A new school year begins

By Leela Sharon Aheer Chestermere-Strathmore MLA

Hello Chestermere-Strathmore readers. First, I want to give a huge shout-out to our teachers, trustees, superintendents, staff and administrators for a great first week back to school. 

Congratulations on managing all the normal chaos and, on top of that, a new curriculum and many other changes that have been challenging to say the least. I’ve had the privilege to speak to many of you about the upcoming school year and despite the challenges, you have all spent time this summer in training sessions learning how to implement the new curriculum. 

There are some big issues regarding lack of money for resources required for new subjects and lack of teacher instruction. New curricula require new ways of teaching, which require teacher training. In 2022-2023 the following areas for kindergarten to Grade 3 will be implemented: Math, Language Arts, Physical Education and Wellness.

Never have four subjects had to be implemented altogether. Too many subjects to be done all at once without previous piloting by school boards to point out strengths and weaknesses of the curriculum. I’m so unbelievably proud of our teachers and school authorities for their work and I will continue to advocate alongside them as we navigate these next few months. Thank you for everything you do. 

I also wanted to give a huge shout-out to our Hindu community in the riding. This past week, as Hindu Heritage month comes to a close, it was a privilege to see Camp Chestermere and the City of Chestermere open up to celebrate the Hindu Fest! The Bharatiya Multicultural Heritage Society hosted an entire weekend of events, from opening prayers to traditional dancing and performances to the Society’s Ethnic ritual for world peace. Celebrating Hindu heritage provides an excellent opportunity for Albertans to learn more about Hindu traditions and develop a greater appreciation of the beliefs and practices of our Hindu neighbours. 

Happy Pride Everyone! I am so honoured to celebrate our 2SLGBTQIA+ Albertans. Thank you for your tremendous contribution, love and advocacy.

As always, we love to hear from you.

(Leela Sharon Aheer is the MLA Elect for Chestermere-Strathmore)