Garibaldi Annex Parents

[From the Vancouver Sun...]

Parent advisory councils in B.C. schools will receive only half as much money in gambling grants this year as they did last year, Education Minister Margaret MacDiarmid revealed Tuesday at an event intended to celebrate the start of a new school year.

That news, along with dire warnings from the Vancouver board of education that it’s facing a financial crisis this year, took the shine off a gathering at False Creek elementary, organized by the education ministry to promote the use of 2010 Winter Olympics educational materials in the classroom.

Garibaldi Community “Building” Day!
1025 Slocan St., Vancouver, BC
SATURDAY, AUGUST 29th
9 am – 5 pm

Come out and help us build our new playground SATURDAY, AUGUST 29th

The day will involve

• Assembly of our 2 new structures led by Habitat Systems
• General Clean-up and Renewal of our grounds & Community/School Garden

[From wired.com]

When I was a kid, we played outside with the other kids in the neighborhood with most of our free time. We also made the most of recess at school. We kept ourselves quite occupied without any of today’s modern technologies. Listed below are some no-tech games that you may have enjoyed as a kid. I sure did. Some can be done indoors. Some can be done by yourself or with just one friend. But most of them are best when done outside with a group of people. Also, most of these games can be changed or improved by making up your own rules. Use your imagination!

Read more... http://www.wired.com/geekdad/2009/08/simpleoutdoorplay/

We raised $1,741.20 thanks to generous community donations and a successful silent auction thanks to all those that participated and stay tuned for another big fundraiser happening this summer!

[from today's Globe and Mail...]

All-day kindergarten and seamless, school-centred childcare for four and five-year-olds are the recommendations of a proposed new education policy that could herald a sea change in Ontario's approach to child development, one that could become a national model.

After two years of study, former deputy minister of education Charles Pascal will on Monday release his long-awaited report on the province's early years education program.

Here is a link to a Globe and Mail article about the sexualization of media aimed at 5-11 year-olds.

Click here to read the article

(Posted for Judy Venable of Partners in Education )

Hi Everyone,
Our Partners In Education Workshop Series continues with:

The Truth About Gangs
Facilitated by: Constable Adam Dhaliwal

Thursday, May 28
11:30 - 1pm
Canucks Family Education Centre, 2nd Floor
1655 Williams Street

Limited childcare available in Room 110, Britannia Secondary School
All workshops are free of charge, but registration is required if you will need childcare.
Please respond by email to jean.cfec@gmail.com or venable@shaw.ca. You may also call the CFEC office at 604.713-8266,
ext. 7110.

This article reports that cooking some vegetables, especially without water, can make more nutrients available, especially antioxidants.

Click here to read more...

June 18th Playground Minutes
Present:
Kate
Hal
Lori
Angela
Alistair
George

1. Presentation by Dave Warner for Habitat Systems

* Quality materials - have a long list of other schools and playgrounds where they have done projects (see catalogue)
* Habitat does not assist with any funding but they can provide us with a list of potential sources for grants. Options presented range from $14,000 to $20,000
* The price includes delivery and a site supervisor for build day
* Dave feels that 30 volunteers on the build day should be sufficient

2. Presentation by Layla Jaffer for Canadian Playsystems

* Canadian company based in Richmond. They do the all manufacturing and install.

Here is a link to an article on the benefits of home schooling. In includes a report and an article from the Fraser Institute. Click here to read the article.