News

Canadian Teacher Magazine in Staffrooms More Often
Teachers across Canada will now enjoy having Canadian Teacher Magazine in their staffrooms five times throughout the school year. Issues will be mailed to schools in September, November, January, March and May.

My Privacy & Me National Video Competition
The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada has launched their second annual My Privacy & Me national video competition, which encourages youth ages 12 to 18 to produce video public service announcements that explore the importance of privacy. Canadian youth are among the most wired in the world, but many of them have no idea how the messages and pictures they post today can affect them years into the future. The goal of the My Privacy & Me video competition is to encourage young people to learn how to build a secure online identity so they don’t expose personal information about themselves that they will regret later. Seven finalists were chosen from an impressive number of entries in the first contest. You can watch the seven videos at youthprivacy.ca, the Office’s youth web site. They can also be viewed on the Office’s YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/privacycomm). More information about the My Privacy & Me national video competition can be found at youthprivacy.ca. Videos must be submitted before Friday, December 11, 2009.)

Free Trip to Cuba
In appreciation and recognition of the vital contributions educators make to Canadian youth and society, Cuba Education Tours has launched a contest for teachers to win a trip to Cuba. The goal is for memorable teacher-to-teacher and cultural experiences in Cuba. This invitation is for teachers and employees of Canadian schools and ends on July 1, 2009. It applies to either the Teachers Introduction to Cuba Tour or Green Explorers Cuba Tour, both taking place from August 1 to 8, 2009. These tours are designed by Cubans to familiarize guests from abroad with the island's education system, and its ecological alternatives and organic farming achievements. See http://CubaFriends.ca for details and list of 2009 and 2010 tours. (Quote from Cuba Education Tours: You can visit Cuba with confidence. It has no incidences of swine flu or other scary diseases. It remains the safest destination in the Americas for teachers and students.)

Grants for Music Programs
MusiCounts, Canada’s music education charity, is keeping music alive in schools by providing grants for their music programs. Applications for 2009-2010 Band Aid grants are now open and schools nationwide are invited to apply. Schools can find more information on application criteria, including downloadable Application Forms for Band Aid grants at www.musicounts.ca. Applications will be accepted from May 1 – August 4, 2009.

Awards for Canadian Teachers
A number of national and provincial/territorial awards are given to Canadian teachers each year to recognize their outstanding dedication or innovative contributions to the field of education. For more information see the "Other Teaching Awards" link on the Prime Minister's Awards website.

Family Literacy Day
Family Literacy Day® (FLD) is a national awareness initiative created by ABC CANADA Literacy Foundation and Honda Canada in 1999, and held each year on January 27. This special day promotes the importance of reading and engaging in other literacy-related activities as a family. Last year more than 275,000 Canadians attended more than 1300 events across the country at schools, libraries or literacy organizations. Schools and teachers can get involved in FLD by planning your own creative, fun and educational event to help students get excited about reading and writing both at school and at home. Visit www.abc-canada.org/fld to find more information and tips on Family Literacy Day activities and to list your event.

New Bullying Prevention Software
Quest for the Golden Rule is bullying-prevention software—a classroom video game that simulates experiences where students, grades 2 to 5, practise and rehearse prosocial skills by intervening in bullying situations. The system was designed with teacher input in Ontario, piloted first in Ontario and empirically validated at York University. The software aims to prevent behavioural problems and is built to be hassle-free with ready-to-go lesson plans. It provides automated reporting so teachers can follow up with at-risk children. For more information, visit www.practiquest.com. If you decide to order, say you saw it in Canadian Teacher Magazine and take 15% off your order!

Canadian School Calendar
The Canadian Education Association prepares a school calendar each year, which is free online at www.cea-ace.ca/pub.cfm?subsection=sch. The School Calendar provides all opening and closing dates for primary and secondary schools in every Canadian province and territory.

ScrubClub.org
NSF International, a not-for-profit public health organization, has developed a web site scrubclub.org that teaches children how to properly wash their hands. Interactive games, including the one that features the evil villain “Influenza Enzo – Stop Fluin’ Around,” teaches children how illnesses are spread and how to prevent them. “With the cold and flu season already in full swing, hand washing is more important than ever,” said Cheryl Luptowski, NSF Public Information Officer. "By teaching children proper hand washing practices, we can make a difference in preventing the spread of the flu and other serious illnesses.” Materials, such as a Scrub Club® membership card and educational materials for teachers and parents, can be downloaded directly from the site.

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