McKenzie Towne School Parent Association

MTS Capacity Update

2012-02-16T08:05:00.000-08:00

Good news! Late yesterday, we received an update regarding the capacity and relocatables for MTS. We have been advised that two out of the four requested relocatables have been approved for McKenzie Towne School. As this approval was received before the end of February and in accordance with the CBE's timelines, we are hopeful that these relocatables will be in place and ready for students for September 2012. We have also been advised that the final two relocatables will be requested again in November 2012 for the following school year.

Thanks to all parents who have sent emails, letters or made phone calls regarding your concerns. We appreciate your involvement and hope that you continue to stay informed and involved with respect to the future of MTS.

Coco Brooks Pizza Fundraiser

2012-02-08T19:48:00.000-08:00

The McKenzie Towne School Parent Association is pleased to be working with Coco Brooks for our newest fundraising program. Coco Brooks creates premium quality, frozen, personal sized (7-8”) pizzas that are individually packaged with reheating instructions. They offer 35 different varieties, ranging from gluten free to thin-crust to the classic kids pepperoni!

To get a list of all the pizza options click here for the order form. For each order you take you will need a new form. When you are done please tally everything together on Form #2 (print here). For more information and to print these instructions please click here.

All orders and payments must be into the school by Feb 24th. Pizzas can be picked up ONLY March 15th between 7-8:30pm. Product is frozen so there is no exceptions to this time. Thank you in advance for all your support and efforts to make this another successful event.

MTS Capacity

2012-02-07T06:30:00.000-08:00

Dear MTS Parents,

We are writing today to advise you of a concern regarding capacity and student accommodation at McKenzie Towne School. As many of you will know, last year we successfully lobbied for four relocatables to be added to our school to accommodate the students for this school year. While we were successful in having those relocatables approved, due to delays with construction and installation, it appears as if those relocatables will not be ready for students until the spring.

On January 23rd, we had a number of guests from the CBE attend our school council meeting to discuss enrolment projections for the coming years and the process involved in acquiring relocatables. We learned that our school will continue to see increasing enrolment and that capacity is quickly becoming a major concern. Based on information we were given when the school was announced in 2008, it is our position that our school was built to accommodate 450 students in its core and an additional 200 students in relocatables. The CBE is now saying that our auxiliary gymnasium, which has been used to accommodate approximately 40 grade 4 students this year, is considered a classroom. This means that according to the CBE, MTS can accommodate 475 students in its core. We strongly disagree with their position on this matter and have asked them to honour the commitment they made in 2008 regarding the core capacity of MTS. It is our view that the auxiliary gymnasium is not appropriate instructional space and should not continue to be used as classroom space next year.

With the addition of the 4 relocatables currently underway, the school will be able to accommodate 550 students next year, based on the CBE's guidelines of 25 students per classroom. We are projected to have 605 students enrolled next year. As 155 of these students will be kindergarten students, our enrolment is considered to be 528 full-time equivalent students. In order to accommodate that number of students in the space that we have, we will no doubt see larger class sizes, split grades, an impact on programming and the use of non-instructional spaces for classroom teaching. It is important to understand that these enrolment figures have been in line with the expectations of how and when the school would grow. This is not unexpected growth.

This school year has seen two grade 4 classes sharing the auxiliary gymnasium as a classroom and one kindergarten class having to use common space as part of their classroom centres. In our view, this is unacceptable. It is our belief that all students should have appropriate instructional space in which to learn. The CBE has made a formal request for an additional 4 relocatables to be built on the east side of the school. We have been advised that in order to have those in place for September, the CBE would need government approval by the end of February.

We have been told that once the CBE hears whether or not the additional 4 relocatables are approved, they will consider a timeline for discussions with the community regarding future capacity at MTS. Should the relocatables not be approved, we will reach our capacity by the end of the next school year and decisions will need to be made about the future of MTS. Even if we do receive the relocatables, capacity will be reached within a couple of years. We have communicated our desire to be involved in any discussions and decisions around how capacity is managed at MTS, whether that be by capping school enrolment, changing the grades of the school or any other options considered.

We are asking the parent community to once again get involved in this important issue. We have seen in the past how our efforts to effect change have been successful when we have worked together. Please consider contacting our current MLA, Art Johnston and the Education Minister, Thomas Lukaszuk to share your concerns and ask that the additional relocatables be approved by the end of February. Representatives from the school council will be trying to arrange a meeting with Mr. Johnston and will continue to communicate with both the Ministry of Education and the CBE, but we need your help. We have been told in the past that individual letters from parents have a bigger impact than a petition or one letter on behalf of all parents. In addition, we encourage you to share your vision of McKenzie Towne School with the CBE. Let them know what is important to you about student accommodation. Contact information is as follows:

Honourable Thomas Lukaszuk, Minister of Education
423 Legislature Building
10800 - 97 Avenue NW
Edmonton, AB, T5K 2B6
Phone: (780) 427-5010
Fax: (780) 427-5018
Email: jeff.kasbrick@gov.ab.ca (Executive Asst to the Minister)

MLA Art Johnston
255, 11488-24 Street SE
Calgary, AB, T2Z 4C9
Phone: (403) 215-4380
Fax: (403) 215-4383
Email: calgary.hays@assembly.ab.ca

Trustee Carol Bazinet
1221- 8 Street S.W.
Calgary AB T2R 0L4
Phone: 403-817-7930
Fax: 403-294-8282
E-mail: cabazinet@cbe.ab.ca

Family Dance Reminder

2012-02-06T13:38:00.000-08:00

Thanks to your support, this year's Family Dance is sold out!

Unfortunately, due to the capacity of the gym, tickets were limited and sold
on a first come first serve basis. If you are unable to attend, and have tickets, please contact fundraising@mtsparents.com and let them know so another family on the waitlist can take your place.

There is a large number of Auction items up for bidding this year so please bring your cash or check to get in on the fun. Click here to see some of the many items up for grabs.

Recap Of Meetings

2012-01-31T08:59:00.000-08:00

January 23, 2012 was the first meeting for MT School Council and Parent Council. This meeting was packed with updates and new ideas for MTS. Jane Rogerson - Area V Rep; Carol Bazinet - Board Trustee; Brent Hughes - CBE and Ingrid Schmidt - CBE Senior Planner were in attendance to talk about capacity concerns at the school and to provide an update with respect to the west side relocatables. A great deal of information was shared and the school council will be putting out additional information and a call to action for parents in the coming days.

Ms. Janet Purdy and Ms. Rachel Anderson discussed what they are doing in their classrooms to help students learn and problem solve.

Dr. Slater and Mr. Murphy briefed us on their Feb 6-15 Random Acts Of Kindness initiative to help students learn about caring for others. Check out February's Newsletter to find out more about it.

At the Parent Council Meeting we discussed casino spending and a decision was made to support the Trickster Theatre Company residency in 2013 pending approval from Alberta Gaming. We will continue to discuss spending decisions, including music and technology spending priorities at our February meeting.

We are still in need of a Volunteer Coordinator. If you are interested please contact vicechair@mtsparents.com. Fun Lunches will be held on the last Thursday of every month. Some upcoming fundraisers/family events include Coco Brooks pizza and the Family Valentine Dance. If you would like to volunteer for either event please contact Amy at Fundraising@mtsparents.com

Our Next meeting will be held February 27, 2012.

MTS Meeting Reminder at 6:30 & 8pm on Monday, January 23rd

2012-01-19T19:13:00.000-08:00

Monday marks the first School Council and Parent Association meetings of 2012. Attached (below), you will find the proposed agendas for both meetings. We have extended the duration of the meetings for this month, as there are some critical issues that require discussion. Two particular areas are outlined below.

In addition to regular business, during the School Council meeting we will have special guests Trustee Carol Bazinet, Brent Hughes and another representative from the CBE's planning department, as well as our Area Director, Jane Rogerson. As some of you may know, there were concerns raised last year about sufficient space in the school for all classes for this school year. We were happy to receive the announcement in June 2011 of the four relocatables currently in the process of installation. Our guests will be providing an update with respect to those relocatables. We have also asked for some information regarding the process involved in receiving additional relocatables in future. As our school population continues to increase, the potential need for additional relocatables exists. We are hoping to understand what our needs may be for the next school year and what, if anything, we as parents can and should be doing to ensure our children have the appropriate space in which to learn.

In the Parent Association meeting, we will hear updates from the various committees regarding events and activities. We have also set aside time to have a discussion regarding spending of casino funds. This discussion began at our last meeting in November, with some spending proposals outlined. We anticipate the opportunity to discuss the details of the proposals and make some decisions about spending for the remainder of this school year as well as for the 2012-2013 school year. These discussions and decisions are incredibly important as they affect all students in the school. Included in MTSPA Agenda is the proposed plan as presented in November. If you would like to have input, comment on or have a better understanding of the details regarding the proposed plan, we strongly encourage you to attend Monday's meeting.

The School Council meeting begins at 6:30 pm on Monday in the staff room. All parents are welcome and encouraged to attend.

Links:
MTSC Agenda
MTSPA Agenda and Casino Spending Proposal

Sean Tyson

Chair - MTSPA | chair@MTSParents.com

MTSC/PA Meetings Cancelled

2011-12-19T11:31:00.001-08:00

This is a reminder that the School Council and Parent Association meetings originally scheduled for tonight have been cancelled. Please mark your calendars for our next meeting, on January 23, 2012. Details and an agenda will be out prior to that date.

On behalf of the MTSPA, we'd like to wish everyone a happy holiday season. See you all in 2012!

Christmas Concert Raffle and Refreshment Volunteers Needed

2011-12-08T14:46:00.000-08:00

A message from the MTSPA fundraising committee.

Hello all! The MTS Christmas Concerts are quickly approaching and the Parent Association is looking for volunteers interested in helping out during the events. There are two roles we are looking to fill:

1. selling raffle tickets; or
2. serving drinks/cookies and collecting donations for Toy Mountain at the
refreshment table.

We are looking for 6-8 volunteers for each of the concerts.

Wednesday Dec 14th (Kindergarten Concert):
5:30 - 7:30 - Raffle Table
5:30 - 7:30 - Refreshment Table

Thursday Dec 15th (Grade 1/2 and 3/4 Concert)
5:30 - 8:30 - Raffle Table
5:30 - 8:30 - Refreshment Table

We will stop sales during the performances so if you are volunteering on the night of your child's concert, you would still be able to watch.

Interested parents can e-mail fundraising@mtsparents.com indicating the night and/or shift they would prefer.

Thank you in advance!

Gift Card Pick-Up Reminder

2011-12-05T15:06:00.000-08:00

Reminder! For those parents who have ordered gift cards, they will be available to be picked up at the school this Thursday, December 8th between 3-4pm or 6-7pm. Please make arrangements to pick them up during one of those times as we will not be able to send them home with students.

Meeting Recap

2011-11-29T14:08:00.000-08:00

Last nights meetings were filled with so much information it is going to be hard to fit it all here in a short recap. Thank you to Mrs. Youngstrom and Mrs. Addison for discussing their classrooms learning plans. We were able to watch videos of some Grade 1 students discussing what they think different people in their school do all day. They then interviewed them to find out what they really do. We learned how in Mrs. Younstrom's class students use literature to apply math concepts - very cool.

School Council is still in need of 1-2 people to fill the Volunteer Coordinator's position. Most of the work from the begining of the year is done so it is a good time to ease into the position. The Christmas Concert needs 8 volunteers for each night.

In the Parent Council Meeting we had an update from the Fun Lunch Committee - thank you Bronwen for taking on the Chair position. They discussed having something every month on a consistent day so parents know when to plan for it. Our Fundraising Committee has been very busy planning some events and initiatives for the school. Some things to watch for include a bottle recycling program where the bottles kids bring to school go directly to supporting the school's green initiative. Campbell's product labels will help raise funds for new technology. Feb 9 will be our next family dance.

The Christmas Concert this year will be on 2 nights. The first night (Dec 14) will be for Kindergarten parents and the next night will be staggered with grade 1-2 and then 3-4. 2 tickets for each family will be issued due to fire code regulations. Dr. Slater and Mr. Murphy explained how in past years we have come very close to capacity so doing the concert this way will make it possible for us to still have one.

Finally we discussed what we would like to see done with the Casino Funds. Administration presented their priorities list to Council. Some of the items included - presentations, technology, new instruments, and bussing. We motioned to support 3 Left Feet coming in March dependent on the availability of casino funds.

Our next meeting will be on January 23, 2012. Carol Bazinet, our Area 5 Trustee, has offered to attend to discuss the portables and what we see for the future for MTS.

Meeting Reminder

2011-11-27T15:32:00.000-08:00

This is a reminder of our Parent Council and School Council meetings happening on Monday, November 28. The School Council meeting runs from 6:30-7:30, (print the agenda here). The Parent Council follows at 7:40-8:50 (print the agenda here).

This months meeting will focus mainly on the casino funds and what we as Parents and the School would like to see done with them. Please come out to have a say in where you would like to see the funds spent.

Thank You to ALL Our Casino Volunteers!

2011-11-24T12:48:00.000-08:00

The first McKenzie Towne School Parents Association (MTSPA) Casino event took place on Tuesday and Wednesday last week and was a great success. We expect that the event will raise over $60,000, which will be spent over the next 2 years, to enhance the educational experience of our children.

A huge thank you to the volunteers who donated their time, their partners who took care of parenting duties on their own, babysitters, our advisors, and everyone else who participated in the event. It was lots of fun and a great way to get to know other parents within the community. We also want to thank Laura Rye from Screaming Panda Design for designing our poster, and Staples for the printing service. Many thanks go out to the following volunteers:

Nelson E Lori-Anne P Rosaleeh H

Rob C                                             Gary C                                            Sean T
Kerri B                                             Amy M                                           Melanie B
Aaron S                                          Joie C                                             Judy V
Tami A                                            James K                                         Joanna A
Laura T                                           Stuart C                                          Stuart G
Shawna D                                       Tania U                                          Linda B
Irene K                                            Pat S                                               Nicole D
Chad F                                           Tiffany V                                         Sydney G
Roswita D                                       Stacey I                                           Dawn C
Michelle SC                                    Launa K                                          Jennifer A
Robert M                                         Heather O

The money from the casino will arrive in February next year but the important job of allocating the funds begins now. There are some restrictions in how casino funds can be spent, so we will be working over the next few months to determine how best to utilize ours. We would love to hear from anyone who has a suggestion. To make a suggestion or be part of the process, either contact the Casino Director by writing to casino@mtsparents.com or come to the next MTSPA meeting being held at the school on Monday, 28^th November.

Stuart Gannon
Casino Director

Gift Card Reminder - Orders Due This Friday!

2011-11-16T11:30:00.000-08:00

Just a reminder that gift card order forms & payments are due this Friday, November, 18th.

Get your holiday shopping done early - without hitting the malls! A percentage of every gift card purchased goes directly to support our school – with no additional cost to you! It's a great way to purchase gifts for your family, friends, co-workers and employees.

Extra order forms are available on the MTSPA website. If you have any questions, please email fundraising@mtsparents.com.

Thank you for supporting the McKenzie Towne School Parent Association.

Urgent - Casino Volunteers Needed!

2011-11-10T06:43:00.001-08:00

MTSPA's first Casino Fundaiser takes place next week on Tuesday November 15th & Wednesday November 16th. We urgently need three more volunteers to fill the following shifts:

Chiprunner 11.30am - 7.00pm Tuesday 15th November
Cashier 6.30pm to 2.30am Wednesday 16th November
Chiprunner 6.30pm to 2.30am Wednesday 16th November

If you are able to help or if you need more information please contact Stuart Gannon, our casino director at 403 680 8232 or casino@mtsparents.com.

This is an important fundraiser for our school, please consider volunteering.

'TIS THE SEASON TO BUY GIFT CARDS...

2011-11-08T14:24:00.000-08:00

Are you planning to buy gift cards for this upcoming Holiday Season? Do you buy groceries and gas? Do you go out for dinner or movies or frequent a coffee establishment? Are you updating your home with renovations or décor? Does your company buy gift cards for staff or clients?

If so, please help support McKenzie Towne School Parent Association. When you purchase gift cards which are spent like cash, a rebate goes back to our school automatically! There is no additional cost to you! When you order $150 in gift cards, you pay $150 and you get gift cards worth $150!

It’s that simple! Order forms can be downloaded here and need to be returned with payment to the school by FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 18th.

Gift cards will be available for pick-up at the school on Thursday, Dec 8th between 3-4pm, or 6-7pm.

Please e-mail fundraising@mtsparents.com with any questions. Thank you for your support!

Volunteer Coordinator Positions

2011-11-07T15:59:00.000-08:00

Our Volunteer Coordinator has stepped down from her position, therefore we are now without a volunteer coordinator and are currently seeking one or two people to step into this important role. In the past, this position has been co-coordinated, so could be shared by two willing individuals.

The Volunteer Coordinator(s) supports the school by managing the volunteer forms, arranging for classroom parents and in-school volunteers. This person also solicits volunteers for events on behalf of the school and/or Parent Association as needed. As a member of the School Council executive team, the Volunteer Coordinator attends monthly school council meetings and reports on volunteer needs and other relevant information. Much of this work is already complete for this year, so now is a great time to get involved and ease into the role!

Most of the duties of this position can be done via email and/or phone. This is a critical role for the school and a great opportunity to become involved. If you are interested in taking on this important job, please contact Sean at chair@mtsparents.com or Tiffany at vicechair@mtsparents.com.

Recap Of Meetings

2011-10-27T11:41:00.000-07:00

At tonight’s Council meeting Mrs. Chen and Mrs. Kruger presented on their Grade 1 class initiatives. Their classes have been selected out of many applications to attend the Eco-Action School at Ralph Klein Park in May. This is a great opportunity for their students to apply what they are learning in school to the environment.

Our School’s PAT results will be posted on the school’s website in the near future and individual student results will be included in the first report card. The Province has announced they are giving some of the funds back to the schools. This money has been designated for human resources, such as teachers and/or educational assistants.

The Parent Council Meeting voted to financially support a presentation in November called Can I Play Too? put on by the Friend 2 Friend Social Learning Society and designed to foster social inclusion, play and friendships for children on the autism spectrum. The PA also voted to assist with bussing for field trips. Discussions on where to spend casino funds will be held at future Council meetings.

Our casino is on November 15 and 16 and is still in need of volunteers. If you can help out please contact Stuart at casino@mtsparents.com. Our fun lunch was held October 27. This event was a great success but is in need of a Chair for any future lunches to occur. Until someone is able to fill this role the fun lunch program has been suspended. If you are able to Chair this great committee please let our Volunteer Coordinator Nicole know at volunteer@mtsparents.com.

Our next meeting will be held November 28 starting at 6:30pm.

School Council and Parent Association Meeting Reminder

2011-10-20T18:59:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder that Monday October 24 is our next School and Parent Council meetings. The School Council meeting starts at 6:30pm and the Parent Association meets right after at 7:30pm. These are a great place to find out what is happening in the school and to have input on things you would like to see happen.

Come see what opportunities there are for you to get involved.

SUTP Fundraiser

2011-10-20T18:51:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Adelisa in Kindergarten who is the winner of the Wii Entertainment System!

Thanks to all our students and their families who helped sell around 450 Students Union Coupon books raising about $9000 half of which goes right to our Parent Association to be used in school programs. Some of the programs this money will be used for include bussing for fieldtrips, school presentations and other activities.

Even though the contest is now closed we still have some books remaining so please let the school know if you want one.

Casino Volunteer Update

2011-10-02T12:02:00.000-07:00

Thank you to everyone who has volunteered to help at the casino so far. As a reminder, the dates are November 15th and 16th at the Deerfoot Inn and Casino.

We are still short a few volunteers. We require two chip runners to work from 11:30am-7:00 pm on November 15th and one chip runner to work fro 6:30pm-2:30 am on November 16th. A chip runner is a courier for chip orders from the casino games. This volunteer must be prepared to move around and must be able to carry up to five pounds of chips. The position is usually busy at the opening and closing of the casino.

We also are still in need of two courtroom staff to work from 10:15pm-2:45 am on November 16th. These volunteers will sort, amalgamate, count and verify all cash from table games drop boxes. Cash handling skills are an asset and volunteers should be comfortable working with their hands.

We would also like to have another six to seven volunteers that can be called upon to work a shift on either November 15th or 16th should they be needed. The shifts are 11:00am-7:00pm and 6:30pm-close (around 2:30am).

Volunteer forms can be found at this link and are also available at the school. If you are able to fill any of these needs, please email Stuart at casino@mtsparents.com or at stuartchristine@hotmail.com.

Recap of Meetings

2011-09-27T12:31:00.000-07:00

Last night marked the first meeting of the year for the MTS Council and the third AGM for the MTSPA. Thank you to everyone who attended these important and busy meetings. Highlights of the School Council meeting included an introduction from our principal, Dr. Slater, who spoke about her interest in continuing to work with parents and staff to build a strong culture and community in our school. We heard from two teachers, Mrs. Steedman and Mrs. Scott about some of the interesting work the grades 2 and 3 students have been doing in art and science. During the Leadership Report, Dr. Slater and Mr. Murphy were able to provide an update regarding relocatables. It is expected that work will begin in November to prepare the site on the west side of the school. The relocatables should arrive after a few weeks and they are hoping to have them ready for students to occupy by mid February.

As mentioned in previous emails and posts, this meeting also marked the end of the terms for many of the school council executive. As such, voting took place to select the new executive. Sherri M, the previous Chair, moves into the role of Immediate Past Chair. We truly appreciate the hard work and dedication she has put into the role of Chair over the past two years and look forward to her continued support and guidance in her new role. Sean T. has assumed the role of Chair for both the School Council and Parent Association and Tiffany V has taken the role of Vice Chair. Tami A. is now officially in the role of Secretary after having helped in that position for the last few months. Shauna will be our new Key Communicator and Nicole continues as the Volunteer Coordinator. A second Volunteer Coordinator opportunity is available as this has traditionally been a co-coordinator role, so if you are interested, please email chair@mtsparents.com.

In the Parent Association meeting, there was some discussion about committees. The yearbook will remain an ad hoc committee with Debi M and others involved. There was unanimous interest in a Fun Lunch committee and Cheri S. agreed to take on the task of organizing a group of interested parents. Please let us know if you would like to join this committee. With respect to the Fundraising Committee, Amy C. was voted into the position of Fundraising Director as part of the executive of the Parent Association. A goal of $9000 was set for fundraising activities this year and Amy and her committee will be looking at some ideas of how to achieve this goal. If you would like to help on the fundraising committee, please let Amy know by emailing her at fundraising@mtsparents.com.

Sherry T. provided the Treasurers' report and has accepted a second term as Treasurer for the Parent Association. Amy and Sherry T updated us about SUTP sales, which continue until October 15th. These funds are an important part of the PA's fundraising activities and parents' support is appreciated.

Stuart G. accepted the position of Casino Director for the Parent Association. He has been diligently working towards the casino for the last few months and thanked all of the volunteers who have agreed to help in November. There are a few more positions to be filled, so stay tuned for further information. Funds earned from casino are anticipated to be received sometime in February, and we will expect to start to have discussions around spending over the next few months.

Finally, Sean provided a playground update. With the surplus monies from the playground build, 3 toss and score sets were ordered last week and will hopefully be installed before the snow flies. We look forward to this addition to the outdoor space for the students.

The next meetings of the School Council and Parent Association will be on October 24th, beginning at 6:30 pm. Look for further information, including agendas for these meetings prior to that date. We hope to see you there!

Reminder - MTSC/MTSPA Meetings

2011-09-25T12:33:00.000-07:00

A reminder that Monday night is our first meeting of the year for the MTS School Council and the AGM for the Parent Association. The Council meeting begins at 6:30 pm in the school staffroom, with the PA meeting immediately following. Elections will be held for most of the executive of the Council and PA at these meetings.

We have had a volunteer put their name forward for the position of Fundraising Director, however the roles of Key Communicator and a second Volunteer Coordinator have not yet had any interest. If you are interested in these or any of the positions on the executive, please email chair@mtsparents.com. Speaking as the current Key Communicator, I can tell you that this role is a great opportunity to learn about the CBE, our school and the education system in general. It's also a great way to meet other parents and get to know your school community.

We look forward to seeing as many of you as possible tomorrow night!

Student Union Ticket Paks

2011-09-12T09:33:00.000-07:00

A message from our Treasurer about the SUTP fundraiser.

Welcome back to school!! Order forms have gone home for students to begin selling the Student Union Ticket Paks (SUTP books) and additional forms can be found by clicking the link on the left of the mtsparents.com website. The books will sell for $20/bk with $10 staying with the Parent Association to be able to provide resources and activities for the students throughout the year. The books will be for sale until October 15, 2011. An incentive to get your students to sell the books is that for every book they sell, they will have their name entered into a draw for a WII gaming system.

We are looking for any volunteers who can come into the school to assist us in processing the orders. Our goal is to process the orders Monday’s and Wednesday’s and shouldn’t take any longer than a couple of hours. Amy C. has volunteered to oversee the process, but we would like to have 1-2 additional volunteers for each day to be able to get the sales processed. There is no commitment to commit every day, if you can do one day, or three days we would welcome you. Times will run from 8:30 until around 10:30 each day, dependant on how many orders have been received to process.

If you can volunteer for any of the days above between September 19 and October 19, please respond to Amy at amycare1@gmail.com.

Important - Casino Information

2011-09-11T10:07:00.000-07:00

The McKenzie Towne School Parents Association will be holding its first fundraising Casino on November 15th and 16th, 2011 at the Deerfoot Inn & Casino. Proceeds from the event will be used to enhance the educational experience of all the children at McKenzie Towne School and is a great way to meet & socialise with other members of the community.

We are eligible to hold casinos only once every two years and have the potential to raise in excess of $60,000 over the two days. This casino is a critical fundraiser for our school, as it allows the Parent Association to fund a wide variety of items, such as field trips, books, programs, technology etc.

In addition to the general volunteers necessary for the casino, we have an urgent need to fill the remaining key positions, including General Manager, Cashier, Banker and Count Room Supervisor. These positions must be filled before September 15th in order for the casino to proceed. Volunteering is easy and fun. Training will be supplied for all positions and advisors will be there to help us throughout. There are two shifts per day 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM & 6:30 PM – CLOSE (around 2:30 AM). The Count Room Supervisor has only one shift per day, which is 10:00 PM - CLOSE (around 3:00 AM). You can find further information about the key positions by following this link.

If you can help or need more information, please contact Stuart Gannon (Casino Director) stuart.gannon@synovate.com or stuartchristine@hotmail.com (403) 680-8232 directly. If you are able to volunteer for one of the key positions, please complete the volunteer form at this link and send it back to school with your child or by email it to Stuart by Monday September 12th.

Bus Maps

2011-08-29T07:43:00.000-07:00

The 2011 bus information and maps are now posted on the McKenzie Towne School's CBE website. You can view them here. School hours for this year are 8:20am to 3:05pm with a lunch break of 11:50-12:45. Morning kindergarten classes will run from 8:20 to 11:07 and afternoon kindergarten classes will be from 12:18 to 3:05. Friday classes will run from 8:20-12:15.