Features

According to a new study conducted by Ipsos-Reid on behalf of Today's Parent Magazine, 94 percent of Canadians agree that "the number of overweight and inactive children is a serious health issue in Canada today." As well, nine in ten Canadians agree that "provincial governments should make it mandatory for all students, from kindergarten to grade 12, to have at least 30 minutes of physical activity each school day," and eight in ten agree that "the influence of television/internet and video games on children is so powerful that it is difficult for parents to get their children to be more physically active."

For years, as an anti-racist educator, I have been teaching my students alternative views of historical events. I read aloud Jane Yolan's "Encounter," to complement the assigned textbooks about the explorers.

The Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario (ETFO) has 21 standing committees.

Two years ago, I became aware of an organization in the US named "Kids Voting USA." The operation aimed to build a habit of electoral participation among youth under the voting age in preparation for the time when they can vote. I was startled by the results. In some areas, student participation drove adult voting rates upwards of seven percent. Schools partnered with community newspapers, teachers invited community leaders into the classroom, and students became engaged.

Aboriginal Women in Education Award - Women's Program
Sheri Jahner - Waterloo Region Teacher Local
Allison Nakogee - Moose Factory
Natalie Corkery - Kawartha Pine Ridge Teacher Local
Kimberly Cheena - Kingston

The growing North American emphasis on standards and accountability has led many jurisdictions to rely on externally developed measures like standardized tests as the sole measure of student learning and school effectiveness.

Making Math Happen in the Junior Years, a new release from ETFO, provides teachers with a vast array of ideas to incorporate into their math program. It is the second in ETFO's Making Math Happen series. In this issue of Voice, Jennifer Paziuk, one of the lead authors, describes the importance of communication in a successful math program. An excerpt from the curriculum provides further ideas.

Last April Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty announced the government's intent to provide an intensive focus on the development of literacy and numeracy skills for Ontario students. This focus called for the appointment of specially trained lead teachers in literacy and numeracy in the primary and junior divisions of every school in Ontario.

From the moment children begin to think about their bodies, at age four, they want to be thin. By age eight, although both girls and boys are struggling with body image, girls experience the issue much more keenly.