Calgary's Current State of Education | Canada News Media
Connect with us

News

Calgary’s Current State of Education

Published

 on

State of Education

Like other school boards and institutions worldwide, Calgary’s education system is changing its approach to education in response to current fluctuating circumstances.

The city’s government, school board, and education decision-makers are making efforts to adapt to the current landscape and taking steps towards establishing a new normal for their student’s learning. Right now, there are areas where Calgary’s education system is moving forward, and areas where they are establishing new education solutions.

As a whole, are decisions are subject to change as the school board and the Ministry of Education is closely monitoring the situation.

Regions across North America and worldwide are all making decisions and changes to continue education in a way that suits our new normal and can help maintain safety. Stay updated on the current state of education in Calgary.

The Rise in Learning Pods

Even though Alberta students can now return to school, some parents prefer education alternatives to give them peace of mind knowing that their child is learning in a consistent environment where they feel safe.

Learning pods, for example, also referred to as pandemic pods and micro classrooms, are rising in popularity in Calgary. These pods allow students to learn in a smaller environment with other students.

Parents invest in certified educators offering professional tutoring in Calgary to lead these groups of 3-6 students and provide curriculum-based education in a more contained environment.

The Rise of Online Learning

At this time, the requirements of primary school students and secondary school students differ. While high school students have mandatory in-class time, primary students can choose between blended learning and exclusive online learning.

The Calgary Herald reports that 16% of public-school students — that’s a total of 21,000 students — are opting for online learning. These students opt to engage in online learning through CBE’s online hub from their homes while others are in classrooms.

An Increase in Demand for Substitute Teachers

As a result of the risks of COVID-19 and increased need for testing, more teachers are getting their classes covered by substitute teachers. CBC reports that, within the first 15 days of schools, the city’s public schools saw its demand for substitute teachers go up by 20%.

Sports Teams

According to CTV News, as of September 2020, Calgary’s school athletes are back on the field. The Calgary Board of Education and Calgary Catholic School District are allowing sports tryouts and practices.

That said, games and competitions will not be part of this gradual return to school sports. The decision to allow multi-school competitions will be made by the CBE, CCSD and Calgary Senior High School Athletic Association, who will be closely monitoring the situation to make an educated decision.

The Strictest School Policies

According to the Globe and Mail, the region is implementing the strictest rules in the country. While Alberta requires masks for students in Grade 4-12, The Calgary Board of Education and the Calgary Catholic School District is enforcing the policy that all K-12 students wear masks at school. In British Columbia and Saskatchewan, wearing a mask is recommended but not mandatory.

Calgary’s New Normal

Calgary’s schools and education institutions are preparing to pivot and adapt as rules, regulations, and numbers fluctuate.

Fortunately, there are options for consistent online learning available thanks to the integration of remote learning, learning pods, and online tutors.

 

Continue Reading

News

Canada’s Denis Shapovalov wins Belgrade Open for his second ATP Tour title

Published

 on

BELGRADE, Serbia – Canada’s Denis Shapovalov is back in the winner’s circle.

The 25-year-old Shapovalov beat Serbia’s Hamad Medjedovic 6-4, 6-4 in the Belgrade Open final on Saturday.

It’s Shapovalov’s second ATP Tour title after winning the Stockholm Open in 2019. He is the first Canadian to win an ATP Tour-level title this season.

His last appearance in a tournament final was in Vienna in 2022.

Shapovalov missed the second half of last season due to injury and spent most of this year regaining his best level of play.

He came through qualifying in Belgrade and dropped just one set on his way to winning the trophy.

Shapovalov’s best results this season were at ATP 500 events in Washington and Basel, where he reached the quarterfinals.

Medjedovic was playing in his first-ever ATP Tour final.

The 21-year-old, who won the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF title last year, ends 2024 holding a 9-8 tour-level record on the season.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 9, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.



Source link

Continue Reading

News

Talks to resume in B.C. port dispute in bid to end multi-day lockout

Published

 on

VANCOUVER – Contract negotiations resume today in Vancouver in a labour dispute that has paralyzed container cargo shipping at British Columbia’s ports since Monday.

The BC Maritime Employers Association and International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 514 are scheduled to meet for the next three days in mediated talks to try to break a deadlock in negotiations.

The union, which represents more than 700 longshore supervisors at ports, including Vancouver, Prince Rupert and Nanaimo, has been without a contract since March last year.

The latest talks come after employers locked out workers in response to what it said was “strike activity” by union members.

The start of the lockout was then followed by several days of no engagement between the two parties, prompting federal Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon to speak with leaders on both sides, asking them to restart talks.

MacKinnon had said that the talks were “progressing at an insufficient pace, indicating a concerning absence of urgency from the parties involved” — a sentiment echoed by several business groups across Canada.

In a joint letter, more than 100 organizations, including the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, Business Council of Canada and associations representing industries from automotive and fertilizer to retail and mining, urged the government to do whatever it takes to end the work stoppage.

“While we acknowledge efforts to continue with mediation, parties have not been able to come to a negotiated agreement,” the letter says. “So, the federal government must take decisive action, using every tool at its disposal to resolve this dispute and limit the damage caused by this disruption.

“We simply cannot afford to once again put Canadian businesses at risk, which in turn puts Canadian livelihoods at risk.”

In the meantime, the union says it has filed a complaint to the Canada Industrial Relations Board against the employers, alleging the association threatened to pull existing conditions out of the last contract in direct contact with its members.

“The BCMEA is trying to undermine the union by attempting to turn members against its democratically elected leadership and bargaining committee — despite the fact that the BCMEA knows full well we received a 96 per cent mandate to take job action if needed,” union president Frank Morena said in a statement.

The employers have responded by calling the complaint “another meritless claim,” adding the final offer to the union that includes a 19.2 per cent wage increase over a four-year term remains on the table.

“The final offer has been on the table for over a week and represents a fair and balanced proposal for employees, and if accepted would end this dispute,” the employers’ statement says. “The offer does not require any concessions from the union.”

The union says the offer does not address the key issue of staffing requirement at the terminals as the port introduces more automation to cargo loading and unloading, which could potentially require fewer workers to operate than older systems.

The Port of Vancouver is the largest in Canada and has seen a number of labour disruptions, including two instances involving the rail and grain storage sectors earlier this year.

A 13-day strike by another group of workers at the port last year resulted in the disruption of a significant amount of shipping and trade.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 9, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.



Source link

Continue Reading

News

The Royal Canadian Legion turns to Amazon for annual poppy campaign boost

Published

 on

The Royal Canadian Legion says a new partnership with e-commerce giant Amazon is helping boost its veterans’ fund, and will hopefully expand its donor base in the digital world.

Since the Oct. 25 launch of its Amazon.ca storefront, the legion says it has received nearly 10,000 orders for poppies.

Online shoppers can order lapel poppies on Amazon in exchange for donations or buy items such as “We Remember” lawn signs, Remembrance Day pins and other accessories, with all proceeds going to the legion’s Poppy Trust Fund for Canadian veterans and their families.

Nujma Bond, the legion’s national spokesperson, said the organization sees this move as keeping up with modern purchasing habits.

“As the world around us evolves we have been looking at different ways to distribute poppies and to make it easier for people to access them,” she said in an interview.

“This is definitely a way to reach a wider number of Canadians of all ages. And certainly younger Canadians are much more active on the web, on social media in general, so we’re also engaging in that way.”

Al Plume, a member of a legion branch in Trenton, Ont., said the online store can also help with outreach to veterans who are far from home.

“For veterans that are overseas and are away, (or) can’t get to a store they can order them online, it’s Amazon.” Plume said.

Plume spent 35 years in the military with the Royal Engineers, and retired eight years ago. He said making sure veterans are looked after is his passion.

“I’ve seen the struggles that our veterans have had with Veterans Affairs … and that’s why I got involved, with making sure that the people get to them and help the veterans with their paperwork.”

But the message about the Amazon storefront didn’t appear to reach all of the legion’s locations, with volunteers at Branch 179 on Vancouver’s Commercial Drive saying they hadn’t heard about the online push.

Holly Paddon, the branch’s poppy campaign co-ordinator and bartender, said the Amazon partnership never came up in meetings with other legion volunteers and officials.

“I work at the legion, I work with the Vancouver poppy office and I go to the meetings for the Vancouver poppy campaign — which includes all the legions in Vancouver — and not once has this been mentioned,” she said.

Paddon said the initiative is a great idea, but she would like to have known more about it.

The legion also sells a larger collection of items at poppystore.ca.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 9, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.



Source link

Continue Reading

Trending

Exit mobile version