- Black Gold Home-Based School -- 4th Floor
http://www.blackgold.ca/index.php/schools/alternate-schools/black-gold-home-based-school/ (our home page with a link to our BLOG at the bottom of the page). Thank you for checking out all of the events we post there!!
SPRING NEWSLETTER MARCH 2011
Yes, it is spring – somewhere in the world! The days are longer! The sun has more warmth to it! We are still snuggling inside because of the cold. My car showed me -30 on March 7! Sometimes it is very hard to be a part of history!
Do these pictures grab you? I couldn’t quite post flowers! Even with the surprising weather, there are many wonderful choices for what you can do with every day. Sometimes, too, just being quiet or resting is exactly what you need, before you take on the next challenge/adventure/project or activity. One life is built one year at a time, one month at a time, one week at a time, one day at a time and one thought at a time. Be gentle and strong with yourself as you look ahead!
We are very pleased, again, to pass on compliments and congratulations to each one of you - where you have completed your course, - written your exam, - scored great marks on your work and - were happy with yourself with the work you did. CONGRATULATIONS!! Your best work and good thinking shows in your marks! CONGRATULATIONS!! Your pride lets you know how much of yourself you put into your course! CONGRATULATIONS!! You know, more investment = more returns! CONGRATULATIONS!! Right now, with these courses you are building choices for your future. You are exploring your interests and finding your talents. CONGRATULATIONS!!
UPDATES
1. http://www.blackgold.ca/index.php/schools/alternate-schools/black-gold-home-based-school that is where you can find us! The programs offered through Home-Based School AND our BLOG link is at the bottom of the page. We post current items of interest, contests, opportunities and information on the BLOG. Our most recent visitors have come from many parts of North America (Grande Prairie to Ottawa, Washington State to Tennessee), as well as, Australia, India, Finland, Moscow, South Korea and many places in Alberta – McMurray, Drayton Valley, Spruce Grove, Beaumont, Leduc, Calgary, Edmonton. (We only track the last 500 users, as that is the free count limit.) This is very exciting!! People are connecting looking for all kinds of information. If you find an information item that you think would be of help to other students and/parents, please let us know. Please, do check our BLOG first. It might already be posted. Thank you!
2. Letters will be sent out in April, to show the Grade 3, 6, 9 and 12 students who are writing Provincial Achievement Tests and Diploma Exams the formal exam dates. All of you will receive a schedule of exams. Your ADLC teacher will be able to connect you for FREE to the Exam Bank for practice exams. There are past exams for practice on the Alberta Education site -
For Diploma Exams – http://education.alberta.ca/admin/testing/diplomaexams.aspx.
For Provincial Achievement Exams – http://education.alberta.ca/admin/testing/achievement.aspx.
Final exams can be scheduled into these formal exam days. Please call to set a date.
3. Remember to use the Black Gold ICT website for activities and resources in all the core courses, all grades. This is an amazing resource created by three teachers in Black Gold! The site is
http://www.blackgold.ab.ca/ict. This site has had international use by individuals, school districts and other country’s agencies. This site has been recognized provincially as a leader in the field of education!!
4. Alberta Education has updated their website Learn Alberta http://new.learnalberta.ca/Home.aspx.
You can search by Program of Studies. You can search by Grade and Subject. You can use the Online Reference Centre which has print and multimedia resources!! You can download and save the resources to your computer. There is a new tab - T4T - which has course outlines for parents who want to review or have step by step learning activities or see the learning process in a grade/subject. The ‘My Workspace’ is set up for teachers to organize courses and resources. Log on LA03, password 8049 – good to the end of August 2011.
5. Parents and students who are planning on being in a Home-Based Program for September 2011, you can contact Elsi in May to start the registration process and Program Plan. IF you are planning to attend your local school, contact the school Principal in April. You will get the best fit for your child in the school’s programs and classes.
6. Education Week is May 15 – 21, 2011. The theme this year is “Public Education: The Heart of Our Communities”. The 2011 theme supports the value of strong relationships between schools and the communities they serve.Cette année, le thème souligne l’importance d’une étroite collaboration entre l’école et la communauté qu’elle dessert. Together, we can provide the supports students need to achieve success and fulfillment as engaged thinkers and ethical citizens with an entrepreneurial spirit. Travaillons ensemble pour apporter aux élèves le soutien indispensable pour réussir et devenir des adultes accomplis, des penseurs engagés et des citoyens intègres à l’esprit d’initiative.Tell us about why your school is an important part of your community at www.myalbertaschool.ca or visit www.education.alberta.ca or www.teachers.ab.ca for ideas on how to celebrate and updates. Dites-nous ce que votre école représente pour votre communauté à www.myalbertaschool.ca, et consultez www.education.alberta.ca ou www.teachers.ab.ca pour y découvrir de multiples façons de fêter la Semaine de l’éducation.Take some time to enjoy all the learning you have achieved!!
7. The ExamBank has upgraded its resources. There are now treasure hunts and puzzles – big enough puzzles that they are meant to be done over 7 days (not hours or minutes). There are challenges, too!! You can connect to the ExamBank for free, through your ADLC teacher.
8. ECampusAlberta lets you access online post-secondary programs in 15 different Alberta institutions. There are over 400 courses in more than 45 certificated programs. This has been organized by Alberta’s Ministry of Advanced Education and Technology. Find the information at http://www.ecampusalberta.ca/ .
9. ApplyAlberta = new way to apply to Alberta’s post-secondary institutions. The Alberta Student Number your child has had since ECS/Grade 1 is your identity number on the government website. Check out registration and transcript requests, create your own profile, and find specific forms for the school you are interested in. http://www.applyalberta.ca/ .
10. Jobs - that is the next step in all of this learning! The Alberta government site http://www.jobs.alberta.ca/ shows current openings, job posting alerts, resources for career searches, pay and benefits calculators, summer job postings, internships and (you know the last category) more items.
11. We are happy to have you call us with any question you may have. We will continue to call you monthly about course work and marks. We will call you about registrations, materials and outstanding fees, as we need.
12. There are many more information items on the BLOG. Our Board of Education Members were impressed with the range of items on the BLOG. See what fits you! We are constantly updating the BLOG.
13. We have many FREE materials in our office. When you drop off materials, or come in for exams, take a minute and see what we have that you could use – post secondary schools, post secondary courses, trades CD, student financing, ALIS – Alberta Government information for jobs, finances, careers, schools, planning for career choices, transitioning into the world of work, to mention some!!
14. National Volunteer Week is April 10 – 16. Do you know someone who volunteers? This would be great week to say, “Thank You!”. It might be a week you VOLUNTEER as many “THANK YOU”s as you can into each day! What if you kept a tally for yourself each day? How would you feel? What difference would you be making in the other person’s day? You may never know, but you will know for yourself!!
RESOURCES
1. The Mathematics program has changed in the way the children “are engaged with and learning the mathematics. Students will gain skill and understanding that there is more than one way to solve a problem and that some methods are more effective than others”. For more detailed information go to Curriculum Handbook for Parents
on the Alberta Education website. There is a fact sheet for parents, as well. General information can be found at http://education.alberta.ca/parents/resources/handbook.aspx.
2. School Nutrition Resources can be found on the Alberta Health Services site at http://www.albertahealthservices.ca/. Information, Schools & Teachers, Nutrition. Interactive games, recipes and information at http://www.celebratefood.ca/, http://nutrition2011.ca/.
3. Information for parents and teachers for planning for students with unique needs, here are tip sheets with links to organizations for further support http://www.learnalberta.ca/content/inmdict/html/index.html.
4. Alberta Education is reviewing, revising and rewriting the School Act. The schedule for its formal release has moved from last spring through a few more changed dates. The new School Act is going to take Education in a new direction for students who will work and live in a 21st century internationally interactive world. Inspiring Action on Education has been included in this newsletter. More information can be found on the Alberta Education website.
5. The School ACT Review is included. The information there gives you the background thinking which is giving structure to the information in the new School Act.
6. From the Canadian Centre for Child Protection, a reference on the 3C’s of Internet Safety has been included.
7. ApplyAlberta is a website for students to online post-secondary application and transcript information. This information item is included. Information, also, at http://www.applyalberta.ca/.
8. Positive Behavior Supports for Children. Tools, techniques and tips for working with children with Autism S.D.,
Fetal Alcohol S.D., Down Syndrome and other disabilities. Information can be found at http://www.pbsc.info/.
9. And to include the parents, a Parent Tutorial on ‘Raising a Digital Generation’; information at www.media-awareness.ca/english/parents/internet/eparenting.cfm. (A Canadian non-profit group!)
10. Information for Parent Education Workshops, included.
11. The Black Gold Regional Division No. 18 Strategic Plan, from our Board of Education, is included. This information is the guiding purpose, values and goals for everyone engaged in education at Black Gold Schools!
12. School Calendar for the 2011 – 2012 School Year, included. This calendar can also be found on the Black Gold Website.
HOUSEKEEPING
1. Do remember to return your textbooks and module books when you have completed a course. Bring these materials to your final exam, so you do not need to make another trip.
2. If you have outstanding fees for materials, please pay those when you receive your statement. We will happily loan those materials to the next student. All accounts need to be in good standing for further course registration.
3. Continue to expect monthly phone calls to review student work in each of your courses. In June, as an exam month, only some students will be called, since there are two solid weeks of exam supervision. Registration appointments for September courses can, also, be made in June.
Learning is a treasure that will follow its owner everywhere. – A Chinese proverb
