ATA News 46:8

December 6, 2011
Gold medal knitting team

Gold medal knitting team

Grade 5 students at École Father Jan School are knitting scarves for the athletes, coaches and volunteers of the 2012 Special Olympics Canada Winter Games.

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Cartoon by Randy Glasbergen

“My dog ate my homework — nobody else would!”

Trading Up

What do you do when parents and students demand more chances for hands-on trades training, but your school lacks adequate facilities and equipment to provide it?

HOG* wild

Fairview High School’s (FHS) mechanics program is the only school in Canada where students can work on a Harley Davidson motorcycle.

Giving peace a chance

As part of learning about peace and what it means, a four-year-old prekindergarten class responded to the reading of Todd Parr’s The Peace Book.

A good day for the GP Warriors

While attending an Edmonton Eskimos playoff game, players and team managers from the Grande Prairie Warriors posed with Punter (the one who looks like a football), the Eskimos’ mascot.

Social studies and scarves tie into Special Olympics

Knitting might be the last thing you’d expect Grade 5 students to be doing during their lunch hour, but at least 12 students are doing exactly that—and for a good cause.

Editorial - Take a break, you deserve it

Something magical unfolds in schools on the afternoon of the last day before Christmas break.

Q & A - I’m a part-time teacher and …

Question: I’m a part-time teacher and I’ve been told that I have a professional duty to attend district inservices, even if they fall on days when I don’t teach.

Fact or Fiction - Rats can push buttons, too

An iPad for babies is the recipient of this year’s TOADY (Toys Oppressive And Destructive to Young Children) Award for the Worst Toy of the Year.

Highlights from the Legislature

The legislative assembly reconvened for its fall sitting November 21, 2011.

Conditions of professional practice deteriorating—ATA

The troubling findings of two ATA studies identify a need for the government to take decisive action to address systemic problems in Alberta’s schools.

Teachers concerned about Inclusive Education Planning Tool

Teachers are raising concerns about a new electronic tool being field-tested by Alberta Education.

Pension Points - Don’t vilify members of public-service pension plans

In an article published in the Financial Post (October 7, 2011), authors Bill Tufts and Lee Fairbanks bemoan the fact that “public-sector unions have negotiated pensions that lift their retired members far above the poverty line.”

Grande Prairie coach credits many for support in face of tragedy

A lot of people know who Rick Gilson is.

Grande Prairie Warriors “Fight On”

The Grande Prairie Warriors inspired many people in the wake of a car accident that took the lives of four players.

Notices and events

A collection of notices and events.

Quick Facts

Estimated percentage of U.S. public schools that will fail this year under the standards set by No Child Left Behind: 82.