As you will quickly see from the pages of this edition of ATAGlance, Calgary public schools have been quick to respond to the Asian tsunami relief effort.  The editors of the newsletter were overwhelmed with the response and have decided to put some of the articles in print and the rest on the website.  This is a new venture for us and we hope that it signals our rebuilding of the website in the future.

The Communications committee of Local 38 has been very busy discussing and planning developments on the website.  It is difficult to do this visioning work, put out the regular work of a newsletter and teach at the same time.  This state of flux is likely to be the norm as we migrate our website to TNET, the Alberta Teachers’ Association’s new computer system.  Eventually, this print form of the newsletter will be replaced by an electronic version found on our website.  Shortened, one-page versions will likely continue to be sent to schools for staff rooms.  This web presence for the newsletter will allow us to fulfill a long held desire to make better use of the interactive features available through the Internet.  Stay tuned for developments.

In other news, delegates to the Annual Representative Assembly to be held on the May long weekend in Edmonton will meet on March 3rd to debate the proposed ATA budget for 2005/06.  The proposed budget calls for an increase of 2.9% or $27 in Association dues for the coming year.  Of that money $78 is to replenish the Special Emergency Fund that was depleted in 2002.  The same delegates will meet on Saturday April 9 to debate all of the resolutions to be presented on the floor of ARA.

On another budget, Dick Hehr and yours truly were invited to make a presentation to the CBE Operating Budget Steering Committee last Tuesday.  Our presentation was part of a round of consultations being conducted with five major employee groupings.  A summary of the presentation was delivered to CSR last Wednesday.  The full text is available on our website.

Lastly, it is time to vote for your provincial Vice-Presidents and your Calgary City District Representatives.  Ballots should be in your possession now and if you have not already marked your ballot please take a moment to do so.  You may either mail it directly using the return envelope or return the sealed envelope to your CSR representative who will see that it is mailed for you.  Deadline for receipt of the ballots is March 22.  Please vote.