F.R. Haythorne Jr. High

All parent and students are invited to come to the school to meet the staff on the morning of Wednesday September 8 starting at 7:30 AM and running until 9:00 AM. This will be an opportunity for parents and staff to meet and build connections.

Please note that the entire staff parking lot will be vacated in the morning to help facilitate parent parking. Additional parking will also be available across the street in the lot by the pumphouse and along Calico Drive. This is a come and go event right up until 9:00 am.

Stay as little or as long as you want. Coffee, juice, muffins, and cookies will be available. Upon arrival feel free to grab something to eat and then tour the school and meet the staff with your child acting as official guide. Hope to see you then!

Section 11.1 of the Alberta Human Rights Act comes into effect September 1, 2010, affirming in law a parent's ability to have their child excluded, without academic penalty, from instruction, exercises, and the use of instructional materials that deal primarily and explicitly with religion, sexuality, or sexual orientation.

The implementation of this new legislation requires that school boards notify parents when students will be receiving instruction that includes subject matter that deals primarily and explicitly with religion, human sexuality or sexual orientation, allowing the opportunity for a parent to have their child opt out. In such cases when a child is exempted from programming under Section 11.1, the child may either: 

• leave the classroom or place where the instruction is taking place or where the instructional material being used for the duration of that part of the instruction; or
• remain in the classroom or place where the instruction is taking place without taking part in the instruction or use of instructional material.

EIPS expects this legislation should not affect the high quality of classroom instruction and discussion that are the hallmarks of our education system, nor should it compromise our curriculum or teaching practices.

The Guide to Education for the 2010-2011 school year contains information on the required notification and is posted at http:education.alberta.ca/admin/resources/guidetoed.aspx.

Information on notification and curriculum implications, as well as questions and answers for parents and the public is available on the Alberta Education website http://education.alberta.ca/parents/role.aspx.

Watch for further correspondence on this subject from your school in the near future.

There are a number of factors that determine how class lists are compiled including gender balance, ability distribution, negative or positive student combinations, options choices, and honours programming.  Since healthy adolescent development includes learning to work with new and different individuals, maintenance of friendships or preference for specific teachers are not typically considered when placing students. Therefore, requests for homeroom changes will only be considered if there is a valid educational reason. Requests must be in writing to the grade level administrator, include the educational reason, and signed by a parent. Deadline for submission is Wednesday September 8.

Ideally we would like to be able to accommodate all students first and second option choices. However, for a variety of reasons some options fill quicker than others. Therefore from a logistics standpoint, not all students can or will get their first or second option choices. That is why students are required to identify four option choices when registering.

Consequently as with homeroom changes, option changes will only be considered if there is a valid educational reason. Requests must be in writing to the grade level administrator, include the educational reason, and signed by a parent. Deadline for submission is Wednesday September 8.

 Just a reminder that there are "no stopping" signs posted along Colwill Boulevard for the entire length it borders F.R. Haythorne, making it illegal for a vehicle to stop there at any time for any reason.  If parents are seeking an alternate area to safely stop and drop off their child, that can be done in the staff parking lot, the pumphouse parking lot on the south side of Colwill, anywhere along Calico Drive, or on Colwill Boulevard just west of Calico Drive. Parent cooperation and adherence is expected and appreciated. 

Just a reminder that school pictures will be taken on Wednesday, September 8th.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific & Cultural Organization was created with the intention of trying to promote the ideals of the United Nations.  The Associated Schools Network was created to help foster those ideals in young people.

What does it mean?  We at F. R. Haythorne are working to develop a culture of understanding, tolerance and inclusion while supporting the 4 pillars set out by UNESCO: learning to know, learning to do, learning to be & learning to live together.

In working towards these ideals, we work to teach students how to learn & involve themselves in activities which promote peace and understanding.  Some examples of how we are doing this include things like; integration of special needs students into regular classrooms, various fundraising activities to support the ideals, teaching students through literature about the mistreatment of various groups throughout history and how we can learn from those to ensure it doesn't happen again, teaching students to get involved in the democratic process and creating an environment of tolerance.

In actively engaging our students, community, and staff in putting these pillars in place on an everyday basis, we hope to promote the growth of the ideals set out by the United Nations.  If we are successful in doing so, we will have a community who will spread the message that we must work together to help out when help is needed, to develop future leaders within our community who understand that living together in a peaceful world is what is needed, and that we all must work together for our world to be a better place to be.  It is important to remember not only do we need to look after our own community, but we are also members of a global community, and once in a while we must look beyond our boarders.

For further information please visit:

http://www.unesco.ca/en/interdisciplinary/aspnet/default.aspx

At F.R. Haythorne Junior High, we take a very serious approach to bullying.

If you or someone you know has been the victim of a bully, you can use the "Report a Bullying Concern" page to send an email directly to the Principal.

Have you checked out all the new items the Hawk's Nest cafeteria is offering?

Clcik here for the Hawk's Nest Menu 2010-2011.

Check out the "About Us - Photo Gallery" area of the website to see what our students and staff have been doing!