Band Bingo Coming Up...

 Hello Wilma Hansen Band Parents

Our next Bingo is the evening of THURSDAY, MARCH 7 from 4:30pm to 9:30pm.

The location is the BINGO BARN, 1107 33 Street NE

This Bingo is specifically for the band program at Wilma.  That means that if the band program provides the parent volunteers, all funds received from this event will go directly to the band program.  As always, you will receive the usual 30point (1point = $1) credit voucher as well.  This voucher can be applied to your school fees in September as well as other expenses that come up in the school year.

For this Bingo, we are requesting 14 volunteers.

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 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!  (nstaples@shaw.ca)

If you are available for this date, please let me know. Or if you have any questions, I would be happy to clarify.

Thanks

Nancy Staples

Helicopter Parents Infiltrate College, the Workplace and Beyond

From an article in Global Calgary:

“If you’re doing your eight-year-old’s homework, you’re going to end up doing your 18-year-old’s work."

"From policing college grades to calling in sick for their adult children at work, helicopter parents are keeping a closer and closer cruising altitude over emerging adulthood – that post-high school period at which previous generations began fending for themselves. "

"...the phenomenon of coddled 20-somethings is 'the downstream result of our fertility decisions and economic issues.'"

"...older Gen X’ers waited to have kids due to delayed career starts and financial instability, and ultimately had fewer children – leaving them more time to obsess over the youths’ personal successes and failures."

"...helicopter parenting may be robbing young people 'of the experiences necessary to develop skills that are essential for success in marriage, careers and adult social interactions.'"

“What you have is a generation who expects their parents to do things for them. And they expect that because their parents have always done things for them.”
“I wonder what would happen if we all stopped pushing our kids to succeed and just let natural selection run its course? Sort of like the housing bubble: let the whole thing burst instead of running around to tutors, after school programs, language lessons, and lining up to register for sports programs.”

Read the full article here.

Doom and Gloom on March 7?

On March 7, Alberta's provincial budget will be released. The Calgary Herald reported that the budget will see a 0.7 percent increase on program spending and a $300 million operational deficit. The government has warned of a $6 billion shortfall on energy revenue because of over projected oil prices.

Read about this story in the Calgary Herald here.

According to a story in the Calgary Herald, some Albertans say it's time the public had a serious, engaged debate about what should happen next. They suggest that Albertans both today and tomorrow will pay the price for a lack of fiscal discipline if the government doesn't create a long-term plan. The article suggests that overly optimistic choices by government about the potential for energy revenues lent to over spending. Albertans have wanted to "keep taxes low" but "increase our spending very quickly." "Spending, it seemed, was what Albertans wanted."

Read more in the Calgary Herald, here.

So, with the potential doom and gloom quickly approaching on March 7, what does this mean for our children's education? Is it as good as it gets? Can education get better or will the budget make damaging cuts to the system?

Last week I attended a Calgary Board of Education Trustee Hosted Meeting for Area V, open to representatives of school councils. The evening, hosted by trustees Pamela King and Pat Cochrane, was centred around an open discussion on two topics: "The Here and Now" and "How Do We Prepare Your Children For Their Future?" The attendees were asked, as parents, what they held most sacred to them under the education system, what they could conceivably let go of and what ideas parents possibly had on how to optimize funding. The conversation was held under the knowledge that on March 7, Provincial Budget Day, the Education Minister will be giving school boards "less hopeful" news. Concepts of teaching children responsibility, creativity, communication, integrity and respect were also discussed at the meeting. A key component of this discussion was centred around the notion of assessing children.

I personally found the evening to be engaging and an excellent opportunity to discuss education with other school councils in Calgary, as well as with the board of trustees. Although the topics discussed were difficult, some common threads were agreed upon amongst the majority of those who attended the meeting. Personalization of learning, core academics, respect, attention to diversity, creativity, resiliency to change and good quality teaching were the bottom line essentials of education to those that attended the meeting.

With that said, let's hope that on March 7 and the months thereafter, Alberta Education and the Calgary Board of Education will continue to deliver the essential education we expect our children have the right to.

Light Excericise Has Postive Mental Health Effects

In a recent study, lead by a registered psychologist at the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, light to moderate exercise had a measurable improvement on teens' psychosocial functioning.  Although the light, physical activity had little effect on teens' weight loss or change in body fat, it had a positive mental health effect on  the subjects.  The psychological improvements were particularly in "body image, perceived social competence, and perceived academic performance.”


Read the full story on Global News here.