Election 2015

From the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms:

Section 3–5: Democratic Rights

Section 3 Democratic Rights

Every citizen of Canada has the right to vote in an election of members of the House of Commons or of a legislative assembly and to be qualified for membership therein.

Sections 3, 4 and 5 of the Charter contain rules that guarantee Canadians a democratic government.

Section 3 guarantees to all citizens the right to be involved in the election of their governments. It gives them the right to vote in federal, provincial or territorial elections, along with the right to run for public office themselves.

Again, some limits on these rights may be reasonable even in a democracy. For example, the right to vote or stand for election is limited to persons 18 years of age or older.

Why Vote?Remember, in not so recent times in Canada, specific groups of people did not enjoy the right to vote (First Nations could not vote until 1960 for example, women fought for the right for suffrage in 1918).

Are you registered to vote in next month's election? If you aren't sure, you can visit the Elections Canada site to check. Please click to visit the online voter registration site! 

Resilience

   

"With awareness come responsibility and choice."

     I meant to post this entry on September 11th, but not for the reason you may think. A few students remarked on the date, but I suspect that since the incidents that occurred in 2001 are before their births, the relevance and understanding of that day does not have the same meaning as it would for others. I remember vividly what I was doing on that day, but now I have a new September 11th memory: the evening I attended the Calgary word Fest event with Amanda Lindhout in 2014:  

     Having followed the story of her abduction, and seen her speak at a middle school conference and then listened to an audio-book version of her book (voiced by Amanda herself), I have been intrigued, heartbroken and marveled at Amanda's journey. Despite all of the horrific details of her treatment in Somalia and the after effects, Amanda's story is ultimately one of healing and forgiveness. I don't think it was a coincidence that I was able to attend her speaker series on the 11th last year. It was a reminder of the power of forgiveness in the face of remarkable hurt and how a person may choose to overcome the most difficult of personal obstacles.

"I think it's the human spirit inside of all of us that has an enormous capacity to survive."

Community Classroom

 
     For the second year in a row, we are embarking on a rich learning journey. Students will walk to Police Point Park and spend three quarters of their school day outdoors for a week. We will be journaling, exploring First Nations culture with Kokum, and learning about the interactions within ecosystems. All of our learning is tied to the core curricula, as well as Health, Art and Physical Education. We view this learning opportunity as a class and community builder which will be the anchor for our entire year of learning. We are fortunate to be supported by our vice principal, school counselor and principal, as well as Police Point Park, FNMI Education, our school district and most important, parent volunteers. We are hoping that the learning experience will plant a seed in each of the students to see their role in nature, as active citizens and stewards of precious resources. Now, let's just hope the weather cooperates!

Google Classroom

     Last year our grade seven students were able to access chrome books in a one to one ratio. Two hundred students were able to open these light, quick devices whenever they needed to. This year the challenge will be to share devices in a  one device to two student ratio. So far, we have been managing well to make sure students have technology when they need it with only slight interruptions to our work flow, such as having to pick up chrome books  from another classroom. For the French Immersion English class, they have one to one integration in the classroom, as we have a class set of seventeen devices right in our room. Mr. Knight, our very busy and gracious Construction teacher, is busy making a permanent storage station to house our devices. Last year, he furnished the school with beautiful chrome books carts which are still in use this year in several departments. The temporary solution in the classroom is much less organized and aesthetically pleasing:

    Google Classroom is one way to integrate technology seamlessly into a classroom. New features are developed frequently which make integration even easier. Assignments cannot be lost, students can catch up on work since it is posted and accessible from any device and the possibilities for collaboration can extend beyond our classroom. If you haven't encountered Google Classroom before, please view the introductory video to get a taste of what it offers. Or better yet, ask your student to give you a personal tour!