Burnaby's Marlborough Elementary was declared a "champion school" in a challenge that encourages kids to live more healthy, active lives.
The 60 Minute Kids' Club, a registered charity, encourages children at participating schools to eat at least five fruits or vegetables per day, spend 60 minutes on active playing, spend no more than two hours in front of a screen and avoid sugary drinks.
Schools earn points based on their levels of participation, and Marlborough was named champion school for earning the highest number of points out of 68 schools in B.C.
The next challenge runs April 15 to June 1. To sign up, contact Gillian Thody at Gillian@60minkidsclub. org. For more information, go to 60minkidsclub.org.
Parents' seminar
The Burnaby Teachers' Association is hosting a free parents' seminar on strengthening the public education system. The event is on Monday at the Schou Education Centre, at 4041 Canada Way.
"In supporting public education, the relationship between parents and teachers is obviously important," said association vice-president Patrick Parkes in a press release. "Until recently, there hasn't been a forum through which parents and teachers could exchange ideas, but the Burnaby Teachers' Association Parents and Teachers Together seminars help us in that direction."
The forum is meant to give teachers and parents the chance to hear from each other on the challenges and aspirations for public education.
To attend, email bta@ bctf.ca of call 604-294-8141.
Youth leadership
Burnaby Mountain student Gulled Farah is off to New York this summer for a global youth leadership conference. The Grade 12 student is representing Canada at the conference, which brings together high achievers from around the world to analyze the role of the United Nations in respect to communications, diplomacy, human rights, law, peace, security and economics.
Gilmore mural
Shelley Twist, the city's community arts coordinator, and Lawrence Ryan, community school coordinator at Gilmore, came up with a project to bring people together and inspire creativity while making a new mural for the school. The piece involved artists Anna Talbot and Duane Murrin and more than 400 people - teachers, students, parents and community members - who were asked what makes a community peaceful. Participants drew their ideas, and some of the images were transferred to the wall as part of the design. Participants also helped paint the mural. The result is a large wall painting, depicting a landscape transitioning through seasons. The mural is in the school's activity room.
"The community involvement was so huge on this project. They were just so passionate about it," Twist said. "And the outcome is fantastic."
Grants for the project came from the City of Burnaby and Westminster Savings.
