Edmonton Public Schools… In the News

March 9, 2012

Congratulations to the winners of the High School Culinary Challenge
Edmonton Journal – March 7, 2012

The gold medal went to the culinary team from Queen Elizabeth High School, who defeated 12 other teams in the competition. Silver went to the team from Edmonton Public School’s Skill Centre, and bronze was taken home by aspiring chefs from Sherwood Park’s Bev Facey Community School. Read more.

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Talmud Torah celebrates 100 years
West Edmonton Local – March 7, 2012

Talmud Torah School, the longest-operating Jewish day school in Canada, will be celebrating its 100th anniversary this May.

Esther Starkman, a former Edmonton Public Schools trustee and Talmud Torah alumni whose children and grandchildren also attended the school, says that the importance of education in the Jewish faith is one of the reasons the school has lasted so long. Read more.

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Titans, Panthers repeat as city champions
Senior boys, girls teams keep undefeated records intact in high school basketball
Edmonton Journal - March 3, 2012

Two perfect seasons stayed intact on Saturday night, as the Harry Ainlay Titans senior boys and the Spruce Grove Panthers senior girls won their respective Tier 1 basketball finals. Both teams also repeated as city champions. The Strathcona Lords hosted the city finals, but came out on the short end in both matches. Read more.

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Former Spitfire pilot recalls harrowing landing
Gripping yarns spun at Granite Curling Club’s 99th birthday bash
Edmonton Journal – March 4, 2012

Flying Officer Harold Ulmer was piloting a Spitfire on escort duty with American Flying Fortress bombers in 1943 when he was hit by antiaircraft fire over France. Born in Vermilion and a former school teacher who retired from Harry Ainlay High School in 1973, he still enjoys tucking into a steak. With his own teeth, of course. Read more.

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Scona girls basketball team does itself proud
Edmonton Examiner - March 7, 2012

One of the most impressive teams during the Edmonton high school basketball championships last weekend didn’t actually win gold. The Strathcona Lords came up just short against the defending champion Spruce Grove Panthers in the Edmonton Public senior girls Tier 1 final, losing 74-67 in their home gym Saturday, but that doesn’t diminish nor end their special season. Read more.

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Breakfast Television Edmonton (CKEM-TV)
March 2, 2012

On March 2, Riverbend Junior High held its annual Benefit for the Bissell Center.  Minister Dave Hancock and Mayor Stephen Mandel were on hand for the event.

Watch video of Riverbend students and performer Madi Amyotte on BT here.

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Riverbend School surpasses fundraising goal for Bissell Centre

March 6, 2012

Riverbend School’s Benefit for Bissell: Concert and Silent Auction raised $23,000 for Bissell Centre, surpassing the students’ goal of $15,000.  The concert, held on March 1 at the Citadel’s Maclab Theatre, was organized entirely by the school’s Grade 9 Leadership Class.

Year after year, Riverbend School continues to raise money for Bissell Centre by organizing coin drives, hot lunches, dances, and much more.  This year, they were able to exceed their fundraising goal for the Benefit for Bissell: Concert and Silent Auction by securing sponsorships, numerous donations, selling tickets to the event, and through a well organized silent auction. 

Artists such as Madi Amyotte, Livy Jeanne, Maren Ord, and many others volunteered their time and talents to support the school’s efforts to raise awareness and money for Bissell Centre and Edmonton’s less fortunate. Also in attendance were Mayor Stephen Mandel who delivered an inspirational message about youth leadership and ending poverty in Edmonton, and Honourable Dave Hancock, Minister of Human Services who gave a speech about addressing the issues of homelessness as a community.

Kudos to everyone involved!

Artist Madi Amyotte

Mayor Stephen Mandel

 

Livy Jeanne (centre) with Grade 9 Leadership students

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Edmonton Public Schools… In the News

February 24, 2012

Public school ‘hubs’ hailed for transitional merits
Metro Edmonton, February 22, 2012

McCauley and Balwin’s Transition Centres are the joint effort of EPSB and partners including the City of Edmonton Community Services, YMCA, United Way, Edmonton Public Library and the Mennonite Centre for Newcomers.

Balwin and McCauley’s Transition Centres are facilitated via REACH Edmonton Council for Safe Communities, as sites for the Schools as Community Hubs Initiative.

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Benefit for Bissell: Concert & Silent Auction featuring Riverbend School’s Grade 9 Leadership class students Katie MacLean and Shoshana Messinger
Global News Morning Edition, February 22, 2012

Thanks to the inspirational efforts by the students at Riverbend Junior High’s Leadership Program, the Bissell Centre will get an infusion of much needed cash. Joining us to talk about their Benefit for Bissell are students Katie MacLean and Shoshana Messinger.  Watch the video here.

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Teens against Poverty: Riverbend School presents Benefit for Bissell

February 22, 2012

Riverbend School’s Grade 9 Leadership Class presents Benefit for Bissell: Concert and Silent Auction on Thursday, March 1.

Benefit for Bissell is in its seventh year running and is organized entirely by Riverbend’s Grade 9 Leadership class. The night of entertainment takes place in the Citadel’s Maclab Theatre from 7 to 9 p.m. It features performances by multi-award winning singer-songwriter Livy Jeanne, Next Star finalist Madi Amyotte, Juno nominee Maren Ord, Canadian Idol semi-finalist Martin Kerr and others. Mayor Stephen Mandel and Trustee Michael Janz will also be in attendance.

A silent auction will be held in the Tucker Amphitheatre, prior to the concert at 6 p.m. and during intermission. Auction items include: two tickets to the April 16 Coldplay concert; a signed Ryan Nugent-Hopkins jersey and photograph; a Hot Air Balloon ride for two; and a work of equestrian art signed by the jockeys who rode the Triple Crown Winners from 1948 – 1978.

All proceeds from Benefit for Bissell will be donated to Bissell Centre, a non-profit social services organization that works to eliminate poverty in Edmonton. Riverbend School and Bissell Centre are working together in a three-year partnership to raise awareness and funds for impoverished Edmontonians.

Tickets are $23.11, available at www.citadeltheatre.com/event/benefit-for-bissell/.

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David Suzuki in the classroom at Riverbend School!

October 28, 2011

On Tuesday, November 1, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Riverbend School students will be buzzing with excitement as they participate in a virtual classroom with Canada’s most recognized scientists, Dr. David Suzuki.

Presented by the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) in partnership with the David Suzuki Foundation, the David Suzuki Classroom is an opportunity for students to connect with the famous environmentalist, live.  Riverbend students, along with peers from 200 schools across Canada, will have an opportunity to ask Dr. Suzuki questions about the themes raised in the NFB documentary Force of Nature: The David Suzuki Movie.

One of the students has been selected to ask the following question:

1.  At one point in time, religion was the center of our society.  Now, it could be said that it has been replaced by the economy.  If we got rid of the economy, what would replace it?

During the online session, Dr. Suzuki will talk about his many experiences and compelling vision for the future of our planet. 

For more information on the David Suzuki Classroom, visit the National Film Board’s website.

About the film
In Force of Nature: The David Suzuki Movie, the iconic scientist’s “last lecture” is intercut with emotional scenes that trace his life’s journey, from an internment camp in British Columbia and the swamps of small-town Ontario to a memorial ceremony in Hiroshima and the CBC studios, where for decades he has created his award-winning TV show, The Nature of Things with David Suzuki. The film encourages the examination of world events in relation to oneself and one another, as well as our interconnections with nature.

 

 

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Edmonton Public Schools… In the News

September 30, 2011

School names honour duo who shook status quo
She was a pioneer feminist, the first woman to run for elected political office in Alberta — and win. He is an educational innovator, the school superintendent who established Edmonton’s groundbreaking public school philosophy of open boundaries and competitive school choice, who put principals in charge of their own schools, and championed multilingual education.

Board seeks input on new policy for special needs kids
A draft “inclusive education” policy would guarantee students with special needs have the same chance as other students to attend their neighbourhood schools, say trustees and parents who worked on the new policy. The school board is asking for public input on the policy through an online survey available on the board’s website until Oct. 4.

Alberta authors inspire young writers at Edmonton schools
Yes, Katrina and Mikaela, you can live in Edmonton and be a writer if that’s your dream. Katrina Merkosky, Mikaela Wingerak and other Grade 5 students at École/Escuela Father Leo Green Elementary met an Edmonton author last year, when Marion Brooker came to their school. Brooker arrived with a bag of shoes, including her mother’s 111-year-old leather button-up baby shoes, Katrina, 11, remembers. She was making the point that you can write about anything, even a shoe.

Public trustees mull scrapping early school dismissals
When Grade 8 students Azan and Samir Esmail were in elementary school, early dismissal Thursdays meant they were sent to after-school care one day a week. The 13-year-old brothers who now attend Riverbend Junior High School say they like the idea of extending regular class time and abandoning early dismissal days in exchange for extra days off throughout the year.

Also worth noting:

CBC  TV, September 27, 2011
Most students are settling into a classroom routine and one group of youngsters hit the street for their lessons today. At George P. Nicholson, a Grade 6 class had a firsthand look at the value of doing volunteer work for the homeless. Dawn Schmitz’s lass who call themselves Schmitze-Sixers are taking part in a program that gives students a chance to learn about their city in an interactive manner, but it’s more than just sitting in a different classroom, they’re seeing places that are new to them.

 
 
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