Mark MacDonald and Kathy McLean

Sr. Girls: Mike Kresack

Sr. Boys: Tammy Davey and Phil Noel

Wrestling Information

Volunteer Coach: Coach Mat

Teacher Sponsors:  Taylor Berry and Ann Marie Charnock

Wrestling Meet at Wilma Hansen on Tuesday November 27^th from 4:00 – 6:00pm

Divisional Meet at Southland Leisure Center on December  4^th from 9:00 – Noon.

 

Urgent Request

Hello Wilma Hansen Parents:

This is an urgent call for 1 parent volunteer to work the Wilma Hansen Parent Association’s Bingo scheduled for Sunday, November 25, 4:30pm – 9:30pm (yes, that is Grey Cup time if you are a football fan) 

16 volunteers are already confirmed but we must have 17 to avoid penalty fees!

The location is the BINGO BARN, 1107 33 Street NE

Remember, if you volunteer for a Wilma Hansen Bingo, you will receive the usual 30point (1point = $1) credit voucher for use on various school fees.

If you are able to volunteer for this event, please respond to this email.  Volunteers will be selected on a first come, first served basis.  So, check your calendars and respond asap!  (nstaples@shaw.ca).

Dr. E. P. Scarlett Open House

This is a reminder about Scarlett's open house tonight at 7pm.  If you are thinking of this school for your child, this is a great opportunity to take a look. Scarlett's website: click!

No Zero Policy Discussed at ASBA Conference

ABSA (Alberta School Boards Association) held its fall general meeting yesterday. The association's conference runs November 18-20 in Edmonton. The public discussion was about student testing in the province. Albertans are being asked about testing and marks in schools, including what the appropriate assessment tools for students are and who should apply them.


Read more about the story on Global News: Global Edmonton | No-zero issue sparks larger discussion about student assessment in Alberta

CAPSC Newsletter: November 2012

In which:

• Upcoming meetings
• Membership Dues
• Council of School Councils Update
• Online Learning

are discussed...

DDQ Event

In conjunction with Health Services and others; the DDQ is hosting an event that includes a free Budget Management Workshop, holiday crafts, alcohol free holiday cocktails, resource information, holiday activity ideas, and a 'Mother Goose' reading time. It runs from 6-9 pm on November 28th at the Deer Run Community Association. Click here or on the thumbnail for the event poster.

A Note from Ms. Mallett: Admin Extraordinaire

PTS Conferences

Just a reminder of our upcoming Parent/Teacher/Student conferences to be held this Thursday and Friday.  Please plan to attend with your child to discuss their progress to date and any concerns you may have. Success happens when home and school are working together.

There is an early dismissal at 12:25 p.m. on Thursday and no school for students on Thursday afternoon or all day on Friday.

Interviews take place in the gym with a drop in (no appointment) format. 

            Thursday: 1:30 p.m. – 3:50 p.m
                            5:00 p.m. – 7:50 p.m.

            Friday:      9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Results Report cards

Results reporting for Citizenship, Personal Development, and Character were sent home with all students on Monday. This first report represents student voice - where they see their strengths and where they identify areas for growth this year. We will be working as a team to support their goals. Our first full report card will be sent home February 4th. A reminder students should always be on top of their marks in each class through the regular updates emailed home each month. There is still time to complete those missing assignments.  

Book Sale

Wilma Hansen library will be featuring a book sale during our PTS conferences.  Our library assistant has put together a collection of titles at great prices that will be of interest to our students.  This is a great opportunity for some early Christmas Shopping.

Grade 9 Farewell Fundraiser

Our Grade 9 students are fundraising to help off-set the cost of a year end function.  They are selling cookie, brownie and soup mix jars through The Mixing Spoon.  These make great Christmas or hostess gifts.  Please talk to any grade 9 student or call our office for order forms. There will also be a table set-up at conferences for you to place your orders.  Our grade 9 students thank you for your support!

Parent Association Fundscrip Fundraiser: This message is sent on behalf of our Parent Association:

Get a jump on your seasonal shopping and support our Parent Association Fundraiser!  This great fundraiser allows you to purchase gift cards for groceries, restaurants, entertainment, gas and a rebate goes to the fundraising organization.  Click here for the information sheet and here for the order form and all orders must be received at the school by November 30, 2012.  They will have a table set up at PTS conferences to place your orders or answer any questions you may have.

Teens Need Sleep

According tho the National Sleep Foundation, teens need about 9 1/4 hours of sleep each night to do their best in school the following day. Unfortunately, many teens find it hard to be alert and pay attention in class because they are sleep deprived. Lack of sleep may limit teens' ability to learn and concentrate in school, even interfering with memory of important information like names, numbers and dates.  The National Sleep Foundation suggests ways to help your teen get enough sleep each night, including keeping consistent sleep schedules on school nights and weekends. The website recommends that teens should opt for a relaxing activity before bed such as reading or taking a warm shower, rather than sitting in front of a TV or computer.  According to the foundation, schools with later bell times find that their students get more sleep each school night, improving enrollment and attendance.  These students are more likely to be on time and are more alert in the morning.

Check out the website here.

CBE School Sponsors Followup

It appears all the trustees except two (Sheila Taylor and our Trustee Carol Bazinet) would rather not ask our opinion about corporate branding in our schools.  As I posted earlier this week, some rule changes were made that will pave the way for sponsorship money coming to the board:

The CBE recently changed two of its administrative regulations and would allow, under certain conditions, spaces such as classrooms to be named after companies that donate to the school board. - source.

Sheila Taylor wanted the Board to look at commissioning a survey to see how parents feel about the changes. Pat Cochrane (Trustee Chair) says that this isn't the right time for such a survey and that it may be something to look at in the future.

Canada is Great Place to Live

We always knew that but now we have proof.  The Legatum Prosperity Index rates Canada at #6 in a field of 144 countries world wide. Based on rankings in 8 categories: Economy (8), Entrepreneurship (16), Governance (6), Education (3), Health (15), Safety & Security (9), Personal Freedom (1), and Social Capital (8) the Index rates Canada in the top 10 and has since 2009. 

The Legatum Institute is the public policy research arm of the Legatum Group, a Dubai-based private investment group founded in 2006 by New Zealand billionaire Christopher Chandler. - source.

Other than Personal Freedom (1), our best ranking is in Education (3rd in the world) where we beat the global average (and 138 other countries) in every category. Something to be proud of.

Youth in the Electorial Process

Does your teen know that the American Federal Election is today?  More importantly, does your teen know when a Candadian election occurs?  Does he understand how elections work?  Is she interested in getting involved as an active citizen?  According to Elections Canada, young adults choose to vote at lower rates than older citizens. Professor Jon H. Pammett at Carleton University explains that young people are not taught about politics in a way that encourages participation.  He outlines three areas to stimulate the involvement of youth in politics:  He reccommends "civics" be taught in a more participative mode, he explains how governmental institutions can be more participative and he suggests that the voting age be reduced.

Read Professor Pammett's artice here.

Elections Canada's website offers helpful information for teachers, students and young voters.  The site has resource materials and links on how elections work and on how youth can get involved as active citizens.  Check out the site here.

Sponsorship in the Schools?

The CBE's board of trustees meet tonight and a consideration will be raised by Sheila Taylor regarding corporate sponsorship in schools.  Click here to see the proposal. She will ask the board to consider commissioning a survey to parents to see how we feel about it.  The comment boards on all the stories about this are polarized, many suggesting an horrific look at a future filled with tobacco ads in the gym and fast food logos in the cafeteria while many are taking the approach that commercials are ubiquitous anyway so we might as well get some profit from it.

I can't see the harm in asking parents what they think and the survey results may inform the trustee's decisions in the near future. Understanding what their constituents think about possibly contentious issues is always a good thing.

My personal feeling is that if its done discreetly and uses sponsorship that reflects our community values - why not? Its better than milking parents with increasing school fees. How is it different from asking our kids to go door to door selling coupon books or pizza or chocolate bars: same stuff, different pile...

What do you think?  You okay with classroom sponsors?  Would calling the shop class, the "GE Room" or labeling the foods and fashion studies the "Sylvania Centre" be alright with you?  Leave a comment below...

Investing in Education: RESP's

$5238.00 - this is the 2010/2011 cost per year of classes at the University of Calgary humanities program.  This doesn't include any living expenses or campus fees.  The cost is going up. In fact since 2001, the costs have increased 32% and according to this article, tuition fees are increasing three times faster than inflation. Graduates are taking an average of 14 years to pay back their $27,000 (average) of students loans.

There are many people who feel education should be free for Canada's citizens, paid for by the government and subsidized by foreign students as it is in some countries (Germany, France, Italy, Norway, etc.).  Maybe someday that will be the case, but for now, a very expensive Canadian education is the reality.

There are ways to help absorb the impact when the time comes; bursaries, scholarships, and grants are very helpful if your student has the marks. Another option is RESP's. A registered education savings plan is a great way to plan for the future.

I came across an article this morning in The Windsor Star's 'money' section that has a great overview of RESP's; every family who aspires to send their kids to a post-secondary institution should consider this investment. As the article says, its better to start as early as possible to increase the benefit but its not too late even up to your child's 15th birthday year.  The government kicks in an additional 20% of your contribution up to $500 each year.