The Election Results Are In - Gary is the Winner

I would first like to thank all of the people that made the effort to go out to the polls and cast your vote today.

I just was contacted by the School Board and have been informed that unfortunately I was not successful in winning the election.

The vote count was as follows:

Gary Johnson: 27
Aaron Lambie: 22
Rejected Ballots: 5

I wish Gary much luck with the school board and I look forward to hearing about all the great things that will come out of this position.

Regards,
Aaron

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Two Days Until the Election

I wanted to do a final posting before the election and ask all who have been following this blog to post any outstanding questions, comments or concerns if there is any confusion on where I stand and what I want to achieve. I also would like to know what interest there would be in maintaining a blog for community members to comment on the school board, local politics or post unedited liberal news in the High Level region?

I haven't yet heard anything from Gary so I am going to assume that he either does not have a platform or is uninterested in letting the High Level community know what it is. Either way I think he hasn't done his part to let everyone know why he should gain your trust in being a school board trustee.

I don't want to end on a sour note so I thank everyone who has contributed as themselves, with an alias or anonymously as well as through email correspondance and face to face meetings. I wish Gary luck with the election however I do hope you vote for me on October 4th.

Many Regards,
Aaron

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Healthy Lunch Program - Lets Start the Ball Rolling

In response to Carrie Browns comments:

"Aaron,

I've found reading through your blog very interesting and I think what you stand for is commendable. I also credit you for trying to keep the conversation to the issues at hand and dealing with feedback in a professional and respectful manner.

I am in full support of healthy lunch programs in schools. My job is to break down people's barriers to living healthy lifestyles and find it frustrating that despite the endless healthy living messages we are inundated with on a daily basis, in MANY environments we haven't made the changes necessary to "walk the talk." As I believe you mentioned, habits that are developed in childhood are more likely to carry into adulthood and schools are key in developing, instilling and supporting healthy lifestyle habits.

If the political will is there, there are resources within the community to support this movement. Your argument is strong and there is not only a provincial movement to these type of programs, but also national and global movements. However, at the risk of sounding pessimistic, I'm afraid it will still take quite a sell to get this off the ground here. I'm just wondering what you have in mind to gain the support required to move ahead with this initiative?

I would also like to comment on the issue of teacher retention. As previously discussed, every organization and business in town is faced with this ongoing challenge. And while internal changes might affect this a little, I believe all companies and organizations in town need to work on this together.

I think that it will take more people like yourself who are relatively new town, but are willing to put themselves into the political ring. I believe our political circle needs more representation from the newcomers. We will always need the experience and perspective from the past, but we also need those who are looking at our community with fresh eyes who can represent newcomers' perspective. Without this, High Level may never feel entirely welcoming and embracing of all new people.

I also think that the development of arts and culture will add a dynamic to High Level that is currently lacking but extremely important to many people.

We will never be able to bring High Level closer to shopping malls, 12 theatre cinemas, and the big city, bright lights. However, if we can work to build a sense of community, sense of belonging and community pride, we'll have an community worth remaining in. The ultimate would be to never hear the question "so how long are you here for?" again! With that said, how long do you plan to remain in High Level?

Thank you for this wonderful forum for dialogue... Good Luck on the 4th Aaron!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Carrie,

First let me say that I appreciate the time you have spent in formulating such a well worded post and am glad you found much of this blog an enjoyable read. Trying to keep on topic most days is a challenge however I do try my best to respond to the most appropriate and meaningful feedback possible.

To answer your first question, I think the healthy lunch program is not as hard of a sell as many people think. There is support from parents, there is support from teachers and if elected there is support from the school board so I think the idea is sold. What I don’t see happening is someone to champion the project and get the project moving in the right direction.

Personally I would approach this project from the perspective of a feedback loop where letters of support are generated from all corners of this community (from politicians to parents to principals to students and even the school board) to generate the momentum needed to build a case to approach the provincial and federal government and even industry for financial support. The more people that support will result in more people being aware and the more people that are aware will result in more people willing to support. A feedback loop is the most important aspect of this process. As illustrated in my previous post, there are programs specifically set up to fund similar types of healthy food programs.

So to answer your original question, I think we are at a point where there is general acceptance, we just need the individual with the support of a representative committee to step forward and champion the project. I am willing with the support of a few others to undertake this task. I feel vehemently in favor of a healthy lunch program which coincidentally will align itself well with cafeteria facilities and theater infrastructure in the High level region.

As for your last comment on how long I will be in High Level for, well as a non-native Albertan I have family ties elsewhere and I would be lying if I said that I will be here long term or indefinitely. The decision to move from High Level is one Robyn and I will have to make at some point however I can tell you that my commitment to the school board will not be compromised during the term I have been elected for.

Carrie, I hope I answered your questions and if not please reply back with your comments.

Again, I appreciate the time you spent posting.

Regards,
Aaron

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Breakfast for Learning

This was just emailed to me and I thought I would share it with everyone who reads this blog. I would encourage any teachers or administrators interested to follow-up on the grants that are available from this site.

Breakfast for Learning

Click Here

Regards,
Aaron

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Enough is Enough - Where is Gary Johnson?

I know by the response I have gotten and the numbers on the website that people are genuinely interested in the education system with the Fort Vermilion School Division. I feel I would be doing the people I want to represent a disservice if I didn’t allow Gary space here to voice his platform and his goals. Maybe he feels more passionate than I do or has more realistic goals than I have; however I haven’t heard a word or seen Gary’s campaign outside of the Echo Article - although it wasn’t clear what his priorities are either. So on the advice of fellow community members this is what I am going to do.

Gary, I invite you to put together an article or few articles and I will post them unedited on this blog and you can start to receive feedback if you wish from the members of this community regarding why you want to represent them and their children. The floor is yours to discuss whatever you would like.

Please consider this offer as I think the community deserves to hear your reasons for running in this campaign.

Many Regards,
Aaron

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Healthy Lunch Programs for High Level

One of my strongest beliefs regarding education is that children learn well when they eat well. Recently, I was at High Level Public School during lunchtime and I was alarmed at the lack of food choices offered to the student population of over 400 children. Pre-packaged submarine sandwiches with a shelf life of several weeks, fried foods in the canteen and of course the usual vending machine items such as soft drinks, chips and chocolate bars. It seems absurd that a division who frequently looks at ways for improving achievement test results and academic performance can stand by and let these unhealthy choices be deemed acceptable. There is a direct link between student health and achievement results. I propose an addition be built in a suitable location to serve as a cafeteria and venue for theatre opportunities that could be equally shared between the three High Level schools.

Many schools in Alberta have cafeterias that also house a stage to be used for the performing arts and various school functions. Furthermore, classrooms are not sanitary and appropriate places to serve lunch. This is a make due solution that must go. Students need to have a communal place to socialize with their peers at lunchtime. This is long overdue and the ideology that High Level cannot support such ventures is absurd. We live in a town that boasts many major forestry, oil & gas companies who actually have community sponsorship budgets. What we need is to tap into these resources and get the ball rolling on such initiatives. The results would be incredible.

Of course there are parents who still pack nutritious lunches for their children and I applaud these parents as this certainly does take time and careful consideration. Unfortunately, these parents are the minority; many children start their school day with a bottle of Coke and a bag of chips from the vending machine. Walk through the halls at many of the schools in the division on any given day around 8:30 and I guarantee you will see several students drinking pop and eating junk food from the vending machines.

This brings me to my next point: schools that have proper cafeteria facilities are easily able to host breakfast programs offering toast, cold cereals, fruit and juice. This could easily be community sponsored; I could foresee a different company in town sponsoring the program on a monthly rotation. Initiating a breakfast program would help solve problems with academic performance, attendance, behavior and other many factors.

Often, there is a stigma attached to such breakfast programs when participation is based on socioeconomic backgrounds. This is always a concern for schools and parents. I would propose that the program be open to all students. There are many reasons to start a school breakfast program, such as the development of good, healthful eating habits for students. Family and community life has changed, and many children do not have the opportunity to eat breakfast on a regular basis. If children do eat at home, they are often left to provide for themselves and breakfasts are often of poor nutritional value or skipped entirely. Children arriving to class without having breakfast are hungry, and hungry children cannot learn. They will continue to be hungry until lunchtime, or they may eat less nutritious food to prevent hunger pangs. Studies show that breakfast increases student attention, improves behavior, increases health, improves reading speed & accuracy and improves test scores. Parents, teachers, and administrators would certainly appreciate these positive effects on their students. Breakfast is a vital element of a productive and successful educational day.

In addition to this, a cafeteria would coincide with the new government mandate that all children receive 30 minutes of physical activity a day. It seems to be contradictory that the daily physical activity initiative is operating each day and then students are not offered healthy choices at lunchtime. It is no secret that childhood and teenage obesity is growing at an alarming rate in Canada. In addition to psychological pressures, teenage obesity can also have detrimental effects on health. Diabetes, heart disease, high cholesterol and high blood pressure are all common adult conditions that are now showing up in our youth. Consider some of the following statistics:
• 19% of boys are obese in Canada
• 17% of girls are obese in Canada
• 20% of childhood diabetes cases are now type 2 diabetes (adult-onset diabetes)
• 42 to 63% of obese school-aged children will become obese adults
(Health Canada, 2006)
In closing, I invite you to leave feedback and comments regarding this area of my platform. Furthermore, if this is something you also believe in come out and vote on October 4th. We must work together to see changes in this community and I am ready to make this a reality in High Level. Promoting a healthy attitude and lifestyle among young people is critical and this must be fostered not only at home but also in our schools.

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A Fresh New Appearance

Some of you complained that it was difficult to read this blog when it was the light writing on the dark background. A few simple changes and I think it is a world apart, it was worth the change.

Thanks for all the support and comments,
Aaron

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Recognition Doesn't Cost Money - Teacher Retention

In response to an anonymous comment:

Anonymous,

I was not aware that the teachers picked out there own gifts for these awards, that is too bad, however this is beside the point. What I am getting at and suggesting is that gifts are a hollow reminder of the dedication and service; employees of the Fort Vermilion School Division give to their students. A fitting tribute and honest recognition does not assume a price tag, rather friendly sentiments from past students or a genuine speech by fellow coworkers as an example. What I am suggesting does not cost money; it is an atmosphere that keeps people happy and content. Maybe school divisions elsewhere do not do anything different than what currently happens in this school division but that doesn’t mean we can’t try to be better.

You are very right in saying that teachers and other families in this town leave for completely unrelated issues and those are the ones that we can do little about, however; the other teachers that are leaving because they feel isolated or have a lack of social opportunity are the focus and can contribute a large part to increasing the quality of the education for the students of the Fort Vermilion School Division.

We shouldn’t stop trying just because we are in the North - we should try harder because of it.

Again, I appreciate the comments.

Regards,
Aaron

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You Can't Have an Opinion on Everything - Sports

Anonymous writes:

"Aaron,

Perhaps I am wrong, but wasn't the whole point of this blog to start dialogue and conversation?


I don't believe that Mr. Elias is responsible for elementary school athletics is he? He does not control say whether the students at Spirit of the North school have the opportunity to be involved in a basketball program does he? Or if kids in Rainbow Lake have access to sports programs due to lack of a coaching staff (just an example not sure if this happens). Please do correct me if I am wrong here because that would be good to know.

If questions to you are going to be answered only if they fall under the realm of your platform, then there will not be much discussion generated if people have concerns that are outside the realm of your 4 point platform.

I believe that perhaps Mr. Cottell was not only asking you questions to hear what your stance would be on this topic, but also to see if you would follow through and find out any information from the District as to what IS actually being done, or WHY actions may or may not be feasible.

Not simply to be directed to another person who may be able to supply answers for High Level Public School, but not the rest of the District."

~~~~~~~

Anonymous,

This blog is exactly as I have pointed out, a platform for discussion and dialogue. Maybe I am misunderstood but it is my understanding that Mr. Elias, a teacher at High Level Public School, is the sports coordinator, in some capacity, for the division and not just High Level Public School. If he is only the coordinator for High Level Public School then I will make the assumption that he would know who to speak with regarding Mr. Cottell’s questions.

Secondly, I will certainly entertain comments and dialogue about many issues however I do not feel that I can credibly give any suggestions or points on sports in the division as I have little interaction or knowledge to this. I feel that taking too many stances on too many points leads to a general lack of focus and a disservice to the people you are trying to help and represent. Much of my platform is designed to address academic performance and developmental success of the students.

I have personally consulted with Mr. Cottell on this issue and he agrees that Mr. Elias would be a more appropriate person to ask this question to. He did however make the suggestion to post his comments on this blog and that is exactly what I have done. I am never afraid to ask for help or make reference to someone that knows more and can help out individuals better than I can.

Again, thanks for the comments and sorry for the confusion.

Regards,
Aaron

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A Comment about Sports

Aaron,

Here is a question / comment for you (perhaps to be posted on your blog).

As a community sports coach, I have an interest in the School District and how it approaches extracurricular sports activities within the school system. I have not been involved that long with the sports programs here in High Level (and perhaps don't have all the information as to how things run or which sports are promoted here in the District), but I recognize how important extracurricular activities such as sports teams are to the building character, and the social development of youth. These sort of activities go a long way towards promoting healthy lifestyles, and provide kids with opportunities to be involved in constructive programs in their free time, hopefully steering them away from negative activities.

I know that it is very difficult to find qualified persons (either teachers or community people) to coach or mentor kids with these programs, and that in many cases schools cannot run programs because there are not enough people to start or maintain sports programs. In many cases there are parents or teachers that are willing to step in and help where needed, but they may not necessarily have a good working concept of the specific sport skills, or coaching techniques that will benefit the students involved over the long run.
For some sports, I know (perhaps not specifically) that there are not teams, or the students may not be introduced to specific team sports outside of Physical Education classes until they reach grade 8 or 9 in some cases.

I notice that with respect to extracurricular activities your platform is limited to theatre infrastructure development, but I would like to ask the question, what will you do as a trustee if you are elected to promote opportunities to develop coaches and/or sports programs in our local schools?

What would you do as a trustee to promote the development of sports programs that are currently not running at some of the local schools, or taking existing programs to the next level? (I believe (but could be wrong) that there are no current soccer or football programs etc).

How would you suggest the District go about promoting the development of community / teacher coaches that have the proper information, theory and methods to promote to our local youth good character traits, social skills, etc. through sport?

Thank you for your consideration of my questions and comments.

Christopher Cottell

Christopher Cottell, CEPIT
Forest Management Planner
Little Red River Forestry Ltd. Woodlands Division

~~~~~

Chris,

Thanks for the comment and I know many other share your concern. I cannot however speak to this as I am not campaigning on this platform. I will direct you to Kevin Elias at High Level Public School as he directs much of the divisions sports programs.

Regards,
Aaron

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Leadership in Elected Positions - In Response

In response to Clark McAskile...

Clark,

I appreciate the time you spent addressing my comments in response to ‘teacher retention’ however I shudder to think that your comments are a true reflection of the office you hold or others you work closely with. Elected officials hold a position of leadership first and foremost. Leaders need to foster growth and capitalize on strengths; they need to manage processes and not people. What leaders shouldn’t do is accept the status quo and settle into a perpetual routine of mediocrity.

My arguments in favor of training new staff and enticing them to stay for longer durations of time will undoubtedly lead to better academics in the schools as well as happier more productive teaching staffs division wide. I agree when you make reference to employee agreements with unions and directing the allocation of public funds (these are tough situations to deal with) – what I don’t agree with is accepting that leadership shouldn’t be a model to demonstrate the pursuance and recognition of excellence and work together with students, teachers, the public and administrators to find more innovative or alternative solution to the problems. Management, direction and guidance have to come from the top that is exactly leadership’s role.

If the Fort Vermilion School Division is to be successful with any initiative it deems worthy of, then we need the staff in place with the best attitudes to make certain we are successful in bringing education to the students.

I am certainly not naive, quite the opposite.

Again, I appreciate the comments.

Regards,
Aaron

~~~~~

Clark writes:

"It appears that brad_8888 should do some homework prior to posting. However, that is the benefit, and the downside, of this technology - One can post whatever one wishes using 'anonymous' or a pseudonym and avoid taking responsibility for the uneducated and unresearched comments one makes.

I am not the Fort Vermilion School Division's biggest fan - Far from it. This school division has numerous flaws and shortcomings, and should be required to answer for, and correct them. However, this is not necessarily an issue they should be 'trashed' over.

Other than the obviously contradictory comments of Brad_8888, he is wrong on several points.

Although I cannot comment on the gender division amongst the teachers, 90% of the administrative positions are NOT filled by males. This can easily be verified by visiting the Fort Vermilion School Division website and hitting the link "Schools". Several principalships and vice-principalships are filled by females. In fact several female principals severed in numerous schools and went on to key roles in central division office. One school of note - Spirit of the North Community School - has both the role of principal and vice-principal filled by females. This is quite personal knowledge, as my wife serves as vice-principal.

I have a long record of association with the FVSD and it is my experience that very few of the administrative positions were filled by those holding post-graduate degrees. As a matter of fact the school division may encourage the furthering of ones formal professional education, but does not require it.

In addition, neither my wife, nor her female principal, were required to have 50 years experience nor did they have to suffer 3 or more unsuccessful attempts to achieve their current positions. In addition both are long serving, and (in my biased opinion) meritorious, members of the FVSD staff.

The decision of some of these women to delay their advancement to the ranks of administration would involve a detailed sociological and physchological discussion that Brad_8888 has shown he does not have the time, nor inclination, to undertake. Suffice it to say, my wife had her reasons and it had little to do with a generalized, fictional, chauvinistic mind-set on the part of the school division.

Aaron shows some perception in his comments that monetary compensation have little to do with employee satisfaction. However, he is naive if he believes he, or any elected official, has a great deal of flexibility when it comes to the allocation of resources purchased by public funds, or with employee agreements negotiated by unions. Yet I see little correlation between the satisfaction of employees and the gender of those involved in the system, as implied by Bard_8888."

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An Important Comment from Anonymous

"Hi Aron,

I have three children in two different schools in High Level. I think healthy lunch programs are a great idea. Packing nutritious lunches for my children is often challenging as I am a single working mom, however it is still a priority for me. I would love to have the peace of mind that healthy choices were available to my kids instead of vending machines and deep fried foods from the canteen. Working in the health sector, I see many cases of childhood obesity in our region and although there are many explanations for this, unhealthy and non-existent lunch programs are certainly contributing to this epidemic."

Anonymous, you share the same sentiments as I do. The Alberta government expects daily physical activity (DPA), there was funding obtained last season for new gym equipment at High Level Public School, with the long days in the winter the school board is only doing a disservice firstly children then parents and teachers by neglecting healthy choices in our schools. Thanks for the great comment.

Regards,
Aaron.

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How to Decrease Teacher Turn-Over Rates?

John writes: "Teachers in northern Alberta receive a very healthy wage in comparison to other professionals in the province. In addition to this, the northern living allowance is a great tax benefit. How do you plan to change the transient nature of teachers in High Level? I have lived here for over 15 years and my children have seen many teachers come and go. Is this something that can be easily changed or is it an unrealistic platform item?"

John, this certainly isn't an unrealistic platform. Employees satisfaction is not a product of wage or financial compensation. I agree that the teaching staff of the Fort Vermilion School Division are well compensated however, pay cheques and tax benefits are a form of unconscious motivation. We need to make the compensation we pay teaching staff, support staff and the like in other ways on a daily basis such as honest recognition. Recognition through continuing education allowances provided annually to a level that will foster meaningful progression of their professional development, consistent and continuous support from competent and experienced administrators for new teaching staff, attracting the proper teachers and allowing them to teach within their qualified field and finally true 5, 10, 15 and 20 year service awards that demonstrate to the new hires that the school division actually cares. A typical framed print of the northern lights for years of dedicated service to this division to me is an insult. I think an honest reflection of these individual's careers and a sincere tribute to their professional accomplishments would be more fitting and go further to expose the real side of the school division. It sets a tremendous example for new hires.

There isn't one single easy fix but many little changes can go a long way to set the Fort Vermilion School Division apart from the school divisions south of here.

Many Regards,
Aaron

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Questions Come Quickly - Anonymous Asks

Anonymous asks: Robyn is a teacher with the school division. I know that Tom Hoffman's wife, Wendy, was a teacher too. I can see where your interests could be conflicted on issues occasionally. Any comments Aaron?

Anonymous I do have a comment:

It has been determined by Health Canada, 1 out of 5 members of the working population are involved in some capacity with educational institutions. This includes: teaching staff, support staff, administration, special needs assistants, parents, volunteers, secretaries, coaches, librarians, central office staff, maintenance staff, bus drivers, custodians, counselors and consultants to list a few. It would be very difficult to not have some affiliation with this school board if you are an active member of the High Level community. It is not uncommon for a couple in the High Level region to both work for the school board in several capacities. It would also be fair to say that each individual aforementioned would have the prospect of conflicted interests at some point throughout the candidates term. With this said, professional maturity and judgment needs to be made with a conscious decision to keep the school division's interests as a primary focus. If elected, this is exactly what I intend to do.

Thanks,
Aaron.

Brad_8888 has this to contribute:

"I don't see that as such a big problem, in fact, attracting quality candidates in a smaller area like High Level is a bigger one. If we expect that teacher's spouses cannot sit as representatives on our school board, then we will be wiping out an awful lot of High Level's best educated citizens."

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Some Users Have Asked - A Beginners Guide

I have received some questions today regarding the use of this blog. Most have never heard of one and others only in passing. Blogs are a form of a diary that is arranged in reverse chronological order. In other words the most recent conversation or topic is at the top with older postings further down the page.

Click the 'Read More' below.

To become an active member of the blog all you need to do is click on the comments button at the bottom of every post. Once into the comment section you can do one of three things: 1) Comment using a login and password from your own blogger account, 2) Provide a comment anonymously, or 3) provide a comment using an alias which is also completely anonymous.

Once you typed in your comment or question and have selected your method of identification select the 'Publish your Comment' button - and thats it.

Check back later in the afternoon or the next day for up to date answers and other questions and comments.

Regards,

Aaron Lambie,
Candidate for School Board Trustee - High Level Ward 2 - FVSD.

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Welcome to my Blog

I have thought about how I can, in the limited time we have before the election on October 4th, 2006, interact and get to know each other. I feel that this is a great medium to voice you questions, clarify my platform or just generally get to know each other. This is an interactive forum whereby you can login anonymously, with your real name or with an alias of your choice. My only concern is that I respond accordingly and to a level that will satisfy your requests.

So my this is my first posting and look forward to hearing from you soon.

Regards,
Aaron Lambie
Hopeful School Board Trustee - High Level Ward - 2

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