Parent Education Session – Monday March 3 at 7:00pm

Goals of Gifted Education
There can be many goals of gifted education. In this talk, Dr. Matthew Makel will provide example goals that have been established by the gifted education field, while also providing context for how parents can assess whether their own goals are being met by the services that their children receive. Dr. Makel is Professor and Chair in High Ability Studies at the Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, and a Child Health & Wellness Researcher at the Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute.  
 
General Meeting
Immediately following the presentation, we will hold a short GATE Parent Association General Meeting. If you have a student registered in GATE for this current school year, you are a member of the GPA.
 
Date: Monday March 3, 2025
Time: 7:00 pm
Venue: Virtual meeting (Zoom)
 
REGISTER HERE by February 28, 2025.
Non-GATE parents are welcome to attend this session.

UPCOMING PARENT EDUCATION SESSIONS

The Community Education Service (CES) is offering the following sessions for parents and families. Sessions are offered at no cost but registration is required. *Click on the Poster/PDF icon below the correct session to register* You can access pre-recorded sessions for free HERE.

February 24, 2025: Managing Challenging Behaviours
Everyone has intense emotions, the trick is being able to navigate them.
Through this presentation you will learn about the crisis cycle and how to intervene at a different moment to reduce the risk of an intense emotional outburst. You can use these strategies with anyone in your life, despite their age.

March 4, 2025: Navigating Technology with our Youth
The message of this presentation is not only based on technology, but also about a child’s healthy brain development and the necessary parenting/caregiver role in creating healthy, emotional, regulated, and integrated brains. This presentation will address the underpinning of a child’s emotional brain development and how to grow it, as well as how technology can dangerously hijack this. The presentation is facilitated by a therapist from Juno House who has years of both clinical and facilitating experience. 

This workshop is designed to give attendees the skills to become their child’s emotional coach. The workshop will provide participants with:
• An understanding of the basic neuroscience behind healthy brain development,
• The dangers of technology for healthy brain development,
• Technology use rules that will help your child
• When building healthy brains, how to identify emotions in your child/student, and
• How to become your child’s/student’s emotional coach in only five steps and in that, build a resilient child.

The Arnica Foundation is offering the following sessions for parents and families:

April 8 and 9, 2025: The Power of Showing Up: Clinical Application of Interpersonal Neurobiology, and
Supporting Parents of Teens with the Brain in Mind

In this two day workshop, Tina Payne Bryson and Daniel Siegel will look at what the science says about the best predictors for how kids and teens develop, and how clinicians can work with parents in to cultivate secure attachment, and responding to challenges.

In Case You Missed It

The GPA’s Parent Education Session on Executive Functioning was held on December 2. Jodi Staples defined what “Executive Functioning” is and how it develops as children age. Her session focused on the specific ways gifted children develop executive functioning skills, and how families can support their development in key areas. 

She discussed the strengths that gifted children often have in some areas of executive functioning, such as advanced problem-solving skills, enhanced working memory, goal-oriented persistence, flexibility of thinking and other strengths. Common struggles for gifted children include emotional regulation, fear of failure, impulse control, procrastination and time management, emotional and social asynchrony, and overthinking. 

Jodi emphasized the importance of practicing the skills so they turn into routines and habit, and the role parents can have in supporting this type of growth. She discussed a number of specific strategies to support learners. 

If you would like to listen to the session, please see the GATE Parent Association website Presentation page here.

Reminder: AGM – Monday September 23, 2024

The Annual General Meeting for the GATE Parent Association will be held on Monday September 23, 2024 starting at 7:00 pm. We will be discussing the work of the GPA in prior years, discussing goals for the upcoming year, and presenting our audited financials for the previous year. As two of our board members are unable to continue on in their roles due to their children leaving GATE, we will also be appointing a new Vice President and Treasurer to take over for the second year of the two year term. The appointees are GATE parents who answered our call in the Spring and have been shadowing current Executive members since then.

Our bylaws require that you provide the following information in order to vote at the meeting:

• Full legal name
• Name of your student(s) attending the GATE program
• Name of the school your student is attending
• Grade of the student
• Home Address

You will be asked to provide this information during registration for the meeting, as well as your email address so we can send you the meeting link. It will be held online via Zoom and a link will be sent to all registered attendees prior to the meeting.

Register HERE for the Meeting

Minutes from the last AGM will be approved at the start of the meeting.  You can review our last AGM minutes here.

UPCOMING PARENT EDUCATION SESSIONS

The Community Education Service (CES) is offering the following sessions for parents and families. Sessions are offered at no cost but registration is required. *Click on the Poster/PDF icon below the correct session to register*

September 23, 2024: Cross Cultural Parenting Program – Session 1 

10:00 AM – Noon, provided by Calgary Immigrant Women’s Association (CIWA)

Participants will learn:
• Challenges of parenting in a new country and culture
• Social and institutional pressures
• Norms, values and laws in Canada with a focus on supervision and child abuse laws

September 24, 2024: ADHD Essentials for Parents
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders in children. It is usually first diagnosed in childhood and often lasts into adulthood. Children with ADHD may have trouble paying attention, controlling impulsive behaviours, or over-activity. There are three different types of ADHD, depending on which symptoms are strongest in the individual, and each of these subtypes may impact children differently. Neurological deficits, not unwillingness, keep kids with attention deficit disorder from learning and behaving in expected ways. Adults are key in setting these students on a path to success! In this session, we will discuss ADHD diagnosis, the ADHD brain, ADHD as a disorder of Executive Functioning, treatment, and setting kids up for success.

September 26, 2024: Navigating Technology with our Youth
The message of this presentation is not only based on technology, but also about a child’s healthy brain development and the necessary parenting/caregiver role in creating healthy, emotional, regulated, and integrated brains. This presentation will address the underpinning of a child’s emotional brain development and how to grow it, as well as how technology can dangerously hijack this.

We believe that talking does not grow neurons; experience grows neurons. This workshop is designed to give attendees the skills to become their child’s emotional coach. The workshop will provide participants with:
• An understanding of the basic neuroscience behind healthy brain development,
• The dangers of technology for healthy brain development,
• Technology use rules that will help your child
• When building healthy brains, how to identify emotions in your child/student, and
• How to become your child’s/student’s emotional coach in only five steps and in that, build a resilient child.

The presentation is facilitated by a therapist from Juno House who has years of both clinical and facilitating experience. Juno House was founded in 2008 as a Centre of Excellence for adolescent girls and young women who are experiencing anxiety-based mental health issues of self harm, obsessive compulsive disorders, depression and eating disorders.

DID YOU KNOW you can access pre-recorded sessions for free HERE.

ALSO CHECK OUT resources available through Mental Health Literacy HERE.

 The Calgary Catholic School District recently announced it will no longer be accepting students into its gifted education program. This has been reported in the news and has been attributed to lack of funding for specialized programs.

We have received inquiries from CBE parents with concerns that this may be a trend. GATE program funding within the CBE has been approved for the upcoming school year, but the CBE is also seeing a large increase in student numbers that will continue to necessitate making decisions on priorities. Interested parents may wish to proactively reach out to their MLA to communicate the important role of the GATE program and advocate for their students.

Gary Perfect, GATE learning leader at Queen Elizabeth High School, gave us a fascinating and insightful look at GATE student work. (November 2023)

Chris Radu, Director of Inclusive Education at the CBE, shared information about the GATE program and held a Q&A with parents. (March 2024)

Dr. Ana Pardo, specialist in diversity, inclusion and equity, shared information and advice for students requiring accommodation in their transition to post-secondary education. (April 2024)

Volunteers Still Needed! 

CONGRATULATIONS TO GATE GRADUATES! 

Congratulations to all students graduating this year! If your student is leaving the GATE program, you may wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list.

WELCOME NEW GATE STUDENTS! 

If you know someone who is new to the GATE program, invite them to subscribe to the GPA mailing list. 

The GPA is pleased to offer this session with Chris Radu from the Calgary Board of Education. Chris leads the Inclusive Education portfolio, which supports the GATE program and over 150 Specialized Classes across the CBE. At this session, Chris will speak to various topics of interest to parents of GATE kids, and to those who may be interested in learning more about the GATE program.

Register here by March 10th. Non-GATE parents are welcome to attend this session.

Questions for Chris: If you have questions related to GATE that you would like Chris to address, please email questions to info@gatecalgary.ca by March 7th.

Date: Tuesday March 12, 2024
Time: 6:30pm
Venue: Virtual meeting (Zoom)

General Meeting
Immediately following the presentation, we will hold a short GATE Parent Association General Meeting.  If you have a student registered in the GATE program for this current school year, you are a member of the GPA. 

GPA President Stephanie Labowka (right) and GPA Past President Traci Akierman (left) at the Henry Wise Wood open house on January 29th, 2024.

GPA Past President Traci Akierman (left) and GPA Vice President Alicia Mossing (right) at the Louis Riel open house on February 1st, 2024.

UPCOMING CES PARENT EDUCATION SESSIONS

The Community Education Service (CES) is offering the following sessions for parents and families. Sessions are offered at no cost but registration is required. *Click on the Poster/PDF icon below the correct session to register*

February 29, 2024: Navigating Technology with our Youth 
In this 1.5 hour presentation, we will discuss the role of technology and today’s youth. The message of this presentation is not only based on technology, but also about a child’s healthy brain development and the necessary parenting/caregiver role in creating healthy, emotional, regulated, and integrated brains. This presentation will address the underpinning of a child’s emotional brain development and how to grow it, as well as how technology can dangerously hijack this.

We believe that talking does not grow neurons; experience grows neurons. This workshop is designed to give attendees the skills to become their child’s emotional coach. The workshop will provide participants with:
• An understanding of the basic neuroscience behind healthy brain development,
• The dangers of technology for healthy brain development,
• Technology use rules that will help your child
• When building healthy brains, how to identify emotions in your child/student, and
• How to become your child’s/student’s emotional coach in only five steps and in that, build a resilient child.

March 20, 2024: Creating a Culture of Respect: Understanding 2SLGBTQ for Parents
In this workshop parents can expect to gain deeper understanding of the concepts around sexual and gender diversity and we will provide tools to increase parents comfort in supporting 2SLGBTQ+ youth. We will explore terms and definitions as well as ways parents can engage in accepting behaviours and reduce rejecting behaviours in parenting our 2SLGBTQ+ youth.

March 21, 2024: Building Resiliency in Today’s Youth
Before High School graduation, one-third of adolescent girls will experience depression, anxiety disorders, self-harm or an eating disorder. This workshop is designed to give caregivers the skills to become their child’s emotional coach. The workshop will provide participants with:
• Basic introduction of interpersonal neurobiology,
• Where emotions live in our brains,
• The essential role emotions play in mental well being,
• How to identify emotions in youth,
• How to become an emotional coach in only five steps.

DID YOU KNOW you can access pre-recorded sessions for free HERE.

ALSO CHECK OUT resources available through Mental Health Literacy HERE.

Stars for Scholarly Youth Update

The Stars for Scholarly Youth (SSY) Mentor/Mentee program has been a roaring success.  They received about 120 applicants to the program last semester and then hosted an info session through Zoom. Recently, they hosted their end of semester event for mentors and mentees. This was a winter carnival themed event with over 50 attendees. The event featured various games, activities, and food, all free of cost! 

In case you missed our previous email about this program, here is some information:

Students can be overwhelmed by the future of their academic career. The Stars for Scholarly Youth mentorship program hopes to support students for better integration into postsecondary life in the future. 

The Program

• Each mentor/mentee pair will meet for ~30 mins a minimum of once a month (though you are welcome to meet more) over Zoom or in-person; to discuss University, career aspirations, useful resources, and purpose.
• The mentor is responsible for engaging the mentee in these conversations (mentees are likely to be shy), but conversation topics and some resources will be provided.

Events

• 1 mentor in-person social per semester
• 1 mentor-mentee in-person larger event at the end of each semester which will be mandatory to attend (there will be free food and lots of games!)
• 1 fundraiser per semester 

Deadline for Application is February 8th.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP!

This is a wonderful program and is growing bigger each semester. The organizers would like to expand their program and organize more events for the members; However, as a university club, their resources for raising funds are limited. The GPA will be sending a donation to SSY from our unrestricted (non-casino) funds.  If any GATE parents would also like to contribute, you can e-transfer a donation to starsfsy@gmail.com and note it is for StarGATE.

UPCOMING PARENT EDUCATION SESSIONS

The Community Education Service (CES) is offering the following sessions for parents and families. Sessions are offered at no cost but registration is required. Click on the Poster/PDF icon below the correct session to register**

January 26: Your Child’s Suicidal Thoughts: What to think and say when your child needs immediate mental health care 
Anyone can experience suicidal thoughts at any age and for many reasons. Parents have a tough job being a consistent supporter for children through every developmental shift, change at school, extra-curricular success, or social failure. When you are extra worried about your child’s safety due to thoughts of suicide, you might not know what to think or what to say. In this presentation, hear the facts about suicidal ideation and actions, what you can say directly to your child and other family members, and learn what supports are available to you as caregiver as well as for your child.

February 2: Child Sexual Abuse 
By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:

• Understand what Child Sexual Abuse is
• Identify at least 3 facts about Child Sexual Abuse
• Understand Age of Consent
• Gain an understanding of the indicators and impacts of Child Sexual Abuse.

February 9: Learning to Inclusively Support All Children Through Grief and Loss 
his workshop will aim to teach caregivers, parents and professionals how to:

• Define grief and loss
• Recognize the signs of a grieving child
• Talk to a child about loss
• Teach children about grief and loss
• Use evidence-based strategies to support a child who is grieving
• Enhance a child’s resiliency amid difficult times

February 15: Mindfulness: Supporting Your Child’s Social and Emotional Well-Being
This session will explore the topic of mindfulness and how mindfulness strategies can help support their child’s social and emotional well‐being. Explore how our brain’s stress responses (fight, flight, or freeze) may impact our social and
emotional well‐being and how we can use mindfulness to calm our brain. We will discuss how the brain influences thinking, emotions, self‐regulation, and behaviour. Improved social emotional skills using mindfulness can lead to better focus in school, better cooperation with others, improved self‐awareness, self‐regulation, decrease stress/anxiety, and improve our overall sense of well‐being. Through an interactive session, participants will be guided through some mindfulness activities that they can use with their children and explore learning from the MindUP program.

February 21: Ages and Stages: What to expect and what to do to support healthy child sexual development age 0-18
Do you parent, give care or work with children age 0-18? You may have learned about childhood development when it comes to milestones like talking, walking and reading; but many people haven’t had the chance to build their knowledge about sexual development milestones. In this education session, learn about:

• Childhood sexual development milestones ages 0-18
• What children and youth need to know at each age
• Typical sexual behaviors
• Tips for responding to un-preferred typical sexual behaviors
• Tips for supporting healthy childhood sexual development through talking and creating affirming environments
• Reputable resources

February 23: Juno House Presents: Healthy Brains = Healthy Children
At Juno House www.junohouse.ca we believe in the extraordinary healing power of parents and caregivers. We believe that you can learn all of the skills that you need to become your teen’s emotional coach. We believe that talking does not grow neurons; experience grows neurons. We will share steps and strategies from the Juno House Therapeutic Model that will give you effective emotional coaching tools for your children as they develop through adolescence and into young adulthood. You will learn about :
• Neuroscience and the developing brain,
• Brain integration of the left and right brain,
• How anxiety develops,
• The background of emotions and how to understand them in your child,
• The five emotional coaching steps,
• Strategies to help guide your adolescent through the challenges they will face in their academic, peer, and emotional environments.

February 23: When Consequences Don’t Work
In this workshop we look at the difference between logical & natural consequences, discuss why some consequences don’t work and consider some positive re-enforcers to encourage acceptable behaviour that work at different ages.

DID YOU KNOW you can access pre-recorded sessions for free HERE.

ALSO CHECK OUT resources available through Mental Health Literacy HERE.

This session was held on November 29th and was attended by many GATE families. Principals and staff at both GATE high schools – Henry Wise Wood and Queen Elizabeth – provided a detailed session on:

• Transition from GATE junior high to high school
• GATE high school programming
• International Baccalaureate (IB) program details 
• Advanced Placement (AP) program details 
• Resources available to GATE high school students

Many thanks to the presenters for providing thoughtful and detailed information! The session was followed by a lively Q&A session. One question arose about South Calgary GATE students wishing to take partial AP/partial GATE classes, or North Calgary GATE students wishing to take partial IB/partial GATE classes. We now have the answer from Aileen Smyth: GATE students wishing to take dual IB/GATE may attend Henry Wise Wood regardless of address, and GATE students wishing to take dual AP/GATE may attend Queen Elizabeth regardless of address. Students attending any other high school would be relinquishing their spot in the GATE program. 

CLICK HERE to access presentation materials. 

SWEET SUCCESS!

The 2022 Purdys Fundraiser was a success! 
We raised $744.65 for GATE students. 
THANK YOU to all families who participated.

UPCOMING PARENT EDUCATION SESSIONS

The Community Education Service (CES) is offering the following sessions for parents and families. Sessions are offered at no cost but registration is required. **CLICK HERE TO REGISTER: Click on the Poster/PDF icon below the correct session to register**

January 10: Mindfulness: Supporting Your Child’s Social and Emotional Learning
Feeling a little blue and not particularly cheery this time of year? You’re not alone. In this session you will learn about mindfulness and take away practical tools that will help brighten these cold days. This session will explore the topic of mindfulness and how mindfulness strategies can support your child’s social and emotional well-being. Explore how the brain’s stress responses may impact social and emotional well-being and how to use mindfulness to calm the brain. Using mindfulness can lead to better focus in school, better cooperation with others, improved self-awareness, self-regulation, decrease stress/anxiety, and improve overall well-being.

January 24: Talking to Children and Youth about Consent

When we give consent, we give permission; we do it every day when we borrow a pen, consent to release of information and consent to personal touch. Children learn about consent in their homes with everyday interactions such as sharing toys and learning how to set boundaries. As youth grow, they learn about giving and getting consent in relationships. Talking about consent with children and youth can help them have healthy family, friend and dating relationships.
In this session, participants will:
• Define consent
• Learn ways to talk about consent to children and youth
• Learn how consent is the foundation for healthy sexual relationships

January 26: Your Child’s Suicidal Thoughts: What to think and say when your child needs immediate mental health care 
Anyone can experience suicidal thoughts at any age and for many reasons. Parents have a tough job being a consistent supporter for children through every developmental shift, change at school, extra-curricular success, or social failure. When you are extra worried about your child’s safety due to thoughts of suicide, you might not know what to think or what to say. In this presentation, hear the facts about suicidal ideation and actions, what you can say directly to your child and other family members, and learn what supports are available to you as caregiver as well as for your child.

DID YOU KNOW you can access pre-recorded sessions for free HERE.

ALSO CHECK OUT resources available through Mental Health Literacy HERE.

We are planning an education session for GATE parents.

Please help us by telling us what you are interested in!
Fill out this 1 minute survey on possible topics

GATE CASINO FUNDRAISING

One night of volunteering can make a difference! In 2018-2021, GATE Parents raised over $120,000 through Casino Fundraising. Most parents volunteered only one day or evening of their time. 

Our next casino will be scheduled for Q2 of 2023. 

A Casino Coordinator is needed to make this casino happen! Support will be provided.

Activities include:
– Obtaining all appropriate licensing requirements from the AGLC and submitting the Request for Casino License, and other materials, as appropriate
– Helping to recruit and schedule volunteers for the next Casino event
– Completing final paperwork/reports after a Casino event, and submitting to the AGLC within the set time-frame
– Other duties, as appropriate
– Time Commitment – Approx 20 hours in the 3 months prior to the casino date and an additional 4 hours/month Sept through June.

If you are interested in taking on this role, please email us at
info@gateyyccalgary.ca

GPA PRESIDENT ROLE

We are searching for someone to take over as GPA President next year in September. Ideally, we’d love someone to start shadowing the current President now to learn about the position. Elections are in September 2023. The rest of the current executive will be running for re-election and the current President, Traci Akierman, will provide support in the Past President role.

Activities include:
– Chairing the Annual General Meeting and Business Meetings of the GPA, 2-3 per year
– Representing the GPA at meetings with stakeholders responsible for gifted education, or delegating other representatives when appropriate (e.g. CBE gifted specialist)
– Helping to ensure that important information (e.g. news, events, business, concerns, etc) related to the GATE Program is relayed and shared between schools and the GATE Parent Association Executive and Board
– Helping to establish and maintain communication between the GATE Parent Association and school administration/staff (e.g. principals, assistant principals, GATE learning leaders)
– Helping to ensure the administration and GATE staff at all schools are aware of funds made available by the GATE Parent Association, and keeping them informed of how and by when it must be spent
– Participating in and/or overseeing all Committees of the GPA
– Ensuring all Bylaws of the GPA are followed
– Ensuring all legal requirements of the GPA, such as Financial Audits, have been completed and filed by the appropriate member responsible
– Other duties, as needed
– Average time commitment – 6-8 hours per month Sept to June

If you are interested in taking on this role, please email us at
info@gatecalgary.ca

UPCOMING PARENT EDUCATION SESSIONS

The Community Education Service (CES) is offering the following sessions for parents and families. Sessions are offered at no cost but registration is required.  **CLICK HERE TO REGISTER: Click on the Poster/PDF icon below the correct session to register**

October 26: Mental Health for Highly Sensitive Teens
Highly sensitive teens are often misunderstood by parents and teachers as they often have stronger emotional reactions. In this presentation, learn why this happens, and the necessary tools required to help these teens manage their emotions so they don’t become derailed..

November 2: How is Resilience Portrayed Through Teen Girls’ Experiences of Health and Mental Illness?
Join Leah Shalanski, RN, MN to discuss her graduate research on resilience with girls experiencing a mental illness.

1. To review the concept of resilience and understand it from the perspective of teenage girls
2. To give teenage girls voice in how they perceive mental health, illness and resilience
3. To provide recommendations to design effective programs and interventions aimed at reducing sources of trauma and adversity and increase resilience.

November 8: Kids Have Stress Too

An introduction to key aspects of early childhood and brain development, and the crucial role parents and professionals play in buffering the impact of stress on kids. Learn strategies to help young children become aware of and manage stress in fun and engaging ways.

November 10: Navigating Technology With Youth

The message of this presentation is not only based on technology, but also about a child’s healthy brain development and the necessary parenting/caregiver role in creating healthy, emotional, regulated, and integrated brains. This presentation will address the underpinning of a child’s emotional brain development and how to grow it, as well as how technology can dangerously hijack this.

We believe that talking does not grow neurons; experience grows neurons. This workshop is designed to give attendees the skills to become their child’s emotional coach. The workshop will provide participants with:

• An understanding of the basic neuroscience behind healthy brain development,
• The dangers of technology for healthy brain development,
• Technology use rules that will help your child
• When building healthy brains, how to identify emotions in your child/student, and
• How to become your child’s/student’s emotional coach in only five steps and in that, build a resilient child.

The presentation is facilitated by a therapist from Juno House who has years of both clinical and facilitating experience. Juno House was founded in 2008 as a Centre of Excellence for adolescent girls and young women who are experiencing anxiety-based mental health issues of self harm, obsessive compulsive disorders, depression and eating disorders.

November 15: Nutrition and ADHD

Parents of children and teens with ADHD are often concerned about their eating habits – are they eating enough, too much or the right type of foods? In this presentation, parents can expect to learn the fundamentals of nutrition, nutrition related to ADHD and practical strategies to make mealtimes more enjoyable!

DID YOU KNOW you can access pre-recorded sessions for free HERE.

ALSO CHECK OUT resources available through Mental Health Literacy HERE.

The 2022 AGM will be held on Tuesday September 20th at 7:00 pm. 
Please join this virtual meeting to discuss:

• Fundraising for the 2022-2023 School Year
• Use of fundraising dollars 
• Volunteer opportunities for 2022-2023 School Year
• Status of GATE program within CBE

Did You Know…..

GATE Parents have raised over $120,000 through Casino Fundraising over the last 2 years. That is $120,000 of experiences that GATE students have enjoyed, without a cost to GATE parents!

Casino Funds have funded some of these cool experiences for our kids! 

• DNA Lab materials for Henry Wise Wood GATE students
• City Hall School for Queen Elizabeth GATE students
• Field Trips for Hillhurst GATE students
• Mobil Escape problem solving activities for Louis Riel GATE students
• Tower gardens to start plants for a medicine garden for Henry Wise Wood GATE students
• Vertigo Theatre Field Trip for Queen Elizabeth GATE students 

Many thanks to our parent volunteers for contributing to the GATE learning community.

2022-2023 GATE Parents Volunteers

Executive:
President – Traci Akierman
Vice-President – Alicia Mossing
Treasurer – Jeroen Pieterse
Secretary – Sunita Chowdhury

School Site Representatives:
Queen Elizabeth – Tina Leard
Henry Wise Wood – OPEN
Hillhurst School – Kathie Robert
Louis Riel School – Irina Rajakumar

Social Media Administrator – Amber McSween

UPCOMING PARENT EDUCATION SESSIONS

The Community Education Service (CES) is offering the following sessions for parents and families. Sessions are offered at no cost but registration is required. **CLICK HERE TO REGISTER: Click on the Poster/PDF icon below the correct session to register**

Sept 19: Screen Time & Teen Mental Health
Teens have experienced significant life disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, including school closures, social distancing, missed milestones, and family stress (e.g., income loss, parent mental illness). While teens have begun to return to normal activities and routines, the potential for the COVID-19 pandemic to have significant consequences on teen mental health and well-being has gained considerable attention.

Join Dr. Brae Anne McArthur, a Registered Psychologist, to discuss the current state of youth mental health and the relationship between screen use activities and mental health outcomes for teens. You will leave this session with a broader understanding of screen use as both an effective (i.e., engaging with others via social connection for support) and ineffective (i.e., long duration of passive screen use) mechanism for teen mental health outcomes.

Sept 27: Words Matter! Children and Youth Mental Health Literacy
While there is a positive trend to more openly talk about the mental health of our children and ourselves, there is a lot of confusion about what the terms we use actually mean! What is the difference between a mental health problem, a mental health issue, a mental disorder, and stress and anxiety, for example?

Join Kathy Jarrell, Education Consultant with the AHS Mental Health Literacy Project, for an engaging talk to clarify the terms we use. Leave the session feeling more confident about the concepts, the science and ways to learn more. Let’s not just talk about mental health….let’s talk with shared understanding!

October 4: Understanding Psycho-Educational Assessments

Do you have a child or work with a student who struggles at school? Psychoeducational assessments combine standardized assessments of a child’s intellectual and academic abilities with the dynamic clinical judgment of a trained psychologist to determine the what, how, and why of struggling students. This process measures overall aptitude and academic achievement around core academic skills and any additional factors that may impact a child at school (e.g., attention and concentration, learning disability, mood, anxiety, etc.) and provides strategies to support them.
Whether a diagnosis is made or not, the information can be used to identify what the child needs to reach their potential. This session will take a deep dive into what caregivers and educators need to know about the psychoeducational process including:

• When and why psychoeducational assessments are done
• The psychological processes that underlie learning: such as language and phonological processing, fine-motor and graphomotor processing, executive functioning, visual-spatial processing, processing speed, working memory, etc.
• The specific academic skills being investigated: including reading, writing, math, language, etc.
• Aspects of social/emotional and behavioural functioning that may be impacting the student: including attention and concentration, depression, anxiety, etc.
• The diagnostic process
• Recommendations, strategies, and accommodations
• Using the psychoeducational assessment report for Individual Education/Program Planning (IPPs, IEPs, etc.)

DID YOU KNOW you can access pre-recorded sessions for free HERE.

ALSO CHECK OUT resources available through Mental Health Literacy HERE.

We Need Your Help!

We are looking for someone to assist us with an audit/review of our financials.  This review is required by the Canada Revenue Agency and needs to be completed this summer. No accounting background is required.  We will provide you with a package and the audit should only take about 1-2 hours to complete.  If you are able to help, please email us at info@gatecaglary.ca.  

Next Meeting

Our AGM will be in September and the date will be announced in late August/early September. 

UPCOMING PARENT EDUCATION SESSIONS

The Community Education Service (CES) is offering the following sessions for parents and families. Sessions are offered at no cost but registration is required. 

**CLICK HERE TO REGISTER: Click on the Poster/PDF icon below the correct session to register**

June 14: Calgary Youth Justice Society/Calgary Youth Justice Committees Public Information Session
Do you have knowledge of the Youth Criminal Justice Act or Youth Justice Committees? Join this short and informative session to learn how you as a community member or as an agency can help provide support for not only your community but the youth in it, and how you can offer different resources for young people and the Youth Justice Committee program. You will walk away from this opportunity feeling confident in participating and talking to your own clients or community members about Youth Justice Committees.
Community Education Service will be back with more workshops and seminars in September.  Here are some ways you can continue learning with them over the summer:

Watch pre-recorded sessions HERE.

Check out the “Best Summer Ever” guide by Koro Learning Institute HERE.

Check out the resources available through Mental Health Literacy HERE.

We hope you have a safe and happy summer!