Winter Festival Raffle Winner

Thank you to all who came out for tonight's winter festival and supported the McKenzie Towne School Parent Association's basket raffle.  The fabulous basket includes days passes to Heritage Park, a Scentsy candle, tickets to a Calgary Flames game, family passes to the corn maze, a round of 18 holes of golf and a home window cleaning package.  The prize is valued at over $600.

The winning number is 0339085.  If you have the winning ticket, you can go into the school with your ticket to claim your prize.  Congratulations to the winner!

The raffle was a great success thanks to everyone's support.  We were able to raise $750 to support school programs and activities!

Gift Card Pick-Up

Our gift card fundraiser was a success thanks to our supporters!  Stay tuned for information regarding the funds raised through this program. 

The gift cards will be arriving on Friday December 10th.  A representative from the McKenzie Towne School Parent Association will be at the school on Friday from 7-8pm for parents to pick up their gift cards.  Please ensure the person who placed the order comes in person for their cards as we will not be able to release cards to friends, neighbours, etc. 

If you are unable to pick up your gift cards on Friday, please contact me directly at keycommunicator@mtsparents.com to make arrangements.

Again, thank you for supporting this fundraiser. 

MTSC/MTSPA Meetings Recap

Thanks to those who attended the MTSC and MTSPA meetings on Monday evening.  In the council meeting, we were given an update by grade 2 teacher Mrs. Scott and grade 3 teacher Mrs. Phelan about the work those classes are doing.  Mrs. Sarginson provided the leadership report and touched on some items such as the success of the Spooky Science Celebration, the upcoming Winter Festival and the school's support of the No Crib for a Bed initiative.  Mr. Murphy gave an update regarding last year's grade 3 PAT results and discussed the Rocks & Rings Residency, which will introduce the sport of curling to the students at the school.  Amendments to the school's funding wish list were also introduced.

Highlights of the Parent Association include a reminder that we are still looking for someone to fill the role of Fundraising Director.  The person in this position will chair the fundraising committee meetings and report to the parent association about fundraising plans.  If you are interested in helping as the Director or on the committee, please contact us.  Tiffany gave an update on the Fundscrip gift card fundraiser and talked about the raffle being held at the winter festival on December 9th.  The raffle will follow the theme of the four seasons with some great prizes.  Jaime advised that planning is ongoing for a fundraising dance to be held in February.  Stay tuned for more information.  Finally, a motion was made and passed for the parent association to financially support the Rocks & Rings curling residency. 

Click here to read the latest edition of the Key Communique.  In addition, be sure to look for the McKenzie Towne School December newsletter on the school's website.

The next meetings of the School Council and Parent Association will be held on January 17, 2011 beginning at 6:30 pm.

Reminder - Gift Card Order Deadline

Gift card orders for our Fundscrip fundraiser are due on Tuesday November 30th.  Due to shipping and processing requirements, we will not be able to accept orders past this date.  Additional orders forms can be found on the left hand side of this screen.  Cheques should be made payable to McKenzie Towne School Parent Association.

Gift Card Fundraiser!

‘TIS THE SEASON TO BUY GIFT CARDS…The McKenzie Towne School Parent Association is asking for your participation in our Fundscrip Gift Card Fundraiser!

• Are you planning to buy gift cards for this upcoming Holiday Season?
• Do you buy groceries and gas?
• Do you rent movies, go out for dinner or frequent a coffee establishment?
• Are you updating your home with renovations or décor?
• Does your company buy gift cards for staff or clients?

When you purchase gift cards which are spent like cash, a rebate goes back to our group automatically! There is no additional cost to you. For example, when you order $150 in gift cards, you pay $150 and you get gift cards worth $150!  By spending the same amount of money you would already spend by purchasing gift cards rather than directly to the retailer, you can contribute valuable dollars to McKenzie Towne School.

Over 100 retailers are offering rebates back to our group.

HOW DO I ORDER?

1. Collect orders from family and friends.
2. Complete an order form.  Forms will be going home with students this week or can be downloaded on the left hand side of this screen.  You can also download and print a corporate request letter if your company may be interested in supporting this fundraiser.
3. Payment can be made by cash or cheque payable to McKenzie Towne School Parent Association.
4. Upon completion, return the order form, along with your payment, to the school.

 

ORDERS MUST BE RECEIVED BY Tuesday November 30th, 2010.  Gift cards are anticipated to be ready to go home by December 9th.
 

THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING MCKENZIE TOWNE SCHOOL PARENT ASSOCIATION

Fundraising Committee Meeting

The Fundraising Committee (FC) is in place to support and enhance the learning environment of the school and ensure student success.  The school and parents work in partnership to identify priorities and put an action plan in place.  The fundraising committee is in need of volunteers to help plan and execute a variety of fundraising activities for McKenzie Towne School.  The committee is meeting Tuesday night at 7 pm at the school.  Anyone interested in helping is welcome to attend.

A Message from the Playground Committee

Hello MTS Families,

We are thrilled to finally have a wonderful playground for our students and community!  After a year of intense effort, the playground was built Sept. 29th – Oct. 2nd.   We were fortunate to have 4 beautiful fall days and so many helping hands. 

The students had their first taste of the playground on Oct. 13th, after the rubber had been poured and set.  It was so gratifying to see everyone having so much fun! 

On Oct. 23rd, we celebrated the Grand Opening of the Playground.  A huge thank you to Rhona, Tiffany & Renata for organizing this amazing event and to all the volunteers who helped run it.  Everyone had a terrific time and it was a wonderful way to wrap up our project.

The Playground Committee would like to extend our heartfelt thanks and appreciation to all the donors, supporters and volunteers who contributed to the success of our playground project.  We couldn’t have done it without you!

Jayman ATB Financial A Child First Preschool Subway Manderley Sod M&M Meats 1450897 Alberta Inc. Co-op Sarcee Butte Ranches (Roy & Judy Copithorne)

Second Cup Groomingtails Pet Spa & Day Care Macs DumpRunner Waste Systems Inc. Sobeys Whispering Pines Int. Inc. Pizza Hut Boston Pizza

Jepson Petroleum Starbucks Prestwick Fine Drycleaning Burnco Compact Rentals Superstore McDonalds Safeway Tim Hortons

We hope that you and your family enjoy many hours of fun on the new playground!

Annika Clennan
Playground Committee Chair
playground@mtsparents.com

Recap of MTSC/PA Meetings Last Night

Thanks to all who joined us for the council and parent association meetings last night.  It was nice to see some new faces.  Thanks also to Kerrie for acting as timekeeper and keeping us on schedule so that we finished on time! 

In the council meeting, Sherri M asked that if anyone has feedback regarding guest speakers for future meetings, please let her know.  Some options may include our trustee Carol Bazinet, our CPS Community Liaison Pete Barker or ASCA.  In the Key Communicator report, Tiffany mentioned that the CBE is asking parents to complete an on-line parent communication survey.  You can access the survey by clicking here.

The volunteer coordinators reported that all classrooms should have their room parent in place by now and that a request for volunteers for the book fair scheduled for December will be coming out soon. 

In the teacher's report, Mrs. Addison spoke about the grade 2 classes and advised that they are organizing the Remembrance Day assembly this year.  She also talked about their work with growing patterns, liquids, bouyancy and campfire.  Mrs. Chen gave us an update about the grade one classes and their ongoing learnings about stories, poems, math concepts and problem solving strategies.  In the leadership report, Mrs. Sarginson reminded parents of the next gabbucino scheduled for November 23 from 2-3 pm at the school.  There was also a reminder about Friday's Spooky Science celebration and and an update regarding plans for the winter celebration on December 9th.  The leadership reports are available in each month's meeting minutes. 

Parking around the school is an ongoing safety concern.  As a reminder, please ensure you are parking only in safe, legal parking zones around the school.  In addition, anyone who witnesses unsafe or illegal activity on school grounds, such as graffiti is asked to report it to Calgary Police Services immediately.  If such activities are always reported, we are more likely to have a regular police presence around the school. 

Highlights of the Parent Association meeting include some discussion of committees being formed, such as yearbook, fun lunch, social events and schoolyard naturalization.  If you are interested in joining or forming any of these or other committees, please let us know.  Our Treasurer, Sherry, gave us an account update and advised that there are still about 50 SUTP books for sale.  The order form is available on this website. 

It was announced that Tina, our Fundraising Director has resigned her position; if you are interested in this important role, please let Sherri M. know.  The trade show originally planned for November is on hold due to a lack of resources and the committee will be revisiting other fundraising plans going forward.

The next council and parent association meetings are scheduled for November 29th.  An agenda and meeting minutes will be sent out prior to that date.

Reminder - MTSC/MTSPA Meetings

Our next council and parent association meetings are Monday night beginning at 6:30pm at the school.   We will be starting with another meet and greet, supported by Starbucks at 6:15, followed by the council meeting.  Please consider attending to see what the council and parent association does and how you can become a part of the decisions being made that affect your children.

Hope to see you there!

Reminder - Playgroud Grand Opening Celebration!

Join us this Saturday as we celebrate the grand opening of our new playground at McKenzie Towne School!  We will have lots of entertainment, including Froot-Loop the Clown, facepainters and mascots.  Kids and families can play games for prizes, enjoy a snack provided by Sobeys McKenzie Towne and a hot beverage donated by Starbucks.  Child Find Alberta will be on-site with their child identification program as well as representatives from Calgary Police Services and AMA Safety Patrol.

So come celebrate with us for a fun filled afternoon on Saturday October 23rd from 1 - 4 pm!

Public School Trustee Election Results

Carol Bazinet has been re-elected in Wards 12 and 14 as public school board trustee.  You can click here for more information about the school board trustee election.

HOJA at MTS!

Students and parents were treated this morning at school to a performance by HOJA.  For those of you who haven't heard of HOJA, they are a Canadian acappella group.  Each member of HOJA sings a variety of different voice parts including bass lines, lead vocals, tenor and baritone parts, instrument sounds such as guitars and trumpets, beatboxing and drum noises, and assorted sound effects.  The music was amazing, the students were enthusiastic and we even got a special performance by our very own Mr. Snashel! 

Thanks to McKenzie Towne School staff for making this presentation possible for our kids. 

Playground Grand Opening Celebration

The parent association would like to invite everyone to attend our playground grand opening celebration on Saturday October 23rd, from 1 – 4 pm at McKenzie Towne School.  The grand opening will take place rain or shine, with a brief opening ceremony and ribbon cutting beginning at 1:10pm.  Enjoy great entertainment including Froot-Loop the Clown and Diggety Dawg, fun activities such as face painting, mini golf, and bean bag toss.  You might even win a prize!  Representatives from Child Find Alberta and AMA Safety Patrol will be on hand as well as Calgary Police Services.  And, of course, who can have a celebration without cupcakes!

So bring your friends and family and come out to celebrate the achievement of this latest milestone for our school! 

We will also be looking for a number of volunteers to help with this event with set up, clean up, running games, etc.  If you can spare some time to help, please email Jaime at mtsplay@gmail.com.

Key Communiqué - October 8th Issue

The latest edition of the Key Communiqué is now available.  There are links to the presentations from the September 30th system meeting as well as information about the new Inspiring Action survey and grade level achievement assessment and reporting news.

Playground Build a Huge Success!

The playground build was a huge success last weekend!  We were fortunate to have such good weather and so many volunteers.  A big THANK YOU to everyone who helped out - we couldn't have done it without you!  Many hands made light work, everyone was well fed and fun was had by all.  We are currently in the process of installing the pour 'n place rubber surface.  This should be complete by Oct. 8th, weather permitting.  We will finish with some site reclamation and by late next week the playground should be ready for use!  Students will be introduced to the playground by our Admin Team, a couple of classes at a time.  Finally, on Sat. Oct. 23rd, from 1-4pm, we will celebrate the Grand Opening of our playground.  Stay tuned for more information...

You can see more pictures of the build by clicking on the link on the left hand side of your screen.

Fundraising Committee Members Needed

Are you interested in playing an active role in your school community?  Are school field trips, fun lunches, artists in residency, etc. important to you and your family?  Parent Associations support these activities through volunteering and fundraising.  Without fundraising, these types of activities may not occur.  The fundraising committee is looking for volunteers to help plan and implement its fundraising activities.  This could include attending fundraising committee meetings to help with the planning process or volunteering for any one of the fundraisers, such as SUTP book sales, November trade show, Fundscrip gift cards, etc.

Our next fundraising committee meeting with be held on October 4th, beginning at 6:30 pm at the school.  Please consider joining us for this meeting or email fundraising@mtsparents.com for more information.

Meetings Recap

Thank you to all who came out to the MTSC meeting and MTSPA AGM on Monday evening.  We had a great turn out and it was wonderful to see so many interested parents.  Thanks as well to Malik Amery, Carol Bazinet and Wendi Moore for speaking to us as candidates for trustee in the upcoming election.  If you'd like an opportunity to hear more from each candidate, you can attend the forum tonight at Lord Beaverbrook High School.  Check our calendar for details.

Another thank you goes out to Nicole D for volunteering for the role of Co-Volunteer Coordinator.  Our other co coordinator, Kerrie provided an update and advised that classroom parents will soon be in the process of meeting with teachers and making arrangements for classroom volunteers.

The Grade 4 teachers were able to give us an update about how their classes are learning about the concept of story; something each grade is learning about in their own way.   In the leadership report, Mrs. Sarginson announced the next gabbucino is scheduled for November 16th from 2-3pm at the school.  All parents are welcome to attend.  Director's Cut residency will be starting in October; each student will have an opportunity to create their own video as part of this residency.  It was also announced that the school will be holding a mad science themed celebration on October 29th. 

In the MTSPA AGM, we heard that at the next meeting there will be an opportunity to establish some  committees such as fun lunch, yearbook, events and schoolyard naturalization.  If you are interested in joining a committee, please consider attending the next meeting.

We received a report from our Treasurer, Sherry T. and were able to review the school's wish list provided by Mrs. Sarginson.  A motion was passed to financially support the Director's Cut residency program to reduce the fee for parents.  Spending decisions are made in the parent association; if you would like to be involved in these decisions, please attend a meeting.

Our Fundraising Director, Tina, provided a report regarding last year's fundraising successes and the plan for this year's activities.  Stay tuned for more information coming soon about Fundscrip gift cards, litterless lunch products and a trade show at the school. 

Annika, our playground Chair provided an update about the playground.  About 150 volunteers will be helping with the build this week and it is expected that the playground will be ready for use October 15th.  The grand opening is scheduled for October 23rd with exciting activities and entertainment planned. 

The next meetings will be held on October 25th beginning with a meet and greet at 6:15pm at the school.  Starbucks in Copperfield has generously offered to support our school meetings and events, so please come out to meet other parents, learn and make decisions about what is happening at the school and enjoy some free hot chocolate or coffee!

CAPSC/PAC Public Service Annoucement

A public service announcement received regarding the upcoming trustee election.

23 September, 2010

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT

The Calgary Association of Parents and School Councils and Calgary Public Teachers ATA Local 38 are encouraging all members of the school community to cast an informed vote for their public school in the upcoming October 18 municipal election. Now, more than ever, your vote counts!

•Our educational system is experiencing transformational change.
•Inspiring Action and Setting the Direction are moving forward.
•The Education Minister is opening up the School Act.
•The Calgary Board of Education works with a budget of just over $1B.
•The board of trustees make decisions that impact over 100,000 students and 9,000 employees.
•Education is facing challenging economic times.

We need to ensure the best candidates are elected to our board!

CAPSC and ATA Local 38 have collaborated on a candidate questionnaire. Trustee candidates’ responses to that questionnaire will be available on line at www.calgarytrusteeelections.com beginning Monday, September 27.

CAPSC is sponsoring forums in all city ward pairings beginning Monday, September 27. The complete forum schedule can be found online at www.capsc.ca. 

The Calgary Association of Parents and School Councils is an incorporated non-profit society whose membership consists mainly of public school councils. We meet monthly to learn about and discuss a variety of educational issues with expert and informed guest speakers.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:

Leslie Newton Fern Schmidt Heide Doppmeier
Vice President Public School Trustee Forum Coordinator Political Action Chair
CAPSC CAPSC Calgary Public TeachersLeslie.Newton@capsc.ca Fern.Schmidt@capsc.ca ATA Local 38
HEDoppmeier@cbe.ab.ca

Reminder - MTSC/MTSPA Meetings Tonight!

Tonight is the first meeting of the McKenzie Towne School Council and is also the AGM for the Parent Association.  Whether you can attend some or all of tonight's meetings, we strongly encourage parents to join us.  We will be beginning with a meet and greet at 6:15 pm and the council meeting will begin at 6:30 pm. Please have a look at the agenda for the council and parent association and bring them with you to the meetings.  

During the school council meeting, we will be holding elections for a co-volunteer coordinator position and all three candidates for school board trustee will be joining us.  The parent association will have updates regarding the playground and a discussion about fundraising goals and spending priorities.

Hope to see you all this evening!

Key Communiqué - September 24th

Click here to read the September 24th edition of the Key Communique.  Of note is the System Parent Meeting being held later this week on September 30th at Central Memorial High School, from 7 - 8:30 pm.  There will be a presentation by CAPSC, information regarding the Career and Technology Strategy at the CBE as well as information about school councils and parent associations.  All parents are welcome to attend.

September Key Communiqué

The first issue of the Key Communique for this school year is now out and can be viewed by clicking here.  There is an upcoming System Parent Meeting on September 30th at Central Memorial High School and the next CAPSC meeting is this week on September 15th at AE Cross Junior High.  Details of these and other events are found in the Key Communique.  We also try to keep our calendar on this website as up to date as possible, so check back here for meeting dates and times. 

Councils give parents the 'in' on their kids' schools

(Thanks to Jaime for sending this article in.  Our AGM is coming up soon on September 27th.  Come out and get involved in your childrens' school!)

Source: Shannon Sutherland, Calgary Herald

When Janis Giroux comes cruising down the corridor at her 16-year-old daughter's school, she doesn't necessarily expect a shout-out and a great-to-see-ya.

After all, teenagers often tend to tolerate parents at home, but at school, parents are just plain embarrassing. But the dedicated mom volunteers as a school council member at the schools of both her teenager and her seven-year-old -- like it or not, she says with a laugh.

"If you want to know what is going on your kids' schools, that is definitely the place to go," says Giroux.

"And gett ing involved in a parent council gives you a chance to be 'they.' Instead of saying why don't 'they' do that or why don't 'they' do this, you can do it yourself."

She says sometimes people misunderstand the role of a school council and use it as a forum to voice concerns about staffing or other issues, but she says it is a place for parents to partner with the school.

Giroux says an effort to att end meetings and a willingness to help out is all that is required.

Click here to read the rest of the article.

PT Interviews

Parent Teacher Interviews are coming up this week on Thursday and Friday.  Please remember there is early dismissal on Thursday (no school for kindergarten) and no school on Friday.  You can log on to Pick-A-Time on the school website to schedule your appointment.

SUTP Volunteers Needed

Welcome back to school!!  Beginning Tuesday, September 7 order forms will be going home for students to begin selling the Student Union Ticket Paks (SUTP books)  The books will sell for $20/bk with $10 staying with the Parent Association to be able to provide resources and activities for the students throughout the year. The books will be for sale until October 15, 2010.  An incentive to get your students to sell the books is that for every book they sell, they will have their name entered into a draw for a WII gaming system.

We are looking for any volunteers who can come into the school to assist us in processing the orders. Our goal is to process the orders Tuesday’s and Thursday’s and shouldn’t take any longer than a couple of hours.  One of our fundraising team members will be there to oversee the process, but we would like to have a 1-2 additional volunteers for each day to be able to get the sales processed.  There is no commitment to commit every day, if you can do one day, or three days we would welcome you.

If you can volunteer for any of the days above between September 14 and October 21, please respond to Kerrie at kerrie.is.not@shaw.ca.

Welcome Back & Playground Update

On behalf of the McKenzie Towne School Parent Association, I'd like to extend a welcome to all those returning to MTS and to those who are new to our school.  We hope everyone has had a smooth transition back to class.

By now, you've probably seen work underway in the playground area.  We have completed the first step excavation and sub-surface prep and the machines have been moved off the grounds.  We are arranging to have construction fencing installed later next week.

The build will take place beginning on September 29th until October 2nd and we will need approximately 150 volunteers to complete the build.  You can sign up by clicking on the form to the left of this post.  A volunteer sign up form will also be coming home from school shortly.

Grant Award & New Playground Build Date!

We are thrilled to announce that the MTS Playground Project has been awarded a Community Facility Enhancement Program (CFEP) Grant through the Alberta Lottery Fund in the amount of $95,565!

The Community Facility Enhancement Program has been established to assist in fostering the unique characteristics of Alberta's many communities.  The program is intended to reinvest revenues generated from provincial lotteries in communities; to empower local citizens and community organizations to work together and respond to local needs.  To accomplish this, the program has been designed to respond to local facility enhancement needs and to work in partnership with community groups and volunteers.  By assisting communities with construction, renovation or redevelopment of community public-use facilities, the Community Facility Enhancement Program will help enhance the quality of life and citizen well-being in communities across the province.

Playground Chair Annika with MLA Art Johnston

With the awarding of this grant we now have all the funds ($196,000) required for our project and can proceed with the building of our playground!  Mark your calendars - our new build date is Sept. 29th- Oct.2nd, though excavation of the site will begin immediately (Sept. 1st- 3rd).  We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause on the first couple days of school.  However please be aware that the site preparation is being generously donated by Whissell Contracting at a cost of over $20,000.  We are very grateful for this donation and are working to accommodate Whissell’s very busy schedule.  We appreciate your support in this situation.  Due to safety and security reasons, the area will be fenced off for the duration of the construction (Sept. 1st ~ Oct. 14th; weather permitting).

Please join us in this momentous event by volunteering to help build the playground.  You’ll be doing something great for the children in our school and community!  You can sign up for the build on our website or contact Jaime at mtsplay@gmail.com.

Bus Schedules

Less than one week to go now!  For bus students, the schedules have now been posted on the CBE McKenzie Towne School website.  You can link to them by clicking here.  They are also posted on the doors of the school. 

Playground Update

We regretfully announce that due to a delay in the CFEP grant funding we will not be having a September 8th playground build.  We do, however, anticipate an early fall build and will communicate the new date once confirmed.  For those volunteers who have already committed to helping build the playground, we thank you and apologize for any inconvenience caused.  If you would like to volunteer for the build or have any volunteer related questions, please contact mtsplay@gmail.com.  For any general playground inquiries, please contact playground@mtsparents.com.

May Meeting Minutes

The ratified minutes from the May meetings of the MTSC and MTSPA are now available.  Meeting minutes can also be found on the McKenzie Towne School site of the CBE.  Stay tuned for updated information about September's meetings.  Enjoy the rest of your summer!

Neighbour Grant Awarded

A message from the playground committee:

The playground committee is pleased to announce that we have been awarded a $2500 Neighbour Grant from The Calgary Foundation in support of our playground build.

The Calgary Foundation, established in 1955, facilitates collaborative philanthropy by making powerful connections between donors and community organizations for the long term benefit of Calgary and surrounding area.  The Neighbour Grant program supports resident-led projects to help create and strengthen the ordinary bonds of neighbourliness.  These grants encourage neighbours, groups and public institutions to engage in dialogue and shared projects.  Please visit their website at www.thecalgaryfoundation.org.

                                              Many thanks to the Calgary Foundation for their kind support!

A Message from CAPSC

The following message was received from the Communications Coordinator at CAPSC.  You can check out the CAPSC blog at http://capsccalgary.blogspot.com/:

CAPSC (Calgary Association of Parents and School Councils) Executive would like to wish everyone a wonderful summer and we look forward to re-engaging with you all in the fall. Your support over the past year has been greatly appreciated!   We will try and keep the blog up to date with any new developments in the meantime.  The 2010/2011 school year is promising to be an eventful one so stay tuned.

In the meantime, we would like to draw your attention to Inspiring Action on Education:  A Discussion Paper and an online Transformation Guide that consists of several surveys targeted to specific topics.  Two are now open for response:  Inspiring Action Overall Survey and Parental and Community Engagement.  Other surveys will become accessible over the summer and into the fall.  You can find them at http://engage.education.alberta.ca/home/.

CAPSC Executive is also working on an advocacy letter to the Alberta Government in regards to education funding which will be shared on the blog shortly.

Final MTSC/MTSPA Meetings Tonight

The final meetings of the year for the McKenzie Towne School Council and Parent Association are tonight, beginning at 6:30pm.  Click the links to view the agendas for the MTSC and MTSPA.  The minutes for last months MTSC and MTSPA meetings will be reviewed and ratified at the meetings tonight.

Our final meeting of the school year is another milestone in this year of many 'firsts'.  All parents are encouraged to join us for the meetings.

CBE Budget News

The following is a message from Katie Young, Communications Advisor at the CBE:

Board of Trustees Approves the Calgary Board of Education's 2010-2011 Operating Budget

At Tuesday’s regular public Board meeting The Board of Trustees approved the Calgary Board of Education’s 2010-2011 Operating Budget, subject to receiving Ministerial approval for the $10.0 million accumulated operating deficit budget.  Click here for the full story.


Shane from the Haultain Parents Association had an opportunity recently to speak with the trustee for our area, Carol Bazinet, and has a great blog post about it that I would encourage parents to read.  The bottom line is that if you are concerned about classroom sizes and budget cuts that may impact your childrens' education, the best advice is to speak to your MLA and let the province know your thoughts on education funding.

Notes from the MTSC, MTSPA and CBE

Follow the links to read the minutes from the April 26th MTSC and MTSPA meetings.  You can also read the latest Key Communique by clicking here.  Of special interest in this edition is a link to a website the CBE has created to answer questions about budget concerns and a link to the Inspiring Education Steering Committee report.  There is also information about the Setting the Direction initiative underway in Alberta. 

Our final MTSC and MTSPA meetings of the year are coming up on June 21st.  All are welcome and encouraged to attend.

CBE System Parent Meeting Webinar

As promised at the council meeting, here is the link to the system parent meeting that was held on May 26th.  The subject was Personalized Learning in the CBE and we were able to listen to representatives from an elementary, middle and high school give examples of personalized learning at their schools.  Included in the webinar are some neat videos from students that demonstrate personalized learning in action.  A number of questions were asked at the end of the session and I will post a link to the answers once they become available.

Council and PA Meeting Recap - Volunteers Needed!

Thank you to everyone who came out to last night's council and parent association meetings. Among the topics covered was a call out for volunteers both for the fun lunch happening this Thursday and for the Activity Day scheduled for Friday. The volunteer coordinators are still looking for a number of volunteers in order for these events to happen. If you are available to help, please contact Kerrie at kerrie.is.not@shaw.ca or Jenn at foordhoey@shaw.ca.

In the teachers reports, Mrs. McLarty talked about the work the grade fours have been doing with the grade ones on their garden project, their upcoming trip to the Glenbow museum and some ideas they are thinking of in terms of a grade four legacy project. Miss. Hudec spoke about the successful kindergarten tea held recently, their upcoming field trip to the zoo and their learnings about caterpillars and butterflies.

In the leadership report, Mrs. Sarginson was able to give us some great examples of personalized learning in MTS. She also talked about the grade 4 farewell planned for June 24^th as well as a number of other upcoming events. Check the calendar on-line for events at our school. School staffing was also discussed with the announcement of five new teachers next year due to the growth in student population.

Items of note from the Parent Association meeting include a reminder that the playground committee is looking for volunteers for the build in September. You can complete the paper form that was sent home or sign up on this website. The committee continues to work on planning for the build and for an opening celebration. The fundraising committee presented its plans for events and activities for the 2010-2011 school year and continues its work on those plans as well as grant applications. Finally, some discussion about fencing occurred and there was consensus to focus on the fencing required for the playground at this time.

Our last meeting of the year is scheduled for June 21^st. Hope to see you there!

Fun Lunch Volunteers Needed!

We are having a fun lunch on June 3 for grades 1 - 4.  In order to facilitate this, we require two volunteers per class room (your child does not have to be in the class you are assigned to).  Volunteers are required to be at the school at 11:30 and should be done by 1:00.

Please contact Kerrie Somerville (kerrie.is.not@shaw.ca) if you are able to volunteer.  Please use "Fun Lunch" in the subject line.  If you have already signed up to volunteer for this event there is no need to e-mail again.

Thanks,

Kerrie and Jenn
Volunteer Coordinators

Meeting Minutes

The minutes from the March MTSC and MTSPA meetings are now available.  You can also read the minutes from the Key Communicator Steering Committee meeting, held on March 19th.

Our next MTSC and MTSPA meetings are next week on May 31st, beginning at 6:30 pm.  As always, parents are encouraged to attend.

Playground Build Volunteer Sign-Up

The playground volunteer sign-up form is now available.  On the left-hand side of your screen, just under the picture of the school, you will find a link to the sign-up form.  Please note that one form is required for each volunteer, but multiple shifts can be selected on the form.  A huge thank you to the playground committee who has dedicated the better part of a year to this worthwhile project. 

CAPSC Meeting about Parent-School Communication

Here's a reminder about the next CAPSC meeting, from Madeleine Baerg, the Communications Coordinator for CAPSC:

Just a reminder that the next monthly meeting for the Calgary Association of Parents and School Councils (CAPSC) takes place on Wednesday May 19th, 2010.  We hope to see you at our last meeting of the school year!

This meeting is sure to be a useful one for all parents and school councils.  In addition to a short presentation from our CBE Board of Trustees liaison, we’ll be holding an interactive discussion forum on the topic of parent-school communication, and we’ll have an open-mic session for parents to discuss key issues of concern or interest.  

The meeting takes place in the library on the second floor of AE Cross Junior High School from 7:00-9:00 pm. All are invited.

Speeding in McKenzie Towne

As it has been a subject that has come up on more than one occasion at council and parent association meetings, I thought I'd pass along a link to the Speeding Survey that was recently completed in McKenzie Towne.  The survey was done at the request of the community liaison officer, Pete Barker and looked at traffic around Inverness Square and Elgin Park Road.  Click the link and sign in to the McKenzie Towne Connect site to read the report. 

Key Communiqué

Please share the information you receive in these emails with your school councils and parent communities. Next System Meeting Information: Here are the details for the next System Information Session for Key Communicators and School Council Chairs. Please email me as soon as possible to confirm your attendance (and whether you are planning on attending in person, or through the webinar format). When: Wednesday, May 26, 2010 Where: Sir Winston Churchill High School Theatre & broadcast through Elluminate (webinar). I will send out instructions and a link to the session soon. Time: 7:00 p.m. - 8:45 p.m. Topic: Personalized Learning in the CBE – In this meeting you will hear from and ask questions of a panel of principals and Dr. Ronna Mosher, Director, Curriculum & Design who will describe what personalization “looks like” in CBE Schools. CBE in the News Most of you have probably heard about CBE budget issues in the news recently. It is important for all parents to know that the budget is still under development and no final decisions have been made. The budget will be presented to the Board of Trustees at a public meeting on June 1, 2010. At that time, the Board will discuss how the CBE can best allocate funds for the coming year. Don’t Miss Election 2010 Event May 12! What could be more important than helping Calgary children achieve their highest personal potential? And what can you do about it? Come out to find out how you can support public education. Date: Wednesday May 12, 2010 Time: 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. Place: CBE Education Centre (515 Macleod Trail SE) The evening will include a lively and engaging debate between CBE students on the topic of mandatory voting and a panel discussion on why it’s important for Canadians to vote, featuring Licia Corbella, Editorial Page Editor, Calgary Herald and Vettivelu ( Nallai) Nallainayagam, Associate Professor, Mount Royal University. There will also be an opportunity to learn more about what it takes to be a trustee, tour the Boardroom and more. To RSVP and find out more click here Remaining 2010 Area Meeting Information: Area Date/Time Location Topic I Tuesday, May 11  6:30 – 8:30                          Parkdale Centre 728 -32 St NW     System & Area 1 StudentAccommodationSchool Fees Key Communicator Information Sharing II III IV V RESCHEDULED TO June 9, 2010 Area V Office Haysboro Centre (1123 - 87 Avenue S.W.) TBA **(If you aren't sure which Area is yours, click here and scroll to the bottom of the page for a list of schools divided by Area)** Scholarship Information: May 30th is the deadline for this year’s EducationMatters scholarship applications. With a loving little nudge from you, your soon-to-be graduated teen could qualify for one or more student awards. Visit for more details or visit the CBE's webpage on scholarship informationhttp://www.cbe.ab.ca/students/scholarships.asp. Key Communiqué Archives: If you missed (or misplaced) an issue of the Key Communiqué, or if you want to look back at past issues for reference, you can find them all archived here. School Council Development: School Council Development (SCD) provides workshops and resource materials to assist school councils. School Council Development provides the following services: Workshops for school councils anywhere in Alberta Toll Free School Council Consultation Line - 1-800-661-3470 Instructor training to deliver workshops to school councils Resource manual and materials for school council Alberta Education School Council Resource Manual CAPSC: CAPSC is Calgary’s city-wide, public school parent association.  CAPSC’s primary goal is to keep parents up to date and involved in their children’s education, and to help make individual school’s Parent Councils as effective as possible.  CAPSC provides parents with resources, learning and sharing opportunities. They represent parent concerns to the CBE and all levels of government.  For more information or to subscribe to their newsletter, visitwww.capsc.ca.

Contact Information Katie Young, BPR Communications Advisor Calgary Board of Educationhttp://www.cbe.ab.ca/ Email: klyoung@cbe.ab.ca T (403) 294-8566  F (403) 294-8172 515 Macleod Tr. SE Calgary, AB T2G 2L9 We are always looking for ways to improve communication so if you have any suggestions or comments, please feel free to email them to me. School Council Website & Hotline: The School Council website is a great resource for information. Check it out athttp://www.cbe.ab.ca/ parents/ schlcouncils.asp. Key Communicator and School Council Chair Hotline. at 403-294-8244.

  

Dates to Remember

The calendar in the left column is maintained to let all parents know about upcoming meetings, events and activities happening in and around our school.  I'd like to make mention of a few upcoming meetings of which parents may want to be aware.

The fundraising committee is holding its next meeting on May 11th, beginning at 6:30 pm at the school.  They will be looking at possible grant applications as well as making plans for fundraising activities for next year.  If you'd like to become involved, please attend the meeting.

On May 12th, the CBE is hosting en event about how you can get involved in supporting public education during this fall's upcoming civic election.  The event takes place from 6-8pm at the CBE Education Centre.  Here's a link to their formal invitation to all parents. 

Also on May 12th, the playground committee is holding it's next meeting.  The meeting begins at 6:30 pm at the school.

On May 19th, CAPSC is holding its final meeting of the school year.  The primary topic at this meeting will be "Effective School Communication: what works, what doesn't, and how school councils can support school communication efforts".   There will be an open mic available for parents to share opinions or feedback about issues affecting their schools.  This meeting runs from 7-9 pm at AE Cross Junior High.

Please check our calendar often as we try to update it on a regular basis.

Playground Update

The MTS Playground Project essentially consists of three phases: Fundraising, Design and Build. I am pleased to report that 2 of the 3 phases are now complete! We have reached our final design and submitted our CFEP grant application for the remaining outstanding funds. Though we estimated the playground would cost $200,000, the final total is $194,030. We have raised half this amount ($97,015) through cash donations, in-kind donations, fundraising events and a grant from the Parks Foundation Calgary and therefore were eligible to apply for the other half from CFEP (Community Facility Enhancement Program awarded through the Alberta Lottery Fund). Now we cross our fingers and hope we get the amount we applied for, though we won’t know until late June/early July. In the meantime we are commencing with Phase III – The Build. Though the Build is not scheduled until September (8- 11^th), this is a project in itself and requires significant planning. Please watch for information on the Build coming in May/June! 
 

Annika C. playground@mtsparents.com

Council and PA Meeting Recap

Thank you to all who attended Monday evening's Council and PA meetings.  During council meeting, we heard an update about yearbooks - please note that there will soon be another opportunity to order if you have not done so already.  Sherri spoke about the CBE Board Development meeting she attended.  A link to the CBE's presentation on personalization of learning will be posted when it becomes available.  Tiffany attended the CAPSC panel discussion on Special Education.  CAPSC has done a recap on their website about this meeting, which you can link to here.

In the teacher's report, Mrs. Foster talked about the grade one garden box planting project they are planning as part of their learnings about science and community.  This project will benefit the entire school.  The grade one class will be looking for some support from parents in the form of tools, supplies, etc.  Watch for something in the next school newsletter about this project.  Mrs. Purdy gave an update about the kindergarten class and their work with shadows as well as their upcoming field trip to Safeway and their learnings about community and nutrition.  Kindergarten parents can look forward to invitations to a class event related to this work.

Highlights of the leadership report include the fun lunch scheduled for June 3rd.  Thanks to the lunchroom staff for coordinating this event!  Alien In-line is scheduled for June 7-17 with a family skate night on June 17th.  Work has started on a possible artist in residency program at the school.   Each month's leadership report can be found in the minutes for that month's council meeting.

In the Parent Association meeting, there was an update regarding insurance as this work is ongoing.  We heard an update from the playground committee about the build and their back-up plan as it relates to funding.  The fundraising committee continues work on grant applications and plans for next year.  A number of motions were made regarding funding of various items. 

Finally, in recognition of National Volunteer Week, our chair, Sherri, wants to extend a big thank you to all those who volunteer in our school, whether it be attending field trips, reading in the classroom, helping in the office or attending council and PA meetings.  Please know that your efforts are appreciated and we hope that you benefit from it as well.  Below is a short video by http://volunteer.ca/ that expresses it best.