Bullying: Trolls

Here is an excellent post from our friends at Haultain Memorial... Bullying can take on many forms and just like all the other aspects of our lives, the digital age has brought forth a new type of bully: enter the troll. A problem not just for kids; this story and this one outlines the effect this kind of cruelty can have on adults as well.

Grade Nine Girls Volleyball

The girls Volleyball team is picked and ready to go.  Come out and support the team led by Coach Stiles and Captains Helena G, Abbey S. This years roster includes Lauren W., Merrit K, Brittney E, Sarah K, Erika S, Charly B and Emma H.

The first game for league play is Tuesday September 25.  Upcoming events include a feeder school tournament on Friday September 28 at EP Scarlett and the Rallypointe Open the following day - September 29th.  A busy week for the team!

Tough Loss For Hawks Girls Soccer

On a beautiful afternoon on the Wilma pitch; the Hawks had a tough time with a very strong Nickle team. Nickle scored early and ended up with 5 in the first half.  The frustrated but competitive Hawks team stayed with it and continued playing hard.  Struggling a bit in mid-field, the Hawks were still able to win through the middle third a few times. Then they faced a towering defense that simply made no errors.When the mids did break through the strong backs and were able to forward the ball to the strikers, the Nickle keeper was focused and strong denying all shots.

Nickle had a number of club players and a very strong center field presence.  The star of the game was clearly a high level player who took full advantage of the Hawk's relative inexperience.  A natural libero, she looked like a female version of Beckenbauer.  All that being said, the second half showed a great display of grittiness and determination in the Hawk's play.  I'm sure their coaches were proud of the hard work and never-give-up attitude on display. There were many small field victories to be proud of.

On a side note, Nickle had large (and loud) support from parents and friends, at least 40 supporters accompanied their team on the road trip.  If you can make it out to watch our girls play, I know it would mean a lot to them.  Hopefully we'll see you on the sidelines at Willow Park School (near Southcenter Mall) next Wednesday October 3rd at 4:15.

Bingo Allocations and Calendar

At the Parent Association meeting this week the bingo allocations were worked out.  Click here to see them all or check the calendar at the bottom of the blog for the bingo's and many other important school dates. 

Speaking of the calendar: I've added the Hawk's Girls Soccer dates/times/locations as well.  As soon as I get the boys schedule I'll add them to the calendar too.  If you know of any other important items that should be there - please use the link on the right side to contact me and I'll make sure it gets added.

Hawks Soccer: A Strong First Game Win 3-1

I had the privilege of watching the Hansen Hawks Girls Soccer team play their first game of the season on Monday.  The game was fast paced and aggressive with some wide open play.  First game - first win of the season for the team, with a firm 3 -1 finish.  The opening goal came from Nicole on a beautiful cross after a great effort starting in the defensive end. The second goal came from a strong direct free kick by Brittney from about 25 meters.  The third goal put away the rival SWS Storm and came from Mackenzie's great anticipation of a poorly placed goal kick.  A solid showing by 2nd year keeper Karena who only let one shot sneak by her.

Overall an excellent effort led by coaches Ms. Aucoin, Ms. Speerin, and Ms. Bramall the team showed some very positive play that they can build on and I'm looking forward to the next game. Come support your Hawks on Monday September 24th at 4:15 on Wilma's pitch when they take on Nickel. Keep an eye on the calendar at the bottom of the blog for upcoming games.

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.

Wilma Hansen School Council and Parent Association Meetings

Our AGM for both the Council and Association are scheduled for this Thursday starting at 7pm in the Wilma library.  Click here for the Council agenda and here for the Parent Association agenda.

We are currently without a Council executive and any help along these lines would be very appreciated.  If you have an hour or two to give to this worthwhile endeavor, come to the meeting on Thursday.  You will be given all the help and support you need to run the Council. If you'd like more information about the definition of a CBE school Council and more about its roles and responsibilities, visit this link.

Kids and Drugs Parent Workshop

A Parents Guide to Prevention
A free workshop for parents of kids 8 - 15 years old who are interested in preventing future alcohol, tobacco, and drugs use and abuse. Click here for more detail.  Register online at calgarypubliclibrary.com or call 403.260.2620.

Understanding Issue's Facing Teens

Alberta Health Services is giving free seminars titled Understanding Issues Teens Face Today.  They will be held at the Shawnessy Library and the South Calgary Health Center.  The seminars all start at 7pm and run until 8:30.  For more information about the topics in each seminar click here.

Meet the Teacher Night: September 20th

Don't forget this Thursday, September 20th is 'Meet the Teacher' night at Wilma Hansen.

Fundraiser Information: Magazine Subscription

The magazine fund raiser is starting today.  We are using the Canadian Community Reading Plan magazine subscription plan again this year. There will be packages available after the 3:00 assembly today.  There will be three prize days: September 28, October 5, and October 12. Click here for the official flyer and all the information you need to make this a successful campaign.

For convenience, go straight to the online order form by clicking the banner below. Our campaign code is already inserted; don't forget to give credit to your favourite Wilma Hansen student, they may win a great prize.

Notice from CAPSC

 The Calgary Association of Parents and School Councils would like to welcome you back for the new school year!  We are looking forward to a great year and would like to invite you to join us for our first meeting of 2012-2013.  Our September meeting will be held Wednesday September 19th 7:00pm at AE Cross School library.  We look forward to seeing our returning members, and we welcome all new attendees.

This month we welcome two guests from Alberta Education, Joan Engel, Executive Director, Education Program Standards and Assessment Division and Merla Bolender, Executive Director, Programs of Study and Resources.  They will be presenting "Bringing Inspiring Education to Life Through Curriculum Redesign".

Following the presentation they will facilitate a discussion on what opportunities the curriculum shifts offer for your child(ren) and how you as a parent might want to be involved in and/or kept informed about progress of curriculum redesign?

Debra Hidson from Junior Achievement of Southern Alberta will be speaking briefly on the various initiatives they are working on for the upcoming year

Please also remember that we are now accepting membership renewals.  For more information or to purchase a membership, please go to our membership page or contact our Communications Coordinator.

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

Bingo Notice from Nancy: secretary extraordinaire

Please check your calendars – we need more volunteers.

The Wilma Hansen School Parents Association (WHSPA) is hosting another bingo event at the Bingo Barn on Sep 20, 4:30 – 9:30pm.

This is your chance to receive credit toward your school fees!!!

For this event, we require 18 volunteers. Remember, the proceeds from this event benefit our entire school.  The dollars brought into the school from your participation in volunteering for this event enhance all of the programs offered at Wilma Hansen.

Volunteering for this Bingo is open to all parents of Wilma Hansen students.  Remember, if you volunteer for a bingo event, you will receive the usual 30point (1point = $1) credit voucher that can be used directly against your school fees and other costs that come up throughout the year.  (yeah!!  $30 off!) 

Once again, for this bingo, we are requesting approx. 18 volunteers.

If you are able to volunteer for this event, please reply to nstaples@shaw.ca.  Volunteers will be selected on a first come, first served basis for the first family volunteer.  If more volunteers are required, we will allow additional family members to volunteer.   So, check your calendars and respond asap!

Once again…

Thursday, Sep 20

4:30pm – 9:30pm

BINGO BARN, 1107 33 Street NE

First Meeting of the Year

A quick reminder that the Council and PA will be meeting on Tuesday September 18th in the Wilma library at 7:00 pm.

Last year, we were unable to create a council due to a dearth of volunteers.

This is a very important part of the parental process at the school.  It gives us, as parents, an opportunity to work with school administration on issues of school community and provide advice and input on all issues relating to the school.  We are very fortunate to have a principal and vice-principal who are more than willing to accept that input and communicate with our parents - we should take full advantage.  If you can commit a couple of hours each month to this worthy cause, please come to the meeting and let us know.  No training or background is required and all the help you need is available.  We just need more bodies...

Back to it!

I hope everyone had a great summer and is ready and re-charged for the new school year.  There are many things to know and get ready for tomorrow (grade 7's) and for Wednesday (grade 8 and 9's).  For all the school stuff - check out the Wilma web page here and the principal blog here. You can download the student handbook here.

Stay tuned to this blog for information about the Council and Association, Bingo info, Casino info, volunteering opportunities, community events, etc.  If you are interested in volunteering this year and becoming a part of the school, there are a lot of areas you can contribute with many levels of commitment.  If you are interested, come to a meeting or send an email to Lynn at jewittj@telus.net.  Keep an eye on the calendar at the bottom of the page - it will get filled in with important dates as the year progresses.