Telling Tales out of School

with Nick Martin

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• My heritage minute

  Saturday will be my 60th anniversary of being in Canada.

  View Full Post 11/23/2012 2:56 PM 0

• University recruiters invade the city

  Once again I’m off to Upper Canada, away for a week.

  View Full Post 10/31/2012 3:46 PM 0

• Dire times in Upper Canada, and other stuff

  I’ll be away for the next 10 days, returning to work Feb. 27, one of the costs of being empty-nesters and missing the children dearly — though we’ll try to cope.

  View Full Post 02/16/2012 4:00 PM 0

• You’re all still reading, aren’t you?

  Apparently, it’s I Love to Read Month in Manitoba schools.

  View Full Post 02/14/2012 10:08 AM 0

• Zabudsky makes headlines in Upper Canada

  Jeff Zabudsky was quite the mover and shaker during his relatively short time as president of Red River College, and now he’s aiming to be an ever more major player in Ontario postsecondary education.

  View Full Post 02/10/2012 3:36 PM 0

• Why school taxes are about to go up (part two)

  I put in what seemed like a simple request to the department of education — how much money do the school divisions have in surplus, and what percentage of their revenues does that represent?

  View Full Post 02/6/2012 1:59 PM 0

• Why school taxes are about to go up (part one)

  OK, so Education Minister Nancy Allan has vanhelsinged the tax incentive grant with a wooden stake through the heart.

  View Full Post 01/31/2012 10:36 AM 0

• A very troubled young man

  Sometimes I get bizarre emails, sometimes they’re utterly weird, but few are as troubling as the one I received from a young man who included his name and address.

  View Full Post 01/29/2012 7:05 PM 0

• Bizarre times continue in Thompson

  For the umpteenth time, Nancy, what in the world is going on in Thompson?

  View Full Post 01/22/2012 3:32 PM 0

• We strike out on Dalton’s promise

  Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty’s election promise of a 30 per cent rebate on university tuition sure sounded good, especially with child the younger going to school in Upper Canada.

  View Full Post 01/17/2012 3:34 PM 0

• Spreading confusion is what TIGgers do best

  The annual FRAME report is compelling reading for anyone who wants to know how Manitoba schools are spending $1.96 billion of public money this year.

  View Full Post 01/4/2012 12:41 PM 0

• Last rant for 2011

  I’ll be off until Jan. 2.

  View Full Post 12/22/2011 6:33 PM 0

• The city volleys it back

  The city finally got back to me, providing an explanation — of sorts — why registration for my Leisure Guide volleyball program at Carpathia School has gone up 54.6 per cent in four years.

  View Full Post 12/20/2011 4:18 PM 0

• That intriguing volleyball money

  This was the fastest I’ve ever signed up for Leisure Guide volleyball, 17 minutes, took just two ‘too busy’ tries before I got into the system, probably thanks to the city’s decision to hold swimming lessons registration a day before everything else.

  View Full Post 12/18/2011 8:39 PM 0

• Not political, Rita? Seriously?

  The Winnipeg School Division’s teachers’ union makes the extraordinary claim that students are a year behind in math and language arts by the time they finish Grade 6, and school board chair Rita Hildahl won’t talk about it because it’s not a political issue?!?!?!

  View Full Post 12/9/2011 12:47 PM 0

• Allan takes a pass on getting involved

  An aide to Education Minister Nancy Allan told me the minister would have nothing to say on the rather Bizarro-world job search for a new high school principal in Thompson.

  View Full Post 12/8/2011 1:44 PM 0

• Math is all the rage this week

  Back when child the elder was in Grade 4 and I was trying to help him with his homework, I went to the parent night with the Winnipeg School Division math consultant at Robert H. so I could find out what on earth a Venn diagram is.

  View Full Post 12/2/2011 4:01 PM 0

• Cast an educated vote Saturday

  Remember that Saturday is byelection day — cast an informed vote for trustee seats in Ward 1 of Winnipeg School Division, and Ward 2 of Louis Riel School Division, as well as the city council seat in St. Vital.

  View Full Post 11/24/2011 4:19 PM 0

• Johnny O drops a dime

   

  View Full Post 11/21/2011 4:24 PM 0

• Double the debates

  We’ve now got two all-candidates meetings lined up for the Winnipeg School Division Ward 1 byelection.

  View Full Post 11/16/2011 4:51 PM 0